Gears of Fate Read online

  Gears of Fate

  Wilbert Stanton

  CPW Production

  Cover Art by K.D. Ritchie

  https://storywrappers.com

  Copyright © 2019 by Wilbert Stanton

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  For Contact information please email: [email protected]

  Or visit https://www.wilbertstanton.com

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Chaos filled the halls of Olympus. Bad enough he had to entertain such undignified company as the one-eyed Norse God, but Zeus couldn’t stand listening to everyone squabble. As king of the Olympian Gods, he’d fought countless wars. It would seem he’d been fighting from the moment his mother, Rhea, spat him out. Chronos, king of the Titan Gods, his father, would have killed him at birth had his mother not been clever enough to save him. After spending his life in hiding, preparing, and learning all Rhea had to teach, Zeus conquered his father’s kingdom, destroyed Chronos and his army, and banished those who survived to Tartarus where they would rot for eternity. Except Atlas―he suffered a special kind of punishment. Zeus’ cleverness when it came to concocting punishments always made him smile.

  Zeus sat upon his ivory throne, towering over all the other Olympians and his visiting Norse cousin. He couldn’t even tell who argued with whom anymore. Nor did he care. The boredom of it all was enough to put him to sleep. His eyes sparkled with wild fire, a penetrating gaze that took on the visitor with contempt.

  His Aegis sat ready for war at his side. The Titan lords forged the shield in lightning and hellfire, creating a thing of immense beauty, and bestowed it with the secrets of godhood. He may have been able to wield lightning with the flick of his wrist, but the Aegis held his true power and remained a mystery to all. Yet there he sat, listening to his great halls echo with the voices of uncertainty.

  Odin begged an alliance. What a ridiculous idea. How could Odin expect Zeus and his royal blood to cower in fear over some unknown enemy? Zeus feared no man or beast, and Odin wanting help to fend off this invading army only proved him too weak a god to be called cousin. To make matters worse, the other Olympians were starting to believe Odin’s nonsense.

  This, Zeus could not allow.

  He focused on his son, the sensible one.

  “Father, we should hear him out,” Apollo said. His golden armor gleamed with magic light. Apollo the great general, smart and cunning, with his twin sister Artemis at his side, could face any danger. So why would Apollo choose to humor Odin? “We know nothing of this Fey threat. Perhaps it would be wise to at least take heed of his warning.”

  Hera sighed and crossed her arms. While Zeus may have feared no man or beast, Hera was a different matter. His wife was beautiful in all regards, but she had the temper and jealously to match even his pride. “Really, child? These barbarians walk into Olympus spouting tales of fancy, and you shiver in your boots. How is it you lead our armies and not Ares?”

  “I’ve been asking you that for an eternity now!” Ares slammed his mighty fist on the table before him, knocking over a goblet of ambrosia. “Honestly, I can rarely tell which one is the bigger girl, him or his sister—”

  The petite Artemis nearly jumped over the table had Apollo not held her back. “How about I rip your eyes out, since they seem to be of no use to you?”

  Ares waved her off with a laugh. “As I was saying. I could handle this threat on my own.”

  Odin rubbed his calloused hand over his one good eye. He seemed old and dusty, a wanderer who had travelled the world looking for something he could not find, his hair graying like the fading life of an abandoned cobweb. Unlike Zeus whose old features made him look strong and dignified, he looked worn and weary. “Zeus, you sit there in silence while your children bicker. Can you not look me in the eyes?”

  Ares snorted with laughter.

  Odin cleared his throat and continued. “Can you not tell me why you refuse an alliance? More so why you refuse to take this seriously?”

  Zeus could barely look at the gathering without shaking his head “When you’ve lived as long as I have, when you’ve fought as many wars, loved, and hated as I, you will understand. I do not fear death because death knows its place where I’m concerned. These invaders you speak of have yet to witness the might of Zeus, and I will not be introduced as someone who cannot stand on his own. Let this threat come, let them fall before me and beg to kiss at my feet.”

  “A grave mistake and foolish,” Odin whispered.

  Before Zeus could rage over his cousin’s insult, a shift in the air stayed his temper. A rush of wind, a blur of motion, warned him of his messenger’s approach. Hermes almost seemed to flicker into existence. He knelt with his head held low. The boy always showed the proper respect in front of an audience, usually to mask something of a mischievous nature.

  “Grandfather, you have a visitor.” Hermes looked up upon the king with fear-filled eyes. “I would not turn her away.”

  “Can’t you see I’m at council?” Zeus clenched his fists and seethed. The clouds darkened behind him and lightning ripped across the sky.

  Hermes disappeared only to reappear halfway across the court a safe distance away from Zeus. “I understand that grandfather… however, when I said I would not turn her away, I meant… I feared turning her away. Her eyes nearly froze my heart with fear. There is something not right about this woman; she is not quite man nor god.”

  “Odin, I swear your foolish wives’ tales have turned all my Olympians into cowards!”

  Concern crossed Odin’s face. He looked hard unto Hermes. “Her name, boy!”

