The Eye of Luvelles

by Phillip Jones

  The demon-jaguar sighed. “Out of this entire box, you just had to choose my spot, didn’t you?”

  George grinned as he extended his left hand and protected another section of the crowd from wayward magic. “I’m sorry, Kep, but I need this spot.”

  Kepler rolled his eyes. “Fine. I can see a spot where I’d much rather lie.” The demon teleported to the center of the fighting surface and plopped down into a comfortable position while he ignored the combatants. As the battle continued, the jaguar casually lowered his head between his legs and began licking himself while Marcus, Boyafed and Dowd’s magic whirled all around him.

  The prophet shook his head. “That damn cat’s insane.”

  With Shalee at his side, George commanded, “Take my hand. I need to feed off your power.” George extended his arms and closed his eyes to also draw from Kepler’s power. With a simple nod, the warlock created an invisible field that surrounded the circumference of the fighting surface, and a small bubble of protection was also placed around his goswig, Kepler.

  Boyafed and Marcus once again met with their blades slamming into one another. Lunge after lunge, stab after stab, slice after slice, were delivered as they surrounded the demon-jaguar at the center of the arena. The Dark Chancellor was able to fend off Boyafed’s assault until Boyafed finally found a small opening.

  The dark paladin sent a barrage of magic arrows slamming into Marcus. Just as the case with both Boyafed and Dowd, the Dark Chancellor was thrown across the arena. However, unlike Lord Dowd, Marcus was able to return to his feet, ready for battle.

  With Lord Dowd still recovering as he pushed himself up to his feet, Marcus teleported behind Boyafed in an effort to surprise the dark warrior. But the Order leader was too quick. Boyafed spun and blocked Marcus’ blade from slicing his torso in half.

  Again, Marcus teleported, but during this series of moments, he appeared on the far side of the arena. The chancellor sent his strongest bolts of lightning hurling in two directions.

  Both Dowd and Boyafed were forced to dive out of the way, but the dark paladin was too slow. Boyafed was hit in the stomach and wounded while Dowd somehow avoided the strike. The white paladin rolled to his feet and teleported next to Marcus.

  Dowd began a masterful series of metal on metal clashes with the Dark Chancellor that bought Boyafed the moments to recover. Eventually, Lord Dowd found a small opening in Marcus’ defenses. He delivered a wicked explosion of magic that sent Marcus flying toward the arena wall that was more than 15 paces behind the chancellor. But before Marcus slammed into the wall, his body vanished. An instant later, he reappeared behind Lord Dowd.

  With his blade ready, Marcus lunged. The chancellor savored the penetration as his sword skewered the small of Dowd’s back. The white army leader’s spine severed, and as Marcus pulled his blade free, he watched Dowd collapse.

  To keep Marcus from ending the white paladin, Boyafed reacted. The dark warrior teleported across the arena and began another series of metal clashes and magical strikes that were all defended. The attack continued for a long series of moments while the crowd cheered before Marcus found the opening the Dark Chancellor was looking for—an opening that would drop the Order leader to the arena floor.

  Boyafed was coming out of a spin that was intended for Marcus’ head when a slash across his abdomen cut him open. Immediately after, Marcus’ sword came down across the top of Boyafed’s left shoulder. The Dark Chancellor’s blade penetrated the dark warrior’s body deeply enough to cut his collar bone in half and end the fight.

  Blood from both paladins saturated the earth as Marcus moved to stand above Boyafed. The Dark Chancellor’s blade began its descent to end his enemy. The strike was arcing toward Boyafed’s head when both wounded warriors vanished only a split moment before the chancellor’s sword made contact. Marcus screamed immediately after his weapon found nothing but the arena floor. “Aaaahhhhhhhhh!”

  While the Dark Chancellor’s curses filled the air, George motioned for the King of Brandor to come to him. “Sam, do your healers have the vial Brayson gave you? They’re going to need it if they’re going to survive.”

  Sam nodded. “I have something better than Brayson’s potion. I’ve been given the essence of the griffin lord, Soresym. Jaress has it.”

