Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign - By Phillip Jones Page 0,67

had never allowed a woman near his daughter, but his heart said Athena could be the first. He wondered how long it would take to get back to his little girl. Abbie, I can’t wait for you to meet her. I know you’ll like her. Athena is special, he thought, his heart beaming. Daddy will be home soon.

There was no shortage of trees along the route. He had followed the Cripple River north and would continue until he reached the river’s source—the Pool of Sorrow. To the west of the river, the Enchanted Forest covered a sizable area, and at various points, the tree line paralleled the river’s edge. During the day, the forest looked foreboding, and light struggled to find its way through the twisted branches. He had no desire to go near it.

George was beginning to feel exhausted due to the pace of his trek. The weight of his pack hampered his mobility, and if it had not been for his determination and fear of the forest, he would have been forced to stop long ago.

He heard many strange noises coming from the forest throughout the night. The screams of frightened animals, and the responses from more aggressive predators filled the air. The adrenaline produced by his fear was what kept him moving.

When morning arrived, the noises stopped. This was his chance to get some rest. He looked at his watch. He had been moving at a steady pace for almost 16 hours, and his body was shutting down. He lowered to the ground, rubbed his cramping muscles, grabbed a quick snack from his pack, and then laid his head on his stolen backpack for a nap.

He set the alarm on his Rolex for eight hours and looked over the map Jason had given him. Some of the townsfolk said the journey was a solid two-day walk if he stopped to rest at night. He smiled. He had been pressing hard almost the entire time. He was now within a few hours of the pool and would arrive before dark. He could only hope the Pool of Sorrow would be far less frightening than the foreboding forest.

George adjusted the backpack under his head and used his old, Gucci shirt to cover himself. As he fell asleep, he listened to the sounds of the cascading river and thought about his adventure. He dreamed of Athena and his baby girl as they spent their moments together. It was a lovely vision. Abbie flew back and forth as they pushed her on her favorite swing.

Angels Village

Sam and Shalee’s Room

When Sam woke, Shalee was sitting next to him on the bed rubbing his back. He rolled over, stretched and then sat up with a big smile. Shalee’s beauty was stunning, and for the moment, all he thought about was her. The fighter, teacher, doctor, genius, and wannabe lover, brushed his hand across her face. “Hello.”

Mosley had been sitting at the base of the bed waiting for Sam to wake. When the wolf saw him stir, he jumped up and plopped down across his legs. Both humans smiled, and the mood in the room felt lighthearted and peaceful.

“Thanks for watching over me, you guys. You look beautiful, Shalee. Do you like your outfit?”

Shalee grinned and then pulled the cloth away from her waist. “It’s kind of cute. I need to take it in a notch or two and add a dash of me to it, but I should be able to salvage this world’s attempt at acceptable fashion. I do like the…” She paused and looked at the wolf. “Mosley, what did you call this headpiece again?”

“It’s called a gashal.”

“Yes, a gashal.” She looked back at Sam. “I like the way it lays on my head. The little gems are fab.”

Sam chuckled. “You were given a beautiful dress, and all I received was a leather outfit. How fair was that?”

“But you pull it off nicely,” Shalee complimented.

“I suppose,” Sam shrugged.

Mosley broke into the conversation. “I was wondering when you would wake. I was starting to worry that Bassorine’s command to sleep was too much. We haven’t left this den except to eat. You slept like a bear through all of yesterday and the night.”

At that, Sam rose from the bed. The sound of Bassorine’s name brought back everything the god had told him. He stood at the window and thought as he looked out at the world of Luvelles which hung above the horizon.

After a fair series of moments, Shalee spoke up. “You’ve