Edicts of Chaos: Book 1 - The Ruux Stone

By Jason L Barnette

Two brothers from a small southern town embark on a life-altering journey to locate a missing loved one. A young girl fights for her life as she struggles to survive the horrors of her captors. A Queen finds herself entangled in a mission to save not only her city, but the whole of the land. Magic, always

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jason L. Barnette
• Release date: Oct 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798868909184

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Edicts of Chaos

Book 1 - The Ruux Stone

Jason L. Barnette

Copyright © 2023 Jason L. Barnette

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For additional information and special notes about this story, visit the author’s website at www.jasonlbarnette.com

Formerly published in 2019 as The Fields of Aratek: Book 1 - The Ruux Stone

Original Story © 2019 Jason L. Barnette | Independently Published

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, or entities is purely coincidental and unintentional.

To my Wife and Children…

The love and support you pour into my life every day is immeasurable. You are everything to me and, because of you, this dream has become a reality. May we see many more dreams come true.

To my parents and family, friends, and those who have supported and cheered for me throughout this project… I am grateful for your kind words, support, and feedback. Without you, this would not have been possible.

Thank you.

Map

Land of Lirateza

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Map

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Afterword

Prologue

For thousands of years, the people of the land of Lirateza lived peaceful lives. There were few wars between cities and cultures. Most disagreements were handled effectively through arbitration, conducted under the rule of the then current king of the capital city of Kiradon, located in the east. If battles between peoples were discovered, the Kiradon army would always step in to restore peace to the land. Those who perpetrated such battles were punished through tariffs imposed on them by the king. There were also no invaders from across the great seas surrounding the continent as a natural barrier of jagged mountain peaks protruded from the waters for miles in all directions. It was impossible for ships to sail in or out, and there were no recorded instances of anyone ever having succeeded in leaving. Many had tried, but they would always end up wrecked on the barriers. Thus, the land was entirely self-sufficient, with Kiradon being the most fertile area due to its abundance of natural resources.

The second largest city in Lirateza was the western city of Erysis. It was an industrial city of employment and commerce. People from all around visited Erysis to trade their goods for food and possessions, or to find work. It was a lavish city, and many rich people made it their home. It was also where the first mages began recording their activities.

Almost a thousand years ago, small groups of people began gathering in each other’s homes to study various forms of magic. It started as only a social gathering, where friends would meet, eat, and drink, as well as discuss topics of magic passed down through the ages. Some had writings left to them by grandparents. Some relayed stories told to them when they were young. During these meetings, they would attempt to call the magic forth, but rarely had any success. Occasionally, a random spark or glow would manifest, but nothing significant.

Few continued long-term, claiming it was a waste of time; however, others devoted themselves to the practice of the arts. Those who did eventually found that magic was indeed very real…and very dangerous. Most abandoned the practice once they discovered the power it afforded, afraid to dabble in it any further, but a few continued for the remainder of their lives. When they were old, they found students to pass down their teachings and recorded their findings in journals that those same students kept secret. They called themselves ‘mages’ and continued the tradition of handing down their knowledge for hundreds of years. Besides practicing the arts, they also made it their mission to travel the land and collect articles of magic that proved dangerous or had been created by wayward mages. Once found, they stored them away in a protective vault so their magic could not be abused by evil men.

Over time, however, interest was lost in the arts of magic, and the order of the mages died out. Soon enough, the mages became nothing more than fairytales that parents would tell their children at bedtime. For over one hundred years there had not been a mage in the land, the last one rumored to have long since died in the northern city of Lador and laid to rest along with all copies of the mages’ journals. The use of magic had become a legend told in modern times, but no one actually believed it had been real.

