Crystal Throne (Book 1)

by D. W. Jackson

  Pulling out everything he had in the pack, Thad took stock of what he had available. In the end, Thad was left with a huge pile of numerous items. It would seem that Bren was a bigger pack rat than he ever was and Thad was happy of that. There were more than a dozen small daggers and other metal objects that could be used for the body of the enchantment and there was no lack of gems for the heart.

  Using a small hammer that he had found in the pack he knocked a few large chunks of crystal off one of the tables in the room. Thuraman could focus a large amount of energy, but because of the way it was made Thad was worried that if he pulled too much through it then it would destroy everything that Thuraman was.

  It took Thad a few tries but it wasn’t as hard as he thought to tap into the power of the gems. It was much the same way you casted a spell, but instead of pulling in the energy and focusing on what you wanted done you had to project what you wanted done into the gem. The process had its downside as it took far more concentration that using your own power, which meant using it in a battle would be nearly impossible, but it was better than being left in this world without one of the few tools he had to his use.

  Once Thad had figured out how to use the power of the gems, he went straight to work in turning some of the metal knives into rings. As Thad looked at the more than a dozen rings on the table in front of him, he started to think of different ways to make his ideas come to life.

  In the end, Thad couldn’t settle on one idea as he wasn’t sure what would work the best. In the end, he had made six different rings. The first was the simplest. It simply drew in magical energy in a specified area and directed it back out. It required six different stones, and since the ring could only hold smaller stones it was only able to cover a small area which made it impossible to test, but at least he knew the enchanted item could work.

  The second ring was much more involved though it only needed two stones. It repelled the magic with a shield; since it didn’t need to cycle as much magical energy, the ring could cover a person easily though not much more than that.

  The other rings each worked in a different way, but they all had the same goal and that was to make the magical energy around the person wearing it either to move away, or be absorbed. One of them moved the energy into the ground, the other into the air. The last ring though did none of that, it was an idea of his own and one that scared him.

  Thad held the ring in his hand, but couldn’t bring himself to try it. It was far different than anything he had tried before and it was something that would only work in this world.

  Using the gems, Thad had learned that the world was connected, not just in a general way, but completely connected. It was almost as if they were standing on a large gem and Thad meant to use it, so he linked the ring to the very crystal beneath his feet.

  Thad held the rings in his hand. It had only taken him a few days to finish, but a new problem bothered him. How was he to test the rings to make sure they worked against the scions? He had thought long and hard on this problem, but the only real way to see if they worked was to put them on and then try to hide from the scions. That would mean that they would have to split up, and if they didn’t work the ones left alone would most likely face their own death. The idea was impossible, but it was the only one that he could think of.

  With no other choice, Thad walked toward the door to his study. The others had left him alone and while he had heard fighting, he had dared not leave until he was finished. As the crystal door swung open, Thad looked around the room to find that numerous pieces of crystal lay scattered about.

  Fear griping his heart, Thad quickly looked about for his son. Bren sat in a far corner of the building, looking out one of the windows, staring off in the distance. Relief flooded through Thad as he looked over his son, Bren looked the same as he had the same a few days before with no obvious wounds that Thad could see. Moving his eyes from his son took a great deal of effort, but Thad forced himself to focus on his true objective for leaving his work.

  “Humanius,” Thad said as he walked up behind the large god.

  “Thaddeus, my friend, have you solved our troubles with the scions?” Humanius asked his face bearing a wide smile.

  “Yes and no,” Thad replied, stealing the smile from Humanius’s smile. “I have made a number of rings that might work, but I have no way to test which one is of the best design.”

  “That does sound like a problem,” Humanius said thoughtfully.

  “I was hoping that you might have an idea about how to go on from here,” Thad said looking at the god.

  “You would think that for as long as I have lived, I would know of a way, but other than what I am sure you have already thought of, I am left without any other recourse. My best advice would be we try each kind as we move away from the palace. When one works, then we can turn our attention back to our original goal.”

  “Honestly, I didn’t think of that. Give me one more day to make enough of the rings for each of us. Sadly only one can be used at a time, they tend to interfere with each other.”

  “Then I would suggest that you hurry, more and more of the scions are coming toward us. Give it a few more days and there will be more than we could ever hope to fend off,” Humanius said sternly, a look of desperation on his face.

  “Then I will get to work,” Thad said turning back toward his study, taking one last quick look at Bren.

  Once back inside his study, Thad took stock of what he had used and what he had left at his disposal. He had used as little of the metal as he could, but the first ring needed to be larger and Thad knew that making four of those large enough to be of use he would have little metal left for the others. Sighing Thad tried to find a way to solve his problem.

  You do know that you don’t need a ring. I can duplicate any of the enchantments that you have put upon them.

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” Thad replied laughing to himself. “I tend to forget about the simplest things some times.”

  I hadn’t noticed. I have said it once and I am sure I will say it for as long as you live. You are one of the dumbest smart people ever born.

  “Sometimes I agree with that statement,” Thad said, laughing out loud. With the need of only three of the large rings, there would be more than enough metal for his intended purposes.

