Page 98 of House of the Raven
“I know I’m terrible at it. I just want to know what it says.”
“If you took your lessons more seriously, you would.”
“I know.”
“And you would not have to depend on an old man, who might soon go blind from cataracts.”
“You don’t have cataracts.”
“My father did, and I fear he might have passed the curse on to me.” He looks truly terrified at the prospect. “What will I do when I can’t read anymore? There are so many books, so much to learn, and I can only make small dents no matter how many hours I devote each day.”
The man is positively theatric. His eyes are the dark brown of rich soil, not a speck of white in them, but he likes to wax dramatic, and it’s best to let him or he gets grumpy.
I wait patiently as he bemoans his nonexistent cataracts. I’m distracted scanning the papers and books on the table when he says something that pulls my attention back.
“If only the veil hadn’t collapsed or The Eldrystone were on Castella and not Tirnanog.” He sighs heavily.
“The Eldrystone?!”
Is that name mentioned in the parchment? I saw a brief mention of an opal named The Eldrystone in one of the books I initially checked, something vague about it being a powerful amulet.
Maestro Elizondo goes on. “Yes, The Eldrystone. With that amulet, no malady could stop me from fulfilling my life’s dream.”
“What is it?”
“I wish to read every single book in the realm.”
“No,” I protest. “Not that. I mean what is The Eldrystone?”
“Did you learn nothing in your history lessons?”
I open and close my mouth unsure of how to respond. I did acquire some knowledge, but it’s evident I wasn’t paying close attention when my teachers covered The Eldrystone.
He pauses, stroking his white beard thoughtfully. “Actually, this isn’t your fault.”
“It’s… not?” This is news to me. He always blames me for all my educational shortcomings.
“I now recall your father requesting us to leave all mention of The Eldrystone out.” He taps his chin. “An odd request. Perhaps he felt the veil would forever remain beyond our reach, and you would have no need to commune with the fae royal family as his father, and his father’s father once did. Shortsighted, if you ask me?”
“Will you please tell me what The Eldrystone is?”
He looks up at me with a frown as if he’s trying to decide whether or not to uphold my father’s wishes now that he’s gone. Maestro Elizondo remains quiet for so long that I start to fear he will refuse, but in the end, he looks down at the parchment.
“Very well. I will translate, but it won’t be perfect. It’s hard to improvise these things.”
“That’s all right. Improvise away.”
“I’ll start here.” He places a finger mid-parchment and clears his throat. “The Goddess Niamhara made her subjects in her image. Giventhat she had full control of all natural forces in the realm, logically, many of her subjects inherited similar abilities. Some could draw energy from nature as she did. Thunder, wind, animals, plants, water, fire, and more. Many used their powers for good, but as she had granted her subjects free will, some sought to do evil. Fearing for their future, she devised a way to keep a balance, a conduit that allowed its bearer to channel all of her power when used for the prosperity and well-being of all.”
“So… are… is… the conduit,” I can barely frame my question, “is the conduit The Eldrystone?”
Maestro Elizondo nods. “That is correct. Legend has it that thousands of years ago, Niamhara gave The Eldrystone to the most loyal of her subjects, a young farmer by the name of Othano Theric. He went on to bring his people together and create an unchallenged era of progress and greatness.”
The fae king who opened the veil bore the surname Theric, I know that much. And from the sounds of it, the Theric dynasty has endured for millennia, making the Plumanegra lineage seem trifling.
“It’s… it’s impossible,” I mumble, addled by the news.
“What’s impossible?”
