Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign (Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Book 1) (97 page)

The mage followed the demon to the other side of the throne room, weaving their way through the shredded bodies and the snarling cats. The beasts were feasting as if they had gone Peaks without eating.

“What is it, Kep?” George snapped. “I should’ve gutted him already.”

“No, George. I lied. The barbarian’s family said nothing about attacking you.”

The skin between George’s eyes tightened. “Are you trying to mess things up? A deception like this could ruin our relationship with Senchae. I hope you have a good explanation.”

Kepler scowled. “I do, but I feel I must remind you that we are partners, and I don’t need to explain myself.”

George took a step back and held up his hands. “You’re right, stud. But if you don’t mind, I’d love to know what you’re thinking. It would make it easier to seize kingdoms if we’re on the same page.”

Kepler did not like George’s response. It was annoying. After a moment, he set his irritation aside and explained, “The general’s family had suffered loss by your claws.”

George cut in. “I don’t have claws.”

The demon-cat rolled his eyes. “Claws, paws, hands ... you know what I meant.”

George grinned. “You’re right. Just tell me what’s up.”

The jaguar lowered to his haunches. “I didn’t feel it wise to let an angry family live. With their passing, there’s no one to seek vengeance. Besides, their passing served three purposes.”

“And what are they?” George queried.

“The first gave me the chance to see if the king was loyal. When I told Senchae his champion said he ordered the attack, I watched his eyes to see if there were signs of deception. If he had ill will toward you, I would’ve known it. The king considers himself a true ally. He won’t be a threat as we dominate territories.”

“And the other reasons?”

The demon’s tone was sarcastic. “The barbarians gave me and my subjects something to eat, and the third ... I now have a few fresh skeleton warriors to command. Granted, their meat must be devoured, and it will take Peaks before their bones are completely clean. But soon, they’ll make a fine addition to my army.”

George turned to look as one of the cats tore off a large chunk of a bloody thigh muscle off one of the future skeleton’s legs. The fresh warriors rose off the floor one by one and stood in formation in front of the demon.

“Are you commanding them with your thoughts?” George queried.

Kepler nodded as the deceased left the throne room to sit amongst the trees outside the castle-lodge with his subjects in tow.

Kepler smiled. “I find that if I let them sit in an open area of the forest, the other animals and the bugs help to clean their bones in an expeditious manner. Give it about 10 Peaks, and they’ll be ready to serve.”

George reached up to scratch Kepler beneath his chin. “You’re one sick cat. I’m so glad you’re on my side, but could you please give me some notice before you decide to rip someone else apart?” He leaned forward and gave the cat a quick hug.

Kepler cringed. “Your affection is unnecessary, George. It’s degrading.”

With a smile, George turned to walk across the room. As he passed the king, he waved his hand across Senchae’s body. The mage did not offer the king an explanation. Instead, he continued on with the conversation that they were having earlier. “Nine Peaks. The Serpent King has been traveling for 9 Peaks. Where does this leave us?”

The king just stared into the throne room and marveled at the bloody scene.

After a moment, George yelled back over his shoulder from down the hallway, “Senchae, are you coming, or what?”

CHAPTER 35

Water Mist Mares

The Hidden God World

Ancients Sovereign

IT WAS ALMOST LATE BAILEM before Lasidious showed up at the Hall of Judgment to announce where the first piece of crystal was. The god knew the other members of the Collective and the Book of Immortality had been waiting. They were all sitting around the large, stone table where the Book’s golden stand rested.

“Thank you for coming,” Lasidious announced. “The moment has come to give the location of the first piece of the Crystal Moon. As I’m sure you can imagine, it has been hidden on Grayham.”

Mosley interrupted. “I was under the impression you were going to divulge the location of the first two pieces.”

“And I shall do that, but not on this Peak. Shall I continue, or does anyone else have a question?” Lasidious looked around the table. “As I was about to say, the first piece has been hidden on Scorpion Island at the center of Lake Zandra. I’ll—”

Alistar interrupted. After adjusting his robe and running his hands through his short, brown hair, he looked at Lasidious through a pair of brown eyes that complemented his thin face. “That lake is haunted by the mares you created when we crafted these worlds. You know they’re deadly. The people of Southern Grayham make it a point to steer clear of the lake. The mares could destroy the armies of every kingdom if you had not bound them to the water.”

Hosseff, the shade-god, cut in, “How do you expect the mortals to get to the island? The mares patrol the lake’s surface. If they aren’t there when the armies try to cross, they’ll be there before they get to the other side. We all know what will happen then. Their demise will be quick, and if they do manage to get to the island, the Scorpion King’s kind will rip them apart. I don’t see any way for either side to get this piece of crystal.”

Lasidious chuckled. “Do you really think that I’d put the crystal where it stood no chance of recovery? There’s no fun in failure. I told you I don’t want the worlds destroyed. This is just a game. The mist mares do have a weakness.”

Everyone in the room nodded, but Calla was the one to speak. Her voice was soft and silky. “I would like to be reminded of this weakness. Too many seasons have passed.” She brushed her short, auburn hair aside and then made sure the sapphires on her headpiece were centered on her forehead before she reached down to ensure her dress was tucked around her knees.

Lasidious shook his head. “I’m not going to tell you the answer. It would ruin the game.”

Mosley could not believe the ignorance of his team. They had known the God of Mischief for too many seasons, yet they still insisted on asking questions that they knew would never be answered.

Walking around the table, the wolf decided to take control the conversation. “Lasidious, correct me if I’m wrong, but there must be a twist. I believe you should provide a clue to the people. This way, they might stand a chance against the mares.”

Lasidious admired the wolf as he watched Mosley sniff the base of Yaloom’s chair. “You know, Mosley, I’m proud to have you as one of us. There are moments when I get sick of how witless the others have become.”

