Zunci was hanging out in the bar, drinking late into the night. She was the only one there, and that’s not including the bartender. He poured her another drink and slid it over to her, like playing shuffleboard. She caught it and downed it in one gulp.
Shug came in with the chest in his hands and she looked over at him as she put the glass down on the table.
“What’re you holding?” She asked him.
“It’s a chest with some strange glowing green rock. So freaking bright it almost blinded me.” He said. “Some guy came rushing out of here holding this and begged me to take it.”
“And you just blindly accepted.”
“Of course not, I refused but he just shoved it in my face and ran off.”
“I did see a guy run out of here, but I didn’t see him holding a chest.” She hopped off the barstool and walked over to him. “Can I see that rock?”
“Sure, just don’t touch it.” He said.
“Why?” She started undoing the latch.
“I don’t know, I just get a bad feeling from it.”
She unlatched it and swung it open and the green light illuminated from it. The green rock shined pretty bright, even brighter than before. “Wow, you weren’t lying.” She looked at it closely, but avoided actually touching it. “Do you have any clue what it is?”
“No clue, maybe Shanta knows. She seems to be very knowledgeable about almost everything.”
“You think it’s a magic stone?”
“Probably, I don’t think any run of the mill stone glows as brightly as that.”
“If you guys need to know anything about magic.” The bartender said. “I know a guy up the hill that can probably help you out.”
“Really?” Zunci said.
“Yeah, It’s a giant mansion that he lives in, you literally can’t miss it.”
“Thanks, we’ll go check him out in the morning.”
“My pleasure.” He continued to clean a glass. “Also, are you gonna pay?”
“Oh yeah sorry.” She slid him a gold coin.
“Are you sure we should do this?” Shug asked.
“Yes, I’m curious about what this thing is.”
“I mean last time we explored an island we almost got killed by a wizard. So I’m just worried.”
“It’ll be fine, we’re just going up a hill, then we’ll be on our way from this island.”
“Ok.”
“Come on, we should get some sleep and tell everyone in the morning.”
229Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCKqkFcVSu
The sun rises over the mountains and shines on the quaint little town. The crew slowly one after another wakes up, all of them dressing up for the day and meet down in the tavern for breakfast. They were all hanging out around the bar, and Shug was the last one to come down, still holding the chest between his arms.
“Good morning.” He said as he sat right next to Brentha, setting down the chest on the bar.
They all looked at him weirdly.
“What is that?” Yunga asked.
“Oh yeah, forgot you guys don’t know about this.” He picked up the chest again and passed it to her.
“Shug found it last night.” Zunci said. “Be careful when you open it, the green rock that’s in there is blindingly bright.”
Yunga unlatched the hatch as everyone gathered around. She tilted the top up a crack and the green glow shot out and flashed her in the face, making her cover her eyes. Everyone behind her also put their hands up until they adjusted to it.
“God damn.” She said, “I didn’t think it’ll be that bright, fucking hell.”
“How’d you even get this Shug?” Brentha questioned him.
“This weird guy ran up and shoved it into my face before he ran off into the woods.” He said.
“You just took it inside and opened it without telling any of us last night?”
“I didn’t want to wake you up. It was pretty late at night.”
“Do you even know what this rock is?” Hillanter reached out to touch it.
Shanta grabbed his hand. “Wait! We don’t know what it does, we should be careful before even laying a finger on it.”
“Come on, you touched it didn’t you Shug?”
“No.” He said. “I did not even come close to touching it.”
“I mean, how bad could it possibly be.”
“I don’t know, if a random guy came out of nowhere and gave you a glowing green rock that you have no idea what it is, the next logical step is to just touch it instead of leaving it alone.”
“Shut up smartass.” He said as he quickly got out of Shanta’s grasp and picked up the stone and held it up to his eye to closely inspect it, then placed it back into the chest. “See nothing happened.”
Everyone sighed in relief.
“Good, I was worried there for a second.” Shanta said.
“Do you have any idea what it is Shanta?” Zunci asked.
