The Eye of Luvelles

by Phillip Jones

  “Nonsense,” Mary said while walking past Brayson and pinching his backside on her way to the pantry, her bare feet gliding across the hardwood floor. “George, you listen to me. You’ll just have to...” She paused. “How do the people from your old Earth say it again? I think you said it was ... suck it up, and stop acting like a wimp.”

  Everyone laughed at George’s expense. A few moments later, Mary continued. “This will be our last chance to do this kind of thing before the baby arrives. Put on a happy face, and let’s have some fun.”

  Mary had to open the pantry more than once to get the effect she was after. The environment inside changed to the atmosphere necessary to keep items chilled. She walked in and retrieved a dozen vestle chick eggs and a large tub of greggled hash. Upon shutting the door, she turned to look at George. “I don’t see that frown turning upside down, Mr. Nailer.”

  Brayson had to laugh as he watched the warlock continue about his business without responding. “Do you despise calling nature that much, George? I may have a better idea. Instead of calling nature, why don’t we go to the Foot and stay with the giants. At least there, you’ll forget the roughness of the environment. The giants have interesting homes. I’m certain we’ll be able to stay with their leader. I’m sure you’d find it educational to meet Grosalom. He’s an enormous man and carries a massive presence about him.”

  George shrugged. “Well I’d hope so. You just said he’s a giant. Duh!”

  The thought of meeting Grosalom reminded George of Kroger. He still regretted the Peak when he turned the gentle ogre to stone. After a moment, he continued to fill a jar with corgan milk and responded. “I guess it wouldn’t be so bad to meet a few giants. I think I’d enjoy that.”

  Athena smiled and pulled her husband’s hands about her waist. With her back to him, she looked over her shoulder. “Thank you, honey. Imagine how big their mattresses will be. We’ll be able to roll over and over and over before we find an end.”

  Map of the Area Around the Foot

  That evening, after teleporting to the Foot, Brayson made their introductions. The group had to sit more than 50 paces away from a massive bonfire while seven, 30 pace tall native-looking figures danced around the flames. Their weight caused the ground to quake with each thunderous step.

  Noticing that the environment was dangerous due to the size of their hosts, Brayson used his magic to protect the group from being smashed by a wayward foot.

  As George watched Grosalom’s tribe of feather-covered rain seekers move about the fire with paint-covered faces and rattles cut from the tales of giant serpents, he could only marvel. Everything in this part of Luvelles was enormous. Even the remnants of the serpents that were draped across a large, wooden tripod—the top of which had to be at least 50 paces at its highest point—made the structure seem miniscule, and the snakes’ tails and their heads were resting on the ground on opposite sides of the tripod.

  Holy garesh! They have to be over 300 feet long. I bet they’re at least six feet thick, George thought. I bet they’d give Sotter nightmares if he lived on this world.

  George’s eyes settled on Grosalom’s home that reflected the light of the bonfire in the distance. Damn! They live in giant teepees. I bet that thing has to be at least 200 feet tall and twice as wide. This place is sick. This is worth roughing it.

  Grosalom looked down at his tiny visitors and spoke in a booming voice. He ordered the dancers to stop. The ground stopped shaking as the heavy footsteps subsided.

  Once everyone had taken a seat around the fire, the giant leader continued to speak in a whisper—a voice that still seemed commanding to his guests.

  When the conversation ceased, Brayson turned to the others to translate. “Grosalom has prepared a place for us to sleep. He said it would be best for us to ride with his daughter, or it’ll take us all night to get there. She will return in the morning to bring us to breakfast.”

  Once agreed, they climbed into the female giant’s palms. The ground beneath them moved swiftly as she walked. With each footstep, they marveled at the sound.

  Arriving at their destination, she lowered them to the ground. Brayson shouted as loud as he could to thank Sheswyn for her generosity. After watching her depart, the group turned to look up at their teepee.

