Prologue
Koltan walked swiftly through the arched hallways that were mostly cloaked in shadows. He did not cast a spell to light his way – the shadows worked to his advantage. He knew that he was short on time, as his report was due this night. Although it was not his fault, his master accepted no excuses for failure. It was a dangerous task, but the payoffs would be immeasurable. He now knew, by what he had overheard today, that the agent in the Imperial Palace in Tala'ahar had done their job well. A shipment was to be sent to the embassy in the Imperial City.
This was the moment he had been told to expect, and now he had to complete his task or his master would indeed be angry. He found the chamber he was looking for easily, as he had already spent some nights on duty here. Due to some bad turn of luck he was not on duty tonight, and his other errands had taken him longer than they should have. Damn Faradan to the Abyss! Making him recopy the runes until he got them exactly to his teacher’s liking took bells longer than it should have.
He looked at the ink staining his hands. Anyone else would have been satisfied by his first or second attempt. But ten! Curses upon the man! He opened the door to the chamber and stepped inside, leaving the door ajar. The student on duty turned from the book of spells he was studying with a quizzical look on his face. “Has my shift ended already?” Koltan remembered the student’s name from some of his classes – Griffan.
“No, sorry Griffan,” he started as sincerely as possible, “I took too long in copying my runes, so Faradan Shilaar decided that he would send me to relieve you as my punishment.” He kept his annoyance on his face for the other to see, and made sure he used the honorific. Koltan moved over to the table and pulled his own book of spells out as if to study.
Griffan collected his things into his pack. “It has been a quiet night so far, I took only two messages. They’re in the log. Have fun!” he called back wryly over his shoulder as he left, pulling the door shut behind him. Koltan went and made sure the door was latched and then threw the bolt. He could not be interrupted on the task he was about this night.
He turned from the door and moved to the desk upon which rested the magemirror he needed. Normally the senior students were tasked with monitoring this room, and two others around the citadel, in case any general messages came in through the mirror. Tonight, he would be sending out a message, a very important message; a message that would make him a very powerful man; a message that would change the world.
Stones Unbound Description:
Korvaan is a world of all-powerful Emperors and jealous rival Kings, where the Dar’Shilaar craft items of magic from unbound magestones. From magic portals and mirrors that can traverse great distances for use in travel or communication, to flying ships and floating citadels, the Dar’Shilaar have proven almost anything can be done. But at what cost?
Hoyle is a brash, young, street-wise, thief who specializes in acquiring things that others in Tala’ahar cannot. No treasure is guarded too well that he cannot find a way in, and, more importantly – out, with the goods.
Little does Hoyle know that his latest choice in jobs, the theft of a shipment of unbound magestones, will set in motion events that will reshape his world.
Celia is a member of the Dar’Shilaar, a Spell Wielder, who discovers the theft and is determined to track down the thief and bring them to justice. Complications arise when she encounters Hoyle, and determines that he is by far the smaller threat.
Hoyle and Celia team up to investigate the forces behind the theft and uncover a far ranging plot that twists and turns, trapping them within its web, forcing them to prove their innocence to the Emperor, or face execution.
