The Crystal Key: An LGBTQ+ Fantasy Series (The Crystalline Chronicles Book 3)

by Blake R. Wolfe

  “For the Queen!” a well-dressed man from the other ship called.

  The soldiers dropped gangplanks over the railing to cover the distance and darted across onto The Zephyr. They met a wall of sailors on the other side, all with their blades drawn. Dusk lifted his bow and shot one down as he crossed the gangplank, causing him to collapse into the water while taking the board with him. The clashing of metal and raucous cries filled the air in an instant. Drawing another arrow Dusk looked around, trying to find his next target. Beyond the fight he saw two of the soldiers had loaded one of the ballistae and was aiming it at Captain Duillearga who was watching the fight and calling out orders instead of keeping an eye on the other ship.

  “Captain!” Dusk cried out. “Captain!”

  But his shouts were drowned out by the fight filling the deck. The captain was standing in plain view, staring down at the battle with a hand on the hilt of his sword. Dusk looked to the ballista that was already set and ready to fire. He knew if the captain was taken out they’d never make it to Inahan. He was their only hope to make it there alive and the only person they could trust. Dusk knew what had to be done. Taking a deep breath he steadied himself and began to form a familiar glyph in his mind, feeling the crystal grow warm on the back of his hand. He aimed between the fighters and let the symbol fill his mind.

  “Forgive me, Lex,” he whispered and channeled the symbol down his arm, letting the arrow loose at the same time.

  A jolt ran through Dusk’s body, causing his skin to go numb. He watched as once again the arrow split into three separate pieces that glowed brighter than the sun. But this time, instead of flying straight, they split off in different directions. One struck the ballista, another hit the side of the ship, and the third struck the mast. Simultaneously all three exploded with a wave of energy that threw everyone to the ground and eviscerated the enemy ballista and the side of the Inahandrian ship. A four-foot section of the mast was blown away and it toppled sideways, the dark sails crashing into the water. The soldiers still on the planks were catapulted into the sea and did not come back up.

  Dusk felt the energy drain from his body as he slumped down to the deck, but to his surprise he remained barely conscious, his vision tunneling in. The sailors and the soldiers got to their feet quickly, going back to their battle, but the damage had been done. The enemy’s ship was sinking and when only two soldiers remained they threw down their weapons, their hands held high in the air. Dusk looked across to the other ship that was slowly sinking in the ocean. Only one man was left alive, the ornately dressed one that he assumed was their captain.

  “Hold!” Captain Duillearga bellowed, his hand held high. He quickly glanced over to Dusk with a look of fear and surprise in his eyes, but turned back to the sinking ship. “Captain? I think it’s about time you thought of surrenderin’,” he called over.

  The Inahandrian captain was silent for a moment, looking at the wreckage around him. He took off his hat and stepped to what was left of the railing. “We have no other choice it seems.”

  “Good lad,” Duillearga responded, bouncing his way down the stairs to the main deck. “Help him aboard and don’t hurt those two.”

  With some spare rope and one of the remaining planks, the Inahandrian captain was brought aboard. The gangplank he’d crossed fell into the water as his ship suddenly began to tip to one side, rolling away from The Zephyr and onto its side. He gave a quick glance back at it and the proud posture left his shoulders. He knew he was utterly defeated.

  “Mr. Oby, take these men to the brig. See that they are well cared for,” the captain said, pointing to one of the men. “Don’t worry captain, we’ll deliver you safely to Inahan with a few coins in your pocket for the journey back to Calendia.”

  “I’ll accept those terms,” the other returned.

  As they were led to the stairs leading down into the ship, Dusk glanced up to see the Inahandrian Captain glaring at him, his eyebrows furrowed. As their gazes met he continued to stare until he slipped belowdecks. Lex and Tara were already at Dusk’s side without him noticing. He felt hands on his arms, pulling him to his feet.

  “Are you hurt?” Lex asked breathlessly, a concerned look on his face. “We should get you someplace to lie down.”

