Every week, I’ll be posting a chapter from my book series: Solen Masters. This is a Paid Exclusive for a month in certain places until it’s posted here, before I release it to a Selection of Fiction Sharing sites, such as Scribblehub and Royal Road. Most Chapters for each book will at some point be mostly removed from almost all places.
If you spot a typo, please let me know, so I can correct it before the final release.
Upon reaching the Timon’s cart, Samantha had chosen to hide both Acacia and Trey under a pile of blankets and other materials. Being stuck under a blanket with nothing to see, Trey tiredness soon overtook him. He was not sure that he heard the Gate guards.
Trey was woken up by Samantha, who seemed somewhat relaxed. As Trey looked around, the cart was parked in dark forest clearing. Looking up, he could see the twin moons and the setting sun. A Pink Tower stood in the distance, It looked like there was a mountain range between them and the tower.
Samantha sighed, “That pink thing in the distance is the Great Crystal of Lufas. Are you familiar with the Stories of Four Solen Mistresses? Almost everyone I have met has heard of them. There is a statue of the Solen Mistresses, in the streets of Lanta. It is said that the Great Crystal of Lufas was created during one of their Darkest hours.”
Trey nodded, “I have heard of the Stories. Some say the Third member of their line made the Crystal, others said it was created by an evil being. But as you guessed, this is the first time I ever saw it. I wonder how far it is?”
Samantha seemed to playing with her bracelet on her left arm, “No one goes there, You need Royal Permission to even get close, which is impossible. Erm, You need a letter from the Queen of Fal’ana’ta. But I heard that she vanished on her 18th birthday. No one has a clue where she is…”
Samantha stop speaking as Acacia had sneaked up and hug her.
“Cassey? I don’t think he should know who you really are,” Samantha said.
Trey sighed, “Did you ask Lana? While I can’t remember everything yet, I do remember what Lana has told me. Besides, a Royal Disappearing on her birthday, just before she got the Crown, that will make people make books. Chapter 1: Acacia Latione, 4450 to 4468, was born to King..”
Samantha sighed, “Fine, as long as you don’t go around sharing that knowledge. Timon and Hannah at the camp know, but then they’ve known for almost 5 years. Cassey, I need to prepare the camp for tonight, I want our tents up before we eat. Take Trey and prepare some food. I think Hannah is doing stew.”
Acacia hugged, then kissed Samantha on the lips. Acacia grabbed Trey hand. She gently tugged on his arm. Trey didn’t stand his ground and moved on the second pull.
“Feeling better?” Trey asked.
Acacia nodded, before pointing to her neck. As she pointed at her own neck, Acacia shook her head.
Trey sighed, “So, You’re feeling a lot better, but your neck still hurts, and you can’t really speak. I think that is what you want to say, right?”
Acacia nodded again. She stopped for a few seconds, before moving Trey’s hands to her neck. She lent in to Trey’s face, and hissed, “Heal?”
Trey pulled his arms away from her neck, “I’d love to, but it’s way too risky for you. You’re currently walking around, I’d be willing to bet that you’d be able to fight if the need arose. I have been using my Solen powers all day, and the best way to put this, I didn’t get any sleep last, as I was working on the night shift. That nap was the first time I slept since waking up yesterday, at least the way I see it. If I could repair the damage to your neck, there could damage to your brain. I think Samantha would prefer her best friend to be able to be able to look after herself than have her best friend unable to feed herself, despite physically being able to.”
Acacia sighed, it seemed like she lost an argument. She turned and started walking.
“I wouldn’t rule out regaining a voice one day. If I tried to do it now, I would do more damage than what I could repair. That theoretical damage to your brain is something I can not repair, and was something that I had needed help from a Masked Priestess who could use Solen to prevent damage. Besides, you still need to recover from the way we had to wake you up,” Trey said.
Acacia soon reached another clearing, this one already had a camp fire and people. Timon, who was a muscular human showing charcoal grey hair, didn’t notice Acacia and Trey. The Black Vedran Woman whom that Timon was talking to, noticed Acacia and Trey. She waved Acacia over.
“Glad to see both of you awake. I only just started cooking all this stuff. Sammy was right in that there isn’t that much in to hunt out here. Thanks for the Delivery, Timon, ” She winked at a Timon, “You really know how to make a old woman happy.”
