Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign (Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Book 1) (23 page)

Sam thought a moment. “I don’t need to be coddled. I want to have this conversation before you leave. For now, we’ll do it your way. I trust this would be acceptable,
yes
?”

Bassorine grinned and motioned for Sam to continue.

Sam shrugged, and then changed course. “I have plenty of other questions. First, what is the situation regarding the Crystal Moon?”

The god nodded, carried a chair across the room, placed it by the window, and then looked through the opening. “The Village of Angels has the potential to be a perfect starting point for your rise to glory, but we’ll speak of this later.

“The situation regarding the Crystal Moon is unique. The others within the Collective have not been able to find Lasidious. It was my hope that the gods would come together and vote on how these new events were to be handled once Lasidious was located, but he has managed to remain elusive. I’m disturbed by this, to say the least.”

Sam splashed another handful of water on his face. “I’m not sure what to say, but this does create additional concerns. May I share them with you?”

“Sam, don’t ask for permission, for I’m here to speak without formalities.”

“Sounds good to me.” Sam dried his hands. “My biggest concern is ... the Crystal Moon is what keeps the worlds from colliding. Your statue said the crystal provides the planets with the ability to sustain life. You said if the Crystal Moon wasn’t retrieved and put back in the temple, everything would be destroyed. How long do we have before this happens?”

Bassorine looked away from the window. “There is no way to determine this quantity of moments. The Crystal Moon has governed the worlds for over 10,000 seasons.”

Sam jumped in, “But don’t you have an idea of how long it will be before the worlds start to drift? And what will happen when they do?”

“It’s impossible to tell. Once the planets begin to drift, changes will be subtle at first, but they’ll eventually magnify. The Crystal Moon has been governing the worlds for so long that the Collective doesn’t have a reference to judge what will happen. It is, as you would say on your Earth, ‘a crap shoot.’”

Sam’s anxiety was building, but more than that, he was annoyed that the gods would not know the exact answers to his questions. Maybe these “so-called” gods were just powerful enough to screw with things on a cosmic level and nothing more. Or perhaps he needed to redefine his personal definition of what god meant.

Sam calmed himself. “Is there anything I can do while I wait for you to tell me where the Crystal Moon is? I hate just sitting around. Shouldn’t I be preparing to retrieve it?”

Bassorine shook his head. “I cannot say with confidence that you’re the best man to retrieve the crystal. In light of these new events, you lack certain requirements. You’re not of noble blood, nor do you have the fame necessary to gain an audience with kings. Only kings are influential enough to resolve a situation of this magnitude. Kings can control wars, and wars will erupt because of the theft of the Crystal Moon.”

The god sighed. “Your flaws are most unfortunate. I was looking forward to your rise to glory.”

Sam had had enough. He was tired of being controlled simply because he did not have the power to stand against Bassorine. He was not about to let his life be dictated to him without a fight.

“Okay, okay, hold up! It was the gods’ bright idea to bring me here!” Sam barked. “Now that I am, you’re telling me I’m not good enough. I understand what’s involved. I’m not an idiot. I understand you’ll want to keep the theft of the Crystal Moon confidential. Your ‘so-called’ Collective will have a mess on their hands if the people find out the Crystal Moon is gone. Their belief in you will fade once they know you can’t stop the planets’ destruction.”

Sam crossed his arms. “You said I could speak freely. So tell me why you’re not powerful enough to stop this disaster yourself.”

Bassorine laughed. “You’re bold when given permission. Perhaps I should have chosen my words more carefully. It took 14 of us to create the worlds, and the power to keep them from migrating is more than the Collective can manage on a continual basis. This is why we created the Crystal Moon. Each of us poured part of our power into this masterpiece, and because of this, the pieces of the crystal cannot be drained of their power.”

The God of War frowned. “I would like to tell you the gods are almighty, but this isn’t the case. We have weaknesses and limitations, just as you do.”

Bassorine removed a new long sword that hung from his hip and placed the tip of the blade on the floor and spun it like a top. “If I were to convince the gods to use our power to keep the worlds from drifting, it would not take long before we would use what’s left of our power. The worlds would eventually be destroyed anyway.”

“Okay, okay. So create another Crystal Moon to replace the one Lasidious took,” Sam reasoned.

Bassorine shook his head. “As I have said, it took 14 beings to create the Crystal Moon. Why would Lasidious help make another one? He clearly has a plan, and there is a method to his madness. We just need to find a way to reveal the level of his insanity.”

Sam had never thought of a god as having a weakness, but the concept made sense. It explained how Bassorine failed to know everything. It also meant the term “god” now held far less power for Sam than it did before. He grew bolder.

“Okay, okay. Then what you’ve told me confirms my ideas about how we should approach the situation. For now, I think it’s best to keep quiet. You’ll want the populaces of the worlds to continue to worship and maintain their normal lives until the Crystal Moon is retrieved. I mean, think about it. What do you think would happen if they found out you couldn’t do anything to stop Lasidious? What would happen if they found out they’re expendable? I would laugh at the god I served if he allowed his peers to destroy my life. Your Collective has taken this ‘free will’ crap to a whole new level. At least if I’m handling the situation, the politics on Grayham would be managed, and I could mitigate your loss of followers.”

Sam allowed his arms to drop to his side. “If anyone is smart enough to figure this mess out ... it’s me. So tell your godly counterparts that I’m not about to sit around like a rebel without a cause and do nothing. You tell them that, or you might as well send me back to Earth.”

