Thurgod nodded and set his jaw. He pointed his face toward the attending golem. "I have chosen. Take the stronger one back to his place, and tell Cyllgod that I have taken my servant."
The golem lumbered towards Triannin, who did not move to resist, but only glowered at Thurgod. Thurgod turned towards him and said, "I have not the power to take from Cyllgod all her slaves. I hope that you grow. Your sacrifice for your people was noble; it will not go unrewarded."
Triannin spat as the golem clasped his shoulder with its cold, crystalline fingers. "There is neither god nor principle that rewards the good deeds of men. We hope only for retribution."
"It is good for you that I have ordered the golem to be silent about our meeting, or he may have reported your words to Cyllgod."
As the golem propelled Triannin from the chamber, through the tunnel that rested under Cyllgod's throne, Triannin called back, "Someday she will hear of it from me, if I am ever to be avenged."
Thurgod looked towards Oorgo again, whose thin wrists were clasped in metal bonds. The smith-god knelt down and grasped them, feeling the metal. "I never forged bonds so small, but they will hear me nonetheless. Break." Instantly the bonds rusted through, flaking away to leave a small pile of dust.
"Do you feel the metal because you cannot see it?"
"I am the god for things of metal. I can see it without eyes, but there is more to be learned from the metal by touching. You will learn these things from me as well as a mortal may learn them, Oorgo. Now we must leave, for you must begin to learn today." He took Oorgo lightly by the arm and led him out of the chamber, through the door opposite Cyllgod's chamber. Thurgod had seen the carving of these halls, and knew the way out the gate quickly. He passed several of the white golems, and to each he only pointed his face and they let him pass.
"How do you see these halls? How do you see at all? You have a metal band across your eyes. Is it glass?"
"It is not glass. My eyes do not see as yours do. Instead I only know, and must proceed without sight. I saw these halls the day after they were carved, and I do not forget, because I am a god."
"You saw the halls? Have you always had the metal band?"
"I am glad that you have not forgotten to be a child while in Cyllgod's prisons. How long were you made to wait?"
"I never saw the sun after I asked her to make my sister beautiful, and," but Oorgo was interrupted.
"You will see the sun shortly. It will be more pleasant than her luminous crystals, for it was not given me to make gems more brilliant than the sun."
"You make gems? And can you make my sister beautiful, since you're a god?"
"You must have been a lovely child, well liked by grown men, if you feel so comfortable in speaking so voluminously to a god."
"So vol-... what?"
"So much."
"Do I talk too much?"
"Too much for most, but not for me."
"Can you make my sister beautiful?"
"Your sister may not need to be made beautiful, and I cannot do that."
"But you are a god?"
"I am a god for smith work. I make things that are useful from metal and stone."
The two passed out of the highest gate into Cyllgod's mountain castle, unquestioned by the white gate-keeping golem. There the sun struck them strongly and Oorgo blinked strongly. The brightness was intensified by the pure white stairway that stretched from that gate and spiraled down to the city below. This stair was a more direct means for lesser gods and greater humans to come to Cyllgod's council room. Oorgo had entered far below.
The momentary distraction caused many of Oorgo's previous topics of interest to slip from his mind. "We are coming out in a different place than I came in."
"Where you came in does not matter now. I am taking you to my smithy by the road that I know. We must go down the stairs to get there." Thurgod released the boy's hand.
Oorgo leaped down the first few stairs, and then fell neatly on his face in the next attempted jump. Thurgod only continued to descend the stairs, though even for him there were too many, and he descended two of them with each step. Oorgo got up without a thought of injury and said to the back of Thurgod's head, "Will I ever see my family again?"
Thurgod brought both his feet to rest on the landing where had just stepped, as the stairs turned in their spiral. "I am not a god of the future; I do not know."
"But will you let me see them?"
"I am not like Cyllgod. I do not prevent others from seeing anything." He lifted his hand and felt the railing of the stairs, then continued to descend.
"Will you take me home? Will you..."
"I will not take you home. I have come to make you my servant, not to return you elsewhere."
"But I want to see them again." Oorgo jumped down and got in front of Thurgod.
"There are many things which I want to see again, but I..." then Thurgod crumpled over, barely avoiding the boy as he fell on his side. Oorgo did not know what to do, and only stood wide-eyed.
Thurgod got on all fours, panting for breath, before he stood up. "There is a god greater than I, Oorgo, and she does not permit such things. I may not leave this city. I may not see the sun. And I may not allow my one servant, the only human she gives to help me, to leave the capital either."
Oorgo frowned. Before he knew it, though, he was bounding down the glistening stairs trying to keep up with the descending stride of the red-fleshed smith god.
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