  “Take him to my cabin, Alexander,” the captain ordered. “I’ll meet you there in a few moments once I’ve got this taken care of.”

  “But he really needs re—”

  “To my cabin. That’s an order.”

  The captain walked away, calling out more orders to the rest of the crew. Lex glared at him as he walked away, muttering under his breath.

  “Come on,” Tara urged him, looping one of Dusk’s arms around her shoulder.

  A moment later Dusk found himself back in one of the overstuffed chairs with both Lex and Tara hovering over him with exasperated looks on their faces.

  “Dusk…” Tara began.

  “Why did you do that?” Lex blurted out, throwing his hands up in the air. “We were winning! There was no reason to blow up the entire ship! Now everyone on this boat knows what you can do and so do the prisoners from Inahan! What if someone is a Circle member on either side and we don’t know? Tiernan could already know what happened!”

  “Lex, calm down,” Tara advised. “Let him explain.”

  “Sure, fine. Go ahead. Explain.”

  Lex crossed his arms again, staring down at him. Dusk was fighting with everything he had to keep himself awake. The magic he’d used had taken almost all of his strength. He felt as if he hadn’t slept in days. He pushed himself to the side, leaning against the arm of the chair with his head resting on his hand.

  “They had a ballista aimed at the captain,” he murmured, his eyes drooping.

  “No sleeping,” Tara commanded, snapping her fingers in front of his face.

  “Sorry. They were going to kill him. We need him to get to Inahan. There’s nobody else out here that’s going to help us.”

  “You think there isn’t another person on this boat that could get us there?” Lex asked, an exasperated tone in his voice.

  “Not one we can trust.” Dusk pushed himself up, trying to hold his head up. “You said yourself we don’t know if anyone here is a Circle member. If he were to die, anything could happen. We could be turned in, sold, or any other number of things.”

  “Not to mention the crew’s morale would have been gone… we might not have won that battle if he died,” Tara added, nodding to Dusk.

  “But what if someone knows now? Or tells someone else?” Lex looked at the pair of them. “We don’t know what could happen.”

  “There are consequences for every action, whether it’s good or bad.” Tara shrugged, holding her hands up. “We did the best we could and Dusk made a decision he felt was right. I can’t blame him for that. The battlefield isn’t a place to weigh every option.”

  The door to the captain’s cabin burst open, crashing against the wall. Duillearga stormed in, pulling his hat off, followed by Cyrilo who gently closed the door behind them.

  “By the gods, what the hell happened out there?” Duillearga cried, throwing himself into his chair. “I’ve never seen someone cause so much damage so fast in my life!”

  “That was magic,” Cyrilo said matter of factly, catching everyone off guard. Duillearga looked at him as if he’d just said something crazy, but Lex and Tara didn’t flinch. He turned to Dusk, his arms crossed. “But how did you do it? Humans don’t have access to magic anymore.”

  “Are we talking about fairy tales now?” Duillearga said with exasperation. “Magic is dead, if it was ever even real to begin with.”

  Cyrilo dug into one of his pockets, producing a small quartz stone that was highly polished. He lifted his hand with the stone balancing on his palm and closed his eyes. His tail twitched and in a flash the stone burst into light, filling the cabin with a cool white glow.

  “I assure you, it’s very real.”

  Fourteen

  Cyrilo cl
osed his hand and the stone went dark once more. Everyone stared as he nonchalantly put it back into his pocket and re-crossed his arms. He ignored the rest of the room, but kept his eyes fixed on Dusk.

  “Now how did you do it?” he asked.

  Dusk glanced up at Lex and Tara who had just managed to break their gazes from Cyrilo and close their open mouths. Both of them shrugged.

  “The cat’s out of the bag now,” Tara said. She stopped for a moment, then glanced at Cyrilo. “Sorry, that was probably inappropriate.”

  Cyrilo’s face cracked into a smile, exposing his sharp canines. “Don’t worry about it.” He turned back to Dusk, the smile fading. “Explain yourself.”

  Slowly Dusk lifted his gloved hand with the runes stitched across the surface. Gently he undid the buttoned leather and peeled it back, exposing the crystal sewn into the glove.