  “Something strange, perhaps—”

  The courtroom doors burst open. A cold wind followed and a sense of dread permeated the air. A woman came forward, walking with a confidence that bordered between pride and insanity. Her long sinewy arms firmly crossed before a frail body cloaked in leather, leaves, and feathers. Her pale face bore cracks like a centuries-old porcelain doll, upon which sat a cancerous smile that dripped with venom. She came into the court alone and yet had the presence of someone with an army at her side.

  “So this is where the children of mighty Chronos hide as my army even now takes back the land.” She tapped a long spider like finger at her chin. “Packaged up all nice in one place. If I weren’t of a mind for war, I could end this all right now.”

  Zeus leaned forward, curiosity sparking in his bored eyes. “Who are you to barge into my court?”

  She slowly licked her lips, delighted in the desire she saw in his eyes. “I am Queen Mob.”

  “I know of no Queen Mob, and for what nation do you rule?”

  She looked around at the others with a mild curiosity. Almost as if a second thought, she muttered, “Earth.”

  Zeus laughed wholeheartedly. “You claim rule of Earth?”

  With a casual grace, Queen Mob picked up a
goblet from the table and drank deeply. The Gods watched dumbfounded, shocked by the creature’s brazen nature. “I do.”

  To Odin, Zeus said, “This is the Fey threat you spoke of?”

  Odin inched away from the presence of Queen Mob. “Aye.”

  “Well then.” Zeus stood and stretched his arms. “You hold no claim here, witch. It was a grave miscalculation on your part coming here. I shall end this—”

  “The Earth has grown tired of the rule of man. The blood of Atlas runs deep through her veins. His blood has given her enlightenment. The blood you call ambrosia and drink with no regard to its power. Did you know she is alive? This land you so callously abuse. She begs for a savior, someone to set right the wrongs of men and gods.”

  “What dare you speak of Atlas, the Titan I banished into the depths of Earth for his betrayal?”

  “Where he bled and awoken the planet.”

  “Nonsense.”

  “What affronts me is how both you and mankind abuse and mistreat her. She gave you life and cared for you as a mother should, even when she is rewarded with nothing but abuse. You gods and man take from her with no thought of her well-being. You are a cancer upon this land that if left unchecked will eventually bring about her last breath. The Fey were born in her aid. We will cure her of this disease and she will flourish once more.”

  Zeus sat back on his throne. “Apollo, dispatch this menace.”

  Apollo stood; he unlike his father cautiously sized up Queen Mob. He drew a glimmering gold blade and approached. “We have no quarrel with your kind. Know that you brought this upon yourself.”

  Even as he stepped forward, Mob couldn’t be bothered to pay him any attention. Instead, she looked around the court, inspecting every inch. “This castle may be fit for Oberon, but I have no desire to reside in something so… bright.” She passingly waved a hand at Apollo and he fell to his knees. His sword clattered to the ground next to him. His eye bulged and his golden skin turned red.

  Artemis didn’t miss a beat, her bow and arrow drawn and trained on Mob. “What are you doing to my brother?”

  “Oh, you might have made a perfect mate for Puck. But it wouldn’t do letting anyone think they can draw a weapon on me, now would it?” Mob waved another hand and Artemis’ head turned violently with a crack and her body crashed out the window as if an invisible hand swatted her away. Apollo fell flat on the ground. His last breath escaped his perfect lips in a whimper.

  To Zeus, Mob said, “I hope to see you on the fields of battle? I could finish it here. But the Earth deserves to be bathed in the blood of man and God.”

  Mob disappeared in a flash of smoke and leaves. Zeus breathed heavy with anger while the others screamed and argued.

  For the first time he could recall, Zeus felt fear.

  Chapter One

  Midday at the docks, a crowd of boys fought to catch the Job Master’s eye. I pushed through the press of bodies with ease. Once they saw my face, they backed off. They knew my name and if they didn’t, they knew my faded crew cut, tanned skin, and rank ink tattooed on my neck. Most importantly, they all knew they would be going home with empty pockets.

  I heard the Job Master’s shout even before I got to the front. “All right, we had one work assignment, only one, and it’s been filled.”

  My lip curled at the sight of him, his fancy dress boasted of refinery. He probably never worked a hard day of labor in his life.

  “Come back tomorrow and we’ll see if we need any of you then,” he said.

  Mason stood next to him, chest puffed out full of pride. He’s the biggest Fringe Rat you’d ever meet. Oil stained clothes and greased up hands, from the many jobs he juggled, made him look rough. He wore the second best rank tats to mine behind his ear with pride. He caught my scrutinizing gaze and gave me an arrogant smile. I didn’t like it; I wanted to wipe it off his face.

  “Sure,” I yelled. “If you want to waste stacks!”

  Mason rolled his eyes and made a show of laughter, no doubt trying to keep the Job Master’s attention on him.

