by Wolf Golan
Alex turned to Max.
“Max, this is going to be dangerous.”
Max brushed her hair aside as he looked into her eyes and leaned towards her.
“Nothing is going to happen to me. If I don't do this, we'll never get home.”
He looked beyond her and saw the entire crew staring at him.
“He's right Alex. He's our last hope.” Ryan commented, “Because someone destroyed the DS.”
Horror shot across everyone's faces as they snapped their heads to Ryan. Max jerked his head up. It seemed the entire Riven Crew yelled at once:
“WHAT!”
“What the hell?” David said tensing his face in anger.
“Yeah, I went to it.” Ryan replied.
“You tried to turn it on didn't you?” Alex shot her finger at him. “You sneaky bastard! I knew you were going to do that!”
David lowered her hand and blocked her path to Ryan.
“Alex calm down,” David responded.
“Ryan what did you do!” Jenny yelled.
“Look I realized it was a bad mistake and I probably wouldn't have done it anyways okay?” Ryan said trying to reason with them.
“That doesn't count Ryan. It was a betrayal of us as a group for you to even attempt it!” Dallas yelled at him.
David stared at Dallas and turned back to Ryan.
“Ryan the girls are right, we're all in this together, whether we like it or not. For you to attempt something like that behind are backs is unacceptable and destructive tour plan.” David stated sternly.
“You DO want to leave this world don't you?” David pushed his point.
“Yes,” Ryan calmly replied.
“Good! Then you don't try anything like that again!” He said staring him down.
Ryan bent his head down in shame.
It was the first time Max and Alex and thee entire crew saw David angry.
“I'm sorry everyone!” Ryan pleaded.
The crew was quiet, and it seemed everyone accepted his apology.
“It was broken?” Max asked narrowing his eyes at Ryan.
“Yeah broken to bits,” Ryan replied. “…and it wasn’t me okay.”
The group turned from anger to concern. Some of them began rubbing their chins.
“It looks like this Rock is our only hope now.” David said.
“It’s supposed to turn liquid into any other liquid you want?” Ryan asked again.
“According to Legend, yeah,” Dallas replied.
“I don't believe in magic.” Ryan replied.
“I don't either Ryan, but it's our only hope now.” David replied. “There’s no other way to create the Fuel Cells.” David noticed everyone was tired and distraught. “There's nothing more we can do, let’s get some rest.”
David peered at everyone angrily.
“And whoever you are in this crew that destroyed the DS, I understand you felt it was the right thing to do, but again as I said to Ryan,” David bent his head forward to them and looked at everyone intensely to drive his point home.
“WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!” He screamed at them.
The crew fell quiet in shock.
David sneered at their faces for another moment before turning, buttoning his tunic, and storming away.
“… dismissed.” He said storming away.
They dispersed with looks of shock-they’ve never seen David that angry before, others were frustration, and disappointed.
Max and Alex vegetated for a few moments in their seats trying to digest the event. Alex crossed her arms and Max sat by her downcast.
“Damn the Distress Signal is destroyed.” Max said shaking his head.
“Any idea who did it?” Alex turned to him.
“No, do you?” Max replied looking back at her.
“No,” Alex shook her head.
Queen Ainera came up unexpectedly.
“Max, we leave in the morning?”
Max and Alex fumbled up and bowed their heads.
“Yes Your Highness.” He replied.
She acknowledged it with a cordial smile and walked away.
Alex turned to him.
“So you're going to see the elves? I'm so jealous!”
###
Max had moved back into the bed chambers with Alex the day before, they had made up after the ball. He started back but stopped at the kitchen. He went in and was met by the kitchen staff. They gave him food, and he started packing it as rations for the trip with the Queen.
He thanked them and left. He arrived at the bedchambers and came through the door.
He entered to see Alex sowing.
“Alex?” Max asked putting his bag of food down.
“Mmm?” She answered pulling the needle back out of her jacket.
“Come, let's go out.” He extended his hand.
“We only have an hour left of light.”
She stared up at him through her sowing glasses and slowly cracked a smile, setting her jacket aside and taking his hand.
They took a praides from the stables into the forest.
Max galloped it along a trail and soon reached the coast. They rode along a narrow pathway under the rain clouds with Alex holding onto him. Max's boots hit the side of the praides as it galloped faster. He had on only a grey tunic and Alex a loose tank top. When they got back to the room at nightfall, they were shivering.
Max wasted no time, ravished her, and they made love into the night.
Max got up the next morning and grabbed his bag and his gun.
He checked everything and felt he was ready to leave. He turned back to the bed to see Alex barely opening her eyes. He bend down, hugged and kissed her.
“Bye honey.” Max whispered.
“Be safe and watch the Queen,” Alex said drowsily.
“I will,” he quietly replied.
He kissed her on her forehead one more time and kissed her on the lips, rested his head against hers for a minute before starting up and going out.
“Bye, I love you.” She replied.
“Bye love you too.” Max said quietly closing the door.
Chapter 23
Max met Queen Ainera at the bottom of the Grand Staircase.
