Secret of the Sunstones, Part 1: The Wanton Kingdom

Chapter XIX : Magna Inventa

Latenight of Primoris, Second Day of Autumnmoon

Rosa’s pile of books grew over the course of the day, until they created a sprawling, towering heap that spanned the entire length of her table. Many on her list contained references to the sunstones, but volume after volume spoke only through myth and legend. None offered insights into how a layman could use them to channel magic.

Based on all her knowledge, the sunstones’ powers were unique. It wasn’t the same as an enchantment, which allowed a scholar to store a spell inside an everyday object. Enchantments essentially imbued objects with a magical signature, but they could only perform a single task—that of the spell stored inside.

There was another kind of object, known as a totem. Sufficiently proficient scholars could coalesce their manna and store it inside an object for later use. Any scholar of the same manna type could use that stored power to amplify their own. Of course, laymen couldn’t use totems, since they couldn’t produce manna, nor could scholars of the opposite manna type.

Compared to enchantments or totems, the sunstones were different. Based on what Bram had witnessed, Richard wielded potent powers of destruction, even without manna of his own. Such an ability was unprecedented. And unfortunately, no such object existed in the dozens of texts that Rosa had accumulated. The dearth of information made her wonder if the knowledge had simply been lost throughout the ages. Surely, Virgil must have learned about the sunstones’ secrets from somewhere. Sadly, after exhausting the entries of the Librem Arcana, Rosa’s search turned up nothing.

The sorceress threw up her hands in frustration, wondering what she had missed. She had followed every lead and read through countless books. What else? She snatched the Librem Arcana and started pacing the Archives’ lower levels, hoping for an epiphany. The Archives contained an incalculable number of records, and the Librem Arcana only mentioned those that had been accessed recently. If Virgil somehow found a way to access a volume without the Librem knowing, it would be like searching for diamonds hidden among grains of sand at a beach. It would take a lifetime; but alas, time was short. Only hours remained before she would be forced to clean up her mess and return empty-handed.

Desperate and discouraged, she ran down the list one more time … and then she saw it: a set of volumes she had almost missed, given its rather generic title. Magna Inventa, a journal by Maurice Vance. Dozens of scholars used similar names, so it was easy to overlook. However, what caught Rosa’s eye was the author’s name.

Vance was a famous sorcerer and historian, whose theories were the basis of modern magic. Although, nobody had seen or heard from him since his mysterious disappearance thirty years ago. It all happened before Rosa was born, but she was quite familiar with his work, including the scandal that forced him out of the mainstream. As a student, she had written her thesis based on his theories.

Before vanishing, Vance had committed his research to the sunstones. This was seen by many as a waste of talent and resources, due to the long history of scholars who had ruined their careers from similar endeavors. Undeterred, Vance put forth years of study and supposedly recorded it in a series of journals. However, the notebooks had disappeared along with their author.

Or, perhaps, they had just been misplaced. If, somehow, they ended up in the Archives, they could have easily gone unnoticed for years based on their rather unassuming name. Rosa rejoiced, dashing through the Archives’ dank corridors to the location revealed by the Librem Arcana. Her heels barely touched the ground.

When she finally arrived at the bookshelf, her spirits shrunk. She ran her fingers across the multitude of volumes, expecting to find Vance’s records, but they were nowhere to be seen. Rosa couldn’t believe it! The Librem couldn’t have been wrong. She repeated the exercise, scanning both guide and bookshelf several times. But it was futile. The journals weren’t there.

She groaned, distressed and distraught, and hung her head in frustration. Only then did her eye catch a sliver of light from the bottom of the bookshelf. She extinguished her magical flame to get a better look. Clearly, a chamber was hidden behind the shelf, a place she had overlooked. She felt around for a mechanism, lever, or switch—anything that might catch.

It was time to summon her magic. Taking a step back, she shut her eyes and raised her hands. She thought of soap bubbles, feathers, and mayflies. A fuzzy texture caressed her fingertips, a buzzing swarmed in her ears, and an acrid scent of detergent wafted to her nose. She opened her eyes to find the entire contents of the bookshelf hovering in mid-air. Only a single volume remained, attached to a simple latch in the corner.

Satisfied, she returned the books to their proper places, placed her hand upon the latch, and pulled. The mechanism grinded, and she watched the shelf slide along a hidden track. Gleefully, she stepped inside to find a dimly lit room, with luminess on a table in the corner. Based on its dullish glow, the stone had to be roughly two weeks old. And there, next to the luminess, piled on the table, were the volumes she sought.

Five small notebooks, hardly noteworthy in size, shape, or style. She ran her fingers along the bindings, yearning to read their contents. She scooped them up and nearly ran back to her table in the main room. She spread them out, scanning them hungrily. Finally, within reach, were firsthand accounts of sunstone research.

Her hands trembled as she turned the pages, eager to reveal the secrets that—until now—were only known to Virgil Garvey. As it turned out, poor Vance had gone through numerous failures, even as he ratcheted up the intensity of his experiments. The clever sorcerer astounded her with his ingenuity. He wrote so eloquently that she almost felt as if she knew him. He broke her heart with his failures, yet inspired her with his convictions. She almost wept as pages toggled between defeat and perseverance. She wondered how a scholar could keep going in the face of such loss. Before she knew it, she had reached the end.

