Kepler snorted his disdain. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one getting your ears ripped off. He hasn't taken a bite out of your tail, which, by the way, I could use another drop of that potion."

Brayson stood to administer the elixir. It was not long before Kepler's tail mended. "George, I want you to leave Kepler with me. Go home and allow Payne back in your good graces."

George looked at the demon-cat and then shrugged as if he had no say in the matter. "Okay ... but he might not be willing to come with me."

Brayson looked out the window and waved his hand. Payne's face came into focus. "Look at him. I'm sure he'd like another chance. He has lived alone for the last season of his life. He's young. You need to be a mentor. Kepler will adjust."

Again, Kepler growled, "And if I refuse?" The cat lowered to the floor with a smug look on his face.

Brayson moved to stand beside the jaguar. He pulled back the top of the demon's ear and whispered into its opening. "I have not given you that option. I'm sure we understand one another."

Kepler did not answer. Instead, he rolled over and closed his eyes.

George was impressed at how Brayson handled the situation. He was also glad he could explore the use of Payne's skills. The Head Master had given him the perfect scapegoat. When it came to having the fairy-demon around, he would be able to point the finger at Brayson whenever Payne p.i.s.sed Kepler off. It was perfect.

When George appeared outside his home, he bounded up the stairs.

"George!" Payne shouted from the rooftop. "Um ... Payne mean, Master!"

The mage ignored the fairy-demon's call.

Again, Payne shouted, "Master, Payne be gooder!"

George pushed open the door and called out, "Babe, I'm home!" But before he could shut the door and take another step, the fairy-demon appeared in the foyer in front of him. The fairy-demon's wings were flapping like a hummingbird as he hovered in place.

"Payne, what are you doing here?" George demanded. "I thought I told you to get lost."

"Payne be gooder. Payne stay. Payne be bad no more."

"No you won't. You ignored me when I asked you to get along with Kepler. How can I trust you?"

"Payne be really, really, really, really, really gooder. Payne promise to be gooder. Payne be Master's gooder goswig."

Athena walked up.

George knew his wife had a soft spot for children. She also had the insight to help him mold Payne. Though the fairy-demon was not a normal child, Athena would treat him the way she would any other young one, and this meant giving Payne a second chance.

"I thought you were meeting with Brayson. You missed me, didn't you?" Athena joked as she pecked George on the cheek.

"Always. I was at his office, but I had to come home." George did not want Athena to quiz him further, so he redirected the conversation toward Payne. "He's asking me to give him a second chance. Do you think I should?"

"Oh, oh, oh ... Payne be so gooder, Master. Payne promise. Payne really, really, really be gooder. Athena to tell Master for Payne."

"Awww, honey, he's sorry," Athena sympathized. She turned to look at Payne. "Will you do as you're told?"

"Payne promise, promise, promise!" A big, sharp-toothed, innocent smile appeared across the fairy-demon's face.

George chuckled inside. He knew what his wife was going to say next, and he'd be able to use this as leverage to control Payne. All he needed to do was play out his role a little longer, and Payne would do everything he said-or so he hoped.

Athena reached out, plucked the fairy-demon out of the air and pulled him into her arms. The fairy-demon stopped his wings from fluttering and allowed her to cradle him. "George, I want you to give him another chance."

The mage shook his head. "Uhhh, I don't know, babe. I don't think he'll behave. Perhaps I should think about it for a while."

Payne looked to Athena for help. He nestled into her and gave his best forgive me look.

Athena looked up at George and saw her husband wink. Now she understood what he was trying to accomplish. She raised her voice and barked out a command. "George Nailer, you will give Payne another chance, and I won't hear another word about it!" She looked down at the fairy-demon. "And you'll behave, or I'll troblet your backside. Do the two of you understand me?"

Payne lowered his head, not liking the scolding. "Okay ... ebbish nay."

George winked. "Yeah! Ebbish nay! Gosh, you're so bossy."

The mage could not have been happier with Athena's performance. He looked at Payne. "We better get going." The mage touched the fairy-demon on the forehead, and they disappeared.

Brayson had watched the exchange while standing at the window in Mary's living room. A smile crossed his face as he shut the curtains. "Mary, I must go. It has been a pleasure to see you. I'm glad you used the mirror to call me." He lifted her hand and kissed the top of it. "It seems my moments have run out. I must get back to my office. When I see you again, I'll take you someplace special."

Mary sighed. "I'd like that."

Brayson kissed her cheek and spoke in the language of the elves. "Vanamille silla tori."

"Oh my, that sounded glorious. What did you say?"

"I said, 'Your beauty shines bright.'" Brayson vanished.

