Sam stared at the blade, conflicted. On one hand he wanted to continue to berate the sword, and on the other, he wanted to continue his training.

It did not take long before BJ snapped. "Enough of my moments have been wasted! I'm tired of waiting. Just say the d.a.m.n words, son!"

Sam lowered the weapon. "Can't a guy think around here?"

"Shut up and say the words!" BJ commanded. "You can think during your own moments!"

Sam frowned, lifted Kael high above his head and shouted, "Val arna, nuar!"

The blade ignited.

As Sam moved Kael around, he admired the trail of fire that was being left behind by the weapon's wake. He touched the blade to his skin. In spite of the sword's explanation, he was surprised the blade felt cold. He extended it toward BJ. "Can you feel anything?"

"Of course, I can, bonehead. Kael told you how his power works. Have you become dense?"

Kael laughed at Sam's expense, but when Sam's hand tightened around his handle, the blade stopped laughing and then pushed forward with the lesson. "Now that you've commanded the power of fire, and it is active, you can build upon it. Imagine you're in battle, and the enemy is lining up in front of you, and you need to bring them down quickly. You can extend my blade without changing my weight or balance."

The skin between Sam's eyes wrinkled. "How is that possible?"

BJ was the one to respond as he shook his head. "Because of magic, bonehead."

When Sam did not respond, the blade spoke with caution. "May I continue, Sam?"

The fighter shrugged. "Just proceed."

"Once my blade has been extended, you may swing at will and not worry about your allies. This power inside the words will allow me to kill your enemies and pa.s.s through your allies without harming them. Lift me up and say the word, nug."

"Hold up a moment," Sam responded. "So after I say this word, if there's an enemy on the far side of BJ, I can kill him without killing BJ?"

"That's right, and it doesn't matter if it's an enemy beyond BJ or not. If you consider BJ an ally, then I'll pa.s.s through him during any moment. Sam, you may not realize this, but we are connected spirit to spirit. I shall always know what your heart desires."

"No way!" Sam's smile widened. "This has to be the coolest thing I've ever heard. Okay, okay. So how do you p.r.o.nounce that word again?" Once Sam understood, he lifted the sword and released the power inside the word.

Kael extended another three paces.

Again, Sam swung the sword around. It felt as if nothing changed. Even when he brought the sword to his side, the blade adjusted without hitting the ground, then re-extended as he brought it up. Sam spun around and around, and after a bit, he caught BJ off guard and pa.s.sed the blade through the trainer's mid-section.

"Watch it, bonehead!" BJ shouted. "Just because you know it won't hurt me, doesn't mean I want the power tested on me! I should troblet your sorry backside!"

Sam smiled and then lowered Kael to his side. "Only if you could, old man." The fighter moved to stand beside his trainer. "Don't be mad. You know I love you."

BJ grumbled and moved away.

"So what's next?" Sam inquired, looking down at Kael.

Kael's magic subsided. "I can see you like this form of training. Let's try a new command. The word for ice is kelek. I want you to do the same as before, but instead of commanding fire, I want you to command the word for this new element."

Sam lifted the blade. "Val arna, kelek nug!" Kael once again extended, and an ice-cold flame appeared around his blade.

"This is cool ... no pun intended," Sam exclaimed. "But why would I need both fire and ice? Why not stick with one?"

Kael grumbled. "Sam, for such a smart man, you ask the dumbest questions. Do you think you would fight a fire-breathing dragon with its own element?"

Sam shrugged. "Okay, okay. I see your point. So are you telling me that there are dragons on this world?"

"The dragons live on Dragonia," Kael replied. "You won't need to worry about them, but other enemies are also immune to certain elements. You may find yourself in a battle where you'll need to use a specific element to strike down your foe."

"Okay, okay. So ... if I'm fighting a beast of this nature, it's probably going to have magic of its own, right? How do I fight against that?"

