The Eye of Luvelles Read online

  In order to cause the fairy king discomfort and spare herself the agony of ending a shunned child, Sharvesa sent Payne with the Merchant Angels to live with his father. This decision—one also manipulated by Lasidious—was a welcomed suggestion, and it was acted upon immediately by the Head Master. The choice avoided Payne’s sure destruction, but Sharvesa never stopped wishing that her subjects would one Peak allow her to bring him home. Though Sharvesa’s subjects were loyal, they could not handle the constant reminder of the rape that spawned Payne’s existence.

  The fairy-demon’s small body, compliments of his father, functioned without imperfection. Although only a pace tall, Payne looked like a miniature bodybuilder with wings, and he possessed the agility of a gazelle. He kept his budding horns sharp. The youthfulness of his face reminded Defondel of a red demon-cherub.

  At first, Payne was accepted by the fairy king’s people. But because of his differences, he was misunderstood. His demon half loved mischief. Before being separated from his father’s kind, there were many occasions when Payne flew around the fairy kingdom dusting the army with their own magical powders that he stole from the fairy armory. He would sit back and laugh at the intoxicating effects the dust had. The sight of male fairies kissing one another in a drunken state never seemed to get old.

  Payne was warned by the council that such acts were not welcomed. The fairy council explained that the safety of all fairies was in jeopardy when the army was unable to perform its duties. Finally, at two and one half seasons old, Payne was asked to leave the Fairy King’s island and live in a cave that sat at the center of Shade Hollow. He lived one full season of his life alone and learned to fend for himself.

  Since Payne’s natural immunities were many, the magic of the fairy army was not strong enough to force him out. King Defondel was left with no choice but to uphold the council’s wishes and begged his son to accept a life of solitude. Payne’s heart was crushed, but he obeyed his father and left the Fairy Kingdom without incident. This solitary existence was something Lasidious had hoped would happen when he began plotting the fairy-demon’s creation.

  Fellow soul ... there’s much for you to learn about Payne, but I have done enough telling. Allow me to show you the rest of who he is.

  “Have you considered my proposal?” Lasidious inquired after giving the fairy-demon the moments to eat.

  “Yep.”

  “Then, what have you decided?”

  “Payne don’t know. Seems okay. Payne don’t know.”

  The god rolled his eyes. “Why are you hesitating?”

  Payne ripped into the belly of the female elf. After a moment, he pulled out a handful of her intestines—his favorite part. He cleared away the fat and began to eat. Lasidious turned up his nose in disgust. He never imagined the manipulation of Payne’s birth would turn out to be so repulsive.

  “Listen to me, Payne. If you want to get out of this cave, it would be wise for you to befriend this human.”

  “‘Befriend?’ What that mean?”

  Lasidious took a deep breath. He had to remind himself who he was dealing with. “It means to become his friend.”

  “So say that, that … um … that way then.”

  “Payne, focus. You’re getting sidetracked.”

  “Fine! Ebbish nay! You say them big words ... not Payne.”

  “Payne, listen to me. Try to focus. This human will be seeking power. If you’re at his side, those who hurt you will have no choice but to bow down to you.”

  The fairy-demon growled as if confused. “Don’t need bowing. Payne like fun. Payne want friends.” He fumbled to keep the last of the intestinal delicacy from running down his chin as he continued. “Ummmm … the human, the human get Payne?”

  “No. If you want to travel with him, you’ll need to seek him out in Floren. You can find this man at Kebble’s Kettle. It’s the only inn in that village.”

  “What ‘inn’ mean?”

  Lasidious rolled his eyes again. “It’s a place where people pay to sleep. Many people stay there, and they can eat there, too.”

  “Eat! Payne like to eat. Why not sleep on ground? What ‘pay’ mean?”

  “They pay coin to sleep because most humans don’t like to sleep on the ground!”

  “What ‘coin’ mean?”

  “You’ll see what many things are, including coin, as you travel with this human. You can ask this human questions.”

  “The human feed Payne?”

