Brayson had watched the exchange while standing at the window in Mary’s living room. A smile crossed his face as he shut the curtains. “Mary, I must go. It has been a pleasure to see you. I’m glad you used the mirror to call me.” He lifted her hand and kissed the top of it. “It seems my moments have run out. I must get back to my office. When I see you again, I’ll take you someplace special.”
Mary sighed. “I’d like that.”
Brayson kissed her cheek and spoke in the language of the elves. “Vanamille silla tori.”
“Oh my, that sounded glorious. What did you say?”
“I said, ‘Your beauty shines bright.’” Brayson vanished.
Mary grinned from ear to ear, “I’m going to like my magic-man.” She retired to her room.
Southern Grayham
Sam and Shalee’s Bedroom Chamber
Sam rode his mist mare as fast as Cain could carry him to get back to the castle. He was glad his problems with Kepler’s brothers were over, and now that he knew where George was, he could search for him there. But the news of George’s whereabouts paled in comparison to his queen’s health as he ran up the castle steps to find out what was going on.
After he entered their bedroom chamber, it did not take more than a moment for the king to realize that the situation was grim. He could see the pain on Shalee’s face as soon as he crossed the threshold. Sam quickly adjusted his mindset and prepared to use his medical knowledge that he had acquired while on Earth.
He sat on the edge of the bed to assess the situation. Shalee was pale, fatigued, and when he touched her forehead, her skin was cold. Her eyes were bloodshot, and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“Shalee, I need you to tell me what you’re feeling. What’s happened since I left?”
The queen pulled back the covers. Her voice was weak. “It’s the baby.”
Sam instantly stood and moved to the end of the bed. As he looked between the queen’s legs, he fought to hold back the heartache. The infant had been expelled, and the baby’s skin was pale-gray. It had not received enough oxygen while it was in the womb. Sam Jr. was lying lifeless in his own afterbirth.
Shalee had been near the end of her second trimester. The baby looked to be nearly three pounds. Every finger and toe was accounted for, but they would never be able to hold Sam’s finger.
The king ordered everyone to leave the room. Without a word, he gathered a clean cloth and spread it out on the corner of the bed. He lifted the baby and placed him at its center. The king folded the edges to cover the body and then moved to the center of the room to place his son’s corpse on the table.
Moving back to the edge of the bed, Sam gathered his wife into his arms. He held her close to provide a safe place for her to grieve. After many moments passed, Sam pulled back. “Shalee, we need to get you cleaned up. There are things that I need to do to ensure you don’t have further complications. I need to check inside you, and then put padding in place to absorb the drainage.”
Shalee pulled on the collar of his shirt. “Sam, I’m so sorry. I’m so very sorry. I let you down.”
“No, you didn’t. This isn’t your fault. It could happen to any woman. We’ll get through this, I promise. But first, we need to get you cleaned up.”
Shalee nodded.
Sam took charge of the situation. It was not long before the queen was sleeping, exhaustion overwhelming her.
With the situation in hand, the king returned to the table. As he pulled back the corners of the cloth, tears rolled down his face.
Western Luvelles
Brayson’s Office in the Sky
When George appeared inside the Head Master’s office, Kepler was sleeping. There was no sign of Master Id.
“Kep, where’s Brayson?”
The demon opened his eyes and yawned. “Who cares.”
The mage frowned. “Come on, Kep. Where is he?”
“I don’t know. We were talking about Payne, and suddenly he excused himself. I see you brought the freak back with you.”
Payne looked at George. He wanted to argue with the jaguar, but he did not want to get in trouble.
“Well that’s just great!” George snapped. “I bet he went to see Mary. Damn it, Kep, this isn’t good.”
“What’s not good?” Brayson responded, after appearing behind the mage.
George whirled around. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to hear something isn’t good. What are we talking about?”