  “Mason’s work is rust at best!” I continued. All the boys quieted down. “So yeah, you got the right guy for the job, if you prefer to pay double the going price and then have to call him back in a couple of months to fix all the patches he left leaking this time around.”

  “Hop off, Zak!” Mason waved a dismissive hand in my direction. The Job Master looked back and forth between the two of us.

  “What? Everyone knows you fix the job so you get a guaranteed comeback. I think it’s rust the way you take advantage of the Job Master’s generous nature.”

  “Explain, kid.” The Job Master sounded bored.

  “It’s the oldest scam. You come here offering fifty stacks for a fixer up. His rank tats will impress the big boys with all the cash, so he’ll ask for double. Why not? He got plenty skill, no lie. He’ll fix you up good. But he’ll make sure to set some things off, so you’ll be calling him back for a follow up. Double up on the original and now you’re out two hundred stacks. Me though, if you know anything you’ll know my name, I got rank. I’ll get you all patched up in no time.”

  “Walker isn’t it?” The Job Master asked. “Your John’s boy?”

  “Yeah. I learned it all from him and now my work puts his to shame.”

  The Job Master laughed. “That’s not such a hard task, now is it? Rumor has it, your mom came back from a yearlong scavenge pregnant. He took to the bottle after that. Pretty sure he was put to shame a long time ago, kid.”

  My jagged nails bit into my palms; my blood boiled and I wanted to lunge. But I’m smart enough to know my place. “Yeah he’s a sad sack now, don’t mean nothing on his skills, and my skills are just as good—if not better.”

  He smiled with knowing in his eyes. “Walker’s kid, huh? It wouldn’t be bad having you on the pipe. What are you, sixteen?”

  “Yes, sir and I’m the best here. They’ll all attest to that.” I spread my arms wide, while the murmurs of agreement rose around me. “So what do you say? You want the best or you want a hack?”

  The muscle alongside Mason’s jaw flexed. He didn’t bother to wait for the Job Master to say the word; he jumped off the stage and got in my face. “You’re a piece of rust!”

  Mason’s a big guy and truth be told, he put me in the Doc’s office one too many times for running my mouth. Regardless, I didn’t back down; Zak Walker never backs down. I took a deep breath and let my chest swell. Looking up into his unwavering blue eyes, I waited for the slightest flinch that would warn me of a punch.

  “Ease off Mason, you wouldn’t want your pride hurt twice in one day.” I was always a fan of bluffs.

  “I should edge you.”

  “You could try.”

  He stared me down for another moment before shoving me aside. He pushed his way past the crowd of boys, off to nurse his shattered dignity.

  “Well that was an interesting display of bravado. Come up here, Walker. Let me get a good look at you.” The Job Master reached out a hand. I ignored the gesture and jumped up onto the stage. He looked me up and down. “Yeah I can see it. You got the same shifty eyes as your dad. He was always thinking of a way out, trying to outsmart people he had no business trying to outsmart. You aren’t going to give us trouble like that are you?”

  “No, sir. I got skill and I earn what I’m worth, that’s all there is.”

  He nodded. “Okay, that’s good to hear. The going rate for this job is fifty stacks.”

  “Except seeing as how I got skill I’m going to charge double. A hundred sounds about right—Come to think of it, two hundred.”

  “Two hundred! Why the hell would we pay you two hundred?”

  “Because I’ll get the job done, there’s no going back to Mason now that his pride’s hurt. To be honest, I’ll probably need the extra to cover my hospital bills after he roughs me up a bit for stepping in on his piece.”

  “That’s absurd! I could just take any one of these other Fringe
Rats.” He pointed out into the crowd but they all looked down and started walking away. Rats got pride but they also got loyalty. “Where are you all going? Don’t you want work?”

  “The job’s mine, they won’t turn on me. It’s two hundred or none.”

  He looked over the crowd one last time, trying to find someone that would never step up. “Fine… one fifty.”

  He gave in way too easy. I didn’t expect anything over a hundred. I wasn’t going to push my luck. “That’s a generous offer.”

  The Job Master strapped a heavy pack across my back, but I loved it. Something about the tense anticipation got my blood going and made it the best part of the job. It looked like an old model, with frayed straps and the iron plating rusted, but that didn’t matter. It’s an old build, but a dependable one. I tested the thrusters and a spurt of ambrosia-filled steam shot out, lifting me off my feet for a couple of seconds, strong enough. I buttoned my jacket to the top, slipped on my gloves, and put on my goggles. I looked over the dock edge, an ocean of puffy clouds drifted far below. I caught glimpses of the Earth, specks of blue, green, and brown. It’s like a painting in a museum: meant to be looked at, but as much as I wanted, I couldn’t touch it.

  “Don’t get any ideas.” The Job Master jabbed his finger into my chest. “You know what happens if you try and fly off with our gear?”

  “Fuel runs out, I go splat…” I clapped my hands in front of his face for effect.

  “My boss said to tell you, if you finish in under an hour, we’ll add an extra twenty.”

  I raised an eyebrow in his direction. “Whoa, not like the boss man to go throwing around money.”