Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign (Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Book 1) (79 page)

Keldwin continued. “I have a few more items to address. Some of them may not sit well with you, but I’ve received word that my decisions are what’s best for this kingdom. This confirmation comes directly from the gods.”

The room filled with whispers as the officers looked at each other. The seriousness of the meeting had just increased.

The general stood and commanded their silence.

As the king continued, he circled the table and then stopped behind his chair. “Bassorine has been destroyed.”

Before Keldwin could speak another word, the table became agitated and questions filled the air.

Again, the general stood and commanded their silence. “This meeting will come to order. No one will speak again until the king has finished!”

The officers knew not to question Justin’s authority. His position and reputation as a mighty warrior were well respected.

Everyone quieted, and the king reclaimed the floor. “Bassorine has been destroyed. A new god has taken his place.”

Keldwin’s eyes scanned the room as he watched his officers throw each other glances. Never had a god made his presence known to the officers in his army. Keldwin had never met Bassorine, but knew Mosley from the work Bassorine had the wolf doing before he ascended. “The god who has replaced Bassorine, is Lord Mosley. The wolf will be joining us for breakfast.”

The king knew his revelation would get a reaction, because most of his officers had met Mosley in the past. The table once again buzzed with commotion, but the king stopped the general from shouting. He allowed the men to talk amongst themselves.

After a moment, Keldwin raised his hand, and the room quieted. “As I was saying, gentlemen, Mosley is our new Lord. You will worship him as you worshiped Bassorine.”

The king was unable to speak further. A powerful wind filled the room, strong enough that each man had to steady his glass. As the wind settled, a brilliant light appeared a few paces behind the king’s chair. The men were forced to shield their eyes. When the light dissipated, Mosley stood in its place.

Despite the king’s warning that the wolf was coming, the men stood from their seats and retreated to the far end of the table.

The general turned his back to his men to keep his grin from being seen. “They’re all spineless,” he whispered to Keldwin.

“Easy, my friend. It’s not every Peak a god visits.”

Sam took a step away from the table and knelt on one knee. The king, the prince, and the General Absolute followed suit to emphasize the importance of the god’s appearance. They remained in this position with their heads bowed until the rest of the men gathered the nerve to step forward and kneel.

Mosley had added additional size to his frame for the occasion, and he looked twice his normal mass. He sat on his haunches and pushed his furry chest out in a majestic pose. He looked stunning. His teeth were white, his tail and coat looked brushed and had a regal shine. His look was befitting of a God of War.

With everyone kneeling, the canine spoke. “Great King, I request to be a part of this meeting. I am here to voice my opinions. Please stand, Keldwin, so we may speak in private.”

The king rose and followed Mosley to the far side of the room where the wolf leaned in toward Keldwin. “Do you think they bought it? They seemed nervous. Yet I feel an impression has been made. I hope my entrance was grand enough.”

“The men will listen to everything you say, My Lord. It was a fine entrance.”

“But do you think it was dramatic? Was it worthy of a pack leader of my stature?”

“Ohhhhh, more than dramatic, My Lord. The men have never seen anything like it, I assure you.”

Mosley sniffed Keldwin’s fingers. “How are you feeling?”

Keldwin hesitated. “I feel as good as a man can, considering I’m about to pass.”

“The disease is spreading.” Mosley snorted to clear the smell of the disease from his nostrils. “Please kneel, Keldwin, so I can impart the blessing you need to see to the end of your tournament.”

The men watched their king take a knee.

Mosley placed his paw on top of Keldwin’s head. A glow surrounded the king’s body as he lifted off the floor. A short period of moments passed before the king’s knee returned to the floor, and then he rose to his feet.

“May I give your men an order, Keldwin?”

“Please ... by all means, My Lord!”

Mosley turned to face the group. With an authoritative voice, he commanded, “Sit.” The wolf enjoyed the anxiety on their faces as they scrambled to their seats.

“Great King, I’ll stay for the moments necessary to listen to you speak.”

Keldwin loved being called “Great King” in front of his men. It gave him renewed vigor to carry on with the meeting. “Thank you, Lord Mosley. I was about to tell my men that I have few Peaks left. I shall pass not long after my tournament.”

Yet again, the room buzzed. The king allowed the General Absolute to explode. “I said be quiet! The next man to speak out of turn will be added to the lottery! I feel sorry for the soul who faces me!” The vein in Justin’s neck punctuated his statements.

The officers knew this was their last warning. No one would dare speak again unless they were asked.

Sam, on the other hand, thought,
I bet I could defeat you if given the chance.

Keldwin cleared his throat. “Michael, I will be temporarily removing you from second in command and placing Sam in your stead. When I pass, Sam shall become General Absolute, and General Graywind will become my son’s advisor. Michael, you shall then return to your responsibilities as second in command and assist Sam during the war.” The king turned to Mosley for confirmation.

“ That is correct, Great King,” the wolf replied with a strong voice.

Keldwin continued. “Are there any questions?”

The first to raise his hand was Michael. “My King, with all due respect, and I mean no offense, who is Sam? And why would he be placed in a position that I’ve rightfully earned?”

The general was about to jump out of his seat and rip Michael apart, but the king was wise, and he recognized the need for diplomacy.

The king motioned for Justin to relax. “The last series of moments in which I looked into my chamber mirror, Michael, the vision within still showed me as king. Any position given throughout this kingdom is because I choose to allow it. If I remember our laws—laws my family created with the help of the Senate, they allow me to have final authority during moments of war.

