SoulQuest (7 page)

Master Quand slowly turned to the group. “Not quite. Something was needed to focus that energy and channel it into this once-lifeless rock. And so the Presence did, focusing His life force, His very soul, into five stones, each one bringing life to the planet.”

“Five stones?” asked Swul. “You mean like—?”

Quand nodded. “Indeed, the five gems on the Illuminist star. The legends have faded into obscurity over time, but one of the oldest legends states that if the five Soulstones are discovered and brought together, the wielder will possess the very power of the Presence Himself.”
 

“The power of a god?” asked Zarim.

“Wait, I don’t get it,” said Ekala with her arms akimbo. “If these things have been around since the beginning of time, how come no one’s snatched them up before now? An’ why exactly do you want ‘em?”

Master Quand smiled at her. “Very good points, Ms. Cosari. Centuries ago, the world was engulfed in endless wars, with different factions trying to obtain all five stones. But a wise man, a very powerful wizard, poured all his power into plunging the Soulstones into obscurity, leaving them masked in a deep slumber for what he hoped would be forever. As time passed, the Soulstones became something of myth and legend, and eventually became clouded in obscurity.”

“So what happened?” asked Ekala.

“Guess they woke up,” said Swul.

“An apt description,” said Quand. “The spell weakened over the centuries and now it has faded completely. The Soulstones must be gathered before other, more dangerous forces are alerted to their presence. And for that, I need your help.”

Ekala laughed. All faced turned to her. “Is something amusing?”

“Yeah, you might say that,” she said. “These magic rocks, they give whoever has them the power of a god, right? An’ you want us to just hand ‘em over to
you
? Call me crazy, but isn’t that kinda like lightin’ a cigarette over an oil spill?”

“Ekala!” Zarim’s voice was firm, but hushed, his glare fixed on his lover.
 

“What?” She held her hands out defensively. “It’s a legit question! If these things are so dangerous, why don’t we just find ‘em an’ destroy ‘em before they can do any damage?”

“Master Quand isn’t going to use them himself, he—”

“Please, Zarim, I can explain myself.” Master Quand stepped closer to Ekala. “You
are
right to be suspicious. The power contained within the Soulstones, especially when brought together, can be apocalyptic. And if they could be destroyed, I would encourage you to do just that. Unfortunately, they can only be hidden. I can repair the spell, return the Soulstones to their slumber, but I need all six in order to do it. To do that, I need your help. You and your crew.”

“So we find these things, you do yer hocus-pocus thing, an’ we get what in return?” asked Swul.
 

Zarim groaned and placed his hand over his face.

“Shouldn’t we do this just so the world doesn’t...y’know...
end?
”
 

“It’s a big risk, why should it fall on our heads?” asked Swul.
 

“We are not very wealthy, but we’ll provide you with whatever compensation we can. And of course, anything you discover on your journey will be yours to keep, so long as the Soulstones are brought here.” Master Quand took a breath before continuing. “Of course, I understand how dangerous this is. And that it may limit your current...activities. So I understand if you decline.”

“If we say no, what will you do?” asked Zarim.

“We will send messengers out into the world, try and find others to complete this task,” said Master Quand. “Although, if we do not have your aid in this situation, you will also no longer have ours.”

“What’s that mean?”
 

“You will not be welcome in Xanadar again,” said Master Quand. “We have harbored you many times over the years following your heists. It is a risk we take and one we will cease to accept, unless you help us.”

Zarim studied the faces of his crew. “Could you give us a few minutes, sir?”

Master Quand nodded. “Take your time. I will be upstairs.”

Zarim escorted him to the door and once he stepped out, Zarim closed and locked it behind the old guru. He exhaled deeply as he leaned against the doors, looking at his first mate.

“Don’t look at me like that. This is nuts,” said Ekala. “More charity work, an’ this ain’t somethin’ small we’re talkin’ about. This could be a long job, one that takes us a while to complete. We do this, we have to turn down lots of other paying gigs in the meantime.”

“Lady’s got a point,” said Swul.

“If these things fall into the wrong hands, then there won’t be much work to be had if the planet’s gone,” said Zarim. “And let’s face it, Quand
does
take a risk every time he shelters us after a heist. If he’s not gonna do that anymore, it limits our options. Think of survival instead of just the bottom line.”

