by Allynn Riggs
Another breath.
The muscles in his arms and hands strained. Heat. Definitely heat. Both hands seemed to be on fire. He did not release the blade. It was moving ever so slowly.
Another breath.
Green flames seemed to wrap themselves about his hands. The Stone was screaming in his head. His bones felt the pain and his whole being absorbed the anguish of the Stone. The Stone had feared that he, The Balance, would not come in time to save all the Stones, all the people.
Was he on fire? He gripped harder, pulled harder. He pushed against the now radiant crystal. His mind filled with music as the amber blade slid out, and he was flung away from the pedestal. His back hit the cool tiled floor. Was he on fire, burning? He opened his eyes.
Colors.
Music.
Words echoed through his head.
Joy.
Life.
Balance.
Acacophony of sounds and color flooded Taryn’s senses. Voices sang in multiple languages. Shivers shook him as the harmonies tightened. Struggling to categorize, to identify, to understand what was happening, Taryn stretched out across the coolness of the chamber floor. Forcefully relaxing his grip on the hilt, he released the blade. The cramps in his joints eased. Ever so slowly, the colors in his vision calmed until he could see the minute stitching of the wall hangings in their delicate splendor. He’d never felt color before. He was positive it would be the last time he would. He cried as the sensation lessened to nearer normal though the music continued — dancing with the colors.
Moving only his eyes, Taryn took inventory. A Singer was draped over one of the pedestals, shoulders shaking. Was it Layson? Was she crying?
“Ani? Renloret?” His voice sounded harsh against the music. Was it inside or outside his head? Did it matter? He called again. Were they still in the chamber? Were they all right? Any injury the others might have incurred would be his fault. A groan directed his attention to the base of the Anyala Stone’s pedestal where two forms were crouched, entwined — Ani and Kela.
“Ani?” the croaking question came from a form crawling across the floor. The pilot reached the huddled combination of girl and canine, drawing them into an embrace. Good. Renloret was alive. Taryn rolled to his knees and scanned the room for the second Singer.
A pile of gold fabric lay along the wall behind the trio of Stones. The air was suffused with shades of blue, amber, and green. Music reverberated within his body, a joyous intensity that made moving difficult. He wanted to remain still, to drown in the sensations, but duty propelled him toward the crumpled form. He crawled, not yet trusting his ability to stand.
Patting the form, he located a shoulder, then a head. He pulled the fabric away. Taryn fingered strands of gray-streaked hair off Diani’s face.
“Singer?” he shouted, to be heard through the volume of music and color that blared through his head.
She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed. “My forever thanks. Help me up. We should attend to the others.”
Together they stood, leaning on the wall, which shivered in time with the music pervading the chamber. Taryn shaded his eyes against the brilliance of the lights emanating from the three Stones. He wished for ear and sunguards, not that he really wanted either the colors or the music to cease. Their combined beauty blended with his being. Self-control ebbed back from wherever it had gone and his responsibilities as a sheriff began asserting themselves.
“Can you walk?” His voice rasped against his vocal chords. How had he injured his voice? A sudden desire for his mother’s soothing citrus and honey tea brought tears to his eyes. He wiped them away. This was not the time.
Diani nodded and pointed. “I’ll see to Layson.” She pushed off the wall, and after a few staggering steps, she straightened and moved with more assurance to her compatriot.
As the two Singers embraced, Taryn made his way to the large green crystal. He ran his fingers over the spot where the blade had been. “No cracks. Not even a chip.”
A tingling sensation rippled up from his hands. The music increased in volume, drawing him in. It was mesmerizing, painfully beautiful.
Jerking away from the resplendent Stone, he touched Renloret’s back for balance as he eased down to the floor. Kela wedged his head between the men. A damp swipe of tongue seemed a request, and Taryn obliged by wrapping his arm around the canine’s neck. He buried his face in the soft depths of black, silver, and white fur. A rumble of comfort accompanied another licking. Taryn did not feel the need to reprimand or push him away, instead experiencing the earthy animal smell of Kela’s fur as grounding. And he needed that grounding at the moment.
