Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign (Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Book 1) (68 page)

Sam reached down, unsheathed the sword and lifted it in front of his face. “Shut up! Who asked you?”

Brandon’s memorial was like no other Sam had ever seen. It was held at the Peak of Bailem—Brandon’s favorite moment. Brandon had always said, “A hard-working man’s Peak is over when sun reaches its highest point because he wakes so early.”

There were thousands of people who surrounded the family as they stood on top of a hill. The family lifted Brandon into the air and laid him on a stacked pile of wood. Josephine and the children surrounded the pile with torches.

For the first series of moments since his arrival on Grayham, Sam listened to a prayer being shouted from the top of the hill. The prayer was addressed to Bassorine.

A tear fell from Sam’s eye. He knew their words were falling on ears that did not exist any longer. He did not have the heart to tell them their god was dead. Maybe it did not matter, since every soul ended up in the pages of the Book of Immortality anyway. Why destroy the beliefs of a family in mourning. It did not seem right.

To Sam’s surprise, Brandon’s father called him over to stand next to Josephine and handed him a torch. As the man squeezed his arm, he looked in the fighter’s eyes. “My son would have wanted you to light the pyre with his family. It’s a privilege to have the warrior who defeats you in battle honor you in this manner. It will help begin the healing process for this family.”

Sam took the torch, then looked at BJ. The trainer nodded. Sam turned to light the fire.

Late Bailem had come and gone and the party was just getting warmed up. Sam was sitting on one of the many chairs the family had set up around the farmhouse, watching a scene like nothing he had ever experienced. As far as he could see, people were eating and laughing all across the farmer’s land. No one appeared to be sad, not even the family. They all celebrated to honor Brandon as their fallen hero.

The moment came to give the toast. Each of Brandon’s nine brothers took a turn. Delbert, Brandon’s father, also spoke, followed by Brandon’s wife. Once she had finished, Josephine turned to Sam and asked him to make a toast of his own.

It was agonizing. It was not the idea of speaking in front of thousands of people, but more the pressure of speaking about a man he knew so little about. The fact so many people loved Brandon made him feel like the fallen was worthy of something grand. He thought for as long as he could, and then he addressed the crowd.

“In all my seasons, I’ve never met a man who was so beloved by everyone who knew him. I consider myself humbled to have met such a warrior. I only wish I could’ve known his qualities outside the arena. From what I know of Brandon’s life, I believe he was the kind of person I would’ve cherished. I will forever remember this Peak. The love that has been displayed here is worthy of the gods’ recognition. I know Bassorine will reward Brandon for a life well-lived. Let’s raise our glasses and celebrate this fallen hero, husband and devoted father.”

The crowd erupted as Sam finished his speech. Many of them moved to place their hands on his shoulders. Once the crowd settled, Sam turned to Josephine and whispered in her ear. He led her to a less crowded spot and handed her a pouch full of coin. “I’ve decided to give the winnings I received from your arena to help ease this family’s burden. Take it, and know that I care. I will forever be there for you should you need me.”

Overcome with emotion, Josephine held the bag close to her chest and cried. “Sam, you’re a good man. I … I’ll…”

Some of the women noticed Josephine’s demeanor and sought to console her. It was not long before they realized what Sam had done, and soon thereafter, the gathering also knew of Sam’s generosity.

Sam would leave Haven with a reputation as not only a fighter known for his barbaric victories, but also as a man of compassion and kindness. His actions on this Peak would catapult him to a new level of glory.

Siren’s Song, the Home of the Wisp of Song

5 Peaks of Bailem have Passed

George, Amar, Kepler and Maldwin had gathered at Angels Village before continuing on to Siren’s Song, a journey that took more than 4 Peaks. Dusk was approaching when they entered the mist, which reminded George of a cool, foggy evening in Florida.

They followed the river flowing away from Griffin Falls. The moisture in the air became more dense the farther north they walked. The mist created a climate that gave life to vegetation unlike anything George had seen since his arrival. Soon, darkness fell and Amar’s staff was necessary to light the way. After many long moments, they stopped to lie down. With so much moisture in the air, they could only hope to get a good night’s rest.

Kepler growled, “The mist has saturated my coat. I feel heavy. How can I prowl in these conditions?”

Amar lifted his staff, waved it in a circle and whispered a command. The moisture covering the demon-cat evaporated.

Maldwin’s nose twitched with excitement.
“A yay alesoot tenguan yo maiyne.”

The jaguar nodded.
“Tele pomayn og foway.”

Maldwin cleaned one of his front claws as he responded.
“Nep, nep, osay poryolamay.”

George cut in, “What the hell are you two jabbering about?”

Kepler chuckled, “He wants Amar to keep his magic to himself. He said if it is used on him, he will give Amar nightmares. I, for one, appreciate the burden of my soggy coat being lifted.

“You’re welcome,” Amar said as he set the staff on the ground and motioned for the rat to relax. Once he saw the rodent lie down, the mage reached into his robe to retrieve his pipe.

George gave the mage a look of disgust, “Don’t light that nasty thing around me. You’re going to end up smelling like your brother. Do you really want to smell like him?”

Amar looked at his pipe, then at George. He was torn between defending his brother or agreeing with George’s assessment. After a while, he simply put the pipe away.