She hesitated before speaking. “No-I have no idea.”
Zunci looked confused. “I thought out of everyone here, you would at least hold a clue about it.”
“No, I never heard or seen a stone like that in my entire life before. Even when my parents taught me everything they knew about magic, they never mentioned anything like a magical stone.”
“Well what do we do with it now?” Yunga asked.
“The bartender here told us that a guy up the hill can tell us about the stone.” Shug said. “He lives in a mansion and apparently knows a lot about magic.”
“Are we sure we wanna do that?”
“Do we have anything better to do?”
“Guess not, but still. I don’t want to end up in a situation like that stupid rat factory again, we were saved on a whim.”
“I understand, let’s make a deal. If it seems too dangerous, let’s turn back and get on our ship. I won’t be disappointed.”
“Fine, is that ok with everyone?”
They all nod their heads in agreement.
“I’m sure it’ll be a great adventure!” Zunci chimed in,
“I hope so.” Yunga said.
229Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ueC2QLVCO
They get their stuff together and hit the road up the hill after paying the rent for the rooms. They took some drinks to go, and some snacks on the way. The small town was once thriving again with vendors for aisles. The crew walked right past the rush hour and onto a trail that led out of town and into the woods. Surrounding them as they trotted along were trees that were luscious green, little rays of sunshine slipping through the cracks of leaves and branches. The brown dirt that has the imprints of horse hooves and footprints from previous endeavors.
“How long did he say until we got there?” Brentha asked, taking a sip of water from a canteen.
“He said it’ll be a ten minute hike through these woods and another ten minutes through a grassfield.” Shug answered, taking a bite out of some bread.
Hillanter started to slowly trail behind, almost as he was limping. Yunga turned around and noticed how he was breathing heavier than normal.
“This shouldn’t be a hard hike for you, are you alright?” Yunga asked him.
“I should be fine, but right now.” He paused and wheezed. “I don’t know, maybe I needed more sleep last night.”
“Do you need a break? It’s ok if you do.”
“No!” He aggressively responded. “I’ll be fine, just keep going, I’m a warrior after all.”
“Ok then.” She continued, while also keeping an eye on him.
Some blue jays flew over their heads while a squirrel ran past them on the ground ahead of them. Brentha pointed at them as she giggled.
“Hey Shanta?” Zunci tapped her on the shoulders.
“What is it?” She asked, annoyed.
“You mentioned your parents back at the tavern, I always wondered where you learned your magic from.”
“I usually don’t divulge this information to anyone, I have to really trust you for me to give you that whole detailed backstory.”
“You don’t trust us?”
She paused for a moment. “I trust you guys to a certain extent. Some of you more than others.”
“Why is that? Have we done something to make you think that?”
“Have you forgotten how we all met? Only a week ago at the max, not even to mention that we are basically forced to be with each other. To be honest without you guys around I’d probably just get caught again.”
“Aw that’s sweet.” She playfully hit her on the shoulder.
“That’s not a complement, I only use you guys as a necessity.”
“You say that but I don’t believe you.” She started to squeeze her arm. “Come on, you can tell me how you truly feel.” She leaned up into her ear. “I promise I won’t tell.”
“And you wonder why I don’t fully trust you guys.”
Zunci laughs. “You got me there.”
Shanta gives off a little smile as she looks down at her then changes focus ahead.
The woods come to a close and the trail goes off into a light green grass field that basks in the golden light the sun above provides. It covers the whole land before it’s halted by a giant mansion that looms over the place. It’s a dark mansion that stands out from the rest of the scenery. A black hue paint that colored the whole thing, all two stories of it. It’s surrounded by a white brick wall and guarded by a black gate, with initials carved into it. ‘J.L.’
“Welp, you really can’t miss it.” Shug said.
Hillanter finally caught up to the group, completely out of breath.
“Damn, didn’t expect it to really not fit in with this place.” He said.
“You say you’re ok but you’re severely out of breath. I really think you need to take a rest.” Yunga said.
“I said I’m fine.” He started coughing and gagging. “I’m fine.”