  “Yes, he’ll feed you ... but not elves. This has to be your decision. Only you can decide if you want to go. But if you want friends, I would find this man. His name is George, and he travels with a large, black cat named Kepler. I would imagine you’ll find Kepler to be helpful in learning the ways of your mother. Kepler is also demon. Perhaps, with training, you can become powerful ... strong enough to go back to your mother’s world and punish those who forced her to send you away.”

  “Payne no angry. Payne make them like Payne. Do you think ... um ... they like Payne a bunch?”

  “Of course they would, but you need to travel with this human first.”

  “The human sound gooder for Payne, so Payne do this? How … um … how Payne to make friends with human?”

  “He will befriend you if you listen. Have I ever lied to you? I’ve been your friend for over a season. Don’t you trust me?”

  “Ummm ... yes.”

  “Good. Then I want you to tell this human that you’ve been sent to be his goswig.”

  “What a ‘goswig?’”

  Lasidious took another deep breath. “A goswig is a creature who assists his master and does whatever its master asks. Goswigs come in all shapes and sizes. Some have natural and magical abilities, much like you. It’s an honor to be a goswig. Few beings are chosen to be one.”

  “Honor? What ‘honor?’”

  “It’s a good thing. It means you’re special.”

  “But Payne want friend. Does Payne gots to be goswig? Does Payne gots to do stuff he says for Payne to be friend to human?”

  “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. But this is the only way for you to meet friends. This human will accept you no matter what happens, no matter what you do.”

  “All Payne do ... is um ... what do Payne say again?”

  “Pay attention, or you’ll mess this up. And stop talking about yourself in third person. You sound ridiculous.”

  “What ‘third person’ mean?”

  “Never mind that. Just tell this human that you’ve been sent to be his goswig. Okay?”

  “Okay ... goswig ... got it. And Payne gotta do what he say. Got it. You promise him be Payne’s friend?”

  Lasidious forced a smile to remain on his face. “I promise. Do you have any other questions before I continue?”

  “Payne no remember your name.”

  “My name is, Friend,” Lasidious said, forcing another patient smile that showed his teeth. “Payne, you won’t see me again after this. The human you’ll be looking for goes by the name George Nailer. I’ll show you where to teleport.”

  “George Nailer. Silly name. Payne make fun with name. Payne see no human before.”

  “No. You’re to be his goswig, remember? Goswigs don’t make fun of their masters. Goswigs call the one they serve, Master.”

  “Master? Yuck! Payne no want to say that. Payne want friends. I like George gooder.”

  “It’s better, Payne!” Lasidious snapped, his patience having run its course. “You like the name George better. That’s how you say it. You need to listen when people talk, and you need to learn how to speak with intelligence.”

  “Ebbish nay! Don’t be mad to Payne.”

  “Do you want friends or not?”

  “Yes.” The fairy-demon lowered his red head the way any child would when scolded. He kicked a small rock. “Payne want friends.”

  “Then perhaps you should choose to call George, Master. If you don’t, he may not want you around. It’s up to you. I personal
ly don’t care anymore.”

  “Ummm … all right … fine, ebbish nay … stop yelling to Payne. I hate him’s name. It’s stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. He better feed Payne gooder!”

  “I’m sure he’ll feed you well, but you better get going.” Lasidious touched the fairy-demon’s head and gave him a vision of Kebble’s Kettle. “This is the inn I told you about, and this is what George looks like.”

  “Yuck! Human ugly!”

  “Payne, focus. The jaguar’s name is Kepler and here’s how the cat looks. You best get going.”

  “Kepler. I like. Him have red eyes. That’s shev. Nice kitty.”

  Lasidious had to smile. He knew Kepler hated the word ‘kitty.’ This meeting was going to be fun to watch. “Payne, your whole body is red. How can Kepler’s eyes be shev?”

  “Payne don’t know. Just ‘cuz. Well ... ummm ... yeah, just ‘cuz, Payne guess.”

  Lasidious’ patience was gone. “Just be good to George. You want him to like you. If George likes you, you’ll have a new friend ... and food.”

