Mosley turned to look at the G.o.ddess. "Patience, Mieonus. Have patience. Lasidious said the crystal would be on Grayham, and it is. It has been with George during his journey."

Mieonus' team exploded with laughter while the other four members of Mosley's team began swearing at the G.o.d of Mischief.

All Lasidious could do was stand at the head of the table and grin. He had expected a mixed reaction, and he was enjoying every moment of it.

George Meets the Serpent King South of Bloodvain George teleported to the vacation home of the Barbarian King, south of Bloodvain. As planned, the king's scouts had brought the snakes to this secluded destination for their meeting. The Serpent King was told that George was the new monarch.

"You're not what I expected," Seth said in his hissing voice as he watched the human enter the cabin.

It took the mage a moment to gather his thoughts. He had never spoken with a snake before, and this particular one had a body over 40 paces long. His fangs were large, sharp, and intimidating. Seth's cobra hood cast a shadow that made George quiver inside. However, the manipulator refused to show his weakness.

Seth hissed again. "Mussssst you ssssstare? Is there sssssomething wrong with you, human?"

George apologized. He moved to the fireplace and took a seat on the hearth. This home of Senchae's was more of the same-mounted trophies everywhere in yet another stupid log cabin. The mage was thankful that none of the barbarian's trophies involved a snake of any kind.

"I'm glad you were able to visit with me, Seth. You have a problem heading toward your kingdom. I wish to help."

The snake slithered into a better position from which to converse. "What makesssss you think I need your help?"

Fellow soul ... to make the story easier to tell, I'm going to remove the Serpent King's hiss. Just know that his hiss was annoying.

George smirked. "The island of the Scorpion King was attacked by Brandor. They'll be headed your way soon. From what I know of your numbers, you can't defend yourselves against Brandor's legions, and you know I'm right."

"Brandor's army couldn't get past the mares. I sense no serious threat to my serpent nation."

Because of the snake's hissing, George found himself leaning forward, impatiently waiting for each syllable to be spit out. It was as if the king had some sort of speech impediment.

"You're wrong," George retorted. "They have destroyed the mares."

"You expect me to believe this? The mares are deadly. How did they perish?" The serpent adjusted his coils as he waited for the response.

George decided he would turn up the heat. "Look! I don't give a rat's a.s.s if you believe me, Seth. I know I speak the truth. If you don't want my help, leave, and don't come back. You can perish like the scorpions and the mares." He paused and softened his tone. "Do I need to show you before you'll listen?"

"A safe question to ask, since it is impossible to execute."

"Not impossible, Seth. I can take you to the island, if you'd like." George stood from his seat and waited for the reply.

Seth studied the human's face. "I have no strength for traveling this evening."

George rolled his eyes. "I can take us there. You don't need to move from the spot you're coiled up in. Close your eyes, and we'll go."

Seth and his guard tightened their coils. "You expect me to close my eyes, human?" The rattle at the end of the Serpent King's tail shook wildly. "Do you take me for a fool? You're up to something."

George had heard enough. He waved his hand and put magical bonds on Seth and his guard. "Look, you slimy b.a.s.t.a.r.d. If I had wanted to hurt you, I would've done it already, and there would be nothing that you could do to stop me. Do you want my help or not?" The mage waved his hand again and released only the snake's tongue.

Seth tried with all his might to break George's magic, but he could not move. After a while, he realized he could speak. "Release me, two legs, and I'll accept your offer."

George clapped his hands. "Send your guard from the room, and we'll get going."

Once Seth did as instructed, George waved his hand to release the guard. The snake slithered out the door to join the others outside.

"All you need to do is close your eyes. I'll take care of the rest. When you open them, we'll be on Scorpion Island."

Still unnerved, Seth was slow to close his eyes. When he reopened them, he was astonished by his surroundings. "Magic has never been used on my coils. Are we truly on the island?"

"This is the place. I'll release you. But you need to understand that I can do far greater magic than what you've experienced. I don't want to be put in a position that would cause me to hurt you. I'm going to release you now."

