“They are learning,” she said. “They don’t have the individual jade, however, so the mages must learn to read the magic from the energies in the land itself, so it’s taking a lot longer than some of the other magics. But I’m sure it will be just as common a magic as fire or water.”
“Wow,” he gasped. “How will I defend against it?”
“That’s where Magehaven will help you, dear. And there’s the Magitorium, too; they’ve been experimenting with things for years.”
Perrios sat quietly for a moment and he felt his eyes tearing up again. “I can’t believe that Kitalla did that to herself.”
Meriad bit her lip. “It is possible the power of the jades overwhelmed her, but Randler believes she knew the actual truth at that point. There was a jade missing and its essence was inside of her. She gave her life so balance could be restored to the land. And you know? It has been happening. The desert is receding, and the feral creatures are less dangerous. Weather has been returning to normal, too. The Red Jade truly is as it was meant to be now.”
He frowned. “And it burned out Dariak’s life, too.”
“That, too, was his choice. If not for that barrier, he could have allowed its energies to reach out across the land. But he had united the shards the way they were intended to be and he must have known that if it broke apart, then it would have been hard for anyone to put back together. Look at the War of the Colossus; eleven shards and it took twenty years for Dariak to find them all again.”
Perrios rubbed his eyes. “And now the Red Jade had been together for ten years.”
“Yes. And the goal is to keep it that way.”
“Gran-mama?”
“Yes?”
“Now that I know the whole story, can we go to Marritosh? And, I’d kind of like to see Kallisor. And go to Savvron to see if Gabrion ever went back there. And have they been able to repair all the damage in Pindington? Have the mages been accepted by everyone yet?”
He drew a breath to ask more questions but Meriad waved him to stop, laughing as she did so. “One step at a time, young Perrios.”
He realized he was being over-exuberant, so he calmed himself down. “Okay, okay. But do you think we can?”
“You’re about old enough for travel, I would think. And I wonder how you’ll be when you meet Kallisorians now.”
He made a face and she couldn’t read it. “I don’t get that either.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, if the wars ended and everyone is being ruled out of Marritosh, why do we still call them Hathreneir and Kallisor?”
“That’s an excellent question,” she marveled. “I suppose it’s just habit. Plus it gives us an idea where things are, but I hadn’t even considered that.”
“If I’m going to be the king of both lands one day, do you think I might be able to name it or something? And get rid of the two names?”
She was stunned again. “It’s a rather interesting thought. Whatever would you call it?”
He bit and lip and considered for a moment. “I’m not sure, but I kind of like…” he paused, trying to make sure he would pronounce it correctly. “Kitariak.”
Any worries she may have had about his heart or prejudices all melted away. He wouldn’t claim the land under his name, but rather honor those who had perished trying to save it. The single word told her much and a great weight lifted from her. She had fulfilled her penance, she knew suddenly, and her grandson would learn and grow into a wise, fair, and beloved ruler.
“I think that sounds lovely,” she smiled, her grateful eyes glimmering.
Acknowledgements
I am saturated with emotion. I’m ecstatic that the tale is complete. I’m devastated by some of the events that took place. In this process, I feel that I am Randler, just reporting upon events that occurred, having only minor influences over the actual moments that took place within. The characters live inside me and they told me their story. As Gabrion desired, I hope I have been honest in my recollection.
I have said before that this process is not one I have completed in isolation. This has always been the effort of a team of adventurers and I am ever grateful to all those who have seen fit to share my journey.
I must take an extended moment to thank my younger sister, Kim. She has always been my soul-twin and we have ever supported each other in our lives. In our darkest hours, we were there and pulled each other through the chaos. In many of my stories, there is a character based upon her. In this saga, that was Kitalla. Imagine this story without Kitalla, and that would be my life without Kim. Like my sister, Kitalla has a feisty side and a determination that is unparalleled. Several trials that Kitalla faced during her journey were reflections of what Kim has endured in her life. When I think of it all, I can barely fathom where she finds the determination to keep pushing on. And if you think Kitalla’s drive was far-fetched, then you don’t know a soul like my sister’s.
