Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign

CHAPTER 6

First Flight

IT HAD BEEN SIX hours according to the digital watch that Sam took from Shalee since the griffin dropped from the platform at the Temple of the Gods. During flight, Shalee had remained asleep while Sam struggled with a sick stomach.

Sam admired the countryside as the griffin followed the changes in the terrain. He was awed by the beauty—gentle sloping hillsides, farmers’ fields filled with crops, children fishing in scattered ponds of all sizes, sporadic forests with tree lines reaching for the sun, and he appreciated all of it despite fighting the urge to barf.

Taking a closer look at the griffin’s shadow as the beast soared near the ground, Sam studied the position of its front talons and back paws. They were tucked close to its body to reduce drag. The beast’s beautiful, feather-covered head was pushed out in front of the rest of its body to guide the way, and its gigantic wings extended far to either side.

Sam took note of the long, padded saddle they were sitting on. The leather surface had sufficient cushion to pad their backsides and many lengthy straps to tie them in. The ride had been safe, and unless the creature decided to roll or make a drastic movement, they would finish the flight without incident.

He looked at Shalee as she leaned against him. She had a peaceful look on her face. He admired her beauty. Every now and then, he pushed her hair clear of her face to get a look at how exceptionally breathtaking she was.

Mosley’s balance was impressive. Sam watched as the wolf bit down on the straps, one from each side of the saddle. The wolf secured the straps under his front paw and then looked over his shoulder to speak. “How are you cubs doing back there? The first flight is usually the most difficult.”

Sam hesitated, amused about being called a cub. “I’m doing fine, for the most part. How long are we going to be on this thing before it lands?”

An unexpected voice shouted from the direction of the eagle head. “I’m not a thing, human!” The griffin’s head snapped around as it shrieked. “My name is Soresym! You will refer to me in a respectful manner when speaking of me in the future. I should roll, snatch you up, rip you apart and then drop you to your death for your ignorance. You will watch your tongue, or I shall pluck it from you.”

Though startled, Sam was quick to apologize. “I meant no offense.”

The beast grudgingly turned his head back into the direction of flight. “We should be landing on Angels Platform by dusk,” Soresym informed. “Beyond, you won’t be traveling with me any longer. My kind only travels between Angels Platform and the Temple of the Gods. After this, you’ll be traveling with the hippogriffs.

The griffin looked back over his shoulder again. His eyes were piercing as he glared at Sam. “I don’t enjoy transporting your kind. I can’t stand to be near any of you, or any of the other wretched beasts on this world.”

“Then why do it?” Sam queried.

“The gods require us to do so in order to live within the cliffs beneath the temple. I would not be doing so now, but Bassorine requested my services. You should’ve walked down the steps. You’re not of noble blood.”

Sam apologized again and then looked at Mosley, but on this occasion, he chose his words carefully. “Is it my imagination, or does every glorious creature on this world understand how to speak English? How can any of this be possible?”

Mosley laughed. “Not all of us ‘glorious creatures’ have the ability to speak your language. Most speak their own. Only those of us who live in service to the gods can speak every language of the worlds.”

Sam nodded. His mind took a turn as he looked at Shalee’s watch. It’s a good thing this works off kinetic energy, he thought. Sam determined by the position of the sun, combined with the griffin’s explanation of when they would land, that the Peaks seemed to be similar to the days on Earth.

Mosley took note of the peaceful look on Shalee’s face. “She will sleep through the night and most of the next Peak. There are many landing platforms scattered across the lands of Southern Grayham where we can spend the night. I’m sure she’ll be happy about that.”

From the way it sounded as Mosley continued, the hippogriffs flew during the day, unless ordered by the kings of Southern Grayham. It was only possible to fly to one landing platform each day because of the distance between them.

“I’ll make the arrangements necessary for the night once we arrive,” Mosley said.

Sam looked at Shalee and wondered how he was going to explain everything. He still had a hard time believing what he had learned, let alone trying to make sense of it to someone else. Animals talked, griffins and hippogriffs acted as airborne transportation, and that was just the start of it. Magic, gods, swords, kingdoms, and everything he thought to be myth were true. He knew nothing of the culture, or even how to speak with the people to make the transition. For the first time in my life, I am truly out of my element, he thought.

