What Gods Demand — James A. Moore III

"What Gods Demand" was published in the anthology Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues.

About this story, author James A. Moore says, "The Empire of Fellein has reigned in relative peace for hundreds of years. The legends told by the people speak of a first empire and the greatest city ever known to mankind, Korwa. According to the tales, Korwa was destroyed in the distant past in an epic battle so intense that it destroyed part of the world and created the Blasted Lands. There might be some truth to the legends. Not long ago, explorers from Fellein found the distant Seven Forges mountain range deep in the Blasted Lands, and also discovered, to their surprise, that the area within that range is inhabited by people called the Sa'ba Taalor. The gray-skinned people from the distant realm have come to Fellein. Since that moment, a war has been building. Swech is one of the Sa'ba Taalor, chosen by her gods to hide among the humans and do the will of her deities."