The Lost Azuralite (Sample)

Chapter Two: The Waterfall

Killian enters a cave but surprised to find that he could see clearly, the whole cave littered with blue glowing crystals, ranging in brightness and shape. He looks up to see Talia's eyes fixed on him with jaw dropped. "What?" Killian panics.

"Could you take a few steps that way?" Talia points to his right-hand side.

Moving carefully, he shifts to his right.

"Amazing!" Talia exclaims. "Okay, now move back."

Bewildered Killian questions, "What's going on?" Still staying stiff, not wanting to look behind him.

Talia bends down, knocks loose a crystal and holds it up. "Watch." As she moves closer, Killian notices the glow gets brighter the closer she gets. She stops an inch away from his chest, then moves back to her original position, with the crystal getting dimmer as she moves away.

"Fascinating," Killian says instantly relaxing and reaching for the crystal. Talia drops it into his open palm. The crystal glows brightly and a small pulsing vibration enters his hand. "It almost feels alive."

"I've never seen them do that before." Talia is in awe of what she is seeing. "My dad said they are magic, are you..." Talia cut herself off already knowing the answer. "Wow, I think I would go crazy if I lost my memory. Any of this look familiar?"

"Nothing, I'm sorry," Killian replies.

"It's alright." Talia goes to sit on a rock. "This is kind of, my sanctuary, I come here to clear my head. I stayed here for a week after my mother died." The look of joy stripped from her expression, then a glimpse of a smile as she carries on. "Dad would even bring me breakfast and dinner, I don't really remember it, but he said he would still come out here and sing me to sleep every night."

"What happened to your mother? If you don't mind me asking."

"Hunting accident. My mother, father and uncle Harlon were out hunting when they heard a scream, they found my mother with an arrow in her stomach. They brought her back home, my dad stayed while Harlon went to try to plea with the Elves to come help her." Talia starts to choke up but takes a deep breath and continues. "An Elf came back with Harlon but he said it was too late and left almost as soon as he arrived. My mother died not long after."

"I'm sorry for asking about painful memories," Killian says sympathetically.

"It's alright, it happened a long time ago."

Killian and Talia sit for a while inside the cave in calm contemplation. Killian wanting to comfort Talia, but not knowing what words to say. He looks over at her, trying to gauge her emotional state. The pain and sorrow have left her eyes but no sign of the joy he had used to seeing.

"We should be getting back now." Talia breaks the silence. "It's going to be dark soon."

"Following you," Killian says, Talia smiles at him letting him relax.

They head back to the lodge, using the same narrow path they took to get to the waterfall.

"What are we going to do in Jeraz?" Killian asked.

"We're dropping off arrows, and the few pelts I have left to Harlon, he should give us the coin from what was sold last month," Talia said.

"For Dwarven steel, right?"

"Exactly, it takes my dad two hours to make each arrow, Harlon uses half of them and sells the rest. Forrayne arrows go for three times the price of normal arrows as they don't snap as easily, and of course, doesn't bend out of shape even in the rain."

"Good," Killian said approvingly. "But two hours each! That's got to take up most of his time."

"Yeah, he usually makes about two or three a day. I usually help by attaching the feathers and cutting out the knock."

"He likes to keep himself busy, I think it helps him take his mind off my mother."

'Four to six hours a day making arrows, that's got to get tedious' Killian thought but after the mention of her mother all he could say was. "Fair enough."

The pair emerge from trees, the sky above them showing the last minutes of the sun. The wooden structure standing in solidarity in the middle of the meadow, home to Talia, looks black as the night draws near. As the pair walk closer, Noryn stands in the doorway with arms folded.

"The sun hasn't gone down yet!" Talia calls. "Calm down."

Noryn rolls his eyes, sighs, and walks in.

As the two enter the lodge, Noryn asks, "Did you two have fun?" Before either of them could answer he added. "I've packed for your journey tomorrow."

"I was going to do it." Talia protested.

"I'm sure you were," Noryn replied sarcastically.

"Anyway," Talia says while taking a seat at the fireplace as Noryn builds a fire. "Killian makes the crystals glow."

Noryn stops and looks up at the Azuralite, making Killian feel uncomfortable.

"I have no idea how it happens, the closer I get to the crystals the brighter they glow," Killian said.

"I don't know how they work, but I do know they store raw magic in them. There are stories that say Azuralites were Human at one point, changed through the use of the crystals. If the stories are true, then that could explain why they react to you." Noryn stops for a moment before carrying on. "I've never met an Azuralite, so I can't be certain. Yassoa should have those answers. Once your wing has healed, I would suggest going there hopefully someone will recognise you."

At the mention of Yassoa flashes of images cross Killian's mind, Azuralites flying above the clouds, rising and falling, through spiral columns reaching to the skies.

"As soon as my wing heals." Killian looks up at the gap in his feathers, knowing it will take months to heal and for the feathers to grow back if they ever do, the scarring might be permanent. "I will make my way there."

Noryn starts to light the fire as Killian brings a chair over from the dining table to join Talia and her father. The three of them talk and laugh, mostly about how Talia was when she was young, and how much of a pain she was, disappearing into North Forrayne and getting into trouble with the Elves.

Noryn is the first to retire, reminding Talia that they have to leave in the morning. Killian and Talia don't stay up long after Noryn goes to bed, and as soon as Killian pulls the furs over himself, he instantly falls asleep. 

Welcome to the Lands of Kivastora.
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter!

I know these are long chapters so thank you for getting this far!

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JM