Mary grinned from ear to ear, "I'm going to like my magic-man." She retired to her room.

Southern Grayham Sam and Shalee's Bedroom Chamber Sam rode his mist mare as fast as Cain could carry him to get back to the castle. He was glad his problems with Kepler's brothers were over, and now that he knew where George was, he could search for him there. But the news of George's whereabouts paled in comparison to his queen's health as he ran up the castle steps to find out what was going on.

After he entered their bedroom chamber, it did not take more than a moment for the king to realize that the situation was grim. He could see the pain on Shalee's face as soon as he crossed the threshold. Sam quickly adjusted his mindset and prepared to use his medical knowledge that he had acquired while on Earth.

He sat on the edge of the bed to a.s.sess the situation. Shalee was pale, fatigued, and when he touched her forehead, her skin was cold. Her eyes were bloodshot, and tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Shalee, I need you to tell me what you're feeling. What's happened since I left?"

The queen pulled back the covers. Her voice was weak. "It's the baby."

Sam instantly stood and moved to the end of the bed. As he looked between the queen's legs, he fought to hold back the heartache. The infant had been expelled, and the baby's skin was pale-gray. It had not received enough oxygen while it was in the womb. Sam Jr. was lying lifeless in his own afterbirth.

Shalee had been near the end of her second trimester. The baby looked to be nearly three pounds. Every finger and toe was accounted for, but they would never be able to hold Sam's finger.

The king ordered everyone to leave the room. Without a word, he gathered a clean cloth and spread it out on the corner of the bed. He lifted the baby and placed him at its center. The king folded the edges to cover the body and then moved to the center of the room to place his son's corpse on the table.

Moving back to the edge of the bed, Sam gathered his wife into his arms. He held her close to provide a safe place for her to grieve. After many moments pa.s.sed, Sam pulled back. "Shalee, we need to get you cleaned up. There are things that I need to do to ensure you don't have further complications. I need to check inside you, and then put padding in place to absorb the drainage."

Shalee pulled on the collar of his shirt. "Sam, I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry. I let you down."

"No, you didn't. This isn't your fault. It could happen to any woman. We'll get through this, I promise. But first, we need to get you cleaned up."

Shalee nodded.

Sam took charge of the situation. It was not long before the queen was sleeping, exhaustion overwhelming her.

With the situation in hand, the king returned to the table. As he pulled back the corners of the cloth, tears rolled down his face.

Western Luvelles Brayson's Office in the Sky When George appeared inside the Head Master's office, Kepler was sleeping. There was no sign of Master Id.

"Kep, where's Brayson?"

The demon opened his eyes and yawned. "Who cares."

The mage frowned. "Come on, Kep. Where is he?"

"I don't know. We were talking about Payne, and suddenly he excused himself. I see you brought the freak back with you."

Payne looked at George. He wanted to argue with the jaguar, but he did not want to get in trouble.

"Well that's just great!" George snapped. "I bet he went to see Mary. d.a.m.n it, Kep, this isn't good."

"What's not good?" Brayson responded, after appearing behind the mage.

George whirled around. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to hear something isn't good. What are we talking about?"

"Oh, it's nothing I can't handle." George changed the subject. "So, what are we supposed to do now? You said something about beginning my training. You were going to explain how to bond with a goswig. What did you mean by that?"

Brayson sat at his desk that was made of dwyre wood, and carved across its front was an image of a dragon-the Source. He opened a giant book that sat on its top and instructed, "George, come here a moment, and bring Payne with you. I want you to see this."

Kepler growled. "What about me? What am I, greggled hash?"

Brayson reached out and gently pushed George to the side so he could see the jaguar's face. "It appears you make a good rug. So just lie there."

George gave Kepler an unsure look and then did as he was told. With Payne hovering next to his head, he looked down. The images on the book's pages were moving across the tattered pieces of parchment. "This is fascinating. I've never seen anything that looked so ancient and so alive. I don't understand the elven language. How can I read it?"

"It won't matter. Concentrate."

George focused, but his lack of comprehension frustrated him. "Master Id, what does this phrase mean?"

Brayson leaned over and took a look. "It is a phrase of power." He explained some of the phonetics of the Elven language. "Try to sound it out. You can do it."

The challenge was intriguing. George wanted to understand the power the book possessed. The mage sounded out the phrase. "Umma mai' ten' rushwe, ta tulava a' llee." The magic within the book began to stir. A swirling mist emanated from its pages and surrounded George and Payne. It was not long before the pairing was sucked inside, vanishing into the pages as a misty trail followed. The tome slammed shut. A new story of bonding had begun.

Kepler jumped to his paws and growled. "What have you done with them?"