As time progressed, Lador, once a region devoted to magic and healing, became a haven for criminals and lawless thugs. They began attacks on smaller cities and, later, attacked larger ones. They even once attempted an attack on the capital city of Kiradon but failed. Only in the past eighty years had the land experienced such unrest, but the people fought back and restored the peace, which has lasted now for twenty years. This restoration of peace, however, would be short-lived…

Chapter 1

Hew Dayson sat relaxingly in the small boat, drifting to and fro on the waves of Behrrin Lake. The lake was relatively calm this day, perfect for drifting and fishing. The sky, although overcast, didn't seem to harbor a drop of rain. The clouds served as a huge umbrella to keep the harsh sun from beating down on the young fellow in the boat below. The waters of Behrrin Lake were clear and blue, and you could see almost to the bottom. The lake and town were partially surrounded by a mountain range appropriately named The Shards, mostly because their structure during the afternoon setting sun gave them the appearance of long shards of glass jutting out from the earth. On the exposed side of the lake sat Behrrin Beach where the locals of Behrrin were busily running around completing their daily errands. This beach community mainly consisted of a small village with small homes and poor, but happy, people. The paths in and out of the town were traveled mostly by locals who would go into the larger cities to shop or trade, but Behrrin rarely received visitors. It was definitely no tourist destination.

Yes, today was a beautiful day to be out on the lake, even if Hew was the only one out there. Usually this time of year, which was still several months away from the season called The Famine, most men of the village would be traveling to remote areas to find work, or to the city of Kiradon to work the fields during the season of harvest. Hew was only twenty years of age and, although plenty old enough and able to work, he didn't yet have a wife and family for which to provide. So, he merely did odd jobs here and there to sustain himself and to help pay for his share of the small cottage that he and his brother rented from an uncle who had moved away to pursue bigger things. Hew had no real ambitions. Many people in the village even called him lazy, but he didn't care. He figured it was better to be called lazy than to stress himself with becoming a huge success. He saw that as a way of meeting an early grave.

As he reclined in the small craft, he noticed the tip of his fishing rod wiggle. He had cast the line out into the lake more than an hour ago and had almost forgotten that it was even there. He didn't move but just watched curiously as the rod wiggled more and more and then soon trembled. A turtle, he thought indifferently...but then the rod bowed down towards the water. Hew was only an occasional fisherman, but he had done his share of fishing, and this time was different. He had never seen his rod react so strangely to any fish he had caught before and he was getting nervous. As he lifted himself to a sitting position and reached for the rod, it suddenly dipped down towards the water and almost pulled free from its rack. Hew quickly grabbed the rod and pulled and tugged with all his might, attempting to catch whatever was on the other end of the line. This is no turtle, he thought to himself. Then, without warning, the line went slack, and Hew flew backward, almost falling out of the boat.

Whoa! What could that have been? he mumbled. He had heard stories from the locals of a great beast sighted in the lake from generation to generation, though no one he knew of that was still living had ever seen such a creature. Hew peered over the edge of the boat and stared down into the clear water. Nothing. Even with the clarity of the lake, he saw nothing. Suddenly, a loud splash sounded behind him, and the boat rocked violently. He spun around, his heart pounding like a racehorse and with fear he had never known before. Surely, this was the beast he had heard about. It had become injured with his fishing hook and had come to seek its revenge! His fear turned to anger when he saw, not a lake beast, but his brother Val, giggling as he pulled himself into the boat.

What's the matter, little brother? Thought the giant lake beast had come to rip off your head?, Val chuckled.

Hew just sat there speechless. His heart was still racing, and he felt as if it would jump right out of his chest. He should have known that his brother would pull some silly stunt like this.

Val Dayson, his elder brother of two years, was a natural athlete, and one of his favorite sports was swimming. He could swim for miles, it seemed, without stopping. Hew had even followed him in the boat several times when they were younger, and Val would always pull away from him, regardless of how fast he tried to row. It was no surprise to Hew that his brother had been able to sneak up on him out here in the middle of the lake.

You almost made my heart stop! Hew hissed. What possessed you to do such a thing? Why are you even here anyway? Shouldn't you be at work?

Val laughed a bit more, reaching down for a dry towel, but Hew could tell something was amiss.

You always were an easy one to prank! Don't be upset, little brother! It's just all good fun...I couldn't pass up such a perfect opportunity! Val’s smile slowly faded and was replaced with an expression of confusion and sorrow. Hew noticed the look.

Val, somethings wrong. What is it? Hew asked.