“Man’s got a point,” said Swul.

Ekala and Zarim looked at each other, then quizzically at Swul, who was in the process of rolling a cigar. “What? Yer
both
right. If the stakes are high as Quand says, then Zarim’s right, we’ve gotta think about our own survival. But Ekala’s
also
right—this could cost us some other jobs.
 

“An’ who says we can’t have it both ways? Quand
did
say that a person needs
all
five to get that power, right? So maybe we could take jobs on the side? Y’know, find a stone, then make some money, rinse and repeat.”

The two considered their friend’s suggestion. Zarim nodded. “That actually sounds like it could work, doesn’t it?”

Ekala shrugged. “I suppose we could offset a real job with one of these fake ones.”

Swul struck the match, grinning with the cigar pinned between his teeth. “See? Man’s got a point.”

The two humans chuckled at their faerie companion. Zarim shook his head. “You’re not as dumb as you look, my friend.”

“An’ don’t you forget it,” said Swul.

“Okay, so that’s what we do,” said Zarim. “We’ll stay here the night and leave at first light, sound like a plan?”

Nods all around granted Zarim the approval of his crew. “Great, I’ll go tell Master Quand about our terms and see if he’s got a lead on where the next stone is.”

“Dreyer! We could use a hand!”

The line was delivered with a slight snicker, the voice echoing in one of the many mine shafts that bordered the town of Corvil. Tanus Dreyer raised his goggles to his forehead, peering down at the foreman, Bowers, who waved him over. He stood and pushed through his fellow miners, not an easy task for a man of his frame. His denim pants and heavy shirt were nearly as dark as his skin, thanks to all the dirt and grime. A thick glove covered his right hand, but his left was a different matter altogether. In place of his left arm was a metal prosthetic, with a crude, bulky hand on the end. The result of his service.

“What is it, chief?” asked Tanus, once he approached the foreman.

Bowers knelt down and patted the lower corner of the rocky terrain. “There’s somethin’ stuck here, it’ll take forever to get to it with the axe, and I’m not about to clear the whole tunnel so we can use dynamite.”
 

Tanus moved beside him, squinting as he stared at the area. He blinked a few times, not quite sure what he was looking at. “Is...is that glowing?”

“Think so. Mind gettin’ a closer look?”

Tanus reached out with his metal hand and tried to tear at the rock, but it didn’t do much good. Whatever was there, it was buried very well. He stood and backed up. “Get clear, boss.”

Bowers did as he was told. The fingers on Tanus’ metal hand retracted into the knuckles and then the palm itself split apart and folded into the wrist. In the center of the stub, a long barrel emerged. Tanus checked the counter on his forearm, reading the current battery capacity, and tensed the appropriate muscles. A pulse-burst fired from the barrel, striking the area with a loud
boom
that caused the other miners to stare carefully at the stalactites above them.
 

Bowers leaned forward and shook his head. “Better, but it’s still in there.”

“Okay, going for two.” Tanus fired a second pulse, and the rocks shattered in its wake. The stone spun in the air, flashing emerald light through the tunnel before hitting the ground. Upon impact, the stone’s bright glow dimmed. Bowers and Tanus both stared at it in awe.

“That wasn’t a light reflection,” said Tanus. “You ever seen anything like that?”

“Can’t say as I have,” said Bowers. “Seems like some kinda gem or something. Giving off some sort of energy.”

“What should we do with it?”

Bowers pondered that same question himself. “Take it topside, we’ll need to check with the home office about this. That’s not the kinda thing I want just sittin’ around.”

“You’re the boss.” The barrel retracted into Tanus’ arm and his artificial hand reassembled itself. He used that hand to pick up the gem, cradling it carefully as he left the foreman and walked past his co-workers. They watched him with curiosity as he passed, their eyes focusing on the mysterious stone he carried.

