Lost years Chapter 6-Y

Chapter 6. Old lives, Old freinds

The first steps where easy then I stood in the circle that surrouned the solider and then I worried. I had only one foot in I brought the other one in and then there was a beam of light. It came from the sky and struck the warrior in stone. The old stone came to life forming armour on a fleshy body. The rocky hair became smooth and flowed with the strong breeze. The weatherd face became a man who’s lips curled into a smile. The sword lost its yellow and gained a shining sparkeling silver, that gleamed in the sun. The seild in his right hand shown with color depicting a symbol long forgotten. The mans lips moved slowly but his words seemed to flow out “Its been awhile since someone came to die. Come defeat me if you think your strong” He said. “I can’t fight stone” I said. The man lifted up his hand and took his sword cutting into his hand “See, you can cut me” he said he then planted his feet into the ground “Come at me”. I drew Frostbiter “You don’t know what your dealing with” I said. The statue laughed “Then show me little warrior”. “I’m in no mode to be held back” I said. “Course not you whouldn’t be here if you could wait” He snapped. “Hey ladies can you get this over with” Em yelled her voice piercing through the sound of the rushing water. Our feet dashed forward our swords flowing through the air till the clash of steel rang out through the air.

I needed to sleep, wizards need rest. We need it to replenish our spells in our minds. To restablish that trigger in our minds to gather up the energy to cast more spells. Without a good nights sleep we can’t get back our spells. So I was perfectly cappble of falling asleep as soon as we got back to the inn. I weathred todays troubles up the stairs but as I slipped the silky blanket over me to go to sleep the troubles left. My eyelids where the only thing to bear a burden and that was to keep open. As they closed a smile crepted across my face I vaguly heard Alegred say “Hahaha I bet that Rafle kids fighting something right now”.

His blade was heavy, that was a good thing, frostbiter was light, lighter than his that ment I could out speed him. Or atleast I thought I could. This man seemed so fast on his feet so nimble. Our blades locked into each other it was a pushing game now. Most fighters whould push through trying to get past there defense this was a bad idea, see you waste energy when you could just back off or even better deflect it entirely. In a flash I spun my blade sideways and lunged at him. I made contact he let out a grunt. “Ha take that” I said pulling back my blade. The blue steel was comeing out of the mans body when to my utter amazement he grabbed on. “Not so fast” in one great pull the man pulled frostbiter from my hand and gently tossed it away. “No where gonna do this old school” he said dropping his sword. He ran at me his fist raised high to strike. I ducked out of the way triping him. He chaught himself with his hand and spun his legs knocking me on my back. “Take one of these kid” the solider said pounding my face with his fist. “Why are you fighting us” I said trying to block his attack. “You want the crystal you gotta get past me” He said delivering another blow. “LOOK AROUND MAN the forest is dead” I yelled “We don’t have time for this” I stated. “You don’t understand I have to fight you it’s the rules” He said pointing at the base of his statue “On that is the rules I must challenge whoever steps into the circle in a competition. Winner gets to stay on the bridge. Intill the day the gods decided I don’t need to guard this bridge I’m stuck in stone unless I’m in a chalange with someone. They say if I follow the rules I’ll eventually be free” He said. I heard the sound of boots on stone and turned around Em stood in the circle “ALRIGHT then” Em yelled. The man walked over to her and looked down “Uh yes” he said. “I challenge you Mr. Statue man to a competition” She said bravely pointing a finger up at him. “The challenge is simple whoever dies first losses” She said. “I don’t understand” The man said. “Its simple Whoever dies first loses the competition intill then we can do what we want” She said happily. “So I’m free to go” the man said. “That’s the idea” She said “Common Elf we don’t have time to waste” She said Lionday following behind her. “Well then uh I guess I’ll go” The man said. “You could help us” I said to the man. “Thanks but no thanks I think I’m gonna go talk to the gods” he said. The man then jumped high into the sky and he seemed to dissaper. “you comeing or not” Em called. “I’m so confused” I said. Following her.