Well, fellow soul ... Bassorine had hoped Sam would summon the desire to undertake the task. He just wanted Sam to fight for the right. The god knew if Sam chose to go after the crystal’s pieces, Shalee would follow in his footsteps, and Shalee was the key to accomplishing Bassorine’s own masterful plans. It wasn’t just Lasidious who had an objective.

Helping Sam retrieve the Crystal Moon would allow Shalee the moments to grow. Of all the men on the new worlds, Sam really was the best choice, and Bassorine knew this before their conversation began. It had been far too many seasons since the God of War had captured Sam’s soul and placed it inside the body it was currently residing in. He missed their old relationship, but revealing his bond with Sam would not be beneficial at this moment.

“You’ve made your point, Sam, but there’s much you don’t know.” Bassorine turned to look out the window. “I am the God of War. With all my heart, I love to battle. Nevertheless, you need to understand the magnitude of your choice.”

“Okay, okay. I’m listening,” Sam blurted.

“By volunteering, you’ll need to overcome your physical limitations, and death will always be a possibility. This journey will be the fight for the survival of everything in existence ... and I do mean
everything
.”

Sam interrupted. “Wait a second! There’s something you’re not telling me. I can feel it. I’ve been in this situation with you before. Don’t ask me how I know this, but I know. This isn’t the first
‘series of moments’
in which we’ve had a conversation that feels vague.”

Bassorine was about to object, but Sam held up his hand. “Look! I’m not interested in being kept in the dark. How could what’s going on affect the survival of everything? How can Lasidious’ actions cause destruction throughout an entire cosmos?”

Once again, Bassorine sighed, and the weight of his exhale consumed the room. A moment later, the god looked into Sam’s chest and literally stared at the heart of the fighter as he watched it beat. “What I’m about to tell you will upset you, but I swear it’s the truth.”

“Finally, we’re getting somewhere,” Sam jeered.

Bassorine did not acknowledge Sam’s demeanor. Instead, he pushed forward. “There have been many stories created for the people to believe in. Most aren’t true.”

“ No shocker there,” Sam added. “I can’t say that I’m surprised.”

A half-hearted grin appeared on Bassorine’s face. “If I could send you back to your homeworld, I would. But unfortunately, the planet you called Earth is gone.”

“What do you mean, gone?” Sam asked incredulously.

Compassion filled Bassorine’s expression. “I’m sorry, Sam, but a man with your intellect understands what gone means. I’m saying your Earth has perished. Please ... allow me to finish what I have to say, then you may ask questions.”

The god waited for Sam to nod. “When the God Wars started more than 14,000 seasons ago, the battle for power extended to every galaxy and solar system. The story the Collective created to tell the people on the worlds … the story that I was the one who brought home the Crystal Moon to the Collective, isn’t true. I have always been a god, since the beginning of what you called ‘time.’ The story claiming I was given god-like power was conjured to give the beings of the new worlds something to believe in. It gave them something to be thankful for and hope. This is similar to the way your gods of Earth gave their creations their own sense of hope, faith and a way to worship, some rewarding their faithful with Heaven and others, Hell.”

Sheathing his long sword with hardly a sound, Bassorine continued. “The truth is … all gods back then, no matter what world they governed, used Heaven and Hell as a place to send the souls of their dead. Even the gods who ruled worlds who didn’t believe in free will, simply sent their followers straight to Hell. They were kept in this place of torture until the moment came to be reborn, thus beginning the same vicious cycle.

“All gods allowed the souls of the dead to be reborn. This is where the idea of reincarnation came from. The gods who didn’t believe in free will toyed with the souls they governed, allowing many of them to be reborn as mere maggots. They would live for a matter of Peaks before they returned to Hell, thus repeating the cycle.”

Sam opened his mouth to speak, a thousand questions resting behind his eyes, but Bassorine held up his hand.

“Make no mistake, the gods are strong. We are the beginning and the end, but we can be destroyed and have weaknesses. During The Great Destruction of Everything Known, thousands of deities perished, and those of us who survived elected to be governed by a set of rules. We did this voluntarily, but the laws we voted into existence are imperfect, and many details were overlooked. We can vote to fix these discrepancies, but not until the events that have been set in motion are resolved.”

Bassorine walked to the pitcher of water and took a drink from it. “The Book of Immortality was created to govern our laws. I now regret its creation. I have the power to stop Lasidious, but our laws bind my resolve. I can’t stop him without risking retribution and my own destruction.”

Moving back to the window, the god continued. “Allow me to explain the Book of Immortality further. As I’ve said, those of us who survived the God Wars decided to create the Book. Each of us poured part of our power into its many pages and made it strong enough to legislate our actions. Its purpose would be to keep the Collective from warring against one another for the rest of eternity and hold our new laws on its pages. If a problem arises, it is for the Book to determine a solution.

“We are no longer able to directly control the will of gods, men, or beasts. Instead, we give them the freedom to make choices of their own. The Book also allows us free will, as long as we don’t break the laws on its pages.”

Bassorine turned away from the window, walked to the table and sat opposite of Sam. He then looked into Sam’s eyes. “It was the concept of free will that started the God Wars. Your gods of Earth, along with myself, and others, were among those who supported the idea of giving all creatures the freedom of choice, and we managed our worlds accordingly. Every deity had a hand in the creation of Heaven and Hell. Where the spirits of their followers ended up was determined by how each soul chose to live their life and how well they followed the rules their god or gods established. Heaven was a glorious place, while Hell was not so desirable. No matter what, it was the choices of men that determined where their soul was delivered.