She almost shrieked out loud. All five volumes, and nothing of value. She couldn’t believe it! She flipped back and forth, realizing only at the last moment that the final volume was thinner than the others. Sure enough, pages had been removed straight from the binding, so completely that it was almost unnoticeable. She was in utter disbelief, unwilling to accept defeat after coming so close!

Frustrated, she pushed the journals to the floor with her magic and hid her face in her hands. Her mind was numb, and she was exhausted. In her tired state, she hardly noticed a very distressed and breathless Cedric emerge from the mouth of the stairwell. She wiped away her tears and stood up.

He dashed to the table, only to collapse in front, dripping with sweat.

“Cedric! What happened to you?”

She leapt to his side with magic ready. She thought of vast, endless oceans and she directed a cool, refreshing breeze to wash away the Craftsman’s fatigue.

Normal breathing returned, which gave him a chance to explain. His face was full of apologies. “I’m so sorry I doubted you, Rosa.”

He explained how he went to drop off his paperwork, only to witness a conversation involving Chancellor Garvey.

“Virgil?” Her eyes widened. “Then you know him after all?”

Cedric nodded. “I didn’t pick up on his name earlier, but I remembered as soon as I saw him. He’s new to the kingdom, a man of little importance. But unlike other appointees, King Richard has been keeping his agenda top-secret.”

Rosa shook her head. “A brand new chancellor, and already Richard wants to promote him to First Advisor.”

Cedric recoiled. “What? Who told you that? Richard has a long list of allies waiting for such an opportunity. Do you have any idea what kind of scandal it would be, if he handed Angkor’s second highest title to a brand new chancellor with no experience?”

Rosa felt vindicated. “You see, Cedric? Virgil proved his worth by unlocking the power of the sunstones, just like I told you. Richard will do anything to keep him loyal; even promote him as his right hand man. So, what did he say to you?”

“He didn’t see me,” Cedric clarified. “I was hidden, off to the side. However, I did overhear a conversation between him and one of his accomplices.”

Rosa smiled, surprised at the Craftsman’s stealth.

“That man … he was a Gnostic Knight.”

The plot thickened. Richard only employed six of these Knights, and Bram was one of them. It shouldn’t be that difficult to narrow down the suspects. “Do you know who?”

Cedric shook his head. “His identity was hidden by his helm—but listen closely, Rosa. They know about Bram’s mission, and it sounds like he’s been misled. He’s being redirected to some valley in the mountains of Ur. What’s more, they know you’re here, in the Archives, searching for information.”

The Craftsman winced, his face grim. “I think you’re in danger. You need to leave the country before you get hurt.”

Rosa shuddered. “I think you’re right. This conspiracy is larger than I imagined. I need to warn Bram. Perhaps I can reach him with my magic before he walks into Virgil’s trap.”

“That’s good, but there’s more.” Cedric bit his lower lip. “I didn’t catch everything, but they kept using these strange terms: Pisces Stone, Gemini Stone … I don’t know if they referred to the sunstones, but they did mentioned war with Kitezh, just like you said!”

Rosa’s lips tightened. “I’m not familiar with those terms, either, but you did well, Cedric. If they’re planning on war, that means they intend to take the other sunstones by force. Bram and I need to reach Kitezh to warn them. We can’t allow Virgil to gather the other sunstones. They’re far too powerful!”

Cedric leaned forward. “Rosa … what did you find down here?”

She sighed. “Not much. But thanks to you, I think it was enough.”

Cedric beamed, but before he could say more, a commotion erupted from the upper floors.

Rosa saw a premonition: flashes of Royals, racing through the Archives.

“Oh, no! They’ve found us!”

Cedric faced the stairs, looking guilty and remorseful. “It’s my fault! I wanted to reach you as fast as I could.” His face contorted with shame. “But I didn’t check to see if I was followed.”

Rosa found her courage. “It’s not your fault, Cedric. It’s like you said: Virgil already knew I was here. I just need to distract them while you escape. Hide among the bookshelves. They won’t conduct a comprehensive search if I lead them outdoors.”

Cedric stood tall, his voice full of resolve. “Not a chance. Given my position in the kingdom, I can afford to be captured. But you need to warn Bram before it’s too late. I’ll distract the guards and buy you some time.”

Rosa was conflicted. She didn’t want Cedric to take the fall.

“I’ll be all right,” he insisted. “I’m Grand Craftsman. I can talk my way out of it. Now, go! Make yourself invisible. Don’t look back!”

Rosa needed to make her choice quickly. Royals would arrive at any moment. She hoped that Cedric’s clout would protect him. She drew in a deep breath and kissed her friend on the cheek. “I won’t forget this, Cedric.”

His cheeks reddened and his lips trembled. “Find Bram and leave Angkor as soon as you can. Now, hurry!”

She nodded and waved her arms in a wide arc. She pictured moonlight, shadows, and ghosts, and she spoke ancient words. As her body faded, she raced up the stairwell, narrowly avoiding the Royals as they descended.

The commanding officer marched over to Cedric.

“Don’t move,” he thundered. “Where’s the girl?”

The Craftsman averted his eyes and remained silent.

“Take him with us and search the floor,” the officer commanded.

Three Royals approached and pressed their spears against Cedric’s skin. Rosa’s heart ached as she forced herself to leave him behind. She hoped they wouldn’t hurt him. More importantly, she hoped her manna would last until she escaped.