by K. M. Bonde
“I suppose,” Arddun replies. “But what else can they do?”
After several hours, they sit down on the steps to the Great Hall where the throne room is located. As she sits down, a memory from the night before comes back.
“Did I find it? Yes ma’am, but it’s warm, burning.” Gorby’s voice replays in Elora’s head.
“Could it be?” she murmurs to herself.
“What?” asks Arddun.
“We need to find Gorby!” Elora jumps to her feet and takes off, Arddun following her.
They look everywhere and ask everyone they meet, and after about an hour, they have managed to locate Gorby. He sits near a hut on the far reaches of the city, playing with stones. He behaves much like a child.
Elora sits down next to him, playing with some of the stones too. It reminds her of when she used to babysit in the other world, and she smiles a little. “Hi Gorby,” she says, keeping her voice light. “Could you please tell me where you saw that shiny thing you told me about yesterday?”
Gorby lights up with Elora's questioning. “Ah ma’am, it's you! I missed you! You were nice to Gorby. I play nicely with stone. You want to play stone game with Gorby?”
Elora shakes her head and puts the stones down. “Please tell me about the shiny thing. I believe you.”
Gorby shakes his head, covering his face with his hands. “I should not, poor me! I went back to place, poor horsey, poor horsey.” He looks up at Elora with tears in his eyes. “You know that horsey died, right? Poor horsey.” Gorby continues to sob.
The Elder looks at him and finally says, “He must be talking about that horse that went down that old mine shaft. Gorby fell there when playing, and when he came back up, he was not himself anymore. We had to close that mine for safety reasons. We now call it the Horse Mountain Mine; it’s at the far end of the city. No one really goes there anymore. It used to be a valuable source of silver, but since the incident, we have not been able to mine it.”
Elora puts a hand on Gorby’s shoulder, and he stops sobbing, just sniffling now. “Thank you, Gorby,” she says. “If you ever need help, please come find me.”
Gorby hugs Elora before she stands up, and she smiles. Then, she turns to the Elder. “Please show me where this mine is.”
The Elder escorts Elora and Arddun toward the lower far end of the city, deeper toward the mountain behind the houses. Soon, they arrive at a barricade, and the Elder helps Elora move it so they can enter. Inside, there’s a big hole in the ground.
“Careful,” the Elder warns. “Don’t want to fall down like Gorby.”
They walk past it and Elora looks down, she cannot see the bottom.
Beyond the hole is a cave opening, and the Elder speaks to Elora again. “This tunnel goes deep inside the mountain, and eventually, it leads down to the bottom of that hole we just passed.”
Elora looks at Arddun and smiles a little. “Once again, I need to do this by myself. You should go and gather the rest of the party. Bring them here and wait for me.”
“Be careful, Elora,” Arddun says before leaving.
The Elder sits down at the cave opening. “I will wait for you here,” he says.
Elora nods, then takes her first careful steps into the mystical Horse Mountain Mine.
Chapter 45: The Giant
For being such a desolate place with barren caves and mines, nothing but rocks and sand, Elora is quite amazed to see bushes growing in this cave. There must be water nearby or something that makes these bushes grow. She continues deeper into the cave, and soon the path leads her downwards. It spirals down and down, deeper into the mountain.
Glowing portions of the wall starts to emerge, and Elora recognizes it as fire from within the mountain itself. A lot like the other cave I was in, she thinks. She can feel that the fire is drawn to her, almost sensing her domination over it. Elora feels powerful again, and for some reason, the fire’s power excites her. She’d never been particularly fond of fire before.
She continues the slope down and soon stands before another barricade. Elora uses her power, reaching out with her hand and breaking the barricade with her will. The barricade explodes into what seems like a thousand pieces, and the shattered pieces land all around Elora. The pieces that touch her burn up instantly, their ashes falling to the ground.
Elora walks into the next tunnel and makes her way to another chamber. It’s the bottom of the hole she saw earlier before entering the cave. The room is almost perfectly cylindrical and has a pile of dirt, branches, and wood in the middle. Looks like someone has been throwing garbage down here, she thinks.
