by K. M. Bonde
“I think it’s time to get some rest,” Elora says, yawning.
“Let’s go back to the house.”
Arddun and Elora make their way back to the house the party is using while in Dal'Mora. The stars are high in the sky and night has come, blanketing the village in starlight. The village is lit up by many candles, and Elora smiles. It’s quite a sight. There are fires burning a little here and there, glowing in the night and warming the warriors standing around. When they reach the house, they realize they’re first. No one else has made it back yet.
Elora sighs. “Poor Ryan, first he was stuck with Elof and now the Elder. I hope he is okay.”
Arddun chuckles. “I’m sure he’s just fine,” she says. “Now, let’s have dinner and go to bed.”
***
The Elder brought Ryan to a storehouse, where he’s now picking out a wardrobe for the next day's journey. There are warm, thick clothes and shoes in various colors and sizes. He picks out a bunch of items, doing his best to guess everyone’s size and color preferences. “Can I leave it here and pick it up tomorrow after we are ready to leave? The whole party will need to come and get their new clothes, I can’t carry all of this.”
“Make sure to remember to pick it up tomorrow as without these clothes you and your friends will surely freeze to death in the plains,” the Elder says.
“I'll promise, we'll pick it up. Trust me, I don’t want to freeze!” He chuckles, but the Elder simply gives him a funny look. “Ok, well, we’ll be back. Thank you!”
Ryan leaves the storehouse and heads toward the house, sighing. Finally going to be able to sleep, he thinks. I just hope the others aren’t drinking too much.
***
“I’ll see you all tomorrow!” Elof calls over his shoulder as he follows a lady friend back inside.
Drake cackles, though Kvenalon blushes as they walk through the streets in the night and look up at the stars.
Eadric chuckles. “Typical Elof,” he says., “I wonder how Myrna and Remus are doing, I hope they’re okay.”
Drake puts his hand on Eadric's shoulder and squeezes. “You’ll see them soon again, don't worry! Based on what you told me about Myrna, she can take care of herself.”
Eadric looks to the stars and smiles. “You’re right. She is strong that one.”
Soon, they arrive at the door. The night is not waiting patiently; soon morning will come to take the night away and the journey will continue.
Chapter 47: The Surprise
In a narrow tunnel, deep beneath the streets of Bor'lansh, a dark figure walks silently. Nevrik sighs in frustration. He was never able to leave as the Dark Forces closed in on the city. His plan to get to Elora at the tower sunk pretty much at the news that the Azurghoul was on its way to her. Nevrik has been biding his time down in these tunnels and preparing a way to escape. “But soon, I can reach the coast and get away on a boat, far away from this kingdom where no one can find me,” he mutters.
Nevrik walks back into his old lab, now cleaned up and befitting for a wizard. He looks at some maps, plotting his upcoming travels, and gathers some equipment when he suddenly hears a sound behind him. Someone is there, he thinks as he turns around quickly and shoots several fireballs toward the entrance.
A dark, hooded person is leaning against the doorway and as the fireballs hit, they just shrug it off, almost like they’ve absorbed the fire. When the intruder lifts a hand, Nevrik suddenly floats above the ground, choking as the force tightens around his neck.
“Who are you?” he manages to choke out.
The mysterious person releases him on the floor and removes their hood, revealing the intruder is none other than Firestorm. “Pathetic,” she sneers. “Is that all you have to throw at me? I have no idea how you could kill the general.”
She walks in and looks at him on the floor, her hands glowing with fire and lightning. Nevrik bows his head. “Please, merciful one! I did not know it was you.”
Firestorm kicks him in the stomach as he lays on the floor. “Silence! You don't dare try to speak to me. You are lucky that I found you and not my father. He would have ripped you into a thousand pieces and fed you to the dogs by now.”
Sitting down in a chair, Firestorm puts her feet on the table. “Tell me Nevrik, was it always in your mind to go against my father? Or just after you lost the dagger and realized that you would be punished?
Nevrik gets up on his knees in front of her, his head still dropping. “I promise you, I never meant for any of this to happen.”
Firestorm stands up and touches his head, “I know, your poor thing. You didn’t mean to lose the dagger and kill the general and then try to escape my father's wrath. Now... my father does not need to know about this meeting... unless you want to meet him?
Nevrik shakes his head.
“Good, then we understand each other. I have another task for you, a way for you to redeem yourself,” Firestorm says, her voice dark.
Nevrik lights up at this turn of events even knowing this is his last chance to redeem himself.
Firestorm continues, “You still have a role to play in the events yet to unfold. There are things at the horizon that not even my father knows about. I am destined to meet Elora on the battlefield, and when that happens I want to make sure that she is, well... weakened. I need you to go to Winterhaven and inflict a certain curse on our dear wannabe queen.”
