I wish I didn't have to leave before meeting you. I've heard so many good things.

Again, I'm sorry, and I hope to one day apologize to you and your brother in person.

Sincerely, George Nailer Morre scratched his backside and farted again. He grinned as the forced explosion warmed his hand. With the same hand he reached up and picked a piece of the previous night's sea turtle out of his teeth and then headed into town toward the local vault. With each bounding step down the front stairway, an additional, moist note of flatulence was released.

Fellow soul ... I wonder if the vegetation wilted as Morre pa.s.sed?

How rank was that guy?

Ohhh, to be a fly on the wall.

CHAPTER 8.

The Truth be Told SAM WOKE FROM A great night's sleep after having a delicious supper, compliments of Mosley. They stayed at the village's best inn and Sam was grateful for the wolf's company. He admired the beast while looking across the room, watching the wolf sleep in front of the cold fireplace. Since their hippogriff was not scheduled to take them to their next destination until the Peak of Bailem, there was no rush to get going.

He directed his attention to Shalee, who had slept on the bed with him. He had been careful not to touch her during the night, placing her staff between them, and since the bed was almost as large, if not larger, than his king-sized bed back home, they had plenty of room.

She looked peaceful. Every now and then she moved gently from one side to the other. Sam was glad to see her movement. As a doctor, he knew it was not good to stay in one position for too long.

She's beautiful, he thought. What is it about her that I like so much? I can't put my finger on it. Do I really like her kind of drama? She's a bit of a diva ... but what a diva she makes. I bet those pretty hands have never seen a real day of manual labor. This woman is going to be my Achilles' heel, I just know it. I wish I could hold her.

He moved from the bed to the window. The place felt more like a cottage than an inn as his bare feet made contact with the cold, flat stones of the floor. He stopped, closed his eyes, and imagined he was in a castle. He took a deep breath of the clean country air and stretched, adding to his fantasy. The world of Luvelles was in clear view, its purple hues added to his enjoyment of the moment as he looked up into the bluest of morning skies.

Sam had always struggled with his imagination and his ability to fantasize. This had bothered him throughout his life. He could never seem to escape his own need to stick to reality. Following this pattern, his logical mind dragged him back from the fantasy of walking on castle floors and dropped him into the cold reality of a simple village, full of everyday, simple people.

Adjusting his gaze, he looked down at the townsfolk who were scattered along the street in front of their respective businesses. He laughed inside. This place is exactly what I used to believe was fantasy. Now the fantasy is reality, and this reality is... well ... it's refreshing.

From the smell penetrating the air, breakfast was being prepared somewhere. Taking another deep breath, Sam thought of George. I wonder where he is? Is he dead? If not, what's he up to?

If he could have known what George was up to, Sam would have been relieved to know that at this moment, the jerk was having a pleasant breakfast with Athena. However, since Sam was not one to wallow in a vacuum of unanswerable questions, he dropped the thought. He turned from the window and moved across the room to wash his face. The water he poured from the pitcher was cold, and he enjoyed the brisk splash.

Mosley shifted near the fireplace, but he did not wake. As Sam looked over at Shalee, Ba.s.sorine, the G.o.d of War, appeared out of nothing, standing next to the bed. Startled, Sam watched the G.o.d look down at the sleeping woman and whispered, "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Ba.s.sorine turned from Shalee and walked toward Sam. "There's no need to whisper. The others can't hear us. This conversation will remain between us. I'm here to understand your mind and inform you of the situation regarding the Crystal Moon. This would be a gratuitous series of moments in which to ask any question you may have."

"Finally!" Sam sighed, taking note of the G.o.d's interesting use of the phrase, gratuitous series of moments. "My thoughts are scattered in many directions. I've never had a hard time focusing like this."

Ba.s.sorine nodded. "I'm sure your mind feels cursed since you're no longer in control of your environment."

"You can say that again. I hate this."

"Hate is a waste of an emotion. Perhaps you channel your thoughts and ask your questions."

"Okay, okay. Here it goes. I would like to know how I know you. Have we met before? When I read the symbols on your statue, I was able to understand their meaning. Why? I even understood a portion of the language the griffin, Soresym, spoke. Again, I ask why?"

Ba.s.sorine walked back to the bed. He leaned over and caressed Shalee's cheek. "Your questions will require lengthy explanations. I'm not sure your mind is ready to hear what I have to say. We should come back to these particular matters once you have had the proper series of moments for your mind to adjust. I trust this would be acceptable, yes?"