As they slept, George dreamed of Abbie. In his fantasy, Lasidious had returned his baby girl to him. They were with Athena, fishing. On Abbie’s first cast, she caught a good-sized trout that almost pulled her into the water. The dream was good, until the darkness fell across the pond. The next thing George knew, he was standing alone, and both of his favorite women were nowhere to be found. He called to them, but there was no answer. He knew the darkness had swallowed them. George panicked. He screamed over and over again, desperately hoping for an answer.

The vision changed as a speck of light appeared. It was small at first, but grew as it drew closer. The light turned into a large sphere. George was scared, but he could not run. He looked for an escape, but all he could see beyond the light was blackness. The ball was floating through the air, and just as it was about to crash into him, an electrifying scream filled his head.

George woke with a start and sat up. Confused, he scanned the area around him, but his eyes could not see anything beyond the light of the campfire. His companions were asleep, and his clothes were still saturated. He turned to grab his bag from behind a massive root that protruded from the ground. Inside it, he found a torch and pulled it out. Something told him he needed to leave the group. He could not explain the feeling, but somehow he knew it had to be done.

He stood, careful not to make a noise, grabbed his pack and walked toward the sound of the river. Once he was sure the light would not wake the others, he lit the torch and headed out.

The elevation changed at a rapid pace. It was not long before he was hiking, not walking through the darkness. The hillside grew steeper, elevating his heart rate as the river rapidly made its descent over the rough terrain.

He kept moving, pressing ahead with sheer determination. Eventually, he reached the top of the hill where the area flattened in front of him. George stopped to take a few deep breaths. He was not sure how long it had taken to get to this point, but it had been quite the hike.

A large pond stretched in front of him for as far as he could see. He should not have been able to see anything, but a strange, greenish glow filled the air that seemed to emanate from the pond. To the far side of this body of water, Griffin Falls could be heard crashing against the rocks. It was the epic force of the falls that caused the mist to fill the sky.

From the depths of the pond, a light appeared and made its way to the surface. George recognized the light as it approached. It was the same light from the sphere in his dream. He now knew it was the wisp creature of the mist who had awakened him and called him to this spot. The water fell from its smooth surface, and soon the large ball of energy was floating in front of him.

There was a long silence as he stood watching. He was about to speak, but the air filled with a song. The sound was beautiful, heavenly in fact. Though the lyrics were in another language, somehow, George could understand their meaning. Through song, the creature called itself a wisp. Further, it requested to be called by the name Cadromel.

“I know why you have come, George. Have you brought the envelope?”

George removed the envelope from his pocket and held it in front of him.

This seemed to satisfy Cadromel. “Are you prepared to surrender it in exchange for information?”

George nodded, “I’m ready to listen.”

Once again, the lyrics filled the night air. The harmonics of the wisp’s heavenly sound reverberated against the water of the pond. George watched as tiny waves beneath the sphere rolled away as if a pebble had been dropped beneath it. As the wisp’s song came to an end, the gentle roll of the waves dissipated.

George looked at the center of the wisp’s mass. “I understand. I already know the question I would like to ask. I would like to know how I can use my ability to rule this world?”

The energy moving inside the wisp looked like a controlled storm as it released short bursts of baritone notes. It felt like the creature was laughing.

“What’s so damn funny?” George queried. “Don’t you know the answer?”

The wisp went silent. The orb’s light dimmed, and the energy within its spherical body stopped moving. George was about to say something else when, suddenly, the creature released a blinding light that was combined with a thunderous, bass-toned eruption. Within this much darker melody, a powerful message was delivered.

George heard it loud and clear, despite having to cover his ears.

“Who are you, mortal, to speak to the wisdom of the ages in a manner most unbecoming of the god whom you represent? Kneel before me on the banks of this pond, or the information you seek shall forever remain locked within my eternal mind. Bow now, or leave my home none the wiser!”

Frightened, George did as he was told. He rushed to take a knee and lowered his head. He kept his eyes shut to protect them from the blinding light that penetrated the night. His mind ran wild with thought. He had no idea the wisp thought he was here to represent a god. He now believed it was Lasidious who was responsible for sending him on his quest ... not this supposed mage named Morre. “I’m sorry, Cadromel. Please forgive my rudeness.”

The wisp’s light faded, and its song went silent. An extremely long series of moments passed before the sphere decided what he wanted to do. As Cadromel hovered with his light diminished, he thought,
This mortal possesses the knowledge I desire on his person. If I send him away without revealing the answer he seeks, I’ll never know Lasidious’ mind. Ohhhh, how I miss the Peaks of slaughter. If only I could devour this mortal and take the envelope from him. Curse the Collective and their laws of governance over the temple. Why do they protect the weak?

George was too nervous to move. He might as well have been a statue. Never in his life did he feel more insignificant than he did at this moment. It felt like sweat was pouring from every gland, and his mind was screaming,
Stay still, George! Stay still. Just be still. Don’t piss this thing off anymore than you already have. Who knows what this freaking thing will do? Holy hell ... I miss home.

The glow within Cadromel’s sphere returned.
I shall give this insolent human what he’s after. I want him out of my sight.