Cryos & Jade: The Complete Collection Volume 1: Cryos & Jade

By Luke T Barnett

An imprisoned woman. A ruthless gargoyle. An unlikely friendship.

 

Jade is suffocating. Her daily life has left her numb and without purpose. Exploring a forbidden forest offers the freedom and excitement she seeks. But on her very first night, raiding the abandoned keep of a necromancer, she encounters a still-living gargoyle bent on killing her.

 

Cryos is driven to protect, though his master is long dead. But when the mysterious Jade intrudes on his master's keep, his very purpose is questioned. In the midst of his confusion, a dark presence creeps its way into his home, one which threatens not only them, but the whole of Thoral Island.

 

Death looming over them both, Cryos and Jade must find a way not only to survive each other, but to defeat an evil so ancient, it was feared even by a the gargoyle's master.

 

Thus begins the saga of Cryos & Jade, an unlikely pair whose fates are more intertwined than either realizes, in whose hands rests the fate of the world.

Join them in their desperate attempt to escape an underground labyrinth, fight an evil that has crept into the walls of Jade's home, defy an ancient family curse, unravel the mystery of their pasts, and come face-to-face with an evil they thought long banished and dead. These are the first six stories of an adventurous young woman and her conflicted gargoyle protector.

 

True friendship is forged in the crucible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Luke T Barnett
• Release date: Oct 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393507376

Luke T Barnett

Luke T. Barnett grew up playing RPGs (both pen & paper and video game) and watching any fantasy movies he could get his hands on. All those sessions inspired him to write a series based on his gargoyle character Cryos and his favorite RPG class, the rogue. Writing since childhood, he has grown his craft over the years and continues to do so even to this day. He is kept very busy living on the shores of Lake Erie with his awesome, beautiful writer wife, his two story-loving sons, and his dragon-slaying, princess-loving daughter.

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Cryos & Jade

The Complete Collection

Volume 1

Luke T. Barnett

http://luketbarnett.com

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Other works by Luke T. Barnett

Half-Orc Redemption

Cryos & Jade

Ixtus the Black, the dread of Thoral Island,was dead.

That’s what Jade told herself, standing before the black walls of his abandoned keep.

The king and the people still feared the forest because it. The king forbade any to enter the forest, saying the place was cursed.

Cursed.

That’s what she was: cursed to a life of drudgery and monotony if she listened to their fears.

That’s why she came here, to free herself.

Her heart pounded in her chest. Herhandfiddled with the satchel at her side and adjusted the jade dagger beneath her belt. She didn’t believe in the curse. Didn’t believe that it had killed the queen. Didn’t believe she could die simply by being there.

Why then was she trembling?

It took an effort to push the fear aside, but she swallowed and raised a shaking hand. The touch of the door brought the reality of what she was about to do, and she shuddered. She took a moment to gather her courage, and then pushed open the door. It swung open without a sound.

Her stomach lurched at the rank smell of mold and rot that blew past her, as thougha ghoul had opened its maw to consume her. She gagged and covered her mouth.

The hall stretched before her like an ancient tomb. A trailing thought of turning back ran through her mind. She tightened her grip on her torchand clenched her free handinto a fist asshe forced her legs to carry her forward.

The dancing light revealed wallscovered in mold and cobwebs. Some she was forced to cut away with her dagger. Her movements were halting.A crushing dread seized her heart and grew the further she ventured.She took in a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. It was harder to breathe in here.

She came to another door at the end of the hall, also covered with mold. Pulling a fine, silk handkerchief from the sleeve of her tunic,she pushed the door open.

The cruel, menacing faces of a hundred gargoyle statues glared at her. Their clawed hands reached out andclutched her on every side. She screamed as they dragged her deep into a darkness blacker than the keep.Pain pierced through her body. She felt their teethas they feasted—

She shook as she reeled from the vision. Blinking, she saw only the still statues reaching out for her, frightening though they were. Her heart raced. Her blood thumped in her ears.An attempted swallow caught in her throat, her mind screaming at her to run.

Steady. You’ve trained for this. Don’t let it win. You can do this. You have to do this. You want to go back to an empty life with nothing to show for it?

With shaking limbs, she stepped into the chamber.

Stone eyes lingered on her, making her skin crawl, as she waded through the sea of statues. The vision constantly tugged at her mind, like a whisper just beyond hearing. A touch of her hand to the object beneath her jerkin, centered on her chest, steadied her.