“Okay Elf where to now” Em said as we followed a trail that had almost dissapered. “The map says where almost here we’ll find the ruins soon” I said looking at the map. “Well we crossed that river” Em said, I knodded. “And then we hit that rock cropping” she said. “Yeah and then there’s the ruins, we should be there” I said. We starred up at the tree “Maybe if we had higher ground” I said. “Thinking the same thing I’ll climb up and tell you what I see” Em said running towards the old oak. It whould take her a while to get up it I thought looking at the ground. The ground was mostly dirt and it had rained recently. The brown mud still lingered and as I starred at the small puddles I realized they wheren’t puddles, they where foot prints. My eyes tracked them they went forward then past the trees down a trail. “Em comeon I found a trail” I said. She jumped down landing near me “What those things there just puddles….oh yep foot prints” She said. “Lion can you sniff the trail for us” I asked the boar. He grunted a yes and stuck his nose into the mudd he snorted a deep one and then he jumped up. He pointed down the trail and started walking down it. We followed it when the steps wheren’t obvious Liondays nose was. Soon we came to a clearing. It held 13 trees. A giant oak that sat in the center and 12 larges pines circleing it. Each pine had some sort of gem in it. The oak held thousands of little green leaves in its wooden hands. On the oak was carved a sign, it was 6 circles that connected in the center. Em Looked puzzled “How we suppose to get in?” she wondered. I began to laugh it was a simple puzzle. Each tree had a different color gem red, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange, black, white, brown, pink a gem that was made of glass and a gem made of stone. On the oaks door was a carving press six gems and the way you shall see. “Great very specific there tree” Em said. “Its simple Em trust me” I said. “Really prove it” She said back. “Okay what where looking for is what makes a forest, Green for the trees” I pressed the emerald green gem it grew warm and slit back a soft click echoed. “Yeah everyone could get that one” she said. “Blue for the water that is the life of the forest and yellow for the sun these to combine to make the green” I said pressing the blue and yellow gems. They both clicked into place just like the green gem. “again even a monkey could do it” She said. “Right so the brown one is for the wood that makes the green stand tall” I said pressing the brown one it clicked as well. “Not that hard” She said. “Yeah its been easy now the real fun begins tell me Em which whould you chose” I said. “Well I’d chose White for light and the red one for the Red woods” She said proudly. I let out a laugh. “Yeah well lets see you do better” She snapped. “Easy its not white because white’s snow which is the death of woods, can’t be black that’s death to, red’s fire which burns down the forest. Pink, purple and orange are all odd men out here not really meaning anything, leaving Stone which the trees roots dig into for support and the clear which is the air which without the trees whould die as well” I said triumphantly the two clicks rang out through the forest as the great oak creaked open its dusty old door. “My gods you did it Elf” Em said amazed “How did you know” she asked. “The riddle here was a song mothers whould sing to there children. The grey stone and the blue river plant the seeds. The yellow sun and cool clear air grow the seeds, and the brown trunks keep the green clouds of plant aloft.” I said being flooded by memories. I stared at the oak for a long time my village was gone the song never would be played again. I don’t know how long it was before Em finaly inturupted my train of thought with “Lets go” but I’m glad she did I didn’t wanna relive my past that I knew I whould never experience again.

The tunnel was dark and roots penetrated the sides of the wall every step. The ground had snags and gaps in almost every step. The dim light of the tourch didn’t show how deep the hole was or how thick that root was. The tunnel became very tiresome after only a short walk. As we walked down the hall Lionday snorted. We spun fast as we could but the silver metal of daggers where already pressed against our cloaks. The assailants where two men and two woman from what I could tell but there could easly be more in the shadows. “Who do you work for” The man behind me said “We work for no one” I said trying to get my hand closer to my sword. “Don’t even think about going for your sword” the man said pressing the dagger in closer to my spine. I pulled my hand back clenching it then pointing to fingers at the man behind me it was a sign. I clenched my fist again and as Lionday took down the man behind me from the shadows i turned to face the rest pulling out frostbiter. As I spun around I was faced with the second greatest shock in my life.

