The Ocean Diamond (Dawnbringer, Books 3 - Part 1)

  THE OCEAN DIAMOND

  DAWNBRINGER

  Book 3 (PART 1)

  ELON VIDAL

  This book is a work of fiction.

  All characters, organizations, and events portrayed

  in the novel are either products of the author’s imagination

  or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.

  Copyright © 2021 Elon Vidal

  Cover copyright © Light Age Media

  A Light Age Media Production

  All Rights Reserved

  The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s

  Intellectual property. If you would like permission to use the material

  from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact

  info@lightagemedia.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  Light Age Media

  Barcelona

  First Worldwide Edition: August 2021

  Version: 1. August 2021

  MORE BY ELON

  Eclipse (Dawnbringer, Book 1)

  (Before you read The Ocean Diamond, be sure to begin the Dawnbringer saga with Eclipse. Get Your FREE Copy here on Amazon!)

  The East Gate (Dawnbringer, Book 2)

  (Read it now here!)

  Witchlight, Book 1 in Lightkey: The Intrepid Lucy Duceaul

  (Get this book for FREE when you click here and sign up to Elon’s newsletter!

  Also, available on paperback here.)

  The Attraction Wielder – Juro’s Backstory (The Indomitable Ella Larisse)

  (Get this book for FREE when you click here and sign up to Elon’s newsletter!)

  The Time Wielder (The Indomitable Ella Larisse, Book 1)

  (Read it now here!)

  The Sword of Varen (Daring Alina Luxera, Book 1)

  (Read it now here!)

  The Dragon Signet (Valiant Eva Stellara, Book 1)

  (Read it now here!)

  CONTENTS

  FREE GIFT

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  ELON’S AUTHOR NOTES

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  OTHER BOOKS BY ELON

  THE OCEAN DIAMOND – PART 2

  THE SWORD OF VAREN

  THE TIME WIELDER

  THE ATTRACTION WIELDER

  THE DRAGON SIGNET

  DRAGONLIGHT

  CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR

  REVIEW THE BOOK

  If you haven’t yet read the first book in the Dawnbringer series, be sure to get your FREE copy on Amazon by following this link. Or just search for “Eclipse (Dawnbringer, Book 1) to get it.

  It’s FREE, so all you have to do is download here it and start reading.

  “THE EAST GATE (DAWNBRINGER, BOOK 2)” will make much more sense. ;)

  Eclipse (Dawnbringer, Book 1) SYNOPSIS

  Dawn's destiny is about to change.

  She is a Halfling (half-Fae, half-human) who would much rather lead a normal life in botany helping plants flourish.

  A strange eclipse and a recurring dream of a light-harnessing Pixie in a castle signal a threat that can end the magical balance and the mortal world.

  The Council of The Enlightened and the gods themselves would much rather she perish.

  Can she harness the light source within?

  Get your copy of Eclipse on Amazon for FREE. Then, continue reading Dawn’s adventures in “The East Gate (Dawnbringer, Book 2)” so that you’re all caught up for “The Ocean Diamond”.

  FREE GIFT

  Dear Light Rider!

  Thank you for reading my book!

  Before you continue, be sure that you have read the first book in the Lightkey series. Else, this one won’t make as much sense.

  You can get the first book in the series, “Witchlight (Lightkey: The Intrepid Lucy Duceaul, Book1)” in eBook format, when you join my newsletter here: https://bf.elonvidal.com/1vifjyxtne. Absolutely FREE, of course!

  Just click below to sign up and download the book. Start reading it immediately.

  Click Here To Get Witchlight

  If you prefer, the paperback version is also available here (at the market rate):

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WJZC8DL

  Happy Reading Light Rider!

  ONE

  “Are you sure about this?” Elijah asked Dawn with his hand on the doorknob.

  It was a warm sunny morning outside as they stood on the massive front door of an unassuming, modest home in the suburbs. And yet, in this summer heat, he had the gall to wear a wooly black sweater, a pair of black leather pants, and black boots, which she thought looked amazingly stylish on him.

  It made her remember when Damon wore his red leather jacket and pants and rode his motorcycle. She wondered what these descendants of the White Dragon would wear if they ever went to the beach. Soaking in the water and sun would seem quite the nuisance in this outfit.

  “Of course not,” Dawn replied as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was wearing a white tank top and the shortest shorts that she had, but she was still sweating buckets just standing under the shade of the front porch. “But I don’t know what else to do, Elijah. I know what I saw. You believe me, don’t you?”

  Elijah nodded with a deadpan look on his face, “Alright, just don’t think too much about the smell. I just hope he’s already done.”

  Done with what? Dawn thought to herself. She wasn’t going to mention it, but the putrid stench coming from inside the house did really start to bother her as if an entire flock of dead birds was left on the hot road for days.

  Elijah loudly gulped as he slowly motioned his hand to knock on the door. But before he could, the doorknob twisted by itself, and the door slowly opened.

  “I could hear you two sniveling ever since you stepped on the front porch,” Ezekiel coldly greeted from across the room with an apron with flower stitchings on his hips, worn over his trademarked silky ebony black robes. “Well? Are you just going to stand there and refuse my invitation to come in?”