  George used his power to lift the group off the ground and lowered them onto the wooden platform that the structure rested on. As they walked inside, they noticed how thick the hides were that covered the teepee. They imagined how large the animal must have been to carry such a remarkable skin.

  The mattresses that had been scattered across the floor were made of the same hides and had been stuffed with some sort of wool. As if the fact that one of these beds would sleep two of these giants was not impressive enough, they had to marvel further at how thick the mattresses were. Beginning at the floor, they stretched to a height of nearly 10 paces.

  George looked at Brayson. “I’ve got only one question.”

  Brayson smiled. “You like this place, don’t you?”

  “I do. But that has nothing to do with my question. What I’m wondering is ... if everything is so big here, what about the bugs that can crawl onto the mattresses? How big do you think they are, and how do you think we should handle them so we can get some sleep?”

  Kepler’s Lair

  The Next Night

  George appeared inside Kepler’s lair after spending the Peak with Brayson and the girls. “Wake up, Kep,” George said as he waved his hand to remove the darkness.

  Kepler covered his eyes with both of his front legs as he buried his head beneath them. “George, you’ve got to stop doing that,” he moaned. After a moment, the cat pulled back one of his legs and looked up at George with one eye. “What do you want?”

  The warlock shook his head in disbelief. He closed his eyes and then reopened them. Sure enough, Kepler’s black coat had changed color. His fur was white, and his burgundy-red eyes were more vibrant than ever. His new look was captivating. “Holy garesh, Kep. What the hell happened to you?”

  “Not now, George, I’m tired. I’ve been out all night learning what I can do with my new power.”

  “Sit your big ass up,” George barked. “Let me take a look at you.”

  The demon-cat lifted off the floor and posed. “I know ... I look amazing, right? I’m pleased with my new appearance. I am a refined Master of the Hunt.”

  “You look better than amazing,” George responded. “Athena is going to garesh herself when she sees you. How are we going to explain this?”

  Kepler licked his chops. “I don’t know, but when I awoke yester Peak, I looked like this.” The jaguar changed the subject. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.”

  “Yeah ... sorry about that. I thought it was best to let you sleep. When I left, you were still out of it, and you were still black. Brayson took me and the girls on a calling nature trip.”

  The demon-cat chuckled. “I bet you hated every moment of it.”

  “Actually, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Brayson took us to a place called the Foot. There are some enormous S.O.B.s there. Apparently, the white army has requested the assistance of the giants during the war. Their leader is a massive guy named Grosalom. We’ve got to go there one of these Peaks. You’ve got to see how stinking huge everything is.”

  Kepler yawned. “Perhaps, perhaps not.”

  George frowned. “Well, don’t get excited or anything. I’d hate to get your blood flowing.”

  The demon-jaguar rolled his eyes. “I hope you’re here for a reason, George.”

  “Of course, I am,” George replied. “But first, I bet your new power is what caused the change to your fur. I think we should tell the family that you used your magic to make the change.”

  A surprised look appeared on Kepler’s face. “Does the family already know I have Payne’s abilities?”

  “Yeah, I told them last night.”

  “Do you really think that was wise?”<
br />
  “I had to say something. Garesh! It’s not like someone turns white every Peak, you know? I told Athena I made Payne give you his power because I wanted to make sure he didn’t accidentally do something to hurt Garrin while he was playing with him.”

  Kepler thought a moment. “Don’t forget. Payne still has natural abilities.”

  “Yeah, I haven’t forgotten. I’ll figure it out later.”

  “So you lied to Athena again.”

  George cringed. “I know, right? But it was only a half lie. I know I’m justifying it, and I’m not okay with lying to her, but how else was I going to explain the crap that went down? I didn’t see another choice.”

  Kepler pondered George’s explanation. “I want you to know I have access to your thoughts. I understand how you feel about lying to Athena, and I know you’re telling me the truth. It’s clear to me that you love her and the family. I have to admit, I was surprised when I learned that Brayson was growing on you. But the thing I found most puzzling was your love for my companionship.”