What’s is up with these cylindrical rooms, anyway? How could they form like this? She passes the pile on the floor and notices some bones sticking out. Upon closer examination, she sees a horse’s skull. Poor horse, she thinks. Falling toward certain death must have been awful. How did Gorby survive? Instead of pondering his miraculous survival, she continues her journey deeper into the cave.
As she delves deeper, she notices that her skin becomes harder. She touches it and the fire is doing something to it. It’s formed a protective shell around Elora, almost like a ward, and she smiles. My body is protecting me even without actively using magic? I must be getting stronger. The fire I absorbed from the other cave is doing something to my body. She also feels a deeper connection with the Stream; everything around her feels more alive and everything she sees, hears, and feels is more intense. She sees fire rushing along the walls, almost as if it tries to play with her, and as her skin continues to harden, she hears it crackling.
As she walks, she tries the trick Arddun taught her about trying two different magics in her hands. She creates a small fire in one hand and a large ice ball in her other hand without much effort. Elora grins. Arddun is going to be so proud of me.
She walks down another slope that spiral downward. At the bottom of this path, she turns toward anther tunnel, letting her instincts guide her. The heat is crazy, and Elora is starting to sweat through her protective magic. She walks into another large room—cylindrical, of course—and then...
The floor begins to shake, and the room begins to rumble. Elora backs off a little, and from the big rock pile in the middle of the room, a large rock giant stands up. It glares at Elora with red eyes.
His eyes are like fire itself and his veins are burning fire. On his chest there is one stone glowing more red than anything else Elora has ever seen. That’s the stone, she thinks. It must be Morg'hue, the Ancient One.
He stomps his foot, sending another rumbling echo through the cavern. “Who are you to dare awaken me from my slumber?”
Elora steps forward, not afraid nor hesitant. “I am Elora, rightful queen of these lands and heir to the throne. I am here for my legacy, the stone of fire.”
The giant cackles. “You think you are worthy just because you are the king's daughter?”
“No,” Elora says quickly. “I know I’m worthy because I am of fire and fire is with me.”
The rock giant stops laughing, squinting at Elora. “I see... the fire has been tamed and it lives within you. I also feel water within you. Pesky water can ruin a perfectly hot day.”
Morg’hue walks up to Elora and bends his head down toward her. His breath is hot on her when he speaks. “You still need to be tested, my child. You think you can beat me?”
Elora raises her staff and points at him, “Don't be too sure about yourself. The Stream is watching.”
The giant laughs some more, amused by her taunt. “Excellent. You are strong my child, stronger than the puny humans that have ventured down here before, even that one dressed in black that ran off as I pummeled him with my fists.”
Elora tilts her head, meeting Morg’hue’s red eyes. “A dark one, here?”
The giant stands up straight. “Dark or light, it makes no difference to me. Only the Chosen One can defeat me and release me to the Stream once more.”
Elora walks up to him and lets herself float up in the air so
she hovers right before his face. “I am not going to fight you Morg'hue, I am here to save you,” she says and touches his face.
They are engulfed in fire, and the giant holds out his hand so Elora can stand on it. “What is the stone and why do you need it?”
Elora can feel the knowledge from the dragon soar through her mind like silk upon the wind. Her eyes turn red as fire, and she speaks with great power. “It’s part of a greater power that only I can make whole. That power is the link to make the lands what they once were.”
Elora closes her eyes and connects with the giant through the Stream, and Morg’hue roars as he drifts away in the Stream. As the giant disappears, visions of chains, fire, snow, and her friends flash in her mind. When Elora opens her eyes, and she is by herself in the room, floating in mid-air, still engulfed in fire. Before Elora's eyes is the red stone, hovering and flashing red. Suddenly, it releases a beam of fire that penetrates Elora. The whole room lights up in red, and a powerful red beam pushes up through the ceiling and into the sky above.
