Mary lifted the bottle and took another swig. “I love this stuff!” she sloppily boasted. A moment later, Mary gave the sommelier a seductive look. “What’s your name?”
The man smiled. “My name is, No, my lady. Have a pleasant evening.” He looked at the girls. “I hope you don’t have pets at home. Your mother is going to have an eventful night. I would lock her up if I was you.”
The girls’ faces showed their disgust. They stood and quickly gathered around Mary. Athena read the spell from the Scroll of Teleportation. In an instant, they were home, standing in Mary’s bedroom next to the mirror that Brayson had moved upstairs so that their conversations would remain private.
Mary did not waste any of her moments. She took another swig, corked the bottle and then tossed it onto the bed as she stumbled across the room to the mirror to invoke its power.
Athena quickly snatched the bottle off the bed and headed out the door. The girls did not even have a chance to lock Mary inside before Brayson’s image appeared in the mirror. All they heard was the Head Master say in an excited voice, “I’ll be right there!”
Mary threw open her window to the outside world, tore off her clothes, tossed them to the ground and then flopped onto her bed. “I need some lovin’! Hurry, Brayson!”
Athena and Susanne felt as if they were in a stranger’s house. Not long after Brayson arrived, Mary’s screams of passion filled the night, and they lasted for a considerable amount of moments.
Hearing the disturbance, Kepler and Payne poked their heads out of the lair beneath the rocks. The demon-jaguar shouted across the clearing as Athena shut the front door to Mary’s home, “Why all the noise?”
The fairy-demon responded, “Payne go see, Kitty.”
Athena screamed as she pointed at Payne. “You move, and I’ll skin you alive! You go back inside that hole, or I’ll beat you! I’m embarrassed enough! Now get some sleep! Do you understand me?”
Kepler lowered back into the hole without saying another word, but Payne waited until Athena and Susanne went inside Susanne’s home before he teleported into a hovering position just outside Mary’s window.
The fairy-demon’s head poked above the sill. As the festivities inside continued, Payne’s head kept tilting side to side, and a confused expression remained plastered on his face.
After many, many moments, Mary’s screams finally subsided. Payne teleported back into Kepler’s lair. “Kitty, why they do that? That yuck.”
Kepler did not look up, but a grin crossed his furry face. “You’ll understand some Peak, Freak. I promise. Now get some sleep.”
Eventually, Athena left Susanne’s home and walked across the clearing to her house. Once inside, she shut the door and leaned against the back of it. She thought, I’m glad Brayson likes mother’s adventurous side. But how am I going to look her in the eyes tomorrow?
The Source’s Cave
The Chamber of the Eye of Magic
George began to stir. He felt rested, and his visit with Lasidious during his dream had been informative—extremely informative. He grabbed a quick bite to eat out of his pack and then stood to face the heavy, metal door. Behind it, the Eye of Magic waited.
He reached out, but the door opened before he could touch it. A chill ran down his spine as the heavy hinges squealed from many seasons without proper maintenance. Beyond the door, sitting attached to the top of a thick, wooden staff at the center of a cubed-shaped room was a canary-yellow gem. It looked like a fire burned within it, and it was large, about twice the size of his fist. Nothing else occupied the room.
That’s it? George thought to himself. How anticlimactic is this? It’s just a stone on a piece of wood. Granted, it’s a nice stone, but I was expecting something ... well, something more, I suppose.
He walked into the room. The door slammed behind him, the heavy metal making a thunderous noise. He rubbed his ears to stop the ringing as the room filled with a blinding light that forced him to cover his eyes. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of an angelic being. The light softened and was replaced with a soft-yellow glow that filled the room.
The being’s face could not be seen due to the light that consumed it. A ghostly body shimmered while large, feathered wings extended on either side.
George had no idea what to do. Many moments passed before the silence broke. “I have been waiting for you, George.”
The mage watched the light of the illuminated face fade and be replaced by a large eye. There was no mouth, no lips, nothing to go along with it. It was just a big eye that was sitting on top of the shoulders of an angel’s body.