“Dude, please sit down or something.” Shug said.
“I said I’m fine! I don’t…Need…Anyone’s…Help-” He stumbled a little bit on the ground and face planted into it.
“Hillanter!” Zunci was the first person to run to his side. Everyone else crowded around his collapsed body.
“I’ll check his pulse.” Shanta said, grabbing his wrist, pressing down on his veins. She felt it pulsing, so he was still alive. “He’s still pumping, but he’s just completely passed out.” She placed the backside of her hand on his head. “Goddamn he’s scorching up there, he has a very high fever.”
“Shit, do you know why?” Shug gave Brentha the chest and bent down near Hillanter.
“Not sure, but I guess it was from exhaustion from the way he was acting earlier.”
“Or maybe it was from that crystal? He was the only one who touched it out of all of us.”
“Maybe, better of a guess than nothing.”
“What should we do? It’s not like any of us have any medical knowledge.” Brentha said.
“That guy in the mansion is our only hope.” Yunga said. “We need to get there as fast as we can, let’s carry him.”
Yunga grabbed under his shoulders and lifted him up, and Shug grabbed his legs. They both hoisted him off the ground, but were only moving so slowly. Hillanter was very heavy, and they were really struggling with hauling him along. They placed him back down on the ground.
“Shit, it looks like we need to drag him.” Yunga grabbed under his shoulders again and lugged him, his legs skidding across the ground.
They were able to gain more ground than lifting him up. Rushing quickly to the gate they made it there before the estimated time.
Zunci tugged on the gate but it was locked with a chain around it. “Hello!” She looked up at the initials. “JL? Hello!”
There was a steel box that was attached to the wall, a little silicon ball hanging to the bottom of it. The box started squeaking and a microphone ringing started piercing into the crew’s ears.
“Go away.” A voice masked by static said.
“Hello?” Yunga looked strangely at the box. “We need your help.”
“I do not want to repeat myself.”
“Please! We really need your help. We have our friend here and he’s passed out.”
“What do you want me to do about that? I’m not a doctor, go away or I will use deadly force.”
“We have a bright green stone in a chest! We want to know more about it.”
“A green stone?” The voice’s demeanor changed completely. “And you said your friend passed out?”
“Yes.”
Static lingered for a bit before the voice spoke up again. “Did your friend touch the stone?”
“Yes, he was the only one that did.”
“Shit.” There was some shuffling heard from the box. “Give me a second, I’ll let you in.”
“Thank you so much.” She said in relief.
“Don’t mention it.” The voice was so faint that it was very hard to hear it.
The chain on the gate glowed pink and it started untangling itself, then thumping down on the soft grass below. The gate blew open by itself.
“Come on in, the front door should be unlocked.” The voice said. “Be careful where you step though, just follow the path and you’ll be alright.”
Yunga grabbed hold of Hillanter and dragged him through without a second thought. Everyone else followed soon after, following the carved path between the overgrown shrubbery that surrounded it. The front yard has been noticeably unkempt for quite some time, being overgrown and dried out with weeds popping up over the ground.
The front door was painted black, blending in with the wall. The same initials on the gate were also plastered onto it. Shanta took the lead and turned the doorknob and slowly creaked it open.
The first sight they saw was a lounge with a nice red carpet, and a grand staircase that led up. A hallway that goes either left or right, and a balcony at the top of the stairs.
They all slowly step in and a single candlelight that smelled of nice cinnamon, and a huge chandelier casted down the only light in the place. A guy came walking out onto the balcony.
“Put that friend of yours on the couch in the living room.” He said. “It’ll be to your right.” He had light red messy hair that covered his left eye, the dark redness of his eyes looking super unnatural. He had a baggy green shirt and some black lounger pants.
“Thanks.” Shug said.
“Don’t mention it.”
They drag his body to the right of the hallway, passing by some paintings of a happy family of four that suddenly transformed into a family of two. Making it into the room that was way larger than the lounge itself, having a huge couch in the middle with a coffee table in front of it. A piano in the corner and two other doors that lead out into a kitchen and a bathroom. They plopped him down on the couch with all of their might.