* * *
Arddun stands up as she sees the beam and closes her eyes, focusing on the Stream. Drake, Eadric, Ryan, Elof, Felan and Kvenalon all stand behind Arddun, witnessing the miracle in the mountains. It is like music, a song that has not been played for a millennium and that finally tells the story about the Chosen One being back in the kingdom.
Arddun opens her eyes and smiles. “It’s Elora. She has the stone, and she has bested the Ancient One. I can feel her; she is more powerful now, a power I have not even felt in Master Alric.”
They all rejoice on hearing the good news and eagerly await Elora to come forth from the depths of the cave.
* * *
While their eyes are focused on the cave opening, another pair of eyes looks at the sky and horizon. Firestorm smiles as she watches the beam and power surging from the mountain in the distance, far away from Bor’lansh behind her.
My dear Elora, she thinks. I can feel you, and you are becoming more powerful each day. Perhaps you might even become a worthy adversary one day. Firestorm steps toward the portal she just opened, taking one last look at the mountains before disappearing.
Chapter 46: The Fire
When the red beam subsides, Elora smiles. “Three stones down,” she says, dropping the red stone into the pouch the oracle gave her. “Time to rejoin the others.” She takes one last look around the cavern before making her way back outside the Horse Mountain Mine.
When she steps outside, Elora’s party stare at her in awe. She grins. “I got the stone!” she calls to them.
Arddun shakes her head. “I can feel the power in you, Elora,” she says. “You aren’t just the Chosen One, nor just our queen, but something more. Mightier than the Elders, perhaps.”
Mightier than the Elders? Elora shakes her head gently. Is that possible? But she feels the tickle of power under her skin, and some part of her knows that what Arddun says is true.
“How did you beat Morg’hue?” asks Elof, axe lifted over his shoulder. “That was quite the light show!”
“You saw the beam, too?” Elora’s party nods at her, and she shrugs. “I talked to him. He knew who I was, and he returned to the Stream, giving me the stone. There was no fight.”
Elof frowns. “That’s kind of boring, isn’t it?”
“Oh, leave her alone!” Drake says, clapping the young queen on her shoulder. “She’s done well.”
“I would like to rest now,” Elora says. “And we will set out early in the morning for the city in the snow, Winterhaven.”
“I will go and spend some time with my friends in the village before tomorrow's adventure,” Elof says before taking his leave.
“Eadric, Kvenalon, come with us,” says Drake, motioning for them to follow their dwarven friend. “Wherever Elof goes, there’s food and ale. Let’s have a nice last night in the mountains.” The three men follow after Elof.
Ryan looks at Elora, and she sees the worry in his eyes. “How are you feeling? Was it difficult?”
She hugs him. “Even without a true fight, yes, it was, but it’s over now. The things I saw, heard, and felt down there were so intense. Whatever this power is, it’s growing, and it makes me more... aware.” She pulls away from Ryan and shrugs. “I hope that it will be enough to stop Grimdar one day. Even though I feel more powerful, I don't really feel powerful, if you know what I mean.”
Ryan kisses Elora softly, then grins down at her. “I’ve always felt your power, even in the other world. You can do anything you want! Don't forget why you are doing this.”
Elora smiles and does not want to let go of Ryan's sweet lips as she lingers in his arms. “Thank you,” she whispers.
“At least we can look forward to being away from the evil forces. The evil will not venture into the snowy lands, they don't like the cold,” Arddun says, cutting into the couple’s quiet moment. “Elora, may I have a moment of your time before we rest?
“Of course,” Elora says, knowing what Arddun wants. She pulls away from Ryan and takes a few steps toward her mentor.
The Elder grabs Ryan’s arm. “I'll bring Ryan to gather some supplies that you will surely need for the hazardous journey across the Frosty Plains.”
“See you back at the house, Elora!” Ryan calls over his shoulder as the Elder drags him away.
Felan looks at Elora worried and she hugs him, “Don't worry my friend, I'm fine. Go and get some rest, we have a long journey ahead of us. I’ll be back soon.”
Felan, seemingly okay with her words, snuggles his head in her hands and then runs off.
