Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign

CHAPTER 21

A Soul Rescued

GEORGE WAITED FOR HIS dinner companions to arrive as he finished his second mug of ale. While he waited, a gray-haired man approached from the bar. The man was wearing a light green, hooded robe, and he was holding a staff that had a cubed shaped gem set at its top.

Amar tapped the butt end of his staff against the floor and took a seat across from George. “We should speak.”

George looked across the table and scanned Amar’s appearance. You’ve got to be kidding me. This schmuck looks like Merlin. “Look pal, I have people coming. You need to take a hike.”

“I’ll speak quickly, George.” The mage watched the surprise appear on George’s face. “Yes, I know your name. I’ve been sent to assist you on your journey. I know you need my help with your … well ... let’s just call it your gift since we are in mixed company. Under my tutelage, you could learn to master it.”

George leaned across the table. “Don’t tell me what I need. Whoever sent you should mind his own business. I don’t need your help.”

The mage leaned forward. “Lasidious sent me. My name is Amar.”

George feigned his interest. “Oh, so you’re Amar! Why didn’t you just say so?” The jerk changed his expression. “I don’t give a crap who you are. Tell Lasidious to mind his own business. It’s best you go before I make you wish that you had.”

Amar’s expression was filled with concern. “You speak of our lord as if you don’t respect him. He’s to be feared.”

George stood, pushed his seat back and then looked down at Amar. “Get lost, and take your lord with you, or I’ll might decide to use my gift on you.”

The mage stood from the table. “As you wish, but I’ll be outside the arena at the closing of the games. If you want my help, meet me there.” With that, Amar closed his eyes and vanished.

George reached across the table and passed his hand through the air where Amar had stood. What the hell? he thought. The sum-bitch just vanished.





From within his invisible veil, Lasidious watched from the far side of the bar as George looked around the room to see if anyone else was bothered by the mage’s disappearance. When no one seemed to care, the Mischievous One smirked as George reached out again to examine the space where Amar had been.





Now, more than ever, George was confused. How did he know my name? How did he know about me turning crap to stone? He leaned back in his chair and shook his head. There’s never a dull moment around this joint. I’ve got to write a book about this for Abbie. He lifted his drink from the table, slammed down the rest of his ale and then reclaimed his seat until his guests arrived.

When Sam and Shalee entered, George could not stop staring at the fighter’s body. “Holy cow, man! Look at you. You’re a horse. Put an axe in your hand, throw a red-checkered shirt on you, and call you Paul Bunyan. I thought you had muscles before, but this is sick ... hella sick.”

Sam smiled. “The conversation about my size and how I got it is best left for places a little more private, wouldn’t you agree? I have a lot to tell you about this world. There are many things that we’ve learned. I’m hoping to compare notes and see if you know something we don’t.”

George nodded. “Sure, let’s talk about something else until we’re done eating.” After the meal, the group left the tavern and headed for the inn where Sam and Shalee were staying.





Lasidious remained invisible and followed.





George was glad to learn that the inn where Sam and Shalee were staying was not the inn where Athena worked. He did not want to mix business with pleasure. This meeting was about gathering information. It had nothing to do with friendship. He could not care less if Sam and Shalee existed. He just wanted the scoop.

Everyone filed into Sam and Shalee’s room. Sam was the first to speak. “It’s good to see you, George. I thought you had become a tragedy, but after speaking with Bassorine, I figured you might have survived since Lasidious has plans for you.”





Lasidious smirked. The Mischievous One moved to sit in a chair across the room and maintained his invisible cover. This should prove entertaining, he thought. George is already confused.





“What the hell are you talking about?” George responded. “You’re the second person to mention that name. Who is Lasidious?”

Sam shrugged. “Apparently, he’s a god.”

George rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right! Can you believe how stupid this place is? These people are stinkin’ primitive. They throw around the term gods as if gods actually exist.” The jerk leaned against the wall of the cold fireplace and put his elbow on top of the mantle. “Heck. These people don’t even understand the concept of time.”