  George smiled. “See? I told you I loved ya, ya big dumbass.”

  Kepler groaned. “Ugh ... perhaps I may feel the same way on some very minor, extremely insignificant level. Don’t get excited about it. I would still rather devour you than let you hug me again.”

  George chuckled. “Well, at least that’s a starting point.” He elbowed the cat. “Come on, man, just admit it. You know you like me more than you’re letting on, don’t you?”

  The demon stretched. George watched his muscles ripple beneath his coat as he did. Once finished, the giant cat responded, “Let’s change the subject. I want you to know I understand everything that’s going on now. I like what you’re planning on Harvestom. I think—”

  George stopped Kepler before the demon could continue. “We should save this conversation for later. You never know who’s listening. Besides, I’ve got something to show you. I’ve been working on mastering it for the last few Peaks.”

  George looked into Kepler’s eyes. After a moment, the giant cat understood what was happening. He returned George’s thoughts with a few well-placed thoughts of his own. This is intriguing. We can speak without uttering words now. I like this, George. We’ll never need to watch what we say from now on. Imagine the messages we could exchange while standing amongst the family.

  George answered back with a few thoughts of his own. I totally agree. But about Harvestom ... I’m going to take you with me when the moment is right. Your new look will make quite the impression. We should use this to our advantage. If I’m going to be Lasidious’ supposed prophet, we should look the part.

  I’ll create a new tunic. I think it should be white with burgundy trim to match your eyes, and I think that we should drape a black chain around your neck that has a pendant with a large gem at its center. I think that would look sick, don’t you?

  Kepler cringed. Why would you want me to look sick? I feel fine.

  George rolled his eyes. Sick means good, Kep. Come on, dude, keep up.

  Kepler thought a moment. You say the strangest things.

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I think the gem should match your eyes. I also want a staff to complement the overall look. We need to look tasteful. Oh, oh, oh … and let’s create a black saddle for you to wear and lace it with more burgundy gems. No matter where we go, we’ll look sick as hell.

  The jaguar grinned. I like this idea of looking sick. It’ll be a powerful statement while dominating territories.

  Agreed. You’ll be the most disgusting looking kitty in all the land.

  Kepler growled and stopped their mental conversation. “You just had to ruin the moment, didn’t you? You just had to say it.”

  George held up his hands. “You’re right, my bad. I’m sorry. Look, we’ve got a lot to talk about.” George began to communicate telepathically once again. So, I think we need to… The conversation continued.

  The Cave of the Source

  The Next Morning

  Brayson and George appeared outside the Ancient One’s cave. It took only a moment for Brayson to notice the large mound of rocks that had fallen from the cliffs above the entrance. Both men headed for the scene. Brayson used his magic to lift the stones and push them clear of the entrance.

  To George’s surprise, Gregory was nowhere to be found beneath the trap he had set only Peaks earlier. Somehow, the White Chancellor had managed to avoid being ended, and this changed everything.

  Realizing a new plan was necessary, George reacted. “I wonder what happened here. We should go inside and see if Gregory’s in there. Do you think he survived his encounter with the Eye? We should ask the Source if he came out of the chamber.”

  Brayson was still studying the face of the cliff. “This is strange. I must come back to take a closer look. Someone powerful is responsible for this. These walls are protected by magic. For them to break apart doesn’t make any sense.”

  “It makes sense to me,” George replied without hesitation. “I bet it’s more of Mieonus’ handiwork. I’m sure she’s angry because I told her I won’t do her dirty deeds.” The warlock paused. “But why would the goddess do this? Now that I think about it, you’re right ... none of this makes sense.”

  Brayson touched George on the shoulder. When they reappeared, they were standing in Gregory’s throne room. Brayson located one of the handmaidens and asked if the chancellor had returned. Once confirmed, the Head Master sent the elderly woman to retrieve Gregory, and then he turned to face George. “At least we know he’s alive. With the Eye’s gift, he’ll be able to help us spread the word of our lord. We should sit with him so you can explain everything. I’m sure he’ll want to help.”