He sighed as he turned his head to survey the chamber. The colors had diminished along with the volume of soul-binding music. He thought he could hear quiet words. The Singers shuffled towards him and his companions. Though smiling, they looked exhausted.
A fourth source of color came to his attention. It was the blade he’d removed from the Anyala Stone. Taryn stood and gingerly moved to the glowing weapon. He gained strength with each step as the percussive explosion resulting from the blade’s removal seeped away. It was the most impressive throw he’d ever encountered. He surmised that there had been a sudden release of energy when the blade slipped free from the crystal.
The light from the offending blade reminded him of the crystal blade Ani’s mother had given to her at the championship crowning ceremony, though this one was amber rather than green. That glorious green blade had been buried a year later inside Shendahl’s casket until it was dug up and subsequently stolen by Stubin Dalkey in his efforts to prove the presence of aliens on Teramar. It had been the catalyst for the Lrakiran Song of Healing Renloret and he had sung for Ani after her injury in the cavern. Along with the song, the then glowing green blade had accomplished everything needed to bring Ani back from the brink of death, yet it could not remove the coma device from her brain. With sudden insight, he understood the scars that traced ugly tracks across his own body. Ani and Renloret had probably healed his injuries by singing the same song and wielding the green blade.
Taryn picked up the amber blade. The glow brightened but did not burn. With a deep bow of respect, he offered the blade to Diani.
She caressed the crystal. It hummed in pleasure as she pressed it to her lips. “Again, you have my thanks for returning my blade to me and for saving the Anyala Stone. It will ever be a debt that cannot be repaid.”
“The blade sings too?” He stepped forward so he could hear the obviously happy tune issuing from the amber blade.
Diani frowned. “You can hear it? I hear it only in my head. I didn’t think anyone else could hear it unless the Stones permitted it.”
Ani unwrapped from Renloret’s embrace and stood up. “I hear it too, but only in my head. It communicates telepathically, Taryn, similar to Kela. In fact, I hear all three Stones and blades. The blades are an octave higher than their Stones. Taryn, there is no real sound, only their colors.”
“All the music is in my head?”
Ani nodded. “I think you’re experiencing what I went through on my first introduction to Kela. It’s overwhelming in the beginning, but you’ll learn to separate the two, given time and exposure.”
“Can Renloret hear it? Can Kela?”
Renloret stood beside Ani, clasping her hand. “I believe I am hearing it as well. I have had previous less dynamic experiences with different types of telepathy, not just with the Anyala Stone.”
Kela barked. Taryn knew he had heard that through his ears.
Ani laughed. “He hears the Stones and the blades, but he only hears my thoughts. He’s not sure he wants to hear everyone’s thoughts. Evidently, mine are plenty.”
“Did Kela hear the Stones when we were here before?” Renloret asked.
Shaking her head, she said, “Not like this. He says he was invited to participate because he was connected to me and I am the Anyala Stone’s Singer.” Her tone gave voice to a newfound confidence in the titl
e.
“I can see he’s excited to be included,” Taryn said as Kela executed a tail to muzzle turn to show his pleasure in the shared communication.
“Will I hear all of them all the time? I’m not sure I could handle the distraction,” Taryn said.
The two Singers stepped forward. Layson took hold of his hands. “Since I have been a Singer for only a short time myself, I can tell you. The rush of information will dissipate to conversational levels and then only when they need you or you them. They are getting acquainted with you. That is all.”
Frowning, Diani added, “Which brings up a topic the book of songs did not mention.”
“What was that?” Renloret asked.
“If, by removing my blade from the Anyala Stone, Taryn has become a Singer, which of us is he going to replace?”
