George reached for a torch.

"Not yet, honey," Athena whispered as she placed a single finger across his lips. She led him across the bridge to the gazebo and continued to whisper. "Just watch. The torches are for later. We don't need them now. Shhh."

As the pitch-black of night fell across the land, George could not see a thing. He reached over, found Athena's ear and leaned in. "What are we waiting for?"

Athena covered his mouth. "Shhh."

Eventually, the flowers growing on the gazebo and the trees surrounding the pool began to illuminate. The surface of the pool mirrored the warm glow as the flowers produced a light that exuded their natural color.

Staring at the reflections in the water, George felt as if he was standing in the middle of a galaxy, floating amongst stars of many colors.

The petals of the flowers began to wave back and forth in a soothing, ma.s.saging manner. Small puffs of pollen were released. A plethora of fragrances filled the air as each radiating puff drifted, some of them against the breeze. One by one, the puffs worked their way to their destinations. It was as if the flowers were in the middle of some sort of mating ritual.

George watched as a blue puff found an opposing yellow flower. The flower opened, allowed the puff inside, then closed its petals. The color of the puff merged with the color of the flower, and soon the flower reopened and radiated a vibrant green.

With this new color reflecting off the pool, a melody filled the night like the flowers had voices of their own. As their song progressed, George opened his mouth. "I can't believe this," he blurted. As soon as he spoke, everything went black.

Athena punched George on the arm. "I told you to shush! Now we have to use a torch. You ruined the mood."

"Aahhhh, man, I'm sorry. That was freaking cool. We've got to do this again sometime."

An awkward silence followed. Athena was not sure how to respond. She was confused by how George phrased his words.

Seeing her confusion, George changed the subject. "I'll get us some light." George fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his lighter. As soon as the flame appeared, Athena's eyes widened. George smiled, lit a torch and then placed it into one of the brackets that was molded into the side of the gazebo. He waited for the questions he knew were coming.

Their conversation would be without pause as he explained how the lighter worked. Athena was intrigued by the many, subtle differences in their speech. Their conversation bounced from one subject to another as they held each other while they cuddled at the center of the gazebo.

Before the second torch extinguished, Athena led George to a quaint cottage. Twice the size of George's old apartment on Earth, it was lit with many oil-filled sconces. He held their last torch high and examined the stone masonry. Meticulous work and great care had been put into every detail.

Athena walked to the door and opened it. "Mother!" she shouted, "I brought home that adorable man I was telling you about! Can he stay in the spare room?"

George was taken aback by Athena's forwardness, but after a moment of thinking it through, he stepped inside and shouted, "Mom, we're home!"

After talking with Athena throughout the night, they decided to get some sleep. George leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. One kiss led to another and before the two of them knew it, they were tickling each other on Athena's bed.

For the first series of moments in George's pathetic life, other than the day of his daughter's birth, he felt truly happy. He knew his goose was cooked-this woman had stolen his heart. All he had to do was figure out a way to ensure she ended up in his life. He knew this would be a challenge, a challenge he looked forward to facing. He pulled her close and spooned her as they drifted off to sleep. He would make no further advances.

Lethwitch Arena The Next Morning When the sun rose, Shalee and Helga were still sitting next to Sam who remained unconscious in the healer's vestry beneath the arena.

Jaress returned, carrying breakfast-corgan milk and m.u.f.fins. "Any movement while I was out?"

"I'm afraid not," Helga replied.

The heavy, wooden door to the vestry opened. BJ walked in, followed by the arena headmaster, Lorund. Upon seeing them enter, Shalee stood from her seat, set her m.u.f.fin on the table next to Sam and braced herself for bad news. The grim looks on the faces of both men caused her to retrieve Precious from the corner of the room.

Lorund, a strong, gray haired man with brown eyes, was the first to speak. He was still dressed in his black, leather armor that bore the symbol of the Kingdom of Brandor. "The Minotaur King has requested that Sam's life be surrendered in exchange for the death of his champion."