  George thought to himself, Maybe the rocks missing Gregory won’t be such a bad thing after all. I should be able to manipulate this inconvenience into something beneficial. George smiled. “You’re right, Brayson. Your brother will make a fine addition to our cause. If he sees things as we do, I’ll ask Lasidious to make him a disciple.”

  Brayson nodded. “First, let’s find out how strong his magic is. That way, you can tell Lasidious how effective Gregory could be.”

  Kebble’s Kettle

  The Next Evening

  George and Kepler appeared outside Kebble’s Kettle after spending much of the Peak preparing their new look. The moment had come for the warlock to take Shalee to Brandor. George was wearing a new, elegant tunic, and he was sitting on a black saddle that was lined with garnet gems. His staff matched Kepler’s black chain, and at its top was a gem made of the same mineral as the gem he had set at the center of Kepler’s pendant.

  As soon as Shalee saw the pair, she stood from her seat at the far end of the porch and took a step toward the railing. Her voice was tentative as she spoke. “Is that...?”

  George answered. “Yes ... it’s Kepler. He also understands the truth now. He serves Lasidious like I do.” The warlock reached down and patted Kepler’s neck. “He sees the importance of bringing peace to the worlds after his visit with my lord.”

  Shalee’s voice was filled with reservation. “This is unnerving, George. Kepler is a soulless demon. How could he be a part of bringing peace to the worlds?”

  Kepler spoke up. “I’m standing right here, Queen of Brandor. I am no longer soulless, and you may ask your questions directly to me.”

  The sorceress walked down the steps. “Okay, then. Consider yourself asked.”

  The demon had rehearsed a response for this confrontation. “Our lord has bestowed a soul upon me. He is mighty. And he has the power to bestow many other blessings. Lasidious found a soul within his heaven who was willing to share my being. We live together as one and serve our lord in unison. I know now what I need to do to atone for the pain I’ve caused. I must spread his words of love, peace and unity. I must make my god proud of me, and in doing so, I shall help the prophet make those who call for war see there is a better way to solve their differences.”

  As Shalee pondered the demo
n’s response, George patted Kepler on the neck and sent him a telepathic thought. Damn Kep, that’s some good garesh you just spewed. You gave yourself a soul, and now we’ve got unity added to our list of B.S.

  The jaguar responded. So you think she bought it?

  Totally, dude. Keep it up. You’ve got her mind all twisted.

  The queen shook her head. It was easy to see her confusion. After a moment, she responded. “So ... there’s like two of you inside your body? Can you hear the other one talking to you? Isn’t that discombobulating?”

  The jaguar shook his head. “There’s no confusion in my mind. I wish I had an answer that would make sense, but I don’t. If you were to ask our god, he could explain it far better than I. Besides, he plans to speak with you anyway ... not long after your husband’s resurrection.”

  “Good! I have a million questions for him.”

  George decided to redirect the conversation. “The moment has come. We need to go, Shalee.”

  Shalee tapped Precious on the porch step. “Thank goodness. You have no idea how stir-crazy I’ve been. I’ve considered teleporting out of here on a hundred occasions to catch a ride with the Merchant Angels. I’ve never felt so torn about so many things, and I’m unable to cry anymore. I swear to you, if it wouldn’t have been for Kebble, I would’ve lost my mind.”

  The sorceress’ expression changed. She looked George in the eyes. “I won’t lie to you, I’m still trying to decide if everything you’ve told me is the truth.”

  George projected a thought to Kepler, Yeah, yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah. What a stupid ass blonde. Then the warlock responded to the queen as the jaguar grinned. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out, Shalee. For now, just close your eyes. I’ll take us to Brandor. You won’t ever doubt me again after you see your husband rise from the dead. His Passing Ceremony is being held inside Brandor’s arena. Michael, Brandor’s interim king, has ordered the Senate to attend ... even the barbarian senators.”

  “King? How could there be another king while I’m still alive?”