  “Hi, Grandpa,” Elijah finally replied as he stepped inside.

  Dawn nodded respectfully at Ezekiel as she stepped over the threshold and felt a tinge of nostalgia and fear as she once again entered his dungeon-like abode. When she saw the sofa with white cushions, phantom pain pricked the area where her wraith-induced wound used to be. Instead, she focused her attention on the myriad of artifacts, warlock weaponry, and assortment of dragon cloaks that she could see on the other side of an open door that seemed to lead to Ezekiel’s workshop.

  Unfortunately for Dawn and for her love of exotic weaponry, Ezekiel was busy in the kitchen.

  “Come and sit,” Ezekiel commanded before disappearing into the kitchen. And when Elijah and Dawn hesitated, they suddenly got pulled inside and placed on their respective chairs on the dining table situated on the kitchen’s eastern side.

  It didn’t take long for Dawn to realize where the horrible stench was coming from. Ezekiel came back with a sizzling pan in his hand. He served them a strange goop of what appeared to be food on each of their plates before placing a serving on his own. He then sat down with them, with a triumphant look on his face.

  “Eat,” Ezekiel directed before taking a huge spoonful into his mouth and happily munching away as he moaned in delight.

  “T-thank you, Grandpa,” Elijah nervously said, “But Dawn and I––“

  �
�––are going to be First Guards,” Ezekiel interrupted, “And if you plan to be one of the greatest, Elijah, you’re going to need plenty of nutrients in that skinny body of yours.”

  Dawn almost gushed at how sweet Ezekiel was in taking care of his grandson; if only she wasn’t required to eat the red and green mess on her plate.

  “Can I ask what’s in this, Ezekiel?”

  A slight grin cracked from Ezekiel’s face, “Why, of course. Fried purple wyrm eggs and garnished with a puree of guano.”

  There’s actual garnish in this? Dawn thought. “Sounds wonderful,” she nervously replied as she scooped a spoonful and put it in her mouth.

  “Well, this was unexpected,” Ezekiel commented as he marveled at Dawn, “You should be more like your friend here, Elijah. Hallmarks of a great warrior indeed.”

  The more Dawn chewed, the more of the rich, succulent flavors actually started to come out. “It’s not that bad, actually!” she happily commented, “It kind of reminds me of the Durian fruit from Asia, though why does the word ‘guano’ sound familiar?”

  Elijah softly shook his head as he looked at her, trying to keep himself from laughing.

  Ezekiel smiled, “It definitely should be familiar to you, EOS candidate. It’s also used as a fertilizer––bat droppings, more specifically the droppings of a Grey Bat. It has more nutrients than most of the vegetables that you can eat in one sitting.”

  I just ate bat poop!? Dawn screamed internally as she stared at the food on her plate. If she wasn’t sitting in front of one of the Enlightened, she’d have immediately gagged right then and there. Instead, with all the willpower in her body, she smiled and politely swallowed and put down her spoon back on the table.

  “Thank you for the meal, Ezekiel.”

  She quickly and discreetly gave Elijah a quick kick to the shin under the table for not warning her ahead of time about Ezekiel’s crazy cuisines. So, that’s what Elijah meant when he hoped Ezekiel was done. Dawn thought.

  Ezekiel sighed, “Fine. What is it that you came here for?”

  Dawn quickly spoke first, “Hades is here, Ezekiel. He’s back with the living, and we need to do something.”

  Ezekiel glared at her, his smile no longer there, “Dawn, I think the journey from the East Gate must have been too hectic for you.”

  “I’m not seeing things, Ezekiel. Elijah saw him too!” she retorted, “He was there with me last night at dinner. I just looked over the other table, and Hades was standing across the restaurant looking in my direction.”

  Ezekiel pondered as he finished gulping his breakfast, “How exactly did you know it was Hades? I don’t think you’ve ever seen the God of the Underworld in the flesh before. Maybe it was just one of those humans wearing those silly costumes.”

  “Last time I checked, humans don’t have slit eyes like cats, Ezekiel. Every cell in my body is telling me that it was Hades; you gotta believe me.”

  “Did anyone else in the restaurant notice this…creature?”

  Dawn thought long before answering, “No, everyone else acted like everything was normal. Only Elijah and I saw him. Then Hades just sat at the table with his date before we decided to get the hell of there.”

  “Grandpa, there was something terribly wrong in that diner last night,” Elijah admitted. “I don’t think this is over yet.”

  Ezekiel stared at his grandson and sighed, “If what you two say is true, then this is bigger than just the three of us. I’ll have to take this up with the rest of the Council. Dawn, are you willing to go back to the Council and let the Mimic peruse your mind once again? They’ll want to see it for themselves.”

  “Whatever it takes,” Dawn declared at Ezekiel, though unenthusiastic at having to have her mind getting invaded again. Neither that nor the bat dropping seasoned with wyrm eggs staring directly at her seemed appealing experiences for her, even if both were for her own good.