Nothing stirred. No sound, but her footsteps and her own, choked breathing disturbed the silence.As she moved through the room, the statues always faced her, though she never saw them moving. Memory of what she had learned from the stories, kept her careful to avoid their touch.

Through an arch into an adjacent hall, she sighed, feeling the eyes and the vision leave her. She smiled.

I did it!

She turned back to the gargoyle room and her smile fled. The gargoyles had turned their backs on her, somehow unnerving her more than their stares. She swallowed and hastened down the corridor.

Gargoyle1.jpg

Stone eyes watched her enter, watched her move through the statues with mindful steps. She moved past, not seeing or not noticing.Her long, brown hair passed inches from an outstretched claw, perfume wafting into the air.Then she was through the archway.In the darkness that remained in the gargoyle chamber, a figure stirred and stepped from its pedestal.

It was the first time he had moved in a hundred years.

Dagger 3.png

She glanced at the many wooden doors she passed. Most were half-rotted or hanging on one hinge. One doorway was empty, and she stopped to peer inside, careful not to enter. A wooden bed lay tilted against one wall, corroded chains showing in the flickering torchlight.A shudder ran through her at the table’s intended use.

About to turn away, hot breath upon her cheek made her start. She jumped back and stared down the hall.

No one.

Darkness enveloped her as her torch went out. A force impacted her chest and drove her into a wall. She flailed, screaming as sharp claws dug into-

With a shudder, she came to, finding herself staring at an empty hallway.Her torch was still lit in her hand. Her other hand moved to her jerkin and gripped the small pendant beneath. Her heart was trying to hammer its way out of her chest.

Perhaps I should go back.

Thoughts took over her mind.

I cannevergo back! I’m trapped! Antina help me, I’ll never find my way out of here!

A single, choked cry escaped her throat. A halting step took her towards the exit. A hand clutching at her chest and she couldn’t breathe.

No.No!She wouldn’t give in! She knew the path. She had mapped it in her mind long before coming here. She had the pendant. She would defy the evil of this place and prove it to be nothing.

Steeling her will, she turned and forced her limbs to move. Her nerves relaxed. Her breathing cleared. She walked further into the keep, not giving any more of the rooms so much as a glance.

Gargoyle1.jpg

He observed her reaction as the vision took her, her face filled with horror. Her soul was breaking. But then it stopped. She shuddered and looked around, awareness returning to her.

A most interesting female.

He studied her as she struggled with despair, recovered, and continued down the hall. He liked to watch. It was never long before he took them, those who dared invade his master’s home. But he took more time with those that interested him. This one did so a great deal more than the others, if only for her fortitude. He followed her in footsteps unheard and form unseen as she walked on into the darkness.

Dagger 3.png

Hersteps were light and careful along the path, noting the stones in her mind and avoiding certain steps. She peered over her shoulder now and again, feeling a pair of eyes lingering on her.

It’s just this place.

But she could not shake the sense of being watched. Her mouth was parched. Continuous visions pulled at her mind. The eyes would not leave her. She whirled,straining her eyes to see what was not there. The empty hall stretched before her; stone and mold...and darkness.

She stared for a long while.Something was wrong beyond the effects of this place. What was it? Her eyes came to rest on a particular spot, and a cold shiver ran up her spine.

Something was there.

Reaching into her satchel, she pulled out a smooth stone and drew back, preparing to throw it into the space. She paused, thinking. Instead, she threw it hard into the corner above the spot. The rock hit the wall with a clackthat echoed. It bounced up to the ceiling, and fell into the spot, hitting the floor with another clack that immediately died away. She waited.

Nothing.

Walking over,she squatted, her eyes looking up at the something that wasn’t there.She picked up the stone and replaced it in her satchel.

Gargoyle1.jpg

He watched her walk over. The stone had barely missed him and only because he moved as it fell. Her eyes stared directly into his, as though she could see him. He was not unnerved but all the more intrigued. She stood, her eyes still locked with his.

I know you’re there, her shakingvoice cut through the silence. Her face was strained. She was afraid. That was good.

Still, she had spoken. None before had spoken. They had only screamed and fled, or attempted to flee, at least. She drew the jade dagger, its green blade seeming to glow in the torchlight. She held it in front of her, its point aimed at him. She held it there, her knuckles white as she backed away, then turned and continued down the corridor. He followed, giving a little more distance. Something wasn’t right.

Dagger 3.png

Her dagger remained at the ready, even as she pulled a parchment from her satchel. After glancing over its contents, she looked around the corridor and then ahead of her. She moved forward, tapping on the wall with the pommel of her dagger.