Kael's blade pulsated. "Finally, an intelligent question. At any point you feel the need for protection, you can use the word vaur and the name of what you need to be protected from. For example, you could say vaur nem. This will protect you from an enemy that uses water as a weapon. If you need to protect those around you from this same foe, you can use the words vaura nem, which will extend the area of protection to 15 paces around you."

Sam thought a moment. "Let me get this straight. Let's say I'm fighting one of these fire-breathing dragons. I would say Val arna, nug kelek to bring forth the icy flame on your blade, and then I would follow this up with Vaur nuar to protect me from its breath of fire. Is this what you're saying?"

Kael confirmed.

BJ patted Sam on the shoulder, "Way to go, bonehead." The training continued.

Meanwhile The Town of Mountain View As the two women were browsing through the local school of magic, Helga explained that Shalee would need to keep useful substances on her person. "To command advanced magic, Child, you'll need more than just your staff. I find that this is one of the Peaks that many of my students enjoy most." The older woman lifted her hand and gave Shalee a high-five. "I love to shop, Child."

After the exchange, Shalee snapped her fingers. "You can say that again."

Before Helga could say anything else, Shalee sauntered across the room and looked at a display of belts that hung on a wall painted blue-green. The shelves above the belts were white and a number of jars had been placed on top of them. Like Helga's store, the jars were labeled.

After choosing a wide, black belt, Shalee commanded Precious to change its appearance. A light erupted from the leather as the transformation began. When the light faded, something far more fashionable and useful was left behind. The pouches that hung from the belt were now gone and a number of new, smaller pockets lined its length. The silver and onyx buckle that was once in the shape of a basic hoop now looked like a dragonfly. Its body was black and its wings were silver and possessed intricate detail.

"I think I might be able to wear this now," Shalee said as she waved her arm and snapped her fingers. She pulled the belt off the hook and strapped it around her waist. "I wasn't about to wear that hideous thing the way it was. It didn't have any pizazz. Can you believe that?"

"Everything is fashion with you, Child," Helga chortled while she shook her head. "Pay attention. We need to choose ingredients for those pockets so that Precious can create the effect you desire. It's like cooking. When you bake, you need more than leaven."

Shalee nodded impatiently. "Yeah, I know. So what are you getting at?"

"Well ... your staff is able to summon fire, lightning and wind as you know, but beyond that, the staff can only alter or manipulate what exists around it."

"What do you mean by that?"

Helga took a few moments to think. This was critical for Shalee to understand. "You told me that you fixed Sam's pants."

"Yeah, and?"

"And the staff would not have been able to mend them if it was not for the material that was already present. The same was true for Sam's skin when you toughened it before his fight with the Minotaur. The staff did not need to search for skin because it was already there."

The older sorceress counted the number of pockets on Shalee's new belt. There were two rows of 13, and the pockets were small. "Twenty-six, Child. We'll need to choose wisely and prepare an a.r.s.enal of commands that will use the ingredients available to you."

Shalee shook her head. "No we won't."

"How so, Child? I've been doing this for many seasons, and I think I know what I'm doing."

Shalee grinned. "Don't you remember? You taught me that Precious can read my mind. All I need to do is command the staff to create and let it look into my mind for the desired outcome."

Helga moved to the far side of the room. She flopped down on a bench and thought a moment. "You have a point for smaller commands, but I can only a.s.sume that it would require a significant use of power for larger effects. I have spent my whole life speaking the words for each ingredient. What you're describing is possible, but I doubt you possess the strength to successfully complete a command of this nature."

Shalee shrugged. "We'll never know unless I try."

"Perhaps we should fill the pouches first, Child."

The older sorceress stood from the bench and walked across the room toward another wall that was covered with shelves holding jars of ingredients. She reached out and plucked a jar from one of them. "You will need to make sure you refill your belt as your pockets empty. The staff will only need to draw from a small amount, no matter how large the effect, but eventually you'll run out."

Once again, Shalee grinned. "For goodness' sake, Helga, why would I do that when all I need to do is tell Precious to multiply what's already there? Once we have the supplies, I'll never need to go to another store to buy them again."

