Chapter 3 travelers tales

We set off that mourning on our horses. We traveled out of the town the villigars went about there life. It was funny they had no idea that if we failed there lives might all be ended in a single second. They had no idea what we where about to do. There was some talk of the orcs attacking a man or to but mostly the talk was on a up comeing fair. We entred the farm land and saw road through the crops of weat and corn. Borrow was in the front I was behind her Alegred was behind me then Sedrick then Mitos and finally Elacron. Alegred began to sing as we trodded along a tune about giant wemon who where summoned by a wizard. Like most drawfish tunes it was dirty and I dare not repeat it. After a short ways we entred the eastern forest it was safe to travel in the day but at night it was when the monsters roamed. We passesed several merchants whe whould say a passing word or two and move on. As we entred a darker part of the forest Alegred and Elacron bursted into another song of a jolly seaman killing a water dragon with only a spear and not one made of metal. There singing echoed through the forest and I was nervous that we might attract unwanted attention. But nothing came to pass we made it out fine. The woods slowly led way to hills, the hills of Manic Manson. “Why do they call it Manic Manson” I asked Alegred. The drawf eyes darkned and his voice was cold “A man named Manson a long time ago killed thousands and let there bodies rot they say the hills where made of there dead bodies”. “Really” I asked. “No not really stupid boy, They call it that because a general Manson lead a battle here his title was Manic so Manic Mansons Hill” he laughed slapping me on the back. The hills got steeper and soon we were in the mountains.

As we troded along Borrow said “We don’t have time for this we need to go through the mountains”. “What child are you serious the mountains are crawling with orcs and far worse things” the Alegred said as he rode. “Look we can go around the mountain or we could go through the pass in the mountains. The pass takes only a day while going around will take us 3” She said. “She’s right we don’t have much time if we want to hit them before they become to powerfull” I said. We had been rideing for hours Me, Alegred, Borrow, Mitos, Sirthik and Elacron. However the pass loomed before us and the sooner we got through it the better. We spured our horses as they dashed towards it.

The pass was a narrow streach of patchy rock held up only by the fear of falling down the abyss. On your left was the abyss the sloop was steap and if you made a misstep you’d wind up plummeting down it. On the right was a beautiful stone wall. It was about as tall as a person but on a horse you could see that it was flat for a good distant then it crawled back up the mountain.

The air was thin and a dense fog was comeing in. Borrow was up front speading along of us. Her silver hair matched her white stead named Zoe. Borrows cloack flapped in the wind and what might have been a smile crossed her face. Then I heared a twang and saw a dark rod peirce into Zoe’s side sending the horse rearing. Borrow jumped off the horse as the rock it was on broke to pieces and Zoe tumbled into the abyss. Its cry was heared for a long time slowly growing faiter till we heared a soft thud. Borrow landed on my horse I was behind her in the line. Her soft supple leather touched my hand and she griped onto me. I heared Elacroon yell “ORCS THERE SNIPEING US” as arrows began to pelt us from the other side of the vally. Alegred yelled “A AMBUSH WHERE SITTING DUCKS” with that he spured his horse as fast as he could. Elacron quickly shot out a bolt of dark energy. It looked like a dark arrow that sped through the air and hit one of the orcs. They where so far away they looked like little green specs though those little green specs where trying to kill us. There was ten in all well counting the one that was now gone due to Elacrons dark bolt.

I felt Borrow press into me and I quickly ran through my head all the spells I knew. Yes that will do I thought. I shouted out a old magic tounge it translated to burn the land boil the sea. I pointed a hand at the wall of rocks where the orcs where and a huge bolt of energy shot out and slammed into the rock. There was a giant boom and a huge section of the rock face plumted crashing into several orcs. There where only four left but we had no way of takeing them out. I could only use that kind of spell once a day.

I yelled over the horses fast running “WE HAVE TO RUN FOR IT” with that I spured the horse leaving a long burn on it but it needed to run and fast. The arrows looked like rain as the poured over us. Many of the drops fell to the ground helplessly but there was a sickening thunk and a horse cried. I turned my head and saw Elacron fly off the hurt horse as it fell to the ground breathing helplessly. The rageing bull Mitos dopped off his horse and dashed towards Elacron. In one heafty swing he lifted the horse onto his shoulder and elacron in his other arm faceing the wall. He chugged along like a roaring monster deadly horns willing to crash into anything that it chaught this alone made our horses sprint faster. A black stick with feathers seemed to appear out of thin air in his arm he grunted but remained steady. His breath heavy and his feat the same he was slowing down I screamed “Mitos keep running” he didn’t hear me. He had several more black sticks jutting out of his body and now he looked more like a pin cushion as he ran blood pouring from every one. The horse was worse off its brown body now covered in black sticks all bleading a personal rain of blood onto Mitos and Elacron. I heard Elacron shout “IT’S DEAD MITOS LEAVE IT”. Mitos stoped firmly planting his feet into the ground and looked at the horse and sighed a arrow hitting him in the side. Mitos let out a giant roar that shook the verey air that it travled on rocks shook and fell as he yelled. Mitos swung the brown beast filled with arrows at the other side of the chasam. The horse flew through the air slaming into a orc leaving a blood stain the size of well a horse. Mitos then charged he ran at a speed that no man could run his feet barely touched the ground yet the left giant tracks of dents in the earth. I gulped relizeing he wasn’t going to stop till he and Elacron where out. I looked down at my horse and said “run faster please run faster” the horse sped up only a little.