“Oh, it’s nothing I can’t handle.” George changed the subject. “So, what are we supposed to do now? You said something about beginning my training. You were going to explain how to bond with a goswig. What did you mean by that?”
Brayson sat at his desk that was made of dwyre wood, and carved across its front was an image of a dragon—the Source. He opened a giant book that sat on its top and instructed, “George, come here a moment, and bring Payne with you. I want you to see this.”
Kepler growled. “What about me? What am I, greggled hash?”
Brayson reached out and gently pushed George to the side so he could see the jaguar’s face. “It appears you make a good rug. So just lie there.”
George gave Kepler an unsure look and then did as he was told. With Payne hovering next to his head, he looked down. The images on the book’s pages were moving across the tattered pieces of parchment. “This is fascinating. I’ve never seen anything that looked so ancient and so alive. I don’t understand the elven language. How can I read it?”
“It won’t matter. Concentrate.”
George focused, but his lack of comprehension frustrated him. “Master Id, what does this phrase mean?”
Brayson leaned over and took a look. “It is a phrase of power.” He explained some of the phonetics of the Elven language. “Try to sound it out. You can do it.”
The challenge was intriguing. George wanted to understand the power the book possessed. The mage sounded out the phrase. “Umma mai’ ten’ rushwe, ta tulava a’ llee.” The magic within the book began to stir. A swirling mist emanated from its pages and surrounded George and Payne. It was not long before the pairing was sucked inside, vanishing into the pages as a misty trail followed. The tome slammed shut. A new story of bonding had begun.
Kepler jumped to his paws and growled. “What have you done with them?”
Brayson leaned back in his chair. “Calm yourself, Kepler. Everything will be alright ... providing George is able to find a way back. The book is taking them on a journey. The phrase meant, ‘Don’t look for trouble, it will come to you.’”
“What do you mean ... ‘providing he can find a way back?’ What kind of trouble is he in?”
“George and Payne must take this journey. If they don’t work together, they could end up lost or ended. This is how he’ll learn to bond with Payne.”
“What do you mean, lost, and why would he perish?”
“I mean they may never return. The trials are dangerous.”
The demon-cat scoffed, “Athena isn’t going to like the sound of that.”
Brayson smiled. “Athena doesn’t need to know ... unless George fails. Agreed?
“I suppose.”
CHAPTER 5
A Forbidden Fruit
Southern Grayham
Sam’s Throne Room
SAM SPENT MOST OF THE NIGHT watching over Shalee while she slept. Just before dawn, the king lifted the cloth that held the expired life of his infant son and sought solitude within the confines of his throne room.
As Sam cradled the child, tormented tears rolled down his face. He would never know the joy of Sam Jr.’s company. The king was empty, his heart ached, and he trembled with every breath. With his whole heart, he wished to trade his life for the opportunity to give Shalee the chance to know their son.
The memories of everything lost flooded his mind. He missed Earth, his family, Helga and BJ—especially BJ—and he could only imagine how much the people of his kin
gdom missed the thousands of men who had been lost in the war.
Sitting on his throne, Sam put his legs together and laid the baby on his lap. He peeled back the layers of the blanket that was hiding the infant’s tiny form. It only took a glance for the king to lose what was left of his composure. He had seen death on the battlefield, in the arena, and on the operating table while he was on Earth—but this was different—this was his son. The king wailed.
The World of Luvelles
Northwestern Hyperia
Grogger’s Swamp
Celestria appeared in the middle of Grogger’s Swamp. It was a miserable place—cold, dark, and murky. The air smelled putrid. The goddess levitated above the moss-covered water and watched as the back of a large creature briefly broke its surface.
The swamp was full of many forms of reptiles, amphibians, insects and birds—most of which had been deformed or altered by magic, then discarded to live the rest of their Peaks in misery.
A large bird with reversed wings flew past. Its long neck was rolled under its body to see where it was going, since it flew tail first. The goddess shook her head at the ridiculous concept that some powerful wizard would waste his moments on such a childish manipulation.