Helga was floored. "I can't believe I've lived this many seasons and never tried that. I've always waited till I ran out. Poison can be costly, Child."

Shalee laughed. "You watch me whip up something. I'm sure it'll work." The younger sorceress went over to the store owner who was standing behind a lengthy counter and asked the lady to bring her a vial of poison.

The woman did as requested and produced a tiny, gla.s.s cylinder filled with a green gel.

Shalee asked for a bowl.

The lady returned with one and sat it in front of her.

Shalee poured a drop of the gel into the bowl, lifted Precious and spoke a command.

The poison bubbled as it multiplied upon itself. A fume filled the room causing all three women to cover their noses. When the smell subsided and the light from the spell faded, the bowl was full.

The shop owner stood in silence as Helga s.n.a.t.c.hed the vial of poison from Shalee's hand and put some in a cup that sat nearby. She lifted her staff and, with a forceful voice, spoke her command. The reaction of the spell was instantaneous, but it was not what Helga was after. The older sorceress flew backward across the room and landed on her b.u.t.t.

Shalee panicked. "Lord almighty, Helga, are you okay?"

Helga scowled. "Help me up! I'm fine! My pride is my only wound."

Shalee did as she was told, then turned away to hide her smile. After she collected herself, she turned back around to brush off Helga's backside. "I suppose there is a bright side to your failure."

"And what would that be?" Helga snapped.

"At least now you know now that you didn't waste all your coin on ingredients over all your seasons. Isn't that a purdy little thought?"

Shalee picked up Helga's staff as the older sorceress grumbled. After handing it to her, Shalee looked at the lady behind the counter. "Why don't you give it a try?"

The older woman lifted her hands and shook her head. "My staff is best left under the counter, dear."

The women enjoyed choosing 26 ingredients. Shalee had everything she needed: a vial of water, poison, sand, cloth, steel that had been ground to a fine powder, straw, sulfur, four different types of dragon scales, and various other creatures' body parts. She had a vial of explosive powder and three types of oil-one used only for cooking.

By the moment they were finished, Shalee had multiplied the woman's inventory and did not have to pay for any of it. It was a successful day of shopping. The duo was ecstatic as they headed out of town to try a few new commands.

Later that Night South of City View Mieonus arrived behind a tavern that was a fair trek south of City View. The cliffs nearby had been the point of entry for the army of Brandor 75 seasons ago when they attacked the Barbarian Kingdom. On that Peak, neither the city nor the tavern existed.

Now, fellow soul ... allow me to give you a bit of Southern Grayham history. Seven hundred thirty-two seasons ago, the King of Brandor, Jahronus Brandor, sailed his fleet up to the base of the cliffs southeast of the city of City View to unload 200 of his finest soldiers.

To invade the Barbarian Kingdom, these men first had to scale the rocky walls of the cliffs and carry with them long, heavy, thick ropes. Once at the top, the signal was given and the King of Brandor's plan was under way.

It was the king's objective to secure iron chains to the top of the cliffs so that wooden planks could be attached to the chains. This would enable the rest of his 10,000 men to ascend these makeshift ladders without casualty.

To accomplish this task, the army used a special catapult that had been attached between two of the king's largest ships. The catapult was used to throw a ma.s.sive, iron ball to the top of the cliffs.

With the ball safely on the ground at the top, the 200 men who had ascended wove their ropes together to keep them from snapping apart. With this accomplished, they wrapped this larger rope around the backside of a number of trees to serve as a series of pulleys. The men secured one end of the rope to the ball and then dropped the other to the ships below.

Large, iron chains were secured to the opposing end, then the ball was pushed over the side of the cliff to lift the chains skyward.

Due to the depth of the ocean, the army had to devise a way to sever the rope before the iron ball pulled the chains up, around the trees and then back into the ocean. To do this, they created a series of bladed harpoons. The men fired over 40 shots in the direction of this reinforced rope. Once severed, it was the job of the 200 men at the top of the cliffs to ensure the chains did not fall in the opposite direction.

