The Elder Stones Saga Boxset: Books 1-3

by D. K. Holmberg

  “Do you need to rest?” he asked.

  “I think I’m well,” she said. She wasn’t about to show him any weakness.

  “I think you should rest,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “The next place we visit will be difficult.”

  “These others haven’t been difficult?”

  He smiled. “They were difficult to find originally, but the longer I’ve traveled, the more I understand that places such as these are not nearly as uncommon as was once believed. The difference is that the places touched by these ancient Elders were spread out.”

  She didn’t have any idea how far they had traveled. What would it have been like had she attempted to walk? Each time they arrived someplace, there had been a different sense, though she wasn’t entirely certain why she should feel that way. “How far apart were they spread?”

  “Quite a ways.” Olandar Fahr motioned to the trees around them. They were in a tall forest, enormous trees stretching high overhead, their branches sweeping out on either side. Shade cast by the branches seemed to shimmer and dance around, darker than she would’ve expected for this time of day. High overhead, the sun strained to part the thick canopy.

  He took a seat on the ground and reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a handful of small figurines. They looked something like sculptures, and she couldn’t help but wonder why he would have carried them with him. Olandar Fahr spread them across the ground, moving leaves out of the way to do so. When he was done, they formed a pattern. “What do you see when you look at this?”

  “Your figurines?”

  “These represent various positions we could assume.”

  “Is this your game?”

  He cocked his head to the side, studying her. “Very good. This is the beginning of the game. It’s called by various names. In this case, the name that I find most appropriate is Tsatsun.”

  “Why?”

  “There’s an implication in the name that matters. The longer you play, the more that implication begins to make sense. I suspect you would have some talent with it.”

  “Why me?”

  “From having observed you. Not all have the necessary mind to play.”

  “Are you good at it?”

  Olandar Fahr nodded. “Some would say so.”

  “Is it hard to gain skill?”

  “There are many people who understand the basics of the game. They view it as little more than moving pieces around and trying to capture the prize.” He set an enormous leaf in the center of the figurines. “It has taken me years to think I have any real understanding, and even then there is still much that I have yet to uncover.”

  “How long have you been playing?”

  “All my life,” he said.

  “This is the game you said helps train you?” He nodded. “I don’t understand what these pieces have to do with anything. Why show me this?”

  “Long ago, the Great Ones all influenced the world. Some called them gods, some called them Elders. Some called them by other names. Either way, they had power. That power touched the world in such a way that it reshaped it. And yet, what would you expect when there are beings of considerable power who would touch and shape the world?”

  He moved one piece, knocking over another.

  “They didn’t get along?”

  “They all viewed themselves as powerful, and they all viewed what they could do as more important than what another could do. In that regard, they fought, and when they did, even more changed.”

  “What did they fight over?”

  “This,” he said, touching the leaf at the center of the pieces. “All thought to influence this piece.”

  “Why?”

  “That’s something I have struggled to answer. As much as I have come to understand the way Tsatsun plays out, I still haven’t been able to uncover why the Elders fought for position.” He grabbed several pieces off the ground, holding them in his hand. Ryn realized that the pieces all looked similar. “Most believe that power exists in certain places. They think that theirs is the only land that shares that power, and yet I have proven otherwise.”

  “That’s what we’ve been doing.”

  “Something like that. We have traveled from place to place in order to see what we can find. There is power out in the world, Ryn. And there is no question that such power exists in a way that allows others to reach it. Most believe that they are the only ones with their particular type of power, much like most believe that the Great Ones touched their land alone.”

  “Are you suggesting that these Great Ones played a game with the people of their land?”

  Olandar Fahr smiled at her. “That’s exactly what I’m suggesting. And Tsatsun is a representation of that game.”

  “Did they play, or did someone else play the game for them?”

  He glanced up from the pieces, plucking them from the ground and sticking them back in his pocket. A smile crossed his face. “You ask a question few others have ever considered.”

  “Why?”

  “Most who gain skill at playing Tsatsun begin to realize that game is much more than just a game. The longer you play, the easier it is to understand that there is some greater purpose to it, and that something is a level of understanding of the world. In order to gain that understanding, you must recognize that the Great Ones all had much more power than others like to give them credit for. They were the Great Ones, and they had enough magic that it infiltrated the world, leaving a remnant of themselves within it. That remnant is what we try to reach.”

  “But these Great Ones are nothing more than pieces on your board.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Who are the players?”

  “Perhaps we are.”

  “Perhaps?”

  “I spent years trying to discover whether there were other powers that sat above the Great Ones. Perhaps two opponents who were on either side of the board, competing for power. I haven’t uncovered any evidence of that. The only thing I could come up with is that those who lived in these lands, those without any real power other than that which was reflected by the Great Ones, were meant to play the game. And in doing so, they have an opportunity to strive for something more. We have an opportunity for something more.”

