Valera approached the forest on a well worn-path, dragging a trussed youth behind her. The boy tried to struggle against the bonds, but he was too expertly tied to accomplish much more than a few wild bucks, which barely slowed her even stride.

Waiting patiently at the forest’s edge was a man his late thirties. His short stature, olive skin, and wavy brown hair marked him clearly as a member of the nation of Jade, as did the extra finger on each of his hands. He was dressed flawlessly, in ironed pants, shirt, vest, and tailed overcoat, the black leather of his gloves and shoes shining slick in the moonlight. He looked as if he should be standing in the ballroom of some great manse, not loitering at the rim of the Yerii Greatwood. Though he was quite striking, lines of age could clearly be seen at the corners of his eyes, as well as running across his forehead.

“You are starting to crack, Restin,” Valera said, as she neared.

“Insults already?” the man replied, raising a manicured eyebrow. “Not an auspicious beginning for this little clandestine meeting.”

“It was not meant as such,” Valera responded. “Simply an observation. And one that someone of your abilities can easily remedy.” She dropped her cargo on the dirt between them, the red-skinned youth looking frantically back and forth from where he lay.

“Not as easily as you,” Restin said, barely glancing at the boy.

Valera accepted the compliment with a tilt of her head, her form currently that of a Gold woman in the prime of her life: smooth, rose-colored skin, dusky grey eyes, and long yellow hair that fell to the small of her back. Looking so had made her travels through that nation easier, as well as capturing the boy.

“Any sign of our third?” she asked.

“No,” the man said, closing a pocket watch attached to his vest. “Though who can say how one such as he keeps time?”

A thump sounded behind them, and they both turned to find a large creature crouched in the grass. The beast was at least ten feet long from tail to snout and six high at the shoulder with a humped back extending beyond that. Its body was covered in a patterned mixture of gray fur, scales, and feathers, except for the last third of its arms and legs, which were pale white skin up until the black of its curved talons. An opaque membrane stretched between the creature’s sides and its multi-jointed arms--not true wings, but enough for the creature to have glided down from the nearby trees. Its head had the slope and shape of a panther, but with bat ears, a dark beak for a mouth, and bright, golden eyes. Though its hybrid features were disconcerting, there was also something purposeful, almost beautiful, about how they meshed together, as if guided by the hand of a master artisan. Of course, that didn’t stop the boy at Valera’s feet from trying to scream through the cloth stuffed into his mouth as the beast stalked forward.

“The agreement was that we each come alone,” the creature said, its voice a grating hiss.

Restin turned to her. “Gardosh has a point.”

Valera spread her hands, addressing both of them. “That was to ensure our safety from each other. Does this bound child look like my bodyguard?”

“I know not,” Gardosh said, eyes narrowing. “And if you cannot be trusted to honor so simple a pact, I see no reason to deal with you further.” The beast’s long tail lashed. “This truce has ended. If you are still in these lands come morning, I will hunt you down and be glad to rid the world of one of your kind.”

“Do not be unreasonable,” Valera said. “Surely you can smell the boy’s fear. He is no threat to you.”

Restin leaned closer to her. “Perhaps our friend hasn’t eaten dog yet today,” he said with a chuckle.

The creature tensed. “I eat bear, so, yes, I smell the boy’s fear, as well as a bloodied deer five miles to the east. However, I do not know the cause of that deer’s injury nor this boy’s terror. Perhaps he simply fears that which you have commanded him to do.”

“Very well,” Valera said. “Allow me to put your mind at ease.” She crouched down, using her naked finger to cut through the ropes that restrained the boy’s arms and legs. It was a simple thing for her, the cords parting easily against her skin.

To the youth’s credit, he rolled away the moment he was free, quickly popping into a standing position. What’s more, instead of running or trying to undo the final binding around his mouth, he whipped his right arm around and down, turning his body with the swing. From that motion came a screech of power that sliced through the ground and air, hurtling straight toward Valera.

She angled her body just so, expertly avoiding the wind blade, feeling the powerful rush of air as it shot past. Restin, who stood nearby, dove off the path, barely escaping the attack.

“You brought a chosen with you?” the man shouted in disbelief.

“I did,” Valera said, calmly facing her released prisoner.

Before the boy could create a second wave, Gardosh landed atop of him, crushing the youth to the ground. The chosen tried to lift his right arm, but the beast caught the limb and pinned it under his talons.

“That was very foolish,” Gardosh said, clearly including both her and the youth in that statement.

“Perhaps,” Valera said, walking over. “But I wanted there to be no doubt that the power this boy wields is true.”

“You’ll get none from me,” Restin said as he stood, brushing vigorously at the grass stains on his knees. “But surely there was a safer way to demonstrate such a fact?”