Arddun and Elora sit down on a rock, and Elora holds up her hands. Fire erupts from her hands, big pulsating pillars of fire reaching for the sky that cover the village with a blanket of red light.
Arddun looks between Elora and the flame. “Beautiful,” she murmurs. “You have grown stronger with fire.”
Elora smiles at her and whispers, “That’s not all.” Remembering Arddun’s teachings, and combining it with her new power and focus, she changes the element in her right hand to a pillar of ice. “See?”
Arddun jumps from her seat, her mouth wide open. “You did it!” she exclaims. “You can use two elements at once.”
Elora makes the fire and ice disappear and instead takes Arddun's hands. “I learned something more from the Stream as I had a vivid connection in the cave. It took me a few minutes to realize what it was showing me, but I can make you stronger, Arddun. You will need it in the upcoming journey.”
“What do you mean stronger?” the mage asks.
“Let me show you,” Elora says. She takes Arddun's hands and closes her eyes, focusing on the inner most parts of Arddun. Elora feels the power inside Arddun, but it’s held back by chains, the ones in her visions. They’re invisible walls that Arddun has not been able to overcome.
Reaching out, Elora breaks the chains as she pushes her own power through Arddun's body. Dormant fire powers in Arddun come alive, and at first, she screams as her new power floods through her, and then she weeps with joy.
“I didn’t think it was possible,” Arddun breathes, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Thank you, Elora.”
They smile at each other and hold out their hands, creating enormous fire pillars reaching to the stars above.
After the fire cools down and they are done playing with magic, Elora asks Arddun in a more serious tone, “I have meant to ask you, but never found a good time to do so. I have been so focused on the mission and Ryan and learning magic. I never got a chance to get to know more about you. Where do you come from? What do the markings on your arms mean?”
Arddun looks at Elora and smiles. “I grew up with the elves and learned a lot of their ways,” she says proudly. “This is part of my family's mark, they are of the tree elves. They adore and protect anything in nature, from the smallest animals to the fauna we see growing around us.”
Elora listens with curiosity as Arddun continues. “I left when they realized that I was
a magic wielder and thought it was better if I studied under an Elder that could teach me everything I needed to know.”
Elora looks at Arddun and carefully says, “but you are not an elf, right?” Elora asks, trying to examine Arddun carefully.
“No, I am not.” She laughs and gestures around her ears. “No pointy ears here.”
Elora feels stupid asking the question, but Arddun continues, unbothered. “I lost my family right after I was born, and the elves took me in and raised me as one of their own. I never knew anything else, not even who my parents were.”
“That’s so sad, I’m sorry to hear it,” Elora says quietly.
Arddun quickly brushes it off. “Don't be, I am not, not anymore at least. I was fine where I was and had a loving family, even if they were not my blood.”
Elora nods, thinking about the recent revelation that Catherine and Bruce, the two she always knew as Mom and Dad, weren’t her birth parents. Does that matter so much if you have a loving home? Not wanting to dwell on the past, Elora looks at the markings on Arddun's arm and asks, “Was there not an Elder among the elves you could learn from? Why Alric?”
Arddun nods. “There was indeed an Elder among the tree elves, but he arranged so I could study with Alric. You see, the Elder elf is a nature-based magic wielder, and I am not. I cannot perform summonings or other earth-based magics, my forte is within the frontal assault magic school. Fire, mostly, as you have seen, and wards of all kinds. The Elder elf thought I would be better off with an Elder with knowledge in the same area as mine. It has worked out fine, and now I have you.”
Elora smiles shyly. “What could I possibly teach you? You’re the one teaching me about magic.”
Arddun’s face turns serious, and she shakes her head. “Elora, you have already surpassed me, and now you have given me new strength. Soon you will be able to train me and many more adepts to join your ranks. It’s been an honor to help you get this far, but there is a lot I can learn from you too.”
Me? Teaching Arddun, and adepts after that? Elora shrugs and smiles at Arddun, not sure what to say. I don’t know how to teach anyone anything here, let alone magic. But she decides it’s not worth discussing right now. After a few moments of silent reflection, Elora and Arddun stand up.