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

by Blake R. Wolfe

  The group passed through the low stone wall that blocked the farmhouse from the road and saw the farmer holding Maribel by the halter, pulling her into the paddock. Her ears perked up at their approach and she whinnied as she saw them. The farmer on the other hand looked almost terrified as he approached them.

  “Maribel!” Dusk called out, jogging up to her. “I’ve missed you!”

  Dusk dropped his bag to the ground and pulled out an apple. Maribel looked at the apple, then back to him with a disapproving look.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t come to see you. Will you forgive me?”

  She glanced at the apple, visibly shrugged, and dove in. Dusk was careful to keep his fingers clear as he reached up with his other hand, stroking her mane. There were a few broken twigs in her mane and he noticed she was caked in mud and dirt. Her smell had changed too. Instead of the earthy horse smell Dusk remembered, it was more sweet, like an early spring flower coming into bloom.

  “Can we brush her before we go?” Dusk asked, turning to Tara.

  “She should already be taken care of,” Tara said as her gaze zeroed in on the farmer, her voice flat. “We paid you to take care of her. Why does she look like a wild animal?”

  “I…” the farmer's voice faltered. His head and shoulders drooped and he looked extremely nervous.

  “What’s that look for?” Tara asked, taking a step forward to tower over the man. “What happened? I’ve killed many men in my life, and none of them looked as nervous as you do right now.”

  He glanced up at her, gulped, and began to wring his hands. “I… I don’t know what happened but s-she got away s-somehow.” Tara glared down at him and he let out a tiny squeak of fear. “B-but I’ll give you your money back.”

  “How long was she gone?”

  “A little over two weeks.”

  “Two weeks!?” Tara reached forward and grabbed the man by the collar. “Two weeks and you didn’t think it decent to say anything? What would my friend here have done if something happened to her?” She pointed at Maribel who was ignoring the whole situation and munching away happily. “He loves that stupid fucking animal!”

  “I-I’m s-sorry,” the farmer whimpered. “I don’t k-know where s-she went, but she’s b-back now.” He let out a small forced laugh before Tara dropped him back to the ground. “And I’ll b-brush her. Of course.”

  “Well,” Tara snapped, throwing up her arms. “Get to it! We’re on a schedule.”

  “Yes ma’am. Right away, ma’am.”

  The farmer kept his head low as he grabbed Maribel by the halter and led her into the barn. Dusk watched her go, thankful she had been found again. He didn’t know what he’d do without her on the road. She was part of the team. He did wonder what she’d gotten up to though. She looked as if she’d wandered the country, rolling in every mud hole she’d come across.

  “What do you think she was doing for two weeks?” Lex asked, sitting his gear on the ground and stretching.

  “With our luck, probably getting knocked up by some shag bandit out in the hills,” Tara scoffed, dropping her gear as well and leaning against the side of the house.

  Dusk’s heart nearly skipped a beat at the thought of a baby horse on their journey. A small smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth.

  “I see you smirking like an idiot over there,” Tara growled, glaring at Dusk. “That is not happening. If she even so much as gains pound, we’re selling her off to make glue.”

  Twenty-Two

  It wasn’t long before they were back on the road with Maribel in tow. The farmer had tried to give back most of their money, but Dusk had denied him, silencing Tara in the process. Instead the farmer gave them a set of leather saddlebags for their journey, making the carrying a bit more comfortable for Maribel. They were a bit rough and rugged, but they did the job just the same. Dusk thanked him gratefully while Tara continued to glare daggers.

  The road out of the village was well-travelled until they passed the furthest edge of the local farmland. Beyond it the road became little more than a trail that headed west, following the coast. Watersedge was a small place for sailors to rest, but it seemed very few people sold cargo there. Instead it looked like the village was just a quick stop before they sailed on through to deliver their goods directly.