  Grabbing a large chunk of crystal, Thad lifted it to begin his work. He was amazed at how much energy one of the gems could hold, though he still went through quite a few of them working the metal. Just like a regular gem, once it was drained of energy, the crystals shattered and turned to dust. The dust still held a small amount of energy but it was such a small amount it was of little use, still Thad placed it in a pouch knowing that it could hold some purpose, though he couldn’t think of what that might be.

  Placing the small bag of dust in his pack, Thad pulled up the metal items he had left and went to work. It was tedious having to reach inside the crystal in his hand to bend the metal to his will. It moved and shaped as if it were nothing but clay. The work was slow as his mind was already tired from his earlier work, but he knew that time was short, and every second wasted was time that the scions would have to attack once again. Sighing, Thad delved again into the gem, forcing it to push his will upon the metal that rested on the table until three large circles the size of his hand were formed.

  When the last of the rings were complete, Thad sat down heavily in a chair that rested not far away. His head pounded and every muscle in his body felt as if it had been carrying a massive load, but he forced his eyes to remain open instead of allowing them the rest they so desperately wanted. As his attempts to stay awake failed him, Thad reached his mind out to Thuraman. “Can you help?”

  You need sleep father. You are pushing yourself too far and the crystal is taking advantage and spreading faster. There is no reason to push yourself so far, it only weakens you.

  “I know,” Thad replied. “There is little other choice. Can you help?”

  Yes, Thuram
an said, his voice full of concern.

  Thad felt energy coursing through his body and within moments he felt as if he had rested a lifetime. Without taking time to think, Thad went straight back to work. With the three large rings created, it was little trouble to make the smaller one and set the gems.

  There were no windows in Thad’s study, no distractions and no way for the scions to reach him without first going through the others, though that thought did no settle his mind since his son was one of those guarding the door. Without a window, it was hard to tell how much time had passed. He had made a few small enchanted items to create light, but still the room remained dim and his eyes strained with fatigue.

  Once the smaller rings were fully enchanted, Thad once again felt his energy wane. He reached out to Thuraman again, but the staff refused to heed his call acting as if he were not there. Without the staff to refill his energy reserves, Thad’s eyes dropped and soon he was fast asleep.

  Once his eyes closed it was only moments before he felt his wife reach for him. He knew that if the darkness took hold he would sleep far longer than he wished so for the first time in years he pushed against his wife’s call, but he was too weak to resist and soon the darkness claimed him.

  As the darkness cleared, Thad found himself standing alone in the courtyard. The sun was hanging low in the sky and only the top of it peeked above the horizon, casting a faint orange glow across the sky.

  Turning around, Thad’s eyes met those of his wife and he could see the lines of worry etched in her features. Without a second thought, Thad rushed up to Maria and wrapped her in a tight embrace his lips seeking hers. Thad had no clue another occupied their dream until a small cough came from beside him.

  Looking down, Thad nearly jumped in surprise. Standing next to Maria was a smaller version of her. If not for the slightly lighter hair color and blue eyes, Thad would have sworn it was a younger version of his wife.

  “Father, do you not even recognize your own daughter?” Sandrea asked with the same biting smile he had seen his wife use numerous times.

  “I was just a bit startled dear,” Thad said, regaining a measure of his composure. “Last time I saw you, you were still suckling at your mom’s teats and wrapped in her arms.”

  Thad pulled Sandrea into a tight hug. The small girl resisted at first, but after a few pulls Thad felt her arms embrace him.

  “Father, as you can see I am no longer a child that needs to be held,” Sandrea said when Thad let her go and she had finally untangled herself from his arms.

  “Is that so,” Maria said with one of her more devious smiles painted on her face. “It was only a few days ago you came to me demanding that I let you see him, if I remember correctly, you even had a few tears in your eyes.”

  “Mother,” Sandrea exclaimed her face turning a bright red. “I just thought it would be a good time to see him for myself. Bren has been going on about how dangerous it is there and I wanted to see his face, just in case the worst came to pass.”

  “Sandrea you will not even think of such things,” Maria said, a stricken look crossing her face for an instant. “Your father and brother will both be home with us as soon as they finish with this foolishness.”

  “If you say so mother, but I prefer to be more reasonable,” Sandrea said with a sad look on her face. “Brother has told me what they plan and the dangers they face and neither he nor I am very optimistic about their chances of returning.”

  “I need to talk to your father now,” Maria said with a displeased look on her face.

  “But mother I haven’t even gotten to talk to father yet,” Sandrea said with a pouting look that melted Thad’s heart, but before he could ask Maria to let her stay, Maria gave them both a look that told them she would brook no argument.

  “You have now touched your father so you should be able to find him with ease next time,” Maria said, and with a wave of her hand Sandrea disappeared as she was ejected from the dream. As soon as Sandrea was gone, Maria turned to him with a look he had seen too often in his life plastered on her face. “I have asked little of what you and my son have been up to. Honestly, I don’t think I really wanted to know, but the little pieces I have been able to garner from Sandrea have not been pleasant. You will tell me everything now, and I will hear no argument over this Thaddeus Torin.”