Lost years chapter Y-5

5. New lives, New friends

I opened my eyes stareing at two sharp pointed leather boots. I heared a voice “Finnaly the Giant awaks” It was a soft but pointed voice. It was like a one note of a flute there then gone. I looked up and saw the owner of the boots a little boy. “Um what” I asked quite confused. “Ugh you elves always so slow to the up keep” said the boy. “Get up I said” the boy said kicking me with the pointed boots. “Okay okay just chill out little boy” I said getting up my neck hurt from lying on flat rock. I got another sharp kick by the boy and I heared him say “I’m not a boy you stupid elf I’m a girl” the boot rolled my head over and I stared up at a little woman. The woman had pointed ears and a pointed nose. She had nimble fingers and wore light leather. Her ears pointed out of her brown hair much like mine except her hair didn’t puff up it fell down but was kept short. She said sternly “Not nice to stare now get up Elf we’ve got work to do”. I pushed off the cold ground rasieing to my feet only then did I relize a crucial fact about this woman. She was up to my thigh. Her body was thin unlike a drawf and she also wasn’t a little human like a Halfling. “What are you” I asked brashly. “This comeing from an elf is surpriseing you know we live in the same forest, anyways I’m a brownie” she said gesturing towards herself with her hands. “So you’re a Gnome” I asked. “Nope Gnome’s don’t do forest they do hills there more like Elfy Dwarfs. “Wait you said we shared the same forest I know this forest why don’t I remember you?” I asked. “Well we just moved in a few years ago been almost a decade now that I think about it” She said, I saw she had a bow and a quiver but also a dagger at her side. “That explains it I’ve been gone for many years more than that” I said sticking out my hand “Names Rafel”. She grabed my hand and shook it once “Names Em, anyways what brings you here” she said. The thoughts of what I saw in the temple flooded my mind i looked at her “The Elves there all dead” I said weakly. “You are stupid aren’t you elf, I mean Ralf” she said. “What do you mean” I asked grabing her. “Twitchy elf aren’t you Ralph” she said in a way that made me blush “Some of the elves escaped I know a good portion ran to the east woods and a few others made there way down the tunnels” she said. I was stunned that she knew about the tunnels then something occurred to me “Wheres Lionday?” I asked. “What’s a Lionday” the brownie said as a loud snort came from the bushes and a feroucius beast jumped out sniffing the brownie. “Is this your mighty stead” Em laughed looking at the boar that was the same highet and a good ways thicker. “He’s a much better fighter than hunter” I laughed. “Here bud” I said reaching in my pocket and flicking him some beaf rations I had handy. “Now down to business” Em said sternly “We need to get to the cave of wonder”. “Why” I asked. “The woods are…..I’d better show you” she said jumping on Lionday “Comeon big lung where takeing a trip” she said pushing her boots into the boar it realed then ran off. “Wait” I yelled to no avail, I was running it I looked over my back a nightmare I’d have to look upon again someday.

The woods was quite normaly the west woods where buzzing with life. However it was quite like life just left the forest. “Where down stream elf I assume you know about the posion” she said not looking back as she rideing Lionday trudged along. “Yeah I know but how do you know” I said pushing a branch out of my way it had a few number of leaves for its kind. “Well its kinda obvious” she said. “What do you mean” we entred a clearing, it stood over a valley the river had cut. The place was dead. No trees no life no anything. The trees stood bare of leaves rotting on the ground was dead animals who had drunk the water, they to where rotting. Mushrooms poked through there bodies in a horrible mocking of nature. “That’s not all Elf this place is newly infected” she said her eyes pointing to a small lump in the death. I squinted trying to see it I saw a human face a small human face “One of my own” she said a small tear falling down her cheek. “The mushrooms are poision as well” she said “There spores get into your lungs and set them on fire splitting you lungs apart then it sprouts inside of you” she said stareing at the carnage. “How do we fix this” I said. “We don’t we hope we can get rid of the posion” she said the reflection of the dead on her wide eyes. “Then lets go” I said turning around “I’ve seen to many dead I don’t wish to see more” I said. “Where do we go next” she asked. “We go to the Sental” I said “It’s the fastest way to cross the river where the cave is” I said. In that moment her eye’s shot with more horror then one could think one word could cuase Sental.