The Serpent King's forked tongue shot out of his mouth. "I understand."

George released his power and allowed the serpent to investigate the island's southern sh.o.r.e. The scorpions' bodies lay everywhere.

George looked at his map. The Serpent Kingdom was just south-southwest of their current position. He moved to the sh.o.r.e, created another ice raft and then called out to Seth. "When you're done slithering around, let's get going."

Once on the other side of the lake, George spoke. "Okay, Seth, I've shown you that everything I said was true. If you trust me, I would like to create an alliance."

"I trust your words, human."

"Then, are we allies?"

"Yes, we're allies."

"Splendid. The moment has arrived for you to return home. You need to prepare for war. The Kingdom of Brandor will attack soon. The Barbarian Kingdom will come to your aid, but you will be at war before I can get my army here. Prepare a battle plan. You know your lands. Take advantage of this. Make Brandor's army come to you. Fight them from inside your underground kingdom. Don't fight them on the surface. You will lose the war if you do. My army will attack as soon as we arrive."

"My kind will forever be in your debt. A victory over Brandor will mean freedom for my cousin, Farogwain."

George had no idea what Seth was talking about, but he did not let his ignorance slow him down. "See what I mean, Seth? We need each other. You're going to get your cousin back. How awesome is that?"

"You speak strange, King of Barbarians. Until we meet again in battle."

George nodded and then closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was standing by his sleeping wife. He smiled as he looked at her peaceful beauty, and then he climbed in to take his place beside her. Soon, the mage was asleep.

I t was not long before Lasidious appeared in the mage's dreams. George was glad to see the G.o.d, but angry since the dream of his baby girl was pleasant. Despite his annoyance, there were business matters that needed to be addressed. "d.a.m.n, Lasidious!" George snapped. "You interrupted a great dream about my Abbie."

"I'm sorry, George, but I have news. You possess both pieces of the Crystal Moon on Grayham."

"Huh! I was wondering why the crystal glowed when I put it in my pack. So ... the other one is in there as well?"

"It is. You've had it since your arrival. I've kept it hidden from you. When you get up and open your pack, you'll see them both. Do you understand this will bring war to your doorstep?"

"I've already thought of that. When I snagged the first piece, Sam and Shalee were there. They know I have it. I figured this would force them to attack, but I've got other ideas. I'm going to bring the fight to the home of the Serpent King. I've already taken Seth to Scorpion Island to show him what Brandor is capable of. He's willing to align his kingdom with Bloodvain. He thinks Brandor is going to attack."

Lasidious' eyes were filled with confusion. "I don't see a reason why Brandor would attack Seth's city. What am I missing? Why would Sam take his army anywhere other than Bloodvain?"

George chuckled. "If you knew what I know, everything would make sense. I have a plan, Lasidious, but it will require a small amount of help from you."

"George, I've told you, I can't help with any direct event that could change the balance of power."

"I know, I know, I know. I don't need your direct help. All I'm asking is that you get the G.o.ds together who were with you when I threatened Senchae with his son's life and then take them to the Barbarian King's throne room tomorrow night. I have a few things to say that they'll find interesting. I'm sure you can do that without breaking any of your rules ... right?"

Lasidious smiled. "I sense a plan of genius. I'll grant your request. May I know what the plan is?"

"You can wait. Just be there by Late Bailem. I a.s.sure you, you won't be dissatisfied. Once I leave Bloodvain, I'll be heading to Gessler Village. Bring the G.o.ds to The b.l.o.o.d.y Trough to hear the rest of my plan. I'll be at the bar drinking. Just keep them from following me to the shed when I take a leak. Maybe you could b.u.mp into a chair or something to let me know you're there."

Lasidious agreed and left George to enjoy the rest of his dream. In the morning, the mage woke up to his wife throwing up.

The G.o.d World of Ancients Sovereign Lasidious called Mosley, Yaloom, and Mieonus to the Hall of Judgment. "How are you on this Peak?" the Mischievous One inquired.