She stood before a caravan of Knights surrounding a waiting carriage. She smiled at Max in pride before turning to step into her carriage.
“Let’s go,” she said to a nearby Assistant. He bowed, closed her door, and yelled a command to the driver. The carriage began moving and the Knights followed behind on horseback.
A Knight walked a praides to Max and gave it to him.
The caravan started down the main street toward the city gates and the crowds gathered to wish her goodbye and waved.
The Queen’s gloved-hand could be seen waving at them back from the carriage window. Max rode behind the carriage.
When they exited the city, they took a southeast road across the croplands to the forest.
Max rode six lines behind Queen Ainera's carriage, as the caravan slowly crossed the great croplands.
They soon entered the South Densmere Forest and rode through the forest all day. The journey went quietly and calm, with only wagons and peasants passing them occasionally.
When it got dark they made camp by the side of the road. The Knights pitched a large tent and a cook was brought along to make dinner, as the Knights would then stand guard. Max was ordered to sit and do nothing, but he felt he saw himself as one of her guards.
In the evening, when the cook was finished with dinner. Queen Ainera came out of her tent with a simple woman's tunic and sat down to her table by the fire. The cook brought her an entre and she started eating, gesturing Max over to join.
After they quietly finished dinner, Ainera picked her teeth with a stick and drank tea with Max. Queen Ainera turned to Max to explain the situation a little more.
“The Raidins helped us design our first armor.” She explain.
Max nodded with interest over his tea.
“Th
ey are also our strongest ally in Chandeera. They’re great healers as well.”
Max frowned in astonishment, nodding.
“But this is not why we need to renew the Alliance,” Queen Ainera said. “We have to stand together against Kraakon, because he will launch an attack on all Chandeera soon.”
“Yes my Queen,” Max bowed.
Max took another drink of his tea and so did the Queen. They resumed staring at the flames. The evening went by slowly, and they soon retired and slept into the night.
Early the next morning, the Knights broke camp before Max even woke up. He opened his eyes to see the caravan ready and the tent and table packed. Max nodded and joined them. The caravan continued through the day and Max was given point a few times. He held the hilt of his sword and scanned the outlaying foliage and trees the best he could, as the caravan slowly followed him.
Soon Max’s responsibilities of taking Point got easy, as they entered the South Valley. Its wide-open stretches of grassy plains made it very easy to spot an oncoming enemy. It soon got dark again and they set-up camp again. This time the camp was below a hill, to block the winds.
Early the next morning, the Knights broke camp again before Max woke up. They continued and soon traversed the valley started into Werzuck Forest. The enchanted Forest Kingdom of the Raidins lied before them with its tall trees and mysterious overtone.
As they entered, the trees seemed they dwindled into the sky and the air got damp and wet. Max figured it was the coastal air that swept through the entire forest.
The shriek of a hawk sounded. Everyone looked up and saw the winged creature flying above the trees. Max looked back at Queen Ainera who was now riding a praides outside her carriage. She wants to enjoy the sights. Max walked back to her.
“Your Highness, you should be inside your carriage, it may not be safe.” Max said.
“I wish to be outside. I shall be fine Maxwell.” She said smiling at him.
Max couldn't help but to smile back, but he was still nervous for her. He galloped back to the front and resumed his post.
He heard something hit a brush in the trees. The rest of the caravan stood to attention and some Knights grabbed the hilts of their swords.
Max slowly and quietly halted his horse, so the Queen could catch up to him and he could talk to her.
“Are we now in Raidin Kingdom my Queen?” Max whispered.
“Yes.” She said looking about the forest.
Max took out his goggles and held them to his eyes and a thermograph appeared. He saw no heat signatures of anything living, but perhaps small dots that represented birds.
He took them off.
The caravan continued quietly and cautiously.
The Queen held her hand up and everyone stopped. She looked ahead concerned. She senses something, Max thought.
He put the goggles back on and saw the heat signature of hundreds of Raidins climbing trees, hiding behind stumps, walking forward and hiding behind bushes, and some lowering themselves from ropes.
“JEEZ! WHOA!” He yelled out, shook from fright, and almost fell off his horse. The Praides neighed.
The Knights got startled and some unsheathed their swords.
“Quiet Max!” Queen Ainera commanded.
Max nodded back to her and calmed himself.
“They’re everywhere!” Max yelled back at them quietly.
She nodded, irritated by his noise.
She turned to the forest and called out:
“Queen Ainera digaik baa! Ukgehglorok!” She yelled.
A deathly silence followed.
Max only heard distant rustling of leaves.
The forest came alive with Raidins emerging from behind trees, bushes, and others lowered themselves from tree branches with spears pointing at the caravan.
“Put your swords away!” Queen Ainera ordered her Knights.
They slowly and fearfully sheathed their swords.
A Raidin came up with a blue cloth around his mouth.
He lowered it to reveal a clean, almost glowing face with pointy ears and shoulder length wavy hair. He eyed them up and down.
“I am Frayor, First Knight of General Tywor's Army.” He said sternly, expressionless.
“What is it you seek here?”