Sam thought a moment. "I don't need to be coddled. I want to have this conversation before you leave. For now, we'll do it your way. I trust this would be acceptable, yes?"

Ba.s.sorine grinned and motioned for Sam to continue.

Sam shrugged, and then changed course. "I have plenty of other questions. First, what is the situation regarding the Crystal Moon?"

The G.o.d nodded, carried a chair across the room, placed it by the window, and then looked through the opening. "The Village of Angels has the potential to be a perfect starting point for your rise to glory, but we'll speak of this later.

"The situation regarding the Crystal Moon is unique. The others within the Collective have not been able to find Lasidious. It was my hope that the G.o.ds would come together and vote on how these new events were to be handled once Lasidious was located, but he has managed to remain elusive. I'm disturbed by this, to say the least."

Sam splashed another handful of water on his face. "I'm not sure what to say, but this does create additional concerns. May I share them with you?"

"Sam, don't ask for permission, for I'm here to speak without formalities."

"Sounds good to me." Sam dried his hands. "My biggest concern is ... the Crystal Moon is what keeps the worlds from colliding. Your statue said the crystal provides the planets with the ability to sustain life. You said if the Crystal Moon wasn't retrieved and put back in the temple, everything would be destroyed. How long do we have before this happens?"

Ba.s.sorine looked away from the window. "There is no way to determine this quant.i.ty of moments. The Crystal Moon has governed the worlds for over 10,000 seasons."

Sam jumped in, "But don't you have an idea of how long it will be before the worlds start to drift? And what will happen when they do?"

"It's impossible to tell. Once the planets begin to drift, changes will be subtle at first, but they'll eventually magnify. The Crystal Moon has been governing the worlds for so long that the Collective doesn't have a reference to judge what will happen. It is, as you would say on your Earth, 'a c.r.a.p shoot.'"

Sam's anxiety was building, but more than that, he was annoyed that the G.o.ds would not know the exact answers to his questions. Maybe these "so-called" G.o.ds were just powerful enough to screw with things on a cosmic level and nothing more. Or perhaps he needed to redefine his personal definition of what G.o.d meant.

Sam calmed himself. "Is there anything I can do while I wait for you to tell me where the Crystal Moon is? I hate just sitting around. Shouldn't I be preparing to retrieve it?"

Ba.s.sorine shook his head. "I cannot say with confidence that you're the best man to retrieve the crystal. In light of these new events, you lack certain requirements. You're not of n.o.ble blood, nor do you have the fame necessary to gain an audience with kings. Only kings are influential enough to resolve a situation of this magnitude. Kings can control wars, and wars will erupt because of the theft of the Crystal Moon."

The G.o.d sighed. "Your flaws are most unfortunate. I was looking forward to your rise to glory."

Sam had had enough. He was tired of being controlled simply because he did not have the power to stand against Ba.s.sorine. He was not about to let his life be dictated to him without a fight.

"Okay, okay, hold up! It was the G.o.ds' bright idea to bring me here!" Sam barked. "Now that I am, you're telling me I'm not good enough. I understand what's involved. I'm not an idiot. I understand you'll want to keep the theft of the Crystal Moon confidential. Your 'so-called' Collective will have a mess on their hands if the people find out the Crystal Moon is gone. Their belief in you will fade once they know you can't stop the planets' destruction."

Sam crossed his arms. "You said I could speak freely. So tell me why you're not powerful enough to stop this disaster yourself."

Ba.s.sorine laughed. "You're bold when given permission. Perhaps I should have chosen my words more carefully. It took 14 of us to create the worlds, and the power to keep them from migrating is more than the Collective can manage on a continual basis. This is why we created the Crystal Moon. Each of us poured part of our power into this masterpiece, and because of this, the pieces of the crystal cannot be drained of their power."

The G.o.d of War frowned. "I would like to tell you the G.o.ds are almighty, but this isn't the case. We have weaknesses and limitations, just as you do."

Ba.s.sorine removed a new long sword that hung from his hip and placed the tip of the blade on the floor and spun it like a top. "If I were to convince the G.o.ds to use our power to keep the worlds from drifting, it would not take long before we would use what's left of our power. The worlds would eventually be destroyed anyway."

"Okay, okay. So create another Crystal Moon to replace the one Lasidious took," Sam reasoned.