  “Yes. Um … Payne want George—”

  “His name is Master! Concentrate, Payne!”

  “Ummm … yeah. Uhh, yeah, yeah … Master to like Payne. Food gooder. Payne go to George ... umm ... to Master. Thanks, Friend.”

  “You’re welcome, Payne.” The God of Mischief vanished.

  Payne devoured a few more mouthfuls of elf before he disappeared.

  CHAPTER 2

  A Whole Lotta Glass

  GREGORY ID STOOD FROM his bed and walked across the transparent floor of his bedroom chamber. As always, he enjoyed the sight of the torrent waters that rushed beneath the glass under his feet. “A glorious morning,” he said as he closed his eyes and listened.

  Gregory Id and his Goswig, Mykklyn

  Now, fellow soul ... allow me to tell you about Gregory Id and his city of Inspiration. One of Luvelles’ wonders, Inspiration was created by the White Chancellor through the use of his magic. Every structure, no matter how large or small, was made of glass and Gregory’s bedroom chamber, located on the lowest level of a 120 pace tall shimmering tower-palace was no exception.

  Inspiration was created at the base of the cliffs south of Crystal Lake—Western Luvelles’ largest body of fresh water. The area the lake covered was so vast that it could have been named a sea. The water cascaded down the cliffs and then coursed its way underground toward the city. After it rushed beneath Gregory’s tower, it surfaced and flowed through moats that Gregory had made out of faceted crystal rather than ordinary glass. The water then continued on to Lake Lavan.

  Gregory was an elf of average height who was known for his strong will and charisma. His long hair was sandy-brown and covered his pointed ears. Deep blue eyes accented a smooth complexion, and he was beloved throughout the Kingdom of Lavan. It was his kindness and his charitable uses of magic that served him well while creating a relationship with the people.

  On many occasions, Gregory used his power to create homes for the less fortunate—the less fortunate being those who were unable to command magic. Though Luvelles was mostly populated by elves, halflings, and spirits, it was not a magical world in its entirety, despite the magical nature of these races. Even though the air in some areas smelled of magic, not everyone was capable of summoning its uses.

  Fellow soul ... enough telling. Let’s push forward.

  Gregory stopped in front of the mirror that stood at the foot of his bed to study his naked body. After looking over his shoulder to ensure he was alone, he turned back around and flexed. He shook his head, disappointed and then shouted, “Mykklyn, I would like to wear my green robe today! Please bring it ... and my yellow belt, if you don’t mind!”

  “Who would have ever guessed?” a graceful lioness responded as she entered the room. “You’re predictable,” the goswig growled. “I’ll have them brought to you. It’s tiresome. Watching you wear the same attire is far from inspiring. There are moments when I find it difficult to believe you were the creator of this striking city. How could you dress in such drab?” The lioness turned to saunter from the room.

  Gregory stopped her. “Mykklyn ... on second thought, let’s change it up.”

  The lioness smiled. “Wonderful! What will it be?”

  “How about I wear my green robe and instead of my yellow belt, I’ll switch it up and wear my black one?”

  The lioness rolled her eyes. “May the gods fall over in awe ... His Boringness switched to a black belt! You best be careful. You’re stretching your boundaries with this decision. You might find yourself venturing too far out on a thin limb. What will people say about your boldness?”

  The lioness shook her head. “Green and black it is. One of these Peaks I’m not going to allow you to dress yourself any longer. I’ll force you to run around without clothes on if I must. At least this would be a change and far less boring.”

  Mykklyn growled as she left the room. It was not long before she returned. A servant entered behind her with the chancellor’s clothes.

  The female elf, heavily wrinkled from her many seasons, lowered her head in the chancellor’s direction. She was wearing the same lavender and black garb that all Gregory’s servants wore. Her voice was weathered. “Shall I have your normal prepared for breakfast, Your Grace?”

  Mykklyn jumped onto the glass table and lowered her heavy, golden, fur-covered body into a comfortable position. As the lioness listened to Gregory’s response, she passed one of her sharp claws along the symbols of white magic that had been etched into the surface of the table. “Perhaps you should try something new. Perhaps a bergan egg, with greggled hash, corgan blood steak and some poppel bread would be a delightful change.”