These men threw their weight on the chains and drove iron bars between the links. The operation would have failed except for the cuts the chains made into the trees. The cuts stopped the progression of the chains long enough for the men to secure it. The army began their ascent, and their invasion of the Kingdom of Bloodvain was underway, but not in the way it was originally planned. But that is a whole other story that I shall have to tell you some Peak.

Anyway, much later, a tavern was built on top of the cliffs, and because of Brandor's invasion, the tavern was given the name-The Iron Chains.

Mieonus had been a.s.signed the task of initiating the a.s.sa.s.sination of the King of Brandor's son, Aaron Brandor, and the General Absolute, Justin Graywind. The G.o.ddess knew there was a relentless killer named Dawson Drake inside the tavern. Double D was known for skillfully killing his victims, and he was considered the deadliest a.s.sa.s.sin on Grayham.

Double D had not used his real name since the age of 14 seasons. His father, a drunken piece of garesh, beat his mother on a regular basis. She loved Double D with all her heart, but she could not defend herself against her husband's abuse.

After another long night of relentless beating, Double D leaned over and picked his mother off the floor after his father left, slamming the door behind him. Half unconscious, Marlena blurted out in a blood-spurting, raspy voice, "I would give my last Helmep if someone would kill that husband of mine."

Being a good son, Double D attended to her wounds. After ensuring she was asleep, he took her last two Helmep from her secret stash as payment and went out into the darkness. He left with murder on his mind, stalking his father from the shadows cast by the torches of the city as his father was returning from another night of heavy drinking.

Double D followed, keeping to the shadows as if they were his new friend. The situation was perfect for his first killing. The torches leading away from the city gates of West Utopia were becoming few and far between, and as luck would have it, he and his father were the only ones around.

The child a.s.sa.s.sin crept up on the much bigger man, matching his father's footsteps to ensure he did not cause alarm within the drunkard's mind.

Double D lunged forward and buried serpentine daggers into each of his father's kidneys. Double D stood over his victim. With his father looking up at him and bleeding out, the boy smiled as the brute took his last breath.

To the child's surprise, he enjoyed the kill. He savored the idea that his father knew it was his own son who had ended his life. That night was the beginning of Double D's merciless career.

As a man, the a.s.sa.s.sin was a hard person to find, and the only way to get in touch with him was through a man called a.s.sistant Kane. Double D did not accept any job for less than 25 Yaloom, the highest denomination on the worlds.

Mieonus suspected that Double D would not be agreeable to the task she intended to propose. She decided not to approach as a G.o.ddess, but rather, she would walk in as a.s.sistant Kane. She needed a way to deal with the irritation of the a.s.sa.s.sin if he became angry. Mieonus moved her arms in front of her face and emerged as a tall, thin, handsome man with long, black hair, wearing brown, leather pants and a black shirt.

The G.o.ddess walked into the tavern and headed for a spot at the bar next to Double D. As she took a seat, she spoke in a whisper. "We need to talk. I see you're still a.s.sociating with barbarians. How do you avoid being killed?"

The a.s.sa.s.sin was a shorter man with an athletic build. His hair was long, and he always dressed in black from head to toe. He was not ugly, but he was not considered handsome. His eyes were brown, and his wavy-brown hair fell across his brow as he looked down at his ale.

Double D sneered, "I thought I told you to never meet with me in person, Kane."

"I know, but there are extenuating circ.u.mstances," the impersonator replied.

"I don't care about the circ.u.mstances. You know how I work, and this isn't the Peak that I'll make an exception."

Kane stood from the bar. "Too bad. The job would have paid 100 Yaloom. You could've retired. I'll see if Tiara wants it."

The G.o.ddess left the bar and started to walk down the trail that led into town. The next thing she knew, she was lying flat on her back with a dagger at her throat.

Double D hissed. "Move and I'll cut you through, Kane. What could be so important that it would pay 100 Yaloom?"