The Stone of Death (The Companions of the Stone Book 1)

At the formation of the world, the Primordial Stones captured within them the essence of everything. Light, dark, life, death; the Stones contain the fabric of existence and have passed into myth, lost for eons. Until a map finds its way into the hands of four strangers forced to take shelter in an inn from a freak storm. A displaced mercenary returning home empty-handed, a young crippled Magus fresh from the Academy, an itinerant priest of the Lightbringer, and a mysterious woman find themselves in a race against two opposing groups seeking the Stone of Death. The unlikely heroes must overcome their mistrust and their limited skills to stay ahead of the adherents of the God of Death. The followers seek the Stone to bring about the end of all life by creating an army of the dead. Opposing them is the mysterious secret society called the Order of Valanis. They seek the Stone for their own inscrutable ends. The race takes them to great cities, over mountains, through the desert and across the seas to locate the hidden temple of a forgotten people where the Stone has rested undisturbed for over seven thousand years. And once they get there, they have the undead guardians of the temple to deal with. But none of this is the most pressing issue. The problem is, if the heroes win the race and secure the Stone of Death, what will they do with it?