Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign

CHAPTER 34

No Loose Ends

Town of Lethwitch

George and Athena’s Home

The Next Morning

LASIDIOUS APPEARED TO GEORGE. Athena had just left her mother’s guesthouse to fix them something to eat. The mage was sitting in a hot bath he had conjured, and he was not fazed when the god appeared.

“Hello, my mortal friend,” Lasidious said as he looked down at the deceiver. “I felt speaking in person would be a pleasant change. How are you?”

George smirked. “Yeah, whatever, man. I’m sure you already know how I am. You were watching me outside of Bloodvain’s city. I think the barbarian’s castle is a joke. It reminds me of an oversized Elks lodge. It figures I’d end up trying to take charge of a bunch of rednecks. I’m going to have to renovate the place, maybe even rebuild it. I won’t live like Grizzly Adams, Lasidious.”

The god chuckled. “I’m sorry you don’t like the king’s style. The barbarians are rugged.”

“Really?” George mocked. “Ya think? I would’ve never been able to tell. The stuffed animals they have all over the place drive me nuts. Once we take over Brandor, I intend to take full control and keep that blockhead, Senchae, in the north. I’ll stay down here and run the south.”

Lasidious laughed at George’s rant. “I’m sorry you dislike the king’s lifestyle. It is true, I was watching you the other Peak, but I wasn’t the only one.”

“Really? Hmmm, intriguing. Who else was watching? Did you get the show you were after?”

“And, more, much more. We were impressed. You did things that even surprised me. I was worried how you would work your way into the hearts of the people of Bloodvain.” Lasidious paused. “I must admit, sparing the king was a great idea. I applaud your decision to use him as a tool. When you dangled his son in front of his face to find his breaking point, that was an exceptional piece of work. How did it go inside the city? I wasn’t there for that. Do tell.”

“You would have shared in my delight,” the mage responded, lifting a washcloth. “Do you mind if I finish?”

“By all means.”

George washed and explained the events from the night before. “It’s safe to say the general didn’t like me much…” George finished the tale by saying, “… then I sent lightning into Fergus’ ass until he was Kentucky-fried.”

Lasidious’ brow furrowed, “Kentucky-fried?”

“It means I cooked him until he was crispy ... but I didn’t hang around to do a taste test.”

“Well done, my friend. This should give you a solid reputation throughout Bloodvain. With the king on your side, the people will be more apt to listen, despite you being an outsider.”

“We shall see,” George responded. “When I left Senchae’s throne room last night, I left the general hanging from the ceiling.”

Lasidious smiled. “I wish I had a hundred of you, George. You continue to impress. I look forward to the Peak when I can retrieve your daughter’s soul.”

The mage smiled at the thought of his baby girl, and then he redirected the conversation. “I’ve been wondering. What’s the best way to handle the Serpent King when I meet with him?”

The god walked to one of the bathing room windows. “I’m not able to answer your question, George. It is against the gods’ laws. You’ll have to finish the events we’ve put in motion without my assistance. Besides, from what I have witnessed, you don’t need anyone telling you how to win friends and influence people.”

“Ha! That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all damn Peak. Winning friends and influencing people ... an excellent resource book. I used it as my bible to perfect my skills of manipulation when I was on Earth. I wish I had it here so you could take a gander at it. The principles I learned to win friendships are also the same principles I use to undermine them, though the book wasn’t meant for that.”

“Sounds like a fine read, but I have a reason for my visit. I want to warn you to be careful when you talk to others. The gods are watching, and we can’t afford to have you say something you shouldn’t when they’re present. I don’t wish to have our plans divulged.” Lasidious disappeared just before Athena walked into the room with a sandwich.

“Who were you talking to, honey? I heard voices.”

“You know me, babe. All I do is babble.” He stood from his bath and grabbed a towel. Damn, he thought. I can’t believe I just lied to her. That’s unacceptable. Pull your head out of your ass, George. She deserves better from you.