  There was a warm breeze coming up from the southwest as they walked, bringing with it the scent of salt water and seaweed. The clouds parted, allowing the sunshine to rain down on them. Dusk had been right about the heat and soon pulled off his fur lined cloak, tucking it into a bag on Maribel’s back. He could feel the sweat gathering under his clothing, but welcomed the sensation. He’d spent too many nights close to freezing to death to complain about it.

  “We’ve got at least a two-week trek in front of us,” Tara said as they stopped for a break around midday to eat. “We should be crossing a large river in a couple of days before we turn slightly north to follow the coastline. Greencoast Port is on a small peninsula, so we’ll have to double back a bit. There should be plenty of small fishing villages as we get closer.”

  “Too bad there’s a war going on,” Lex sighed, taking a drink from his waterskin. “It would have been a short boat ride.”

  Dusk laid back on the grass, some of the moisture soaking through his clothing. He stretched out, enjoying the sunlight falling across his body. “I’m fine with walking,” he yawned. “It’s nice not to be stuck in that tiny village anymore.”

  “Aren’t you the one that wants to live on a farm in the middle of nowhere?” Tara asked, turning towards him. “You know that’s basically being stuck on a tiny piece of land forever, right?”

  Dusk didn’t answer. Instead he closed his eyes and laced his fingers behind his head.

  Tara grunted in his direction, but turned back to Lex. The pair of them carried on talking, but Dusk was no longer listening. His senses were too focused on the salty breeze, the sound of the crashing waves not far off, and the never ending stream of sunlight on his skin. He found himself wishing that things could always be so simple, but he knew they couldn’t be. Tephyss had been silent since that day he’d killed the monster in the cave, but it wouldn’t last forever. Eventually he knew the dragon would recover and find his voice again. Then who knew what adventures Dusk would have to run off on. Whatever they were, he hoped they weren’t too dangerous, but he knew better. Anything involving the crystal eye would be dangerous, especially with the Circle always hot on his heels. Even as he lay in the grass soaking up the sun, he wondered how far away they could possibly be. Tiernan had made it clear he already knew where they were and where they were going. Maybe someone was already waiting at the edge of Greencoast Port to capture them.

  “Hey,” Lex said, patting Dusk’s cheek gently. “Come on. Time to get going again.”

  “But we just got here.”

  “We’ve been here for almost a half hour. Did you fall asleep?” Lex smirked, holding out a hand to help him up.

  Dusk took it thankfully. “I didn’t think so… but maybe I did I guess.”

  “Well, don’t forget to eat.” Lex handed him a piece of dried meat. “It’s a long way to go yet.”

  Dusk nodded with a smile before walking over to Maribel. He ripped a piece of the meat off with his teeth, savoring the salty smoky flavor. But as he grabbed the halter the flowery smell of Maribel’s fur pushed the smoke away. It seemed to be getting stronger.

  “This is a really weird question…” Dusk said sheepishly, “but does this horse smell funny to you two?”

  “Well, I’ve never heard that one before,” Tara smirked. “Is this a version of ‘smell my finger?’”

  “No, I’m serious. She smells different.”

  “Maybe the farmer felt bad and bathed her.”

  “She was missing the whole time! When did he have time to give her a bath?”

  Lex stepped up while they were arguing and leaned into Maribel’s neck, breathing deeply. “No, you’re right. She doesn’t smell like a ho
rse at all. It’s almost like a bouquet of wildflowers or something.”

  “If I walk over there and that horse smells like straight up shit, I will beat the both of you.” Tara threw her bag to the ground and stomped over, roughly shoving her face against Maribel’s neck, who in turn gave Tara an extremely disapproving look. “What the fuck?” Tara gasped. “She smells better than half the ladies in the palace!”

  “How come I knew you’d sniffed every lady in Eblesal?”

  “Fuck off.” Tara turned to Dusk. “Did she roll in something?”

  “Not that I know of…”

  “I wonder if she’s sick? Or maybe she ate something weird?” Tara glanced at the pair of them, finding only blank stares on their faces. She shrugged. “Well, nothing we can do about it. She’ll live or die I guess. Not like there’s a horse doctor out here in the wilderness.”

