George smiled. "Well, Miss, I just came in from out of town, and I was jumped on my way here."

The woman's brow furrowed. "Jumped?"

"Yeah," George nodded, "by thieves."

"What are thieves?" she questioned, her head c.o.c.ked.

The registrar's response caught George off guard. "Ummm, you know, people that take your things and run off with them?"

A look of understanding appeared on the woman's face. "Ohhhh, you mean you were ransacked by mishandlers? That's terrible!"

"Yeah, mishandlers," George replied without missing a beat. "How silly of me. I misspoke. Anyway ... I shouted since that was all I could do. They knocked me to the ground and then ran off. They didn't even take anything."

The woman leaned over the counter. "Were you hurt?"

George reached for his lower back and winced, thinking, Let's see what I can get out of this chick. Maybe she'll feel sorry for me. "I wasn't hurt that badly, but I'm still a bit shaken. My back aches, and if it's okay with you, I'd like to get a room for the night. Oh, and if you have some food and water, I'd be much obliged." He winced again and then groaned for effect.

As he had hoped, the woman was eager to help. She flipped through the logbook. "Let me see what I have available." After a moment or two, she frowned. "Drat ... I'm afraid the only room I have isn't the best one we offer. The bed is dreadful, and it isn't worth the coin if you ask me." She rolled her eyes and nodded in the direction of a woman who was standing on the far side of the room at the end of a bar surrounded by patrons. "That's my mother. She's the owner of this establishment. She's also the one who is too cheap to replace the bed."

George chuckled as he studied the decor of the room. Welcome to the wild, wild west, Georgie-boy, he thought. A moment later, her turned to face the registrar. "Your mother looks like a nice lady. We should give her the benefit of the doubt, don't you think? I'm sure she does everything she can to make sure everyone's stay is enjoyable."

The woman reached down and closed her logbook. "My mother would like you. I'll tell her you spoke up for her."

"You do that." George tapped the top of the counter. "How about that bed? I need to get some rest. I'll make do with whatever you've got." George grabbed his back, winced again and then groaned as he pulled his backpack off his shoulder. "How much do I owe you?"

"Oh, honey, don't you worry about that. That room isn't worth it. Like I said, the bed is dreadful. How about I make up for it and have some food brought up to you? I could even have some hot water brought up so you could soak that back of yours in."

"That's very kind of you," the manipulator responded. "You don't have to do that." George was pleased as he put the final touches on his deception. "I don't mind paying."

"Nonsense, honey. What would you like to eat? We have boar on the menu, hunted locally, and if you have more exotic taste, sea turtles from the Ocean of Utopia."

The liar's stomach did not like the idea of either, but figured he would try the boar since it sounded like the lesser of two culinary evils. "I'll try the boar, I suppose. Do you have any bread you could add to it?"

"Of course, honey," she smiled. "You head on up, and I'll bring it to you as soon as it's prepared."

"Thank you. You're a lifesaver." With that, George took the key to his room, paid three Helmep for the food and turned to head up the stairs.

"Oh, and one more thing, honey," the lady said with a big smile. "My name is Athena."

"Nice to meet you, Athena."

"Perhaps you can tell me what a 'lifesaver' is when I bring up your food. It sounds like a good thing."

"I'll do just that," George responded. "Thank you." He climbed up two of the steps, stopped and turned to face Athena. "Oh, and I think you know you look great in that dress." He winked.

A smile stretched across Athena's face as she responded. "Get out of here, silly."

As George headed up the stairs, he congratulated himself on a nice deception. As he turned the key and opened the door, he thought about how he had liked Athena's soft hair and her natural beauty. Something about her had captured his fancy, but he could not pinpoint what it was. It was not like she was drop dead gorgeous or anything.

Tossing his backpack on the bed, he continued to ponder. Other than what Athena had already done for him, there was no need to manipulate her further. He would be nice when she brought up his meal and not try to take advantage of her. He would only see if he could steal a kiss and send her away smiling.

Sitting on the side of the bed, he shook his head. He did not know why he would stop at only a kiss, but he did know something about Athena was intriguing, and for whatever reason, this something commanded his respect.

It was only a short while before Athena knocked at the door. She brought the plate of boar in and instructed the help to dump the hot water into the bathing tub. Once finished, she motioned for them to leave and then faced George. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked. "Perhaps keep you company while you eat?"