Taryn heard the fear and confusion in the older Singer’s voice. “Hey, I just got here and only did what I was asked to do. Personally, I have no intention of replacing anyone, nor do I want to remain on Lrakira and become some rock’s singer.” Both Singers gave quick smiles at his reluctance to take over their positions and his irreverent reference to the Stones. He glanced at Ani, who had a bemused look on her face. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I think I have this figured out,” Ani said. “Let me talk this through, just as I let you talk through Treyder’s goal.”
“Talk, Sister.” His grin and wiggled eyebrows brought a smile to her face as he hoped it would.
“The prophecy says The Blood and The Balance shall each save one. I, The Blood, saved the people and you saved the Stone. But why name you The Balance? I think the Stones needed an unexpected event to occur so they could introduce the possibility of a male Singer to the people of Lrakira. Male balances female.” She waved a hand to shush Diani and Layson, who appeared about to speak. “But as Diani has pointed out, there are three Stones and there are three Singers already. Why have an extra?”
“Like our mother thought I was?” Taryn couldn’t help his comment. He flinched at the smack on his shoulder from Ani.
“No, Taryn. Don’t ever grind that blade. Ever.” Her remonstration silenced him and she continued. “This may be a slash in the dark, but what if there are more Stones, and what if more Singers, preferably male, are needed for full balance to be attained?”
“More?” The question came from Diani, Layson, and Renloret at the same time, the combined overlapping question carrying a tone of incredulity.
“Doesn’t the first verse of the song say something like six will sing?” Diani asked. She turned to look at Renloret.
“Yes, it did,” Renloret answered.
Taryn cocked his head toward Ani. “Okay, but from what I understand there are only three Stones on Lrakira. If there were more, wouldn’t they have been found by now?”
“What if they aren’t on Lrakira?” Ani whispered, causing the hair on the nape of Taryn’s neck to rise.
“That’s some slash in the dark, Ani,” he replied. “If not here, then where else would they be? Why are they somewhere else?”
A joyous three-note chord sounded in his head.
Teramar!
Reunion!
Circle of Seven sing safe passage
Divide by two and send in deep sleep
The Blood and Balance shall each save one
Awakening three to rejoice with time’s message
Time will soon come for reunion’s leap
Six will Sing joining three homes and suns
Plague and sickness spur Stones to send
Singer and blade to chosen star unknown
The Blood and Balance, in one birth two
She, The Blood, to be aged by Time-Song’s end
He, The Balance, in time to heal first a Stone
Then home to awakened three to join anew.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This second book, in fact the entire series, would not be possible without my middle daughter, Kristina. Always an attentive listener, she has been and is a great sounding board for plot ideas. At times, she seems to be more in tune with the characters and their story than I am. I am indebted to her for showing me the way. More than a few years ago, when Kristina was in high school, I was struggling with the end of the then titled stand alone, The Stone’s Blade, when Kristina said something along the lines of, “What about Ani having a twin and only they can save one of the Stones?”
Well, that question exploded the story line and my imagination quickly ran off in several directions. I managed to get those first bursts of imagination under control. Through dreams in which I asked the characters what they thought of the idea, I realized that according to Ani, she did in fact have a twin. Probably only writers understand how a character can tell you the truth about their lives and then insist that what you write is correct.
The standalone became a trilogy of titles until early in 2015 when I realized the proposed third title, The Blades, was destined to be well over eight hundred pages and needed to be divided so I could handle one problem at a time. Without my dear daughter, even this second installment would never have happened, and I probably would never have fully discovered this fascinating world I am delighted to share with you now.
More people who deserve thanks from me include my alpha beta reader, Nancy Koos, for putting up with multiple drafts and story changes, which she has dutifully read and commented on. Thanks also go to my dear friend and editor, Melanie Mulhall, of Dragonheart, who has also put in countless hours of coaching, pushing, remonstrating, and encouraging me through this process of cobbling together a series truly worth reading. I could not do this without you, Melanie. You have expanded my skills and my desire to continue on this voyage. Some would say this is all my imagination, but you know this is a true story and you have helped me see the truth and given me the structure and support to tell it well.