Ba.s.sorine shook his head. "As I have said, it took 14 beings to create the Crystal Moon. Why would Lasidious help make another one? He clearly has a plan, and there is a method to his madness. We just need to find a way to reveal the level of his insanity."

Sam had never thought of a G.o.d as having a weakness, but the concept made sense. It explained how Ba.s.sorine failed to know everything. It also meant the term "G.o.d" now held far less power for Sam than it did before. He grew bolder.

"Okay, okay. Then what you've told me confirms my ideas about how we should approach the situation. For now, I think it's best to keep quiet. You'll want the populaces of the worlds to continue to worship and maintain their normal lives until the Crystal Moon is retrieved. I mean, think about it. What do you think would happen if they found out you couldn't do anything to stop Lasidious? What would happen if they found out they're expendable? I would laugh at the G.o.d I served if he allowed his peers to destroy my life. Your Collective has taken this 'free will' c.r.a.p to a whole new level. At least if I'm handling the situation, the politics on Grayham would be managed, and I could mitigate your loss of followers."

Sam allowed his arms to drop to his side. "If anyone is smart enough to figure this mess out ... it's me. So tell your G.o.dly counterparts that I'm not about to sit around like a rebel without a cause and do nothing. You tell them that, or you might as well send me back to Earth."

Well, fellow soul ... Ba.s.sorine had hoped Sam would summon the desire to undertake the task. He just wanted Sam to fight for the right. The G.o.d knew if Sam chose to go after the crystal's pieces, Shalee would follow in his footsteps, and Shalee was the key to accomplishing Ba.s.sorine's own masterful plans. It wasn't just Lasidious who had an objective.

Helping Sam retrieve the Crystal Moon would allow Shalee the moments to grow. Of all the men on the new worlds, Sam really was the best choice, and Ba.s.sorine knew this before their conversation began. It had been far too many seasons since the G.o.d of War had captured Sam's soul and placed it inside the body it was currently residing in. He missed their old relationship, but revealing his bond with Sam would not be beneficial at this moment.

"You've made your point, Sam, but there's much you don't know." Ba.s.sorine turned to look out the window. "I am the G.o.d of War. With all my heart, I love to battle. Nevertheless, you need to understand the magnitude of your choice."

"Okay, okay. I'm listening," Sam blurted.

"By volunteering, you'll need to overcome your physical limitations, and death will always be a possibility. This journey will be the fight for the survival of everything in existence ... and I do mean everything."

Sam interrupted. "Wait a second! There's something you're not telling me. I can feel it. I've been in this situation with you before. Don't ask me how I know this, but I know. This isn't the first 'series of moments' in which we've had a conversation that feels vague."

Ba.s.sorine was about to object, but Sam held up his hand. "Look! I'm not interested in being kept in the dark. How could what's going on affect the survival of everything? How can Lasidious' actions cause destruction throughout an entire cosmos?"

Once again, Ba.s.sorine sighed, and the weight of his exhale consumed the room. A moment later, the G.o.d looked into Sam's chest and literally stared at the heart of the fighter as he watched it beat. "What I'm about to tell you will upset you, but I swear it's the truth."

"Finally, we're getting somewhere," Sam jeered.

Ba.s.sorine did not acknowledge Sam's demeanor. Instead, he pushed forward. "There have been many stories created for the people to believe in. Most aren't true."

" No shocker there," Sam added. "I can't say that I'm surprised."

A half-hearted grin appeared on Ba.s.sorine's face. "If I could send you back to your homeworld, I would. But unfortunately, the planet you called Earth is gone."

"What do you mean, gone?" Sam asked incredulously.

Compa.s.sion filled Ba.s.sorine's expression. "I'm sorry, Sam, but a man with your intellect understands what gone means. I'm saying your Earth has perished. Please ... allow me to finish what I have to say, then you may ask questions."

The G.o.d waited for Sam to nod. "When the G.o.d Wars started more than 14,000 seasons ago, the battle for power extended to every galaxy and solar system. The story the Collective created to tell the people on the worlds ... the story that I was the one who brought home the Crystal Moon to the Collective, isn't true. I have always been a G.o.d, since the beginning of what you called 'time.' The story claiming I was given G.o.d-like power was conjured to give the beings of the new worlds something to believe in. It gave them something to be thankful for and hope. This is similar to the way your G.o.ds of Earth gave their creations their own sense of hope, faith and a way to worship, some rewarding their faithful with Heaven and others, h.e.l.l."