Val looked away and stared out at the waters of the lake. Hew, while I was on my way to work this morning, I saw Roner walking back into town. He looked bad, as if he had been in an accident. I ran over to see what was wrong, but he entered the infirmary, and they wouldn’t let me in. I waited a while, but he never came out, so I decided to come out here to let you know. I sure hope everything is alright with Dea. I didn’t see her with him, and I know they were traveling together.

***

Dea Lasaria. Hew 's first and only love. She was the adopted daughter of Kiaso and Imea Lasaria. The Lasarias were doctors and would frequently travel throughout the region to help the sick recover and to help ease the pain and suffering of the dying. One day, during one of their travels, they found a newborn infant lying in a basket and covered with weeds off to the side of the road. She was still clean and warm and appeared to have only been left there several hours earlier. They took the baby with them to the next town and visited all the shops and homes to locate the baby's parents but were unsuccessful. After several days of searching, they concluded that she had been abandoned. So, they took her home with them, officially adopted her, and gave her the name Dea.

The Dayson brothers and the Lasaria family grew up as neighbors, living only a short walk from each other. When Hew was three years old, his parents died while hiking in The Shards when a section of their trail unexpectedly dislodged, sending them to their deaths far below. Val was five at the time and understood better the loss they had suffered, and even at that young age, he had taken it upon himself to become his little brother's caretaker. They were sent to live with their Uncle Baron and remained there until they were adults. Growing up, the boys had many friends, but none as close as Dea. Since the time Dea could walk she had played with the brothers. They played in each other's yards, at school, and at the beach. They were inseparable, except for the times when Dea was away traveling with her parents. As they grew older, the bond became stronger, and the brothers protected and loved her as if they would have a sister.

When Hew was eighteen, their uncle left Behrrin and set out to live in the great Western city of Erysis to pursue work as a blacksmith. Hew and Val had agreed to rent the cottage in which they had been raised. It was supposed to have been a temporary arrangement, but it didn't appear that their Uncle Barron had any intention of coming back to live in Behrrin. The rent was cheap, so they decided to stay there until the time came for one of them to settle down and have a family.

Time passed, and they became young adults, Hew now twenty and Val, twenty-two. They were both of athletic build, but Val was obviously the stronger of the two. He was tall with brown hair that was cut short, hazel eyes, and a solid, muscular frame. Hew, on the other hand, was not quite as tall as his brother and wasn’t quite as muscular, although he was at a healthy weight. His hair was a dirty blonde color and left a little longer than his brothers. He kept it pulled over to one side, so it just barely reached the tops of his bright blue eyes. Even with the subtle differences, they still looked very much alike, and it could easily be determined by new acquaintances that they were brothers.

From the time they were just little children until now, the brothers considered Dea to be like a sister. Val still only loved her in this way, but this was not so with Hew. Hew found himself falling hopelessly in love with her. At nineteen years old, she was petite with a beautiful, shapely body. Her jet-black hair was long and flowing and sometimes acted as a mysterious veil that covered her deep brown eyes and sensual lips. She was naturally tanned and looked very different and more exotic than the rest of the people in the village. Hew was mesmerized by her, and whenever she came around, he did everything he could to make the time last. He didn’t know if she felt the same about him and that tortured him, but he was afraid to bring up the subject out of fear it could damage their relationship, so he just kept it bottled up inside.

Naturally, hearing Val say he did not see her with Roner disturbed him greatly and his heart trembled with fear of the unknown.

***

Well, we need to get into town and talk with Roner, Hew blurted out, a tinge of worry lacing his voice. I just saw Dea last week at the market. She was buying supplies for a trip to Erysis with Roner, and they were supposed to set out a few days ago. She said they were going to help a relative with her ailing son. The trip to Erysis from Behrrin and back should take two weeks or more, so it’s unusual to see Roner back so soon…especially without Dea. Could she already be home with her parents?

Roner Jiire was a close friend of the Lasaria family and had accompanied Dea on the journey to Erysis many times. He considered himself her protector, of sorts. He was more than twenty years her elder and was strong as an ox. His bright red hair was an indicator that he was from the far eastern parts of the land, but no one knew exactly. He had never told anyone. One thing was for sure. Roner was as good of a friend as you would find anywhere.

Let’s go back into town, find Roner, and ask him what happened, Val replied.