She circles around, head held high, and smirks. “I would have gone myself if not for the nasty cold up there. I am more of a... beach girl. Do you understand what must be done?
Nevrik nods eagerly like a dog that’s just heard he can go out for a walk.
“Make sure that this powder enters her bloodstream, one way or the other,” Firestorm says, throwing a pouch on the ground in front of Nevrik. “If you do this, I will talk to my father about letting you suffer no more from his wrath.”
Nevrik stands up and takes the pouch. “I will do as you say. I'll get her this time. What about the dagger?”
Firestorm looks at him and shakes her head. “Forget about the dagger, that is just something my father has got all wrong. He’s obsessed with all those fairy tales and myths,” she says, rolling her eyes. “So what if this dagger is powerful? She will never be able to get close to me or my father, so she will never be able to use her dagger on a battlefield.”
Firestorm opens a portal and walks toward it, she looks back at Nevrik, her red eyes piercing. “Do not fail me, I am not the forgiving type, and I can do things to you that not even my father can do, pain, more pain than you could ever imagine. Oh, and stay away from any Dark Forces as they still want to bring your body to my father, dead or alive.”
Nevrik bows to her as she disappears into the portal. Alone again, the wizard sinks into the chair previously occupied by Firestorm. He sighs before straightening his shoulders, then he walks over to his maps.
“Now,” he mutters, examining the map, “how to get to Winterhaven before Elora and her party?” First, he must make it past those pesky dwarves in the mountain. “That will take a lot of time and effort. I’ll figure the rest out after that.”
He mindlessly goes through a bunch of papers and scrolls on his table, putting more supplies into a backpack. He leaves the dungeon and walks through the city, picking up food and water from one merchant, warm clothes from another, and finally, rope and a pick axe from the last merchant he stops at before leaving the city.
He marches toward the tower and continuously works on his plan, thinking about all the possibilities this opens. “Don’t mess up this time, Nevrik.”
Chapter 48: The Snow
“Our Queen! Our heroes!” shouts the crowd in front of Elora and her friends. Elora smiles at the people gathered to greet her and her companions. Everyone wants to see her before she leaves, and she’s still trying to get used to all the attention she attracts in this world. Ryan puts a hand on her lower back, and she sighs happily.
The Elder comes up and speaks to her. “Well me
t, Elora. The citizens know the perils that await your party up in the Frosty Plains. The few that have ventured beyond the warmth of the mines have not always come back. They are all here to wish you a safe journey.” Then, he hands her a piece of paper. “Please bring this to the Elder in Winterhaven.”
Elora looks at it. It reads, “Nadine, please take good care of our beloved queen and make sure she is safe. Ensure that she finds what she is looking for. The war is coming, and we must be prepared. I'll work with Alric to gather the wizards for her council. Take care, Jorgard.”
Elora looks at him. “I did not know your name before.”
Jorgard lowers his voice before speaking. “No one ever uses my name anymore, they always call me the Elder. I don’t have much reason to use it here.”
Elora nods and tucks the note into the pocket of the new pants Ryan picked out for her. “Well, thank you. I'll deliver the message for you.”
The people of the city come up in groups, handing the party food and beverages to go with them on the long journey. It is all packed perfectly to save space, and Elora smiles. Everyone here is so kind and thoughtful. Her party shake hands and hug those who have come to see them off.
“I'll come with you through the mines, at least to the exit but no further,” the Elder says, pointing toward their path. “My bones are not what they used to be, and the cold is not good for me.”
Elora smiles at him. “That’s kind of you. I'm looking forward to seeing the mines. I have heard stories about them, and there are supposed to be great halls in the mountain.”
“There are,” says the Elder, smiling proudly. “Gather your items so we can leave at once.”
Theo comes by and gives them the armors he made.
“Is that for me?” she asks breathlessly when he holds up the gift. It’s shiny, flexible metal, and it has the royal sign emblazoned on the chest: a beam of light.
“It is, my Queen,” Theo says. “Let me help you.”
After Theo helps Elora with her armor, she smiles. “Thank you so much for the nice gifts. I’m sure they will keep us safe.” She turns to the rest of her party. “Let’s grab the last few things from the house and head out. We have a long journey.”
A little later, the whole party stands at the entrance to the main mine. Now, everyone is wearing their warm sweaters and coats on top of their new armor, protecting them from both the chilly weather and any potential enemies.
Everyone looks at Drake as he starts laughing hysterically. Elora smiles and asks, “What’s so funny?”
He can't stop laughing and is only pointing toward the road coming up from the city. Trudging up the hill is Elof with his axe and furry clothes that nearly engulf him. It is amazing that he can see anything through the clothes. He is completely bundled up and looks like a round furry ball wobbling up the road.
“Contain yourself, Drake, please!” Elora says, but she’s trying to hide her own smile. It’s hard not to laugh when others are having such fun.