As the room exploded, Mosley and Lasidious held each other’s gaze, a mutual respect passing between them as the voices of the Collective echoed off the marble walls. The fact they were pursuing different goals did not matter.

Lasidious ignored the fuss for a bit longer before he turned his attention back to the table. “Shut up! I don’t care if you dislike how I feel. If it was up to me, the only one in this room I’d keep around would be Mosley. If I had the power to do so, I’d destroy all of you.”

The god glanced around the table at the angry faces. When he came to Mieonus and Calla, he offered peace of mind. “Now that I think about it, I would also keep the two of you. You too, Jervaise … your beauty is without equal when you’ve materialized. Your ghostly form is far too beautiful to destroy.” The Mischievous One’s attention turned to the lizardian. “But you, Lictina … you’re about the most unsightly thing I’ve ever seen. Put your tongue back in your mouth, and sit down.”

Those complimented smiled as Lictina lowered to her chair and continued to express her hostility.

The Book of Immortality floated across the table toward Lasidious and then commanded everyone’s attention. “It doesn’t matter how Lasidious feels. As long as he doesn’t act on his impulses, he’s allowed to hate the members of this collective. You all came for a reason. Get the information you’re after, and then leave my hall until Lasidious is ready to reveal the location of the next piece.”

Lasidious reached into his robe and produced two scrolls. He tossed them onto the table. “I have written a riddle on each. They read the same. I’ll give one to both teams. If any of you give the answer to the beings on Grayham, or assist in any way, the scrolls will disappear and return to me. If this happens, I shall destroy the Crystal Moon.”

Mosley walked to the head of the table. He reared up and placed his front paws on its edge and then used his power to open one of the scrolls. It read:

Water mist mares of Zandra,

Beautiful, yet deadly.

A soul reflection,

Their nature is in war,

Governing the lake from shore to shore.

Mosley dropped to his hind quarters and then scratched the back of his neck. “Sam will figure this out before he’s finished reading. It’s clear what you’re trying to say.”

Yaloom looked at Mosley. The God of Greed played with the rings on his fingers as he spoke. “You understand what has been written? Speak, wolf. What’s so clear about it?”

Mosley shook his head. “Yaloom, I would rather leave you in a state of confusion. You dominate no pack of your own, and you would divulge the answer to George.”

“Who says I’m going to give the parchment to George?” Yaloom snapped. “Maybe I intend to take this information elsewhere.”

Mosley shook his head. “Only you would make a fool’s decision. Perhaps I should give you the answer to the riddle. You’d only end up helping my team anyway, Yaloom.”

The wolf turned his attention back to the laughing God of Mischief. “You’re right, Lasidious, the intelligence in this room is far from suffocating. I’ve never seen this much stupidity in one den.”

Lasidious smiled as he patted the wolf on his back. “It’s hard to put one over on Sam with his superior intellect, but I don’t think it will be as simple as you think. There’s a twist, I assure you.”

“When can we meet again to discuss the second piece of crystal?” Mosley inquired.

“In 10 Peaks.” Lasidious plopped into his chair. “Remember, you’re forbidden to assist the people of Grayham.” The God of Mischief disappeared.

Without a word, the wolf also vanished. When Mosley reappeared, he was standing in Brandor’s royal dining hall. Sam, Shalee, BJ, Helga, and the General Absolute were discussing who Sam should choose as his new advisor. The general did not enjoy politics, and the role of advisor was laden with political engagements. Michael did not want to be pulled away from the day-to-day dealings of the army, so he had requested to be excused from consideration. To be the king’s advisor would require a much heavier involvement with the Senate.

Sam had agreed to the general’s request. This left the king with a decision to make. Who would be his advisor? Sam was pleased when Mosley showed up. Now, he could ask the god for his opinion. “Mosley, it’s good to see you. What brings you here, My Lord?”

“I bring news of the first piece of the Crystal Moon. I’ve come from a meeting with the gods. You’ll need to take your army to Scorpion Island.”

BJ and Michael spoke at the same moment. Realizing he was not a proper part of the chain of command, BJ held his tongue and yielded.

“Thank you, BJ,” Michael acknowledged. “Lord Mosley, the lake surrounding the island is a doomed body of water. It’s haunted by the mist mares. No one has ever set foot on the island, except for one man, but Barutomus has long since passed. From the writings of his exploits, the island is infested with giant scorpions. He wrote: they have a king with a poisonous tail over two and one half paces long. You cannot simply approach beasts of this nature. It will be impossible to find the crystal without taking heavy casualties.”

Everyone at the table turned to BJ to hear his opinion. “I agree with the general, but I’m more concerned about the mist mares.” He turned to Sam. “The army can surely fight the scorpions and win, but the mist mares are spirits. Neither sword nor any other weapon known to our kingdom will defeat the beasts. They traverse the top of the water and slay anyone that attempts to cross.

“For reasons we don’t understand, the mares don’t come ashore. No one has ever seen them anywhere other than Lake Zandra. They look like ghosts, and from what I’ve heard, they breathe a mist that ends anything it touches.

“ Some stories call them demons, others shades, and still others, spirits. No one has dared study their nature except from afar. The people of the kingdom avoid the lake at all costs, and even the hippogriffs and the griffins fly well above the water. To fight these beasts would doom us all.”

Sam stood after hearing each man speak. He looked at Mosley. “Is this all you know?”

Mosley shook his head. “No, but this is all I can divulge. Anything more, you must figure out on your own.” Just like he did in the Hall of Judgment, the wolf rose up and placed his front paws on the edge of the table. He then looked down and motioned with his snout for everyone to adjust their attention to the top of the table. The scroll holding Lasidious’ riddle appeared.