  The chancellor shook his head. “No. I’ll have my usual. Why must we do this every morning, Mykklyn? I have enough to worry about.” Gregory turned toward the mirror and adjusted his belt.

  The lioness snorted at the chancellor’s vexatious response and turned her head to look at the servant. “We do this because he’s boring.”

  After watching the older elf smile, the lioness redirected her gaze. “I’m trying to fix you, Master. You have a perfect eye for beauty when it comes to this city, but you’re sad when it pertains to matters of dress. You should be setting a precedent, but you’re predictable. Even your diet is predictable.” The goswig looked back at the servant. “Isn’t that right, Lawarna?”

  Lawarna nodded. “Your goswig is correct, Your Grace. Eating the same meals every Peak seems farcical.”

  The lioness chuckled. “See? You’re broken, and you didn’t even know it.”

  Gregory placed his hand on Lawarna’s shoulder. “Please ... just bring me my oats, and let’s get the Peak going.”

  The chancellor’s brow tightened as he looked at his goswig. “I have to meet with my brothers at the Peak of Bailem, and there are things I must do before I go, so stop bothering me about what I eat.”

  Mykklyn jumped down from the table. “We’ll fetch your breakfast, Your Predictableness.” The lioness placed her paw on Lawarna’s foot. They vanished.

  Gregory sighed, “What would I do without her?”

  Meanwhile, the Village of Floren

  Kebble’s Kettle

  Mary shut the door to her room on the fourth level of the inn and kept her eyes focused on the teleportation platform as she walked to the end of the balcony. The light-brown haired, hazel-eyed woman had been summoned to the front desk of Kebble’s establishment to retrieve yet another gift.

  After appearing on the lower level, Kebble watched Mary approach and then handed her a box. “This makes 15. Are you excited?”

  “You know I am.” Mary untied the bow and removed the lid. She smiled. “It’s perfect. I love light-blue.” As always, the Bailem dress was just her size. “Kebble, why won’t you tell me who is sending these?”

  Left to right: Athena, Susanne and Mary

  “I’m sorry, Mary. I’ve been sworn to secrecy,” the rosy-cheeked elf rep
lied.

  Mary pulled the dress close to her heart. “I don’t like secrets, Kebble. Whoever is sending these best be worth the wait.”

  “Oh, he is, Mary. Kebble would never lie about that.”

  The stay at Kebble’s inn had been pleasant for the most part, but Mary was glad the moment had arrived to move on. She had not ventured too far beyond the front porch because of her son-in-law’s request. George had said it was not safe to go out until he had been informed that the moment was right. The air within the village smelled strange, and something as simple as sitting on the porch made her nervous. It was also strange that the atmosphere had a purple haze and further, it was odd to see her homeworld cross the sky and disappear behind the horizon.

  The family had become restless while waiting for this Peak, and a change of environment would be more than welcomed. Countless individuals of questionable character had checked into the inn over the past 115 Peaks. Many of these individuals had traveled with intimidating beasts.

  Mary hurried back to her room. She put on the new dress and stood in front of the mirror in the washroom to bask in the glow of how it made her feel. It was not long before she was interrupted by George knocking on her door.

  “Mother!” the mage shouted through the wood. “We need to get going! I hope you’re ready!”

  “I am! Come in and carry my bag!”

  George opened the door. “Ahhh ... now that’s just the sweetest thing ... another dress,” he chided with a hint of sarcasm. “You look stunning. I think someone is trying to get on your good side. I wonder when you’ll meet this admirer.”

  Mary moved close and whispered in his ear like a child, “I don’t know, but I hope he’s handsome.”

  “Who said it’s a man?” George joked. “What if it has more than two legs?”

  Mary turned up her nose. “I would never!”

  Amused at her response, the mage nudged her with his elbow. “I’m just messing with ya. I’m sure he doesn’t have hooves ... or even claws.”