You can buy this story here: Legend of the Crystals Chapter 1
1.) Humble Beginnings
Life in Serenity Village was mostly simple. Aside from the occasional goblin raid, kobold invasion, or wandering ogre, the residents of the poor agricultural dwelling lived in peace. Few ever dared to venture far outside the walls, for a mere few miles away terrible creatures lived. Almost every man, woman, and child knew how to fend off a goblin or two by themselves, but few in the village could imagine facing off against anything much more powerful.
While life continued at a slow, comfortable pace, there was a constant fear that a single dragon or lone lich could annihilate life as they knew it. Serenity Village hadn’t produced a hero or successful adventurer in many generations: powerful warriors that were known to often bring back untold riches to the places that raised them. Few outsiders ever visited the village, aside from the royal empire’s tax collectors, or heavily guarded merchant caravans. The latter appeared less and less often as it became apparent that Serenity simply had little to offer them.
Every moment spent outside of a fortified dwelling was dangerous, as terrible monsters had roamed the lands for centuries. Most viewed humans as little more than a food source. Very few, only the wisest of creatures, such as the aforementioned dragons, could be reasoned with; and even those were known to deceive mankind.
As a result, unless one became an adventurer, a hero, an imperial soldier, a caravan guard, or something similar, one was destined to spend their days wherever they were born. For those born at Serenity, this meant a quiet lifetime of practicing your craft. Most everyone had some background in farming, and others would typically take up something like blacksmithing, tailoring, medicine, and the like.
For most, it was a fulfilling enough existence: slowly improving yourself day by day and raising a family until you either began to decline from old age, or were killed by a monster attack; but for others, it was little more than a boring purgatory. Eloy was one of these individuals who wanted more. A young man who had just turned 18, Eloy spent the past decade of his life preparing to become an adventurer, or if fate willed it, a hero. These two professions were the dream of anyone who wanted to see the world; anyone mighty enough to truly call themselves either would be capable of handling themselves while traveling.
Eloy spent many an evening with his back on the grass, gazing up at the sky, watching as the occasional airship passed by. The massive, flying, mechanical ships never, ever stopped by Serenity village, and were something of a symbol of freedom that continued to elude him. He dreamed of living aboard one, flying from one fantastic adventure to the next.
Despite his efforts however, Eloy just didn’t seem destined to make it out of Serenity. He was a fairly skilled warrior, but when push came to shove, he lacked the strength, speed, cunning, and magical prowess to truly survive on his own. One time a group of adventurers stayed the night at Serenity’s inn, and Eloy tried to join them, only to be quickly reminded that he was nowhere near powerful enough. It seemed that his only possible out was to join the Empire’s army, which was a complete crapshoot; he had a much higher chance of being stationed as a guard in Serenity than being part of a mobilized unit.
–
Today however, he had one more chance before a life of mediocrity was certain. The village had a ritual in which whenever anyone turned 18 years old had to journey to a cave at the northern border. There was an ancient prophecy that someday, a crystal in the heart of the cave would awaken the latent potential of the legendary hero known as: The One Chosen To Defeat The Monsters And Restore Order To The World.
It was a somewhat dangerous trek, in which one would be expected to face off against a least a few goblins, some slimes, kobolds, and other low ranking monsters. As a result the village often waited until multiple people who recently turned 18 were ready, so they could travel together.
–
As mentioned above, Eloy had turned 18 just a mere few days ago, and it was his turn to journey to the cave. He was gathered to the town hall where elder Beruvious, the ancient and venerable leader of Serenity would give him his details.
“Young Eloy,” the wizened man started, “You are being given a chance to change not only your own fate, but that of the entire world. You must enter the cave, find the crystal at its heart, and let it judge you. If you are worthy, then you shall become The One.”
Eloy nodded gravely. “I understand. This is a tremendous opportunity. I’ll do my best.”
The man nodded, “As you know, we often try to send potential Chosen Ones together in order to make the trip safer. Unfortunately, there weren’t many births near your own.”
