"And you're next," George punctuated.

Groth's reaction was like Horace's. The beast felt that Brandor was now a threat, and something had to be done.

The mage teleported the bear to the Minotaur King's pasture. Kepler translated for both beasts while Horace and Groth strategized. The Minotaur would fight alongside Kepler's skeleton warriors. They would approach the Serpent King's lair just south of Lake Zandra. Kepler's feline subjects would join the fight with both the barbarians and the Minotaur. The barbarians would approach from the north as they exited the Neutral Territory. The bears would be positioned farther south of the Minotaur, and they would attack when the signal was given. The final piece of the battle plan included the serpents' lair that was to the west. Brandor's army would be facing tremendous numbers on all fronts. With nearly 31,000 barbarians, 2,500 bears, 2,900 Minotaur, 1600 giant cats, 6,000 serpents, and 500 undead, skeleton warriors, the forces attacking Brandor's army would be more than 43,500 strong.

The mage took the bear home after watching his manipulations fall into place. George asked Kepler to say goodbye and watched as the bear rose up to show his appreciation for George's help.

George teleported the cats to the north side of Lethwitch before heading into town to spend the evening with Athena. He wrote out a message and gave it to Koffler to deliver to the Barbarian King. He explained everything Senchae would need to know with the letter ending: ...This war will be your greatest victory. Glory will be yours. You will be the Barbarian King who goes down in history as the only man capable of defeating Brandor. All hail the majesty of Senchae Bloodvain!

Your loyal subject, George Nailer The mage figured that finishing the letter by stroking Senchae's ego would solidify the final part of his plans. He told Koffler to be swift on his journey, and for the cat's effort, he would give the demon something special once he returned. He teleported Koffler north of Angels Village, and then he returned to Lethwitch to retire for the night.

George would have been proud of Senchae if the mage had known what the barbarian had done. The king had sent his scouts to order the unicorns to join the battle. It was an unexpected gathering of force. With 50 unicorns entering the fight, Sam would be facing a nightmare of an army comprised of fangs, claws, magical horns, hooves, bones, blades, clubs, maces, war hammers, arrows, bolts and to top it all off, he would be facing the inflated egos of the barbarian legions.

Kepler went into the Enchanted Forest to send out his orders. He dispatched one of his tigers to gather the giant cats of the plains. They were instructed to move at night and run toward Zandra. They were to hide north of the lake until Brandor entered Seth's kingdom. It was then they were to join the barbarians and the Minotaur as they approached from their respective directions.

Kepler also sent an asordian sparrow with an order for his skeleton warriors to join the fight. This verbal message included code words that only his skeleton commander understood. They were to run both Peak and night and stay away from populated areas. He wanted his bony commander to join the cats at Zandra. Once Brandor entered the Serpent Kingdom, the commander was to circle east around the lake and attack with the Minotaur.

2 Peaks of Bailem Later George collected Athena's family and teleported them in small groups to Gessler Village. He paid the innkeeper enough coin to clear out the establishment. He intended to house her family there until he was able to recover from his ma.s.sive, magical power drain. The journey to move Athena's family to City View would take more than 12 Peaks.

Since the family would never set foot in Lethwitch again, George retrieved Maldwin from his mother-in-law's barn. Kepler told the rat the moment had come for George to keep his promise. The mage was going to provide the rat's family with a new home, and because of this, Maldwin's nose twitched with excitement.

As George lay next to his wife, Kepler and Maldwin kept watch from the front porch of The b.l.o.o.d.y Trough to ensure the family's safety. According to the mage, the family would be leaving in the morning for City View.

George had just fallen asleep when the Mischievous One requested access to his dream. "h.e.l.lo, my friend. I'm impressed by what you've been able to accomplish, but you're needed elsewhere. City View isn't where you should go to get your daughter back."

Despite being sound asleep, the mage released a heavy sigh. "You need to kiss my a.s.s, Lasidious! You couldn't have told me this earlier? Look, man, I'm tired. I can hardly move. I need to get some sleep." There was a long period of silence. "Bah! What do I need to do to get my Abbie back?"

As Lasidious looked at the image of George through the green flames of his fireplace on Ancients Sovereign, he smiled at the mage's irritation. He pa.s.sed his hand through the flames to refresh George's soul. "I have replenished your strength. You can sleep during some other series of moments, my friend. I need you to go to Luvelles. There's work to be done."

"Are you freaking kidding me? What the h.e.l.l, dude?"

The vision of Lasidious did not respond, so George continued to rant. "Why would I want to go there? I just got myself into a d.a.m.n good position here ... just like you wanted me to, right?"