To my sister Lisa, Bob, and the kids, thank you so much for all the love and support. You don’t even know what it means to me to have you on my side all the time. Verna was feisty and wanted to protect her family, and Lisa, that’s always been you. Thank you.
To my brother John and Lisa, I appreciate your support too, and I’m grateful to have you as family.
As always, I must lend my thanks to Jared Reed, whose music and friendship were true inspirations in this tale. We talked of the magical jades long before they existed in Kallisor and Hathrenier. Their powers were unknown to us both, but we explored them and over time they exploded onto the page. Jared’s music always inspires me and I delight in hearing it. It is my hope that he and I can collaborate to bring that music to all of you, so you can hear the melodies of The Forgotten Tribe, of Mira’s Song, and Kitalla’s ever-important battle dances.
Though Randler was initially intended to represent Jared’s influence in my life, he soon shifted focus and became my dear Kevin. The bard is ever supportive of Dariak and even when they misunderstand each other, their love shines through. Though several aspects of their relationship have no connection to our own, the underlying power of their love is what echoes for me.
My best friend, Lois, exists in Lica. Lois is an amazing and compassionate friend and she faces every day like it’s a new adventure. And though Lica was sassier, her strong spirit is Lois through and through. She faced trials and still saw the greater good ahead of her and pursued it. When Lica didn’t know what to do, I thought of Lois, and the way opened clearly. Always will I esteem Lois, and may we have endless adventures together.
During the crafting of this tale we lost Kevin’s beloved mom to cancer. I did not know how to deal with it and I struggled terribly. The loss of Gabrion’s mother was a sad echoing shadow of the turmoil we all experienced and one day I hope to do proper justice to the wonderful woman Liz was, and is in our hearts.
To my dad-in-law, John, in many ways Rothra resembles you. He was a fiery mage, featured moreso in book three, but despite his own trials, he rose up to do what was right and he supported the others, took control over the errant mage tower, and guided Lica to her friends. Thank you for being there for me and for Kevin.
I wish to also thank Rochelle Deans for the amazing attention she gave to this series, helping to ensure consistency throughout and pointing out places where the story was unclear or untrue. I can’t thank you enough for all your assistance in helping me to bring about the best story I could.
There are a few people who took this journey with me, reading the tale before it reached your hands. To my beta-readers, I can’t explain how important your feedback was to this story. Jared, you kept me motivated every single day. Joseph, your critical eye challenged me and when you shared your thoughts and feelings, I knew I had captured the essence of what I wanted to share with the world. Taylor, your enthusiasm has inspired me to continue onward, and I have grown so much from your feedback. Thank you for your attention to detail and for the deep analyses you’ve given me. With all your support,
I am stronger.
I realized at one point that I had not thanked Merlin, Monty, or Shadow at all, and so in book three, I pitted Dariak against a pack of leomers, cat-like creatures that protected each other against all forms of attack. Thanks, my kitties, for the love and warmth you’ve shared, and for taking care of each other too. It really means a lot!
Thank you, too, to all my friends for all the support you’ve shown me, especially as I’ve striven to improve this tale and share it with the world. To Joseph and Christina, Larry and Jeremy, Mark and Leanne, Brian and Taylor, Sean and Chris, Jenny and Harvey, Lois, Jared, and everyone I’m forgetting… You enrich me in ways I can’t even explain. Thank you all for being a part of my life and for sharing your life with me in return.
To my students, too, I thank you so much. I can’t name you here, but I wish I could. I am inspired by you every day and I hope I, in turn, light a lamp in your world and give you some insight by which to grow. You influence me. You support me. And I support you too. I hope your own journeys in life are successful, happy, and that you enjoy life to the fullest.