Sam lowered to the edge of the bed next to Shalee as he responded. “They understand the concept, they just haven’t assigned words for specific measurements of time.”

George shrugged. “You know what I meant, so stop correcting me.”

An awkward series of moments passed before Sam continued. “I agree that it’s odd talking to these people. It does feel foreign to speak like they do.” Sam stood, walked across the room and then looked out the window. Across the street to the south was The Old Mercantile, and across from the mercantile was Margorie’s Market. “Regardless of how these people speak, it appears Lasidious has plans for your moments.”

George rolled his eyes. “You sound just like these people. You fit right in.”

Shalee chuckled. “I told you Sam insisted that we talk like them.”

“That’s because it’s rude not to adapt,” Sam responded.

“Sure. Whatever, man,” George dismissed. “I haven’t got all Peak so quit wasting my moments, and get on with the conversation.”

Shalee had to smile at George’s sarcasm, but Sam was not amused.

George grinned. “Look, man ... I don’t even know who this Lasidious character is. I woke up outside of town, and I’ve been here ever since.”

Shalee responded, “Apparently, Lasidious is the one who brought us here.”

“She’s right,” Sam added. “Lasidious was directed to retrieve us, but he was only supposed to bring Shalee and me. For whatever reason, he brought you as well. From the way it sounds, the gods don’t understand why, and Mosley is also clueless.”

George gave Sam an inquisitive look. “Shalee said that name earlier. Who in the heck is Mosley? She said he took the place of this supposed God of War, Bassorine.”

“George, I told you Mosley is the new God of War,” Shalee defended, “not the supposed God of War. I’ve seen Mosley’s power.”

George looked at Shalee. “Whatever!” He turned to Sam. “What else can you tell me about this joint?”

Sam shook his head. “You’re the same old George, that’s for sure. Anyway, Shalee and I were supposed to create an empire and be the example the other worlds were to follow, but it looks like that is going to be put on the back burner now that the Crystal Moon is missing.”

George grinned. “You two ... an example? Now I know everyone around here is smoking crack. What else can you tell me?”

“Shalee was brought here to be my mate,” Sam replied.

Shalee grabbed one of the pillows off the bed and threw it across the room at Sam. She used the opportunity to act as if she did not know. “You never told me anything about that.”

“Maybe we could talk about it later,” Sam replied as he threw the pillow back across the room and grinned as it hit Shalee upside her head.

George shook his head. “You poor girl. You’re the one who has to sleep with this big lug? What a tragedy.” The jerk moved to the window and looked down at the torches lighting the cobblestone streets as Sam moved to the table and took a seat. “I don’t know anything about this Lasidious, but maybe I’ll meet him one of these Peaks. If he has plans for me, he’d better say something before I find my way back to my daughter.”

Sam looked at Shalee and frowned. “Shalee and I have been so overwhelmed; we lost sight of your disappearance. We’re grateful you’re okay.”

George placed his hands on the window sill. “Are we still dwelling on that? Shouldn’t we be figuring out a way to get home?”

Shalee sighed, “If there was a home to go to, I’m sure we would be trying.”

“What the hell do you mean?”

Sam’s face turned somber. “Okay, okay. George, I have something I need to tell you. You already know about the worlds and the Crystal Moon. But what you don’t know is that the gods created a book after the God Wars destroyed the cosmos. They call this book the Book of Immortality, and it literally holds the souls of every dead being inside the page that their name has been inscribed on.”

“You’re screwing with me, aren’t you?” George responded. “You think that you can make me believe stupid crap like that.”

Sam shook his head. “Not at all. I don’t think you’re simpleminded. But I’m not finished. There’s more. From my understanding of the God Wars ... the battles were all consuming, and they even destroyed Heaven and Hell. It no longer matters if a person is good or bad, everybody ends up inside the Book. They stay there until it is their moment to be reborn.”

George’s brow furrowed. “Sounds like bull crap to me.”

