from your hearts. It’s acceptable to reject my proposal.”
Everyone in the room responded at the same moment, calling the king “Keldwin,” confirming their acceptance.
After a moment of silence, the king kissed his son on the forehead. “But you still have to call me Father.”
Shalee and Helga had to wipe the mist from their eyes.
The king turned to the general. “Ready Sam for his new position. He’ll need to know everything about the army.”
The general stood from the table. “My King ... I mean, Keldwin ... it will take at least 10 Peaks to impart that much knowledge. The moments necessary to accomplish such a task are not available to us.”
Mosley responded, “Justin, you must remember, Sam was chosen by the gods.”
“ I remember, Lord Mosley, but this doesn’t mean he can learn a tremendous amount of information in such a short period of moments.”
Sam slapped the table. “Justin, prepare to be impressed. I think you’ll find I’m more than capable. You only need to speak the information once for me to have it committed to memory. The faster you speak, the quicker we’ll be finished.”
Justin looked at Sam. “I can speak for Peaks about our policies and our army.”
Sam turned to the king. “Keldwin, if what Justin says is true, then I’ll be ready to be sworn into command in a couple of Peaks. Trust me.”
Mosley looked up from sniffing the base of Keldwin’s chair. “Sam is able to see anything someone says as if it is written in his head. He can quote conversations from when he was only two seasons without missing a word.”
The general looked at Sam. “Impressive. Second in command may be a waste of your skills. Perhaps a messenger boy would’ve been a better choice for such a memory. With a mind like that, I could send messages throughout the kingdom and not worry about my letters being opened by the enemy. I’m sure you could handle that.” Justin made sure he smiled so that everyone would know he was jesting.
The group laughed and then the king spoke. “I’ll announce Sam’s position to the officers at Early Bailem. We’ll have the ceremony promoting Sam before the Royal Court and the kingdom in 4 Peaks when my tournament begins. The people will know of Sam’s victories, and with Mosley present...” The king paused.
“Lord Mosley, we have a problem. No one in our kingdom knows that you’re the God of War. How will your presence create an authoritative impact on my officers, let alone the mob inside the arena?”
Mosley smiled. “There are advantages to being a god. Call your meeting in the morning, and I’ll make a grand entrance. Further, have your runners spread word throughout the city that Bassorine has been destroyed. On the Peak your tournament begins, I shall make a second entrance. I shall turn the heads of the people, and they’ll receive confirmation that I’m their new deity. When the people see that I support Sam, they’ll recognize his new position.”
The king nodded. “I believe this will suffice, My Lord. Like my subjects, my prayers shall also speak your name.”
“ Thank you, Keldwin.” Mosley responded. “Upon your passing, I’ll ensure your soul has a pleasant existence.” The wolf then vanished.
After hearing what Mosley said, Sam bit his lip. He was angry because of the lie Mosley had told Keldwin. How could he promise Keldwin’s soul anything? If everyone ends up inside the Book, that’s not happiness or a pleasant existence. I wonder if Mosley knows something I don’t.
Before Sam’s mind could stray further, the general clapped his hands and captured everyone’s attention. A moment later, three slaves ran into the room. “Find my officers,” the general ordered as he stared at the tallest of the three women. She was also the largest and her belly rolled over the belt she had about her waist. “Make sure they don’t leave the city without attending breakfast at Early Bailem tomorrow.”
The slaves darted out of the room to fulfill Justin’s command.
The general looked at the group. “Since we’re all on a first name basis, we should toast these new events. It appears our king will be enjoying his afterlife, and it’s a fine evening for drinking.” His smile widened as he lifted his glass. “Here’s to my new friends and our new four-legged wolf-god.”
Everyone lifted their glass in a mutual cheer.
The City of Champions
Later that Night
George, Maldwin and Amar stopped for the night. The flight on the hippogriff from Angels Village had been uneventful, but George