City of Brandor

After breakfast, Shalee left Sam and went into the royal garden, wanting to add to her magical foundation. The gardeners were asked to leave. Over the last 7 Peaks, she had made significant advances in her abilities, and she now commanded most of what she learned without using Precious.

Walking through the foliage, she passed her hands over the flowers, causing them to bloom—but this Peak was not about the flowers. This Peak was about making her first attempt at teleportation.

When Helga arrived, the ladies embraced as they always did. “Child, I’ve never been able to command magic this strong. For you to make it work without harming yourself, you’ll need to be familiar with your destination. There’s only one other on Grayham that I know of who can command this power, and that’s Amar.”

Shalee’s face displayed her curiosity. “Exactly how could I hurt myself if I fail? What could possibly happen?”

Helga placed her hands on Shalee’s face. “You could appear too high above the ground and fall to your demise. You could appear under a large rock, inside a wall, under the ground, deep below the surface of a lake, in a lava flow or, if you’re really blessed, you could appear with your head stuck in a corgan’s backside. But no pressure, Child, I’m rooting for you.” She winked.

“Ha, ha, ha! Very funny, smart aleck. Thanks for the confidence boost. I can’t seem to remember why I love you so much at the moment. Will you please remind me?”

“Because you need your mother.”

“Yeah, right.” Shalee laughed as she moved to a spot that she had chosen. “I’ve been studying this patch of grass for a while now. I figured this would be the place to start. For some reason, I already knew I needed to be familiar with the area. But don’t ask me how I knew. I was fixin’ to make a trial run.”

“Very insightful, Child. Where’s Precious?”

“I want to do this without the staff. I want to work on commanding my power without that kind of crutch.”

Helga looked worried. “I understand your desire to master your magic, but do you think it’s wise to teleport without it? Perhaps you should use Precious to get a feel for how the magic works. Once you know, you can try again without it later.”

“No, that won’t work. The staff uses words, and lately I’ve been controlling my magic non-verbally.”

Helga gasped. “Since when, Child?

“Oh, you know, here and there. When you’re not around. I didn’t want to worry you.”

“This is a blessing. This is incredible. Can you control your power without words at all?”

“For the most part,” Shalee replied.

“Goodness-gracious!” Helga giggled, stealing Shalee’s phrase. “You’re rubbing off on me, Child. To command your power without words is unheard of on Grayham. I don’t know of anyone who has this ability. Perhaps Amar can command simple magic without words, but I highly doubt that he can command the power of teleportation without his staff.”

The queen smiled. “Well, I’m able to control most everything without Precious. I don’t know how, but it feels natural.”

“The gods have blessed you, Child.” Helga sighed. “I think we both know this is your decision.”

“Shall we give it a trial run then? I’ll stand near the statue over there.” Shalee looked at the stone figure as she moved to it. “You know what?” the sorceress said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“What, Child?”

“Some things never change from one world to another. Look at him. Back on Earth, we had statues of men that didn’t have their privates covered. They called it art, but I thought it was silly. I like the leaf the sculptor put over his privates.”

Helga thought a moment. “I would prefer to see him without the leaf.” Her smile widened. “His anatomy is always rock solid, Child.” She jumped up and smacked the statue’s behind.

Shalee rolled her eyes. “Lordy, I’ve tainted you. You’re becoming incorrigible.”

The ladies gave each other a high-five. Helga kissed her hand and blew it in the direction of the leaf for good luck.

Helga then reached out and grabbed Shalee’s shoulder. “Oh Child, I forgot to tell you. I did what you said and had BJ touch me on that one spot you told me about and—”

“Stop!” Shalee cried as she covered her ears. “T.M.I.” Again, the ladies laughed.

A fair series of moments passed before the ladies could collect themselves. Helga continued. “If you aren’t going to use words, you should try concentrating, Child. Close your eyes and focus on where you want to be. That’s what I would do.”

Without answering, Shalee closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then thought of the grassy area next to the blossoming bushes. She pictured herself standing there.