Sam nodded. “It’s hard to argue with you, but it’s the truth.” Sam reached up to scratch the top of his head. “Bassorine said that the gods of Earth sent the souls of their followers to Heaven or Hell before they were destroyed. But that’s no longer possible.”

“You don’t really expect me to believe you,” George responded.

Sam nodded. “I do.”

“You’re telling me what the Bible said is true? You’re saying I would’ve gone to Hell for the things I’ve done?” He paused for a fair series of moments. “Considering the way this world is, I’m inclined to believe anything right now.”

Sam held up his hands to stop George from continuing. “Okay, okay. If you were worried about your soul, you’re lucky Hell is gone.” Sam stood from his chair. A grave expression appeared on his face. “There’s something else you need to know.”

“I’m listening.”

A long silence filled the room. “Earth is gone.”

George laughed. “Yeah, right! Whatever, dude!”

Sam’s expression did not change. “I swear ... I’m telling you the truth.”

George looked at the floor. “This is all too farfetched. It’s like you’re playing a game with me. If everything was destroyed ... including Earth, and nothing remains ... and the only worlds in existence are the ones the statue spoke about, then that means—”

Sam’s heart sunk as he saw the light turn on behind George’s eyes.

Shalee stood from the bed. She kept her eyes focused on George as she walked across the room, stopped next to Sam and then grabbed Sam’s arm and held it tight. She remembered how she felt when she learned her world had been annihilated and that her family and Chanice were no longer living.

George reached for his wallet and started to open it, but he remembered the picture of his daughter was missing. He crumbled to the floor. Under normal circumstances he would never have shown weakness, but the loss of his daughter was not a normal circumstance. He started to cry as the realization of what the destruction of Earth meant. It was more than he could bear. Sam’s revelation was too overpowering.

Shalee tried to rush to his side, but George held up his hands and screamed for her to stay back. “Don’t come near me! I’m dangerous!” He pushed himself up against the wall and balled up below the window.

George’s grief was hellish as the memories of his daughter flooded his mind. The pain of knowing he would never see her again was tormenting. “She was so young,” he sobbed. “I loved my Abbie more than anything. She was perfection, and she loved me, too ... no matter what. She didn’t judge me. She loved me because I was her dad. Oh, God...”

George wailed as he remembered that there was no Heaven. “How can Abbie’s soul find a safe place to rest if there’s no place but a book for her to go to?” He rose to his knees and peeked out the window. “My baby won’t know Athena.” The dreams of his little girl going to the park with Athena would never come true. This thought amplified his pain. “My heart hurts!”

George stood and made his way to the door. “I need to go. I need to go now.” Before he opened the door, he turned to face Sam and Shalee. “This is where we part. I need to find a place for me now. Don’t follow me.” He slammed the door behind him.





Lasidious stood from his chair. He maintained his invisible cover and walked across the room. The god passed through the wood of the door to see where George was going. The Mischievous One did not want to lose sight of his work-in-progress.





Shalee tried to follow, but Sam grabbed her arm. “Don’t! He needs to figure this one out on his own.”

“What if he kills himself?” Shalee rebutted. “I can’t imagine a child of mine dying.” Shalee fell onto the bed. Her sympathy for George’s pain was pulling at the core of her heart. “If he kills himself, I couldn’t deal with that kind of guilt.”

“Would you stop?” Sam chastised. “Pull yourself together. He isn’t going to kill himself. He’s a better man than that. Something tells me that he’ll fight back and land on his feet. He mentioned a woman. Perhaps he has a shoulder to cry on.”





George was devastated as he walked down the hallway with the invisible god following close. The manipulator became more enraged with every step. His hate was enough to fuel the whole of Grayham twice over.

His mind questioned. How could the one thing good in my life be taken from me? How could these “so-called” gods destroy everything I consider precious and dear? Why did my baby have to die?

His mind screamed this agonizing cry again and again until he was lost in tormenting sorrow. Why did my Abbie have to die? Why did my Abbie have to die? Why did my Abbie have to die?