The swamp covered a tremendous area of northwestern Western Luvelles, and it had become a magical garbage dump. These were the experiments of those who sought to strengthen their control over the dark arts.
Now, fellow soul ... Grogger’s territory was the home of a 30 pace tall, 38 pace wide shapple toad. In general, shapple toads were not considered a threat. Normally, they were small, about the size of a man’s fist. They ate bugs and hopped away from anything larger than themselves. Once an insect had been swallowed, it was digested over a series of Peaks.
Grogger, on the other hand, was not your normal shapple toad. He had been transformed by the darkest of magic—magic commanded by Marcus Id. The chancellor had performed many experiments on the beast. As a result, the enormous shapple toad ruled the swamp, and his prey was slowly digested inside his belly over 10 seasons.
Celestria understood the digestive traits of the acid inside Grogger’s belly. This beast was perfect for the plan she and Lasidious had decided to implement more than 100 seasons ago. She had been the one to implant the desire to manipulate Grogger in Marcus’ mind. The chancellor’s lust for power was strong, and it did not take much before he took action.
Now, all Celestria had to do was encourage Grogger to swallow her. As it turned out, getting inside the beast would not be an issue. The ground shook as Grogger surprised Celestria. The beast landed behind the goddess, and the murky water splashed everywhere, saturating her gown. Grogger’s mouth opened. The screams of trapped souls inside his belly could be heard as his tongue lashed out to pull her inside.
Once ingested, the goddess could not move. The sheer number of bodies inside the toad’s belly had been compacted. She expanded her invisible barrier of protection and then lifted her hand to command the darkness to dissipate.
With light and room to work, Celestria studied her surroundings. Despite the knowledge of what she would see, the goddess was unable to fight back the need to vomit.
It took a while before she was able to collect her composure. Many of the partially digested life forms, all of which were in various stages of decomposition, oozed with puss. The white moisture bubbled as the magic attacked the outermost extremities first and then worked its way to the main organs. Arms, legs, fingers and toes sizzled as the acid inside Grogger’s belly systematically devoured them.
Although alive, none of the toad’s victims were coherent. The screams the goddess had heard when Grogger’s mouth opened to pull her inside must have come from a source other than the 60 motionless figures piled in front of her.
The goddess removed a piece of a toe from the hem of her gown. She tossed it beyond the barrier and onto the mound of bodies. Again, she puked. “Oh, my love ... is our plan worth the suffering these beings must bear?”
After summoning fresh water to appear in the palms of her hands, she swished it around inside her mouth to remove the aftertaste of her vomit and then spit the water to the floor of Grogger’s stomach. “Whom to choose? Whom to choose?” she muttered as she scanned the pile.
Pressed against the wall of her barrier was an elf, dressed for the hunt. His crossbow had been damaged from the force of Grogger’s tongue. He wore heavy, leather boots and gloves, with the rest of his body covered from the neck down to keep the leeches out. The only part of his person uncovered was his head, and because of the way the acid worked, the only damage he had suffered was to his long, blond hair, and even then, just the ends were affected.
“His capture must have been recent,” the goddess whispered as she extended her field of force to pull the elf inside. She touched his shoulder. “Hello. Can you hear me?”
The elf did not move.
The goddess waved her hand to clear the stench. “Sir, wake up.”
After many moments, the hunter opened his eyes. His voice was weak. “Where am I?”
“You’re inside the beast-toad,” Celestria replied in a soothing tone. “We’re trapped.”
The elf groaned. “I suffer.”
“I can imagine. The beast’s tongue strikes with force. What’s your name, hunter?”
“I’m called Geylyn Jesthrene ... from Hyperia.” The elf tried to sit up, but pain shot through his chest. “I must have broken something. It appears we’re doomed.”
“What brought you to the swamp?” the goddess queried.