Helga screamed. “Ohhhh, Child, Child, Child!”

Shalee did not want to open her eyes. She could not tell if her friend’s tone was good or bad.

“You did it! I’m so proud of you!”

Shalee opened her eyes and looked around. A big grin appeared on her face. She pulled Helga into her arms and both ladies began to bounce around the garden to celebrate.

Sam walked up. “Is there something you two need to tell me? What’s going on?”

Shalee let go of Helga and then pulled Sam into her arms. After a quick wink in Helga’s direction, Shalee told Sam to close his eyes.

The next thing the king knew, he was standing in their bedroom. He would have said something, but Shalee held her hands over his lips.

“Shhh. Don’t say anything. We have something to celebrate.” She pushed him down on the bed and licked her lips.

Sam smiled.

Shalee used her magic to break the leather string that tied the front of his shirt and then ripped it open.

The City of Bloodvain

Later that Peak

George teleported to an area near the wooden bridge outside the king’s castle-lodge. Arriving with all his cats cloaked in a veil of invisibility, he wanted to know how he would be received if the people thought he had arrived alone. The people’s faces were cold, but to his surprise, they bowed as he passed.

He had left Maldwin visible, and on this sunny Peak, the rat was sitting inside George’s pack. The rodent’s head was sticking out, and he was shouting gleefully at everyone as they passed, “Everything is A-okay, man!”

As the mage entered the throne room, seven barbarian men and six large women were collecting the general’s body. One of the men had climbed up onto the beam where Fergus’ body was suspended and had a hammer in his hand. No one spoke as George passed and took a position next to the king’s throne.

Senchae entered the room. Stopping next to George, he lowered into his royal chair and then looked up. “The man on top of the beam is the champion of my arena. His name is Churnach Fergus. He’s the general’s son. I wouldn’t expect a warm reception. I had a long conversation with the family this morning. They understand the general challenged you, but still...”

George turned away and made sure Senchae was the only one who could see his smile. “This is an awkward series of moments. I’ve never faced a family of someone I’ve killed before.”

Senchae did not appreciate George’s lack of sensitivity, but he smiled anyway to appease the mage. “Walk with me for a moment. I think it’s best if we take our leave and allow the family the opportunity to retrieve the body and grieve.”

The king walked with George into the hallway leading south out of the throne room. The mage shook his head. Everywhere he looked, more of the king’s stupid trophies lined the hallway.

“I’ve been doing some thinking, George. It should take the Serpent King 20 Peaks to arrive once he leaves his city. Do you know how long he’s been traveling?”

“I do,” the mage responded.

Suddenly, screams echoed from the throne room behind them. George glanced at Senchae and then ran toward the doorway. As they entered, bodies were flying everywhere and falling lifeless to the floor.

The king watched one of the heavyset ladies hit the wall on the far side of the room. As she fell limp to the floor, all Senchae could hear was the angry roars of the invisible beasts. A few moments later, the only one left alive was the barbarian champion. He was swinging his hammer through the air, but it was not long before he was disemboweled.

George waited for the commotion to stop. He waved his hand through the air. Seven blood-soaked cats appeared, standing over the bodies, some with large mouthfuls of fresh barbarian. Between Kepler, his brothers’ 4,000 pound frames, the 13 deceased barbarians, and the four 2,500 pound tigers, the throne room felt like he had stepped into an episode of The Twilight Zone.

The mage glanced at the king and shrugged. He walked into the room, careful to avoid the pools of blood. “Kep, what the hell’s going on? Look at the mess you made.”

The demon’s eyes flashed. “The son of the general said they were going to end you. The men with him said they should do it now while you were close and not heavily guarded. The women agreed and said you were ripe for fertilizing the soil of their gardens. It wasn’t wise to wait. Me and the boys … well … we took care of it. That’s what the Master of the Hunt does.”

Senchae responded before George could reply. “I can see that. George, your friends are creating quite the body count. Perhaps we could save the slaughter for the people of the south from now on.”