He stopped at the top of the stairs and looked out across the dining area of the inn. People were sitting and drinking, unaware of the danger lingering at the top of the stairs.

George removed his gloves. “The gods have taken my baby girl, now it’s my turn. I’ll kill your followers. I’ll have my vengeance. I’ll kill ’em all,” he hissed under his breath with a reinforced evil. “An eye for an eye … just like the Good Book said.”

His eyes grew dark with hate. The baby-blue of his irises faded and was lost to his resentment as he scanned the room. His eyes were now black like the darkest night, and the last piece of goodness in George vanished.





Lasidious watched with concern. In all his seasons, he had never seen a revulsion so intense. Even he could not believe that George’s emotions could cause the color of his eyes to change. The god knew this was not good for his plans. He would need to follow George until he could find a way to fix the problem.





George clapped his hands and scanned the room. He decided to kill everyone, starting with the men and working his way to the women. But he would spare the mother that was feeding the only child that was sitting in a high chair next to one of the tables. He flew down the stairs and started touching them all as they ate, shouting over and over within his mind, Everyone must die!

The taste of vengeance was sweet. He would kill every follower of the gods. Kill them all!

The town would have seen more deaths that night, but it was late when George exited the inn. He stole a torch from a nearby pole and headed toward the southern edge of the Enchanted Forest. Along the way, another 29 people were transformed into statues. Once he arrived, he lifted his head to the sky and screamed, “Kepler!”

After a bit, the giant cat appeared from the shadows. He could sense the shift in George. Something inside the demon warned him to keep his distance.

The blackness of George’s eyes burned its way through the jaguar’s undead heart. The torch and the way it lit the murderer’s face amplified the intensity of his depraved stare.

The demon waited for orders.

“Go into town and find a man named Amar! I want you to do this before morning and tell him to come out here! I’ll be waiting for you in the forest! Go!”

Kepler wanted to object, but he did not want to argue with the hate flowing from the human. For the moment, he would do as he was told. He turned and charged into the darkness.

George headed into the forest, found a clearing and started a fire. He lifted his head toward the starless sky and shouted. “Lasidious! Lasidious! I know you can hear me if you’re a god. I’ll kill everything if you don’t show yourself.”

A long period of silence passed before George received a response. “You called?” Lasidious answered, appearing as Jason. As the Mischievous One walked toward the fire, he morphed into his true form. “I am here as you’ve requested. What would you like to say?”

George darted around the fire and grabbed hold of the god’s right hand. To the murderer’s surprise, nothing happened.

Lasidious’ laughter echoed inside George’s brain as the god’s eyes turned bright red and his teeth to sharpened, fine points. Lasidious lifted only a finger, and the mortal’s body floated away from him. The god lowered his finger and forced George into a seated position next to the fire.





Now, fellow soul ... according to the laws scribed onto the Book of Immortality’s pages, the gods were allowed to defend an attack to make a point. On the other hand, they were not allowed to kill the soul responsible for initiating the attack. Lasidious broke no law by forcing George to sit by the fire.





Lasidious surrounded the area with an invisible field of privacy that would allow them to talk without fear of being heard by the others of the Collective. “How bold of you, George. Did you truly think that your power was strong enough to attack a god? Are you not familiar with what the term, ‘god,’ means? Did you not think I would have the power to stop something so trivial? I would not have told you how to acquire a power that I couldn’t defend myself against. Think, George! This is unbecoming of your wit. I would have expected more ... much more.

“Perhaps we should start again. You can speak to me as if I’m someone you respect.”

George screamed. “Why would I respect you? It’s your fault the God Wars happened! My daughter is dead because of you! Kill me now, and get it over with! You’ve taken everything that means anything from me!”

Lasidious leaned forward. The god’s eyes burned a hotter red. “George, the gods aren’t responsible for starting the wars. The wars began as a result of the handiwork of an angel. Perhaps you would remember his name … Lucifer. The Morning Star was the one responsible for your daughter’s end. He failed to value your daughter’s life. It was his lack of compassion that caused Abbie’s end ... not mine.”