To my readers, I thank you for investing in this world and for all your support and feedback. Your reviews and feedback mean so much to me and I’m ever grateful.
To dad, you’re my Delminor. As a kid, I always wanted to follow in your footsteps and to make you proud. You faced many trials in your life and often your hands were tied but you always did your best. Like Delminor, you pushed on anyway and you will always be part of my story.
Mom… You were my first fan. And you’ve always been an inspiration to me. Thank you for always being on my side, for always fighting to ensure I had what I needed to get by, for always protecting me when I needed it. In some ways, you’re Essalia, Dariak’s mom who educated him as a child, protecting him even at cost to herself. In other ways you’re Sharice, Randler’s mom who taught him to be strong and to fight for what he believed in. Thank you for helping me to be the man I am today.
Thank you everyone. I love you all.
Websites of Note
Stephen J. Wolf (author)
Red Jade Book Series: tinyurl.com/redjadeseries
Book 1: Journeys in Kallisor: tinyurl.com/kallisor
Book 2: The Shattered Shards: tinyurl.com/shatteredshards
Book 3: The Assembly: tinyurl.com/rjassembly
Book 4: The Forgotten Tribe: tinyurl.com/forgottentribe
Book 5: Delminor’s Trials [forthcoming]
Red Jade site: Red-Jade.com
A Shocking Journey: tinyurl.com/shockingjourney
Blog: StephenJWolf.com
Facebook.com/StephenJWolfAuthor
Kevin Johnson (iOS apps)
Developer Site: HuntingtonPhoenix.com
New Color app: https://appsto.re/us/D7OtS.i
Kono Strategy Game: https://appsto.re/us/ElZR8.i
Rochelle Deans (editor) www.RochelleDeans.com
Jared Reed (musician)
www.musicianspage.com/musicians/jaredreed
soundcloud.com/tetrasound/sets/red-jade
Fyodor Ananiev (cover artist) http://ted-mx.deviantart.com/
Leanne Gelish (photographer, author) www.veritymoments.com
About the Author
Stephen J. Wolf is a middle school science teacher with a PhD in science education and a penchant for fantasy books, movies, and video games. Growing up, he loved learning how things worked. When he saw Mr. Wizard’s World for the first time, he knew then that science was his place to be. From learning about how fireworks light up with different colors to understanding the mechanics of an acid-base reaction, chemistry and physics became his passion.
Stephen started writing in eighth grade when his English teacher challenged the class to craft three different scenes. One scene focused on a person, a second highlighted a location, and the third detailed an object. In the moment of the quick-fire writing prompts, Stephen linked all three tasks together and created his first short story. The following year he crafted his first novella, then expanded it to a trilogy, growing as a writer along the way.
With some short stories used in his classes, Wolf communicates a love of reading to his students through creative connections between science and magic. His short story, A Shocking Journey, teaches the fundamentals of electricity and magnetism, as experienced by a middle school class, through a series of “magical” experiences that allow the students to visualize the concepts. In time, Wolf hopes to develop a series of such stories for teachers to use.
Stephen lives in New York with his husband, Kevin, and their cats, Merlin, Monty, and Shadow.
You can visit him at StephenJWolf.com and explore the world of Red Jade at Red-Jade.com.
Works by Stephen J. Wolf
Red Jade Series
tinyurl.com/redjadeseriesRed-Jade.com
Book 1: Journeys in Kallisor
Book 2: The Shattered Shards
Book 3: The Assembly
Book 4: The Forgotten Tribe
Book 5: Delminor’s Trials
A Shocking Journey
tinyurl.com/shockingjourney
Learn the fundamentals of electricity and magnetism using analogies in this short story.
Coding for Kids:
Learn JavaScript:
Build the
Room Adventure Game
tinyurl.com/roomadventure
Learn JavaScript while creating an adaptable text adventure game that challenges the player to locate items in a house and to escape by finding pieces of a passcode.
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