Older story and probably incomplete.On this world magic is in different colour crystals and the colour of the crystal represents different facets of magic.Yong man (slave I think)finds a crystal that embodies all facets and then the race is on to seize it.
By memory this sounds a little like Radley Black's Blue Wave Healer: https://storiesonline.net/s/11592/blue-wave-healer-fantasy-story
thanks for trying but not that one either.I remember when he finds the crystal a lady magician tries to steal to it.
This isn't much help, I know, but this question was asked a few months ago (or it might have been a year) in this very forum. Try going back a few pages or maybe one of the search guru's can find it.
I'm pretty sure the story was found and linked.
Reminds me of an old Dead Tree series by Anne McCaffrey
The Crystal series, as catalogued by the Internet Speculative Fiction Database under the name Crystal Universe, comprises five novels published from 1982 and four earlier short stories that were a basis for the first book, The Crystal Singer. Three of the novels compose the Crystal trilogy, or Crystal Singer trilogy after the first of them.
I don't remember much because I read these books only once more than thirty years ago.
HM.
I remember the Crystal Singer series, and I've read at least the start of the story ian181 is talking about, and they're not the same story. Sadly, I don't remember the name of the one ian's referring to. I think the protagonist was an apprentice or something, and the crystal was found in or near a mine, but that's all I can remember of it.
You might check "The Atlantis Crustal" by Robber Baron. It is incomplete and inactive (last in 2007). rlfj said (among other things in foreword, "Now I have done it again. Robber Baron put five stories on the site between 2002 and 2008, none of which were finished; no reason given. One of them was called "The Atlantis Crystal", which had an interesting premise. It stuck in my mind and last fall I decided to write a new version. I changed the names, cleaned up the plotline, got rid of extraneous characters and subplots, and worked out an end story. I hope you like it." His story is called "War of the Crystals". It is in both Robber Baron and rlfj listings.
It has been quite a while ago that I read the war of the Crystals so I am not sure if it is what you are looking for.
Sorry, missed the opening quote from rlfj. made edit. Haven't posted anything yet. Have been working on one but trying to figure out which way to take story after 'introduction'.
I can remember reading this a long time ago (may not have been on SOL). Unfortunately I can't remember the title or author but I can add in some additional plot points (if it's the same story).
Various colors of stones / crystals. Typical (IMO) color / power assignments. Red - fire, Blue - water, Brown - earth, black (purple?) - necromancy. I also remember a healing color and possibly air as well.
MC finds a 'meta' crystal capable of duplucating all colors. Meta crystal was also sentient and I believe presented itself as a brown crystal at the beginning.
MC was quite low in rank / social standing (or as OP stated, possibly a slave) of his (town, guild, etc.).
Plot progresses to final battle against another sentient meta crystal (black, iirc) from the same (comet, asteroid, meteorite).
*edit*
I've found the story i was thinking of. Is this your lost story?
Elemental by Etherealism
Yes thank you so much,I did not realize this story was bugging me so much.Downloaded and safely in my library.