Valera smiled. “You must allow me a touch of fun. The past few decades have been woefully boring.”

“His power is real,” Gardosh rumbled. “What is your point?”

“If I may,” Valera said, indicating the boy’s right arm that the beast stood upon.

Gardosh shifted his grip, and Valera quickly moved to replace the hold, putting her foot on the boy’s wrist. The youth tried to struggle, but her weight, combined with that of the creature on the rest of his body, gave him no leverage.

Valera leaned down, staring at the glittering diamond that was fused to the back of the boy’s right hand. The gem was large, about the length and width of a peach pit, with its long ends pointed toward the youth’s fingers and forearm. No straps or chains held the diamond in place. Instead, it was sunken into the flesh, leaving only the upper half of the stone exposed, while the rest seemed to sit below the skin.

She reached down, digging her fingers around the diamond and then gave a quick pull as if yanking out a tooth. The gem ripped free, and the youth screamed, but like before, the binding around his mouth muffled the sound of it.

Valera shook the diamond, flecking the grass with blood, and then held up the stone for the other two to see.

“A powerful piece,” Restin said, having made his way over. “Worth a fortune to the right buyer.”

“Which would only put it back into circulation,” Valera said, “eventually returning it to the hands of your oppressors.”

Restin frowned, opening his mouth, but Gardosh huffed. “That is why such a thing should be buried. Deep and far from where anyone can find it.”

“Aha,” Restin said, his frown turning into a smirk. “I knew there was dog in you.”

Gardosh growled, which only made the short man laugh.

“It should be destroyed,” Valera said, interrupting their posturing.

“Destroyed?” Gardosh said, looking perplexed as he turned one golden eye on her.

“Of course,” Restin said. “How silly of us. And while we’re at it, we should scale the clouded peaks of Traduu and sail across the Sea of Dreams.”

“The impossible represents only that which we have not yet overcome,” Valera said. “And this”--she indicated the diamond--“has been overcome.”

“How?” Gardosh said.

“I appreciate you asking,” she said, licking the pads of her index finger and thumb. She briefly lifted the wet skin up to the breeze and then, holding the diamond in front of her, she carefully pushed those two digits into the stone. Unlike the rope, she encountered resistance, but it wasn’t long before she had both up to the first joint. Next, she slowly closed her fingers together. As the distance between them shrunk, a light appeared in the center of the stone darting to and fro. She had to wait for the zipping form to flit through the tiny space between her fingers, but when it did she pinched down. Her quarry caught, she braced herself, attempting to pull what she grasped from the gem. It was a strain--more so than dragging the boy for miles or yanking the diamond from his flesh--but eventually, her muscles burning, it snapped free, a blast of air exploding outward as it did, nearly knocking the three of them over. At the same moment, the large diamond in her hand cracked and broke, falling in pieces to the ground.

Gardosh was the first to recover. “Why didn’t you come to my people with this knowledge during the Uprising?” he thundered. “We could have been victorious!”

Valera took a steadying breath before responding.“What you spent less than a minute watching required more than half a century of research and testing to achieve.” She eyed the creature. “And I did come. Who do you think called for this meeting?”

While Gardosh processed her response, Restin picked the chunks of diamond up from the ground and held them against the light of the moon. “Amazing,” he said. “And this will work against any type? Not just spirit?”

“Yes,” Valera said, “all soulstones operate under the same principle.”

“I must gather the packs,” Gardosh said suddenly, sounding eager. “Prepare for war--”

Valera held up her hand. “You get ahead of yourself. Though their blood is weakening, your bite still won’t turn a chosen.”

“What of it?” the beast said. “Without their stones, they will be naked before us.”

Valera shook her head. “Your kind is too few to fight them. If you reveal yourselves now, you’ll be slaughtered. No, we need time. Time to strengthen your numbers and time to exploit their vulnerabilities.” She paused. “It will take at least three generations.”

Gardosh hacked a laugh. “What madness is this? My bones will be dust by then.”

“I will still be here,” Restin pointed out. “And so will she.”

The beast swung toward the man. “That is because you partake too deeply of one flesh. You will barely know yourself in another fifty years, let alone a hundred.”

“More than enough time for him to accomplish what is needed,” Valera said. “At the end of which your bloodline and all others like them will be free. Is that not a worthy goal to spend your life on?”

Gardosh cocked his head. “You can’t possibly think to convince me of such a thing with so little information.”

“Of course not,” Valera said. “Please, both of you, eat”--she motioned to the youth--“and I will tell you everything I have planned.”

Restin and Gardosh considered each other, and then the boy, whose eyes had grown wider with every word, before slowly nodding.

“Excellent,” she said with a smile. “It begins...with jealousy.”