The king stood locked in combat with a shadow. The Shadow was a figure roughly six feet and held a glisting piece of cold metal. It waved in the air locking onto the kings Rapier. The Kings robe thrashed as he blocked the blow then he shoved the blade and slashed the rouge. The dark cloack he wore was torn open and pink flesh shown through. The rouge slashed with his blade but only chuaght air. The king easily dodged it and with that the battle was over. The rouge had left himself open to the waiting strike of the kings blade. The blade connected with the exposed flesh and brought the shadow down. He fell to his knees and the king pointed his sword at his covered throat. “WHO sent you” The king inquired his blade playfully tapping the mans cheacks. “I’ll never tell” the shadow said his voice weak and spineless. “Really you’d rather die then give some fool up” the king said. The king whipped his blade cuasing the mans hood that covred his face to fall away revealing a man with a beared face. His mouth was creased into a scornful look. He had black hair and a rough beared. His eyes darted about and he was sweating. The king pointed the tip of his rapier at the mans for head and said “Tell me”. The man gulped and said in one winded breath “I met a man down at the inn said he wanted me to do a job, Said he heard I was the best in the city, Course he’s wrong but he paied so much loot I figured it was worth a shot I’m sorry please don’t kill me, I’ve got a life full of beer and women ahead of me please don’t end it yet” the man said loseing all air of meancingness. He fell to the floor whimpering “Very well I guess I can’t kill you now, Your free to go” the king said “But you’d best to leave town” the king said “I’m giving you a one days head start out of the city if you make it to another town in that time you’re a free man” the king said. He then turned noticeing us “Oh hello there I guess you wanted something”. The whimpering man hastily staggered off likely to puke.

The king went back to his throne “Alright alright lets get this over with what do you want?” he said his arms waving lazily. I stepped up to him and bowed saying “Sir we ask a squad to be sent out to take care of a orc base”. “You want me to give up a part of my army to clean up some orcs” he king laughed “That’s insane”. “Please sir we think these Orcs might be working for a higher power” I said bowing. “Aye sir the Orcs are said to be working for someone of great evil and power” Algred said. The king said his eyes emphisising his point “Orcs are orcs clean them up yourself” then the message came.

The mouse ran past the guard barely noticed in the bustleing street. It seeked out its target the king. It climbed up the palace wall and leaped onto the castle structure. Stealthly it climbed into the kings chamber. It found the two big oak doors that held the king and squeezed its white coated body under the frame. It then using its agile tail slipped the piece of parchment on its back and droped it to the floor. In a flash it was gone.

“A message” the King said walking towards it. He picked it up and began to read “A message from the Elf council” he said happily, to us he said “He’s a good friend of mine”. He read some more then his face went white the letter droped from his hand and he limply crossed to his throne. “What is it king” I asked. He looked at us somberly “You’ll get your troops” he said bluntly. “Why the change of heart” I asked. “Things have changed” he said his face staring somewhere far off. Algred picked up the message and read it. Alegred’s normally red face turned a horrible pink “Lad you’d better read this” he said handing it to me. I began to read it.

Dear King

The orcs have poisoned the woods. It is dying. We’ve tried every magic in our arsenal but none of it works. The orcs have also begun to raid our towns. They’ve grown to strong and the posion has weakened us to their attacks. They launched a raid today they made it to the front of the palace. Right now it’s quite but it’s getting dark, they like the dark. Where not going to make it. The Orcs seem to be following a leader.

