Untold Tales of Kalda: Melinar, the Stonemason [COMPLETED] ✔️

5 - Completion

Completion

The following day, Melinar finished polishing the scabbard. Veydina watched him closely, curious to see the strange occurrence he had told her about the previous night. She had sent the children to a friend's house, wary that something might happen when Melinar placed the strange objects inside the stone. Veydina always worried about things that were strange and unusual.

After putting away his polishing cloth, Melinar grabbed the large sphere. Ever cautious, he picked his way through his workshop, warily eyeing his wife as he approached her.

"Be careful," Veydina muttered, nervously biting her lip.

Melinar nodded, making his way to a ladder in front of the statue.

"Wait!" Veydina hollered, coming beside him. "Let me hold it while you climb."

Melinar went to hand the sphere to her, but she quickly turned. He lost his grip and the sphere fell toward the stone floor. No!

Panicked, Melinar lunged toward the sphere.

Veydina spun, gasping.

As the sphere neared the floor, Melinar grabbed it, nearly tripping over himself. His fingers grazed the floor as he staggered, nearly colliding with his worktable.

"I'm sorry!" Veydina squeaked, her voice several octaves higher than normal.

Don't let it touch any stone, the warning rang in Melinar's mind. He breathed deeply, straightening his posture. He heard Veydina muttering anxiously, but his heart was thumping so hard that he couldn't quite understand her. Besides, her voice was still several octaves higher than usual.

"... and I figured it best to use a stool, so you wouldn't have to bend. I should have said something, but–"

"It's fine," Melinar interrupted her, "I should have held my grip."

She bit her lip again and anxiously contorted her face.

They exchanged tensed gazes, as they relaxed–as much as they could.

Veydina took a deep breath, then moved a stepping stool toward the ladder.

Once she was atop it, Melinar handed her the sphere. He watched her for a moment, then climbed the ladder.

The statue's chest was nearly twice as high as Melinar was tall. Eye level with the breastplate, Melinar turned to his wife, reaching toward her.

Nervously, she handed Melinar the sphere, letting out a long breath as he took it.

With the sphere in hand, Melinar studied the stone breastplate. He eased the sphere toward the stone, heart thumping. Though he knew a blinding flash would accompany the sphere's touch, he kept his eyes wide open. Melinar sucked in his breath as stone and sphere touched.

Blinding light erupted from the sphere and he heard Veydina scream. Amid the noise, Melinar shut his eyes and felt a tingling sensation along his hands and fingers–like a thousand needles gently pricking his flesh. Suddenly, his hands were pushed away and he felt the sphere no longer.

What happened? he wondered, reaching for the sphere, but he couldn't feel it.

Soon, the light faded.

The sphere was gone.

Easing against the ladder, Melinar studied the spot where the sphere had touched the stone. There was no sign of it.

"By all the gods of Kalda..." Veydina muttered.

That disc is next, Melinar thought, then climbed down the ladder.

As he reached the table where the currier had placed the strange objects, Melinar noticed the engraved characters on the disc were glowing a pale green instead of blue. Odd, he thought, grabbing the disc.

Melinar returned to the statue. Veydina had moved the stool and ladder, giving him clear access to the pedestal between the statue's legs.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Veydina asked. Though Melinar had his back to her, he knew she was biting her lip.

"The same thing," he said, bending toward the stone pedestal. Melinar eased the disc onto the stone, bracing himself for the blinding flash. But nothing happened.

Confused, Melinar stepped back, stopping beside his wife. They watched the disc for a moment, then glanced to each other.

"Maybe you have to touch those glowing spots?" Veydina speculated.

Melinar shrugged, then noticed pale green hue had changed to vibrant orange. Then, the stone around the edges of the disc liquefied. The disc sank into the stone, as if sinking through mud. Once it disappeared completely, the stone settled–like a stilling pond–and then solidified.

"Now what?" Veydina asked, warily studying her husband.

"How would I know?" he asked incredulously.

Melinar pursed his lips and studied the statue of his grandfather. Nothing had changed.

"You said the overseers were bringing something to protect the statue, right?" Veydina asked.

"Yes."

"Well... maybe it's protected. Maybe that thing is able to use transmutive magic, or something. Why don't you try polishing off an edge?"

Intrigued, Melinar grabbed one of his polishing cloths and moved to the pedestal. He had completed the statue exactly how he wanted, and he didn't want to ruin it by testing a theory. So, he went to polish the edge of the pedestal.

He ran the polishing cloth back and forth several times, expecting to find dust-like debris, but found nothing.

Odd... he thought.

"Use a riffler," Veydina suggested.

Melinar narrowed his eyes at his wife, and she made several insisting gestures. Reluctantly, he grabbed one of his rifflers and moved to the back of the pedestal. At least that part wouldn't show.

He graded along the edge, but no debris came lose.

"Well?" Veydina asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" she blurted, moving around the statue. She furrowed her brow, her bewilderment painfully obvious.

"Well, it's definitely protected," Melinar said with a sigh. He picked his way past his wife to return the riffler to the worktable. "I'm going to rest."

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