Young Writers Society

Having heard River’s success, Evelyn rode her horse to meet the stone maker. She had heard about his creation, Ruby of Revenge. From the rumors, the stone was said to grant an immeasurable power to its keeper, and why he made it, she didn’t know. But she did know many people would compete with each other to get their hands on it. More reason it shouldn’t be created. As a fellow stone maker, she should advise him about it.

River’s house was but a small cottage, a representation of all-brown that would bore the eyes of those who wanted to be impressed. Evelyn didn’t mind; at the very least, he knew not to be an attraction, although his latest creation proved his effort to be futile. Why he kept his activity behind her, she didn’t know. Standing in front of his wooden door, she knocked it thrice, calling his name out loud twice with her husky voice.

The door cracked open by a man in his early thirty with pale face and a hair as red as fire. He smiled and opened it wider, allowing Evelyn to enter the house. She did without any word, and as the door was closed behind her, she turned around to face him, her arms folded, her stare made sharper with her frown. She intended to have her disapproval as apparent as possible so that he would know the matter she was going to discuss with him at that instant.

‘It’s about the Ruby of Revenge, isn’ it?’ he said quietly, walking to a bunch of wooden chairs at the middle of the living room, and taking a seat on it. He gestured at her to do the same, the smile on his face faded into a sad one.

She took a seat and leaned to him slightly. ‘Yes, it is,’ she said with equal quietness, ‘and I wonder why you haven’t talked about it with me.’

He took a deep sigh and leaned back. ‘I know you would disapprove. The stone can easily be retrieved by the wrong hand.’ He paused. ‘However, I created it for a reason advantageous only to me.’

Her eyes widened. ‘Why do you need it for?’

He took time to reply. His tendency to create tension—as well as as savoring it—annoyed her sometimes. ‘To save Lily. The king’s men took her.’

That sure made her jaw drop. Lily was River’s lover, and they both kept their relationship as a secret. Stone makers had many enemies in general, as they naturally took no one’s side, and therefore was not convenient to those who wanted to use their skills. Lily and River knew this, and despite the former’s objection, he intended to keep their relationship hidden. She was safer that way—who knew if his enemies would use her to threat him—but that meant in people’s view, she was not taken yet.

‘Her beauty has prevailed, to her misery, it seems,’ she said finally.

‘It is true. I know I can’t face them with sheer physical strength, so I’m going to resort to magical power.’

‘And how does this magical power be known by others?’

‘My foolish assistant couldn’t keep his mouth shut and spread the success. It might as well be my fault too, as I was excited enough to tell him about it when I was well doing it alone.’

‘When are you going to deal with the king and his men?’

‘Tomorrow.’

Complete insanity, Evelyn thought after hearing the firm word. Even if the stone was as powerful as the rumors made it out to be, River was one person while the king had a troop of elite soldiers acting as his bodyguards. Not to mention that the king wasn’t all poor in knowledge of the stone. It was risky, and River would most likely lose in that confrontation. His death was likely as well.

Knowing this, Evelyn knew she had to help him somehow. Arguing about the incredulity of this plan wouldn’t work; he had proved in several occasions how he would save someone—or something—with all his might, even if that included sacrificing himself. Who knew? Maybe two stone makers would make the fight more even. Maybe she could gather more.

‘I would help you,’ she said. She had seen River as her brother she knew she couldn’t lose. She refused to have a second thought about this. The stone makers were all she had; they, to her, were family. A thought came to her mind. ‘I would try to ask for help from the other five.’

River smiled. ‘I was hoping for you to say that, although there was a part of me that didn’t want you to get involved. Dealing with the king is a dangerous act.’

Out of the other five, only two were willing to help her. Desmond and Selena were always the ones who she could rely on; after River, those two were the stone makers she was close with. The other two, Parrish and Chris were respectively scared and indifferent. She didn’t know why Master passed down his knowledge to the two of them when they were clearly had no intent to help the others. Evelyn sighed. Then again, they changed after Master died.

Wearing a brown tunic that showed his broad shoulder, Desmond wore his armband. At the center of it was a small diamond, the source of his power. His twin sister Selena tied her blond hair into a ponytail and wore a ring etched with sapphire, her primary stone. Each stone maker blended their main stones in their accessories. Those stones gave them specific abilities after they stored their magical energy to them slowly over time.

River wore a necklace with a small ruby. He liked to put it behind his tunic as it would be hidden from others’ view, which would sometimes give him the pleasure of not being recognized as a stone maker. However, his—and the others’—ability gained more acknowledgment, and thus increased his reputation. Evelyn knew it well—she wore a pair of emerald earrings, after all, attracting women’s attentions due to their unusual shine.

‘Been a long time since I got into troubles,’ Desmond said, his voice leaking with enthusiasm, He grinned at Evelyn, then her sister.

Adjusting her hydrangea attire that hugged her curvaceous body, Selena shrugged. ‘Remember we’re doing this for River, brother. I hope we’re still alive at the end of this.’