"You'll what?" Mieonus, the G.o.ddess of Hate called out over the top of the G.o.d of War's voice. She leaned forward in her chair. Her long, black hair had been straightened, and the black and red gown she was wearing had a low cut neckline that accentuated her cleavage.

Ba.s.sorine was clearly annoyed by the interruption. His eyes narrowed. "I should never have released my hold on the Crystal Moon."

Lasidious laughed in a taunting manner. "You're irrelevant! No one cares how you feel, and I've broken no laws by taking the crystals." He scanned the faces around the table as he made his next statement. "This Collective doesn't call me the Mischievous One without reason. Did you truly believe your release of the crystal's pieces would be without recourse? Deception is what I do. Besides, it was your vanity that drew you into my trap. You're pathetic."

The G.o.d of War roared. "My vanity? How was I so vain?"

"You have the biggest ego in this room. It didn't take much to convince you that you should appear to the mortals after they touched the crystal. You enjoy looking almighty! Your vanity liked the idea, or you would've never agreed to it."

Ba.s.sorine tried to speak above Lasidious, but he stumbled over his words.

"Stuttering doesn't become you. Face it, Ba.s.sorine. You're not the brightest of the G.o.ds. When it comes to planning war, you're slightly above average, but when it comes to thinking beyond the battlefield, you should leave the plotting to the minds of the adept. There would've been nothing created if you would've been the only one to survive the G.o.d Wars. You have no imagination, and you're useless. Everyone around this table knows I'm right."

Lasidious could see Ba.s.sorine moving toward the edge of his seat as he continued to berate the G.o.d of War. "Face it. If you had any brains at all, you would not have allowed the Book to be created in the first place. Not only did you allow it, but you allowed me, of all the G.o.ds, to manipulate its creation. I did it right under your nose. I must thank you. The loopholes in its laws are wonderful for creating chaos."

The awkwardness of the confrontation caused Keylom to shift his weight again. The sound of the centaur's hooves heightened the tension in the room.

The others exchanged amused glances from their seats as Ba.s.sorine reacted. The G.o.d of War stood, drew his sword, jumped onto the table, pointed his blade at Lasidious and threatened, "Let's see what an imbecile looks like when I'm standing over your corpse!"

Ba.s.sorine rushed across the table toward Lasidious, but before harm could be inflicted, the Book of Immortality used the power within its pages to send the G.o.d of War hurling across the room. Ba.s.sorine slammed into the far wall with a thunderous thud, and the hall shook from the collision, damaging the thick, marble wall.

The Book of Immortality rose from its golden stand. It realized the meeting was out of control and the moment had come to establish order.

In all its seasons, since the Collective agreed on its creation, the Book had never used its power. Until now, it had always settled things with logical mediation. Everyone in the room was stunned, even Lasidious, though he had hoped this would happen. It was the G.o.d of Mischief's goal to put the Book in a defensive position, forcing it to protect him.

The Book spoke with authority. "Ba.s.sorine, this meeting will not become a battlefield. You won't be permitted to harm Lasidious. He has free will to say whatever he chooses, just as you do. I suggest you calm yourself before you do something that will require stronger discipline."

All watched as Ba.s.sorine picked himself up off the floor to dust off his long, tan leather coat. The others stood and waited for his reaction. The G.o.d of War lifted his head high as he finished brushing off the debris and scoffed as the chunks fell to the floor.

Everyone knew Ba.s.sorine was the strongest-capable of destroying each of them, but it was the Book's job to keep the G.o.ds from fighting. Its power was not to be taken lightly, no matter how dominant Ba.s.sorine was. Yet Ba.s.sorine was the only G.o.d within the Collective who wielded a weapon capable of destroying the Book.

Angry, the G.o.d of War pondered what his next move would be. He watched as the Book hovered above the table and moved into a position above its golden stand.

Now, fellow soul ... I need to take a short series of moments to tell you a few things. When the Collective created the Book of Immortality, they established two weaknesses. The first was Ba.s.sorine's sword. The G.o.ds agreed that they needed a way to take back the control given to the Book if ever it became necessary, but they did not leave room for error.

The Book's second flaw was a slowed reaction. The problem was ... this moment of weakness was minimal, a split moment if you will-extremely narrow. Only Ba.s.sorine had the skill necessary to react fast enough to capitalize on this advantage.