Elof reaches the party and asks, “What?”
Drake looks the other way and starts walking into the mine. “Nothing, my furry friend. Shall we go, then?”
Elof trudges after Drake, mumbling something about how pirates, thieves, and elves are all the same.
The mine is grandiose, and the party is greeted by a great hall with pillars holding up the room and fires and candles burning to give light and warmth. The Elder leads them up one of the many enormous staircases in this large room. Elora walks up slowly on one side, holding the railing, each step echoing forebodingly in the dark. She looks around in awe.
Who would have believed this from the outside? Elora thinks, taking in the amazing architecture. The pillars are higher than large trees and wider than a house!
As the Elder leads them, he tells them more about the place. “This room was carved out a long time ago by our ancestors, and it is the foundation of our wealth. From here, there are paths all through the mountain from where we mine the precious metal that the kingdom needs.”
While listening to the Elder, Elora is making sure that she has everything with her. Her daggers are there in her belt, her sword is packed away on her back, and the pouch with the stones are secure in her bag. She carries her staff, letting the blue stone shine in the great hall, and it makes the hall look even more grand.
Soon, they enter a smaller tunnel, and it’s a lot more cramped there. One by one they walk through; anything more and they would get stuck. On the other side. there is another staircase, a large one, but not as grand as the previous one.
“Does anyone come here anymore?” Elora asks the Elder as they walk up the stairs. “What about people passing through? How do they make it through to Winterhaven?”
“Not through here, that's for sure,” the Elder answers quickly.
Elora looks at him, surprised. “But...” she starts and the Elder fills in.
“... they have to go the long path around the mountain. These halls are sacred to us, and only a few people outside of our clan have seen the inside. We don't travel to the other side of the mountain anymore. It is too cold and there is nothing for us there. Travelers coming to our city are shown to the main path around the mountain. It takes a lot longer, but it is safer for us.”
The path turns and twists up and further up and soon they make it into another chamber. This one is darker, damper, and much colder. Elora's blue light from her staff is not enough, so Arddun lights her staff with fire so they can see better. Before them there are two great doors, a massive gate.
“This is it,” says the Elder. “This is as far as I go. Beyond the doors are the path to Winterhaven.”
Eadric and Elof walk up and removes the bar securing the doors. They pull and pull, and soon, both Drake and Ryan join them to help pull the doors. At long last, the doors begin to loosen up. They open with a creak, letting the snow outside blow into the small chamber. The wind is cold and brisk, but the sun shining in lights up the otherwise dark room.
“I'll close the gate after you,” says the Elder. “Have a safe journey. We’ll meet again soon, Elora.”
Elora takes a few trembling steps outside and feels the snow under her shoes. It makes a soft crunching noise as her shoe flattens the snow, leaving her imprint where soft powder once was. She continues further out, feeling the cold wind in her face. It’s refreshing. The air is so clean that it feels like a miracle. It smells fantastic and Elora has never experienced anything like it. It’s much better than the smell in the mine, and she’s definitely never been in a place like this in her old world.
Elora walks up to a signpost in the snow; it’s the same style as the others, but it’s dusted with snow and the wood looks frozen. The signs say, Dal'Mora, Winterhaven, Winter's Bay, and Saelhen.
The rest of the party moves out and joins Elora at the signpost, the door closing behind them as they wave goodbye to the Elder. The party stands next to Elora and looks out over the Frosty Plains ahead of them. It is peaceful, and the snow makes a beautiful song in the wind as it blows around. The snow is thick here, and though the small trees try to stand tall, they’re weighed down from all the snow. This is a most desolate place, but beautiful, clean and most surprisingly, quiet except for the wind and snow.
“Ready?” Elora asks, listening to the solemn song the wind and snow playing together in perfect harmony. “Let’s go.”
To be continued...
Acknowledgements
“I would like to start by thanking my wonderful wife, Lydia. Her patience and support has been important throughout this journey and has kept our family sound during my writing escapades. From her advice reading early drafts, to keeping me focused on the path during uninspired days. She has been more important to this book getting done then I can ever write in words. Thank you dear wife.”
“I would also like to thank all my family and friends for their support and patience with me during this time. Thanks for believing in me.”
“Last, I would like to thank my
amazing editor, Hannah Bauman. She has been a star lighting up the path for my characters so they would not fall prey to any unwanted words or foul sentences. Thank you for your time and invaluable expertise.”
About the Author
K. M. Bonde is the author of the new fantasy novel The Legend of Elora.
Growing up in a small village surrounded by mountains, lakes and forests; nature has always been an inspirational ocean for the author and nothing has been more rewarding then burning the midnight oil on the slopes of everdreaming.
Stay tuned for the next book in the series. Coming to a tablet near you...