“Does looking at me displease you?”
George smiled. “I wouldn’t say I’m displeased. I would say I’m unsure of what to think.”
“Your first honest answer. I trust you’re prepared to look into my eye? Do you feel you’re ready? Do you worry that I’ll steal your soul and swallow it?”
“I’m not worried about anything. I do have questions, though.”
The eye blinked. “I have never had a Mystic Learner come before me and request his questions answered. Do you not fear for your soul? I have taken many who weren’t ready.”
George shrugged. “I’ve got nothing to lose, nor am I your average Mystic Learner. If I die, you’re just doing me a favor. There are worse ways to go. The way I look at it, I won’t have to deal with this damn place any longer. Other than that, I feel pretty good about my chances. I can handle whatever it is you’re going to throw at me.”
“Your confidence is intriguing,” the Eye responded, “so I shall allow one question.”
George had many, but he needed to narrow them to the most important. After a short while, he spoke, “I’ve listened to Master Id speak of becoming strong enough to wield power like the gods. He said no one has ever been able to obtain this ultimate station, but yet, he said your gift is necessary to make this happen. I’d like to know why no one has ever been able to take your gift and use it to ascend to godhood. I guess what I’m asking, what has held them all back?”
The eye blinked. There was a long silence before its voice filled the room. “Even the most confident have failed to realize that they have no limitations. It’s their own inability to believe in the magnitude of the gift that keeps them from moving to a heightened level of exaltation. You are the first to stand before me and have the confidence to pursue a higher level of knowledge. The others simply looked into my eye when asked, and because of their blind ambition, most surrendered their souls.”
“What about Brayson?”
The Eye blinked. “That would be another question, but there’s no harm in answering it. Even your master did not have the presence of mind to question me. Step forward, George Nailer, and receive your gift.”
George stepped forward. As soon as he looked into the massive pupil, he felt weightless, as if gravity no longer mattered. His mind was filled with the knowledge of the most ancient of mystics as he lifted off the floor and remained suspended. Songs, images, fables, events of the past and the words of great teachers were all revealed. More than 2,400 expansions of his chest would pass before the new warlock was released from the Eye’s tutelage and George’s eyes closed.
The Eye looked down at George’s motionless figure as he settled onto the floor. “Sleep, warlock. You need the rest. Your confidence has allowed you to become extraordinarily powerful.”
Grogger’s Swamp
The Next Morning
With Kael in his hand, the trail of death the King of Southern Grayham left as he passed through the murky waters of the swamp was long. Sam had come to a good-sized hill, and he was able to crawl out of the water for the first moment since entering the swamp.
As the king ascended the steep embankment, Kael warned, “Stop climbing, Sam.”
Sam crouched. “Why?” he whispered.
The blade responded. “It’s the crystal. I can sense its power. If I’m right, it is just beyond this hill. I suggest greater caution is in or
der. We have no idea what we could be facing.”
“Agreed.” Sam lowered to the ground and finished climbing on his belly. At the top of the hill, he peeked over, but there was nothing but a large, mossy mound that protruded from the middle of more swamp. The king rolled to his back and lifted Kael close to his mouth. “I don’t see anything. It looks just like everything else did.”
“Your eyes are being deceived,” Kael replied. “The crystal is here. Look again.”
Sam rolled back to his belly and peeked over. The scene remained unchanged. After thinking it through, he picked up a small stone that was nearby, rolled to his side and then chucked it. He waited for the pebble to disturb the water as it landed not far away from the mossy mound. What he saw next gave him great concern.
The large mound was not a mound at all—it was a creature. It quickly turned, opened its mouth, and a freakishly large tongue lashed out in the direction where the pebble landed. The mass of the tongue tore into the swamp and displaced a large amount of water.
Sam rolled to his back. “Okay, okay. They said Grogger was big, but what an understatement that was. I wouldn’t call him big. I’d call him enormous.”