I said “Borrow hold on”. She nodded wincing in pain. I spured the horse it bolted bursting out of the path in a giant tumble. I forgot the pass ended in a giant hill that rolled down the mountain. We began to tumble bumping into each other and the horse. Sedrick and Alegred where able to ride down. Mitos and Elacron bursted out full charge and fell down the hill Mitos wraping Elacron in his big hariy arms.

We hit the bottom of the hill with a thud the horse struggled to get up. I jumped off and helped it up Barrow then said “WILLIM WE NEED TO GO” I looked up the hill and saw Mitos tumbling towards us. The horse dashed forwards while I tackled Borrow towards the ground. She looked at me her silver eyes shiny “You saved me”. “Only from a giant teddy bear” I said getting up shakeing off more than just dirt. Mitos hit the ground as the other two came down on there horses. Sedrick came up to Mitos “You did good here let me heal your wounds” he put out his hands and a blue light shined from them the light seemed to envelope the wounds on Mitos and soon they where healed the arrows where simply pushed out and only little tick marks remained. “Sorry about your Zoe Borrow” I said. “Don’t worry she lived a good life” she said I saw the sadness but there was something else I just couldn’t put a finger on it. Elacron was released from Mito’s death grip and he gasped saying “That was the worst thing I’ve ever done” he passesed out falling into a unconscious sleep at the feet of Mitos. “Well guys lets set up camp a few ways down from here come on lets get moveing unless you want to set up camp at night” Alegred said beging to walk.

I set off from the town waveing good by to the others. The soon faded into the horizon on there horses. I had Lionday and he could not ride a horse so we had to walk. It was no problem the walk was only 3 days. I whould have to travel two days to get to the western forest where my people where. We traveld fast and light but it was easy enough. The trail was scarece this was where the orcs where usually. They whouldn’t bother a lone man though nothing to gain plus they saw I was armed. But I still camped off the trail in a cave. We soon made it to the edge of the fields the western forest. It was mostly pines and Maples. I started in with Lionday at my side. It whould take a day to get to the city but I figured whe’d stop after a while have a little break. The air smelt like old leaves and I remebred it was auttum. The leaves where a dark reds and bright yellows they fluttred down and swirled in the wind. I walked silently Lionday was behind me sniffing for mushrooms. I heard a squeal and a chomp he had found one. My thoughts drifted to what whould happen when I got home Saria whould be there had she waited she wrote saying she did but was the spark still there. Then there was my dear friend Linus he whould be swooing over the ladies as usual. My brother the king of the east woods, would he welcome me with open arms or with swords drawn. My mind drifted back to days many years ago back before I started to adventure before I met the team. I was a young prince my father was still alive and I was to be married. It was arranged like most but I loved her. She was beautiful like a goddess. She was a commoner infact we had grown up together it had been said that we whould be married even when we where babbies. But we only thought it ment that we could play forever. I loved her even when I was a small boy but I didn’t tell her I thought no reason to but I didn’t relize she did to. There was one thing I loved about more than anything when she looked at you she saw you in a way no one did. She was always picking flowers she didn’t care for arangeing she said all flowers are pretty so why separate them. She always liked to give them to people as gifts. As the years went on we grew closer together. I knew I whould mary her one day but I still thought about my future. I whould mary her then what live a life of a day to day rutine. No I wasn’t going to become another stay at home elf. There was nothing there for me every day people died in the world and I had to help or at least do something. This thought mulled in my head and finally it conviced me on the last night the night of my wedding. At elf weddings the two men and woman aren’t as important as the idea of them. So its common for people to mary dead fiancés they never got to mary. This is what happened here I left leaving a note telling her I loved her and because of that I couldn’t take her. I left with my bow and sword and a week of food. I dare not take more for I knew this whould be an embaresment to my family. Later I got a letter from her saying she understood and that when I felt it was right I whould return. So as I walked under the shade of the trees my thoughts turned to her. Her brown hair blowing in the wind that swepted through the forest like a wave.