"As a matter of fact, there is," George responded. "Grab a seat and make yourself at home."

While asking questions about the town, George found out that Athena also believed magic was real. Granted, she had never seen it used, but she vouched for its existence, and she knew of the mage Jason had told him about. She even knew where the mage lived and boasted about how his brother had been given the honor of traveling to some world she called Luvelles to study what, apparently, all magic users called "the arts."

Holy c.r.a.p, he thought. Everybody is on happy gra.s.s around here. Where in the h.e.l.l am I anyway? She's talking about another world as if it's right around the corner. He played with the scruff on his chin as Athena continued to talk. Huh ... with this many people believing in magic, maybe there's something to it. It sounds like Jason wasn't as drunk as I thought he was. Athena has no reason to lie to me.

After Athena described how to get to the mage's home, George redirected the conversation. Through subtle questioning about the coins he had on his person, he came to a full understanding of their value. By the way Athena spoke, it sounded as if he would have enough coin to purchase everything he needed to take a little trip without selling his Rolex.

As the moments pa.s.sed, George explored his unexpected attraction for Athena. He asked her to turn around while he undressed and kept himself covered with a towel until he was in the tub. Something about this woman demanded respect, and it was obvious she liked him. The kiss he planned on giving her did not seem appropriate and would need to wait.

George wanted to ask about the two colorful planets in the sky, but determined this level of ignorance would not serve a purpose. "Thank you for the wonderful evening, Athena. I hope you won't be upset if I excuse myself to get some sleep. I'm exhausted."

Athena's voice was soft, "Everything is well, honey. All I wanted was to make sure someone took care of you after your run-in with bad luck. Mishandlers are terrible people. All criminals belong on Dragonia."

Dragonia? he thought. George was dying to ask more questions, but he did not want his ignorance to ruin their conversation. He leaned forward, placed his cheek against hers and whispered, "I wish women where I'm from were as sweet and as beautiful as you."

The manipulator was surprised at how genuine his compliment had sounded. He actually believed what he was saying. "I'm sorry, Athena, but I'm so tired. If I don't get some sleep, I'm gonna fall apart. Will you eat with me in the morning?"

"I would like that. See you in the morning then?"

"In the morning. I look forward to it." George hated to admit it, but he really liked this woman, and resisting his feelings was not going to work. The way she treated him and the soothing sound of her voice when she called him "honey" made him feel special.

As soon as the door shut, he mumbled, "What are you doing, George? You're not the kind of guy to get involved. You don't have time for all that emotional c.r.a.p." He turned, walked across the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "But d.a.m.n it, she's so much better than anyone I've ever met."

He watched the flame of the lamp flicker and smiled as his head hit the pillow. "Man, Athena's a cla.s.sy lady. What to do? What to do?"

Sam and Shalee popped into George's head-not because he cared about their well-being, but more because he remembered the statue they had walked around inside the building they woke up in. The bronze man had held a staff in his hand. "Was that guy magical, too? I wonder if his staff turned things to stone." He smirked. "Maybe it backfired, and he turned himself to stone, and that's why he was standing there."

After a while, he grumbled, "Dang ... I've got to know. I've got to find out if what Jason was spouting off about is the truth."

As he sat up to blow out the lamp, the last thing he remembered thinking was how his daughter, Abbie, would freak out about how dark the room was now that the light had been extinguished.

In the morning, Athena was there to eat with George. She had kept her word, and the liar had kept his. Her sweet smile was inviting, and he enjoyed watching her over breakfast. He longed to be near her. Her hair, body, soft-blue eyes, and the way she blushed when complimented beckoned for him to stay.

He wished this moment would last forever. However, he was also anxious to get going. Jason had said that there were others searching for the map, and now that he had the moments to think it through, he believed this to be the case. The two guys who attacked him had mentioned something about the map. He needed to get to this Pool of Sorrow before everyone else if he was going to be the one who found the map and secured the treasure.

Once they finished eating, he held her hand and walked outside. George gave Athena a kiss goodbye, and for the first series of moments in his life, he enjoyed a kiss without attaching it to a game or con. This kiss, to his surprise, was real and full of pa.s.sion-yet it was also sweet and tender. When he pulled away to leave, he saw the longing to know him in her eyes. He wanted to know her just as much.