Shalee gasped, "Why? Sam beat him fair and square. I won't let them have him. He's practically dead already."

"Child, it's not that simple," Helga responded. "There are laws the combatants must live by. Hear the man out."

"Laws or no laws, I'm not going to let them have him. I'm not giving Sam to some bull-faced losers." Shalee tapped the b.u.t.t end of Precious on the floor. "I'll give 'em what for. You tell them to come down here, and I'll show them another way to die. I dare them to try to take Sam off this table."

BJ laughed. "I admire your spirit, Shalee, but you won't need to use magic on anyone. After a long debate, we have determined that Sam's actions were acceptable. The fight was to be without weapons. Terrogon was the first to use a weapon during the battle. When he tried to use the pillar to crush Sam, he broke the law by which he chose to fight. Sam's use of Terrogon's horn as an instrument of death was justified. Sam no longer had to abide by the rules set by the roll of the dice."

"That's great!" Shalee exclaimed. "Then Sam's free to go when he wakes up."

Lorund shook his head in disagreement. "I would not consider this a joyous outcome. The Minotaur do not agree with my ruling, and they will remember Terrogon's pa.s.sing. I know their race. If I was you, I would see to it that Sam never encounters another one. I would not be surprised if the Minotaur King puts a bounty on Sam's head."

"What kind of c.r.a.p is that?" Shalee snapped. "That's not sportsmanlike at all." The younger sorceress crossed her arms. "I hate sore losers. They wouldn't make good Texans. We would've been downright embarra.s.sed to know folks like that."

Lorund looked at BJ, then at Helga and then at Jaress. "What is she talking about? Is she foreign?" He turned to look at Shalee. "Is Texas on one of the other worlds? I have read nothing of it in all my studies, and I've never heard anyone speak as you."

Helga cut in, "You know how young ones can be. I'll handle her. You go about your business. I'm sure your family is expecting you. Thank you for clearing matters up."

Lorund nodded. "There are other issues that I must attend to. I have been informed that there is a woman sitting in the stands who has pa.s.sed. Her weight is abnormal for her size. She will require a significant number of men to carry her to the wagon waiting outside. It's as if she is made of stone."

It was not long after Lorund's departure that Sam stirred.

Jaress quickly moved to keep the fighter still.

Once Sam's eyes opened, the fighter realized where he was.

Jaress took the moments necessary to explain. After Sam acknowledged he understood, the healer uncorked the essence of the griffin and lifted Sam's head. "I need you to drink. This is a powerful elixir. Your wounds will heal quickly."

Sam took three, large swigs. His body tingled. Despite the blood loss, the paleness of his skin faded.

Sam managed a weak voice, "That doesn't taste like any medicine I've ever had. It's sweet. What was it?"

"The essence of His Majesty, the Griffin Lord, Soresym," Jaress responded with admiration. "I have never met another man who has ever been given this honor."

Sam chuckled, but the pain caused him to stop. Once he collected himself, he responded. "I knew we bonded, but I had no idea that Soresym considered me worthy of his essence. Exactly what part of the griffin does his essence come from? Is it a special gland?"

BJ looked across the table at his brother and grinned. "I would love nothing more than to explain. Please, allow me the privilege, Jaress. You owe me this one."

Jaress shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I thought Mother settled this dispute. Besides, I cannot. I've given my word. The Griffin Lord said this question would be asked. I've been given special instruction to deliver this answer." Jaress looked at Sam. "The essence is collected when a griffin allows a healer to harvest his urine."

Sam grimaced, his face showing his disgust.

BJ and Helga laughed.

Shalee was the first to respond. "That's downright nasty! Are you standing there telling us that Sam just drank a truckload of p.i.s.s? What on this world would ever make y'all decide to drink something so foul in the first place? I mean ... who was the first fruit loop to look at a stream of urine coming out of a big, old griffin and think, 'I wonder if that'll fix me?' For heaven's sake, y'all, you're drinking p.i.s.s. I never."

It took a while, but Sam managed to put a clear thought together. "If drinking Soresym's essence is what it took to save my life, then I'm grateful. If no man has ever been given this favor ... then why me?"

