Godkiller - The Lumberjack Journal - 7 - Something to Lose

You would think that on a day when we defeated one of our greatest threats, there would be a celebration or at least a sense of victory. Instead, the manor is weighed down by a blanket of discomfort. We finally found and killed Morana, but it did not go well. Morana had laid a trap that killed nearly all of the capable fighters we had brought along. Valmore, myself, and nearly forty others went to end things. Thirty-one of them were killed. Mages and warriors of impressive skill were torn asunder due to her clever plotting, and our oversight. Beyond that, she actually almost killed Valmore. It was the first time our inner circle had ever seen someone truly harm a Wordbearer, let alone bring them near death. I’ve seen the weakness of Fire before but never used the way that she had.

In the end, it was our overwhelming numbers that killed Morana. She had spent so much time meticulously targeting our weaknesses, but she never thought to defend her own. If Morana had even a single ally, she may have succeeded in her mission. After the fight I found myself standing over her still-smoldering bones, inlaid with lines of warding gold for quite some time. I found myself envious of her courage, and furious with her for not killing me.

Now our inner circle fidgets anxiously. They had thought the word bearers were untouchable. But a single, mortal woman was nearly able to kill Valmore on her own through preparation, cleverness, and skill. My brother has tried to reassure them, and they are feigning confidence in him. No one is fooling each other on this day. We are trying to assassinate the gods themselves. Why would we be any less vulnerable? Morana saw the true nature of the game that we are playing and understood what it takes to go toe to toe with a being far beyond your means. It is not a matter of power, it’s a matter of wit. Morana had wit to spare.

 The mistake most make is that they see my brother as a force, rather than a person. An ancient, infallible thing that can fell cities with a wave of a hand. However, even with all his magic, and all his many years of living, he still makes mistakes. He’s still a man. A man who can bleed. A man who can feel regret, insecurity, and fear. If it can feel fear, it can be beaten as that is an emotion privileged only to those with something to lose.