They’ve broken the main gate there rushing in. We’ve evacuated the women or most of the ones would leave.

We were wrong. The caverns beneath the castle where not safe they had troops waiting that dragged the children and women back. They said that if we don’t surrender that they’ll kill them all. We have no choice.

What a fool I was. They didn’t even think about it once our weapons droped they dropped there heads. The rampage began they’ve killed us. John they’ve killed us. My wife she was dragged off to God’s knows where and they left me alive to watch them kill each other prisoner. There’s only one hope left My sons if they can restore the forest the elves will live on. They come for me my last hours on this world, I insist that you rally around my sons there strong both of them. The orc is coming close now I’ve cast a spell on a rat to find you. Till we meet in the afterlife.

Arch.

I slowly put the message in my pocket then looked at the king “How long” I asked. “I can have the troops ready in a week” the king said. “How many will you have” I asked. “One for every life those Pig nose’s killed” he said branding his sword “you’ll also have me”. “I feel better already” Elacron said with a half hearted sneer.

They ran into the top of the tower. Her brown hair flowed perfectly down her shoulders. Her shinnying green eyes shown through the look of terror on her face. Those eyes where of a good woman. Her beautiful lips curled into a scream, as the door broke down. The orcs streamed in like a flood of swamp water. One metal weapon disconnected that perfect head of hair from her delicate shoulders.

I woke up screaming. I ripped off my shirt trying to dry the sweat that had appeared. I wipped my forehead with my shirt, trying to shake that image. “Its okay Rafel she’s okay” but I knew that was a lie. I creped towards the river and starred at my reflection. In the pale moonlight I saw my face cut up and rugged. My hair had gotten long and ragged since a few months since I last got it cut. My neck was hairless like all elfs. My fingers ran over it, I had my father’s chin. They always said that and I had my mothers eyes. My mother was a loving mom like any mom. She cooked, she cleaned and she took care of my cuts. But she whould do something else to. She’d take us into the woods and tell us stories, she was a great storie teller. She told us storys of how this village came to be how the forest came to be. How a forest giant was slashed in a war long ago and its blood spilled onto the land that used to be dead, but with the giant’s blood vegetation spreed like wild fire. So strange how now the infection seems to be spreading death like the giants blood spread life. I took a long sigh then I walked back to my mat. I layed down and stroked lionday’s gentle body. His heavy chest went up and down mechanicly as his mouth opened and closed. He would snore when he exhaled. His snores put me to sleep finally. My sleep had a single nightmare but I forgot it by mourning.

The sun shone through the dieing tree top as we started our journey. “To the Sental are you crazy Rafel” Em said. “Look its just a legend, I bet its not even true” I said not looking down at her. “They don’t make up stories like that” she said somely. The Sental was a legend that was told in the comfort of ones home. It was something to horrifying for someone to risk it hearing it outside. The Sental was said to be the guard of a bridge so terrible was it that it killed a god with its bare hands. It was always said to guard the bridge to the cave of wonders but no one dared to try to pass his bridge. Using the map i was able to find the bridge. We came out of the forest and starred out at a long drop. The drop was 20 feet or so into a rageing river that shot droplets of water off the rocks and the breeze lifted so it whould hit you standing 20 feet above it. It was called the Flying water bridge. It was old stone that was a deep yellow that had moss growing in the cracks. Ever few feet it had an arch in it. Halfway across was a statue of a solider that held a sword to the sky, it held a sword in its left hand pointed at the sky and a shield at its side. His long hair hanged on his sides his stoney weathered face covered his identity. I gulped i had heared the stories about this bridge the sental was said to be the soul of a great soilder trapped indside of stone. He guarded the bridge looking for a great warrior who could best him. To gain passage across you had to defeat him. Course no one dared to try in fear they whould be destroyed by this stone statue. “Look I’ll cross first if nothing happens then you have nothing to worry about” I said. Em nodded eyes focused on the statue. I pulled Lionday over “Listine keep an eye on Em okay” I said rubbing the boars head. With a deep breath I stepped onto the bridge and made my way to the greatest warrior of all time.