The Mischievous One nodded.

"But yet you still want me to bail? Man ... with a little more manipulating, I could own this world." The mage paused in thought. "What about my wife? What about her family? What the h.e.l.l would I say to them?"

"George, you're forgetting with whom you speak. I have a solution to your problem. Your wife and her family can go with you. I have made arrangements for Kepler to go as well."

"What about Kepler's brothers ... and Maldwin? I just can't leave them behind. Kepler won't go without his brothers." George frowned. "I promised Maldwin a home, and Keller has gone to get the rat's family. h.e.l.l ... Koffler is delivering a message to the Barbarian King. This is a terrible series of moments for a change of this magnitude, Lasidious ... just terrible."

"Do I detect a soft spot in that heart of yours, George? You don't need to worry about Kepler. He's a demon. As far as Maldwin is concerned, I will personally see to it that the rat's family is provided a comfortable and secure home inside the cliffs of Latasef. I'll make sure they're protected and see that they are well fed."

George nodded. "Okay, that sounds bad-a.s.s."

Lasidious grinned for a moment, and then his expression turned serious. "George, Southern Grayham will not be safe for you and your family. You'll be a hunted man. I'd rather see you use your skills elsewhere. You've proven to be my greatest a.s.set. You've masterfully manipulated this world, and your daughter will be with you soon because of it. It won't be long before I have the power to release her."

"You better not be gareshing me, man! How do I get to Luvelles?"

"You'll need to teleport your family to Merchant Island. Find a man named Hesston Bangs. He'll put you into a special container that will be carried by the Merchant Angels to Western Luvelles. Once there, I'd like you to travel to the village of Floren. You'll need to find a family of witches who go by the surname Rolfe, from the Clan of Ashdown. They'll have a baby living beneath their roof."

The Mischievous One presented his brightest smile. "If you could be so kind as to kill this family and raise the baby as Athena's sister's son ... your nephew ... I would appreciate it. The baby will be born before you arrive. This may come as a shock, but this baby is my child. It's this boy who will give me the power to get your daughter back, but not until he reaches his first season ... or perhaps two, if I've misjudged."

"Holy garesh, Lasidious! You want me to raise your kid as my d.a.m.n nephew? How in the h.e.l.l am I going to convince Athena, or for that matter, her sister and the rest of the family to go along with something so outlandish? That's heavy garesh to spring on someone out of the blue like that. I mean ... how would I break this kind of news to everyone? I can just see it now. 'Hey, Susanne, by the way, you've got a kid. Oh! What do you mean? You forgot it plopped out of you? How could you forget something like that?'"

George stirred, but he remained sound asleep as he continued. "That's freaking nuts, Lasidious. Don't get me wrong, man, I love kids. I'd even like taking care of your kid. But how in the h.e.l.l can I make a woman believe she delivered a baby ... especially when she's innocent, and I would wager my last Helmep that she's a virgin."

Lasidious smiled and then leaned toward the fire to respond. "Susanne is a virgin, George, but I'm sure you'll figure something out."

"Ha! Nice! Just leave it up to me. Wonderful plan, man. Thanks for nothing."

The Mischievous One grinned as he watched George roll over to pull Athena close. "Athena and I better get a sweet house out of this if I'm going to figure out a way to babysit your kid. We'll want something sweet ... something that reminds me of home. Better yet, I want everyone in the family to get a home of their own. They better be sick and none of that log cabin c.r.a.p."

George smirked. "You've been in my head enough to know what I like. I want everyone's home to be as cla.s.sy as mine, but don't make it some cookie-cutter sub-division, Lasidious. Because that's B.S. Oh, and I want something to keep my drinks cold. And there needs to be plumbing, because if I can turn c.r.a.p to stone, there has to be a way to give me an indoor toilet. Do we have a deal?"

"I should be able to manage that, George."

"Right-the-h.e.l.l-on! Then it's settled. So ... how do I get everyone to Merchant Island? I've never seen the place before, and what about the crystals I buried?"

"I want you to take the crystals with you. I'll hide the third piece on Luvelles, but I'll save the revelation of its location for another series of moments. As far as Athena's family, have Maldwin prepare their minds to perceive the baby as one of their own before you leave the inn. Use the rat's visions to make them believe that my son is Susanne's child. I'm sure you know how to make this happen. The Head Master of Luvelles is expecting your arrival. He thinks his good friend, Amar, has referred you to him to be his new Mystic Learner."

"Why would he think that? Amar is a dead man."

