If this were to be a town or city, then, The Grave of Orphans would have been the dumbest name in the entire Nine Rings. But now, it turns out to be a stream of wasteland, stretching towards the hands of the earth and lowering its ugly head as they gawk in mockery at anything that has life. Kristen has read some of the books in Freetown, this waste was once the birthplace of a powerful dynasty. The kingdom of the most feared creature in the history of the people. It used to be the center of tourism and the birth of the scientific world. She had even read somewhere that the tree of the Silverton, stood in the middle, and could be seen anywhere in the nine rings. Too bad all those wonderful tales have become an illusion, replaced now by sand and dust, with air so harsh it could almost choke. It was a clear definition of what greed and the quest for power could do to the world.
“Walk on th
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ELIXA CHAPTER 19
“Hunters!” Austin screamed as he hurried out of the deck. His hood floated away from his shoulders, as he drew out two pistols. “Men on me. Aim for the shining crystal.”Random feet followed his orders as they trampled the wooden floor. The gray hunter’s uniform marked their meanness and sturdy features. On their hands were guns of different shapes and designs, but mostly shaped like a P900.“The quickest way to die is to run away. Take courage and fight for your goddamn lives” Austin screamed again as he took position on the reel. His men followed his lead, waiting for the dust that kept rising to the heavens. Whatever was causing the sandstorm was not something anyone was taking lightly. Aaron had said something about not screaming or making a noise, but Damian was not so sure, since the man had hu
ELIXA CHAPTER 20
Silence passed from one end of the hall to the next, flushing its serenity on the face of the people who sat on the chairs, with their thoughts almost crawling on the marbled floor. They were eight in number, men and women, each an ambassador of their country. While their skin color gave the distinction in race and language, their mode of dressing also stood as a unanimous code, buttressing the difference that now stood as one. They were the power of the kingdom, the very force that held the world and kept it from crumbling. No decision passed without their notice, and no law was made without their decision. From the far side of Caudlin to Bel Haven and to Emron itself. Northerners and Wetlanders. The only absent seat was the one whom nobody was talking about. Arthesia. Those highlanders had departed from the council a long time ago and had forgotten what it means to be in unity with their fellow men. They were regarded as outlaws, men who worshiped and ruled themselves.“Present your
ELIXA CHAPTER 21
Rodian rubbed his palms together before wiping them on his face. He picked the cup and watched from the corner of his eyes, the men on the table. They were studying him closely, waiting anxiously for his reply. But the ease that hung on his shoulders suggested that if they pushed him long enough, he might just tell them what they wanted to hear, truth or no, they would have to figure that out by themselves. George spread his hands on his chair back, smiling like a baby that had found its favorite toy. He wanted Rodian to fail, to displease the table and come crawling on his knees, asking for mercy. For all Nina could tell, their squabble went beyond the issues on the table. If gaze could kill, both men would have devoured each other from the beginning. As it were, only Rodian knew the height and limits of the current situation, maybe George too, it was difficult to ascertain, since th
ELIXA CHAPTER 22
Coming back had been a mistake. After what had happened twenty years ago, Carlos Stones never knew he would see this place again on such short notice. He had been forced to leave at first, having spent three years in jail, for a crime he knew nothing about. If his brother were here, he might as well call Carlos a fool for not picking the piece and learning from his past. Well, the good thing was that his brother was not here. Like the rest, he had disappeared with the wind, without a trace.Tugging down his hat, Carlos buried his hands into his pocket as he hurried through the boulevards. To say that it had rained cat and dog would be an exaggeration, the August rain had clearly picked a disturbing day to welcome him back to his hometown. However, he had somehow managed to avert them from drenching his coat despite having stayed on it for heaven knows how long. Men and women, children and ani
ELIXA CHAPTER 23
Carlos adjusted the hem of his collar, wondering if he should knock on the white door, or turn back and return to his apartment. Something at the back of his mind advised him not to proceed, that this was a bad idea. He should have at least thought it through instead of jumping to follow Beth’s instructions like an errand boy. He was not a dog, and certainly not a timid one.“Goddamn it” He rustled and bit his finger, turning away from the door.Yellow lights shown on the empty hallway, reflecting on the marbled floor and adding more grace to the white polished wall. This part of the pub was a private space, dedicated wholly to the Red Heron. They had not told the landlord of course, but Mitch had been strict in his dealings and had warned the white-beard landlord that he was paying not only for the space but for the privacy as w
ELIXA CHAPTER 24
“This is experiment twenty-six. A new diverse means of making a toad immortal. If this works, then I would use the same method to make Elixa permanent. That way I can travel back in time, and bring my daughter into the present, keeping her alive and well and free from death” The tape recorder glided away from Claudius’s face as he hurried towards the boiling filament in the cylinder. Using his forceps, he picked the filament and dropped them onto the rack on the table. Steaming out from the filament was a greenish liquid, more viscous and heavier than water. “I will transfer project 26 into the subject.” He muttered under his masked face before slowly picking the filament and pouring out the content onto the toad that was in a laboratory flask. Shutting immediately the lid of the flask, Claudius took off his mask and protective google to observe the result.But for the color change—from brown to green—of the toad, there was no notable reaction. The liquid had also spluttered everywhe
ELIXA CHAPTER 25
It was two weeks since the incident with the maggot, four months since they set sail into this world of dust and nothing. Silence had been their constant companion, leaving the ship with nothing but its wail and complaint, carousing what should have been a serene journey. Nobody had said much about the maggot, or how they had miraculously saved their ship from capsizing. It was as though everyone was keeping their distance and was afraid to mention it. The captain had avoided Austin too, keeping his distance from the man that had almost fed him whole to the maggot. There had been a few injuries too, but no death was recorded. The few that had gone missing had been found after three to four days. But there were no deaths. Damian had heard Aaron discussing with Catherine some moment ago, even though they had spoken in a low tone, he could still guess that they were referring to the incident. Oddly enough, Damian had caught
ELIXA CHAPTER 26
Beth was right. Lucas, Mitch, and Alfred were not just loyal, they were an extension of his very body and would follow him to the grave if need be. He had not met Alfred and Lucas until he had met Mitch. The dark-haired man had grown in the streets. Carlos had met him one evening and had helped him with some of his dealings with some street thugs. Even though Mitch had claimed that he hadn’t needed help at that time, Carlos had helped him anyway and had saved his life when he was shot. That was the thread that had started their relationship. It had grown over the years like the bond of brothers. Alfred and Lucas had joined them afterwards and they had formed the Red Heron, with the help of Beth. While they had argued about it, Carlos could see the clear picture now. He had always tried to protect the men, to do things in a way that would not endanger their lives in any form. Yet, all his effort had been futile. And now, like every other thing he has, he has missed the only friends tha