The redness in Lasidious’ eyes softened. “I know your heart. What you have lost doesn’t need to be lost forever.”

George held the gaze of the god without wavering. “My daughter is dead! I don’t care about who started the battles. All I care about is Abbie. She was everything: my light, my soul, my smile, my comfort, my desire to keep going, and the only person I ever loved. You took her from me. I have nothing to live for now. What could’ve been so important that Lucifer had to destroy my little girl for it? I want nothing to do with any of you.”

Lasidious reached inside the pocket of his dark-blue robe. He pulled out a picture of George’s daughter and gave it to him. He watched the Earthling tremble as he held the picture near his heart. “Sometimes, what we think is lost, isn’t lost at all. Your daughter’s soul is simply resting inside the Book of Immortality. I personally saw to that. I retrieved her soul when Earth was destroyed and placed it inside the Book’s pages.”

“You what?”

“George, I knew this day would come, and we would have this conversation. I can get your daughter back for you, but it will require effort to be put into our moments.”

“What do you mean by that?” George sneered.

“I have a plan ... one that I put in place long ago. I thought you would be the right being to help me carry out this plan. I saved you by bringing you here, and once I learned of your daughter, I went back for her soul. She was lost in the darkness of space surrounding your destroyed Earth, and I plucked her from it. There were billions of souls there that Peak, but I only retrieved hers. I asked the Book to give her soul pleasant dreams, and the Book agreed, but not until after it questioned me as to why I would do something so against my nature.”

“Yeah, and why would you do that?” George scoffed. “I’m sure you’re a peach.”

“Touché,” Lasidious responded. His eyes changed from red to crystal-blue. “I told the Book that a soul as tender as your Abbie’s had touched my heart. That was the end of our discussion. I poured happy thoughts into the page where her soul rests. She is living an existence where she’s at peace. In her reality, you’re still the best father a young girl could ever have. You take her to the park. You play together, and you buy her ice cream cones.”

George’s countenance softened just a bit. “So ... what you’re saying is that she’s alright.”

“Completely,” Lasidious boasted. “I’ve even given your Abbie a little dog. We named him Tidbit. This vision and other pleasant memories play over and over inside the Book’s pages. Abbie is reminded every Peak of how great her dad is. She laughs at you as you get ready to go home from the park, and the dog pisses on your foot. She even thinks her mother is happy, and you have a great marriage. I’ve given her a pleasurable existence.”

George wiped tears from his cheeks. “Well ... other than the ex-wife part, it seems like what you’ve done for my Abbie is a good thing. Are you sure that you can help me get her back?”

The god smiled. “Your life was spared from the destruction of Earth for a reason. I should be able to retrieve your daughter’s soul from the Book and rejoin you with her. Holding the power to retrieve your daughter is the key. I have a plan to attain this power. For now, I’m bound by the laws written on the Book’s pages, but I have plans to rectify this problem.”

“How does this involve me?” George queried.

“I need someone on Grayham to create monumental distractions. These distractions are necessary for me to move without recourse while the gods watch the events on Grayham unfold.”

Lasidious closed the gap and put his hand on George’s shoulder. “I believe you could be reunited with your daughter if we work together. We could accomplish this in a season or two. However, my plan is contingent upon one thing.”

George shook his head. “There’s always a catch, isn’t there?”

Lasidious smiled. “Of course, there is. My plan will only work if you are strong enough to create diversions that will capture the gods’ curiosities.”

George frowned. “Are you going to be able to offer me any help? It’s not like I have experience with cosmic distractions or anything.”

Lasidious had to chuckle. “I like you, George, and I do plan on helping you. But I cannot make you help me. It must be your decision to undertake this task. What do you say, George? Will you help me help you?”

The mortal responded without hesitation. “Hell yes, but only on two conditions. When you get the power to retrieve Abbie’s soul, you do it immediately, and I want to be updated on our progress as we go. I also want to have plenty of this world’s coin. I don’t want to worry about finances while I’m doing your dirty deeds. If you agree to that, I’ll bring a hell to this world like no one has ever seen. This should keep the others off your ass.”