It had been only a few days since the mysterious stone was discovered in the mines. But Tanus nonetheless was surprised to arrive at work and be called right into Bowers’ office. Once he entered the foreman’s trailer, he saw a tall man in the corner. The man wore a suit of a deep, royal purple color with gold trim on the cuffs. His coat was a cross between a formal tuxedo and an aviation jacket. A small cape hung over his right shoulder, attached by a braid of gold rope. His right arm rested atop the globe-shaped head of a cane, but strangest of all was the mask he wore. It was a leather helmet with goggles for eyes, and only his lower face was left exposed.
 

Tanus eyed the strange man carefully as he spoke to his boss. “You wanted to see me?”

“You are the one who found the stone?” asked the masked man.

“Actually no, I just pulled it free from the rock,” said Tanus.

“Was there anything strange about it?”

“Boss, who is this?” asked Tanus.

“I am a representative of the home office,” said the masked man. “My name is Fredericks.”

“And since when does the home office send guys in masks to come here?” asked Tanus.

The masked man reached up and removed the leather helmet. Beneath it, he possessed short blond hair and bright blue eyes. “Satisfied?” he asked. “The helmet is simply for protection from the elements. I flew here myself.”

Bowers chuckled. “You’ll have to excuse Dreyer here, Mr. Fredericks. You see, back in the day, he was a Dreadnought commander.”

An eyebrow arched upward. “Is that so?” asked Fredericks.

Tanus nodded. “That was a long time ago.”

Fredericks’ gaze drifted down to Tanus’ metallic arm. “That...military issue?”

Tanus nodded once more.
 

“I’d heard about experimental procedures such as this. First time I’ve seen one. Outside of active service, that is.”

“That a fact,” said Tanus.
 

Bowers pointed at the arm. “That little wonder has helped us more’n a few times in the mines. Helped us dig out that rock of yours, sir.”

“I will have to compose a letter of gratitude to the Emperor,” said Fredericks. “Now, if I could see the stone?”

“Of course.” Bowers nearly jumped from his seat. “Just follow me right this way, Mr. Fredericks.”

The foreman excitedly led the way from his office, with Fredericks following. Tanus lagged behind slightly. Bowers was no doubt hoping for a promotion, something to get him out of Corvil and back to civilization, back to his family in Serenity. Tanus, however, desired to remain as far from Serenity as possible.

“We keep some of the more valuable finds locked up good and tight,” said Bowers as he walked across to another trailer. He fiddled with his keys as Fredericks watched.

“You keep them behind a simple locked door?”

“Oh no, not at all.” Bowers unlocked the door and led Fredericks and Tanus inside. Once there, they came face to face with a large safe. “We keep ‘em in here.”

The foreman went over to the keypad and entered in the code for the safe. The light turned from green to red and the locks disengaged with a loud
thunk
. Bowers opened the safe and inside were a number of rare jewels, reflecting the light of the room back at them. Fredericks glanced over the shelves of the safe, his eyes scanning for his prize.
 

“I don’t see it.”

“What?” asked Bowers, his smile of satisfaction quickly turning to a look of confusion. He looked into the safe as well. “Why, it’s right—” he reached for the shelf he left the stone on, but it was empty, “—here.”

Fredericks sighed. “Is this a joke?”

“No! It was right here!”

“You
are
aware theft from the company is a highly egregious offense.”

“I swear, I—”

Tanus slapped his natural hand on Fredericks’ shoulder. “Hey, ease off. This guy’s aching for a promotion off this rock, he wouldn’t risk it. Especially after he called your people to let you know what he found.”

“And what of you, Mr. Dreyer?” asked Fredericks, staring at the hand on his person.

Tanus just shrugged. “I just do my job, I take my pay and I go home.”

Fredericks brushed Tanus’ hand away with an elegant yet forceful swipe of his arm. “A former Dreadnought is likely to have built up a number of connections during his time in the service, isn’t that so?”

Tanus folded his arms. “If you’re suggesting I had anything to do with this—”

“I’m simply exploring all available avenues, Mr. Dreyer,” said Fredericks. “How many knew the stone was in this safe?”

“Everyone would have, no secret what we found an’ no secret where we keep the valuables,” said Tanus.

“And how many men have the code?”

“Just me an’ Dreyer,” said Bowers.

“And neither of us are thieves, Mr. Fredericks,” said Tanus.
 

“Then it would appear we are dealing with individuals who are.” Fredericks grabbed Bowers’ wrist.