The man came walking in with a tea cup, sipping it with a slurp as he walked over to Hillanter. He gently laid his free hand on his forehead, feeling the intensity of the fever.
“I knew it.” He mumbled. “Should’ve guessed by now.”
“Knew what?” Yunga asked.
“That green stone you were talking about, can I see it?”
Shug came over to him and handed him the chest. The man opened it and was unaffected by the bright flash it gave off and picked up the stone, he didn’t even need to examine it closely to know exactly what it was.
“Be careful.” Shug said.
“Trust me boy, I don’t need to be careful.” He said. “I’ll explain everything to you nice and clearly so listen up.” He cleared his throat as he placed the stone back down into the chest. “I’m going to be frank with you all, I believe your little friend here is going to die.”
Everyone in the group gasped.
“No way, how so?” Shanta said.
“Touching that stone basically signed his death certificate.”
“Is there nothing that we can do?” Zunci added on.
“There was, but that’ll take way too long for what you need. You might as well not waste your time.”
“There’s no way he’s just gonna up and die like that. He’s pretty tough.” Shug said.
“No matter how tough your friend is there’s no way he’s gonna beat a supernatural illness.”
“Supernatural illness? Did that stone cause that?” Yunga asked.
“Yes, but it’s much more complicated than that.” He sat down on the couch right beside Hillanter. “The stone you currently have in that chest is called the Vill stone.”
Shanta’s eyes widen and her curiosity peaks.
“That Vill stone is known for being a very powerful crystal that can enhance any physical ability by enormous amounts that it’s almost incomprehensible. Unfortunately your friend there was very unlucky to be the first person ever to touch it.” He took another sip from his tea cup. “It’s said that the first person to ever touch the Vill stone will be plagued with a deadly illness with no cure. Apparently the god who formed it wanted to punish the most greedy of the world and used that stone as a tool to do that.”
“I’ve never heard that folklore before.” Shanta said. “What god would do that?”
“Barbara, the goddess of purity.”
“Barbara? I thought she was more of a legend than part of actual folklore.”
“Well she is, and she is the one responsible for his illness right now.”
“Wait Shug.” Zunci looked over at him.
“What?” He responded.
“Didn’t you say some random guy came up to you and gave you the chest?”
“Yeah.”
“But why would he even do that? If it had something that important, why would he just give it to you?”
“I don’t fucking know, he just gave it to me and ran away.”
“If I had to guess, I think he wanted you to touch the stone before he could.” The man jumped in.
“Then why would he just run into the woods and disappear?”
“Guessing he figured he would ambush you as soon as you touch it, but since you didn’t he didn’t know what to do and panicked. If not that he probably stole it from somebody and gave it to you so you would be the one to blame for it. I’m just theorizing.”
“It all doesn’t make sense.”
“Whether it makes sense or not, all that matters is that you’re now in this situation.” The man stood up.
“Wait!” Shanta interrupted. “Is there only one Vill stone or are there multiple? This is the first time I’m hearing about it, usually I’m on top of this kind of stuff.”
“According to the legend there are many out there, though they are so buried deep within the earth that they’re basically so rare. On top of that, it could be anywhere in the world.”
“In that legend, does it mention a cure of some kind?”
The guy sighed. “There was, but it’s basically impossible for you guys to do.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll just be wasting your time.”
“I don’t care about that!” Yunga exclaimed. “Even if we don’t succeed. No matter how difficult, I will fight tooth and nail for a fellow crew member.”
The man finished off his tea. “Wow, I’ve never seen such enthusiasm to save a life.”
“I’m a captain, I should be able to save all of the lives in my crew.”
“You’re a captain?”
“Yes, Yunga Elantra.” She stuck out her hand to shake his. “And I’m here to save my friend.”
He looked at her and hesitated to put out his hand. “Jinlin Lofter, I appreciate the confidence.”
“So about that cure, where can we find it?”
“It’s not about finding it, it’s more about finding ingredients.”
