The king could feel Shalee's eyes glaring at him. He could hear the sorceress tapping her foot as she waited for his response. After taking a deep breath, he smiled. He knew the general was going to be displeased with his next statement. "No, my friend, Sam will not be a sergeant. He'll be your second in command."

The general stood from the table. "I must not be hearing you correctly. What does this man know about commanding an army?"

Sam was about to interject and inform Justin of what he felt to be extensive knowledge of the wars he had studied back on Earth, but Mosley appeared suddenly on top of the table.

Startled, Sam and the general drew their swords, but once they realized who it was, they lowered their weapons.

Justin bowed and was the first to speak. "I'm sorry, Lord Mosley. I didn't know you'd be coming. I meant no offense by my actions. Forgive me."

"General, you're a man of war. I would have expected nothing less."

Sam and Shalee took a different approach to the G.o.d's appearance. They reached up and pulled Mosley close.

"Mosley, how are you?" Sam said, squeezing the wolf tight as he continued. "It hasn't been the same without you around. One moment you're traveling with us, and the next, you're off with the rest of the Collective. I miss you, buddy."

Shalee could not contain her excitement as she spoke in her cutest doggy voice. She rubbed her hands through his fur, "I missed my Mosley. He's just so cute." She laughed as she kissed his snout.

Mosley could not stop himself from laughing. Shalee was a favorite of his and her advances, despite the obvious looks of confusion from the king and the general, were welcome in his heart. "I missed you also, Shalee, but I'm not so sure about you, Sam." He grinned wolfishly. "You still reek."

"Dang," Sam responded with a big smile. "Smack a guy in the chops, why don't you?" Sam gave the wolf another hug. "Get another whiff while you can, big guy."

After a moment of continued looks of disbelief between Justin and the king, the wolf spoke. "I'm sorry for my absence, but I've been tending to important matters. Being a G.o.d isn't all it's presented to be. The others are lazy and not much a.s.sistance. I wouldn't waste your prayers on them."

Mosley chuckled for a moment at his slight against the others and then continued. "Sam, I'm glad to see you've gained an audience with the king. Shalee, I watched the event unfold from the G.o.d world when you met in the throne room."

Keldwin instantly felt uncomfortable when he heard that Mosley had seen what happened. He hoped the wolf would not say anything in front of his general.

Mosley could feel the reluctance of the king and turned to relieve his anxiety. He projected his thoughts into the king's mind. They were heard only because Keldwin desperately wanted to hear them. Don't worry yourself, Keldwin. Your secret is safe. I won't tell the general of your fear of Sam and Shalee. You shall remain the dominant leader of your pack, and there's no need to whimper.

Upon seeing the king's relief, the wolf-G.o.d addressed the room. "I agree with His Majesty's choice to place Sam as second in command. It's the best course of action for this kingdom."

Keldwin sighed. "Lord Mosley, is there anything else we should know?"

The wolf nodded. "Sam will be instrumental when helping your son, Aaron, defend this kingdom against all foes who stand against it. Sam does not need to be the leader of this empire to accomplish this, but he will be a critical a.s.set to your heir."

Mosley sat on his haunches on the center of the table and held Keldwin's gaze. "I hope you'll demonstrate patience while Sam works with your son to transform this kingdom into the archetype the G.o.ds want it to be. If you do this, the other worlds will adopt new customs, and the G.o.ds will allow the races to live where they so choose."

The king was a bit unnerved. "Lord Mosley, you spoke of this transformation as if I won't be here to see it occur. You have spoken of my kingdom as if it wasn't mine, and made it Aaron's. What is to become of me?"

Mosley jumped down from the table and moved to the king's side. "Keldwin, I hate to deliver negative enlightenment, but your body is fighting a disease and has been for over a season. Your ability to fight this illness is beginning to weaken. By morning, you will start to feel the effect, and your healers won't be able to stop it. Your Peaks as the leader of Brandor's pack are few."

"Then ... I am to pa.s.s right away?"