“I am Queen Ainera Redoren of Densmere Kingdom and I seek an audience with your Queen in Trelindria.” She answered.
Pray ‘or continued to eye them up and down.
“You may proceed. This trail will take you all the way. Do not stray or you will be doomed. The forest has grown hostile to outsiders, because of the Groargon War.”
“I understand, thank you First Knight Frayor. Good day to you.” Queen Ainera said to him. He gently bowed, stepped back, and gestured the Raidins off, as he disappeared into the forest and they followed.
Max looked at the Queen and she gestured for him on.
The caravan started moving again.
They continued without incident and some hours had passed. The trail got narrower, but the Queen's ride went well, until they came upon a small bridge. Max suggested the Queen leave her carriage, and so she did.
Max saw the mouth of a trail, as it disappeared deep into the forest. Max stayed on his path like the Raidins commanded. He looked down and saw a damp trail covered with wet woodchips and long-dead weeds. The wet dirt gave a strong smell of earth. He looked up and saw trees rising into the sky hundreds of meters, creating sky domes of green throughout the forest.
The forest was too quiet.
He thought Raidins could be hiding all over in the hundreds like they did, but he remembered that they kept their word, much like his Native American people back on earth-the traditional ones at least. If Frayor said they were good, then they were good. The Queen told Max their territories were one of the most feared in Chandeera, and most guarded.
Max rested his hand on the edge of his hilt, bored. Traversing the wet ground on the trail was still to be taken seriously, but he was still getting bored.
The trail started upwards with man-made steps, so they started up. It got slippery and steep in some areas, but the Queen managed to make it up fine. They reached a small glade at the top and crossed it, only to start into another forest. The trail got narrower and steep again with thirty-foot drops, Max got nervous for the Queen. He kept looking back to check on her, even though they traversed the wet trail for hours, he was still worried.
She managed fine and his check-ups got less and less frequent.
The path soon got wider and less damp. Max was relieved.
He saw smoke rising on a hillside up ahead and knew it was the chimneys of Raidin homes. They began to pass forest homes scattered along the trail. The houses were covered with vegetation and had ladders to the roofs. Max saw some of them looking down, as they passed. Their homes were barely visible.
Up ahead was a mysterious giant wall of foliage with an opening, Max sensed it was the entrance, they had reached Trelindria.
They neared the opening and Max could see parts of the castle through the natural entrance. Max looked back at Queen Ainera.
She smiled and glowed.
“We’re here.” She dismounted her horse. Max dismounted too.
She walked up to Max's side.
“Let's go.” She continued forward past him with no hesitation. He followed along with the Knights. They walked through the foliage door until they came to its mouth and stood before one of the grandest sights Max had ever seen in all the worlds he visited.
Trelindria.
The mammoth castle was as mountainous as Densmere, as it jetted into the clouds with its many towers. It had an unnatural luminosity about it, the most enchanting castle Max had ever seen in Chandeera and all the worlds he visited.
It was carved from a mountaintop and stood as an island surrounded by a giant canyon, dropping hundreds of feet to a dark pit. It was intimidating and magical at the same time.
“Wow!” Max said wide-eyed.
“Yes, it t
ruly is magnificent.” Queen Ainera said staring at it.
The Knight Guards stood impressed as well.
A giant stone bridge lead from the cliff the stood upon to the palace entrance across the great canyon. Queen Ainera wasted no time and started across the scary bridge. Some of the Knight Guards looked at each other in fright before hesitantly following the Queen.
Max snapped out of his wonder and followed the Queen too. The stone bridge stretched a half-mile long with only thin a half-dozen rock towers supporting it across the giant gorge.
He didn’t want to, but Max couldn’t help peeking over: it was a dark pit but if one looked long enough, a river appeared a mile or so below.
“Come!” Ainera waved at Max.
She startled him, but he continued after her.
The rock towers of the castle began to envelop them, as they neared the entrance.
Queen Ainera reached the entrance.
A giant door towering at the forty feet stood before them, menacingly. It let out a huge screech as it slowly opened. Max and a couple of Knights drew their swords in fright. Queen Ainera stepped back startled for a moment before calming, as she turned and ordered them to calm down as well.
“Put your weapons away.” She said.
They sheathed their swords again.
She walked in fearlessly.
Again, Max and Knight Guards followed hesitantly.
They walked into the darkness… hoping they wouldn’t be killed or captured.
Max came into a giant domed-hall of smooth stone giving off unique colors. The colors showed through lighting effects made from the high sconces on the walls. It was a cave of wonder and Max spun himself a few times slowly, admiring it.
The cave ceiling soon gave way and began to stretch farther and farther up, until they saw walkways high above. Raidins were seen walking across them as well as on other walkways to the side too.
Queen Ainera continued down the hall, leading her caravan.
She was soon met with a stern Raidin Soldier who walked up to meet her.
“I'm looking for your Queen.” Queen Ainera said.
“I am to meet her.”
The Raidin silently stared at her and then glanced at Max and the rest, before gesturing behind to the end of the Hall.
“Thank you.” Queen Ainera replied.