Eloy nodded once more, “That’s no problem Elder, I will humbly undertake the journey by myself. I have trained with swords, shields and bows all of my life. I can dispatch multiple goblins by myself if need be… I think.”
The elder smiled, “I appreciate your eagerness, but there is another who will be joining you, provided they actually get here soon…”
“Another?” Eloy thought out loud as he wondered who it could be. There were a few possibilities. He then realized that he didn’t really know the birthdays of the others his age. His mind tried to deduce who had already been to the cave and who hadn’t…
While Eloy continued thinking this through, the door to the hall suddenly burst open. A short, plain looking girl with brown hair scurried in.
“Sorry-sorry-sorry!” she squealed, tripping over her own feet slightly as she stumbled towards the elder and Eloy. “I overslept!” her hair was a mess, and she was wearing a plain farmer’s garb that looked like it hadn’t been washed in a while.
Eloy brought the palm of his hand to his forehead out of embarrassment. He knew the girl, her name was Vala, and she was in the same grade level as Eloy. Vala… never really did anything right. She was a poor student, a mediocre farmhand, and frankly, a pathetic athlete. The village gossip often said that there wasn’t a single talented bone in her mousy body.
The elder shook his head slightly. Oversleeping for the Ceremony of the Chosen? That was disrespectful. Still, the hopes and dreams of all Serenity’s inhabitants rest on the sliver of a chance that somebody would be the Chosen One, and the best way to increase these odds was to have the cave judge as many people as possible.
“It… It’s okay Vala. Just do your best and become judged by the crystal, okay?”
Vala blinked a couple of times and scratched her messy hair. “Okay. I’ll try.” She wondered what the point was. She’d be out all day, possibly the next day too, have to come face to face with monsters no doubt, and there was pretty much zero chance that SHE would be the chosen one. She could barely complete all of her chores at back at home in a day (the truth was, she really couldn’t finish a full workload of chores, her family had come to accept this and gave her a lightened share), she couldn’t run for a mile without doubling over from becoming winded, she couldn’t shoot an arrow straight, or even properly swing a full-length sword without hurting her arm.
Eloy sighed. “Do I REALLY have to bring HER?” he exclaimed, stamping his feet a little. This was infuriating to Eloy. This was his chance to prove himself! To become The Chosen One, to escape from Serenity village, this was HIS special day, and it was going to be tarnished by THAT girl?!
“Yes.” The elder replied.
“She’s basically useless! We’ll be a bigger target for the monsters! They’ll just see her as extra meat to eat, and attack us!”
“Now, now Eloy. Vala knows how to at least defeat a goblin, there isn’t a single person in this vilage over 13 and under 70 years of age that can’t. Bring her to the cave as ordered. It’s impertinent that everyone in our society sees if they are The One Chosen To Defeat The Monsters And Restore Order To The World.”
The honest truth was, whether or not Vala could defeat an average goblin wasn’t really known. The only monster she had ever slain was a frail, sickly goblin who was suffering from an acute case of Monster Plague. The real truth was, one on one, a higher level goblin would likely slaughter Vala.
Eloy sighed. “Just saying, there’s no chance in hell that’s she’s the chosen one. She can’t do anything right.”
“I’m right here in the room you know!” Vala yelled out, upset that they were talking about her as if she weren’t.
The elder shook his head. “Eloy. I am disappointed in you. You are a bright young man brimming with ambition, but right now your attitude is shameful. You should know fully well that this village producing The Chosen One is important for everyone in all of Gaia. This goes beyond finally having a hero who may bring back untold riches, this involves the safety of the human race. The age of monsters has gone on for far too long, balance must be restored.”
“But…” Eloy tried to interject.
Beruvious spoke again, preventing the interruption, “Furthermore, the mere act of transporting anyone of age who hasn’t been judged to the cave, regardless of their combat ability, should be viewed as an honor. We need as many young adults judged as possible. If not you, then who else would bring Vala here?”
Eloy sighed, “Then why not have somebody else escort her? Why not give both of us more people to make the trek? Why not someone competent, like… Alina.” The young man’s voice changed tone slightly as he uttered that final name. Even in a serious situation like this Eloy couldn’t mask his attraction to that magnificent specimen of a woman.