  “What is it?”

  “To control that power.”

  Ryn looked down at the ground, staring at the pieces. “That’s what you intend?”

  Olandar Fahr smiled at her. “Most who know me think I’m trying to gain the powers of the Great Ones, and those who serve call me Great One because of that. They think that all I want is power, and yet, that’s not the purpose of the game, is it?”

  “What’s the purpose of the game?”

  “Why, to win.”

  Ryn started to smile, feeling as if he were making a joke, but Olandar Fahr didn’t share in that smile. Instead, he continued to stare at the ground, as if there was something there that he had yet to uncover. And perhaps there was. That was the reason they were here, the reason they were searching, and the longer they spent going from place to place, the more Olandar Fahr thought to play the game.

  “How are you moving these pieces?”

  “What was that?”

  She looked up from the ground. “The pieces. How are you moving them? If these places you’ve taken me to represent these pieces, then how are you moving a place?” She had a hard time imagining how it would even be possible to move something like one of the caves they had visited, a place where shadows seemed to swirl around so powerfully that they were overwhelming. Then there were places of heat and fire, places like the volcano where he had taken her, places like her village. They had to be similar, didn’t they?

  “It’s not the places I’m trying to move but the people. Each piece must be moved into the position that will enable success.”

  “How would you move the people?”

  “The same way one would move pieces on a board. You make a move, and another must counter it. Eve
ntually, you get to the point where the game begins to fall into place.”

  “And what role do I have to play?”

  “You have a very important role, Ryn Valeron. As the game plays out, you must help others find faith that the moves I’m making are for their benefit.”

  She very nearly asked if they actually were for their benefit or for Olandar Fahr’s, but she bit back the question. The way he looked at her suggested he already knew that question was in her mind, though that would be impossible—unless he was reading something on her face. She knew she didn’t keep her expression as neutral as she probably needed to.

  “I can assure you that such moves are necessary. Think of all the war and bloodshed that has taken place. Think of those who chase power for the sake of power. They view these places of power, these places of the Elders, as an opportunity, and they fail to see that these places were never meant for that.”

  Ryn sat in silence, staring at the ground, her mind racing. “Who are you playing against?”

  “Perhaps no one. Perhaps everyone. The game board has two sides, and yet, when it comes to a game like this, it’s far more likely that there are other sides I don’t yet see. The longer I play, the more likely it is that new players will emerge, and as I’ve been playing for a long time, I have outplayed many opponents over the years. Now it’s a matter of moving pieces around, positioning them where I want.”

  “What happens to your opponents?”

  “For the most part, they retreat, disappearing back where they came from. As the stakes in this game are high, unfortunately, some are lost.”

  “Lost?”

  Olandar Fahr nodded. There was a hint of danger in the way he said it, and she wondered what he meant by that but knew that she should not. People died playing this game. Olandar Fahr had power, and the way he played, the way he moved pieces around the board, meant that he wanted to ensure he won.

  “Do you have someone you’re playing now?”

  “I do. Someone I fear more than any other opponent I’ve faced.”

  “What happens when you win?” Ryn had a hard time imagining him losing.

  Olandar Fahr stared at the ground, and his eyes took on a faraway expression. “When I win, then I will have control over this piece.” He lifted the leaf off the ground and twisted it from place to place in his hands. “When playing Tsatsun, this is the goal. This is the endgame. And in my case, this must be the endgame. And yet, through all the years I’ve played, and all the challengers I have faced, I still struggle to figure out how to acquire this piece.”

  “What is it called?”

  “When playing Tsatsun, it’s called the Stone, and yet we would call it something else.”

  He fell silent again, and Ryn worried that he wouldn’t answer. If he didn’t, she knew this wasn’t the kind of thing she should push him on. The fact that he had been taking her along with him to all these places was enough. It had to be enough. And yet, the longer she was here, the more she felt as if there was something more to what he was doing—and what he was playing—than what he let on.

  “What do you call it?”

  Olandar Fahr took a deep breath, shaking himself, and got to his feet. “I will show you, but first, you must come with me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “We are going to take a journey to a place that will be difficult for you.”

  “Where?”

  “We need to venture back to your homeland.”

  He started into the forest, and Ryn hesitated before following.

  Elaeavn. That was where he meant to take her, and it was the place where she least wanted to go. She knew nothing about it other than that her family had come from there, and that her parents—or their parents—had been exiled from the city, taking them away from the source of power, the place where they would have had access to their abilities. This had changed their fates, and it had certainly changed her fate. She had known nothing about it growing up, and even now that she did, she still wasn’t certain that she wanted to return, or even that she could. If she did return, what would she uncover? What sort of things would she find? Would she even be welcomed?