The G.o.ds and the Book of Immortality-who always rested in the hall-said they were fine, but demanded that the G.o.d of Mischief get down to business.

"Did any of you hear what George had to say to the Serpent King last night?"

"I did," Mosley responded. "Why?"

"Did you learn anything from that meeting?" Lasidious took his seat at the table and played with the Book's golden stand while he waited for a response.

Mosley thought a moment. "Nothing other than George telling the snake that Brandor was going to attack his kingdom. I know he wants them to fight underground."

Lasidious smiled. "I see a problem with his plan, don't you?"

The wolf moved to the head of the table, turned the seat into a platform, and then jumped up and lowered to his haunches. "I see many flaws in his plan. Brandor has no intention of attacking Seth. Why would they fight the Serpent King's army when George possesses the pieces of the crystal? Sam will attack Bloodvain, not the serpent's city."

"I agree, but I overheard George telling the Barbarian King that he needed to meet with him tonight. I thought we could all listen in. I would wager that it'll be intriguing to see what he's planning."

The Book of Immortality floated into a hovering position in front of Lasidious. The thin slit in his binding opened. "I would also like to attend this gathering."

"Sure, why not?" Lasidious replied. "All you do is sit around and collect dust. It would do you good to get some fresh air in that binding of yours."

The Book feathered its pages. "A breeze or two would be nice. When shall I appear?"

Lasidious patted the Book's cover. "Be in the barbarian's throne room just before Late Bailem, but remain unseen to the mortals."

Bloodvain's Throne Room Late Bailem Lasidious, Mieonus, Mosley, and the Book arrived in their invisible form and stood behind Senchae's throne. Yaloom had stayed home, stating he no longer cared what happened. Despite the G.o.d's anger toward Lasidious, his curiosity got the best of him. The G.o.d of Greed watched the meeting from his waterfall.

Senchae, the new general of his army, Corvin Hurthon, his guards, and a few of the king's officers were in attendance. George appeared at the center of the room with Kepler and his brothers surrounding him.

"Thank you for coming!" George announced. "I've called you here to let you know that I intend to see that the battle for the pieces of the Crystal Moon is fought on the Serpent King's land. I'll be traveling to his lair to hide the Crystal Moon's pieces until we can defeat the Kingdom of Brandor."

Senchae interrupted, "How will you keep the crystals from being used by the snakes as a bargaining tool to create an alliance with Brandor?"

"I'll hide the crystals deep within the Serpent King's underground city. Seth won't know he has them." George paused for effect and enjoyed Senchae's smile. "I have things to do, and I won't be able to be found for the next 15 Peaks. I'll be creating other alliances. We still need to gather enough of an army to crush Brandor."

"Where will you go?" Senchae asked.

"My King, this is a matter best left between you and me. These brave men around us do not need to worry about such details. They have much to do to prepare for war. With your permission, perhaps we could speak of this during some other series of moments."

Senchae liked the diplomacy displayed by his consulate. "Agreed. We'll speak of this later." He knew George had no intention of telling him anything, but the mage made everyone feel he respected the king's position, and this was good enough for Bloodvain.

George looked into the eyes around the room. He watched to ensure that every barbarian took to the idea of using the snakes as a force against Brandor. After a brief question and answer session, he made his exit.

"Sounds like George is worried that Brandor will defeat the barbarians," Mosley said after watching the mage vanish. The wolf turned to face Lasidious. "Let's meet back at the Hall of Judgment to discuss this."

Everyone agreed, and then they vanished.

Soon, Lasidious lifted his feet onto the table. He leaned back, enjoying his position of power. The Book of Immortality took its place on the golden stand while Mieonus stood behind the G.o.d of Mischief, rubbing his shoulders.

Mosley spoke first as he lay across the top of the table. "As I said, it sounds like George is worried that the barbarians will be defeated by Brandor. I believe the human wants to ensure that he doesn't lose the crystals, and hiding them in the Serpent King's lair is a decent plan. Sam will never know where they are. I wonder where George went after he left the meeting? Why does he need 15 Peaks before he can make another appearance in Bloodvain?" Mosley lifted his leg to scratch behind his ear.

