Saving the Soul Stone - The Elementum Academy Book One

Jumping Around The Country - Part Three

Cyrus P.O.V.
Stopping in my tracks, I looked up to see a large, muscular man wrapped in a mysterious, dark red, velvet cloak. He grinned, drawing a sword. "You're not going to get them without a fight."
"Who are you?" Celia asked, and he took another step towards us.
"I, am the master of the falls. I, am Hestinoff."
"Who?"
He frowned. "Nevermind. Why are you invading my waterfall?"
"We are looking for information about the Soul Stone, and we came here as a lead. It is cracked, stolen, and possibly growing worse. We are on a mission to save and repair it."
He seemed hesitant before finally making up his mind. "Liars!"
"We're not lying, and if you don't help us, the entire universe could be destroyed. Just listen, you imbecile!"
Celia looked momentarily shocked that I would use an actual insult, but little did she know, I secretly used them often. Just not out loud. Noff, as I'm going to call him, also looked shocked that anyone would dare mock him. But he also seemed like he respected it, putting down his sword. "Okay, young Mr. Blackburn. What do you need?"
I paused, shocked that that somehow worked and we didn't have to fight. I was almost sad about it, but I quickly shook it off and responded. "Any information you might have on the Soul Stone and possibly how it was repaired before."
He nodded. "I'll be back, you heal and wake them up. It'll be pretty hard, though. Just fair warning you."
With that, he left, and I turned to Celia. "Are you okay? Your head is bleeding pretty badly."
"Yours is worse; I'm fine. Let's just wake them up first, and then we can worry about blood later."
Agreeing, I walked over and started trying to wake them up by shaking and loud noises, but it wasn't working. Celia wasn't having any luck, either. "This is probably what he meant when he said it was going to be pretty hard to wake them. He probably used magic."
"I don't know," she shrugged. "Let's see." Turning back to Mia, she put her hand in her forehead and concentrated. After a second, she pulled back. They're in deep REM. We're gonna need to scare them awake by manipulating their dreams."
"But——"
"No but's, Cyrus Marvell. Scare them."
"Shut up, Celia Max."
She rolled her eyes as she turned back to Mia, and I turned back to Malachi. Pulling myself into his not really surprising dream about his fighting with a million different weapons, I changed it so he started losing, and just as he was about to get stabbed with a sword and die, he jumped up, eyes open in fear. I turned just in time to see the same thing happen to Mia.
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After we woke everyone up and Mia, Pierce, and Malachi fussed over our "massive" head wounds, which were only a mild fracture from whatever Noff hit us with on the top go our heads that Mia easily healed, he came back with... a rock? A large, softball size ball of granite.
"What's that for? No. Wait. Who the fuck is this?" Malachi asked, sizing up Noff.
"This is Noff, our lovely injury inducer," I started.
"And that is probably whatever information he has," Celia finished.
"Or it's a way to kill us," Eero said reassuringly.
"Shut up and listen," Noff finally said, starling everyone else with his obnoxiously loud and deep voice. Setting the rock down, he went to the other side of the room and pulled down a white screen before tapping the top of the rock three times. "Watch."
As soon as he said that, the rock started projecting light. As it started playing, I, though only I, was excited to see it was practically a Soul Stone history documentary.
"I'm going to start doing these video journals because they will last longer," came a slightly high pitched but still masculine voice on the currently black screen. "We need to know how to fix the Soul Stone. I have not yet done it, all my experimentation has failed, but I have at last found the map to get there.
There are six parts. One I will include in this message, one I will include in my second part in Arlington, and the other four, you will have to find from following the trail of the first two pieces. Each piece will get you a step closer to the final recipe. Use this information wisely."
I thought the video was over, but at the end, a picture of a piece of a map appeared. Noff turned to us. "Study this picture greatly, draw it if you will, but you need to remember it... What're you doing?"
I followed his gaze to find Malachi, Pierce, and Mia all holding their magic boxes up to the screen, taking a picture with it. Celia and I pulled out our notebooks and quickly sketched it, and Eero seemed to memorise it.
Nodding to Noff to turn off the rock, he once again addressed us. "You young ones must hurry, but also be greatly cautious. Your path is not an easy one, not in the slightest. I will help you when I can, but to be truthful, that won't be very much after this."
"Thank you, Hestinoff," I said, smirking at his full name.
He smiled. "You're welcome, Cyrus Blackburn. Get ready to go and head to Arlington, now."
I mentally prepared myself, knowing it would be worse than this, and then grabbed my bag and teleported us there. As I expected, looking around, Arlington was worse than Great Falls. I wanted to have another breakdown, but I knew I couldn't, so I instead addressed the group. "Where first do we check for the second piece?"
"Check the map," Eero said. "It should give us a clue."
I pulled out my sketch, since I was a way better drawer than Celia, and we studied it, looking for any possible clues of finding the next piece.

Hey guys! Do you like Hestinoff? What do you think the map will show them? Where do you think the others pieces will be at? Tell me in the comments. See you soon!