  She doubted that she would be. Still, she wasn’t going to wait here. Olandar Fahr was going to go, and if she didn’t go with him, she’d be left behind in this forest, in this land, and perhaps she would be trapped here. If she went with him, he would protect her. She believed that nothing bad would happen to her if she managed to stay with him. She had to believe that.

  Ryn hurried up to him, catching his arm, and when she did, he glanced at her for a moment, holding on to her, and together, they traveled.

  44

  Haern

  “I don’t like the idea of him needing to go elsewhere,” Jessa said.

  His mother perched on the front of the chair, making every effort not to look around. She sat as if she’d never been here before, though Haern suspected she had spent some time within the Floating Palace.

  Cael Elvraeth sat across from her. Her hands rested upon the smoothly lacquered wooden table, several rings of lorcith upon them. Deep green eyes flared as she glanced from Haern to his mother. “He doesn’t have to go, then.”

  “He does have to go,” Haern said. “Father agrees. Galen agrees.”

  “My husband is not in any condition to speak on his behalf,” Cael said.

  Though Galen had been Healed, what Della hadn’t shared was that he remained weakened and still suffered from the effects of the attack. Della had apparently done everything she could to help him, but there were limits to how much she could do. When Haern had first heard this, he had assumed it meant she was too weak to help him, but it turned out to be about more than that.

  The Forgers had attempted to poison Galen, much like they had attempted to poison Haern. Without Galen’s training and experience, he might not have survived. Then again, had Haern not been working with Galen, it was possible his own poisoning would have had a much greater effect. He should be thankful for that, but he still had tingling in his legs, even though the strange metal implant no longer pierced his skin.

  “Della tells us that he will recover fully,” Jessa said.

  “That is what I’m told.” There was something in the way Cael said it that left Haern wondering whether she fully agreed. Did she not trust Della? Galen certainly did.

  “He’s well enough to answer for himself.”

  Haern glanced over as Galen entered the room. His eyes were drawn and hollow, his skin pale, but he fixed Cael with a warm expression.

  “You shouldn’t be up,” Cael said.

  “I think I can decide for myself what I should and shouldn’t be doing,” he said.

  Cael met his eyes. A slow smile spread across her face. “I’m glad to see you so well.”

  Galen sank down into a chair, resting his elbows on the table, and looked over to Haern. “I’m better.”

  “Better is still good,” Haern said.

  “I don’t like this plan,” Galen said.

  “I don’t know what choice we have,” Haern said.

  “There’s always a choice. If this is wrong, you have released an enemy, and you have risked your safety. Is that what you want to do?”

  “No, I want to make sure that we can finish this, and I’m getting tired of being attacked by these Forgers. You didn’t see what happened in Nyaesh.” And Haern still wasn’t sure what to make of the attack. All of it had been designed to do what? Draw the Elder Stone back so they could absorb its power? “After what they did there, how long before they attack Elaeavn to gain the power they’re drawing off the trees? We need to stop it.”

  “We don’t know whether they truly intend to use the Elder Trees the way they did in Nyaesh,” Galen said.

  “It’s the same thing, Galen. The metal the C’than showed them how to use allows them to absorb the power of the Elder Stones. What we don’t know is what they intend to do with that power. They must have something in mind. They wouldn’t have take
n the risk of reaching the trees otherwise.”

  “It’s nothing more than preventing our access to it,” Cael said.

  “Was that what you Read from him?” Haern asked.

  Cael shook her head. “I could Read very little from him. They have a way of blocking me. Much like your father.”

  That was something Haern wished he had. It would be useful. “I think it’s more than preventing access. If you’d like to see Nyaesh, I’m sure we could arrange it,” Haern said. “Carth is there…”

  “Then we need to restore the Elder Trees before they succeed,” Cael said.

  “We need to do that, too,” Jessa said. “Rsiran and Della have been working on it, but…”

  Cael leaned forward, her eyes blazing a deep green. “But what?”

  “But there’s only so much that they can do,” Haern answered for his mother. “They have limits, and the C’than attack found a way to exceed their limits.” If they had let Alera live, they might have a way of knowing her plan, but with her gone…

  Galen was watching him. He said nothing, simply staring at Haern, but Haern could feel the weight of his gaze. “What would you have us do?” Galen asked.

  “We need to get ahead of them. Part of that involves understanding what they’re after.”

  Cael stared at him. “If this fails, we will run the risk of the Forgers knowing how to break through Rsiran’s barrier.”

  “Maybe it’s time for the rest of the city to have a role in that, too. Do you really think my father should be the only one responsible?”

  He was being a little too forthright with Cael, but at the same time, something different needed to be done. His father couldn’t be the only one responsible for protecting Elaeavn. And for a long time, he hadn’t been the only one. The guilds had played a role, and the Elvraeth had had some part as well. But over time, all that had changed, leaving very few people with any motivation to watch out for the safety of the city. Even after the last Forger attack, there hadn’t been many who had viewed the Forgers as a real threat.