Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign (Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Book 1) (18 page)

“ Kill? I’ve never killed anything. Well, I almost killed my old man, but I wasn’t lucky enough to finish him off.”

“Wonderful,” Jason responded. “That’s good.”

George took a step back. “You’re not listening. There’s nothing good about it. I’ve never killed anyone. Sure, I’ve come close, but I’ve never physically hurt anyone that didn’t deserve it.”

Lasidious enjoyed George’s reaction. “I understand the thought of killing is troublesome, but don’t you think the beast deserves to perish? His visions have killed many who harbored him no ill will.”

George shook his head. “I suppose the beast is bad news since he’s hurting people. Killing him would save others, and I do like the idea of the reward.” He looked toward the horizon, smirked and then added, “Maybe I could handle it after all.”

“Good,” Jason replied. “Run to town, and buy the supplies you’ll need. You can have my map. You can also have my pack. That should help.”

George hesitated. “I don’t have any money on me to buy anything. Hell, I don’t have a pot to piss in right now.”

Jason eyed George. “I get the sense when you say ‘money’ that you mean coin. Seeing what’s on your person, the pot in which to piss is on your wrist. It appears my eyes have spotted something of value. It looks as if it might be worth a substantial amount of coin. You could sell it.”

Fellow soul ... true to form, and George being the jerk that he was, the object Jason referred to was a Rolex that an old widow from Orlando gave him. She had come into the dealership to buy a new 45-foot Meridian Yacht, which gave George the opportunity to work his way into her life. The manipulator spent six months giving her the attention she was after, and he collected many expensive gifts along the way. The widow paid a small fortune for the watch, and it became a piece of George’s anatomy.

“Hell no!” George snapped. “This watch is worth a ton. I can’t replace it.”

“I understand,” Jason nodded. “It has sentimental value. Too bad. I would hate for you to lose this opportunity. But you do realize, you could always buy it back once you have the means to do so.” The traveler paused. “On second thought, perhaps I should keep the map for myself and go after the treasure once I’ve healed.”

George thought for a moment. “You don’t mean that. Take another drink. You’re right. I could always buy the watch back like you said.”

George rolled his eyes and thought,
Just give me your damn backpack so I can get the hell out of here. Spells, staffs, beasts, maps, turning crap to stone ... what a bunch of garbage. Just play the game a little longer and clean him out, Georgie boy.
The manipulator smiled. “I’ll need a larger pack to carry food, and I’ll definitely buy that spell you mentioned once I get to town. What did you call that guy again?”

“A mage,” Jason responded.

“Yeah, that mage. I might also get a couple of those water pouches you have. Do you think I could borrow that one, too?”

“Sure,” Jason responded. “I’ll help you however I can. But you might want to consider buying a weapon. And have you thought about torches, a hunting knife, and other supplies?”

George reached under his pant leg and pulled out his pistol. “I almost forgot I had this. It’s the smallest .22 caliber made.” He reached inside his front pants pocket, fumbled around a bit and then produced a bullet. “This should do the trick, don’t you think? There’s another one in the chamber.”

“I’m not sure what that does, but if you’re saying it can only work twice, then I would suggest that you purchase another weapon. Perhaps a sword or a dagger would be a wiser choice. You should hurry along. Rumor has it that someone else is on their way to retrieve the map.”

George put his pistol in his right, front pocket and then used Jason’s suggestion to excuse himself. “I best get moving. When will your friends arrive so I can get out of here? I want to make sure you get on the wagon.” George laughed within,
Best place for a drunk, anyway. Ha, ha ... ‘on the wagon.’ I kill myself.

“Don’t worry about me. They’ll be here soon enough. I’ll have them take me to Lethwitch to wait for your return. The pool is a Peak and a half from here, so you’d better hurry.”

With that, George turned to run through the field. His mind raced.
How could that clown believe any of that crap is true?
The jerk grinned.
Poor Jason, that bastard actually thinks I’m going to go after his pipe dream. Screw him and his wagon.
He looked up at the two colored worlds above opposing horizons.
What’s up with that? Since when are there two moons in the sky?

Jason watched until George was out of sight. As soon as the coast was clear, he changed back into his normal appearance and removed the picture of George’s daughter from his pocket. “Well, well, Abbie, your daddy isn’t easily manipulated. Perhaps stronger persuasion is in order. What do you think? Should I scare him or hurt him?” The Mischievous One put the picture close to his ear. “You’re right, Abbie. I should do both. He deserves it for making me work.”

Laughing, Lasidious vanished.

CHAPTER 6

First Flight

IT HAD BEEN SIX hours according to the digital watch that Sam took from Shalee since the griffin dropped from the platform at the Temple of the Gods. During flight, Shalee had remained asleep while Sam struggled with a sick stomach.

