While I would love to tell the entire story, that will have to wait…  There are three books in the collection and I will release exerpts from the remaining stories ( “The Deliverer” and “On the Breath of Dawn”) in the weeks to come.  Today I will leave you with a  brief synopsis from “Guardian of the Stone,” however I will not give away the ending.

“Guardian of the Stone” is the ageless tale of good verses evil.  Robert Scott is a fifteen year old boy who lived in a time long forgotten.  Robert and his family had a comfortable life in Nicosta, a fishing village off the coast of the Baltar Sea.  He was never told of his lineage and believed his family to be of common heritage.  Robert was a simple boy whose heart was pure and his mind not yet compromised by greed or self indulgence.  Little did he know the truth behind the legend of the Three Great Kings.  Unbeknownst to him; Robert was a direct descendant of King Michael and Guardian of the stone.

Because of Kings Mord greed the young Guardians life was forever change, and Robert would never again return to the life he loved.   His family and friends were all slaughtered at the hands of the evil King and his army of Morshmen. The Morshmen are vile creatures (part man/ part beast) who remain loyal to the despicable King.  When King Mord captured Octavia the old witch, he found out the truth behind the legend.  Thus he set out to destroy all who had any knowledge of the stones. The constant torture proved to be to much for the aged sorceress and so she exposed the secrets she had held on to.  Octavia revealed that King Michael relinquished his Kingdom to live his life as a commoner. She told the evil King that descendants of King Michael had settled near the sea and it was there that he would find the first stone and the Guardian who was sworn to protect it.  King Mord knew that it would be easier to conquer a King without a Kingdom and so he set his sights upon Nicosta.

This is where the story of the Guardian begins; legend tells that long ago there were three Kings and each possessed a single stone.  Alone the stones looked rather plain, but when the stones were placed together they possessed a power so magnificent that it could not be contained. The Kings feared the power of the stones; they knew full well that if the stones ever fell into the wrong hands, that same magnificent power would be used for evil. So knowing this, the three Kings parted, never to see one another again and each King taking a single stone with them.

Octavia lived many lifetimes and had seen both the good and bad in man.  It was she who was responsible for the unearthing of the stones.  When the old witch realized what she had discovered, she delivered the stones to the three Kings to protect.  These were moral men and she knew that they would never use the stones for their own malice.  For over two hundred years the stones remained hidden and were excused as legend; until King Mord discovered the truth.  With all truths revealed the Guardian was forced to flee his village.  Now Robert must find some being whom he could trust.  Watching from the mountains he found the one who had always looked after him.  It was she who waited for the Guardian to come forward and claim his birthright. Lavinia is a large regal dog, bred to protect Kings and it is she who would protect him at all costs.  She was always his Keeper  and now she will give him the time he needs; to heal, to learn and to grow.

Long before the reign of the Three Great Kings, a race of immoral men inhabited the earth.  These men became Kings, and as Kings they carried out unspeakable acts upon man. Because of their malevolence, humanity vanquished these men and banished their spirits to be entrapped in Krieshen Forest.  These spirits are known to man as the Spectra and it is their ghostly presence that haunts the forest.  The Spectra are bound to the forest and consume the souls of any being who remain in their realm after dark .  The Legend tells of only one who can release their souls. He is a boy that is pure of heart and whose virtues have not yet been compromised.  This boy must first become a man; for he was always a Guardian and King.  It is he who must deliver the stones to the Spectra; for they are not of this world and therefore they can not be destroyed.  Only the stones can release the Spectra from their curse and surrender their souls into the Afterlife; and only one boy can end the curse that has besieged man for over two hundred years.

*Each King followed a different path, King Christopher fled into the desert and erected an Empire of vast proportions.  King Gabriel built his Kingdom atop the Abbi Mountains and King Michael gave up all his worldly possessions to live his life as a commoner; he felt that any man searching for the stones would seek a King.  Only a fool would give up his Kingdom to protect a stone.

*Lavinia is a Keeper; all Keepers are bred to protect Kings.  She is a regal dog of considerable size and has kept her distance from the Guardian.  She spends her days waiting and watching until she is called upon to defend him.

*Balthazar is a Fitan and is the son of Aldous ( an Elder).  The impressive Prince is a mighty winged being.  The Fitan live peacefully on Printanier Island which is located in the center of Krieshen Forest.  When at peace these mighty beings transform into Elfite.  Elfite are no bigger then an infant and nest atop the trees.  Fitan are prodigious beings that do not engage in worldly conflicts; nevertheless when threatened, these benevolent beings become fearless warriors.  Fitan can not die from disease or old age, however they can succumb to this life.  Unfortunately a Fitan can be killed.  Knowing of such things Balthazar agrees to assist the Guardian, and it is he who remains loyal to him and helps him retrieve the stones.

*Prince Gregory is the nephew of King Norman and is commander in charge of the King’s military.  He has the utmost respect for his uncle and honors him as his father.  When the princess is kidnapped he pledges his allegiance to the young Guardian in exchange for his help.

*King Norman is also a Guardian; he is a direct descendant of King Gabriel. His only heir is his daughter Princess Elizabeth.  She is kidnapped by King Mord, he believes that he can use the princess in exchange for King Norman’s stone.

It is the young Guardian who must retrieve all three stones and deliver them to the Spectra.  How can one boy be expected to achieve this?  It was Aldous, one of the Elders who told Robert Scott that Kingdoms would heed his call.  This boy must first rescue a princess and save Octavia from King Mord’s torment.  Then he must unmask a traitor and defend a Kingdom, all before claiming King Norman’s stone.  The epic battle at the end of the story is imposing, it details the anguish one feels before the onset of war and the horrifying aspects of the battle between King Mord and King Norman.

Hopefully this synopsis leaves you wanting more, if so please continue to follow me and don’t forget to post a comment. Thanks for your continued support, Michele Kunz

Guardian of the Stone, is on file with the U.S. Copyright Office at The Library of Congress in Washington D.C.