I can't leave now, he thought. What's another couple hours? He smiled and took Athena back into the inn and found a table. Spending valuable moments he did not have, George experienced his first act of unselfishness. He lost sight of himself in a genuine conversation as the morning succ.u.mbed to the Peak.

Before he left, George a.s.sured Athena he would be back. The funny thing was, he meant what he said-another first. He had no desire to lie to this woman. He believed he would be back to see her. The same woman whose affections he had manipulated to get a room the night before had found a crack in his armor. She had stolen a tiny piece of his manipulative heart, and for the moment, turned him into a decent human being. He smiled both on the inside and on the out as he held her hand for as long as he could before letting it go. George was saddened when Athena turned to go inside for work.

After a few moments, George decided that standing on the steps of the inn would get him nowhere. He turned back to the business at hand. He had shopping to do and would need to take the moments necessary to buy a sword, dagger, knife, rope, water pouches, torches, and food for his journey.

After reaching the home of the mage, George realized he was now believing in most of what Jason had said. Athena's confirmation about magic saw to that. He was nervous. He had no clue what to expect. He knew nothing of the magical arts or how he could manipulate the conversation. Just play this one safe, Georgie-boy. That's what's best for this situation.

Prior to knocking, he took a quick calculation of what was left of his coin. He now had one Jervaise, which was worth four Owain and three Owain worth 12 Helmep. He also had 33 Helmep, which was this world's least valuable currency. By his calculation, the total value of his coins was 61 Helmep. He hoped that was enough.

George knocked on the door. A tall, thin man answered, wearing a long, bluish-gray robe. His matted beard and his stained mustache from seasons of pipe smoking told George he was old. He was also ugly, and his hygiene was atrocious.

"What can I do for you?" the scraggly, old mage asked, his breath stinging the inside of George's nose even from where he stood.

George choked down his desire to say something rude. "I was told to seek your help. I need a spell to deal with a beast. Oh, and if you have one, I could use a spell to trap some food."

"So you're going to the Cave of Sorrow, eh?" the mage replied.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

The mage did not answer his question. "Come in, boy. You can call me, Morre. My brother just left, or you could've met him as well."

d.a.m.n, I wonder how he knows where I'm going. This beast must be real if he figured it out like that, George thought. As he walked past Morre to enter the establishment, the desire to vomit rushed through him as the stench of the mage's odor clubbed him upside the head. This guy is a pig. Take a d.a.m.n bath for h.e.l.l's sake.

George struggled to think beyond the stench. He swallowed and then forced a smile. "My name's George. I'm sorry to barge in on you like this, but maybe I can meet your brother on some other occasion." I bet he's just as disgusting as you are, he thought.

Morre nodded. "Perhaps on some other occasion then. However, if you're going into the Cave of Sorrow, you may never get the chance."

"What do you mean?"

"I can give you a spell to protect your mind, but-"

"Hold on. I never said anything about protecting my mind."

Morre frowned at the rudeness of George's interruption, but continued without answering his query. "I have a pair of scrolls prepared, but I don't have the supplies to make another."

It annoyed George that the mage knew more about his situation than he should have. "Two spells should be fine."

Morre nodded and led George to the far side of his library. "I think I have a few snare scrolls as well. You can read from the scroll after planning where you'll trap the beast. The spell sets an invisible snare that will hold him in place for a significant series of moments. But don't worry, you'll be immune to the affected area. This should allow you to make your actions look natural while luring the beast into bondage."

"I never thought of that," George replied. "Sounds like a plan." He counted the snare scrolls Morre was holding. "I'll take all three of those."

Morre scribbled some calculations, and after a moment, he arrived at a number that was intentionally overpriced. "That will be four Jervaise."

George did the math and realized he did not have enough to buy everything. "d.a.m.n ... I'm three Helmep short. Morre, is there room for negotiation? Maybe I could do a favor to make up the difference."

The mage thought a moment and turned to George with an idea. "I'll sell you the scrolls for the coin you have on you if you'll deliver a message to a friend of mine who lives in Siren's Song. I use the word 'friend' loosely. He's a large ball of energy called a wisp ... a Wisp of Song. If you can find him, and I a.s.sure you he's difficult to find, please give him this sealed envelope. Inside is the information he desires."

"A wisp? Huh! Never heard of that before."

Morre smiled, exposing his collection of heavily neglected teeth.

