"What… just happened?"
"You were attacked, stupid," said Erica.
"I just saved you, though at the cost of an Ember Shard."
"Ember… Shard?" repeated Jacob. "You mean
that jewel thing I found?"
"That's the one," said Erica. "Man, I
really underestimated how quickly Vaz'qui would start looking for it…"
"Who was that?" asked Jacob. "Why did she
want that Shard thing so badly?"
Erica raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know what that
was, kid?" she asked.
"Not a clue," said Jacob. "I just happened
to pick it up on my way into town, and then that woman attacked me on my way
back…"
"I see," said Erica. "I guess I really am
in the sticks out here, huh… alright, listen up, kid. That jewel you found is
part of a stone called the Ember Stone, that gives whoever holds it the power
to control fire. There are three other jewels like it, that control the other
three elements, and if you have all four then you become invincible. An evil
sorcerer named Vaz'qui has the other three jewels, so I smashed the Ember Stone
to stop him from having all four, but now he and his minions are searching for
the pieces so they can put it back together. I was hoping to get to the first
Shard before they could, but so much for that."
"Uhh… sorry," said Jacob.
"For what?" said Erica. "Even if you
hadn't picked it up, Caerulea would still have gotten to it before me. It's a
pain, but there's nothing either of us could have done about it."
Jacob recalled his attempts to sell the Shard to the
town's jeweller. Perhaps if he had succeeded in selling it, he could have kept
it out of her reach. "So that woman... Caerulea… she's one of Vaz'qui's
minions?" he asked.
"Yeah," said Erica. "He has four of them,
each representing a different element. I should've known he'd have them out
looking for the Ember Shards. I'll have to hurry, because with five of them out
searching, they'll find them in no time at all."
"Uhh… so should I leave you to it, then?" asked
Jacob. "I mean, I have to be heading home as well…"
"Yeah, sure thing," said Erica. "I gotta
go find that second Shard, and fast. See you later, kid." With that, Erica
sprinted off towards the nearby forest, leaving Jacob alone to ponder
everything he had just seen and heard. This strange woman, whose name he did
not even know, was currently on an epic journey to gather the fragments of a
magical gem in order to prevent an evil sorcerer from taking over the world.
Just for a moment, he had been a brief part of that journey, and somehow, it
felt like it was the most exciting thing that had ever happened in his life.
But now it was over, perhaps never to return. All that was left now was to
return to his home, and finish what he had originally set out to do. With a
sigh, Jacob set off back towards his farmstead home, resigning himself to his
ordinary life.
***
"Welcome back, dear," said Jacob's mother as he
came through the front door. "You're a little later than usual. Did
something happen? You weren't robbed, were you?"
For a moment, Jacob thought about telling his mother
about the incident with the Ember Shard, but since he still didn't quite
understand it himself, he decided not to. "No, mother," he lied.
"I just got held up a little at the bakery, that's all."
Jacob's mother let out a sigh of relief. "That's
all? That's good," she said. "Could I have the money then,
please?"
Jacob reached into his pocket and pulled out the coins,
which he handed to his mother. "Thank you, dear," she said. "Dinner
will be ready soon, so wash your hands and then help me set the table,
alright?"
Jacob nodded, and headed off to the bathroom to wash his
hands, his mind still focused on what had happened only a few minutes ago. The
thoughts remained with him even as he went to bed that night, and as he drifted
off to sleep, he dreamed of women made of fire and water, and a crystallized
man with crimson eyes.
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