Ruins Raiders: Book Two
Chapter Thirteen, The Auseo Stone
By Relm
Lina was dumbfounded. On one hand she didn't have to worry about being a ritual sacrifice but on the other what could she say to the king? She had already tried to tell him a 'version' of the truth that he saw through as a lie. Though it wasn't a proper lie it begged the question of whether or not the king saw through it because he smart enough to know they were lying or too stupid to believe in anything beyond his own experience. So what was Lina to do?
While Lina pondered over her options Lina couldn't help but catch sight of the orange yellow gem that mockingly glittered at Lina. A rogue thought snuck its way into Lina's mind a dark one that had no business being there. She was bigger than the king and had much fighting experience in her life so it stood to reason that Lina could over power him, get at the altar stone and get back to her own time.
There were risks with this little ploy bouncing around in Lina's head though that wasn't what made it so wrong. Using the altar stone would get her home to her own time but would do nothing for her fellow time marooned companions. Clearly Lina liked Zelgadis and wouldn't want to leave without him. And though she didn't know Filia too well Lina still didn't dislike the woman. Lina didn't really care as much about Naga, Xellos and Val but even at their worst should wouldn't want to abandon them. Even as tempting of the idea of instant escape was for Lina it was a no go.
With that rogue thought squashed and thrown away Lina was back to her original debate. Be completely honest or lie through her teeth? Could she think off a good lie from the seat of her pants?
The answer... no.
"The story I told you before might have seemed a little crazy... but really it's much more insane than that. We did get here by flying but it wasn't on a bird. It was on something called a plane. A plane isn't a living thing but mode of transportation moves on fuel. We traveled the rest of the way on camels which are those beasts we rode into Bnxqo." Lina started to explain. She was watching King Po-kota like a hawk to see if he was believing what she was saying or not. As it was the king had no expression at all. It was hard to tell what he was thinking and it made Lina nervous.
'He's got one hell of a poker face.' Lina thought to herself before continuing on. "As I told you before we're looking for the lost city of Velnqxbos. A city which we now believe history recorded the name wrong and is actually Bnxqo or the other city you mentioned Vsvle. And the reason why I said history is because this here and now is our past. My companions and I are from the future."
The mention of the word 'future' caused a slight reaction in King Po-kota's face that made Lina wonder if Bnxqo had a word for it. Or was 'future' sounding like complete gibberish to him? Whatever the answer the slight raising of eyebrows was all that Lina got from the king.
"In out time, which is many many years from now this area is a desert. All the water has dried up and the most of the plant life dead. There's very little to see out here but sand and rock. And for years people had searching for Velnqxbos a city that so few people know anything about it that it's a complete mystery."
"How did you come to be in my 'time'?" King Po-kota prompted her with that same raised eyebrow. This time the brow wasn't up in a questioning matter but almost a condescending one. His tone backed up his brow making Lina feel extra nervous.
"While searching I found an altar stone with faded symbols. I pushed down on the center of it and then my companions and I ended up in your time."
"An altar stone?" He repeated pondering her words carefully.
"Yes. That one." Lina pointed to the orange yellow stone that had been glittering at her mockingly.
"This one?" King Po-kota grabbed the stone and pulled it out from the altar to show Lina.
"Yes that one." Lina said immediately without any hesitation. Seeing the gem in the king's hand was just too tempting. It was a horse with a carrot being dangled in front of it. Lina wanted it so bad that she was so close just to grabbing the stone and running. Silly thought as Lina knew there were some of King Po-kota's guards right outside. She could get the stone but she wouldn't get far.
"No you didn't get here with this stone." King Po-kota said dismissively as he causally tossed the stone right at Lina.
Lina scrambled to catch the stone frightful that the stone would fall and break effectively ruining all chances of getting back home. With the stone safely in her hands she just looked up at the king with wide confused eyes. "What do you mean?"
"The auseo stone can take you to times you wish to be but that isn't the real auseo stone." King Po-kota explained while sitting himself down in his throne.
Lina looked down back at the stone in her hand and right away she saw what the king meant. Initially from afar the stone looked like the very same one that had sent her and the others back in time but looking at it now it was very clear it wasn't. The colour might have been right but the symbols were different. Lina may not have been able to decipher what she had seen but she did remember what they looked like. "This is different..." Lina mumbled feeling just a little bit foolish.