TINK TINK!

TINK TINK!

CLACK!

She stopped and looked at the wall and tapped it again.

CLACK!

She tapped the stone next to it, then the other side.

KLINK!

KLINK!

Glancing at the parchment, she stuffed it back into her satchel and put two fingers from her dagger hand up to the wall. The stone was cold and lifeless. Even as she touched, it, she thought felt movement on the other side. Her brow crinkled and she leaned-in, pressing her ear to the stone. It was rough and dry, but ice-cold.

Ice touched her neck. She pulled back only to feel fingers clamping down on her throat. The hands pulled at her even as their icy grip squeezed her throat. Her eyes wide, she pushed off the wall with her foot and swung her dagger. The blade passed through shadowy arms, the grip remaining strong. The hands clamped down harder, choking her, crushing her. Spots formed in her eyes. The torch fell from her hand. This wasn’t a vision! She was dying!

Her mind faded, her thoughts becoming muddled. She collapsed to her knees even as the hands continued to squeeze. Her mind faded into a darkening fog as death took her.

Gargoyle1.jpg

He watched her pause and stare blankly at the stone.Then she dropped her torch and went into a frenzy of blade swinging as she attempted to fend-off whatever she saw attacking her. Her head tilted back, her eyes bulging as she appeared to choke. A smile touched his face. She was breaking.

She sunk to her knees, her eyes going half-lidded.She was in her final throws of death. His smile turned down at this thought. She should live longer to understand the price of her trespass.

Her eyes closed fully and the creature that watched her turned away, jealousy stinging him.Before he could walk away, a green glow light up the hall. He turned back, seeing the dagger gripped in her hand glowing with a vibrant green light. Her breaths came long and peaceful.

How?The vision of this hall was the strongest. It should have killed her!

His eyes went to the dagger.

Slowly, she stood, her eyes remaining closed. The light of the dagger faded. She opened her eyes and looked around, surprise on her face.

This was beyond intriguing. She should not have gotten this far. Anger mixed with fascination as she picked up her torch and moved to the wall, resuming her tapping. He noticed she was no longer looking around. Her actions were tight and hurried. Her hands were shaking. At least she was afraid.

Finding what she was looking for, she pressed on a particular stone with the pommel of her dagger. The stone sunk into the wall. A rumbling and scraping was heard as the wall split, two sections separating from each other and sliding into the walls beside them. He stared. He did not know this place existed.

Dagger 3.png

Jade stared into the darkness of the room. Her body shook to enter. The last vision had nearly cost her life. But could she turn back after having come so far?

No. Escape screamed through her limbs, but she needed to get what she came for. She needed proof that she was here. Proof, that the curse of Ixtus was a lie. Proof that she was alive. This was the final chamber. After getting her prize, she could flee. She could run home, be safe, and never return.

Home.Where the death of this place could not follow her.

Whatever was watching her, she would have to deal with eventually. Perhaps she could fight her way free. Bolstering her will, she took a step into the doorway of the chamber. She stopped and wedged her dagger beneath the wall at the corner of the opening, then proceeded inside.

The chamber was small, but held treasure trove of glittering images set on pillars. Statues of monsters, undead creatures, and deities lined the walls. They were made of gold, silver, ruby, and other materials, precious and rare. Just one item could bring her from poverty to the riches of a king. She passed them all.

Her search led her to the stone statue of a dragon, its spherical, jadeeyes contrasting awkwardly with the dull, gray stone. She pulled a pair of small tools from her satchel and set to work. It only took a few moments to remove the eyes from the statue. Once she had retrieved them, she wrapped them inher handkerchief and stuffed it and her tools into her satchel.

She turned to leave whenher eyes caught sight of something.Astatue of a skeletal figure wrapped in a cloak of leaves stood on a pedestal of its own. The young woman’s face turned down. She grabbed the statue and pulled it off the pedestal. It fell to the floor with a crash, shattering into a thousand pieces.

A roar at the entrance made her head snap. For a moment, she saw a creature, large and gargoyle-like, standing beyond the doorway, gripping its arm. The monster was fading from sight. Her dagger lay on the ground beyond the doorway- which was closing.

She darted for the entrance and dove across the threshold, the walls slamming shut behind her. Her handgripped her dagger as she rolled to her feet. Her sense of this creature had not diminished. She swiped the air with her dagger. The blade scraped against something and she heard a roar of pain as the creature re-appeared. It was a gargoyle, like those she had seen in the chamber, yet twice as big. Even doubled over, holding its chest where she had injured it, it still towered over her. Two enormous, bat-like wings flared on its back. A thick tail curled around itself. Its eyes looked as stone as the rest of it. Were it not for its movement and the roar coming from its open beak, she would have thought it a bizarre statue, still and lifeless.

