Kronen: Standalone One – Patriarch

~ For my hero. In loving memory of LMD. ~

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Iseyba, the First City

The Hall of Memories

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Kronen walked through the cavernous room ahead of his students, his gaze moving along the rows of carefully placed crystals. There were millions lining the four walls, carefully stored in carved alcoves. Each shimmered with different colors, reflecting the light from the tall windows.

Two large, wooden tables dominated the center of the room. Supplies for recording the contents of the crystals were neatly placed at regular intervals. Others of his kind, garshik, were quietly studying and writing observations or organizing to make room for more crystals in the alcoves.

Although he was drawn to this place again, as he often was lately, he had a purpose this day.

Um Gura aro Setsarana. The Hall of Memories.

It was not so much a desire that led him there before. He had no desires. No sense of wanting to be somewhere. He just wandered there every once in a while when he had nothing else to do. More frequently as the centuries passed, and new memories were added. But he always easily found the one he was looking for.

He often wondered, if his kind could feel, would this be a place he ‘loved?’ Would it be his ‘favorite’ in the Temple of Iseyba?

As a garshik, he didn’t know what such a thing would be like. Tactile sensation, he knew. Things that caused pain, and things that did not. He understood those. There was logic there. Fire burned. Blades cut. Bones could break. Flesh could be torn. Cause and effect. The pain that came with these was understandable.

But beyond that, what would it be like to ‘feel?’

Even knowing these thoughts served no purpose; he was still aware of them. And even though he understood that continuing to consider these things was unnecessary, he couldn’t turn his mind away from them for long. But as to whether these passing thoughts were good or bad, acceptable or not, he had yet to decide. An unusual uncertainty for a garshik. His world consisted of black or white. There was no room for gray.

This was not the time for such idle questions. A hindrance to his purpose in the Hall of Memories, he shut those thoughts away again. The answers were irrelevant in the end anyway.

 

 

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I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek of Kronen: Standalone One – Patriarch! This is one of six standalones contained in Tales of Ejoma.

To read more, you can grab the book ~ Here!

Stay tuned for updates on future books, and don’t forget to check out the Bonus Materials for more on the history, language, magic, and people of Ejoma!

Until next time, Take Care and Happy Reading!

 

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