Kepler walked over to the king, looked Senchae in the eyes and growled as he spoke to George. “The big one ... the one he called Churnach Fergus, stated his king wanted you executed, George. I heard him say there was a reward for spilling your life’s source.” The jaguar anxiously waited to see what Senchae’s reaction would be.

Bloodvain turned to look at George. “My friend, I’ve said nothing. I’ve sworn my allegiance, and I would not break this oath. I say this on my son’s honor.”

The demon stared at the king as he made his judgment. He knew George would be angry and would believe the king was untrustworthy. The demon spoke before George could use his magic. “George, speak with me for a moment.” Kepler’s tone was strong enough to capture the mage’s attention. “This is important! You can end him later just as easily as you can end him now. Speak with me in private.”

The king found that he was unable to move. Since he had been bound like this before, he knew it was pointless to struggle against George’s magic.

The mage followed the demon to the other side of the throne room, weaving their way through the shredded bodies and the snarling cats. The beasts were feasting as if they had gone Peaks without eating.

“What is it, Kep?” George snapped. “I should’ve gutted him already.”

“No, George. I lied. The barbarian’s family said nothing about attacking you.”

The skin between George’s eyes tightened. “Are you trying to mess things up? A deception like this could ruin our relationship with Senchae. I hope you have a good explanation.”

Kepler scowled. “I do, but I feel I must remind you that we are partners, and I don’t need to explain myself.”

George took a step back and held up his hands. “You’re right, stud. But if you don’t mind, I’d love to know what you’re thinking. It would make it easier to seize kingdoms if we’re on the same page.”

Kepler did not like George’s response. It was annoying. After a moment, he set his irritation aside and explained, “The general’s family had suffered loss by your claws.”

George cut in. “I don’t have claws.”

The demon-cat rolled his eyes. “Claws, paws, hands ... you know what I meant.”

George grinned. “You’re right. Just tell me what’s up.”

The jaguar lowered to his haunches. “I didn’t feel it wise to let an angry family live. With their passing, there’s no one to seek vengeance. Besides, their passing served three purposes.”

“And what are they?” George queried.

“The first gave me the chance to see if the king was loyal. When I told Senchae his champion said he ordered the attack, I watched his eyes to see if there were signs of deception. If he had ill will toward you, I would’ve known it. The king considers himself a true ally. He won’t be a threat as we dominate territories.”

“And the other reasons?”

The demon’s tone was sarcastic. “The barbarians gave me and my subjects something to eat, and the third ... I now have a few fresh skeleton warriors to command. Granted, their meat must be devoured, and it will take Peaks before their bones are completely clean. But soon, they’ll make a fine addition to my army.”

George turned to look as one of the cats tore off a large chunk of a bloody thigh muscle off one of the future skeleton’s legs. The fresh warriors rose off the floor one by one and stood in formation in front of the demon.

“Are you commanding them with your thoughts?” George queried.

Kepler nodded as the deceased left the throne room to sit amongst the trees outside the castle-lodge with his subjects in tow.

Kepler smiled. “I find that if I let them sit in an open area of the forest, the other animals and the bugs help to clean their bones in an expeditious manner. Give it about 10 Peaks, and they’ll be ready to serve.”

George reached up to scratch Kepler beneath his chin. “You’re one sick cat. I’m so glad you’re on my side, but could you please give me some notice before you decide to rip someone else apart?” He leaned forward and gave the cat a quick hug.

Kepler cringed. “Your affection is unnecessary, George. It’s degrading.”

With a smile, George turned to walk across the room. As he passed the king, he waved his hand across Senchae’s body. The mage did not offer the king an explanation. Instead, he continued on with the conversation that they were having earlier. “Nine Peaks. The Serpent King has been traveling for 9 Peaks. Where does this leave us?”

The king just stared into the throne room and marveled at the bloody scene.

After a moment, George yelled back over his shoulder from down the hallway, “Senchae, are you coming, or what?”