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  A TALE OF THE ETERNAL STONES

  FIRESTONE

  R Y A N C A R R I E R E

  Copyright © 2019 by Ryan Carriere

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

  Ryan Carriere

  www.ryancarriere.ca

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Firestone/ Ryan Carriere. -- 1st ed.

  To my wife Kara, who has been my toughest critic and best friend throughout this journey.

  Thank you.

  To my kids, Mya, Alex and Jesse who have been my inspiration, my support and my comic relief.

  This one’s for you!

  "Atlantis is not a place to be honored or emulated at all. Atlantis is not the perfect society ... Quite the contrary, Atlantis is the embodiment of a materially wealthy, technologically advanced, and militarily powerful nation that has become corrupted by its wealth, sophistication, and might."

  PLATO

  Contents

  SEPHONEI: Crystal Hunters

  ROEG: Great Spirit Clan

  SEPHONEI: Sin

  ROEG: Spirit Walk

  SEPHONEI: Harper

  ROEG: The Trap

  ROEG: Saberslash’r

  SEPHONEI: Quartermaster’s Lodge

  ROEG: Unn Returns

  SEPHONEI: Dragaodon

  ROEG: Great Plains

  Unn: Conestink’r Flower

  SEPHONEI: Pery

  ROEG: Great Hunter’s Belt

  SEPHONEI: Approaching Bentwood Forest

  ROEG: The Bentwoods

  ROEG: Ookum Shroomsling’r

  SEPHONEI: The Map

  ROEG: Dancing Lights

  ROEG: Bath Caverns

  ROEG: Great Hall

  SEPHONEI: The Bet

  ROEG: King Jexif

  ROEG: Gnomish Ruins

  SEPHONEI: Sephonei’s Terms

  ROEG: Gnomish Gearworks

  ROEG: Firestone

  ROEG: Into the Fire

  SEPHONEI: Flying Solo

  ROEG: Ifrit

  Epilogue: Fetch

  SEPHONEI

  Crystal Hunters

  S

  ephonei’s satchel slid from her shoulder and fell to the rocky shore. Before her knees hit the ground, her hands came to her face in an effort to muffle the three long sobs that escaped her. When she lifted her head, she saw the ferry disappear along the horizon, leaving a trail of sea foam in its wake. Sephonei was alone—utterly alone, for the first time in her life.

  She quickly wiped the salty tear streaking down her face—she didn’t want her squadron’s first impression of her to be this: a girl on her knees sobbing for her parents.

  Sephonei scanned her surroundings. She was on a rocky shore under the shadow of a looming coastal mountain on the outskirts of Atlantea. The only exit was a dark cavern at the toe of the mountain, which, she thought, could lead anywhere. She shivered.

  The last few days had been a blur of events. She had been on her parents’ merchant barge selling wares when soldiers boarded and drafted her into the League of Crystal Hunters. It was under the order of the High Priest of Atlantea himself.

  Neither Sephonei nor her parents could protest—the soldiers allowed her to pack one bag before escorting her to the compound, no exceptions. She tried to question them, but they gave her no answers, only stern looks and pointed tridents. She knew nothing about being a Crystal Hunter—she didn’t even know they existed. Living in Atlantea her whole life, how had she never heard of them before?

  She was forced into two days of intense training, starting with drills that covered the basics of Crystal Hunting. The trainers, if you could call them that, explained what the eternal stones were, then hammered her with the severity of the upcoming mission. It was too much in too little time. To top it off, she learned that her mission was to retrieve a rare eternal stone from a cavern on the outskirts of Atlantea. There, she would meet her squadron for the first time.

  Success was the only option; the Order swore that failure meant death.

  Who were the Order?

  Why hadn’t she heard of them either?

  What was going on?

  Despite the intensity of the training, Sephonei felt ill-prepared. She never realized the eternal stones did anything more than power the merchant ships of Atlantea. How could she… Before now, her life had been simple and routine.

  Sephonei fiddled with the pink ribbon that tied her long, aqua braid—it was one of the few things she was able to bring with her. It reminded her of home.