The elder replied: “You should know fully well why not Eloy. The trek to the cave is a sacred pilgrimage. Beyond that, The Crystal does not like the presence of those it already judged. The last thing we want to do is anger it, that thing is picky enough as it is!”
Eloy rubbed his temples. “Alright. I understand Elder. Forgive me for any disrespect. I will take Vala to the cave so we can both be judged.”
Beruvious nodded. “Very good. Stop by Burr’s equipment store before you go, he is under explicit orders to provide some gear to those undertaking the journey.”
Eloy nodded.
Vala wanted to say something, but she wasn’t sure what. If anything, she was mostly bothered that this entire conversation had occurred with practically zero input from her. She also still thought her going at all was a waste of time, but, she supposed it may be funner than working at home – so long as her parents didn’t load her up with extra chores after she got back.
2.) Gearing Up
As Eloy and Vala made their way to the equipment store, they traveled in near silence. Vala had attempted to start conversation a couple of times, but the young man had promptly shut her down. Why does he have to be such a jerk? Vala thought to herself. Honestly… he’s pretty attractive. Handsome, strong, headfirst, ambitious… but why is he so RUDE?
Eloy stood about a full head taller than Vala, and had far broader shoulders, with only a slightly larger waistline. He wasn’t overly muscular, instead possessing a lean, powerful frame honed from years of training himself. Vala had seen him shirtless a few times at the village baths and swimming holes, and every time she couldn’t help but blush at the sight of his rippling eight-pack, plate-like pecs, wide back, toned arms, and of course, tight buns.
Even now, Vala was watching his body move from behind. She mentally sighed; it was dawning on her that this trip was actually going to be fairly torturous. Vala would be forced to spend all of this time with Eloy, watching him protect her from untold dangers, all while being useless herself. She knew that whatever opinion he had of her would be tarnished even further.
Eventually they arrived at the shop. It was quite large by Serenity standards, and was one of the only places around that had both weapons and armor.
Burr, a stout, chubby man wearing an apron, greeted them, and explained that he had already been foretold of their arrival. He had their equipment laid out on his counter-top: two swords, two shields, various provisions (potions, torches, herbs, food, camping equipment etc) and chain-mail armor for each of them. It was highly standard adventuring fair. Eloy giddily picked up the sword designated for him – it was better than the one he used for the past ten years of his life. Vala was less enthusiastic, as the blade felt heavy in her thin arms, and she wasn’t sure if she could even swing it properly.
Conflating Vala’s frustration was the presence of another person in the store: Alina. Alina was tall and broad for a girl, with dazzling blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She wore a skimpy leather outfit that revealed her toned midriff, allowing tough, thick, feminine abs to jut out. The piece was sleeveless, which showcased her large, well-developed arms. They were easily 17 inches in circumference, and had a deep split down the middle, along with a thick blue vein running alongside them. In actuality, Alina was a bit more muscular than Eloy, though this wasn’t readily noticeable due to his covering clothing.
Alina was good at everything she tried: swordsmanship, archery, magic, even mundane things like farm work and sewing. Most of the older folk of the village who focused on the big picture and Serenity’s long-term prospects wanted Alina to have as many children as possible. In certain cases like hers, they would theoretically permit Alina to have children from multiple husbands, and would collectively funnel resources to help her raise as large a family as possible. Such things may sound barbaric, but for the people of Serenity, they felt the well-being of their village lay in individuals with high-potential like Alina bolstering their population. This, of course, sickened Alina somewhat, though it was something that lingered in the back of her mind ever since she turned 18 one year prior. It also had crossed her mind that many of these genetics-minded elders had likely already wanted to pair her with Eloy. Not that she had anything against that per say, Eloy was an attractive guy, just… there was something about the boy that failed to really ignite her inner flame.
In many, many ways, Alina was opposite to Vala.