A sinister grin appeared on Lasidious' face. "Let's just say that someone who looked like Amar told the Head Master about you. Brayson was happy to entertain his old student's suggestion. He's making preparations based on Amar's recommendations as we speak. You'll have your houses, George, and I'll make sure they're built to fit your desires."

"What about coin?" George questioned. "I don't want to be broke."

"Amar told the Head Master to give you plenty of it once you arrive. It's waiting for you at an inn called Kebble's Kettle. You're already rich, and you didn't even know it."

"So what do you want me to do when I get there?"

"I need you to make a mess like the one you made here on Grayham. Do whatever you must to keep the G.o.ds' attention off my son."

Lasidious pa.s.sed his hand across the top of the flames. "I believe the safest place for my boy is under the G.o.ds' noses. It will seem normal for you to call my son your nephew since the Collective knows nothing of Susanne. This will be our greatest deception, and you'll be the force behind it."

George rolled to his other side. "You still haven't told me how to get to Merchant Island. And don't you think that Amar visiting the Head Master after his death will raise a red flag regarding the moments in which his death occurred?"

Lasidious laughed. "Head Master Brayson thinks he saw Amar before he pa.s.sed. He has no clue that Amar perished. Besides, the G.o.ds won't be worried about a being as insignificant as Amar. Out of sight, out of mind."

The Mischievous One reached into the flames and scooped the image of George into the palms of his hands. He carried the burning vision to the stone table, set it down and then took a seat after he pulled his chair out with his foot. Lasidious leaned back, put his feet up and then stared into the fire.

"George, there's something else you need to know. You have the ability to look into Kepler's mind to see the demon's memories. It is there you will find the vision of Merchant Island. The cat's memories are trustworthy, and you have grown close enough to ask for permission to enter Kepler's mind. If you'll open your own mind to me now, I'll show you how to do this."

George shook his head. "How could you have forgotten to tell me something this useful? Do you realize how much more I could've accomplished if you had told me this sooner? I could've teleported anywhere I wanted and not wasted all my d.a.m.n moments tromping all over the place."

Lasidious grinned. "Who said I forgot? You'll be leaving for Luvelles in 2 Peaks."

George thought a while. "I think this plan should work. Luvelles, here I come. Wow, I've got a ticket off of this rock. I'm relieved now that I think about it."

Lasidious smiled.

George questioned, "Where will I find this Hesston Bangs?"

"Tell Kepler that Hesston works on the docks during the Peak of Bailem. Kepler will know where to go once he hears this information."

"Then will we speak again after I get to Luvelles?"

The Mischievous One shook his head. "It will be a while before we speak again. Until then, be patient, George. After you terminate the family of witches, lay low and don't use your power."

The G.o.d reached into the flames and touched George on his shoulder. "It won't be long before Abbie is returned to you. Remember that."

A moment later, Lasidious departed George's dream, leaving behind beautiful visions of Abbie that filled George's mind's eye.

GEORGE, his family, and Kepler are now on the world of Luvelles. The ride provided by the Merchant Angels to this new world was dark and dismal. The family's special container was tight, and everyone had to sit in their own waste for the duration. Despite the annoyances, they arrived in good spirits.

George led the family to the village of Floren, but he had no idea how to find Head Master Brayson. The only thing the mage knew for sure was that he had a family of witches to terminate and a new nephew to take care of.

The family now believed that Susanne had a son. Their minds were manipulated by Maldwin before leaving Gessler. Susanne and Athena have been chattering about a baby they've never met.

Maldwin's visions were specific. After the baby was born, there were health issues that had to be addressed. The family believed that George rushed the child to Western Luvelles to receive the medical attention he needed to survive. But there was one detail about the baby's birth that Maldwin's vision was unable to plant into the family's minds, a detail that George failed to think about, one that could cause a significant problem.

KEPLER left word for his brothers to govern Skeleton Pa.s.s in his absence. As it turned out, Lasidious was right about the demon. The jaguar was more than willing to leave his brothers behind.

CELESTRIA cleaned up her son, and after holding the baby for a short series of moments, she handed the boy to the witches and then vanished for Ancients Sovereign. Once there, she waved her hand over her belly and removed all evidence of her pregnancy.

SAM asked Shalee to stay in Brandor. She was still dealing with the stress of losing BJ and Helga. The queen has been crying for Peaks, and the healers warned Sam that the stress was not good for the baby. Sam knows they are correct. Shalee's depression could make her a prime candidate for a miscarriage, and the king is not about to risk the baby's or his queen's health, despite the a.s.set Shalee would be in battle. When Shalee tried to object, Sam would not listen.