  Her mind retraced the last few days. The recruits at the compound had said this mission to retrieve the eternal stone had taken many lives—the pool of Crystal Hunter apprentices had been depleted. Now, the Order relied on conscription to fill their ranks. If they were relying on her, they must be desperate; what did she know about retrieving a stone?

  Her orders were to wait at the base of the mountain, outside the cavern until her squadron found her. She didn’t want to be here. She missed her parents: the smell of the spices, the drift of the merchant barge, and the harmony of the string and wind instruments at the merchant parties. When she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the gentle rhythm of the barge, as it floated along the channels of Atlantea. Briny air filled her lungs, and the sounds of the sea lapping on the shore echoed off the toe of the mountain.

  “Great, another apprentice. How many do we have to go through before we can get out of here? Is it me, or are they getting younger and younger? Lookin’ at this one, we won’t be goin’ home anytime soon.”

  The thick Atlantean accent caught Sephonei off guard—not only was the accent thicker than she’d ever heard, it also had an odd ring to it. Being a merchant’s daughter afforded Sephonei the privilege of meeting many exotic traders and the common folk of Atlantea too; she knew people in different regions spoke different ways.

  At the sound of the voices, Sephonei opened her eyes and stood. Two figures appeared from the cavern entrance. A woman about Sephonei’s height came into view—her presence making her seem taller than she actually was. Her hair was shaved on one side, and the long curls on the other side rested on her shoulder. She walked with purpose and had a stern look about her. A scar ran down her face; the reddened tissue above her eyebrow drew a jagged line down to beneath her chin.

  The second figure, tall and lean, followed the woman. A crop of green, greased hair reflected the light of the morning sun. Sephonei stepped back when she looked at his face. She gasped quietly and brought her hand to her mouth. Something unnaturally reflective was fused to his face where his left eye should have been. The contraption splayed shards of light in all directions as he walked.

  The two wore similar long, dark jackets, high boots and fitted trousers. They stopped and stared at Sephonei.

  The woman extended her glove. “I’m Ku-aya.” She pointed to the green-haired man. “This is Abil.”

  Abil nodded. “The pleasure is yours, I’m sure.” He forced a tight smile, barely making eye contact with Sephonei.

  Sephonei took Ku-aya’s gloved hand and shook it. “I’m Sephonei. I’m the recruit.”

  Abil snorted as he looked down at her hands. “Ai, we kinda figured. You’re the fifth recruit this week. An’ a li’l fistler at that.”

  Sephonei looked down and stopped fidgeting with her pink ribbon. “I’m not
a fistler. Nervous is all.”

  Abil snorted and gave a dry smile.

  Ku-aya tilted her head at Abil and gave him a stern look. “Ai now, boyo, don’t be scarin’ her off before we see what she can do. We gotta get her on board and up to speed, yaa?”

  Abil scanned the horizon mockingly. “Where exactly is she gonna go?”

  The northern tip of the outer ring of Atlantea was mountainous and only navigable by ferry.

  A knot twisted in Sephonei’s stomach. “What do you mean, I’m ‘the fifth recruit this week’?”

  Ku-aya sighed. “Ai. We are having an issue with the recruits. The last eternal stone in Atlantea, a powerful stone, is located in this cavern behind me.” Ku-aya gestured with her thumb to the dark opening in the mountain's foot. “It’s our job to retrieve it. Well, in this case, it’s your job, yaa.”

  From her basic training, Sephonei understood what the stones were for. She thought of her parents’ merchant barge and how it floated along the many water channels—the mech gears fed off the energy of the stones.

  Sephonei twirled her pink ribbon around her finger. “My job? I don’t know how to retrieve it. Three days ago, I was on my parents’ merchant barge in the commons, playin’ lute at a party. Now I’m here.”

  Ku-aya snapped to attention. “What? Are you tellin’ me you only had two days’ trainin’?” She raised her eyebrows at Abil, then turned back to Sephonei. “Explain.”

  Sephonei let her braid fall to her side. “Ai. Like I said, I’m a merchant’s daughter, an’ I don’t know anythin’ about Crystal Huntin’ except what they force-fed me in orientation.”