  Cyrilo’s hand shot out, grabbing the glove and pulling it closer, his pupils dilating. “Where did you find this?”

  “In the mines I was enslaved at. It was in the eye of a massive crystallized dragon skeleton. Once I saw it, I couldn’t leave it. I felt drawn to it for some reason.”

  “Tephyss… the lord of the dragons.” Cyrilo turned away, dropping Dusk’s hand. He paced for a moment, flicking his eyes back and forth before he turned back. “The Rhyka remember the dragon lords well. We are hated for a reason and it has nothing to do with culture or how we look.” He fidgeted in place, his tail twitching. “We’re a danger to the rest of the world because we possess inherent magical powers, however minor.” He gestured to Dusk. “You on the other hand, possess one of the greatest powers the world has ever known.” He stood for a moment, shaking his head. “I don’t know the wisdom in this thinking, but if Tephyss has allowed you to take the eye, you must be meant to have it.”

  “He was dead. It was a skeleton.”

  “Don’t underestimate the most powerful dragon that ever lived. Tephyss possesses more power in death than any of us will ever have in life. He was gifted his abilities by the Crystal Moon itself. You could never have taken that by force of your body alone.”

  Captain Duillearga, who until this moment had been forgotten by everyone, finally spoke up. “You all really like your fairy tales, I’ll give you that.” He turned his gaze to Cyrilo. “But now I’ve seen two things today that I would not have ever believed possible.”

  “Lex told me that story,” Dusk piped up. “When we met on the road I remember he told me about how Tephyss was turned into a dragon once he communed with the crystal. Then they gave magic to humans.”

  “Nobody really knows what happened after they gifted mankind with the power to tap into magic,” Cyrilo continued. “But we do know that the dragons never fully trusted the humans they advised and cared for.”

  “Why’s that?” Lex asked, perking up. Dusk remembered how much he liked stories although he hadn’t told one in a long while.

  “When the Crystal Moon was taken from the world, the magic went with it.” Cyrilo held his hands out. “But as you can see, not all of it. The gifts the dragons gave to the humans required a connection. It was a failsafe they built into their plans to spread magic among the humans and it’s a good thing they did. You’ve heard of Nozzera I suppose?”

  Dusk and Lex both nodded.

  “If Tephyss hadn’t been so forward thinking with his gifts, things would be much worse. When the human race proved once and for all that they couldn’t be trusted with magic, the dragons took it away. Many of them died in the fight while others died in their caves. Their bodies are scattered throughout the continent.”

  “Why did the others die in the caves?” Dusk asked. “I’ve seen two now surrounded by piles of gold. What use could all powerful dragons have with money? And why weren’t they out there helping Tephyss?”

  “I’m not sure.” Cyrilo shook his head. “It’s common knowledge that all the dragons save for Tephyss disappeared centuries before Nozzera rose up and stole the Crystal Moon from them. But nobody really knows why. I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you.”

  Dusk was more frustrated than he wanted to admit. Ever since he’d found the crystal, he’d been full of questions. Lex had tried to explain with stories, but much like Cyrilo and the Circle, had only given him bits and pieces. He thought back to the monastery library that had been full of ancient magical texts. He’d read plenty of them during his time there, but most of them were obscure history about humans and their magical exploits. Very few of them even mentioned the dragons except to name where the gifts had originated. He realized he wanted answers about what had really happened and why he was being chased. The Circle seemed to have a much larger plan than just using the crystal’s power.

  “The Circle of the Dawn wants to return magic to the world,” Dusk said, lifting his gaze to Cyrilo. “How would they do that?”

  Cyrilo was silent for a moment. “That’s a dangerous name I haven’t heard in a long time.” He paused again, his eyes flicking back and forth.

  “I see Diana wasn’t tellin’ me the entire truth when she asked me to take you lot for a quick ride to Inahan,” Duillearga added. “They’re a dangerous bunch at the best of times.”

  “Have either of you had a run in with them?” Lex asked, leaning forward in his seat.