Ba.s.sorine knew he would have only one shot at destroying the Book. He further knew another governor of the G.o.ds could be created if needed. With the Book out of the way, he would be free to destroy Lasidious, and the Mischievous One's demise would set a precedent. The others of the Collective would be afraid to stand against him, and he would once again be all-powerful. Lasidious' actions were the perfect excuse to take back this ultimate level of glory-or was this level of glory truly ultimate?

Sensing Ba.s.sorine's hesitation, Lasidious took a few more calculated shots at the G.o.d of War's ego. "See what I mean? You're an overgrown corgan. Only you would attack me and risk punishment by the Book. You're not as almighty as you would have us believe. Accept the fact that I've taken the Crystal Moon. Bury your head in the sand, and taste defeat. Know that I've won this battle." Lasidious laughed at Ba.s.sorine's expense while the others were no longer smiling. They were now on edge.

The G.o.d of War's pride swelled. His hatred for Lasidious was growing with every breath he took. His desire to destroy the Book and take vengeance was cosmic. In his existence, he could not think of a series of moments when he wanted to embrace his t.i.tle amongst the G.o.ds more than he did now.

Ba.s.sorine glared across the table at Lasidious who was daring him, taunting him, and trying to lure him to attack. But he would not do it Lasidious' way. After a long, deep breath, the G.o.d of War quieted his mind. He walked toward the table and put his blade back in its sheath. "You're right, Lasidious. I should not tempt fate by challenging the Book's wrath."

Reaching the table, the G.o.d of War leaned down to pick up his chair off the floor. He smiled. "All is well. Please take your seats."

The Mischievous One was the only one who did not comply. But the others began to reclaim their seats. As soon as the Book lowered its binding to the table and redirected its attention to speak with Lasidious, Ba.s.sorine unsheathed his sword and began a deadly descent toward the Book's heavy cover.

Except for Lasidious, none of the others expected Ba.s.sorine's deception, but the Mischievous One had hoped this Peak would come. This moment had been a part of his plotting all along. He knew every law on the Book's pages, and one of them stated that the G.o.ds could protect the Book's existence with any use of power necessary without recourse. He did not have the power to defeat Ba.s.sorine, but he did not need it. All he had to do was buy the Book a single moment to defend itself, and he was ready for that.

As Ba.s.sorine's blade cut through the air, Lasidious reached forward with both hands and sent a wave of force barreling across the room. It was strong enough to push the Book out from under the thunderous slam Ba.s.sorine's blade made as it collided with the table. The weapon sliced through the stone and stopped only after it hit the floor and cracked it.

Unharmed, the Book flew across the room and slid to a stop. Meanwhile, Lasidious sent another wave of force barreling into Ba.s.sorine. This wave knocked the G.o.d of War off balance and bought the Book yet another moment to respond.

Quicker than lightning, Ba.s.sorine regained his balance and leapt across the room toward the Book to make up for the lost moments. Once again, his blade was arching through the air, but on this occasion, it met its target with a cataclysmic collision-but it was too late. A powerful field of protection was surrounding the Book's binding.

The repercussion of the two opposing forces sent everything in the room flying. The shock wave was so great, the G.o.ds' bodies blasted through the hall, some of them breaking through more than one wall before they landed in the countryside, scattered beyond what remained of the structure. Except for Ba.s.sorine and the Book of Immortality, the others were now lying dazed in the gra.s.s with pieces of debris surrounding them within a billowing cloud of dust. The rest of the structure had fallen on the two in battle.

The sound of the event had been heard as thunder throughout the worlds, and it took a while for the rumbling to stop. Eventually, the G.o.ds picked themselves up off the gra.s.s. When the dust settled, all that was left was an enormous pile of marble, gold, and shredded tapestries that had been hung throughout.

The G.o.ds were about to declare the Book and Ba.s.sorine destroyed when they heard a noise from under the center of the pile.

Lasidious swallowed hard at the possibility that it could be Ba.s.sorine. If it was, he knew he would be dead in a matter of moments. Ba.s.sorine would not find forgiveness. The G.o.d of War's blade would end him as it split him in half.

The pile of marble started to shift and lift into the air. As the pieces settled toward the edges of the foundation, Lasidious took a deep breath and held it. He waited for the answer that would determine the remainder of his existence.

From the center of the pile rose the Book of Immortality. Lasidious exhaled as the Book floated toward the group. "Ba.s.sorine has been destroyed. He will no longer be a member of this Collective."