"No, Keldwin. I'm here to bless you. You shall see the end of your tournament. This will be my gift to you. As per your custom, your son will become king, and the general, his advisor. By default, Sam will become General Absolute.

"Your confidence in Sam has not been misplaced. This change will be hard for the officers in your army to accept, but I will be present when you tell them. I'm sure their loyalty will remain strong."

Prince Aaron waited for the G.o.d to finish. He then jumped from his seat and begged for his father's life.

The king held up his hand, silencing Aaron. "Be strong. Hold your head high, and be proud. Everything is as it should be."

Keldwin stood and started to pace. He moved along Sam's side of the table as he spoke, "My son is brave. He will make a fine king. When I pa.s.s, the general would be the best advisor. I agree, Lord Mosley, as per our custom, Sam will become general."

Keldwin placed his hands on the back of his son's chair. "Aaron, you don't have an heir. I suggest you find a mate. I know this isn't how you envisioned finding a wife, but you've enjoyed sowing your seed long enough. The moment has come for you to do your duty."

The prince stood and embraced his father. "I promise I won't let you down. I'll lead the people with the wisdom you've imparted."

The king smiled, and for a moment, he allowed himself to be proud. "I have a request. I would ask that everyone in this room call me by my first name when we aren't in the company of others until the moment I pa.s.s. Let us speak as equals. I would like to enjoy this pleasantry before I perish. I find myself wanting friends right now, not loyal subjects. This isn't something I wish to command. I want it to be from your hearts. It's acceptable to reject my proposal."

Everyone in the room responded at the same moment, calling the king "Keldwin," confirming their acceptance.

After a moment of silence, the king kissed his son on the forehead. "But you still have to call me Father."

Shalee and Helga had to wipe the mist from their eyes.

The king turned to the general. "Ready Sam for his new position. He'll need to know everything about the army."

The general stood from the table. "My King ... I mean, Keldwin ... it will take at least 10 Peaks to impart that much knowledge. The moments necessary to accomplish such a task are not available to us."

Mosley responded, "Justin, you must remember, Sam was chosen by the G.o.ds."

" I remember, Lord Mosley, but this doesn't mean he can learn a tremendous amount of information in such a short period of moments."

Sam slapped the table. "Justin, prepare to be impressed. I think you'll find I'm more than capable. You only need to speak the information once for me to have it committed to memory. The faster you speak, the quicker we'll be finished."

Justin looked at Sam. "I can speak for Peaks about our policies and our army."

Sam turned to the king. "Keldwin, if what Justin says is true, then I'll be ready to be sworn into command in a couple of Peaks. Trust me."

Mosley looked up from sniffing the base of Keldwin's chair. "Sam is able to see anything someone says as if it is written in his head. He can quote conversations from when he was only two seasons without missing a word."

The general looked at Sam. "Impressive. Second in command may be a waste of your skills. Perhaps a messenger boy would've been a better choice for such a memory. With a mind like that, I could send messages throughout the kingdom and not worry about my letters being opened by the enemy. I'm sure you could handle that." Justin made sure he smiled so that everyone would know he was jesting.

The group laughed and then the king spoke. "I'll announce Sam's position to the officers at Early Bailem. We'll have the ceremony promoting Sam before the Royal Court and the kingdom in 4 Peaks when my tournament begins. The people will know of Sam's victories, and with Mosley present..." The king paused.

"Lord Mosley, we have a problem. No one in our kingdom knows that you're the G.o.d of War. How will your presence create an authoritative impact on my officers, let alone the mob inside the arena?"

Mosley smiled. "There are advantages to being a G.o.d. Call your meeting in the morning, and I'll make a grand entrance. Further, have your runners spread word throughout the city that Ba.s.sorine has been destroyed. On the Peak your tournament begins, I shall make a second entrance. I shall turn the heads of the people, and they'll receive confirmation that I'm their new deity. When the people see that I support Sam, they'll recognize his new position."

The king nodded. "I believe this will suffice, My Lord. Like my subjects, my prayers shall also speak your name."

" Thank you, Keldwin." Mosley responded. "Upon your pa.s.sing, I'll ensure your soul has a pleasant existence." The wolf then vanished.

