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EDDINGS, David - Malloreon 1 - Guardians of the West.txt
DAVID EDDINGS
GUARDIAN OF THE WEST
PROLOGUE
Being an Account those Events came to the Throne of Riva and how he slew the
Accursed God Torak.
-from the Introduction, Legends of Aloria
After the seven Gods created the world, it is said that they and those races of men
they had chosen dwelt together in peace and harmony. But UL, father of the Gods,
remained aloof, until Gorim, leader of those who had no God, went up on a high
mountain and importuned him mightily. Then the heart of UL melted, and he lifted up
Gorim and swore to be his God and God of his people, the Ulgos.
The God Aldur remained apart, teaching the power of the Will and the Word to
Belgarath and other disciples. And a time came when Aldur took up a globe-shaped
stone no larger than the heart of child. Men named the stone the Orb of Aldur, and
it was filled with enormous power, for it was the embodiment of a Necessity which
had existed since the beginning of time.
Torak, God of the Angarak peoples, coveted lordship and dominion over all things,
for to him had come an opposing Necessity. When he learned of the Orb, he was sorely
troubled, fearing that it would counter his destiny. He went therefore to Aldur to
plead that the stone be set aside. When Aldur would not give up the stone, Torak
smote him and fled with the Orb.
Then Aldur summoned his other brothers, and they went with a mighty army of their
followers to confront Torak. But Torak, seeing that his Angaraks must be defeated,
raised the Orb and used its power to crack the world and bring in the Sea of the
East to divide him from his enemies.
But the Orb was angered that Torak should use it thus and it lashed him with a fire
whose agony could not be quenched.
Torak's left hand was burned away, his left cheek was seared in the arts of sorcery
and charred, and his left eye took flame and was ever after filled with the fire of
the Orb's wrath.
In agony, Torak led his people into the wastelands of Mallorea, and his people built
him a city in Cthol Mishrak, which was called the City of Night, for Torak hid it
under an endless cloud. There, in a tower of iron, Torak contended with the Orb,
trying in vain to quell its hatred for him.
Thus it endured for two thousand years. Then Cherek Bear-Shoulders, King of the
Alorns, went down to the Vale of Aldur to tell Belgarath the Sorcerer that the
northern way was clear. Together they left the Vale with Cherek's three mighty sons,
Dras Bull-neck, Algar Fleet-foot and Riva Irongrip. They stole through the marches,
with Belgarath taking the form of a wolf to guide them, and they crossed over into
Mallorea. By night, they stole into Torak's iron tower. And while the maimed God
tossed in pain-haunted slumber, they crept to the room where he kept the Orb locked
in an iron casket. Riva Iron-grip, whose heart was without ill intent, took up the
Orb, and they left for the West.
Torak waked to find the Orb gone and he pursued them.
But Riva lifted up the Orb, and its angry flame filled Torak with fear. Then the
company passed from Mallorea and returned to their own lands.
Belgarath divides Aloria into four kingdoms. Over three he set Bear-Shoulders, Dras
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EDDINGS, David - Malloreon 1 - Guardians of the West.txt