Some of the G.o.ds fell to their knees while others stood in disbelief. They had known Ba.s.sorine for over 12,000 seasons, and despite their differences, most of them had admired him. But true to vanity, they shook off the loss as they realized the advantage-there was one less being more powerful than them at the top.

Lasidious allowed his dark heart to relish the fact that this part of his plan had fallen into place. He was now the strongest of all the G.o.ds. The only hurdle that remained was to find a way to take control of the Book. Thousands of seasons of plotting were beginning to come together.

The Book's voice was forceful. "I shall require a new hall. I want it to be created right away. If anyone breaks another law, they shall meet the same fate as the expired."

The Book paused and then changed the direction of the conversation. "As you all know, the laws state: for every fallen, a new deity must take the place of the one who was lost. This replacement is to be chosen per the wishes of the fallen. I shall announce the name of the ascendant when we convene to honor Ba.s.sorine's pa.s.sing."

The Book floated toward Lasidious. "If it is your intent to allow everything the Collective has created to be destroyed, then it's your right to do so. No one can do anything to stop you. We all know, there's no law stating that you cannot destroy the Crystal Moon."

The Book turned to the others and shouted. "How could you have forgotten to vote into existence such an important law?"

Lasidious responded before the others could. "I don't want to destroy the worlds, but I will if I need to. I'm bored, and I simply wish to play a game. I plan to scatter the crystal's pieces and use them as objects to collect while we play my game."

The G.o.d of Mischief smiled. A malicious intent rested behind his grin. "I have protected each piece of the crystal. No one can touch them now that Ba.s.sorine is gone ... except for me, of course. You will be given a choice. Those of you who join me will create a team of evil. We shall try to collect three of the Crystal Moon's pieces. A second team will also a.s.semble ... a team of good, and they shall try to do the same. Good or evil, for every piece collected, we shall join them together. The crystals will once again be able to send what power they can throughout the worlds until the others are added. This should keep the planets in their a.s.signed orbits and give us the moments to finish our contest.

Mieonus' dark hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her gown exposed the flesh of her thigh as it accented her voluptuous curves. She responded as she tapped her lifted heel against the piece of the hall that she was standing on. "The inability of the Crystal Moon to govern the worlds has already caused tremors on many of them. We don't have the moments to play your silly game. Everything created is in jeopardy because of your foolishness. I have no intent to appease your desire."

Lasidious watched the hate in the G.o.ddess' eyes as he chuckled at her expense. "Tremors are not a concern. The planets shifting from their orbits would be more of a threat. They should not begin to migrate for nearly a season. The Crystal Moon's governance should only effect the land ma.s.ses of the worlds during this period. The earthquakes will create chaos, fear, tragedy, and tension on the worlds. We can enjoy their misery as the theft of the Crystal Moon leaves the living with little choice other than to battle for its pieces. When a team adds a piece to the first crystal, it will buy us the additional moments necessary to toy with the worlds on a grander scale."

Lasidious moved past Mieonus. As he did, he reached out and flipped her hair with his hand. He enjoyed Mieonus' irritation as he watched her stomp her heel against the marble. "If we do this right, Mieonus, would you not enjoy watching the beings of the worlds suffer? I see no reason why we cannot enjoy the carnage. You know a smile will find your face as soon as the last breath escapes the first creature's being."

Mieonus' expression changed as her disgust vanished. Her delight in Lasidious' proposal brought joy to her heart. "Your demented mind is delicious, Lasidious. I'll enjoy the heartache."

Seeing the G.o.ddess' pleasure, Lasidious continued, "Should our team win and collect the majority of the crystal's pieces, the worlds will fall under our control. Evil will rule for the rest of eternity and govern the Crystal Moon. Likewise, if good is victorious, the worlds will be dominated by boredom."

" What will keep you from cheating?" Alistar blurted as he adjusted the green hood of his robe that was trimmed in gold. "You'll have the advantage. There's no way to monitor fair play. I won't play a game where there's not an opportunity to attain victory."

Lasidious pretended to ponder. "I shall enter into a Promise of the G.o.ds with the Book that I won't cheat. If I do, the Book will sense the infraction, and I shall be destroyed. This should be enough to keep me in line, don't you think? However, I may find it difficult to play. If this happens, I'll resign and become a spectator. I've never been much for teams anyway, so this may very well happen."