Sheathing his long sword with hardly a sound, Ba.s.sorine continued. "The truth is ... all G.o.ds back then, no matter what world they governed, used Heaven and h.e.l.l as a place to send the souls of their dead. Even the G.o.ds who ruled worlds who didn't believe in free will, simply sent their followers straight to h.e.l.l. They were kept in this place of torture until the moment came to be reborn, thus beginning the same vicious cycle.

"All G.o.ds allowed the souls of the dead to be reborn. This is where the idea of reincarnation came from. The G.o.ds who didn't believe in free will toyed with the souls they governed, allowing many of them to be reborn as mere maggots. They would live for a matter of Peaks before they returned to h.e.l.l, thus repeating the cycle."

Sam opened his mouth to speak, a thousand questions resting behind his eyes, but Ba.s.sorine held up his hand.

"Make no mistake, the G.o.ds are strong. We are the beginning and the end, but we can be destroyed and have weaknesses. During The Great Destruction of Everything Known, thousands of deities perished, and those of us who survived elected to be governed by a set of rules. We did this voluntarily, but the laws we voted into existence are imperfect, and many details were overlooked. We can vote to fix these discrepancies, but not until the events that have been set in motion are resolved."

Ba.s.sorine walked to the pitcher of water and took a drink from it. "The Book of Immortality was created to govern our laws. I now regret its creation. I have the power to stop Lasidious, but our laws bind my resolve. I can't stop him without risking retribution and my own destruction."

Moving back to the window, the G.o.d continued. "Allow me to explain the Book of Immortality further. As I've said, those of us who survived the G.o.d Wars decided to create the Book. Each of us poured part of our power into its many pages and made it strong enough to legislate our actions. Its purpose would be to keep the Collective from warring against one another for the rest of eternity and hold our new laws on its pages. If a problem arises, it is for the Book to determine a solution.

"We are no longer able to directly control the will of G.o.ds, men, or beasts. Instead, we give them the freedom to make choices of their own. The Book also allows us free will, as long as we don't break the laws on its pages."

Ba.s.sorine turned away from the window, walked to the table and sat opposite of Sam. He then looked into Sam's eyes. "It was the concept of free will that started the G.o.d Wars. Your G.o.ds of Earth, along with myself, and others, were among those who supported the idea of giving all creatures the freedom of choice, and we managed our worlds accordingly. Every deity had a hand in the creation of Heaven and h.e.l.l. Where the spirits of their followers ended up was determined by how each soul chose to live their life and how well they followed the rules their G.o.d or G.o.ds established. Heaven was a glorious place, while h.e.l.l was not so desirable. No matter what, it was the choices of men that determined where their soul was delivered.

"The G.o.ds who fought against free will started the wars. Even the Fallen Angel, Lucifer, who you personally knew as Satan, rose up and struck down countless numbers, G.o.d and angel alike, as they drew more to their cause."

Sam interrupted. "What do you mean, I 'personally knew' Lucifer?"

Ba.s.sorine cleared his throat. "I meant 'personally' as an Earthling ... in the sense that you are a representative of an extinguished race that once occupied Earth. This is how you knew Lucifer. Please! Allow me to continue."

"Okay, okay. I'll swallow that. By all means, go ahead."

"As I was about to say, once the wars started, everything exploded out of control. Everything was destroyed. Even the most ancient of beings, including the one I loved most, my brother, fell in battle. In the end, it was those of us who came together to create the Farendrite Collective who fought side-by-side and survived to see the conclusion of the wars.

"The battles lasted over 3,000 seasons. It took those of us who were left another 800 seasons to create this new, smaller solar system, which is over 10,000 seasons old. We had to search long and hard for the matter to do so, since matter was spa.r.s.ely scattered. These five worlds are all we've been able to create thus far without draining ourselves of our power. The leftover pieces of what used to be other galaxies are still being collected from the far reaches of the universe and stored so that we can eventually expand this new solar system into a galaxy."

Ba.s.sorine paused for a moment to look across the room. It was raining outside and the smell was bringing a freshness into the room.

"Keep talking," Sam urged.

"The Collective wanted you, Sam, to create an empire here on Grayham. We wanted your example to be what the other races would emulate. If they followed your lead, we intended to allow the races to be joined. We expected there would be problems, problems similar to those experienced on your Earth, but we hoped that with your intelligence, an a.s.signment of this magnitude could be accomplished. The experiences of your life on Earth were to be your a.s.sets when bringing the races together."

