itself once Shalee arrives at the swamp.
Mieonus is also with her team of gods. They have been looking for George. They intend to use him to go after the crystal. Since the mage cannot be found, Mieonus has decided to speak with Lasidious to get an idea of where George might be.
Gregory is with the King of Lavan. They have agreed to break ground on the new bridge that will span the lake between their cities. It has been decided that the supports for the bridge will be made of stone, while the undercarriage (substructure), traveled pathway (roadbed), and the upper-carriage (superstructure) will be made of three colors of glass to give the bridge ample definition.
Marcus is meeting with Boyafed. He has a mission for the leader of the Order, but worries the friction in their relationship may create an obstacle that he must overcome.
Gage is still sleeping. His strength has increased, but he is still not ready to be up and about. Meanwhile, Strongbear has called for a meeting. The large, brown bear will announce Gage’s arrival to the others.
Lord Dowd met with four of his Paladins of Light. He has dispatched them to spy on Marcus and the leader of the Order. The men are to return once they understand the intentions of their enemies.
Yaloom has been sealed inside his casket and placed within Brandor’s Royal Crypt. Sam ensured the ex-god’s body was well-preserved. He will keep Yaloom there until Shalee is able to retrieve the nasha fruit from the hidden god world.
Kiayasis has arrived on Luvelles’ Merchant Island. He intends to wait for Shalee and then carry out his orders. Since Kiayasis was the only one riding Joss, the krape lord was able to fly the distance. Once loaded with the queen and her belongings, flight will no longer be possible. They will be forced to travel by land.
Hepplesif is with his battalion of kedgles. The tiny commander is working on the best way to protect Gregory’s palace and other key areas of the city.
Thank you for reading the Luvelles Gazette
CHAPTER 9
Quaggle
5 Peaks of Bailem Have Passed
The Merchant Island of Luvelles
SHALEE STEPPED OUT OF HER TRANSPORT CONTAINER and took her first look at the Merchant Island of Luvelles. The place was busy, buzzing with many rugged-looking elves and halflings as they loaded and unloaded containers that were much larger than the one she had exited.
Since becoming a queen, she learned how each world shared merchandise between them. It was this sophisticated flow of trade between planets that fueled each world’s economy, no matter how barbaric their cultures seemed.
Mosley visited Shalee during her trip and discussed the dangers of Grogger’s Swamp. She now knows where she needs to go, and it was just prior to the Merchant Angels placing her on the island that Mosley vanished. She had to sit in the darkness and wait for the docking crew to arrive the following morning.
While she waited, her thoughts dwelt on Sam. She wanted nothing to do with a man who was judgmental and blamed her for the loss of their baby. Many tears had run down her cheeks since Mosley’s departure, and now—as if out of nowhere—a man had walked up and claimed to be there to help.
“Your Majesty,” Kiayasis said as he bowed on one knee and lowered his head. “I’m here to assist you with your journey to the swamplands.”
Shalee knew she looked horrid and worn out from the trip. Her clothes smelled of her own waste since there had been no provisions inside the container in which to relieve herself. She studied her visitor.
Kiayasis kept his head lowered.
The queen lifted her arm and sniffed. Her eyes rolled with disgust. Without saying a word, she turned and walked back into the container. After throwing on a new dress, she dabbed a few drops of Strallise on her neck to cover her odor. Now she smelled like berries with a dash of urine—a wonderful combination for a first impression.
Grabbing Precious, she threw her bags over her shoulders and then stepped out of the container to look over her escort again. He was dressed in black pants and a gold shirt. His hair was long and black, and his eyes were lowered so she could not see them.
“Who are you?” the queen questioned, wishing she could run and hide.
“I am Kiayasis, a third sergeant in the Order, My Lady. I’ve been sent to assist you on your journey. Allow me to collect your belongings.”
“Hold on a just a