Ugh… why can’t I be more like HER? Vala thought to herself with a sigh. Gods be damned… I think her arms are even bigger than the last time I saw them. She just keeps getting stronger and better at everything… and she’s only 19… in fact, she’s almost as buff as my mother was when I was a kid. Of course, as most farmhands that truly push themselves tend to, Vala’s mother had grown significantly herself in the 13 years since the point she was thinking of. Vala then sighed mentally again, that was yet another woman she hated stacking herself up to: her overwhelmingly strong and energetic mother. Vala wondered why she was so weak. She did what she was supposed to. Ate her vegetables, did her chores, all that… yet she was so… unimpressive. In the past few years along, her mother had gained pound upon pound of bustling muscle, while Vala remained thing and weak. The young woman just lacked the spark that drove people like her mother and Alina to push themselves to the point that their bodies had to yield to their demands and improve.
Alina was undertaking an unconventional apprenticeship at the shop. She not only was exposed to the craft of being a merchant, but honed her weapon skills even further with the store’s wares, performed repairs on the equipment, and was even getting into smithing. Whenever she had a spare moment, she engaged in physical exercise, lifting various objects in the store, and performing body-weight maneuvers. Plus, she provided ample eye candy for Burr, and her mere presence helped boost the number of customers who visited. Truthfully, the older man was worried that one day she’d surpass him in everything and leave town to find a fortune, or worse yet, open up a competing shop in Serenity.
“Going on your pilgrimage to the Cave of the Chosen?” she asked, somewhat rhetorically – Alina knew fully well that they were.
“Yup!” Eloy proudly replied. “Can’t wait to see if I’m the one to finally uplift humanity from the monsters’ oppression!”
Alina giggled a bit at Eloy’s enthusiasm. “Don’t forget about your friend here.” She said, referring to Vala.
“Oh, yeah, of course.” Eloy replied, more out of obligation than anything else. Truthfully, all Eloy could really think about was how he’d finally be able to ‘get’ with Alina if he was the Chosen One. If he was Chosen… then no woman in her right mind would ever turn him down. He practically salivated at the thought of sweeping Alina off of her feet and carrying her off to a brighter tomorrow.
“SO” Burr cut in abruptly, “You kids gonna gear up or what? I need to get back to business.”
Eloy nodded. He grabbed the hefty looking chain mail for him on the counter, stepped into the changing room, and donned the armor. A few moments later, he emerged, covered head to toe in the formidable looking garb. While not as protective as plate mail, this suit would restrict his movement much less.
“You look good in that!” Alina said with a smile.
Eloy blushed a bit – he received a compliment from Alina! Today was getting better and better.
“Your turn Vala.” The taller girl added.
Vala walked over to the female chain mail armor and looked down at it. “This… is the armor?”
“Yes, it is.”
“How on Gaia could THIS be as protective as THAT?” She asked, first pointing to the female armor, then to the male equivalent on Eloy’s body. The piece that Vala was questioning covered much less. In fact, it looked more like an oversized metal swimsuit or underwear than protective gear.
“Looks can be deceiving young lady. Now do you want the armor or not?” the man replied, growing somewhat agitated.
Vala let out a sigh “Yeah, yeah, I’ll take it.” She reached over to the ridiculous piece of equipment, grabbed onto it, and tried to pick it up – finding that she couldn’t lift it. The skimpy armor was simply too heavy!
“What gives!? It’s like a lead anvil!” she yelled.
“Oh, that just means your strength isn’t high enough.” The shopkeeper replied.
“What!?”
“Yeah, you need to be strong enough to wear a suit of armor like that. Which, clearly, you aren’t capable of. Still think it’s not protective?”
Vala sighed. “Just because it’s heavy doesn’t mean it’s protective…”
“Whatever girl. You can’t wear the thing anyways. Just take the sword and get out of here.”
Vala sighed a third time and took the sword. It stung a bit that Eloy was able to wear his armor, and but she couldn’t handle her own. Especially since, in her mind, the female version was clearly only like half the size of the male one.
Eloy bid Alina farewell, promising to become the Chosen One so he could save the world for all mankind. Alina giggled, shook her head, wished them fair travels, and resumed her training.
You can buy this story here: Legend of the Crystals Chapter 1