"Sounds fair to me," Mieonus responded. "When do we start?"

Lasidious clapped his hands and then rubbed them together. "The influence we have over our followers shall be our weapons, our tools you might say, to manipulate. You could even call them our chess pieces." The Mischievous One smirked. "If I remember correctly, Ba.s.sorine did love chess. Too bad he's not here to enjoy the festivities."

The G.o.d of Mischief smiled. "We shall play a game fit for the G.o.ds. The rules are as follows: first, we cannot force our p.a.w.ns to do anything against their will. As the law on the Book's pages states: 'Free will is to be cherished above all else.'

"Second: all worlds will continue to trade merchandise without interruption, since this is necessary for their survival. None of us will do anything to influence commerce, or the game will end and the Crystal Moon will be destroyed. The goal is to get the beings of the worlds to conspire and fight to attain its pieces. As I have said, the first team to capture three ... wins."

Lasidious moved toward a large piece of debris and hopped on top of it before he made his next statement. "Are there any objections?" He paused, but the moments were not long enough to allow for a response. "Okay, good. Just to be clear, if the game is not played, I'll destroy the Crystal Moon. However, even with Ba.s.sorine's replacement, we'll be unable to create another one. I think we all remember how tedious starting over was." Lasidious smiled and added, "Who would like to be on my team?"

As the G.o.ds glared at one another, Bailem took the opportunity to speak. The angel's robe was white and gold, and he had a portly belly that would have caused him to lean forward if it had not been for the weight of his wings. "You're deplorable, Lasidious. It appears our free will is being taken in a round about manner."

The Mischievous One rolled his eyes. "You act as if this concept is unfamiliar to you, Bailem. Do you not remember the age of old? We all had our free will stripped from us in a 'round about manner.' Why should I be restricted from using his tactics."

"How dare you speak of him in that fashion!" Bailem shouted. "If he was here, he would-"

"But he's not!" Lasidious indignantly interjected over the top of Bailem's voice. "His back remains turned to us. Remember?"

The group fell silent for many moments. Even the Book said nothing as the G.o.ds stared in disbelief at Lasidious.

Eventually, the Mischievous One spoke as if nothing negative had been said. "So ... who's on my team?"

Of those present, enough hands reluctantly lifted to give Lasidious a team of eight-if he included Celestria.

Thoroughly disgusted, Bailem stepped forward and took the other team-leader position. "I'm going to find a way to beat you at your own game, Lasidious. I shall never forget your trespa.s.ses."

Lasidious smirked. "Whatever, Bailem. Spend your moments how you wish. Isn't there a sunset you should be watching someplace?"

Bailem grumbled and then vanished without saying another word.

Lasidious called for a team meeting inside his home. He would allow their entrance and gave them specific instruction to appear at the Peak of Bailem.

A moment later, the Book of Immortality made one final statement before those who were left vanished. "It appears this contest follows the rules of free will. I don't see a law being broken. Let the game begin."

After the others vanished, Lasidious and the Book were all that remained. "Where's Celestria?" the Book queried.

Rather than answer, Lasidious rolled his eyes and then vanished.

LASIDIOUS and his team are in his home, deep beneath the Peaks of Angels. The G.o.ds present at this meeting are Yaloom, G.o.d of Greed; Mieonus, G.o.ddess of Hate; Hosseff, the shade, G.o.d of Death; Jervaise, the spirit, G.o.ddess of Fire; Lictina, the lizardian, the G.o.ddess of Earth; and Owain, the dwarf, G.o.d of Water. The one G.o.d missing from the meeting is Celestria, the G.o.ddess of Beasts.

Planning has begun. Lasidious has told his team about George, Kepler, and Kroger's alliance. Since the Mischievous One is unable to give his team the exact location of the first piece of the Crystal Moon, all he could divulge was that he might change his mind and put a second piece on Grayham. By the moment the meeting ended, they all congratulated him on the manipulation that ended in Ba.s.sorine's destruction.

BAILEM, said to be the only angel in existence, also the G.o.d of the Sun, is holding his own team meeting. The G.o.ds present at his home are Alistar, G.o.d of the Harvest; Keylom, the centaur, G.o.d of Peace; Calla, the G.o.ddess of Truth; and Helmep, the G.o.d of Healing. They don't know where to start. All they know is the first piece of the crystal is somewhere on Grayham. The meeting seems pointless, but they do hope to recruit the new ascendant the Book intends to exalt when he replaces Ba.s.sorine's position as G.o.d of War.