  “You are so callous,” Lex muttered. “I don’t think she’s gonna die from smelling good. We’ll just keep an eye on her.”

  Dusk nodded, a worried look still painted on his face. Maribel glanced at him, seemingly unconcerned about her health or the potential of her death. Pulling an apple from his pack, he brought it over to her. She bumped his chin with her snout playfully before biting into the apple. He thought she seemed okay, but only time would tell. The flowery smell wafted over him again bringing with it an oddly familiar tingle in his skin.

  For the next two days they trudged on through an endless sea of grass, always with the ocean on their left side. The days were warm and sunny, filled with a breeze that drove away the sweat that tried to gather on their brows. On the second day the wind came up from the south, warming considerably. In the distance Dusk could see a line of dark clouds over the ocean, heading their way. Glancing to the west he could just make out a small stand of bare trees. It wouldn’t be much shelter, but it would be better than being stuck out in the open. The clouds were moving fast, though, and he wasn’t sure if they’d be able to make it in time.

  Tara, seeing the same thing on the horizon, drove them forward nearly at a jog. Every few minutes Dusk glanced back over his shoulder to see the clouds growing closer and darker. In the distance he heard the dull rumble of thunder. There was a faint white mist hanging below the clouds. It took him a moment to realize it was heavy rain falling into the ocean below. The wind began to pick up even more, whipping their cloaks around as they pushed through the grass.

  The small copse was only a short distance off when there was a bright flash followed by a sharp crack of thunder a few seconds later. Immediately the rain started to pour down on them and Tara began to run. The other two did the same with Dusk pulling on Maribel’s rope to pick up the pace. Tara led them into the trees and north towards a denser patch in the center. The wind was pushing the rain nearly sideways and the lightning was coming faster, the thunderous crashes vibrating inside Dusk’s chest. Pushing their backs against the trees to get away from the wind and rain, Dusk knew it was going to be a miserable night. What little light had been left for the day had been swallowed by the storm. Despite the warm wind, the rain was icy cold and soaking through his clothing. Even Maribel seemed dejected as she stood staring at Dusk with a look of pure annoyance on her face, her wet mane plastered to her neck.

  Dusk pulled his cloak tightly around himself, wishing there was something he could do. His hand absentmindedly ran across the lump on his chest where the dragon scale covered the crystal. He could remember how to conjure fire, water, and had even managed to kill a few monsters with the powers it possessed. Tephyss had told him that he’d somehow been able to tap into magical knowledge without knowing what he was doing. He thought maybe if he focused he could create a barrier to keep them out of the rain. Reaching up he pulled the scale away from his skin, the coppery flesh color fading to its original glossy white as the scale hardened again. He laid a hand across the warm crystal, feeling the power thrum within it.

  He glanced over to Lex and Tara who were both huddled against the trees with their cloaks pulled tightly around them. Everyone looked miserable. Dusk closed his eyes, concentrating on the crystal. He hoped it wouldn’t take too much effort to block the rain and wind. In his mind’s eye a simple glowing ring appeared made of pure white light. His first thought was to block the rain and he watched as the circle shifted and small patterns began to emerge in a triangular formation within it. The next piece was blocking the wind, but without stopping airflow completely, just something to slow it down. Again, another section of the circle shifted. He was about to release the magic when he had a thought. Remembering the wall back in the island ruins, he realized he didn’t want to create or destroy anything solid, knowing that the energy to do something so large would probably kill him. Instead he imagined an invisible force, like a large glass bubble that could be passed through with ease by anything but rain or wind. The final piece was something he wasn’t sure would work. He only wanted to create something that took a minimal amount of energy to maintain.

  The circle shifted, congealed, and reformed into a complex series of geometric patterns with runes strewn throughout. With a burst of white light he watched the circle disappear before he felt a warm sensation in his chest. Opening his eyes he noticed a light glowing from under his shirt as the crystal lit up. A small translucent bubble emerged from it, no bigger and an acorn before it floated out in front of him, still glowing brightly. The illumination caused the others to turn and look at him. Lex opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say a word the bubble suddenly expanded outwards in a flash. Water was thrown outwards in all directions and Dusk felt a strange falling sensation as the edge of the bubble passed through him, forcing his eyes closed.