“I came to win the respect of my family. I had no idea the beast had grown so. It appears I’ve done nothing but assist in his growth. What a fool I was to think that a miserable crossbow would kill him.”
Unconcerned, Celestria allowed her mind to wander, thinking of future plans while Geylyn babbled on about the details of his encounter with the toad.
“The beast surprised me. My krape was spooked and threw me to the ground. I should’ve known I was in trouble when my mount began to stir...” The hunter finished his tale by saying, “...His tongue was the last thing I saw. I should’ve paid attention to the warning signs.”
Now, fellow soul ... for those of you who don’t know, krapes were the mounts for those on Luvelles who were unable to command magic. Their appearance was strange. They were hairy, with a large portion of their body resembling the shape of an oversized kangaroo. Their arms resembled an ape’s. A long, heavy tail extended behind them for balance, with a large mass at the end that was used as a weapon for protection. Their head looked reptilian—similar to a raptor’s, but with three eyes. This third eye rested on the back of their head, and it helped them to avoid attacks from behind. It was virtually impossible to surprise a krape.
Krapes were not carnivorous, despite what their sharp teeth suggested. Their diet consisted of fruits, grains, and many forms of tree bark, but their teeth were sharp enough to use them as a weapon during battle. An untamed krape stored food inside a large pouch that covered its abdomen, but once domesticated, the pouch was used to carry their rider’s goods. The saddle of the rider was placed on the beast’s back, close to the krape’s haunches. The beast could cover a large distance in a short amount of moments, running like a velociraptor or hopping like a kangaroo. Fully grown, krapes were nearly twice as tall as a man.
Celestria placed her hands on Geylyn’s head. Four ribs were cracked from the force of Grogger’s tongue. “You should not feel bad about misjudging the shapple. Many have underestimated the beast. I’m sure you didn’t expect the toad to be so well camouflaged either.”
“Definitely not.” The elf laughed, but he was forced to stop and grab his side.
Celestria cringed. The goddess surprised herself—she actually felt bad for Geylyn. “Your ribs are broken. I can mend them if you’d like.”
Geylyn nodded, “I would welcome the relief, even if it’s only a temporary reprieve before I pass. Are you a healer, my lady?”
The godd
ess nodded. “You could say that.”
“I’m sorry. Where are my manners? What’s your name, my lady?”
The goddess took a moment to heal the elf’s wounds, and then she responded. “You may have heard of me. I have a shrine inside the Temple of the Gods. I am known as Celestria.”
Geylyn knew the name. He quickly moved to his knees and bowed his head. “I didn’t know your face, Goddess. Forgive me. I wouldn’t have expected you to be in the stomach of a beast.”
“It is quite all right, Geylyn. Given your current situation, I shall extend forgiveness. I would wager that you’d like to earn your freedom.”
“I’d pray for the opportunity, Goddess.”
“Then it is settled. I shall help you find your way out of the toad’s stomach.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you help me? My family’s prayers are heard by Alistar.”
“I don’t need your devotion to care about your wellbeing,” Celestria responded. “You’re a creation of the gods. You may not speak my name in your prayers, but my eyes do look upon you as a cherished being.”
Geylyn smiled. “My service to Alistar has been misplaced. Why doesn’t he come to my aid?”
Celestria cradled the hunter’s face. She would use Geylyn’s comment to her advantage. “Alistar is a selfish being, but my love is all-encompassing. It is given without boundaries or expectations. You do not have to help me in order for me to help you, Geylyn, but I would appreciate it.”
The elf nodded. “I’ll do anything you ask.”
Celestria presented her softest smile before she continued. “I’ve come to this miserable place to ask you to deliver a message when the moment arrives. It is against the laws of the gods for me to remove you from the beast’s belly, but there is a way I can save you. While you wait, you’ll feel no pain, nor will you smell the stench of this prison. I will also leave you with enough food to keep you satisfied until freedom arrives.”
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