“Lionday lets take a rest” I said placing my pack down on the dirt. It was almost night and we had been traveling for many hours. We where by a river I knew the river it ran through my town. It ran the length of the forest and was what kept the forest alive. My village was another few hours away but i wasn’t stupid and the last thing I wanted to do was to get lost in the forest at night. I sat down on a rock looking through my pack finding a tin of food. I opened it and ate the stale tastelest bread then chucked a few maggots at Lionday who ate them with a smack of the lips. I pulled out my sleeping bag and set it down I wans’t afraid to sleep out in the woods I knew the sounds of the predators and they also never went to the water at night. That’s when the nymphs where out and they hated monsters and the monsters regared them the same. Nymphs are spirts of the river and lakes. They are connected to there water and it is connected to them they guard it from polutures and others who whould hurt there stream for if it dies they die and vice versa. They aren’t usually serious but when threatended things got nasty. But I knew this water spirt we where friends as helped my father long ago fight a war against a ruthless tyrant and since then they had formed a pack. I knew she’d keep me safe so I began to drift off the stars turning into pictures as my eye lids closed till I heard the noise. It was a gurgleing splashing in the moon lit night. I rolled over my eyes wideing in horror as I saw a beast rise from the river. It had glowing yellow eyes and it was made of spongy sludge. It was a blob of a creature with only vague tentacles that might be arms. It rose out of the muck and began a slurch towards me one of its slimey appendages pointed at me. It made a horrible wail as it appuroached. I jumped up and whipped out my sword in lighting speed. It drew back and I heard a familer voice. It sounded horse full of regret and sorrow “Rafel.... is that you thank god….. Rafel something terrible has happened…. The water its been poisoned…..The village you must go warn them….. run NOW” the fallen Nymph said in between fits of gasping and coughing. I looked at it horrified “What will happen to you” I said knowing the answer. “If the posion continues…….I shall die” It said solomly. “Please my friend go now” it said sinking back into the depths of the river. I grabed my pack and yelled “LIONDAY!!!!!” the boar came crashing out of the brush. “Where going where gonna have to run” I said. Its furry body became ridged and it sighed.

Feet pounding faster than lighting. We ran quick as an arrow blasting through the sky. The elf village was on an old temple to a long forgotten god. This temple was also built on a strange rock cropping. The place was sunken in to the forest a huge massive dent in the earth except for a island which is where the town is. Its right in the middle and the only way there is to cross the bridges. My feet barely touched the wooden planks as I dashed across one of the many bridges to the center. We quickly passed through the bridge into the town full of bussiling people. Except it wasn’t barren nothing. The village looked the same with giant tree houses lineing the outside and in the center a grad temple but no one. There was a cobble stone path leading towards the temple and I hestintly walked down it. Every last creature was gone nothing no sound not a word. Then I walked out of the trees. I saw the old limestone building I grew up in a temple with a giant onion shaped top that pointed toards the sky. The coble stone led to one of the four stairways inside the building. The stairs where old and grass and moss grew inbetween them. “Lionday wait here” I said “If I don’t come back soon well” it looked at me and snorted. “Right buddy” I said drawing my sword I walked into the building. The four stairs led up high into the sky and to four large wooden doors made of an old oak. The door I faced was the east door it had a silver knocker. I cluched it and slowly pushed it open a long creak echoed as I stepped in. The place was cold a cold that got into your bones like no heat had ever been here. Not a wet cold that comes with snow but a dry stone cold. The doors all connected together by a long square shaped hall that then connected to many rooms. However there was the room I knew somebody whould have to be at. The room was the alter of the forest. When the elfs found the place the alter was there and it was said to contain the most pricous thing to the forest the wand of purity. It was said to clean all impurits to stop any posion. It was above in the onion dome all I had to do was climb another set of stiars up. The stiars where in the middle the exact middle of the temple. The hall I was in connected to it and I walked towards it. The hall to the stairs was long but as I came to it I found something I knelt down it was something odd. There was blood a long trail of blood old dry but still blood. It cracked as I felt it I couldn’t tell if it was elf or something else but it scared me. I sprinted down the hall and into the stair room. As I entered I felt a cold not the same cold warmer, like it had life. Then I saw it, it was a little girl an elf she wore a mad look and she said “You should not be here”. She was pale white and faded in and out of the place. “You’re a ghost” I said. She had long white hair that seemed to defy gravity as it floated up “I don’t know how long I’ve been dead, they came in hundreds in the dark, they came with steel killing all they found then they they killed my parents they killed me” the figure stammered fadeing “Please sir don’t go up stairs don’t go” she cried ghostly tears forming and floating to the gound. “Why not” I asked. “Do as you may” with that she was gone only a puddle of tears remained.

I needed to know what had happened I needed to know so I climbed the stairs each foot step echoing throughout the halls. There was a door at the top of the stairs to the dome a stone door I pushed aginst it using the steps to give me support. It buckled and slowly slid and as I did I was gretteded with the worst sight ever something that made my heart break. A long crie “NO!!!!!!” echoed it wasn’t human or I should say it was verey human. It was the sound of a breaking heart something every man and woman goes through one day I made mine that day.