Kael responded. “I have news, but it won’t make you happy.”
“And what would that be? Wait, let me guess. The crystal is inside the toad.”
“Yes, it is, and you need to get it out of him.”
“Damn! You just had to say that, didn’t you?”
For the first series of moments, Sam heard Kael laugh, and then the blade responded. “So what’s the plan?”
“Beats the heck out of me,” Sam shrugged. “It’s not like I go charging into the belly of toads every Peak, you know? Let me think about this a bit.” Sam rolled over to take another look, but Grogger was gone. The king looked up. To his surprise, the shapple toad was falling from the sky. The beast was going to land on the back side of their position on the side of the hill he had ascended.
Sam quickly commanded Kael to bring forth his fire. Further, he commanded the blade to protect his skin from the acid inside the toad’s belly. He tucked Kael tight to his body to ensure that he did not drop the weapon and kept its point facing the ground. He closed his eyes, balled up tight, and waited.
The ground shook as Grogger landed. Sam could hear the screams of the souls wailing from inside the toad’s stomach as it opened its mouth. The force with which Grogger’s tongue pulled them inside nearly knocked Sam unconscious, but somehow, the king avoided breaking a bone. In fact, the toad swallowed them so quickly, the flame of Kael’s blade did not have a chance to burn the creature until they were inside its stomach.
As the lining of the toad’s stomach sizzled, Grogger stirred as his guts took the brunt of Kael’s heat.
The motion helped Sam regain his composure. When the king opened his eyes, he found himself in a pocket of protection. A man dressed as a hunter was holding the missing piece of the crystal, and he was staring at him.
Grogger hopped around the side of the hill in pain, throwing Sam and the hunter around inside him. The king fought through the pain that was inflicted by Grogger’s tongue and buried Kael deep into the floor of the beast’s stomach. “Hang on!” he shouted.
Both men could hear Grogger’s horrific cry. Suddenly, the pile of bodies beyond the protective barrier began to shift as the walls of the beast’s stomach began to spasm. The toad was going to barf.
Sam reached over and pulled the hunter close. “Here we go! This is going to get messy!” Sam commanded Kael to extend his blade.
Like projectiles, every being inside Grogger’s belly was expelled into the open, all of them landing across the hillside.
As they were pushed out, Sam had held tight to Kael’s handle. The blade sliced the toad from its belly through the beast’s mouth. The size of Grogger instantly reduced once the mound of bodies had been vomited up. The brutal cut left the toad lifeless and the lower half of its body had been split open.
Sam stood and wiped the stomach juices off his clothes. “Damn, I’ve dissected plenty of frogs, but that was ridiculous.”
The king commanded Kael’s flame to dissipate. He wiped the blade clean as best he could under the circumstances and then extended his hand toward the hunter. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Geylyn Jesthrene, from Hyperia.”
The king reached out and took the piece of the Crystal Moon. “This is what I came for. I hope you don’t mind, but I need to take this bad boy with me.”
Geylyn nodded. “Yes. Yes. Please, take it.”
“Geylyn, it looks like this is your lucky Peak. How long were you inside the toad’s belly, and how did you protect yourself from the acid?”
“I cannot answer,” the hunter responded. “I’ve been commanded to hold my tongue. The crystal is yours. I must return home without speaking further. Thank you for saving me, sir.”
Geylyn pulled a small scroll from beneath his shirt, read the words aloud and then vanished. Sam watched tracks appear as Geylyn’s invisible form worked its way down the hillside toward the water of the swamp.
Sam lifted Kael to his mouth. “How’s that for gratitude? Let’s find my pack and help as many as we can. We’ve got to get them out of here.”
Before a step could be taken, Mosley appeared beside Sam. The wolf-god said nothing at first and gave the king a moment to think.
Sam was pleased to see Mosley, but he knew he had to swallow his pride. “I owe you an apology for how I spoke to you in my throne room. I was out of line. I’m sorry. Are we still friends?”
