Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign - By Phillip Jones Page 0,66

you, Sam. They spoke of the blessings given before sending your spirit to Earth. The gods with me that day were Lasidious, Keylom, and Alistar. The gods of Earth told us about your superior intellect and how you were the best specimen to preserve and bring forward through the seasons. I chose Shalee because she would be an ideal mate, having been given healthy anatomy for childbearing. There were other reasons I chose her, reasons I have hidden from the others within the Collective. All I’ll say is this … Shalee will be powerful.”

Bassorine changed his direction of thought. “Lasidious has brought George forward for reasons I don’t know. He did this without the knowledge of the Collective. I cannot think of a reason why Lasidious would bring a mortal forward, unless George is a magical being. Lasidious’ actions don’t make sense. I suspect the answer will be revealed soon enough.

“As you know, it was the Collective who voted to have Lasidious retrieve you from Earth. We agreed to keep you preserved in stasis until we saw the perfect opportunity to place you on Grayham.

“I fear Lasidious has taken an opportunity meant for the good of all beings and manipulated it for his own agenda. Despite this treachery, I’m bound by the Book’s rules and cannot start another war over it. It appears Lasidious has exercised his right to make a mess.

“Lasidious wants to create a stronger following of both man and beast. Maybe this is what the theft of the Crystal Moon is about. Unfortunately, the hearts of those who inhabit the worlds can be persuaded to do evil.”

Bassorine watched as Sam poured a glass of water and gulped it down. He gave Sam a moment before he continued. “Sam, I was listening from above when you asked Mosley about the days here on Grayham. Allow me to put your mind at ease. The days are identical to what you knew on Earth. You should be able to use this to your advantage when planning your next move. There is much that will remind you of your planet, and Shalee’s watch will work fine until the moment its mechanics fail.”

The god stopped talking as Sam took a seat on the edge of the bed near Shalee. Sam could not think of a single question. His mind was overcome by everything Bassorine divulged.

He could not fathom the fact that his own personal god of Earth was supposedly destroyed, along with Heaven and Hell. How could any of this be true? Earth was gone—his family, his house, his car and everything he loved—destroyed. How could he accept that? It was all too much, and the idea that he was one of only three mortals in all of creation to be spared the Great Destruction was overwhelming. How could he possibly deal with his new reality?

Bassorine saw the effect his revelation was having on Sam. Knowing the mortal needed relief from his thoughts, the God of War walked over, helped the bewildered man to lie down, and then touched Sam on the forehead. His voice was soft. “Rest, Sam. Let blessed memories of our past together be forgotten until the moment arrives for you to be told the truth. When you awake, you will have peace. You’ll understand all that I’ve divulged, but you will not be overcome by grief. If you so desire, I will allow you to create the glory you need to gain audiences with kings.”

Bassorine walked over to Mosley and woke the wolf. He told the beast to extend their stay at the inn and to keep watch over Sam until he woke. Before vanishing, the god gave Mosley a few suggestions on how to help Sam gain the notoriety he needed to earn an audience with Southern Grayham’s largest royal family, the House of Brandor.

CHAPTER 9

The Unicorn Prince's Horn

GEORGE LEFT LETHWITCH ON on foot. On his way out of town, he passed a group of men who were talking about the robbery of the Old Mercantile the night before. He smirked. That was a nice piece of handiwork. This town is full of chumps. They never saw me coming.

For the rest of that Peak and through the night, George moved at a slow jog or a fast walk, rekindling his torch with many strips of tattered cloth. He knew he had to hurry and only stopped to eat or pee on a tree. He thought about the lovely Athena, wondering if his little Abbie would approve. He