Brayson leaned back in his chair. "Calm yourself, Kepler. Everything will be alright ... providing George is able to find a way back. The book is taking them on a journey. The phrase meant, 'Don't look for trouble, it will come to you.'"

"What do you mean ... 'providing he can find a way back?' What kind of trouble is he in?"

"George and Payne must take this journey. If they don't work together, they could end up lost or ended. This is how he'll learn to bond with Payne."

"What do you mean, lost, and why would he perish?"

"I mean they may never return. The trials are dangerous."

The demon-cat scoffed, "Athena isn't going to like the sound of that."

Brayson smiled. "Athena doesn't need to know ... unless George fails. Agreed?

"I suppose."

CHAPTER 5.

A Forbidden Fruit Southern Grayham Sam's Throne Room SAM SPENT MOST OF THE NIGHT watching over Shalee while she slept. Just before dawn, the king lifted the cloth that held the expired life of his infant son and sought solitude within the confines of his throne room.

As Sam cradled the child, tormented tears rolled down his face. He would never know the joy of Sam Jr.'s company. The king was empty, his heart ached, and he trembled with every breath. With his whole heart, he wished to trade his life for the opportunity to give Shalee the chance to know their son.

The memories of everything lost flooded his mind. He missed Earth, his family, Helga and BJ-especially BJ-and he could only imagine how much the people of his kingdom missed the thousands of men who had been lost in the war.

Sitting on his throne, Sam put his legs together and laid the baby on his lap. He peeled back the layers of the blanket that was hiding the infant's tiny form. It only took a glance for the king to lose what was left of his composure. He had seen death on the battlefield, in the arena, and on the operating table while he was on Earth-but this was different-this was his son. The king wailed.

The World of Luvelles Northwestern Hyperia Grogger's Swamp Celestria appeared in the middle of Grogger's Swamp. It was a miserable place-cold, dark, and murky. The air smelled putrid. The G.o.ddess levitated above the moss-covered water and watched as the back of a large creature briefly broke its surface.

The swamp was full of many forms of reptiles, amphibians, insects and birds-most of which had been deformed or altered by magic, then discarded to live the rest of their Peaks in misery.

A large bird with reversed wings flew past. Its long neck was rolled under its body to see where it was going, since it flew tail first. The G.o.ddess shook her head at the ridiculous concept that some powerful wizard would waste his moments on such a childish manipulation.

The swamp covered a tremendous area of northwestern Western Luvelles, and it had become a magical garbage dump. These were the experiments of those who sought to strengthen their control over the dark arts.

Now, fellow soul ... Grogger's territory was the home of a 30 pace tall, 38 pace wide shapple toad. In general, shapple toads were not considered a threat. Normally, they were small, about the size of a man's fist. They ate bugs and hopped away from anything larger than themselves. Once an insect had been swallowed, it was digested over a series of Peaks.

Grogger, on the other hand, was not your normal shapple toad. He had been transformed by the darkest of magic-magic commanded by Marcus Id. The chancellor had performed many experiments on the beast. As a result, the enormous shapple toad ruled the swamp, and his prey was slowly digested inside his belly over 10 seasons.

Celestria understood the digestive traits of the acid inside Grogger's belly. This beast was perfect for the plan she and Lasidious had decided to implement more than 100 seasons ago. She had been the one to implant the desire to manipulate Grogger in Marcus' mind. The chancellor's l.u.s.t for power was strong, and it did not take much before he took action.

Now, all Celestria had to do was encourage Grogger to swallow her. As it turned out, getting inside the beast would not be an issue. The ground shook as Grogger surprised Celestria. The beast landed behind the G.o.ddess, and the murky water splashed everywhere, saturating her gown. Grogger's mouth opened. The screams of trapped souls inside his belly could be heard as his tongue lashed out to pull her inside.

Once ingested, the G.o.ddess could not move. The sheer number of bodies inside the toad's belly had been compacted. She expanded her invisible barrier of protection and then lifted her hand to command the darkness to dissipate.

With light and room to work, Celestria studied her surroundings. Despite the knowledge of what she would see, the G.o.ddess was unable to fight back the need to vomit.

It took a while before she was able to collect her composure. Many of the partially digested life forms, all of which were in various stages of decomposition, oozed with puss. The white moisture bubbled as the magic attacked the outermost extremities first and then worked its way to the main organs. Arms, legs, fingers and toes sizzled as the acid inside Grogger's belly systematically devoured them.

Although alive, none of the toad's victims were coherent. The screams the G.o.ddess had heard when Grogger's mouth opened to pull her inside must have come from a source other than the 60 motionless figures piled in front of her.