Jaress could only smile. "Lord Soresym said you would ask that question as well. His response was ... you were given his essence to get even with you for calling him a 'thing.' He further said that he hoped you would hate the taste, and he laughed as he launched from the landing platform and flew into the night. I did not expect the delivery of this message to be so enjoyable, but I cannot help myself."

Sam looked at Shalee. "It wasn't as bad as it sounds." He smiled. "Griffin's must be made of raspberries and lemons. His urine tasted like lemonade. If the idea wasn't so disgusting, I would bottle it and sell it. At least it would be a healthy drink." He poured a bit more of Soresym's essence into his mouth and swallowed. "I'm feeling much better, really. How about a kiss?"

Shalee rolled her eyes. "You're nasty!"

That evening over dinner, BJ and Helga sought each other's attention. Both trainers were flirting, but they were careful not to allow their students to see their momentary exchanges of quick smiles and playful winks. It was clear to BJ that there was something between them, and he wanted to explore the possibility of Helga's companionship.

After dinner, BJ excused himself and asked Helga if she would join him for an evening walk. When Shalee offered to tag along, BJ declined, and said it would be nice to converse without students present.

Sam and Shalee thought nothing of it and retired to their room.

The two trainers put some distance between them and the inn before BJ reached down and took Helga's hand. They walked east out of town.

Helga used her staff to light the way. Though the walk was long, it felt brief when they stopped at the center of a bridge that spanned the Cripple River.

As they stared into each other's eyes, they knew their attraction for one another was mutual. It was on this beautiful night, beneath a pitch-black, gentle sky and hundreds of glow bugs surrounding them, that Helga commanded her staff to go dark.

The gentle ripple of the river pa.s.sing beneath the bridge amplified the mood as BJ put his hand under Helga's chin. Bringing her lips closer, a pa.s.sionate kiss followed.

Helga giggled as they separated. "Well now ... Mr. Barthom Jonas, you're quite the kisser." She pressed against him. "Ohhh ... I can feel your excitement."

BJ stroked her face. "You have no idea."

2 PEAKS OF BAILEM.

HAVE Pa.s.sED.

KEPLER is with Maldwin at the entrance to the Cave of Sorrow. The jaguar realized he was going to run into a problem on his way to the cave. He commanded one of his giant, feline subjects from the Enchanted Forest to travel with him. As expected, the rat refused to leave. His family would not be protected while he was gone. Without the stone skeleton warriors promised, Kepler knew it was pointless to argue.

To fix the problem, Kepler told the rodent he would have 100 of his finest warriors guard the entrance to the cave and patrol the Pa.s.s of Tears. They would not leave, and they would protect the rat's family.

Maldwin agreed, and Kepler sent word to his brothers by way of his feline subject. Maldwin instructed his family to stay hidden until the skeletons arrived. Then the pair left for Angels Village.

SAM, SHALEE, BJ, and HELGA have arrived in the town of Mountain View. Soresym enjoyed giving them a ride and relished the fact that Sam had drank his essence. A rare bond has formed between griffin and human.

Sam and Shalee were impressed with the scenery of this new town. The view surrounding the landing platform was breathtaking.

YALOOM, G.o.d of Greed, has taken over as leader of Lasidious' old team. They are plotting. Based on what Lasidious said at the last meeting of the G.o.ds, they have outlined a new course of action. They will put the Barbarian Kingdom in the strongest position for the war they know is coming. At the conclusion of this meeting, a plot to a.s.sa.s.sinate the Prince of Brandor, Aaron Brandor, and the army's General Absolute, Justin Graywind, has been finalized and put in motion.

MOSLEY spent the previous Peak mourning his wife. He hates the idea that she is in the Book of Immortality. The wolf is now with his team. They watched from the G.o.d world as the King of Brandor sent his runners throughout the kingdom to call the army's men into service.

Alistar has revealed the locations of the blessed soils, and Keldwin has ordered the first harvest of the ma.s.sive, Garanto trees. They will be used to build wagons which will carry the crops to the coast.