Sam admired the countryside as the griffin followed the changes in the terrain. He was awed by the beauty—gentle sloping hillsides, farmers’ fields filled with crops, children fishing in scattered ponds of all sizes, sporadic forests with tree lines reaching for the sun, and he appreciated all of it despite fighting the urge to barf.

Taking a closer look at the griffin’s shadow as the beast soared near the ground, Sam studied the position of its front talons and back paws. They were tucked close to its body to reduce drag. The beast’s beautiful, feather-covered head was pushed out in front of the rest of its body to guide the way, and its gigantic wings extended far to either side.

Sam took note of the long, padded saddle they were sitting on. The leather surface had sufficient cushion to pad their backsides and many lengthy straps to tie them in. The ride had been safe, and unless the creature decided to roll or make a drastic movement, they would finish the flight without incident.

He looked at Shalee as she leaned against him. She had a peaceful look on her face. He admired her beauty. Every now and then, he pushed her hair clear of her face to get a look at how exceptionally breathtaking she was.

Mosley’s balance was impressive. Sam watched as the wolf bit down on the straps, one from each side of the saddle. The wolf secured the straps under his front paw and then looked over his shoulder to speak. “How are you cubs doing back there? The first flight is usually the most difficult.”

Sam hesitated, amused about being called a cub. “I’m doing fine, for the most part. How long are we going to be on this thing before it lands?”

An unexpected voice shouted from the direction of the eagle head. “I’m not a thing, human!” The griffin’s head snapped around as it shrieked. “My name is Soresym! You will refer to me in a respectful manner when speaking of me in the future. I should roll, snatch you up, rip you apart and then drop you to your death for your ignorance. You will watch your tongue, or I shall pluck it from you.”

Though startled, Sam was quick to apologize. “I meant no offense.”

The beast grudgingly turned his head back into the direction of flight. “We should be landing on Angels Platform by dusk,” Soresym informed. “Beyond, you won’t be traveling with me any longer. My kind only travels between Angels Platform and the Temple of the Gods. After this, you’ll be traveling with the hippogriffs.

The griffin looked back over his shoulder again. His eyes were piercing as he glared at Sam. “I don’t enjoy transporting your kind. I can’t stand to be near any of you, or any of the other wretched beasts on this world.”

“Then why do it?” Sam queried.

“The gods require us to do so in order to live within the cliffs beneath the temple. I would not be doing so now, but Bassorine requested my services. You should’ve walked down the steps. You’re not of noble blood.”

Sam apologized again and then looked at Mosley, but on this occasion, he chose his words carefully. “Is it my imagination, or does every
glorious
creature
on this world understand how to speak English? How can any of this be possible?”

Mosley laughed. “Not all of us ‘glorious creatures’ have the ability to speak your language. Most speak their own. Only those of us who live in service to the gods can speak every language of the worlds.”

Sam nodded. His mind took a turn as he looked at Shalee’s watch.
It’s a good thing this works off kinetic energy,
he thought. Sam determined by the position of the sun, combined with the griffin’s explanation of when they would land, that the Peaks seemed to be similar to the days on Earth.

Mosley took note of the peaceful look on Shalee’s face. “She will sleep through the night and most of the next Peak. There are many landing platforms scattered across the lands of Southern Grayham where we can spend the night. I’m sure she’ll be happy about that.”

From the way it sounded as Mosley continued, the hippogriffs flew during the day, unless ordered by the kings of Southern Grayham. It was only possible to fly to one landing platform each day because of the distance between them.

“I’ll make the arrangements necessary for the night once we arrive,” Mosley said.

Sam looked at Shalee and wondered how he was going to explain everything. He still had a hard time believing what he had learned, let alone trying to make sense of it to someone else. Animals talked, griffins and hippogriffs acted as airborne transportation, and that was just the start of it. Magic, gods, swords, kingdoms, and everything he thought to be myth were true. He knew nothing of the culture, or even how to speak with the people to make the transition.
For the first time in my life, I am truly out of my element,
he thought.

Sam wandered as he thought about Earth. He had so many questions for Bassorine, and yet, this “so-called” god was not around. “How convenient,” he mumbled. He looked forward to their next meeting. He could not wait to ask the question that bothered him most.
Why do I know Bassorine’s face?

Sam moved his hand through Shalee’s hair. She was his definition of sublime, and she had been leaning against him during the entire flight. He concluded much of his attraction to her was because she was his only anchor to anything normal. He pulled her close as he tried to stop staring at her face.

After flying over the Blood River, a name Sam remembered from his mental snapshot of the map inside the temple, he knew it would not be long before they landed. When he saw the platform standing high in the distance, he knew they were about to set down. He looked forward to a belly full of food and hoped he would be able to clear his mind to get some rest.

Sam smiled as they made their approach. The little village below looked like it had been plucked out of the heather on the hills of old Scotland.