SAM has finished his early morning training, and he is now familiar with Angels Arena. The fighter is with Shalee, and he has a few moments before his fight. Sam's battle will be the last fight of the evening, and by all estimates, the confrontation will end just before dusk.

HELGA is working to plan stronger lessons for Shalee. The older sorceress has given her pupil a few Peaks off in order to accomplish this task.

The night prior to his destruction, Ba.s.sorine visited Helga during the estimated series of moments called midnight. He told the sorceress that Shalee could handle aggressive growth to her magical foundation. He would not say why, but he did instruct Helga not to speak of their conversation with anyone, including Shalee. As with most beings, the G.o.d of War left the older sorceress with many unanswered questions.

CELESTRIA is on Luvelles. The mother-to-be is helping the witches clean their home to prepare her baby's room. She hasn't been this excited about anything since she became a G.o.ddess. It has been well over 100,000 seasons since last she made something without using her power. She is finding the task to be quite the challenge.

MOSLEY stayed with BJ after Sam was finished familiarizing himself with how the sand of the arena floor would affect his movements.

The fights started at the Peak of Bailem. The trainer then excused himself and headed for the n.o.bleman's box.

Mosley is about to receive an unexpected visitor.

Thank you for reading this edition of the Grayham Inquirer

CHAPTER 15.

A G.o.d's Gift and A Revelation Angels Village MOSLEY WAS SNIFFING THE walls of the corridors beneath Angels Arena to pa.s.s his moments. He was about to give one of the walls a squirt when the Book of Immortality appeared.

"Mosley, we must speak," the Book stated as it hovered in front of the wolf. Without waiting for a response, the Book teleported with Mosley to a secluded location on the hidden G.o.d world, Ancients Sovereign.

When they reappeared, they were in a valley that was nestled at the center of a mountain range known as Sylvan Spirits-the same mountain range where Hosseff, the G.o.d of Death, had made his home. The valley was vast, and the shade had turned it into a personal garden, but this garden was not like any other Mosley had ever seen.

The vegetation was angry and tormented. Groups of trees were scattered throughout, but no matter what species the wolf looked at, they looked ghost-like. Their long limbs were reaching for their neighbors as they plucked each others' leaves. They discarded them to the ground as if they were disgusted by each others' presence.

In another part of the garden, various bushes were at war. They rustled relentlessly, taunting one another in territorial confrontations. They were pulling their roots out of the ground, scurrying into another bush's domain and then forcing their adversaries to move on as they replanted their roots in the s.p.a.ce they had seized. They would maintain this new place of dominance until a larger, stronger bush was able to shove them aside.

Even the gra.s.s throughout the garden lamented. Every blade was transparent and white, and they had a voice. The gra.s.s literally moaned as the wind whipped across their tops.

There was nothing peaceful about this place. The garden reflected the G.o.d of Death's preferences, and he clearly had enjoyed creating a sanctuary that most any other being would have considered miserable.

The Book of Immortality opened its heavy binding. A light-gray powder filled the air and settled on the vegetation. It was not long before the tree's branches fell limp, the bushes stopped rustling, and the cries of the gra.s.s fell silent.

The Book did not give the wolf the chance to adjust to his surroundings. Instead, Mosley could only stare at the Book's black binding as the thin slit that functioned as the Book's mouth opened, and the words poured out.

"Mosley, I apologize for the abruptness of my actions, but I have much to say and only a short period of moments in which to say it. You must listen carefully. Some of what I must reveal will be upsetting, but your emotions need to be set aside for now."

The Book could feel the wolf's anxiety. "Mosley, I realize you're questioning your abduction, but I a.s.sure you, it was necessary. For now, I ask that you be strong. When the moment is right, you may grieve.

"Ba.s.sorine has been destroyed. You, Mosley, are to become the new G.o.d of War. You were Ba.s.sorine's choice."

Mosley knew of the Book, but he had never seen it before, nor did he understand its function. He struggled to set his surprise aside and worked to focus on what was being said.

"Destroyed? How could this be? There is no stronger pack leader than him. It's not possible."

"Oh, but it is, Mosley. But alas, the moments are not available to us to debate this truth."

Mosley growled. "I am but a pup compared to Ba.s.sorine. Why would I be exalted? Me being his chosen doesn't make sense."