Trios Parted

Trios parted is an unpublished short story about the great earthquake which destroyed Atalan and plunged it into the Bay of Anamnesis.

Synopsis

Jun Joon and Lan Laan, two of the king's personal advisors, attempt a rescue for Great King Telkome from the palace during the earthquake. Instead, they only found the third advisor, Kin Kiin who claimed the Great King was nowhere to be found and holding the ring of the king as proof. The three then escaped the ruins and swam to the new coast of Tanarad.

The following morning, the three advisors decided that the ring of the king needed to be taken to the Lunari at Iswa. Several weeks later, they entered the Dark Forest by boat on the River Kis but were taken the rest of the way through the forest by the tweenks who claimed only they could safely traverse the dangers of the place.

When the Lunari were shown the ring, the Lunari Dezhothokh gave up his light to split the ring into three parts which were then to be taken by the three men and hid in Hayve, Mayve, and Tayve. Dragons were then summoned to take the men to the places they would hide the rings. After several brief disagreements among the three men, the Lunari said that Kin Kiin would not return, Lan Laan had the option to return, and only Jun Joon was guaranteed to return.

Lan Laan was taken to Mount Chozea and hid the ring of the silver moon on the peak. He then discovered that the inside of the mountain had been carved out and began to follow an extensive stairway further down into the mountain. He was surprised when he ran into another individual who claimed to have only recently awakened with the purpose of fulfilling future prophecy and going by the name of Voth. Shortly after, Lan Laan realized Voth was an enemy but did not survive to inform the rest of the world.

Kin Kiin was taken to the top of a great tree in Tayve where he placed the ring of the golden moon. Moments later, a giant deathbird arrived and threw the man from the tree. He was killed by the quills of a saono'modaek before he hit the ground.

Jun Joon was taken to Mayve where the now barely visible Lunari Dezhothokh took the ring. He said he would keep it hidden under a pretense of neutrality. The future king who came to claim the ring would have to prove that he was not of Nebulum by killing Dezhothokh. Only then would the rightful person be able to take the ring. Jun Joon was then taken back to Amehtana.