  He realized he didn’t feel the pounding of the rain anymore and the wind had died down to a light breeze. Opening his eyes he looked up. Ten feet above them was one of the strangest things he’d ever seen. There was nothing there, but somehow the rain struck a hard surface, pooled, and ran down the sides of the bubble, as if they were protected by a paper-thin sheet of glass. Beyond that the skies were still dark and stormy. Lightning flashed directly above them and the thunder boomed, but instead of being loud in their ears, it sounded hollow and far away. A small wave of weariness washed over Dusk, but barely more than what it took to light a fire. Somehow, he’d managed to pull it off without killing himself.

  “What did you do?” Lex muttered, staring up at the water droplets that rolled across the invisible surface.

  “I… I don’t really know,” Dusk replied truthfully, pulling the scale out of his pocket and placing it back to his chest. It softened and formed over the crystal before shifting color back to match his copper skin. “I made it up.”

  “Isn’t that dangerous? Especially after what happened to you at the cave?”

  “I talked to Tephyss that day, after I killed the monster.” Dusk pulled off his cloak, shaking the water off it. “He said I had a natural gift for this sort of thing. I told the magic that I didn’t want to use much energy to do this and it listened.”

  “It listened?” Tara asked, stepping away from the tree and pulling her hood down. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I don’t know. I focus on what I want and the magic changes shape in my head to match.” Dusk shook his head. “I don’t really understand it, but I can’t keep doing things in a panic and almost dying. The magic I used at the cave would have killed me. Tephyss hasn’t spoken to me since because he let it drain his power to save me.” He paused for a moment. “I need to practice.”

  “You want to practice with that thing?!”

  “Dusk,” Lex said gently, stepping towards him. “I don’t want you to get hurt…”

  “I know Lex, but if I don’t figure out how it works I’m going to get hurt.” Dusk tossed his cloak over a low branch to let it drip dry. “Last time, I thought you were going to die and I panicked. I summoned up so much power that I used up an entire dragon for who knows how long. The magic I cast killed the monster, but it also dril
led through twenty feet of rock and into the sky for everyone to see.” He sighed, stepping forward and putting both his hands on Lex’s shoulders. “It’s dangerous, yes. But if I don’t learn how to control it, I could kill more than just myself by accident.”

  “I know there’s wisdom in what you’re saying, but I don’t like it.”

  “I’ll take it easy, don’t worry. Only small stuff, I promise.”

  The thunder clapped again, the hollow sound reverberating through the bubble as if it was far away.

  “This is small?” Tara asked, pointing up at the sky.

  “Since you still have your cloak on,” Dusk said, leaning to the side to see around Lex. “Why don’t you go get some firewood? You can walk through it without being harmed.”

  Tara scoffed and yanked her hood back up. She stomped off between the trees, breaking through the side of the dome. As she passed through Dusk felt a small twinge in his chest as the magic activated again to seal the breakage. He must have made a face because Lex was staring at him worriedly.

  Dusk shook his head. “As long as we don’t go out of the bubble too many times, I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m liking this less and less.”

  Dusk grabbed Lex’s chin and turned his face to the right. “Yeah, but look how upset Maribel is. She doesn’t want to be cold and wet.”

  Maribel was staring at them both with her head hung low, the rain still dripping off her nose. She looked annoyed with both of them and perturbed beyond belief. Suddenly her ears perked up, like she’d heard something. Swinging around she lifted her head and looked back to the east. Dusk turned to follow her line of sight and caught a glimpse of a large white shape standing among the trees. Through the pouring rain he couldn’t quite make it out. Maribel whinnied excitedly and the shape moved. The blurry shape slipped behind a tree and disappeared from view.

  “What are you looking at?” Lex asked, stepping up beside him.