I am in awe of the creative abilities of my cover designer, Nathan Fisher, with Ideas Ablaze. He can see inside my head and continues to make my imagination visible. And it’s not just the stunning cover design, it’s the whole presentation, from the interior illustrations to the star field chapter headings, that shows how much he believes in this marvelous series. Thank you, Nathan.
Thanks also to all the readers of The Blood. Your requests for this second book have surprised and inspired me. May you enjoy The Balance as much as it appears you have enjoyed The Blood. Let us continue to discover the worlds of The Stone’s Blade.
CHARACTERS and TERMS GLOSSARY
& PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Abren (ah-bren): Lrakiran word for open
Ani (ah-nee): Northern’s 1st female blade ring champion, Renloret’s rescuer, The Blood
Anyala Stone (ahn-yall-ah): largest of the Stones of Lrakira, green
Awarna (ah-war-nah): capital city of Lrakira
Bell: Lrakiran time equal to an hour
Brenlee (brin-lee): infant, Keci and Nonnash’s sixth daughter
Chime: Lrakiran time equal to a minute
Cranite (cray-night): Lrakiran moon
Cushawk (cuss-hawk): a Teramaran medium-sized farm bird raised for eggs and meat
Cyralist (sigh-rah-list): bulbous hourglass shaped stringed instrument on Teramar
Daneeha (da-nee-ha): sheriff’s secretary
Denert (deh-nert): smallest Lrakiran moon
Diani (dee-ah-nee): Pericha Stone’s Singer
Digoson Mountains (dee-go-son): mountain range north of Awarna, home of Anyala Stone
Doven (dough-vin): village multiple hours north of Saedi City, Northern, Teramar
Ear/sunguards: protective insertables or coverings to prevent hearing loss or damage to eyes
Erid (air-id): largest Lrakiran moon
Eteel (eh-teel): bass player and master composer of Star Valley Bashers, dance band on Teramar
Fairaden (fair-ah-den): medical assistant on original research team, marries Treyder
Flitter (flit-er): term used for multiple species of songbi
rds on Lrakira
Garrend (gair-end): fictitious name Ani gives to Renloret
Gednium (ged-nee-um): small purple fruit native to Northern, Teramar
Gelwood Avere (gell-wood ahv-air-eh): Taryn’s father, grocery store owner
Highcraft (hi-craft): Northern term for master craftsman, the very best. Usually associated with sword blade creation or manufacture.
Hopper: small rodent native to Northern, Teramar
Isul Treyder (eye-sul tray-der): genius mechanical engineer, a bit crazy
Jinma (gin-mah): a type of stylized stretching exercise
Keci (keh-see): farmer in Star Valley, Northern, Teramar
Kela (kay-la): telepathic canine, Ani’s companion
Kita Stone (kit-ah): blue Stone of Lrakira
Kiver (keye-ver): language specialist on rescue mission with Renloret, dies in crash
Kreline (creh-lean): large predator on Teramar’s Northern continent
Kriswen (chris-win): gas giant, fifth planet in Teramaran solar system
Kursal Ceri (curse-all sir-eye): blade ring opponent known to Ani and Taryn
Layson (lay-son): Kita Stone’s Singer
Leeshob (lee-shob): Mroz’s herding canine
Lrakira (ulrrah-keer-ah) (L is barely pronounced and r is rolled): second of six planets in Lrakiran solar system
Luris seed (lur-iss): a citrusy seed used as a spice on Northern, Teramar
Melli Avere (mell-ee ahv-air-eh): Taryn’s mother, maker of fine teas
Milit/milits (mill-it/mill-its): Northern term for military personnel or soldiers
Moon-cycle: Lrakiran month
Moon-time: Lrakiran night
Mroz (mer-rose): bar owner, part-time coroner, Star Valley, Northern, Teramar
Nelham (nell-ham): senator, head of space protection committee, Northern Teramar government
Nonnash (no-nash): Keci’s wife, mother of six daughters, Star Valley, Northern, Teramar