Lost years Chapter 4-Y

Chapter 4 Great losses, Great Loves

Our horses where tired from there flight down the mountain and they collapsed to the ground once we found a good camp. There big bodies rose and fell in a rhymatic way and there snorts where hypnotic. As I stared at the horses as the rest started a fire I thought of something, something rather important. Borrow was out in the woods gathering fire wood she was in her normal form as I approached her. Her black hood covering her snowy white hair. She saw me comeing and asked “Yes”. I looked at her and said verey pointedly “When we where rideing they shot your horse?” I asked. “Yes” She said innocently. “This was there first shot…..Why didn’t they shoot you” I asked. She looked at me her eyes hurt by what I had said “You think I led us into a ambush? Look I’m sorry that you you…” she said trying to walk past me. “Borrow I don’t want to belive it its just that” I said why did I come here did I really think she whould do that. “Willim I whould never do something like that I” she said letting it hang there “Have to go” she said pushing past me. “Borrow I’m sorry” I said limply as she pushed past. “I’m such a fool” I said looking at the forest wishing something could pop out and eat me already.

As I lay there in front of the stars I vaguely remembered what my teacher told me once “The stars Willim tell you more about what your thinking than even a spell” he was an odd man with many quirks one of those being he was always annoyingly vague. “How so” I asked a young boy. “Just look up at the stars and see what you see up there” I’d then go out side and look up and see tiny balls of light. “I see a great warrior slaying a dragon” I’d say wide eyed imagine one day fighting those firey beast with my great magic. He whould look at me his weathred face smileing and then he whould say “Willim you dream of becoming great” he whould look up and laugh. “What do you see?” I whould ask. “Well I see a young wizard slaying a dragon” he said looking at me “I dream of you becoming great” he whould then say abruptly “Go sweep the floors there getting dirty” he whould laugh as a broom whould burst out the door walking on its own. A dust pan soon followed. My teacher died a while back he never saw me slay a dragon, I thought looking up at the stars. “What do you see Willim” i thought “I see a girl and a dragon they seemed to be chained together” I thought. Then slowly it came to me “I dream of freeing the girl and slaying the dragon”. With that I fell asleep to Mitos, Sidrick, Alegred and Elacron all signging a song of a grumpy old troll that lived under a bridge.

I looked at the room the large dome room had many colorful windows on the walls shining the room with many colors. As far as we could tell they depicted heros of there religion. There glassy emotionless faces stared down at the massacre that had happened. The stone floor was covred in blood red fresh blood. It seeaped down the stairs and stained my boots. There was a message scrawled on the wall in blood it read THIS IS WHAT BEFALLS THOSE WHO DISOBEY THE DEMON LORD. I looked at the room, stacks of elf bodies lined the walls. I looked spotting a old fat elf his face used to be jolly. He was the baker, Burt, he cooked sweat cakes out of acorn bread. He slathered a delicious syrup on them and whould leave them cooling out side of his tree. The smell drifted through the trees and it was always a celebration when he cooked them. He laughed as he handed them out his wife standing at his side smileing. They had no children but to them all kids where there children. Whenever we whould stop by he whould give us one or two of his cakes or even better when he whould let us help him make a big batch. We whould stir the pot the syrup bubbling as his wife Lilly whould add the secret ingrident to the mixture. The cakes whould be done and we whould spoon on the syrup. As they cooled he whould tell us a story about how he battled a thousand pirates to get the recipe but he had to burn it so the cakes whould not go into the wrong hands. I never learned the secret ingrident and now I never whould. His face was cold nothing of his old self left. A large gash came down his face and across his stomach. I could see his guts falling out like raw sasuages that he whould cook to perfection. Hot wet tears pourd down my face as I stumbled across the room face after face of people I knew and loved. People I saw every day for a 100 years gone just like that no warning no legacy just gone. I dropped to my knees my hands in my face my knees covred in blood. There where people hanging from the celing there bodies held up by giant metal spikes. “Oh God oh god please don’t let this be true please let me be dreaming let me be asleep and find this is only a nightmare” I stammer as I slowly open my eyes takeing my hands away. I stare face to face with a child. At least half of it the other half lay somewhere else. It was the head it’s open eyes stared at me a expression of horror on its face. I could see in the distance a alter. Remebering my quest I staggred towards it determined to get there I needed to aveange them. Faces so many faces that I can’t tell them to you so many friends I grew up yet, kids I played with, then I stumbled apon Saria’s parents. They where tossed limply on a pile of more dead. The man had a single arrow threw his head. His name was Eric I remember when I had to ask his permission. He told me “If you ever hurt my girl I will take my sword and make it verey hard for you to find another”. The woman had her throat slit open and her cloths where tore off. “Saria” I whispered.