  Not quite sure of what the griffin’s essence was, George nodded. “As long as it works, I don’t care.” The warlock turned to face the Head Master. “You’re going to have to be the one to end him. I’d do it myself, but Lasidious’ prophet cannot be perceived as a killer.”

  Mary grabbed Brayson’s arm. “You’re not going out there.” She looked up at George. “Do you hear me? He’s not going out there.”

  Athena cradled Joshua in her arms. “I don’t want the grandfather of my baby perishing. Don’t you dare go out there!”

  George smiled as he found Brayson’s eyes. “This is one of those moments when we’re going to have to beg for forgiveness. Settle this once and for all.”

  Brayson stood, reached beneath his robe and unsheathed the blade of the Head Master. He was about to teleport onto the surface of the arena when Sam reached out to stop him.

  “Wait a moment! What about the ring you gave me when I visited Luvelles? Is it strong enough to protect me against his magic?”

  Brayson thought a moment. “I can’t be sure of that.”

  Sam removed Kael from his sheath and commanded the blade to protect him from the four elements. “Then I’ll just have to take my chances with Kael. I can rip this guy apart. I’m sure of it.”

  Shalee quickly handed Sam Junior to her handmaiden. “Don’t you even think about going out there, Sam Goodrich!”

  Before the king could respond, Marcus shouted. His voice filled the arena and captured everyone’s attention. “Are you afraid to face me, brother? Do you fear me now that you’ve seen the depth of my magic?” The chancellor extended his arms level to the arena floor and pushed out his chest. “I’ve defeated two of the best our world offers! You’re all that remains! Come and get me, brother!”

  George turned. With a wave of his hand, he knocked Marcus across the arena.

  The crowd laughed, but quieted as soon as Marcus sent a wall of flame toward the spectators nearest him. They lifted their arms in front of them and screamed as the firestorm approached.

  The explosion hit George’s protective field and sounded like thunder while the flames rolled along the barrier in front of the people before it dissipated. Shaken, it took a fair series of moments before the crowd regained the confidence to cheer again.

  George faced Sam. “What an ass Marcus is. If you go out there, he’ll end you. You wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  “Agreed,” the Head Master responded. Without saying another word, Brayson teleported from the king’s box and appeared on the arena floor. The people cheered as they anticipated the next fight.

  Marcus brushed the snow and sand off his robe. Seeing Brayson standing with his sword drawn, the Dark Chancellor lifted his own blessed blade to his mouth. He spoke to it in the language of the elves. “Enteula in’ tampla.”

  The brothers ran toward each other. Sharpened steel once again filled the arena with its wicked sounds. Slices, lunges, spins, stabs, and sweeps were all used in a barrage of calculated movements to find the upper hand, all happening amidst a series of magical exchanges.

  Many, many moments passed before Brayson found the first opening. He kicked Marcus in the chest with his right boot.

  Falling to the ground, the chancellor scrambled to his feet only to have the right hand of Brayson, filled with the butt end of the Head Master’s sword, club him upside the head.

  Again, Marcus fell, but now he was unable to stand. He crawled forward on his knees.

  Brayson’s right boot found his brother’s ribs. His kick was hard enough to lift Marcus off the arena floor.

  Marcus’ ribs cracked. The sound was heard by the people nearest the exchange. Again, their cheers filled the air.

 
; Brayson moved in to finish the task, but Marcus managed to collect himself enough to lunge at his brother blade first. The attempt was blocked and followed with a left foot to the side of Marcus’ face. The blow was so severe that the chancellor spun and fell flat on his stomach. The snow around Marcus’ body billowed away from him when he hit the ground.

  With Marcus’ back to Brayson, the Head Master saw his opportunity to end the battle. He thrust his free hand forward to deliver a powerful storm of needles made of ice. The magic plowed into Marcus, but the result was not what Brayson expected. The Head Master’s power was deflected, and Brayson became the target of his own magic.

  Because of the velocity behind the spell, the moments were not available for Brayson to react. His magic impaled his chest, and the impact sent the Head Master flying across the arena where he crashed into the wall below the king’s box. His head hit the stone, and then he fell to the ground in a heap.

