Soup was warming my belly, and the fire warmed the rest of me. I gnawed down some jaqqi jerky, my thoughts falling back on the tender "jaqqi" I ate in Taeah. My stomach still turned, and I needed a distraction to finish my meal.
I looked up at the massive stone statue above me. This one differed from the last, by the type of stone used in carving. It was made of the same material that sits above the citrine of the new earrings I claimed. I believe it to be a type of tourmaline based on its color, and grounding energy.
I had not heard of the crystal’s abundance here, yet there stands a solid piece of it, over fifteen feet tall. The stone work was, again, mind blowingly complicated. The silver vein deposits were used to lighten the face, and clothes to stand out against the stark black skin of the high priestess. The small piece of crystal suspended on the new earrings I found were quite hefty. It was difficult for me to imagine, a piece of stone as large as the one needed to sculpt a statue was moved more than a few feet.
I decided to look through the book I found earlier. "Unstable Ecosystems'' seemed like a decent shot on learning about this lost environment. Thankfully, this book appeared to be in much better condition than the last one. However, the corners were still singed, and the front, stained with soot.
Cracking the cover proved useless, for the pages were bound together. With all my might,I couldn't budge the leather bindings. In my distressed panting, my necklace began to growl. I gazed down into the crimson dragon eye, and a look of inspired, eagerness glanced back.
I unstrung the chain from around my neck, dangling the eye above the book, and watched it twist in the energy. Soon, vapors of indigo, and violet, enveloped the leather cover, while red clouds began to twist into it from the eye.
A building force began pulling down toward the book. I offered up a good fight, but eventually, the pendant was pulled off the chain, in a violent tug. I was distraught about having to fix my chain, but when I inspected it, I found that it was intact.
I couldn't check the loop on the eye because it was now fused to the book cover… its gaze demanded me to read what was inside, and thankfully the pages now allowed me to.
The book started with the landscape before Pazmoltae was erected. A great sea provided some break from the heavy heat. Allowing more creatures, and a few small cities, to thrive.
Each city prayed to a different god, and because of this, they competed with one, and other. Spending great deals of resources to appease the spiritual beings they prayed too.
Eventually, each city accrued enough wealth to obtain precious stones linked with their deities.
The city of Paz prayed to the sea, and the cooling winds it brought. Collecting masses of amazonite. Mol was a city of sun worshippers, harnessing its power to move great machines, encapsulating the energy in sunstones. Lastly, Tae stood proud, as the city that held the sands together using the powers of crystalized resin, amber.
As the cities grew their collections, the ecosystem became unstable, and the high priests of each clan came together. They formed a tribunal to make sure the stones kept the powers in balance. This group needed a homestead and thus, Pazmoltae was founded.
There is a brief mention of “the art of stone splicing” being created here as well. I have never heard of this technique before, but perhaps it is similar to my family's birthing ritual. I wish the book went into greater detail, however, it continued on with the growing temple.
The priests used their powers, and visions to help balance the unrelenting environment. Sinkholes, tsunamis, and great heat waves would swell out of control, in a constant flux. More stones were brought in to help ground, and balance the energies caused by the mountains of crystals.
I find now this is where the black tourmaline came from. Purchased from a far off land and delivered here on the backs of monstrous beasts. An inventory of over a hundred different crystals was listed as being imported into the lands. It wasn’t until Ptha, the eldest in the order, was appointed to high priest, that the energies began to balance. With Ptha’s leadership, the sands began to prosper, and new growth spread.
The desert thrived, and became a tropical oasis. Soon warring tribes began attacking for ownership of the land. The priests deemed it necessary to form an army, dubbing the great city of Mol, Tresoro. The people, and machines created there already offered a vast destructive potential, and needed only the correct guidance to be a sizable force.
The other two cities of Paz, and Tae are not mentioned in this passage, but I assume them to be the basis of the other major cities the previous book spoke of.
With the new found protection, the environment was able to, as the pages put it, “grow beyond its borders.” Drawing in kings, and dignitaries wanting to purchase land in the expanding paradise. From here on, the author of the book takes a much more critical tone.
Looking to invest their newly found wealth, the head priest traveled far out into the lands beyond the mountains..The business side of me can respect someone wanting to invest in growth, but the next move is deemed “the sole reason the ecosystem will collapse.”
After many months, Ptha returned to the land inside the mountains, with four massive crates. There was a ceremony for all the citizens around the land to view, and the crowd indeed seemed to be everyone who lived in the oasis. Three of the crates were hoisted up onto ornate platforms, while the final crate was placed atop a pedestal holding it above the others.
The priest in charge of overseeing each of the three main cities took their places in front of the platforms. In their hands, a large piece of their most holy stone. As the crates opened, a yellow, red, and blue egg were revealed, with the final one containing a white egg.
In his searching, Ptha found dragon breeders that offered very powerful specimens to help grow the ecosystem. However, the hatching process was lengthy, and required complex conjuring to succeed. The priests concentrating on the binding spells would be unable to do their normal duties , so the high priest asked for everyone's patients.
The book ends with a single statement. “The weather has never improved.”
As I looked back at the front cover, the crimson dragon eye had a look of satisfaction, and finally pulled away from the book. I found the loop on the back to also be intact… so I strung it back onto the chain around my neck. I was proud to be able to rewrap the book. It surely will be able to fetch a fortune when I get this out of here.
My eyes always grew heavy after a good meal, and story. I took a few hours to nap before I ventured on in my quest. When I awoke I found the chamber dark as night again. It would seem my earrings of fire light have a duration.
I decided this time to try out my tourmaline treasure. Like before, I clutched the ends tightly, and I felt the energy leaving me for the stone. More, and more left my hands, leaving my fingertips cold, but this time the chamber did not fill with light. Instead I began to see each item outlined with a thin silver veil.
I made my way through the chamber towards the strange room that held no light. On my way I bumped into an awkward looking contraption. When I made contact, I could see every detail of it in my mind. It was a shocking experience that I tried my best to avoid.
Thankfully my mind was spared, and I made my way to the door, As with the rest of my environment, the items in the next room seemed to hold a faint silver haze around them, This room was smaller than the one I stood in moments ago, and it seemed to be a crafting room.
The smell of soot hung in the air. As I made my way through, I encountered more objects in the abrupt manner as before. Many different contraptions, and machines, that seemed to all hold their own ability, if they were not smashed to pieces…eventually, I found my way over to the workbench.
Touching the corner, unveiled the secrets in full. I knew every spare drawer, or hidden latch, but what stuck out to me the most, was a small trinket hung in the center of the tool board. When I plucked it from the hook, a heavy presence overtook me. I was forced to my knee, and required several meditative breaths to overcome the intense vibrations that were radiating through me.
Eventually I was able to control my breathing, and with it the rest of my body. I gazed at the bauble, which appeared clear as day in my hand. How could a small red sphere, and a drop of garnet contain such energy?
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