I finnaly made it to the blood stained alter. Its golden etched figures looked like men burning in hell. The blood splattered on it resembling flickering flames. The alter was a complex dark red wood box with a intricet patern of symbols we never understood on the out side. On top of the box was a gold plate with the words “Peace shall rain washing away the corruption and the Hatred all shall be washed clean” I laughed at those words. “Right now there seems to be no light” I said to my self as I grabed the heavy plate. I lifted it up the gold plate lifted easily. We had tried many times to open the box but to no avail. Inside the box was another box this one was made of steal it sat dully on the bottom of the box. I picked up the small metal box and opened it slowly. A deep smell of old paper blew into my face and I saw the source a pice of paper sat simply. My shakey had grasped the paper and dumbly unfolded it. In front of my eyes lay the way to the cave of wonders. It lay across the river. This paper was a map of the entire forst ourlined was the route to the cave of wonders. The ghost girl looked at me as I came down “Told you don’t go up there” she said looking at the ground. “Go child, leave this place go to where you belong with your family” I said. “Sir where my parents are I can’t follow” she said. “What do you mean” I asked the ghost girl he pale figure fadeing. “They are still alive some made it” she said a smile played on her face “What was that one girls name the pretty one who whould give me flowers I liked her” she said fading into nothing the tears gone as well. “I hope you find where you belong my friend” I said a tear rolled down my already wet cheek.

The king lived in Laprive. I had never been there before but I had heard stories. Stories of it being such a big city that they had to cut a whole mountain to build it. I heard its buildings soared up into the sky like stairs towards heaven. I heard the merchants sold every kind of fruit, vegetable or item one could ever need. I heard that the wall was so bit a giant whould have to stand on his toes to see over it. Well let me tell you it surpassed all of those in one mind blowing second. We got onto the main road near the city. It was on a plain like most but in the far distantce you could see the mountains and the other way you could see the great sea. Our backs to the mountains we approached the city. The path was well made and verey wide. The city had a large trench the size of a city in its own right spanning it. It had only 3 exits. Ours was the west exit, a giant door stood in our way its heavy doors stared down at us. The path was busy with caravans and travelers alike surging in. Our horses todded fast into the city and entred the main market. Alegred turned towards me “We’d be needing a place to put our horses”. Borrow looked at me and said “I’ll go and find us a stable”. We got off our horses and began to walk towards the inner castle. The bazzars smells where unbarible though. As we walked I noticed that there was thousands of food stands, some sold fish of every species, others sold a rainbow of fruits, yet others sold meaty slices of beef. Mitos stopped at a meat stand and stared amazed at a big leg from a cow and said “I didn’t even know they had cows that big” his eyes stared hungeirly at the leg his large mouth opend wide. “Common you big lug we don’t have time for this” Alegred said pushing him on. Sidrick turned towards Alegred “The head chapel for the curch of the iron fist his here might we go see our brothers” Sidrick asked. “Well okay just um…” he paused “We’ll meet (He pulled out a map of the city he had on him) here” he said pointing one of his fatty fingers at a large fountain. Its called the fountain of sorrow. With that Sidrick and his clancky armour walked off with Mitos to go see there brothers. We walked a bit getting into the more urban settlement. We walked in lanes now not through millions of shops each one yelling at you there wares. The hourses all looked identacil but I noticed something. There was several big towers five infact. “What are those” I asked Alegred. “That be the five guild towers” Alegred said “Magic, Faith, Combat, Archery and well I don’t know what the last ones fore”. Elacron looked at it and said “It was the rouge guild but uhm rouges don’t do one spot where a lot of angery villigers can burn them down. No now the rouges have a secret guild.” He said calmly hood pulled back his eyes darting but a smile on his face. “You love this place don’t you” I said to the man. “That I do this is where my old party and I met” he said his eyes gleaming as if in some far off place “We travled together and fought many a deadly foes. I owe my life to one in particular” he said. “Well hopefully we can carve our own history” I said my eyes thinking about the starie dragon. “Hopefully we will” Alegred said.