After hearing what Mosley said, Sam bit his lip. He was angry because of the lie Mosley had told Keldwin. How could he promise Keldwin's soul anything? If everyone ends up inside the Book, that's not happiness or a pleasant existence. I wonder if Mosley knows something I don't.

Before Sam's mind could stray further, the general clapped his hands and captured everyone's attention. A moment later, three slaves ran into the room. "Find my officers," the general ordered as he stared at the tallest of the three women. She was also the largest and her belly rolled over the belt she had about her waist. "Make sure they don't leave the city without attending breakfast at Early Bailem tomorrow."

The slaves darted out of the room to fulfill Justin's command.

The general looked at the group. "Since we're all on a first name basis, we should toast these new events. It appears our king will be enjoying his afterlife, and it's a fine evening for drinking." His smile widened as he lifted his gla.s.s. "Here's to my new friends and our new four-legged wolf-G.o.d."

Everyone lifted their gla.s.s in a mutual cheer.

The City of Champions Later that Night George, Maldwin and Amar stopped for the night. The flight on the hippogriff from Angels Village had been uneventful, but George had enjoyed the ride. He hoped to arrive in Lethwitch the following evening before Late Bailem, and he was anxious to see Athena. He was also anxious about the plan he had devised with Maldwin. He hoped it would work and wanted to put it in motion as soon as possible. He intended to introduce the rat to Athena's relatives and let the rodent's visions do the rest.

But since they would not arrive in Lethwitch until the next evening, the group had a night to kill. They checked into an inn that was close to Champions' landing platform. The inn was located just inside the city gates, and it was owned by one of Amar's relatives. Matilda's Bra.s.siere was a dive, and it had about as much cla.s.s as Amar's brother.

Matilda was a large woman, and she had a nasty mole between her cheek and the corner of her nose on the left side of her face. The mole even had a hair that grew out of it and curled like a swine's tail. It was all George could do to keep a straight face when she handed them the keys to their rooms.

As George walked up the steps with Amar, he chided, "Are you the only one in your family that's not repulsive? No offense, but your cousin and your brother both look like garesh."

Amar scoffed, "What would you have me do? I didn't choose my relatives."

"I feel you, man," George replied, "but is your whole family like that?"

Amar shook his head. "My father's side of the family is, but my mother's side is filled with grace."

A look of bewilderment appeared on George's face. "Why would your mom marry such nastiness?"

Amar took a deep breath. "The marriage was arranged. My mother says love is blind."

George grabbed the doork.n.o.b leading into his room. "Apparently, love comes without a sense of smell, too. I'll see you in the morning, Amar." He walked inside his room and shut the door.

George pulled his pack off of his back, set it down next to the end of the bed and smiled as Maldwin popped out. He had been carrying the rat in his pack since the rodent was too small to keep up, and this had given George the chance to teach Maldwin a new phrase, "Everything is A-okay, man!"

George realized he was becoming fond of the rodent. He grabbed some wood that was stacked next to the wall and started a fire. After a quick bath, he ate a couple of biscuits, fed Maldwin one as well and then lay down to get some rest.

It was not long before he was dreaming of Abbie and his beautiful Athena. The dream was pleasant, but Lasidious interrupted. The G.o.d of Mischief was requesting a conversation, and he wanted to enter his dream. As agreed that night in the Enchanted Forest, George allowed him in.

"George, my friend, how are your travels?"

"I'm sure you already know, Lasidious. Get to the point. What do you want?"

The Mischievous One snickered. "I've come to discuss important matters. I fear there's an obstacle that could stop us from achieving our goal to get your daughter's soul out of the Book."

"Then let's figure it out. What do I need to do?"

"As always, George, you don't disappoint. The woman you arrived with on Grayham has discovered she has power. This will present a problem for us, and I need to know how you feel about Amar."

"Why? What does Amar have to do with Shalee?"

"Nothing yet, but once he understands the power she possesses, he'll seek her out to take it for himself."