“Really? You seemed to like my cart more when we arrived a few moments ago,” Timon turned to Acacia, “Where did you bolt of to, Lady? If you really need to take care of private needs, take Sammy with you. You know she’ll watch your back.”
Acacia rubbed the back of the neck before shrugging.
Timon cheekily smiled, “Sorry, Dame Keiya insisted that I made sure that you didn’t run off alone. She also told me to tell you off after you ran off alone. With that out of the way, we’re going to have to wait a while before we eat. Come on, sit, and I try to fill you in as well as I can.”
Timon offered a pair of blankets, Acacia grabbed a crimson red blanket, which seemed larger than the other brown blanket. She was soon sitting warming herself by the fire.
Trey took the other blanket, he looked at Timon, “So Timon, why you, not Samantha?”
“Getting the Lady to work with Sammy is alot easier than I would have been in that situation. As for what happens to next, well, I am part of those plans, or I would have to tell Sammy the plans so she could tell you,” Timon said.
Trey said as he sat down next to the fire, “So Sammy is building the Tents, while you fill us in. So what is the plan?”
Timon sighed, “First, I really need to cover some background. As experienced Solen users, You know that one of the things a Solen user needs is to know how to make their Solen technique work to get the effects, most of the time anyway. Another is that you need to focus on the technique, for most of the time, before it will work. Given how easy Lady Acacia breaks down those Crystals, one could argue the opposite. And finally, the third and final major part, is that you need enough Solen, or to give it’s full name Soul Energy, to even to a thing. If you don’t have one of those things, you can’t throw fireballs or smash Crystals.”
Trey sighed, “Basic Solen knowledge, and it appears we are all experienced users, so what about that?”
“Yes, yes. I heard that someone has been messing around in your head. I’d rather quickly go other basics, just in case you have forgotten,” Timon smiled, “But then if you could make a device that you hold or wear that would let you “know” how to do a Solen Technique that you didn’t get told how to do it. What if I said that we had at least one of those devices in our possession? Hannah, I think it’s time for a hot drink.”
Hannah was standing over the fire, and she moved a pot of water over the fire. She held her hand up, and a cup few straight in to hand. She placed the cup in front of the fire, before a second cup few out of a bag behind her. Soon there were five cups sitting in a row next to the fire.
Trey turned to face the Acacia. She was shocked, with her mouth open. It was like all the words escaped her, assuming that she would be able to say them.
Before Trey spoke, Timon cut him off, “Hannah doesn’t know how to perform telekinesis, the art of picking things up with your mind, or any other Solen Technique. I think Acacia knows that fact, given their past.”
Hannah pulled the back the hair covering her left eye to reveal a Mask that covered the the left side of her face. Strangely, the mask’s eye was closed. Hannah smiled, “As you can see we already have devices that you can wear to grant Solen powers to someone is not trained. Acacia, I’ve got my own reasons for trying this out. Let’s just say I wanted Lana to give me a fresh perspective on things.”
Timon resumed his talk, “You probably would be asking, if there are items that grants Solen powers without needing to know how to do it, but require the focus? What about items that can generate a Solen skill without needing to know it or Focus on it? Well, I just so happens to own have one here.”
Timon pulled a dagger out of his bag still in its scabbard. He passed the dagger to Acacia, “Here, Lucas El Ona said that this one is your personal Solen Blade. It won’t activate until you or Sammy hold it. Yes, this Solen weapon is made to activate using the users Soul Energy. Give it a try.”
Acacia unsheathed the dagger, she pointed the Solen Blade in to the fire, when a brilliant sky blue 3 foot blade erupted from the Dagger’s own blade. It was like she had a one handed sword, Acacia swung the dagger around, the sky blue blade kept with the dagger. She poked the end in to an dead animal that was hung above the fire to cook. As she pulled back, the juices dribbled down from the cut made by the Sky blue Blade. She smiled as the Sky blue blade apparently and suddenly evaporated.
Trey smiled, “Ok, nice demonstration. But what’s the point, it’s not like I really needed to know that if I’m getting a glowing sword, or not.”