Sam wandered as he thought about Earth. He had so many questions for Bassorine, and yet, this “so-called” god was not around. “How convenient,” he mumbled. He looked forward to their next meeting. He could not wait to ask the question that bothered him most. Why do I know Bassorine’s face?

Sam moved his hand through Shalee’s hair. She was his definition of sublime, and she had been leaning against him during the entire flight. He concluded much of his attraction to her was because she was his only anchor to anything normal. He pulled her close as he tried to stop staring at her face.

After flying over the Blood River, a name Sam remembered from his mental snapshot of the map inside the temple, he knew it would not be long before they landed. When he saw the platform standing high in the distance, he knew they were about to set down. He looked forward to a belly full of food and hoped he would be able to clear his mind to get some rest.

Sam smiled as they made their approach. The little village below looked like it had been plucked out of the heather on the hills of old Scotland.





Now, fellow soul ... if you’re not one of the beings who lived on planet Earth, you might not know what I’m talking about or have any clue as to where Scotland was. I would have to say, you truly missed seeing a place of wondrous beauty.





The homes of the people who lived outside the king’s cities were made from stones stacked on top of each other. The roofs were made of large bundles of straw that had been tied together and angled to allow the rain to run off. The structures were bunched together, and Sam could not wait to see how big the towns and cities were, especially if the people on this world called this a village.

Not far from the landing platform, Sam saw an arena that was out of place. Instead of Scotland, it reminded him of ancient Rome. If Shalee was awake, she’d probably critique the arena’s architecture. It’s nothing like the rest of the village, he thought.

The arena was not large, but it was big enough for hundreds of people to gather. He wondered what kind of sport or theatre was performed there. Maybe I’ll check it out if I have the time.

Mosley was right, Grayham did remind Sam of Earth in some ways, but the setting sun splitting two colored worlds was hard to accept.

As they landed, Sam took note of the watch and stopped its timer. The flight had lasted eight hours and 10 minutes. He grabbed their gear and jumped from the griffin. Sam tied the bags together, hung them across Mosley’s back, pulled Shalee off of Soresym, and then draped her over his left shoulder. He was careful not to strike her head against his bow as he adjusted the sword on his hip.

Preparing to walk down to the village, Sam saw that the sun was about to fall below the horizon. “Thanks for the ride, Soresym. It was an honor,” Sam said as he walked toward the front of the griffin. He looked into the beast’s eyes. “Again, I’m sorry for my ignorance. It’s easy to see how your kind is superior to humans. I’ll make sure I speak your name with respect whenever I say it from now on.”

The beast looked down. “Perhaps you’re not so bad after all. I may yet decide to honor you by calling you Sam. It’s clear your remorse is genuine. Your apology is accepted. On occasion, I run into one of you two-legs that I take a liking to. I sense you may be one of those men. May the god you serve be with you as you travel.”

Sam laid his free hand on the beast’s feather-covered neck. “I hope we meet again. Fly safe, and may the god you serve be with you as well.”

Sam turned to look toward the horizon. He reset the timer as the sun disappeared. He found what was left of the purple colored world that Mosley called Luvelles and watched it fall below the horizon.

The night sky was odd. No stars, no moons, nothing on which to focus for navigation. It was an eerie feeling. As the pitch black of a new kind of night surrounded them, they would need to wait until the torches attached to the landing platform were lit before they could make their descent.

Using Shalee’s staff for balance, Sam motioned for Mosley to lead the way. They headed down the long flight of stairs resting high above the ground. The large, but still quaint village below was beginning to fill with the flickering torch lights of a new reality.





BASSORINE is still looking for Lasidious. The God of War’s anger is increasing. Bassorine has spoken with nearly everyone on Ancients Sovereign. No one has any idea where Lasidious is. The God of War can be heard throughout the hidden god world as he keeps calling for the Mischievous One to show himself.





SAM followed Mosley to an inn where he laid Shalee on a mattress filled with vestle chick feathers. He left with the wolf to find dinner and have a mug or two of ale to calm his nerves.





LASIDIOUS is inside his home beneath the Peaks of Angels. Although he can hear the screams of Bassorine echoing throughout the world, he is ignoring them. The protection he and his beautiful goddess put on their home has kept the God of War from popping in. The Mischievous One is laughing with disdain.

Thank you for reading the first edition of the Grayham Inquirer





Left to right

Athena, Susanne and Mary