  Ku-aya crossed her arms and tilted her head. Her eyes scanned Sephonei for answers. “What could you have possibly learned in two days?”

  Sephonei mimicked Ku-aya and crossed her arms. “A copper top snatched me away an’ dropped me off at some barracks. My parents couldn’t object. The guards were forceful. They told me basic stuff about the eternal stones, there was some trainin’ on combat techniques, then they pushed me on the ferry an’ sent me here to wait for you. I feel like a prisoner.”

  Ku-aya’s eyebrows drew together, then her features stilled. “Ladgeful. This is a mess. Not sure why you got pressed into service.” She squinted one eye and tilted her head at Sephonei. “Stick with me, kid. I’ll learn you the ropes, yaa?”

  Abil shook his head. “Ai, this is a clarty mess if I ever saw one.”

  Ku-aya’s foot tapped on the ground. “Ai. But if you’re gonna be on my crew, we gotta get some things straight. First, I’m in charge. If I say move, you move. Got it?”

  Sephonei nodded, but inside, confusion and anger bubbled. Who was this woman barking orders at her, and why did she have to do this? She wanted to be with her parents, selling wares, and in her comfortable bed each night, not at the edge of Atlantea about to search some gloomy dark cave.

  Ku-aya’s arms fell to her hips, and her weight shifted. “Second, never touch the stones, especially the more powerful ones, like the one that’s supposed to be in the cave. Yaa?”

  Sephonei nodded as she toyed with her ribbon. This woman sure had a lot of rules. Sephonei worried she wouldn’t remember all of them. Was she a prisoner? She didn’t have a say in being here. Why was collecting these stones so important?

  Abil rolled his eyes, picked up a stone, and skipped it on the surface of the water. It bounced several times before it sank from the press of the unrelenting surf.

  Ku-aya didn’t take her eyes off Sephonei. “Third rule of basic training: We are a team, an’ we stick together. Never forget your place on my team. I am a master Crystal Hunter with over seven years’ experience. Abil here is a journeyman with five years’. An’ you… well, if you make it past today’s field trial and live, then you can call yourself my apprentice, yaa?”

  Ku-aya turned and strode into the darkened cavern. “Don’t stand idle.”

  Sephonei clutched the rope, her knuckles raw with tension. Swinging high above a seemingly bottomless pit was not her idea of fun. Her hands trembled as she inched down the rope. Ku-aya barked encouragement from below while Abil chastised her.

  He tugged on the rope, causing it to sway and ripple. “Come on, li’l fistler, we don’t have all day. This is a simple four-hundred-cubit drop! Nothin’ your training didn’t prepare you for. You’re takin’ too long! Hurry up!”

  Her orientation may have been short, but Sephonei remembered each cubit was the length from her elbow to the tip of her finger. Nausea washed over her when she dared to look down the dark crevasse. She closed her eyes and held even tighter… her feet stuck in place as she gripped the rope, and her fingers felt like they would fuse to the rope fibers.

  Ku-aya clubbed Abil with her gloved hand. The moist glove squelched, leaving a damp mark on his nekker. “Dammit, Abil, shut up, yaa? You’re not helpin’.”

  Abil straightened his nekker and tucked it back into his vest, ignoring the damp glove print. “Ai. This is a bust before it even started. Might as well tell Sin to send another fledgling; no way this one’s going to make it.”

  Sephonei peeked down. Mist glinted against the dim shards of light that penetrated the dank space. It gave her hope of a bottom to the pit. She inched down farther.

  “A little more, and you’re there, Sephonei,” Ku-aya said.

  Abil gave the rope another tug.

  “Stop it,” Ku-aya snapped. “What’s gotten into you? I know you’re usually prickly, but come on, boyo. Get it together.”

  Abil rolled his eyes and kicked at the hard-packed stone, sending several loose pebbles over the edge of the crevasse. “I hate this damn cave. It’s dark, it’s dank, an’ I’m tired of all these new apprentices. Why are we doin’ so many dummy runs?”