"That's what I want to know," Lasidious responded. "I say we find out." The G.o.d waved his hand, and a map of Southern Grayham appeared on the table. He told the map to search for George, and it quickly responded. The parchment rolled itself out and revealed the mage's location. "Hmmm, Gessler Village."

"I like your new toy," Mieonus complimented after seeing how efficiently the map found the mage.

No one acknowledged Mieonus. Instead, they all vanished.

The G.o.ddess of Hate stomped her lifted heel against the marble floor of the hall. "Ewwww! I hate them!" The G.o.ddess vanished.

When George appeared with the cats, they were underneath The b.l.o.o.d.y Trough, and it was good they had appeared where they did. Four horses were there that night drinking beneath the inn, but as luck would have it, they were on the opposite side of the wall that fed water to the troughs. The presence of the three jaguars would have scared the horses half to death, but since the demons were masters of the shadows, there was no cause for alarm. They just simply hid.

The mage gave instructions for the cats to wait, and then he walked through the swinging doors of the inn. He surveyed the establishment. The bar was filled with barbarians, but what he had hoped for most was also present. Six humans from the south were also drinking. All of them were rugged looking, and none of them looked approachable. They were perfect.

Satisfied, the mage found a seat at the bar and ordered an ale. He would wait for Lasidious' signal and then begin his charade.

Mosley was the first to appear outside the b.l.o.o.d.y Trough. Once the others had arrived, the G.o.ds entered together. Like before, they remained unseen to the mortals. They quickly found a spot to sit and then looked to see what George was up to.

"Why would we want to watch him drink?" Mieonus whined. "This isn't worthy of a G.o.d's attention."

Lasidious shook his head. "We don't know why George is here. He must have a reason. Perhaps he's meeting someone. Let's just see what happens. It's not like we have anything better to do. I'll summon us drinks."

Lasidious waved his hand across the table, and soon everyone who could drink had a frosty ale.

The Book, feeling a bit left out, opened the thin slit across its binding. "I wish you had created me with the ability to enjoy a drink. I've always wondered what food and many of the liquids you pour down your throats taste like. I hear you speak of them, and find myself curious."

After a brief debate, the G.o.ds agreed that it would do no harm to give the Book a set of taste buds, eyes, rosy cheeks, arms, teeth, a tongue, a nose, and a small stomach that was buried deep within its pages. They decided the waste that would normally exit a body would be stored in the form of excess, random letters toward the back of its heavy binding. The Book would be able to open itself up and then dump the letters onto the ground whenever this page filled up. The G.o.ds laughed at the idea that the Book would take a dump by dropping piles of letters on the ground.

Mosley snorted, "I wonder if the text will have an odor?"

"I don't know," Lasidious replied, "but I can't wait to find out."

As the group continued to laugh, the Mischievous One used the distraction to alert George to their presence. He b.u.mped into one of the chairs to cause its legs to screech across the floor, and then he acted as if he had done it unintentionally.

The mage turned to look in their direction. "Do you think he knows we're here?" Mieonus queried as she watched George glance across the room.

Mosley chided. "Between Yaloom falling in the fire and Lasidious b.u.mping into chairs, we might as well put up a sign that says: Hey, George, the G.o.ds are watching you."

George turned back to the bar. A few moments pa.s.sed before an enormous man entered. It was not long after he took a seat next to George and ordered an ale that a conversation between the mage and this ma.s.sive barbarian began.

After George's fourth drink, he excused himself from the conversation to take a leak. He would leave more than once, and during every series of moments that this happened, Lasidious kept the G.o.ds entertained.

George walked to the back of the inn and entered the shed where Double D had killed the home-wrecking, barbarian sergeant. He poured his gla.s.s of ale into the hole and smiled. I'll give it a few more trips before I put my plan in motion, he thought.