"What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?" George replied. "Are you talking about the same Amar I know? He isn't even worth having around. He's a spineless chump. You should've seen the look on his face when I said I wanted to fight for the Crown of Bloodvain."

"I agree, Amar doesn't have the backbone to fight for greatness, but he's the most powerful mage in Southern Grayham. I told him to keep the extent of his power hidden from you until the moment was right. If he goes after Shalee, he'll become impossible for you to control. This will destroy your chances to get your daughter back. I don't want this, George. Do you?"

"h.e.l.l no! So what can I do about it ... other than turn his a.s.s to stone, or is that what you want me to do? Is that even possible?"

Lasidious gave a sly grin. "I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. The choices you make must be your own."

George rolled his eyes. "Really? Stop being condescending, and get to the point already!"

"I apologize. How would you like to become as powerful as Amar?"

From within his home on Ancients Sovereign, Lasidious stood next to the green flames that burned inside his cube-shaped fireplace. The G.o.d stared at the vision of George that was presented by the blaze and listened as the human responded. "Well, duh, of course, I do."

Satisfied with George's reply, the Mischievous One responded by speaking into the flames. "A person's soul doesn't immediately leave their body when they pa.s.s. This presents you with an opportunity. Under the right circ.u.mstances, the power a soul possesses can be acquired before it leaves to find its home inside the Book of Immortality, and only the most ancient of elves on the world of Luvelles know this."

"Alright ... so you're saying I can hijack Amar's soul. That's kind of cool, but what do you mean by 'under the right circ.u.mstances?'"

Lasidious chuckled. "You would need to kill Amar in order to take his power."

"Sweet. I'm down with that." A smile appeared on George's sleeping face. "I have to admit ... I'm glad Amar's a.s.s is expendable. I didn't want him in my circle anyway."

"Your response pleases me," Lasidious replied, "but there's a process you must follow, and you cannot divert from it, or Amar's soul will depart for the Book before you can harvest his ability."

"So what do I got to do?"

"You must be an artist." Lasidious waited for a response.

George rolled his sleeping eyes. "Drop the drama, man. I've asked you to get to the point twice already. Tell me what I need do, and I'll go drop his a.s.s."

Lasidious was surprised at how cold George had become since his arrival. Now that the human had taken life, he seemed to love the rush. The G.o.d knew George was only loyal to those he truly cared for, and this made the human the perfect machine to do his dirty work. Without these loyalties, George would not have the support he needed to complete the tasks that Lasidious intended to a.s.sign. He was happy about his choice to bring the Earthling forward.

"I'll tell you everything you need to know, George, but it might be more than you can handle."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah. If this is what it takes to get my Abbie back, then I'm game."

Lasidious smirked. "This is the only way to ensure you won't be stopped by Amar's magic. The addition of Shalee's power would make him the ultimate force on all of Grayham."

"How in the h.e.l.l did Shalee get her power in the first place?"

"I don't know, George, but does it matter?"

"I suppose it doesn't."

"Your love for your daughter is strong..."

As George listened to what Lasidious proposed, it did not take long before his facial expressions showed his disgust. "Are you kidding me? My h.e.l.l, man!"

The conversation fell silent as George continued to digest everything Lasidious had said, and the Mischievous One allowed the Earthling the moments to think.

Eventually, George broke his silence. "You have one sick-a.s.s mind, Lasidious. What you want me to do is repulsive. You can't really expect me to do that. I mean ... so what if Amar's power goes with him? He won't be a threat any longer, and that solves the problem."

Lasidious sighed. "George, you're smarter than that. I told you Shalee is a dominant force. If you're not able to command significant magic of your own, you'll lose the battle with the Kingdom of Brandor. She's one of many people who could destroy you without Amar's magic. His power can make you nearly unstoppable on Southern Grayham. Once Amar understands he can dominate without you, you'll be a waste of his moments. He won't just go away ... he'll get rid of you."

"I see your point, but what you're asking me to do is not my idea of a delicacy. h.e.l.l, I don't even have a bottle of wine to chase it down. This is some kind of Silence of the Lambs garesh, Lasidious."