The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of The Belgariad and The Malloreon. David Eddings

itself upon me.

      But Aldur was wroth and went unto our brothers and beguiled them into enmity toward me, and each of them came to me and spake slightingly unto me, commanding me to return to Aldur the thing that had twisted his soul and which I had taken that he might be freed of the enchantment of it. But I resisted them, and would in no wise do it.

      Then girded they for war, and the sky was made black with the stinking smoke of their forges as their people beat out weapons with which to rend and maim my people.

      But I would not permit it – that the blood of men be spilt and the Gods make war upon each other, and raised I the cursed thing which Aldur had made and with it divided I the land that the seas might come in and separate the peoples one from the other that they might not come upon each other and their blood be spilt.

      But such was the malice which Aldur had wrought into the thing accurséd that in the day that I raised it to divide the world that men’s blood not be spilt did it smite me with fire. Even as I spake the commands unto it did it sear my flesh. And the malice of Aldur consumed the hand with which I held the thing accurséd and blinded the eye with which I beheld it and marred one half of my face with its burning.

      And I caused it to be bound up in a cask of iron that it might injure none other, and named it CTHRAG-YASKA, the burning stone, that men and Gods might be wary of it and its evil never again be unleashed to destroy flesh with the malice of Aldur. And upon myself I took the burden of guarding CTHRAG-YASKA that it be bound in iron until the end of days and all its mischief with it.

      And I bore my people away to the east in Mallorea, and on a sheltered plain did they build a great city and called its name Cthol Mishrak in remembrance of my suffering. And I concealed their city with clouds so that men might not find them to despoil them for their love of me.

      Then labored I for a thousand years and yet another thousand to raise the curse which Aldur in his malice had laid on the stone, CTHRAG-YASKA. Well I knew that in the day of the lifting of the curse would men and Gods be rejoined in brotherhood and fellowship, and the malice of Aldur unto me would be broken, and I would be restored and made whole to greet my brothers unmarred.

      Great were the enchantments and words of power which I cast at the obdurate stone, but still its evil fire burned, and its curse was upon the world by reason of the malice of Aldur.

      And Belar, the youngest of my brethren, conspired with Aldur against me and raised up his uncouth people against me and caused each of them to curse me and have despite unto even me who had suffered so greatly that men’s blood not be spilt.

      And behold, it came to pass that the evil sorcerer, Belgarath, who had ever sat at the right hand of Aldur, whispering the fell counsel of malice and enmity unto him, came with four others as a thief and bore away CTHRAG-YASKA. And one of them, the youngest, had been so woven about with spells and enchantments that he took up CTHRAG-YASKA and was not burned, and they bore it away.

      Bravely did my warriors pursue them, and many were slain, and even I strode with them that we might regain CTHRAG-YASKA and so prevent the evil which it would bring to the world. But behold, the young man raised the thing accurséd and cast about its evil fire, and my people were consumed by it, and the thieves escaped, bearing CTHRAG-YASKA with them. And then was evil loosed in the world. And pulled I down the city of the Angaraks, and mighty Cthol Mishrak was laid waste that the enemies of my people not come upon them and destroy them utterly. And divided I the Angaraks into five tribes. The Nadraks made I hardy and bold and set them in the north to guard the ways by which the thieves had come. And the Thulls made I enduring and broad of back that they might bear burdens without tiring, and set them in the middle lands. And the Murgos made I the fiercest and most numerous and set them in the south that they might multiply greatly against the evil that had been unloosed in the world. And the most of my people kept I with me in Mallorea, which hath no limits, to serve me and to multiply against the day when war would be raised by the kingdoms of the west. And lastly made I the Grolims and instructed them in enchantments and wizardry and raised them as a priesthood before me and caused them to keep watch over all my people wheresoever they might be.

      And I raised up a mighty people and set them to labor that we might undo the evil that had beset the world and regain CTHRAG-YASKA that the malice of Aldur had made and thus hold and keep the world from the destruction which no man or God might forestall.

      And behold, my brothers feared my wrath in that they had conspired against me and sent thieves to steal CTHRAG-YASKA. And they did flee from me – yea, and departed from the world and remained but in spirit each with his own people.

      And for a thousand years and yet another thousand and three hundred more^* did I send Nadraks and Murgos against the savage and barbarian Alorns with Thulls to bear their burdens and Grolims to guide them in my service. And it availed not, for the sons of the great thief Cherek, aided by the wicked sorcery of Belgarath, chief disciple of Aldur, did fall upon my people and destroy them.

      In the west did the sons of Algar bestride strange beasts, swift and cruel, and harried my people back even unto the black mountains. And to the north did the sons of Dras the thick-witted, eldest son of Cherek, the thief, lie in wait and savagely ambush the brave Nadraks I had sent and foully destroyed them – yea, so utterly that a thousand years passed ere their numbers were restored. And call the Angaraks this battle the Battle of the Grief-Place, and each year upon the day of the Battle of the Grief-Place are a thousand Thullish maidens sacrificed and a thousand Thullish young men also. And also are sacrificed a hundred Murgo maidens and a hundred Murgo warriors and ten Nadrak maidens and ten Nadrak champions and a Grolim priestess and a new-born Grolim man-child, borne in her arms. And this is done that my people not forget the Battle of the Grief-Place and it will be so until CTHRAG-YASKA be returned unto me or until the end of days.

      And it came to pass that my brother Issa slept, and I knew of this by reason of the counsel of Zedar, ^* a wise and just man who had abjured the malice of Aldur and the evil dominion of the wicked sorcerer Belgarath and had come unto me with offer of service and respect. Now Zedar had been a Disciple of Aldur and was well-taught in enchantments and sorceries, and after the fashion of sorcerers had his name been called Belzedar. But he had abjured this unseemly name upon the day when he had come into my service. And he brought forth a vision, and behold, my brother Issa, ever sluggish and indolent, had fallen into a deep slumber which had endured for a hundred years, and his priests could not rouse him nor the queen of his people either. And sent I Zedar unto the land of the snake people who worship my brother Issa, and he spake unto their queen and offered unto her wealth and power and Dominion over many lands if she would fall down and worship me and do my bidding. And behold, she consented to it, and in secret sent she her emissaries unto a certain place and did break the power of CTHRAG-YASKA which had by reason of the malice of Aldur and the sorceries of Belgarath raised a barrier against me. And once the sons of Riva, youngest son of Cherek, were no more, the enchantment was broken, and then might I come against the kingdoms of the west and demand the return of CTHRAG-YASKA that I might undo its evil sorceries.

      And now are my people made ready, and will we now come against the kingdoms of the west which have hearkened unto the counsel and beguilements of wicked Gods and evil sorcerers and have sought to deny me that which is mine. And I will smite them with my wrath and harry them and multiply their sufferings enormously. And behold, I will cause them all to fall down and worship me, forasmuch as my brothers have all fled, I only remain, and I only am God in the world. And all men shall worship me and raise the sweet odor of sacrifice to me and I shall have Lordship and Dominion over all things, and the world shall be mine –

      (The copy of the manuscript breaks off here.)

       TESTAMENT OF THE SNAKE PEOPLE

      NOTE This strange fragment was discovered in the ruins of a Nyissan temple during an exploratory expedition by the twenty-third Imperial legion into northern Nyissa following the Alorn invasion