Building these oversized wagons is going to be quite the task. The runners have called for a meeting with the n.o.bles of each city, town, and village to explain what must be done. The runners have also informed the n.o.bles that two of the king's engineers will arrive at each location to help with the proper design and construction of the wagons. The final approved drawings show each wagon will have 9 axles, and 20 horses will be needed to pull them.

GEORGE and ATHENA have spent the last three Peaks on her mother's farm. They spent the majority of their moments in her mother's guest house. Their longing for each other has been growing.

CELESTRIA is still a quarter season away from delivering her baby. The elven, witch family is still testing her patience. She wants to destroy them, but continues to remind herself of the goals she has set with her lover. She spends the majority of her moments in her room speaking with the squirrels.

LASIDIOUS is with the Wisp of Song, deep inside the mist of Siren's Song, below Griffin Falls. The Mischievous One tells Cadromel about the envelope he gave to George. He also says the human will be traveling to visit him. In return for the envelope, the G.o.d asked Cadromel to tell George how he can win the crown of the Barbarian King.

SENCHAE BLOODVAIN is still on edge from his run-in with the talking bull. He is sitting in his bedroom chamber holding his unicorn horn. The king has intentionally used his knife to open a gash on his arm. Senchae has skipped his training for the first series of moments in over 16 seasons.

Thank you for reading this edition of the Grayham Inquirer

CHAPTER 23.

Duke Barthom Brandor BJ TOOK SAM TO a quiet clearing that was surrounded by trees to train with Kael. They were at the base of the Mountains of Latasef which towered over the town of Mountain View. As a young fighter, BJ had trained in this same clearing, but on this particular Peak, Kael, Sam's blade, would be Sam's instructor.

"Pay attention, Sam!" Kael snapped, his blade pulsating with a brighter intensity. "I have taught you the command, val arna, which allows me to guide your movements. It is the basis for every other command to be built upon. The next word you will learn is nuar. What I want you to do is hold me in front of your mouth, and speak all these words at once. You must use a strong voice. This is necessary to release the power within the words."

Sam thought he understood and lifted Kael into the air. "Val arna, nuar!" he shouted. The blade burst into flames, and Sam immediately dropped the weapon to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Kael chastised as the ground caught fire. The blade went cold and BJ stomped out the flames. "Why would you drop me?"

Sam was speechless.

"I said, why would you drop me?"

"I didn't want to get burned," Sam reasoned. "I'm sorry."

The blade grumbled. "You would not have been burned. It's your command. You're protected from anything you tell me to do."

"Okay, okay. Relax." Sam grabbed the sides of his head. "So ... I'm protected. You act like I should know this already."

Kael snapped. "Of course, you should! You've commanded my flame on a million occasions."

Bewildered, Sam looked at BJ, and then he reached down to pick up the blade. "What do you mean, Kael? How could I have possibly commanded your flame on a million occasions?"

Kael went silent for a long series of moments. Only a slight hum emanated from the blade as the group waited for the G.o.d-sword to respond.

"Well?" Sam urged. "Are you going to answer me, or not?"

The blade's response was harsh. "I meant nothing! Continue your training, and don't drop me again, or I won't let you train with me!"

Sam desperately wanted to ask another question, but he figured it was best not to push. "I said I was sorry." The fighter paused. "You know what? I'm the master here, not you. I'm not sorry at all. From now on, you'll do exactly what I tell you. I'm sick of being pushed around. And I'm sick of your att.i.tude. Just because you're a sword doesn't mean you have to be a p.r.i.c.k."

The sword went silent, and even the blade's hum could not be heard.

Sam refused to speak first.

Eventually, the blade broke the silence. "Perhaps you're on your way to becoming a leader after all, Sam. I will mind my place."

"Good!" Sam jeered. "Finally, a moment where I get some respect!"

Again the sword paused before it spoke. When it did, its pulse was a soft glow. "Please ... try again, and speak the words of power."