  As the ice needles began to melt beneath Brayson’s skin, Marcus struggled to gather his wits. The Dark Chancellor crawled to the wall nearest him and used an iron hoop that had been attached to the wall to pull himself to his feet.

  Marcus limped across the arena and stopped above his brother’s unconscious form. He was thoroughly exhausted. Even the muscles in his face were hurting from the exchange. A shot of pain kept the chancellor from smiling as he tightened his grip on the handle of his blessed blade and prepared to deliver the final blow.

  “My sword’s special power is what saved me, brother,” Marcus wheezed. “Not even you are strong enough to conquer it. You should’ve ended me with the point of your blade. You’re so predictable. I could always count on you being the fool. Once I find a way to end George, I’ll enjoy lighting the fire of your passing.”

  Marcus paused as he watched his brother’s blood flow out of the holes that the ice had left behind. He enjoyed how saturated Brayson’s robe was becoming, and better yet, he enjoyed the wailing of Brayson’s harlot who was begging for him to spare Brayson’s life in the king’s box above him.

  Mary’s cries could be heard throughout the arena. “Please! Spare him, My Lord!”

  The chancellor’s ears were deaf to Mary’s pain. He scoffed, “Of all the men I’ve ended, brother, I shall enjoy delivering your demise the most. I’m going to rape your whore when I’m through with you.”

  Disappointed that Brayson had not heard a word he had said, Marcus lifted his sword with the intent to plunge it through his brother’s chest. But before the chancellor’s blade could begin its descent, Boyafed appeared behind Marcus, right next to Kepler who was still licking himself and had remained unconcerned with the battle.

  The demon-jaguar looked up as the dark paladin vanished. When Boyafed reappeared, Kepler growled as the dark warrior stepped forward and thrust his blade with his good arm. The Order leader’s sword penetrated the unsuspecting chancellor’s back. It pierced Marcus’ heart and emerged through the front of his robe. The Order leader then collapsed to the snow as Marcus looked down in disbelief at the blood covering the tip of the dark paladin’s weapon. A few moments later, the Dark Chancellor also fell to the arena floor.

  Seeing that Marcus had perished, George waved his hand. Brayson and Boyafed vanished and reappeared beneath the arena on tables inside the healers’ vestry.

  George could see the stress in Mary’s eyes. He touched his mother-in-law on her shoulder. “Close your eyes.” When they reappeared, they were standing next to Jaress who was hovering over Brayson’s body with a bottle of Soresym’s essence in his hand.

  Jaress turned to face George to give a prognosis. “They’ll live once the griffin’s essence has been administered, but Dowd may never walk again.”

  George nodded and then left Mary at Brayson’s side. When the prophet reappeared, he was standing inside the king’s box.

  Athena was the first to speak. “Are they okay?”

  “Brayson and Boyafed will be fine in a Peak or two, but it’ll be a while before we know if Dowd will ever walk again.”

  Shalee gasped. “That’s awful.” The queen stepped to the front of the royal box and spit in the direction of Marcus’ corpse.

  George grinned as he turned to look at Sam. “The final threat to your kingdom has been eliminated. My family is going to need a place to stay for a few Peaks while everyone recovers. Mary is going to need her daughters to stay with her while Brayson heals. She’s a mess.”

  Shalee was the one to respond. “I’ll have rooms assigned for everyone in the castle. You can stay as long as you like. I’ll assign some ladies to help with the babies.”

  “Thank you, Shalee,” George replied. The warlock reclaimed Sam’s eyes. “Dispose of Marcus’ body however you want. But I don’t think he deserves a Passing Ceremony.”

  “You can say that again,” the king concluded.

  The prophet faced Gregory. “Brayson will be alright. I need your head in the game, because we’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow. We’ll be gone for most of the Peak, but you’ll have the moments to check on Brayson in the morning before we head out. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep.”

  Gregory acknowledged the prophet’s command. The White Chancellor took baby Garrin from Susanne and then touched her on the arm. The elf vanished with them and appeared inside the healers’ vestry to check on his brother.

  Sam placed a hand on George’s shoulder. “You’ve proven that you’re a changed man. Let’s make sure the people know it.” The king led George to the front of the royal box and lifted the prophet’s hand skyward. As soon as the mob saw their arms lift, they celebrated. Many of them shouted their praises to Lasidious while others chanted, “Prophet! Prophet! Prophet!”