  “Thankfully, no,” Duillearga replied. “I keep well clear of that.”

  “One of my owners in the fighting ring was a Circle member,” Cyrilo said calmly. “He was barely an initiate and he didn’t last long. But back to your question. My guess is that they’d have to create a new connection for mankind, but I don’t see how they could do that. Even with the eye they wouldn’t have enough power for something that large. Maybe they think they’ve found another way.”

  “They said they want to bring it back and somehow control it, but I have no idea how. I feel more confused now than I was twenty minutes ago,” Dusk sighed.

  “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.” Cyrilo pushed himself off the desk, back to a standing position. “However, what’s clear is that Tephyss is allowing you to keep the eye and therefore you should.”

  “I was planning to sell it off…”

  Cyrilo scoffed, glaring down at Dusk. “If you sell it you might as well hand it to the Circle directly. It will come to them the moment it leaves your care.”

  Dusk stayed silent, Cyrilo’s words sinking into his brain. He could never get rid of the crystal if he wanted to stop Tiernan from doing whatever he was planning. The crystal was never part of his plans to find freedom, but he was starting to feel that he would never be rid of it.

  “Is there anyone I can give it to?”

  “I don’t know,” Cyrilo responded, stepping forward. “Maybe you’ll be able to find those answers once you’re in Inahan. For now I think it’s best that you just keep it with you. And don’t use it unless it’s an absolute emergency. If word gets out you have that kind of power, the Circle won’t be far behind.”

  The five of them sat silent for a long moment.

  “Well, this has been most enlightenin’, but I’ve got a ship to repair,” Duillearga said finally, pushing himself to his feet and pulling his hat back on. “Now that I know what’s goin’ on, I’d rather you were off my ship as soon as possible. No offense.”

  “None taken,” Tara replied. “We don’t want any more trouble to come to you on our account.”

  “Sorry,” Dusk whispered, not lifting his gaze from the floor.

  “Don’t be sorry lad,” Duillearga laughed. “I know what you did. If it weren’t for you, I’d be nothin’ more than chum in the water for the sharks! I promise I’ll get you safe to shore, it’s the least I can do.”

  The captain bowed to Dusk, sweeping his hat off before he made his way out of the cabin, leaving the four of them behind. They were silent for a long moment, Dusk still staring at the floor. The nagging feeling was coming back that everyone around him was always in mortal peril, and more often than not, someone died because of him. This time
it was a couple of sailors that knew what they were getting into, but it seemed as if death and danger lurked around every corner. He’d never envied the time he’d spent in the mines, but he had to admit, mining salt was a lot simpler than trying to stop the world from being taken over by maniacs.

  Dusk sat lost in his thoughts, his head resting on his knuckles once more. He started as a hand came to rest on his thigh.

  “You look exhausted,” Lex murmured, holding out a hand. “Why don’t we get some rest?”

  “Yes sir.”

  Lex sighed audibly and Dusk realized what he said, but he was too tired to care. With Lex’s help he was lifted from the chair and led out of the cabin, not saying a word to the other two. It took longer than usual, but Lex managed to get Dusk all the way down the stairs and into their cabin. With a little help he was able to maneuver Dusk into the hammock.

  “Lex?” Dusk asked as Lex started towards his own hammock. “Can you sleep here with me?”

  “I can try,” Lex replied softly with a look of doubt as he stared at the hammock. “Hopefully it will hold us.”

  It took a moment, but eventually Lex had worked his way into the hammock with Dusk. Dusk curled his arm over Lex’s torso, resting his head on Lex’s chest. He was exhausted, but thoughts of the Circle kept invading his mind, keeping him from sleep. After ten minutes of laying with his eyes closed he was beginning to get annoyed. Opening his eyes he glanced up at Lex who was staring at the ceiling.

  “Can’t sleep?” Lex asked, glancing down at him.

  “Thinking too much,” Dusk replied.

  “How about a story?”

  Dusk’s heart leapt for some reason. The offer was so trivial, but it caused a warm sensation to rush over his skin.