CRYSTALLUM LOST DREAMS | Fantasy Novel |

Chapter 1 - Part 2

"Get your jaw off the floor, there's Aran," said Cora. The blond wore the same school uniform as Fez, but he kept his jacket on his shoulder and the tie without a knot hung from his neck.

Aran gave them a nod, bowed his head towards the companions and walked away. "Cora, Fez! Are you still here?" he said as soon as he reached them. "We were supposed to meet at the Grand Jalme."

"Was it Milena Dufil?" asked Cora, noting that the three were still looking at Aran and whispering among themselves.

"Yes," he said indifferently. "She invited me to the end-of-summer party." He turned to the girls and they smiled back.

Milena Dufil, the daughter of the only owner of the sulfur mine south of Lake Farent. A girl with whom Elidana had had a small argument some months before regarding the old clothes of Mrs. Flint that she was wearing. Cora, at the time, found the argument amusing, but regretted his attitude the same evening, when he found his friend crying in the garden.

"The end of summer party, huh? And what did you say?" Cora asked.

"We already have an arrangement, don't we? I was vague."

"Aran, are we really going to Kharzan or is it another of your jokes?" Fez asked, tightening the bolt.

Aran glanced at Cora, he run his hand through the hair. "Couldn't you wait? Did you have to tell him?"

Cora raised his hands in surrender. "He insisted, what could I do?"

"What do I tell my pa-parents? My father will find out, I already know. My head will definitely end up hanging among the hunting trophies in the store!" Anxiety had reached his curly hair. "Where will we find the gold coins?"

"Calm down, Fez, calm down." Aran put an arm on his shoulder. "For the gold we already know what to do and not to disappoint your father you can use the same excuse that Aran and I have established: 'We're going to Clodia for a summer job'." He smiled as if it were just this that would solve all doubts. "The Grand Prix of Edel will be something magnificent," he said with confidence and headed towards the walls, forcing the young friend.

"This is the answer to all our problems." Aran took out of his pocket a gold women's necklace with a porous stone as big as a fist in the center. Although faded, you could see a substance similar to a liquid dancing inside. On the structure that supported the jewel, half a stylized sun stood out, carved with infinite mastery.

"B-But where did you get it? Is that Seorite?" Fez asked, scratching the bush of hair.

"One of my father's old gifts to my mother."

"What do you want to do? Sell it?" Fez burst out. "What if he finds out?"

"I've never seen my mother wear it and the Seorite is drained. If we sold it in this condition, we wouldn't be able to make anything. The plan is much more complex and the result of an insight that Cora and I had."

Before they reached the west gate of the town, Aran concealed the necklace from the sight of the guards on horseback. Fez and Cora, on the other hand, quickly said goodbye and sneaked out of the walls.

"Did they see the jewel?" Fez whispered with his shoulders tightly.

"They didn't see it," Cora replied, irritated.

"I'm sure, look! He's still watching us," Fez continued, turning his head towards the entrance at regular intervals.

"Yeah, keep it up, it looks like you have "Guilty" written on your forehead."

"It will end badly."

Cora didn't understand if the sweat that was on Fez's forehead was due to the heat or fear. "You need to calm down!" he told him. "A bloody calm down!"