“Agreed,” Lasidious responded, “but it’s dangerous for us to have these meetings. We would not want the others to listen in and diminish our advantage. If you will open your mind, I can keep our conversations between us. No one will be able to look into your thoughts to retrieve anything we’ve discussed. I shall talk with you in your dreams, but as I have said, this must be your choice.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah,” George dismissed. “I already said that this is what I choose. Let’s get the damn show on the road.” George clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

Lasidious touched George on the head. After a brief period of moments, he moved away. “It’s done.”

“What’s done?” George replied.

“Your mind has been protected.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes,” Lasidious replied. “Were you expecting something else?”

“Hell yes. I didn’t feel a thing. You need to work on the way you do things. You need to learn what special effects are. When you do something godly, attach a statement to it.”

Lasidious’ brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“When I received the power from the staff, all I ended up with was a bellyache. There should have been some kind of intense experience that was attached to it.”

A smile appeared on Lasidious’ face. “You and all those movies locked inside your head are a bit much. You make me laugh, George. I know about your special effects. I will work on something better for the next series of moments in which you receive a power.”

“Hell, yeah! Now that sounds better. Maybe whip up some lightning, some thunder, or maybe blow something up. Yeah ... you should totally blow some crap up. But don’t forget to bust out the rain to put it out.”

“I get it, George. You want drama. I’ll show you some.”

The Mischievous One crossed his arms as the expression on his face changed. “I cleaned up the mess you made in town. The people you killed live again. I’m glad I had my eye on you. You must be cautious of the trail you leave. You’re not immortal.”

Lasidious touched George’s head and smiled as the murderer’s eyes turned from pitch-black back to soft-blue. “I don’t think your lady friend would’ve liked your eyes looking so sinister. From now on, I shall visit in your dreams or whenever I’m sure it’s safe to appear to you. Your Abbie is waiting, George. Make us proud.”

The god vanished as Kepler emerged from the darkness of the forest to stand in the light being cast by the fire. The demon’s speech was reserved. “Has your mood changed, or should I come back? Your eyes do look better.”

George had not known his eyes were a problem until Lasidious had said something. Now even Kepler had made a comment. “Relax, Kep, I have nothing to be angry about. I’m sorry for yelling at you. What do you say we get some information out of that mage when he gets here?”

The demon turned and looked toward the trees. Amar stepped out of the darkness and into the light. After closing the distance, the mage took a seat on the ground next to George.

“It took some convincing to get him here,” Kepler growled. “I don’t think he likes me.”

George grinned, and then he addressed Amar. “I’m glad you decided to join us. Let’s finish our conversation from earlier.”





Southern Grayham

The City of Brandor

The King’s Castle





Mosley appeared in the bedroom of Keldwin Brandor. With the king sleeping, the wolf’s green eyes settled on the shallow glow that emanated from a pile of embers inside a circular fireplace that was located at the center of the room.

The chamber was spacious and sculptures of previous kings stood in every corner. The stone walls between these six figures were covered with tapestries, weapons and shields, and large, heavy, wooden shutters had been left open to allow the night air to infiltrate the room.

The wolf took his eyes off the fireplace and moved to look out one of the windows. From this position, located at the top of the highest tower, Mosley could see the city of Brandor’s longest street that led away from the castle. Thousands of torches lined both sides of the street, and they lit every storefront until it ended at Brandor’s arena, which acted as a beacon. The glow from hundreds of torches that lined the top of the structure softened the darkness of the night and the vista appealed to the wolf’s senses.

Mosley moved to stand at the foot of the king’s bed. He scratched at the footboard and waited for Keldwin to wake up. When he did, the king leapt from his bed, grabbed his sword, and prepared to strike.

“Easy, Keldwin! I’m not here to hurt you. I trust that I’ve found you in good spirits. How is your son, Aaron?”

