An
Excerpt from The
Chronicles of Quat: The Stone
by
Bryen O'Riley
Fortress
Ruins
Tad returned his mother’s letter to his pocket and resumed his watch of the motionless scene.
“So,
do you think there will be a sign or something? How are we supposed
to find the Stone among all those other stones?” Chet was nervously
prattling in Tad’s ear as Tad scanned the ruins for life.
They were paused at the
edge of the clearing, concealed by the forest. Tad couldn’t get the
picture of the people drawn onto the rock lying face down before the
Stone out of his mind. A stone couldn’t kill them. Right? There
didn’t appear to be any guards but perhaps that had only been the
case when the fortress was still standing.
“Shh!”
Tad twisted his torso to give Chet a fierce glare before surveying
the ruins once more. Chet always rambled on when he was nervous. It
had to be the worst nervous habit that ever existed.
Tad
discovered that one of the strings from his shirt had somehow gotten
into his mouth and that he was chewing on it. He heard Chet heave an
irritated sigh when he pulled the soggy end from his mouth. Chet
thought it was childish to chew on clothing. But was it all right
chattering on about nothing when silence was essential?
After
several minutes of study, Tad had to conclude that nothing alive was
among the rubble. Of course, something still could be but they had
been careful and quiet, apart from Chet’s excited whispers, as they
approached. If something lurked within the ruins, it had had no
warning from them and would have no reason to remain hidden. That
didn’t mean that nothing lurked in there but their waiting would
serve no purpose. Something that chose to remain hidden for as long
as they had watched and waited wouldn’t be showing itself in the
length of time he was willing to watch the ruins. Tad and Chet didn’t
have the luxury of time. They were nearing the end of their store of
food, their patience with each other, and their commitment to a
questionablyworthwhile quest. What they had come for all this way lay
within their grasp. He wasn’t going to put this off any longer.
They must find the Stone and so must enter the ruins.
“We actually found it!”
Chet whispered excitedly.
He
was motioning to something in the clearing and Tad saw that the very
precise location of four great trees located exactly at the four
directional points. Spaced exactly in between the trees were four
enormous rocks, making a ring around the entire fortress. Chet was
right. This had been clearly marked on the map. This must be the
fortress that held the Stone. They had finally found it.
“I
didn’t really think it existed until we found that map,” Chet
nearly bubbled, “but here it is. At last! I can’t believe it, can
you?”
Tad
laid a finger over his lips as he tied Dend to a tree. Chet followed
suit. They took as many weapons as they could easily wield and
quietly slipped into the clearing.
Why
am I doing this?
Tad couldn’t suppress his mutinous thoughts as they approached the
ancient rubble. I
still don’t know what this stone is or why it is important.
His mother’s letter had required him to Seek the Stone and to
Believe it. Why? She had said, “You will succeed or everything dear
in this world will end.” Was she insane? Why should he wander
around an illegal and dangerous forest on a mere hint from her when
she refused to answer nearly all of his questions outright? Am
I crazy? Why am I doing this?
But
he was doing it. He was at that very moment jogging warily toward a
stone with unknown powers, guards who might want to kill him, and any
number of dangerous beasts stalking the woods around them. He had to
be crazy.
“Tad!
Look out!”
Tad
had been watching the ruins not the woods. Chet’s warning came just
in time for him to pivot and dive out of the way of a wolf that was
leaping for his throat. Where had that come from? He grabbed his
untested spear and set himself for the next move as the animal spun
and leapt again. He saw the sturdy, loyal form of his friend nocking
his arrow from the corner of his eye.