  Dawn laughed internally as she listened to Elijah convincing his grandfather that he was fasting from food to improve his connection to magic. And to her surprise, Ezekiel believed him! Until they finished eating and Ezekiel opened a portal to the Council chambers, as she thought she heard a slap, probably on the back of Elijah’s head, just before she crossed the portal.

  And when she stepped through, she was gifted by the sight of a former, and quite attractive, friend, who was walking by the Council chambers when she passed through the portal.

  “Well, if it isn’t my two favorite people,” Damon, wearing his standard grey robe uniform, greeted them as Elijah passed through Ezekiel’s portal and outside the Council’s chambers.

  “Hey, Mr. Bodyguard!” Dawn greeted back as she embraced him.

  “It’s good to see you too,” Damon replied as he patted Dawn on the head, “What sort of trouble are you two on again this time?”

  “Dawn and I just saw Hades,” Elijah informed.

  All the joy disappeared from Damon’s face, “Are you sure it was him?”

  Dawn pulled away from Damon. “Nope, we just thought, ‘Hey. We’ve got nothing else to do this afternoon. Why don’t we loiter in front of the Council chambers and tell passersby that we saw the God of the Underworld!’ You know, cause a little panic here and there.”

  “You never change, Dawn,” Damon groused as he narrowed his eyes at her. “Do you know what kind of trouble we’re going to stir if this is actually true? There’s going to be widespread panic. We need to be sure.”

  “That’s why we’re here, Damon, to get a Mimic to confirm my memories. And what do you mean ‘we’? We’re here with Ezekiel; you’re no longer assigned to guard me.”

  “Something tells me that it won’t be long before I get caught up with you guys again.”

  Ezekiel coughed behind them, “It’s time.”

  Dawn and Elijah bade Damon goodbye before following Ezekiel into the Council chamber.

  Dawn wasn’t particularly excited to see the Council. She remembered how hesitant they were to help her and actually considered letting her die than letting Fisher open the Eastern Gate and free Hades. But she felt more confident now that Ezekiel led them inside the chamber. She never forgot how he broke his coveted rules just to buy her enough time to chase after Fisher.

  Oh, gods. Fisher, Dawn somberly thought to herself. As much pain as he caused her and her family, Dawn knew before his end that Fisher only wanted to bring his family back from the dead. Instead, he somehow found a way to bring back the most vengeful God in the etherverse.

  And now, she was back where she started, facing a tribunal of powerful magical beings that might not believe her claims of the return of the God of Darkness.

  “Stay here,” Ezekiel commanded Elijah and Dawn before hovering over to his place on the Council seat. All of the other Enlightened were present as well, which was a rarity. Dawn felt relieved that Ezekiel was able to convince them that they faced a threat of epic proportions.

  “Let us begin,” Ezekiel announced. The Mimic appeared from the darkness to their right.

  “Stand still, child, and let me reach into your thoughts,” the Mimic whispered before putting his cold hand over Dawn’s head.

  Dawn’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as the events of that fateful night replayed inside her head. The next thing she saw was the inside of the restaurant where she ate last night, having just clinked her glasses with Elijah.

  The only difference being that time was frozen in this world that the Mimic provided. With this, she could clearly see nuances and details that she didn’t notice last night. She saw the waitress behind the counter flirting with a smartly dressed man or the toddlers making a mess at the other side of the restaurant; even the license plate of the car outside the restaurant was clear as day to her.

  Then the Mimic spoke in her mind, “Halfling, we shall now begin to move forward in time. Are you prepared?”

  Dawn didn’t want to see Hades’ disgusting face ever again; she would have rather eaten Ezekiel’s breakfast for the rest of he
r life than seeing that demon of a God ever again. But she also no longer wanted people like Fisher getting manipulated by Hades.

  “Do you even have to ask?” Dawn lied as confidently as she could, “Bring it on.”

  And when the time finally started to slowly move, Dawn’s eyes darted to the ringing bell by the restaurant entrance. A man with fiery red eyes walked inside, who she now noticed had a confident smirk that he didn’t have last night.

  “Hades,” Dawn nervously whispered as every part of her body wanted to leave the table and run away in the opposite direction.

  “Stay,” the Mimic commanded, “To see the true events unfold, you must see this through to the end.”

  Dawn knew the Mimic was right and forced herself to stay in place, telling herself that this was all just an illusion and that Hades didn’t really even chase her last night.

  And just as she expected, Hades walked towards a table on the opposite side of her table. And after he sat down with his partner, Dawn realized something that she hadn’t the night before.

  His head shook a few times, closed his eyes, and open again. He appeared a bit shaken as his image flickered into a face of pain and happiness rapidly, his red, all-knowing eyes now a confused chocolate brown.

  “Help me!” a desperate voice called out from within Hades’ body. It chilled Dawn to the bone. “He’s coming for us all!”

  Dawn ended up screaming when the Mimic finished peering inside her memories and disappeared back into the shadows. Elijah went to her side as she fell to her knees.

  “What does this mean?” Dawn looked up at the Enlightened, trying to catch her breath. To her disappointment, she heard more murmuring than answers as they conversed with each other quietly.