Ba.s.sorine pushed the chair back from the table, got up and returned to gaze out the window. He allowed the raindrops to splash against his palm as he continued. "After the races are united, the Collective plans to separate four of the five worlds and move them each to a solar system of their own. The fifth planet, known as Dragonia, will be given a new name, and it will become the new h.e.l.l. The dragons on Dragonia will be given a planet of their own. They will be separated to live peacefully apart from all others."

Though the G.o.d of War could see Sam's questions mounting, he continued despite the Earthling's desire to speak. "We plan to create a new Heaven and once again allow the souls filled with goodness to live in glory until the opportunity arrives for them to choose rebirth. For now, we hold all souls, whether good or evil, within the pages of the Book of Immortality. The Book keeps them safe until the moment arrives for them to live again. As it is now, evil is punished as the Book sees fit."

Ba.s.sorine turned and once again found Sam's eyes. "As for me, I'm millions of seasons old. This is the first real threat, since the new worlds were created, that an end to all things could come again. With the Crystal Moon's disappearance, we may be forced to spend another 800 seasons rebuilding once the dust settles."

Ba.s.sorine moved back to the table, grabbed his chair, spun it around and then sat in it backwards. "What I'm about to tell you is of utmost importance. Before your G.o.ds of Earth perished, they told me and three others about you, Sam. They spoke of the blessings given before sending your spirit to Earth. The G.o.ds with me that day were Lasidious, Keylom, and Alistar. The G.o.ds of Earth told us about your superior intellect and how you were the best specimen to preserve and bring forward through the seasons. I chose Shalee because she would be an ideal mate, having been given healthy anatomy for childbearing. There were other reasons I chose her, reasons I have hidden from the others within the Collective. All I'll say is this ... Shalee will be powerful."

Ba.s.sorine changed his direction of thought. "Lasidious has brought George forward for reasons I don't know. He did this without the knowledge of the Collective. I cannot think of a reason why Lasidious would bring a mortal forward, unless George is a magical being. Lasidious' actions don't make sense. I suspect the answer will be revealed soon enough.

"As you know, it was the Collective who voted to have Lasidious retrieve you from Earth. We agreed to keep you preserved in stasis until we saw the perfect opportunity to place you on Grayham.

"I fear Lasidious has taken an opportunity meant for the good of all beings and manipulated it for his own agenda. Despite this treachery, I'm bound by the Book's rules and cannot start another war over it. It appears Lasidious has exercised his right to make a mess.

"Lasidious wants to create a stronger following of both man and beast. Maybe this is what the theft of the Crystal Moon is about. Unfortunately, the hearts of those who inhabit the worlds can be persuaded to do evil."

Ba.s.sorine watched as Sam poured a gla.s.s of water and gulped it down. He gave Sam a moment before he continued. "Sam, I was listening from above when you asked Mosley about the days here on Grayham. Allow me to put your mind at ease. The days are identical to what you knew on Earth. You should be able to use this to your advantage when planning your next move. There is much that will remind you of your planet, and Shalee's watch will work fine until the moment its mechanics fail."

The G.o.d stopped talking as Sam took a seat on the edge of the bed near Shalee. Sam could not think of a single question. His mind was overcome by everything Ba.s.sorine divulged.

He could not fathom the fact that his own personal G.o.d of Earth was supposedly destroyed, along with Heaven and h.e.l.l. How could any of this be true? Earth was gone-his family, his house, his car and everything he loved-destroyed. How could he accept that? It was all too much, and the idea that he was one of only three mortals in all of creation to be spared the Great Destruction was overwhelming. How could he possibly deal with his new reality?

Ba.s.sorine saw the effect his revelation was having on Sam. Knowing the mortal needed relief from his thoughts, the G.o.d of War walked over, helped the bewildered man to lie down, and then touched Sam on the forehead. His voice was soft. "Rest, Sam. Let blessed memories of our past together be forgotten until the moment arrives for you to be told the truth. When you awake, you will have peace. You'll understand all that I've divulged, but you will not be overcome by grief. If you so desire, I will allow you to create the glory you need to gain audiences with kings."

Ba.s.sorine walked over to Mosley and woke the wolf. He told the beast to extend their stay at the inn and to keep watch over Sam until he woke. Before vanishing, the G.o.d gave Mosley a few suggestions on how to help Sam gain the notoriety he needed to earn an audience with Southern Grayham's largest royal family, the House of Brandor.