  Thad thought about refusing, but it was a passing thought. He knew that she could do little to force him, but he knew that should he live to return to her, she would make him regret it a thousand times over. Sighing, Thad sat down on the cold ground and looked at the orange sky and began his tale. Many times Maria was not happy with his story and stopped him with questions, many of which were to questions he had wished she hadn’t asked, but still he answered. When he had finished his story, there was only a few things that he was able to keep from her and he was sure that even those she had figured out on her own or she would before he saw her again and she would make sure he paid for those secrets.

  It wasn’t long after he had finished his story that the darkness coiled around him. He could tell that Maria tried to hold it back, but Thad welcomed it. There was much still he had to do before they could leave and he knew there was no time to waste.

  As his eyes fluttered open, Thad stood from his place in the chair, his muscles groaning from the awkward position he had slept in. Looking at the table, Thad’s eyes focused on the three large rings, they were the only things left unfinished. Taking a deep breath, Thad lay his hand on the first ring and focused. The enchantment fought against him as he tied it to the crystals, but he pushed though. He knew that it would be easier if he took his time, but time was one thing he didn’t have.

  Large beads of sweat dripped from his face as he pulled his hand away from the last ring. “It’s finished,” Thad said to himself, his voice carrying little of his excitement.

  Yes and though you know you should rest, you will proceed to give them away and when they say you should leave at once you not argue and ask for rest even though you need it.

  “That is the way of things,” Thad said as he made his way to the door.

  “Are you finished yet?” Belaroan asked as soon as the door opened, her voice carrying her displeasure at being made to wait while he worked.

  “Yes,” Thad said. “They are finished. There are three large ones in the study for each of you, along with a few small ones as well.”

  Belaroan pushed past him without another word and came back a moment later carrying all three of the large rings. “How are we supposed to move with these things?”

  “That is your problem,” Thad said irritated. “I have done what I was asked. I have listened to your complaints and I have tired of them, I have had enough.”

  “He is right,” Humanius said, silencing both of them. “Their weight is little to us, we need to leave. Thaddeus which of the rings would you suggest we try first?”

  “I would suggest the large one. Not only is it my best choice, it is also the one that would be best left behind if it does nothing for us.”

  “True enough,” Humanius replied. “Then shall we be off. I see no reason that we should wait around.”

  “Where should we head?” Bren asked as he moved to take his rings from Belaroan.

  “South for now,” Humanius replied. “If they follow us then we will try another ring and change direction. We will keep trying until we find one that works.”

  “And if all of them prove useless?” Belaroan asked, rolling her eyes.

  “Then we will have no choice, but to fight though the scions to the palace,” Humanius replied solemnly.

  “When that happens, and it will, maybe you would listen to me,” Belaroan said with a huff.

  “Let us hope that they work,” Thad said. “Otherwise we will not likely complete our task.”

  “Enough bickering, we need to leave, otherwise, it will not matter if they work; we won’t be alive to find out. A few scions are on their way here now and will arrive within the hour.” />
  CHAPTER XII

  They only got a few hours of travel in the first day before the sun began to go down and they were forced to make camp. They had moved south away from the city and into more open land. Thad didn’t know why Humanius wanted them to be on open ground, but they all followed his lead without complaint.

  When they camped the scions were close, far closer than Thad would have liked. Though he was on edge knowing that their enemies were so close, Humanius still advised them to get as much sleep as possible.

  Thad knew that Humanius and the others, including his son, didn’t need much sleep compared to him. It wasn’t the first time he felt like the weak link in their group, but it was a harsh reminder considering how close their enemies were.

  Thad didn’t think that he would go to sleep, but he was so tired that within moments after he lay down his head he was fast asleep. As tried as he was, Thad didn’t get to sleep very long, thanks to a scion wandering into the camp.

  Humanius and the others seemed ready for the creature, but unlike the other times the scions had attacked, this one seemed surprised to find them. After the quick battle Humanius turned to Thad, who was still clearing the sleep from his eyes. “Seems like these work, but not good enough to keep them completely off of our scent. The scions are still moving in our direction, but it doesn’t look like they can tell our exact location.”

  “Hardly an improvement,” Belaroan replied. “They can still get close enough to find us even without a precise accounting of our location.”

  “It gives us more time, and a better chance when we must fight,” Humanius replied, dismissing his sister’s complaints.

  His nerves on edge, Thad laid back down though he didn’t fall asleep nearly as fast as before, though within an hour his eyes were closed and he was snoring heavily.

  Thad was awoken as the sun breached the top of the horizon and streams of light assaulted his eyes. Shielding his eyes with his arm, Thad tried to look around, but his eyes were having trouble focusing. It was one of the downsides to the large amount of crystals; they reflected light and when the sun was just rising it was like trying to look though endless rainbows. There was so much light that even after his eyes adjusted it was hard to see if he looked in the direction the sun was coming up.