“The gods have told us war is upon us. I’ve ordered the general to activate the full strength of the army. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect the people. This decision is mine alone to make, and it has been made.”

Keldwin leaned over the table, his expression stern, “Michael, I would ask you to explain why you feel you have the authority to question your king? Do you question the gods? It was upon their referral that Sam is to be given your position. A referral such as this would be foolish to ignore. Tell me, Michael, would you have me ignore the gods?”

Michael shook his head. “No, My King.”

Keldwin scanned the table. “Who here agrees with my decision? Raise your mugs.”

Everyone in the room, including Michael, lifted their drinks.

With the issue settled, the king continued. “I’ll announce Sam’s new position at the start of my tournament. I expect you all to leave after breakfast and carry out the duties your general has assigned. I’ve sent word for hippogriffs to fly throughout the night. Each of you has a task to complete. Do it well, and do it with honor.”

The king turned from the table and looked at Mosley. “Do you have anything else to add, My Lord?”

The oversized wolf-god moved close to the table. He stood up on his hind legs and put his front paws onto its edge, and then looked down at the men. “The gods have brought Sam to this world, along with his betrothed. They are powerful beings and worthy of your respect. I hope you will not test your king’s decision before you accept Sam as your superior. I leave you now, but I’ll be watching from the heavens.” With that, the wolf dissolved into a million pieces that floated up and through the roof.

Once the room settled, and the king saw that everyone was calm, he turned the meeting over to Sam before he made his exit with his son and the general.

Sam stood and moved to the head of the table. “Does anyone have questions?”

Every officer slowly lifted a hand.

Sam sighed as he pointed at Michael. “Why don’t you be the first?”

For the rest of that meeting, Sam would think about the comment Mosley had made. Until now, he had not thought about marrying Shalee, but he had to admit he liked the idea of being her betrothed. He would find Shalee and speak with her about it after he finished with the men.

The Town of Lethwitch

It was over breakfast when George asked Athena to form a union with him. She was delighted,
of course
, and quickly dragged him to a jeweler friend of hers.

George smiled as he paid for the ring, completely ignoring the fact that the coin had come from the pockets of Amar’s robe. He realized this was the first moment he had given someone other than his daughter a piece of jewelry. His first wife had bought her own. With Athena, he enjoyed giving instead of receiving. He was elated as he watched her smile grow.

Before they left, the jeweler told them she would have the ring ready the next Peak, early enough to retrieve it before their union. The next stop was to buy Athena a gown, and George something to wear that would make him look dashing. Both outfits would need to be ready during the same series of moments as the ring.

After they were finished shopping, George suggested that Athena head back to her mother’s farm. He had seen a store earlier in the Peak that caught his eye, and he had an idea.

After Athena was out of sight, George turned and headed back up the road. He was looking for a store that was filled with boxes, bags and hides of all sizes. As he entered, he studied his surroundings. Despite his general distaste for ruggedness, he admired the craftsmanship sitting on every shelf. Each container was the result of a laborious effort in art, and they had been made of one kind of hide or another. In every case, the leather had been treated, and the smell was inviting.

From a back room, an older gentleman appeared. He was dressed in a white shirt and a brown leather vest that had been tied in the front. His long, graying braid hung to the middle of his back and swung from side to side as he moved to stand behind a counter opposite the shelves holding his masterpieces. Behind the counter hung three different pelts and two tails, possibly cut from some sort of raccoon.

“Hello,” the older man said with a smile. “People around these parts call me RJ the leather guy. But I’m sure you saw that on my sign out front.”

George reached out and grabbed RJ’s forearm, which was the town’s customary way of greeting, and thought,
Who is this hillbilly-flowerchild? Thank goodness his art looks better than he does.

“It’s nice to meet you, RJ. I’m George. I saw your boxes through the window. I’m especially interested in that one over there.”

RJ moved to grab the box and brought it back to the counter. He handed it to George. “I finished crafting this one 3 Peaks ago. I like how it turned out. I was getting ready to start another. Perhaps I should put a different design on it so it stands apart.”

“That’s a great idea,” George replied. “I’m getting hitched, tomorrow—”

“Hitched?”

“Yeah, you know, I’m going to have a wife.”

An understanding appeared on RJ’s face. “And you’re here to purchase her a gift?”

George held up the box and studied it. “I am. She’s totally worth it. She hits my hot button ... if you know what I mean.”

“I’m think I understand what you mean, but you speak differently than most.”

As George studied the box, he responded, “I’m visiting from another world. Let’s get down to business, shall we?

“Do you think you can make the next box with the words ‘Athena’s Treasures’ on the upper left hand corner of the lid? I’m sure she would love it if it was personalized. Maybe you can add some kind of design to surround the words across the bottom and the right hand side. Oh … and do you think you could have it done by morning?”

“For the right kind of coin I can have anything done by morning.”

George gave a sly grin. “Coin is not an issue, RJ. I’ll see you in the morning. Just remember, this woman is special. The box needs to equal her beauty.”

“In the morning, then. I’m sure the lady will be pleased.”

Later that Afternoon

Mary’s Cottage

The Peak of Bailem had come and gone, and George still needed to put his plan in motion. He pushed back his plate, shoved the last bite of biscuit into his mouth and then looked at Athena. “If you were to move, which family members would you want near you?”

Although she thought it was an odd question, Athena listed just over 30 souls.

“Great,” George replied. “Can you take me to meet them all? I’d like to personally invite them to our union.” He then stood from his chair and walked to the kitchen to put his plate in the washtub. He thought,
Damn it. Thirty? Holy garesh! I must really like this chick.