Hearing his name, Keldwin looked through the fading light and waited for his eyes to adjust. “Mosley, is that you?”

“It is. I have come to speak of important matters. I request that you get dressed, and gather the leaders of your army. Please meet me in your throne room.”

“Since when do you give orders to a king? No one has given you permission to call me by name. What on Grayham possessed you to think that entering my chamber was permissible?”

Mosley continued to push. “Keldwin, you would be wise to join me in the throne room. I’m not the wolf you once knew. I now command a vast pack. You may come or not, but I shall be there nevertheless. I intend to speak with your army.”

“I’ll have you flogged, wolf! How dare you talk to me this manner! Guards, remove this pest from my room!”

“The guards cannot hear you, King of Brandor. This ‘pest’ is no longer just any wolf. I’ve been given immortality. I am now one of the gods. I would appreciate it if you would choose to conform. Please gather your men, and meet me in your throne room.”

“Mosley, you bore me with your lies. You, a god? Ha! Since when would the gods want the likes of you to join them? Leave me to my rest, and I may forget you had the arrogance to enter my chamber.”

“I’ll leave as you request ... but…” Mosley smiled within as he finished his statement. “...But I suspected that I would need to seek out a better man than you to listen to what I had to say.” Mosley sniffed the air in the room. “The air is stagnate. It smells of a king’s weakness.”

Upon hearing the insult, Keldwin attacked. He lifted his sword and brought it down across the top of the wolf-god’s back. The blade passed through Mosley’s body as if it had hit thin air and collided with the stones of the floor.

The king watched in horror as Mosley turned to face him. The wolf growled and exposed his fangs. His dark fur stood at attention on the back of his neck as he maneuvered Keldwin into the open arms of one of the statues of the past monarchs.

Once the king’s royal bum had been pressed tightly against the sculpture, Mosley snarled, “Keldwin, you can do as you choose, but I would think twice before you turn your blade on me again. I am the new God of War, and you will respect my authority. Gather your men and bring them to the throne room. I, and the others, wish to speak with them.”

“Others? What others?” Keldwin demanded

Mosley moved toward the door and sniffed at the stones on either side. Once satisfied he had his mark, he lifted his leg and released a continuous stream while he looked up at Keldwin. “The other gods, of course.” Mosley vanished.

It took a while for Keldwin to recover, but eventually, the king managed to get dressed. When everyone had made their way to the throne room, the group consisted of the king, his son, Aaron, the General Absolute, Justin Graywind, and the gods: Mosley, Helmep, Alistar, Keylom, Calla, and Bailem.

Bailem stepped forward to introduce everyone. He kept his beautiful, white wings close to his back and adjusted his robe to a better position around his portly belly. “This conversation is private for those of us in attendance. We cannot be heard by anyone outside this chamber. We can speak freely.” The God of the Sun focused his gaze on Mosley. “You should tell the king why we’ve come.”

“Keldwin, your god, Bassorine, is no longer. I have taken his place. We haven’t come to make demands, but we are here to inform you of events that will soon occur. You’ll need to strengthen your army to its full potential and make ready for war if you are to survive. There is an enemy building, the likes of which this world has never seen. For now, the threat is minimal, but it will be powerful.”

The king’s brow dropped between his eyes. “Does this have something to do with the closure of the temple?”

Mosley nodded as a wolf would. “The Crystal Moon has been stolen, and its pieces have been scattered throughout the worlds.”

“Who took them?” the king demanded, forgetting the company he was keeping.

Alistar was the one to respond. He pushed back the hood of his robe. “Lasidious has decided to mold the fate of the worlds. Two pieces of the crystal are to be placed on Grayham, and the gods have been divided. Three of the crystal’s five pieces must be secured, or the worlds will change and Grayham will fall into darkness.”

“And if we capture these pieces?” Keldwin responded, seeking a glimmer of hope.

Mosley answered, “If we succeed, the world will be without suffering, and your bloodline shall continue to rule the grandest of packs. You should prepare for war. The pieces need to be rejoined to keep the worlds from sure annihilation. I’m certain you have felt the tremors of the ground beneath your feet.”