  “Quit gripin’, boyo.” Ku-aya shot back. “You know full well what we’re doin’ here.”

  “Ai, but why do three of us need to go to the mainland? Why are we goin’ through all of this?”

  Ku-aya tapped her foot and held the rope steady. “How do you know the next hunt’ll be on the mainland? Sin hasn’t given us the location yet. Or are you in cahoots with the big bull?”

  Abil ran his hand through his slick hair and turned away from Ku-aya. “Where else would it be but on the mainland?”

  Ku-aya huffed. “Ai. You have a point there. Seems like the most logical place for it. You know Sin as well as I do. Hell, you probably know him better than I do; I’ve seen you in his chambers without me. What do you guys talk about in there?”

  Abil darted his eyes, then said, “Get the kid down, an’ let’s get out of this grimy dump.”

  Sephonei toed the ground. She tapped, tentatively at first, until she felt solid rock beneath her feet, then she let go of the rope.

  Ku-aya slapped Sephonei on the back. “Good job, yaa.”

  Sephonei hunched over and sucked in a cool, moist breath. Her hands trembled and rested on her shaky knees.

  “Ai. We almost there?” Sephonei breathed heavily. “Why are eternal stones so important? I mean, I know they run the barges’ but—”

  “Oh, to the gods…” Abil flipped his hands in the air and spun on his heel. “I can’t take this anymore. This li’l fistler is also a ninnyhammer.” He stalked to the ledge of the crevasse and peered below.

  Ku-aya rested her hand on Sephonei’s shoulder. “Don’t mind him. It’s been a tough week. We’ve been in this cave for days on end without rest.”

  Sephonei straightened. She found her resolve, and her balance restored. “Why?”

  Ku-aya sighed. “We are Crystal Hunters. We hunt eternal stones. Sin, the High Priest, the leader of the Order of the Sons—basically the guy in charge of our civilization—needs the stones to power our world an’ do other stately things. He pays us to find them. And for whatever reason, they are sending us apprentice after apprentice. It’s been a terrible slog to get this damn stone.”

  Sephonei scrunched her nose. “Why this stone? Why di
d the Order of the Sons draft me and the other apprentices? How did they recruit them before?”

  Ku-aya looked at Abil, who leaned against the wall of the crevasse, absently plucking at the cord of his crossbow. The metal of the bow glinted against the dark red stain of the handle and trigger mechanism.

  Ku-aya focused on Sephonei and shook her head. “So many questions. You’re part of my crew now, so you’re not a prisoner. The Order of the Sons are a collective of… how can I put this? They are a bunch of old guys who run stuff in Atlantea. Sin is their head, and they advise the king on how to do things. I guess they ran out of apprentices. Poor timing is all. We are preparing for a bigger stone quest soon. An’ we need some new recruits, yaa.”

  Sephonei took a deep breath. “Is it true all the other apprentices died?”

  Ku-aya paused. She narrowed her eyes, her foot stopped tapping, then started again. “They didn’t pass the challenge.”

  Sephonei pressed further. “Did they die?”

  Ku-aya’s gaze didn’t waver; she held her chin up. “Ai.”

  Sephonei looked down and released her ribbon. She couldn’t keep her hands still. She took a long slow breath like her dad had taught her to do when she was anxious, then released the breath slowly and counted in her head. She sure felt like a prisoner.

  Ku-aya marched over to Abil and pointed deeper into the cave.

  Abil snickered. “You comin’, kid? Or do I need to hold your hand? Gonna be hard since you’re always fistlin’ with that ribbon of yours.”

  She already didn’t like the green-haired, one-eyed, crossbow-toting sidekick. She wasn’t sure of Ku-aya yet. Time would tell.

  The deeper they trudged into the cavern, the darker it became. The long, gray stone tunnel opened up into a large open cavern. A hole in the ceiling let in a dim ray of light that rested in the middle of the room in an oblong pattern. Dark gray stone lined the walls, and milky water dripped from the stalactites spiraling from above. It splattered on the stone in a melodic rhythm; Sephonei held back her instinct to move to the beat.