After arriving in the city of Champions, Sam received word from his scouts. The barbarian army has headed south for the Serpent King's lair. They are following the Latsky River in the Neutral Territory. By the sound of the reports, the barbarians and Seth's serpents will be outmatched.

Peaks ago, Sam ordered Michael to turn the army in the direction of the Serpent King's lair. The army has crossed the Snake River, and they are now only 2 Peaks from entering Seth's underground city.

A HEAVY QUAKE struck Brandor after Sam left the city. Many of the smaller buildings sustained damage, and the roof of the Senate's hall collapsed. Eleven senators perished in the disaster. Word of the suffering will reach Sam's ears before the war begins.

Thank you for reading the final edition of the Grayham Inquirer War is Coming

CHAPTER 39.

Surrounded Griffin Cliffs Southern Grayham MOSLEY WAS SITTING WITH SORESYM inside the mouth of the griffin's cave below the Temple of the G.o.ds. "Sam is walking into a trap, and there is nothing I can do to help," the wolf complained. "His Peaks as the leader of Brandor's pack are numbered. To have the power of the G.o.ds and be bound like this is frustrating."

"What kind of trap are you referring to, wolf?" Soresym questioned while looking across the beauty of the valley far below where they sat.

Mosley's eyes questioned. "You do know Sam is the King of Brandor?"

The griffin fluffed the feathers on his head to allow the breeze to refresh his skin. "I do. Information of this nature travels quickly."

The wolf scratched the back of his ear. "Sam is leading Brandor's pack toward the Serpent King's lair. He has no idea that he's about to be attacked from all sides..." The wolf continued to divulge everything he knew.

When Soresym finally responded, the Griffin Lord looked confused. "Why would the Minotaur and the bears break their alliance with Brandor? Brandor has allowed them to live in peace for many seasons. They've even been allowed to compete in the arenas."

"Sam was the one who defeated their champions," Mosley replied, "both of them."

Soresym cringed as a griffin would. "I knew the Minotaur fell by Sam's hand, however, I didn't realize it was Sam who defeated the bear. This doesn't bode well for Brandor, but this doesn't justify breaking their alliance."

"Did you know the Crystal Moon was stolen?"

"Stolen? When?"

"When is unimportant. The Crystal Moon is missing, and its pieces have been scattered. Two of them are on Grayham."

Soresym tapped his talons against the floor of the cave. "What do the missing pieces of crystal have to do with the bear and Minotaur?"

"A trick has been played. They believe Brandor plans to destroy all beasts on Southern Grayham who have an established monarchy."

"Why would they believe such foolishness?"

Mosley took the moments to explain.

After the griffin digested what the wolf had said, he wondered, "Why would a piece of the crystal be inside the scorpions' nest?"

"Lasidious put it there."

The confusion on Soresym's feather-covered face magnified. "Why?"

"My friend, why is not important. Lasidious does things for his own reasons. What is important ... his actions have started a war, and a human named George has secured both pieces of the Crystal Moon. He has claimed to have hidden them somewhere within Seth's den. Brandor marches to fight for them."

Soresym nodded. "Then the temple must have been sealed to keep the faithful from knowing."

Mosley nodded. "Indeed. I'm concerned for Sam's life. It looks as if he will perish while trying to retrieve the crystals. I've been watching Southern Grayham with a keen eye. The movement of the armies suggests only one outcome. Sam is in a hopeless situation."

Soresym shrieked to release his agitation. "Sam is a good human! It can't be his season to pa.s.s. The G.o.ds must do something to stop this."

Mosley moved to the edge of the cliff. "The laws of the G.o.ds are clear. I cannot intervene. Soresym, you're the mighty leader of your pack, yet even you are bound by your laws. I'm sure you understand."

The griffin stood and stretched his wings. After a moment, he shook his head in disgust. "Sam is the king Brandor has always needed. I've come to know this human, and something must be done."

"But who is left to help?" Mosley reb.u.t.ted. "There's nothing anyone can do on this world or in the heavens. I'll say it again. Sam's Peaks are numbered."

Both Mosley and Soresym stood in silence for a moment before the wolf continued. "I must take my leave, my friend. There are matters to which I must attend. I will find you again when the pyre for Sam's pa.s.sing is lit."

The griffin looked out across the valley in deep thought. "I need to prepare my mind to accept this loss. Good Peak, wolf." Soresym leapt from the edge of the cliff and fell more than 1,500 paces before he opened his wings and swooped out over the mist.

As Mosley watched the griffin soar, he laughed. A moment later, the image of the wolf morphed into a more mischievous persona. The G.o.d's eyes glowed red, and his teeth turned to sharpened, fine points. "Celestria, my love, my part is finished." Lasidious vanished.