The General Absolute spoke out. “Sire, I would like the opportunity to speak.”

“By all means, General.”

Justin faced the gods. “There have been no tremors in Brandor, Lord Mosley. The ground beneath our feet has remained still, but reports of this shaking have made it to my ears from Angels Village and the town of Lethwitch. If these tremors relate to matters of war, then this will require my full attention.”

The general walked forward and approached the gods as if they were mortals. “I have received word from the village of Angels that their ground shook on two occasions. It was said to be a short series of moments, and no damage was done. I also received similar word from Lethwitch, except the shaking lasted much longer. You said an evil builds, yet I have no reports of this from my runners. Our only foes are the barbarians to the north, but we haven’t been at war for many seasons. I’ve heard nothing of a plan to attack.”

Bailem stepped forward. “I can understand you’re skeptical, General, but I can assure you this force does strengthen itself, and it will make itself known without warning. Like we said, the gods have been divided. The threat is real.”

The leader of the king’s army rubbed his head as he moved around the room, his biceps bulging as his arm moved back and forth through his long hair. “Your point has been made. Every man will be called into service to prepare for battle. How long do we have before we see the first signs of this movement?”

Keylom stepped forward, his hooves clapping against the stones of the throne room floor. “General, this answer is unknown.”

The king moved to take a seat on his throne. He grabbed a wooden goblet filled with ale and took a drink. “You would ask me to call every man in my kingdom into service and wait for an undisclosed period of moments? The finances for such a calling would be tremendous, and it would ruin the kingdom’s economy.”

The God of the Harvest responded. “Keldwin, your crops are due to be harvested in 45 Peaks. I’ll bless the soils of your land. Your crops will be bountiful. You can use the finances from such an abundance to fund your preparedness.”

The king thought a moment and then took another swig. “It would take three full harvests to make this kind of coin. I would like to know your intentions to address this issue. Without your help, Brandor will have to take its chances and wait for the first sign of war.”

Alistar’s response was swift. “Send word to every farm, village, town, and city. When the crops are harvested, they are to plant again before morning. If they do this, I’ll bless the soil. The following morning, their crops will be grown again. This will continue until three full harvests have been gathered. I assure you, they’ll be abundant.”

The general interjected. “This is good news, but how will the people transport this abundance to Merchant Island? They don’t have the means.”

Once again, Alistar answered. “General, I’ll bless an area of soil outside of each populace. You can use this area to plant Garanto Trees. They will grow through the night and become tall and strong as if they have grown for hundreds of seasons. Use the wood from these trees to build harvest wagons. Use them to carry the harvest to the coastal cities of West Utopia, Haven, South Utopia, and Carlosam. Once there, use the king’s fleet to transport the harvest to Merchant Island. You will also need to build barns to store that which you are unable to carry in one trip.

“Make sure you have the people stock their homes. This will assure your men that their families are fed while they’re away. The harvests will give your economy enough coin to sustain this calling. You may also harvest enough trees to rebuild the run-down areas of your kingdom.”

Alistar pulled a map of Southern Grayham from beneath his robe and then continued. “Your first harvest is not for 45 Peaks. This gives you the moments necessary to build the wagons.”

Alistar circled a number of key areas on the map with the tip of his finger. A mark was left behind. “I’ll take my leave to bless these areas. You should plant the trees quickly.” The god waved his hand across the wall behind Keldwin’s throne. Bags of every kind of seed appeared, each bag clearly marked. “I will place similar bags throughout your kingdom. You will find them inside the royal storehouses.” With that, Alistar vanished.

The king stood from his throne and walked to Mosley. “It appears there’s work to be done. Forgive me for my earlier temperament.”

“Wise King,” Mosley responded as he reached up with one of his back paws to scratch his neck, “I’m sure I would’ve displayed similar arrogance if someone claiming to be a god woke me from my sleep.” He smiled, wolfishly.

With that, all the gods left for Ancients Sovereign.