“Lana doesn’t like people giving the Solen Blades the name of swords. But yes, there is a point. We’ve been able to do those tricks for almost a thousand years. The First models of them were big, I’m talking a 6 foot staff for each individual spell. One of the first Solen Blades was 4 foot long with only one or two of the features that Acacia’s Blade has. There will be a point, or more accurately from your point you view Trey Kazuki was a point where a person where they can put some of the most complex Solen techniques on a pin head.”
Trey sighed, “That is tiny, but the big question is how complex?”
“As far as we can tell, that pin head managed to throw you though time, and left the thing that started to wipe your memories. There could be even more Solen Techniques sitting on there that we don’t know about. The problem is that it’s hard to work out what it does, without trying to activate that part of the Solen technique,” Timon said.
“That sounds scary. What prevents them trying again later?” Trey asked.
“Nothing, but we think that the one you triggered was probably the only one. We found markings that say prototype and zero zero one repeated in various areas. Also we can’t even try to replicate the ability to make another that is small enough to fit on my cart. If there any others, which I doubt, we expect that you would have to brought them with you.” Timon said.
“That is a relief,” Trey said, “I thought that he would try again.”
“Time Travel was never the end goal. Trey, Acacia, Your deaths are the end goal. However, Gast needs to keep his hands off, more for his Long term goals than getting rid of you easily. He needs to make sure your deaths could not be traced back to him. Even the suggestion of being involved in Regicide could stop his plans. So is forced to use means that are not effective.”
Trey lent in, “Why does Lord Gast go out of his way to kill me? He would not have known me to even set up that trap. From where I am from, he couldn’t have even heard of me. He didn’t recognise me when I appeared in his room.”
Timon sighed, “You’re right, Gast doesn’t know you. But the man behind Gast knows you, and if he was there, he would have tired to get you executed on the spot. Gast threw you in the arena, just because he needed time, before killing you. He needed time to work out if you were one of his allies or not. It took time for Gast to find out with that man was missing.”
“Do you know his name?” Trey asked.
“No, outside of Lady Lana, we only know of a single incident we are sure that someone saw his face. Lady Acacia, here, was one of the eye witnesses, or more accurately the target of the failed attempt at her life. He appeared as you were trying to escape from Bestulta Palace. Dame Keiya fought him. But that’s the only time that any of us seen him, Lady Lana despite tracking him for the last decade has never seen him,” Timon sighed.
“So I presume that fight settled things,” Trey said. Acacia shook her head.
“No, Dame Keiya was forced to run, leaving a mystery Swordswoman to take her place. The way I understand it Dame Keiya didn’t have a choice, as she claimed that she was thrown down the tunnel. There have been other sightings after that incident 5 years ago. There was another report which was at the battle of Port Linea, however Mr Taithin was confused and that swordswoman, Miss Frostmane, never spoke to anyone. Taithin said the man just turned in to dust around the time of the Main Gate had been breached. I’m not sure if it matters, but Mr Taithin was present at both sightings, as well as Lady Acacia. Lady Lana actually had encounter with him in the last week.”
“Sounds a troublesome problem. How come he hasn’t been killed? Keiya looks like someone who wouldn’t blink twice in killing someone if she thought Lady Acacia was threatened.”
“Who said Dame Keiya didn’t try. Her sword passed straight through him, I forgot to mention he’s no longer human, and lives on like a ghost,” Timon sighed.
“Damn, it sounds like most weapons won’t work on him.” Trey cursed.
“Indeed, the only people who could fight on equal terms are Solen Combat Masters, or experienced swordsman with Solen training. Within the realm of Solen users this a tiny number of people who could fight him. I only known of six, and some of those…,” Timon was interrupted.
“Cassey, What’s wrong? It looks like you’ve seen a ghost,” Samantha’s asked as she approached the clearing.
Hannah looked up, “Oh my. But Sammy, you could say she had seen one. Food will be a little while. But could you pass out the drinks? I think Acacia needs some tea.”
Timon sighed, “Acacia, Lady Lana didn’t tell us until this morning. I would have told you before if we knew. Sorry. But as for what you need to do, Lana’s Job is simple, Find Miss Camilla Frostmane, and help her do her job. If you need more help: I’d suggest you go visit Lucas in the Morning, but really I think one of you will already have idea what you need to do by then.”