She wasted no time, bolting past it, even as it swiped a massive claw at her. Her boots pounded the stones, her heart thumped in her chest. Traps went off after her, missing her by narrow margins. One came up in time,grazing her cheek. She paid it no mind and kept running.

The creature roared behind her, giving chase as it crashed through the spears and blades. She kept her eyes forward. The gargoyle chamber was ahead of her. She ran into it full-on, forgetting the stories, thinking only of the living creature chasing her. The edge of a stone hand scratched her arm, tearing a hole in the sleeve of her tunic. She spun, grabbed her arm, and bumped into a statue. She tried to keep moving, but something pulled her hair. One of the statues, still and lifeless, gripped the end of her hair in its stone claw. She immediately grabbed her hair, cut off the length with her dagger and continued on with haste through the chamber. Another misstep and the stone grip of another statue encased her arm. She struck the statue’s arm with the pommel of her dagger, but it did not yield. She yelled in desperation, pulling and wriggling against the stony grip. She propped her foot against the thing’s chest, but then another claw grabbed her ankle.

No! No! she screamed. She looked to the hall. The one chasing her had not followed her in. She struck the statue’s hand again and again. Upon one instance of drawing back, her hand hit something and she felt a claw around her wrist. Fear drove breath from her, even as she felt a pair of stone arms embracing her midsection. A stone hand covered her mouth and held her face still. She kicked with her one free leg. It too became entrapped. A clawed hand held her throat. She writhed and struggled as the statues overwhelmed her, her muffled screams barely audible as tears fell down her cheeks. More hands enveloped her. Sight went from her, her eyes covered by a stone barrier.

She gave a muffled scream that melted into blubbering. Her body was completely covered. Their mouths were on her. She silently begged anyone who might be listening not to let her die, even as she felt her air being cut-off. Through her tears and her sobs, she heard the crunching of her bones. Yet, she felt no pain, only stone hands diminishing. She realized then it was not the crunching of bones she was hearing but the crumbling of stone. After an impact beside her head and she was lifted up. The remaining claws fell away, the last being those on her face. She breathed in a sharp breath and fell into a fit of coughing. When she had recovered enough to control her body, she opened her eyes.  The beakedface of the gargoyle that had been chasing her glared at her. Its eyes were stone, its body still.She wondered, for the second time, if this was merely another statue.

Gargoyle1.jpg

He held her off the ground, his massive claw gripping her jerkin as her eyes met his. She managed the presence of mind to turn her head and look at the crumbled remains of the gargoyle statues that had once filled the chamber. Then looked back at him.

You saved me?

He merely stared.

Thank you.

He growled, a deep sound from far within him, and turned, carrying her back down the hall.

Wait, she said, struggling against his grip. Where are you taking me?

The silence of the keep was the only reply.

You saved me. Why did you save me if you don’t intend to let me go?

He kept walking, kept staring. She kept struggling.

Listen. I have gold...and jewels. I can share them with you.

He carried her into a room.

Listen. She gripped his arm and wriggled. I can show you a place. I know of a castle nearby.

He slammed her onto a table. She grunted and coughed but continued to plead.

I have many riches. I can give you whatever you want.

In quick movements, he put his beak next to her face and breathed on her. She turned her head away with a cough at the smell of the stale air. His voice was as a deep growl.

"What I want, human female,is to watch you die, slowly, by my hand for trespassing in my master’s keep."

Your master is dead. She still gripped his arm with her head turned away, but the pleading was gone from her voice. He’s not coming back this time.

She was bold, much bolder than any that had come before. Moreover, she did not speak as one who was terrified. He paused only a moment.

And what do you know of such things, little thief?

She turned her head, her green eyesboring into his, though he knew she saw them only as stone...didn’t she?

Because he was stabbed through the heart with a jade knife, the same knife that injured you. I know because I watched him die and turn to ash. I know because I’m the one who gladly shoved the blade into his chest. I’m the one who killed him, and I’ll kill you just the same.

He could only stare. Her glare was deadly. Her irises were the color of jade and seemed vibrant and glowing as they glowered at him. An unexplainable feeling coursed through his body. Was this fear? His grip tightened on her jerkin, his scowl deepening as he fought against the feeling and the sense