It was dark and I needed sleep. I slowly walked out of the temple and down the dark stairs. Lionday looked at me and immediately tried to confort me. “Lion…….I’m sorry I shouldn’t have come here” I said. It looked at me and he nudged me “Lion its just I lost everything I cared about…” I looked down at him he wore a pendant with a tusk on its string. On it was carved Lionday. It was his mothers tusk I found her dead and Lionday alive. “Lion you lost your mother and your father” I said softly. The boar snorted and looked at the ground softly touching it “I know you never knew them but you still have me and I have you” I said it knodded its head. We slept on the steps looking at the stars.

The kings palace was a splendid place carved for beauty not for protection. Infact the whole place was barely fortified the walls where there more for gradeur than anything else. This carelessness wasn’t without reason the last real battle we had was almost 50 years ago. The place was a beautiful place with large open arches that supported the place and a large stone scene of a market was on top of the building. There was one arch that a few people where intering so we went throught that arch as well. Inside the building was several desk with men sitting at them they whould ask “Nature of your visit” then they’d show the person where to go. We where in a line to see the king It led to a fat man with a small pointed beared and greasy hair. His belle kept him a good couple of feet away from the table the large fatty ball shaked when he talked or moved or did anything really. It seemed to be constantly moveing to a beat that no one could remember. As we approached him the dwarf said “He’s gonna be a though mine”. Elacron looked at the man and said “I’ve delt with worse but Willim here will get us in right?” patting me on my back. I knodded and both laughed at how scared I was. We where up the man looked at us menacingly. I sat down in the wooden chair at the desk. It was hard and unmoveing just like the man I was talking to. “Yeeeesssss What do you want” The man said his pudgy fingers tapping the desk each one making a pernouced sound. “We want to see the king” I said regaing a little confidance. “And why whould you do that” he asked both eyes locked on mine. “We um….We belive that Orcs are playing an attack” I said. The man laughed “ORCS your BIG threat is ORCs, that’s funny right that’s real hilarious” he said his belle shaking vigorously in and out. “So can we go and…” I said then he cut me off with a “No”. I looked down helplessly. I heard a thunk and looked up and saw the fat man holding a pouch counting the money “Mhmmm Well orcs do lower propertie value and stuff like that” he said waveing us off. “That’s how you do it” Alegred said. “But how much money was that” I asked. “No idea however much the noble I picked it off of had” Elacron said happily. “And Badly at that” Elacron laughed. The king was behind a set of wooden doors. They where good wood and where light as we opened it into the kings waiting chamber. We gasped in horror at what we saw in side of there.

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.