The brothers pulled up the small boat anchor and then Hew took the oar and began rowing the boat back to shore. He was becoming increasingly more nervous and started rowing faster and faster. Soon, they were back to shore, and he quickly moored the boat and packed his things. Then they began toward the infirmary. Just when they arrived, Roner was walking out. He had bandages on his head, and there were several cuts along his arms and legs.

Roner, what happened? Val exclaimed. Where is Dea?

Roner limped up to them. Boys, I have some bad news. We were on the way to Erysis when our carriage hit a spike in the road and broke one of the spokes out of a wheel. I had begun working on it when I was struck on the side of the head by a force so strong that I was knocked back several feet and ended up flat on my face in the weeds. I remained unconscious for several minutes, and when I came to, Dea was nowhere to be found. I was bleeding from the left side of my head from a huge gash and was left completely dizzy from the attack. The cart and horses were just a few feet from where they were before. It appeared that the horses had been spooked but were unable to drag the cart very far with a missing wheel.

He looked off into the distance, concern and worry on his face, then he continued.

I searched for Dea all around the area. For hours, I walked around shouting and screaming but heard nothing in return. Finally, I determined that I needed to return to Behrrin to seek medical attention and to organize a party to go out to search for her.

After telling the boys this, he just stood there with no expression on his face. He was almost emotionless. No panic. No crying. Just...shock.

Hew couldn't imagine that Roner was as in as much shock as he himself was, and he felt a wave of hopelessness begin to wash through him.

I need to go organize the search party at once, Roner said, resuming his story. I’ll come back and let you both know when we will be heading out before we leave. If you wish to come, we sure could use the help. Then he laid a hand on each of their shoulders. Don’t worry guys, we’ll find her. I promise! Then he turned and limped down the road toward the village hall.

Hew looked over to his brother. We have to go look for her! We have to find her and bring her home! he said, desperation creeping into his voice. We can't just let her disappear like that! What if she's in danger?

Val looked at his brother and nodded his head. Let’s calm down because panic will do nothing to help anyone. I feel the same way you do, but neither of us has any training in this sort of thing. Let's wait to see what Roner can come up with and then join his search party.

Hew looked back up to his brother. There’s no time for that! We need to set out at once…just you and me. Have you ever known our townspeople to be successful in finding anyone? Neither have I! We need to set out on our own and seek someone's help along the way, and I know just the person who can help in these kinds of situations. Legends tell of how he can help anyone who asks him. I’ve heard that he lives close to Sharen Creek. I think we should seek his…

Val cut his brother short when he saw the look in his eyes. Anger set in as he realized to whom his brother was referring. Now wait just a minute! You’re not suggesting that we seek out…

Yes, Hew replied, returning the rude interruption. He gave his brother a hard and knowing look. We need to find Tague Ryye.

Chapter 2

Zey'ata Fé stood on the outer wall of the city of Kiradon and watched as the sun rose slowly over the horizon. The morning sun provided the necessary light and heat for the farmers to begin their daily work in the Fields of Harvest. Located in the east, Kiradon had grown to become the largest city in the land of Lirateza and, as its Queen, she made it a priority every morning to look out on the horizon to check for upcoming storms that could potentially hinder the work of the harvest.

She was a tall, slender woman with flawless white skin, long dark hair, and striking blue eyes. She had a very sensual body and wasn't afraid to flaunt it as she frequently wore very revealing attire. She did this not so much to seduce men to her chambers, but more so to project an image of power and domination over both the men and women of the city. When she walked by, men were mesmerized and drawn to her, even though she appeared untouchable. Women, on the other hand, were intimidated and avoided her when they saw her out in the streets. Her husband, the former King of Kiradon, was killed almost twenty years ago in a battle against the city by invaders from the north. She never overcame her grief and refused to take another husband.

Despite her troubles, she became one of the best and most effective leaders in the history of the city…even greater than her late husband. One of her greatest achievements was that she had devised a labor exchange to keep her people alive and well during the season known as The Famine. It was required that every able-bodied adult male of the city work the Fields of Harvest during the season of harvest, which was for six months before the difficult season of intense heat and lack of rain. As was written in the law, each man would work in the fields according to his need