The sands weren't bad; once you got used to them. When I was younger that's where they found me. The Elders said I wasn't even dehydrated, I had even been well fed. I guess that made me feel a little better about my parents reasoning; at least they didn't mean me to die. Still, leaving anyone in the desert was as good as a death sentence, even if you know where people are. Things move and shift, never the same. It was an indirect form of protection. Any footstep or trail only left a brief mark. The sand was powdered and light, it only took a small breeze to cover any weighted mark left on its surface.

Continuance is the largest partition in the commonwealth of Aion. It consists of five separate villages, four of which are dedicated to housing the refugees and unwanted from the other partitions. Entering Continuance’s land is fairly simple, but to stay is a difficult and strict process. Villages are not found. Instead, there are dedicated retrieval teams meant to bring those who enter the sands to the first village where they are personally inspected by Elder Yongnian of the Fifth village.

The Fifth village isn’t really a village at all. There are a total of three buildings that rove together, containing only a handful of individuals. Generally, only the Hours and Seasons are allowed in since they bear the only time keys in existence. With them are the occasional Master Keys, artisans with rare abilities and skills that can assist with logistics and needs. I don’t fit into any of these categories, making me a strange exception. Since Elder Soyala was the one who discovered me, she took it upon herself to raise me and therefore I was kept near her at all times. I was told that I was inspected first, in depth, by Elder Yongnian. It took two hours but in the end he deemed me harmless, proclaiming he saw no Key development in my near future. But that is what leads me here-

I traced my fingers in the sand, drawing the letters and runes that they had taught me. I waited for Elder Yongnian’s voice. Earlier he found me and said he had something important to discuss, something about a mission. After years of training in all sorts of things, I lacked application. I wanted to be useful to those who took me in, this was an opportunity. I looked again toward the small, round fortification. A hunched black cloak stepped out into the air, the figure in it trying to stretch themselves straight. A cane emerged from underneath and motioned towards me. It was time.

I ducked beneath the woven door, breathing the dust free air with relief. I often waited outside during their meetings, and it always seemed to be when the sand storms were at their worst. I think they create the storms to mask themselves. Though I’d never dare to ask.

The hut smelled like old cedar, the stone floor a surprising addition to something seemingly built in sand. The Elders sat in a circle, though with large gaps that I wasn’t used to. I glanced around and counted. Six people. One, was the Season, Talvi. Then there were the Hours... but only five? Where were the others?

“We have grave news, Callum.” I blinked up, Elder Soyala was talking, her hood hanging low over her eyes. “Seven of the Hours have gone missing. Only last night we were discussing the trials of the land, and yet now; they are gone.”

I searched for a response, not sure if one was expected, “Weren’t they on a mission? Maybe the objective was delayed.”

“We received intelligence from an operative that works out of Brilliance. It indicates the mission was a failure. We fear they have been taken, finally, by the spiteful king who sits in the Onyx.”

“The hours… failed? I’m sure it was just bad intel, there’s no one who could interfere with them.”

Talvi spoke this time, her words steady and sharp. “I know who it was, I’ve seen them in our lands before. The exiles from Sentiment whose keys sing of nothing but regret and sorrow, who else could have lulled them into such harmless states so that they could be taken?” The words came out dangerously, each one producing a chill that could be seen on her lips. Her temper was flaring as she went on to speak more.

Sensing her intent, Elder Yongnian waved a hand toward her, “Talvi, we are taking what you saw seriously, and understand that you’re upset. However, if you cannot control your temper I fear you will freeze the last of us, and then how will we help them?” I watched her meet the his eyes. For a moment, I thought she would continue her tantrum. Instead, she gathered her lavender robes and made for the door, a trail of ice in her wake.

“Callum.” The Elders called my attention back, “We need you to check on the information we received. Your tracking abilities are superior, even to those whose Key should designate their capability. If possible you are to find the location of the lost Hours, but do not act. We cannot lose you as well.” Soyala began pulling up stones near her feet. After a moment's work she brought forward a box. In it, a large raw diamond, the size of my fist. The stone next to it, however, was an onyx.

“I can’t carry this. How will I help them? It will only diffuse their powers.” Soyala glanced low at the ground, avoiding my eyes while handing the diamond off to a worker.

“Such a small stone is only meant to cover one. I don’t want to risk you being found while you’re looking for the others. If you carry the onyx it will hide you from anyone seeking you through a Key.” She paused and coughed, looking around awkwardly before continuing, “There is also the added benefit that it will mask yours if it happens to emerge... haphazardly.”

“I thought we’d given up on the prospect of me having a Key?”

She fiddled with the box and shot a glance toward the door, “ Ahh, yes, well; one can never be too careful.”

After an awkward silence I gave up and pocketed the small black stone. It’s reputation wasn’t always so bad, but lately all it had been associated with was the Keyless king on the throne and his prisons made of onyx.

Hardly a moment later a shine caught my eye, it seemed to go on in endless directions. The source was a pen laying in Soyala’s outstretched palm. “We had a diamond worker make this, it will communicate anything you write. Do not lose it, it is our only lifeline. Now go, find our brothers and sisters, find our family.”

I had often thought of them as my family, but to hear it from their own mouths, to hear that they felt the same way- it gave me a whole new idea of vengeance.

Next Chapter: Delve