Seeing the mounds of plaque, George's jaw tightened in order to keep a straight face as Morre responded. "The wisp is my special 'friend.' He's all-knowing when it comes to matters of magic. He'll be pleased to receive my message, and he'll reward you by providing an answer to any question you ask of him. But I must warn you, make sure your question is specific and clear.

"Interesting," George uttered, unsure of what to think. "I tell you what. I can deliver the envelope once I'm done going to the cave ... if that's okay with you."

Morre nodded. "That's not what I would prefer, but that should be acceptable. It'll save me from traveling the distance."

"Where can I find this wisp?"

"The wisp makes its home within the mist below Griffin Falls. There is a hidden pool called Siren's Song. The water from the falls spreads a thick vapor across a vast area. It's there the wisp hides. Since the G.o.ds have protected the area, the wisp isn't an aggressive creature. You can approach without fear."

"What else?" George urged.

"The sphere uses song to communicate with those who are willing to perform an act of service. This envelope is the result of my a.s.signment, and the wisp will offer a reward for the information sealed inside."

George smirked. "So you're just going to give it to me? Don't I owe you coin ... not the other way around? Why would you give me your reward?"

"I'm tired. I don't wish to journey to the wisp's home. Three Helmep is not a fair trade. You may have the reward for saving my moments."

George nodded. "Okay ... I'll buy that."

"Wonderful ... then all you'll need to do is give the wisp the envelope as agreed."

"Nice. Maybe I'll take on another task and get a second reward while I'm there."

Morre chuckled. "Don't be silly. The journey to fulfill the wisp's a.s.signments involve great danger." The mage paused. "In almost every case, the adventurer never completes their task. They fail to return from their attempt."

"d.a.m.n, that sucks. So what will the wisp give me for the envelope?"

Morre frowned. "Have you not been paying attention? I told you to ask the wisp a question. You'll receive a truthful answer." The mage reached behind his back and picked at his backside. He sniffed his hand as he continued. "But if that's not enough, you could always choose to tempt fate and perform a second deed of service if you're insistent on magnifying the reward."

"I don't know that I care to tempt fate," George responded. "You said this wisp spoke in song. Can you tell me more about that?"

"He will use song to communicate with your mind. That's all you need to know." The expression on Morre's face turned serious. "When you ask your question, keep it simple."

"For sure. I have no desire to mess this up. Besides, I already know what my question will be." George rubbed his hands together in excitement.

Morre reached down and scratched at his crotch. "I'm sure your question will change before you find an audience with the sphere."

"Maybe, maybe not. Anyway ... I'll get your envelope to the wisp. You can count on that."

After paying out all of his coin and gathering his gear, George said, "I got to get going. I have a trek ahead of me, and I need to arrive at my destination before someone else. Could you please show me on the map where Siren's Song is?"

Morre pointed to Siren's Song and then showed George the quickest path to the Pool of Sorrow. He waved goodbye, shut the door and watched out the window with a chuckle as George hurried down the street. Then he turned and walked into his library where the G.o.ddess, Celestria, appeared.

"h.e.l.lo," Morre said, not in the least surprised at the sudden appearance of the G.o.ddess as he morphed into Lasidious to kiss his lover's voluptuous lips. "My portion of the plan has been set in motion. What about yours?"

"Oh, my love," Celestria oozed. "You are my sweet devil-G.o.d." She cupped his head in her hands and kissed him again, "You are a wickedly adorable man. I've missed you. Everything is proceeding as planned."

Lasidious smiled and then moved to the entryway where he knelt to place a paper scroll and a pouch on the floor. With that, the G.o.ds vanished and returned to their home on Ancients Sovereign.

Soon after the G.o.ds took their leave, the door of the mage's home opened and the real Morre walked in, his natural, nasty-smelling odor following him. As he stepped over the threshold, he noticed the scroll and the small leather pouch filled with coins. Bending to pick them up, he let out a huge, juicy fart that wafted through the home like a poisonous cloud. He waved his hand to clear the air, grunting his own disapproval of the stench. The smell reminded him of the helping of sea turtle he had eaten the night before. A moment later, he redirected his attention back to the note: Dear Morre, Please forgive the intrusion on your home, but I a.s.sure you it was necessary.

I want to thank you for the scrolls. I've compensated you beyond their value since I took them without your knowledge.