Forces and the Malachite Stone

CHAPTER ONE

A Dark Request

The wet streets were barren except for the trash that swept past him.

Ki Morin clutched his satchel to his side as he made his way to the potion shop. He could hear the crunch of footsteps nearby, but it was impossible to spot anyone in the dense night that permeated the city.

The sooner he could get to the safe confines of the little shop, Potion Devotion, the better. Isred was not a safe place, especially not at night, and not even in the early morning. The last thing he wanted was to get mugged or kidnapped.

Thick black smoke snaked its way from the town’s chimney’s, coating the sky in what looked like billowing storm clouds. The few trees that had managed to grow in the valleys of Isred were bare and scraggly, a cold contrast from the vibrant light shining from the windows wedged in the clay walls. Not all of Isred was clay and forsaken trees, though. Tall, narrow wooden structures had been erected here and there, wobbly and crooked on weak beams.

A warm breeze wafted through Ki’s hair, followed by an eerie hiss he couldn’t quite place. Was it the snakes, or steam from nearby pipes? He shuddered as he thought of the creatures, and pulled a clear vile of purple liquid from his pants pocket. He’d made this potion just the other night. The only thing it was good for was fogging up a space within ten feet, but it’d give him a running chance if he needed it.

Ki’s heart thumped as he maneuvered past deserted tents and various buildings. He could sense things lurking in the dark alleys and corners. If only he didn’t have another simmering potion waiting for him, he wouldn’t be out tonight, but, it was one that, with good luck, would be completed today. It would be his most advanced one yet. He tried to focus on this as the sounds of the vacant streets, homes, and buildings hissed and moaned in the wind around him.

Ki made his way past the familiar tatty sheets that were strung from building to building on clotheslines, along with various torn and frayed store banners swaying in the wind. It was here that Ki lived. In the hot, humid, drab city of Isred.

He didn’t normally work at night, but he needed to check on his love potion for Reggold. They needed it to impress the loan lady, and if it wasn’t stirred every four hours, it would congeal.

Just then, there was a rustling noise behind him. He spun around to find a man standing five feet behind him. His shoulders were hunched forward and his head rested three inches in front of his chest. Posture like this wasn’t abnormal in Isred; most were afflicted with poor health, not to mention the side effects of the curse… His clothes were drab, the color of watered-down mud, and trailed in the dirt by his bare feet.

Ki stared back, immobilized by fear. “What do you want?” he asked.

 The man grinned crookedly, showing three missing teeth amongst otherwise white ones. Ki shook his head. He didn’t have time to focus on that. “I don’t have any money,” he said, backing up.

The man stepped forward. “I don’t want money,” he said in a raspy voice. His smile grew wider then and he charged forward, deceptively quick despite an older age.

Ki wheeled around and sprinted towards the shop, jumping over fallen street stools and other items of litter. This was just the sort of thing he had been hoping to avoid, and then he remembered the potion. He popped the cork off of the potion gripped tightly in his hand and threw the bottle onto the ground.

At once, a swirling powdery mist of purple rose into the air, fogging up the area all around them. Ki, having lived in Isred all of his life, knew his way around the town and ran around a corner. Something caught his foot. Ki’s mind whirled. Was it the man, or a giant rat? He pushed himself up and dashed forward again until he approached the rickety steps of the shop he worked at.

Order your copy today!

#forcesandthemalachitestone #yabooks