“Of course we are, Sam. I knew you’d eventually calm down as your moments passed.” Mosley stopped to sniff the air. He then lowered his snout to the ground and began exploring his surroundings. After the third half-digested body, the wolf looked up and snorted to clear his nostrils. “To gaze upon one’s demise would make anyone think about what’s important. I know you’re struggling with Shalee’s unfaithfulness, Sam, but I want you to know that with enough moments, that pain will also pass. Your anger with the queen will be replaced with love. Everything will be as it should be. Once you leave the swamp, you may want to return to Grayham. War is coming to Western Luvelles, and your presence here is no longer necessary.”
“What about Shalee? I can’t leave her behind.”
Mosley tilted his furry head. “Where is she?”
“She began the trials to meet with the Source. Brayson sent her to look into the Eye.”
When the wolf did not respond, Sam could tell that Mosley knew something he was not sharing. “What’s on your mind? I can sense you’re conflicted.”
The wolf took a long, deep breath. “I wish I could tell you, Sam. I desperately want to share with you, but Bassorine demanded that I stay silent.”
“Why? What are you talking about?”
“I must go, Sam. I’ll come to you again at a later moment. I must join this piece of the crystal with the others.” The wolf vanished and so did the piece of crystal from Sam’s hand.
“Damn that wolf!” Sam snapped. After a moment, the king redirected his attention. He removed the small vial that Brayson had given him, and after a close inspection of all the figures scattered across the hillside, he decided he could save only 10 of them.
The Village of Gogswayne
That night, the goswigs could not believe their eyes as King Ultor made his way onto the banks of Crystal Lake. The Ultorian King had sent Swill and Syse ahead to summon the goswigs to a meeting. Everyone was present, except for Strongbear.
The king’s skin finished changing as he stood in front of nearly 1,000 creatures that held the title goswig. Ultor looked at Gage. “Where’s Strongbear?”
Gage did not want to answer. “He’s hibernating, Your Majesty.”
“Why would the bear be hibernating? The season hasn’t changed yet.”
The goswig population began to murmur, all of them unsure how the badger was going to explain the situation. They had agreed that Gallrum would a
void telling the king about the uniting of their magic to bring winter to their underground village, but now they were forced to face the consequences of their actions.
Gage decided to tell the truth. “Your Majesty, Strongbear was driving us mad. We were tired of listening to his orders, so we pooled our magic to bring in the new season to our village. We’re all against him and are no longer with him.”
The reaction Gage received was not what the goswigs expected. Ultor began to laugh. The badger had to reach down to hold his stomach as the gagging motion of the Ultorian’s laugh made him sick.
Eventually, the king settled down. “Who organized this use of power?”
Every goswig pointed at Gage.
Again, the king laughed. On each occasion Ultor lunged forward, Gage did too. The badger’s stomach was cramping as a result of the tension he felt because of the Ultorian’s strange laugh.
Eventually, Ultor’s enjoyment of the moment subsided. “You must wake Strongbear. The white army has requested that the goswigs fight beside them in the upcoming war. Strongbear’s magic will be needed on the Battlegrounds of Olis. I shall return tomorrow after dark.”
Ultor strolled back into the water. His skin once again changed to an iridescent blue as his large wings began to emerge from his back.
Gage tapped his staff against the ground as he turned to face the goswig ranks. “Great! Now we’ve got to wake him.” He mocked, “Are you with me ... or are you against me?”
All the goswigs grumbled as they headed home.
The Next Peak, Early Bailem
Shalee and Gregory are working their way through the Void Maze. Since George killed most of the creatures inside the dungeon’s corridors, they are left with just the task of finding their way through it.
Kepler and Payne are waiting for George to return from his visit with the Source. Kepler has decided to teach Payne to speak correctly. The pace at which Payne is learning is unexpected. Because of this, the demon-cat has decided to embrace the little freak and accept his company as permanent. Kepler hates to admit it, but Payne is growing on him.
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