“We’re gonna have to make it?” Brentha said.
“Yes, but those ingredients are so hard to find that’s why I said earlier that it’s nearly impossible.” He walked over to a wall that faces the couch. “Look.” He pressed down on a tile and a chalkboard popped out. “First you need a ritual knife.” He drew the knife, little vines that wrangled around the blade that sprouted out from the handle.
“Next you need this certain kind of mushroom called the Illik.” He drew a stereotypical mushroom and added some puss shooting out of it.
“Then the final one is the hardest to get. The blood from the goddess Barbara.” He didn’t even need to draw anything on the chalkboard. “I know the question you’re asking and yes there is an answer to it.” He took a second to think as he put the chalk down. “In tales Barbara is known for donating her blood for the sick to heal them, but a doctor found a way to duplicate it and use it as medicine, profiting from it by selling it at a high margin. It is said that he made almost a thousand copies of it before he died from the same illness that is inflicted by the Vill stone. Though packets of that blood were shipped off in a ship that was struck down by Barbara’s brother, Dularger the god of natural disasters. Those packets were lost at sea and ended up on multiple different shorelines. That was very long ago but only three packets were found since then, which is around a thousand years ago.”
“Holy shit you weren’t lying, all of that sounds too hard to find.” Shug said. “How the hell do we find that?”
“Luckily we already know a person who has it.”
“Who?” Zunci inquired.
“A man by the name of Uff Antrant.”
“No fucking way that guy?” Yunga said.
“You know him?”
“Yes, I’ve had a conversation with the man himself.”
“Holy shit, that’s extremely rare. How the hell were we able to do that?”
“It’s too complicated to explain right now, but since we know who has the blood we need to get the others first. Where would we find those?”
“They can be all found on this island.”
“Really?”
“Yes, this island is bigger than it looks. First off, the knife was owned by an old witch who was recently arrested. She’s being kept in a prison on this island, and in that prison is a holding cell of that person’s belongings. I’m pretty sure that’s where you’ll be able to find it.”
“Great, now the mushroom?”
“It’ll be deep underground in a cave around here, actually not too far.”
Yunga smiled and turned around to face the rest of the crew. “Alright everyone, we can do this, we’ll split up into teams.” She pointed at Zunci. “Zunci and I will tackle the knife, a prison should be easy to get into.”
“They don’t allow visitors.” Jinlin butted in. “You’ll have to sneak in.”
“No problem.”
“But it’s heavily guarded, you’ll never get past those archers on those watchtowers out there.”
“Trust me Jinlin, you haven’t seen us in action. I’m pretty sure me and Zunci can handle that.”
“What about the cave, that’s pretty dangerous. You have to go pretty deep underground not to mention the creatures that live down there. They’ll tear you apart.”
“I can handle that.” Shug spoke up. “That’s nothing compared to what we’ve gone through so far. Besides, I feel partially responsible for what’s happening right now, even if Hillanter decided to touch the stone on his own. I still showed it to the group, and now it feels like I need to do this for him.”
“I’ll take it you want to go to the cave.” Yunga said.
“If you’re going Shug I’ll go.” Brentha said. “I don’t want to feel useless this time. You guys are the best thing that’s happened to me, and I won’t sit idly while a friend slowly dies before my eyes.”
“What about you Shanta?”
“I’ll stay here with Hillanter and learn more about the stone. It’s also good to make sure Mr. Lofter here doesn’t do anything fishy.” She said, fixing her hair.
“Nice, now that’s all settled. Jinlin, show us the directions.”
“You guys, I’m not sure you can do this, this is very dangerous and I don’t want you to waste your life on a long shot-” Jinlin was interrupted
“Jinlin.” She said which shut him up. “You heard me earlier didn’t you? I’m willing to risk my life for this. Now give us the directions.”
He paused for a bit, he was stun locked at the determination of this crew. He’s never seen anything like that in his life. He laughed in the shock of it all. “You know what? I was wrong about it being impossible, maybe with the determination you all have. This may actually be done.”229Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFwXtPLzL6