  As Sam enjoyed the wave of energy that was flowing from the crowd, he affirmed, “I’ll do whatever I can to help you spread Lasidious’ word. You’ve earned my trust, George. I feel like I can believe everything you say now.”

  “And so do I,” Shalee added. The queen stepped forward, pulled George and Sam into her embrace and then gave them a big hug.

  George motioned for Athena to join them with Joshua. When the embrace was broken, they all faced the crowd and lifted their hands skyward while the handmaiden handed Shalee Sam Junior. As the cheers of the mob filled the air, George spoke to the queen, “Once things settle down around here, I’ll take you to look into the Eye of Magic. For now, let’s take the moments to get a sense of where our lives are headed. We should set the groundwork for peace and ensure that our families are taken care of before you go back to Luvelles.”

  Shalee smiled. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  “Then it’s settled,” George replied. “Everyone close your eyes and touch one another.” The warlock teleported with the group into the healers’ vestry. After they vanished, the mob cheered again.

  Meanwhile, Ancients Sovereign

  Lasidious and Celestria’s Home

  Lasidious threw a candle that was made of red wax into the fireplace. “I hate that troll!” he shouted while he continued to storm around the table. “How dare that piece of garesh speak to me that way! To me ... of all the gods ... he should fear me the most! I’m going to torture that troll’s mind! I’ll make it my mission to make him suffer! Kesdelain’s soul will find the inside of the Book’s pages by the moment I’m finished with him!”

  Most everything Celestria had done to accent their home had been ripped from its normal resting spot and thrown in every direction. Lasidious had not taken a moment to rest since Gabriel’s announcement the Peak before.

  Alistar and Celestria sat at the table without saying a word and waited for Lasidious to calm himself. It was not until after Late Bailem, and a full Peak of continuous shouting, that the Mischievous One stopped.

  Lasidious took a long, deep breath and then plopped into the chair next to Celestria across from Alistar. The Mischievous One spoke as if nothing was ever wrong, as if he had never thrown a fit. “It appears a new plan is in order ... don’t you think?”

/>   Alistar responded with a sly smile. “Only if you’re finished.”

  Lasidious looked at the mess he made. “I suppose I am.”

  “Good,” Celestria responded. The goddess went to work. She waved her hand across the room. The mess was replaced with fresh decor. New place settings appeared on the table along with vases filled with fresh flora. The stains on the throw rug beneath the table vanished, and a new chair to replace the one Lasidious broke apart and tossed into the fire also appeared. Even the tapestries the Mischievous One had taken a knife to mended.

  Seeing that everything was in order, Alistar summoned three cold mugs of ale and then looked at Lasidious. “I have a concern that does not involve the troll. My concern is Sharvesa.”

  Lasidious shook his head. “Sharvesa? Why would the demon be a problem?”

  Celestria pushed her hair clear of her face. “Sharvesa is Payne’s mother. What will happen when she finds out her son is being cared for by a human and not Defondel? Worse still, what will happen when she realizes this human is your prophet? And even worse yet, what will happen when she realizes her son no longer has a soul? I know she respects you, but does she respect you enough to forgive this much?”

  Lasidious thought a moment. “Even if Sharvesa doesn’t want Payne to stay with George, how could she possibly find out that Payne no longer has a soul? The fairy-demon has served his purpose, and Kepler has his power just as I anticipated he would. Besides, I don’t believe Sharvesa truly cares for the fairy-demon. And if she does, the worst that could happen is that she might force Payne to live away from George. The fairy-demon’s absence won’t change George’s desire to get his daughter’s soul out of the Book.”

  Alistar stood from the table and leaned toward Lasidious. “I don’t think you’re seeing the full picture, brother. Payne has become much more to George than just a fairy-demon.”

  Alistar took a drink of his ale. “Haven’t you seen how George and Athena treat Payne? They make him take baths, wear clothes, and George created a high chair for him. The family treats Payne as if he is one of their own. They gave him his own room, and even Kepler has accepted his role in protecting him. Payne is part of their family now.”