"That there is a fake that was constructed to serve as a replacement for the real auseo altar stone that was stolen from us. Very few people outside this temple are aware it is fake. If you really are from the future then the stone would be whatever it exists in this time. The stone doesn't travel back or forward in time with you it just sends you where you want to go." King Po-kota explained further.
"So then... you believe me...?" Lina couldn't help but ask in a very confused manner. She had originally under estimated the king's intelligence so this revelation was a surprise.
"Out of all the stones you could have chosen to weave into your story you chose the only one that could make it plausible. I already know you are outsiders not known to our people so it wouldn't seem likely you would know of our stones powers to pick out the right one." King Po-kota theorized.
"Stones? Just how many are we talking about? And what can they do?" Lina wondered out loud.
King Po-kota just shook his head. "Just because I believe your story doesn't mean I'll trust you with all of our people's secrets."
"Well I know that green one of yours translates for you and the yellow orange one moves you in time but how do they work? Is it magic?" For a woman of history and learning suggesting the concept of magic was just odd. But Lina had seen too many things in her life to discount everything that was a little out of the norm.
"Again secrets. They have their own power and they are much older than we are. Which is why my people would be quite upset to find out that one of our treasures has been taken from us. So that leaves me with an interesting situation. I want my stone back and you want to go back to your time. To achieve both our goals it would be best if Bnxqo got back the auseo stone."
"So I'm assuming you're asking me to find your stone?" Lina prompted him. "Because asking any one of your people to get the stone back would cause mass panic. Getting foreigners such as myself to do your dirty work would get the job done with no one knowing about it."
"It would be in our best interests to work together." King Po-kota agreed.
"Well I have conditions first before I agree to help you." Lina stated rather haughtily.
"Conditions? You forget you are my prisoners. I can have you killed at any time." He reminded her.
"You need us, plus you've already told me you down sacrifice people to your gods. Killing us would just ruin your best chances at getting that stone back."
"What are your conditions?"
"Get my companions out of the pit and feed us." Lina stated crossed her arms as if to emphasis the seriousness of this request.
"And?" King Po-kota prompted her.
"That's all. Just release them and feed us."
"I was expecting loftier requests."
"Well you haven't seen how much I eat." Lina remarked with a slight smirk.
"Very well. I'll have my guards bring your companions up to meet us and then you'll have your fill."
"Good because I am starving!" Lina exclaimed and her stomach rumbled in unison.
"What sort of food are you requiring?"
"Anything and cooked meat. And no insect crap either!" Lina bossed him around.
"Be mindful of who you are addressing. I could easily just throw you back into the pit." He reminded her.
"Yes I know. So where do you think the stone is right now? Who do we have to beat up to get it back?"
"I believe someone from Vsvle has stolen the stone."
"Do you have proof of this?"
"Nothing I can have full confidence in but my spies have told me enough to be suspicious of them." King Po-kota explained.
"Are Vsvle and Bnxqo at war with each other?"
King Po-kota frowned at Lina's question. "War is not the right word. Our kingdoms have had 'disagreements' in the past during my father's father's father's times. There is no real trust between or communication between our peoples. I know very little of even whom is leading Vsvle at the moment. There is a lot of unknowns and unknowns breed fear. And with fear comes adversity. I do not wish for my people and Vsvle's people to go arms but I will not easily trust someone who could easily betray me."
"Well I get that. It's always best to air on the side of caution in unknown situations. But at the same time you can't always take a back seat with political situations. Sometimes you have to be the one that makes the first move."
"What does back seat mean?" King Po-kota wondered looking down at the green translations stone he held. Was it not working?
"Oh sorry. Modern phrase. It means staying behind or um... letting someone else take the lead while you just follow."
"Yes. I agree. I would like for our kingdoms to be friendly with each other but the theft of the auseo stones makes such notions strained. Especially when they have stones of such power themselves as well. They would have no need to take ours."
"Do you have any idea why they would take your stone?"
"That depends on who is ruling at the moment. Someone could be wanting to start a war. Or there could be another reason. At the moment I have no clue."
"Well I'll get that stone back... once I eat!" Lina declared with her right fist held up high in the air.