by Dale Britton
The rest of the council stood as well, but Imoneas waved them down. "I will interview the humans alone. I will be able to discern the truth of what they say. It may well be that they are deceived."
Elallin began to object, but Imoneas cut him off. "No, Elallin. You will have your opportunity to question them later. Come, Lylor. Bring our new friends."
Ollie suspected that Imoneas' main motivation in moving them from the main chamber was to prevent the panic that would come from hearing their story. The elf led them to a smaller room behind the audience chamber. It had a desk and enough chairs for everyone to find a place. It was sparsely decorated, at least compared to the rest of the building. The walls were bare, and the only thing on the desk was a three-dimensional image of a female elf. It looked like a hologram. Ollie wondered if it was magical, or something else.
"This is my personal office," Imoneas said. "Please make yourselves at ease. You must forgive Elallin for his rudeness. Lylor's recent exploits have gained him quite a large measure of renown among our people, and I am afraid Elallin is jealous of him. At the foundation, he means well."
He waited until everyone was seated comfortably. "Now, let us move on to our important business."
"You don't really seem very shocked at my announcement," Ollie said.
"Unfortunately, no," Imoneas replied. "We were well aware that demons are the source of our troubles. It is not unusual for minor demons to escape the underworld and harass the inhabitants of this world, but this was a much more coordinated attack than normal. I was not certain that a demon lord was at the root of the evil, but the signs are certainly there. However, even if I suspected such an enemy, it would be beyond my power to name him. What I wish to know is the source of your information. From whence comes your knowledge of demon lords? Will you tell me your story?"
Ollie nodded. "We'll tell you what we know. It's not a ton, but I'm sure it's a lot more than you know right now. What we're really hoping is that your people might be able to help us return to our home. We aren't meant to be here."
"I can make no promises," Imoneas said, "but if it is in our power to assist you, you will have our aid."
"All right, " Ollie said. He glanced at the others, who all nodded, then turned back to the elf. "It all started with a game."
Chapter Forty-Six
When the six friends had finished their tale, Imoneas sat back in his chair and stared at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression.
"So," he said after a moment. "Dimension travelers. It begins to make sense now."
"Dimension travelers?" George's eyes sparkled. "Is that what we are? That is so cool."
"You've heard of this happening before?" Ollie asked.
"Not precisely like this," the elf said, "but travel between worlds is not uncommon. Many wizards have the ability to call forth creatures from other planes. The demons themselves come from another dimension. We name it the underworld, but it is a world just as much as ours."
"But why is this world so much like our game?" Johnny asked. "There's no way it can be a coincidence."
"I'm quite sure that it is not," Imoneas said. "I will not pretend to understand the intricacies of the connections between worlds. It would take a very powerful wizard to accomplish such a feat. The important point is that this connection offers us a distinct advantage. The good father's Summoning just may have brought us the only people who can save us."
"How can we save you?" Sarah asked. "We're not warriors."
"Perhaps not," Lylor said, "but you bring knowledge. And you bring compassion, which is no small thing in a world as dangerous as this one."
"You have already helped us more than you realize," Imoneas said. "You have supplied us the name of the demon. It would not be possible to defeat him without his name, and he would never have allowed us to gain that information."
It was true, Ollie realized. Any ritual intended to banish a demon lord from the world required the creature's name. In the game, Ian would most likely have provided a quest that would have allowed them to learn it. Here, they were spared the trouble, because Ian already knew what it was. Knowledge most definitely was power.
"Is there a way to send us back to our world?" Johnny asked. "Our parents are probably going crazy by now."
The resigned look the two elves shared told the teens the answer to Johnny's question much better than words could.
"It may be possible," Imoneas said, "but it would require very powerful magic. I will consult with our elders, but I fear that your only exit from this realm may be through the completion of your quest."
"But how can we stop a demon lord?" Ian said. "They're the most powerful monsters in the game."
"Demon lords have been defeated in the past," Lylor said.
"But that was with a powerful talisman that was created by five races working together," Johnny said. "Do you know how to do that again?"
Imoneas shook his head. "Sadly, that art has been lost to my people. And even if it were not, it would take months to find and gather magic users who were powerful enough to recreate the talisman. By then countless souls would be lost to the hordes of demons."
"So, we can't win," Jordan said.
"Before your arrival, I might have agreed with that statement," said Imoneas, "but you give me hope. The Summoning would not have brought you if all was lost. Your presence in our world holds the key to victory. I cannot say how, but I feel it to be true."
There was a lot that the six friends could say to this. That they were just a bunch of high school kids, not even very formidable in their own world. That two of them had almost died already during their brief time in the world. That they were terrified of the creatures that lived here, both the ones they had met already and the others that they knew were there, just waiting for the chance to devour them. That they had told them everything they knew already, and they had nothing else to share.
But instead, they were silent. Nobody wanted to ruin the hope the elf expressed, even if it was unfounded.
"Very well," Imoneas said. "I have kept you long enough. I know you are tired from your journey, and most likely hungry as well. Lylor, can you arrange quarters for our guests?"
"I planned to welcome them into my own dwelling," Lylor said. "There is an abundance of space."
"Yes," Imoneas said. "That is quite acceptable. I must go now and meet with the council and call in the elders. We have much to discuss. May we meet again on the morrow?"
Ollie nodded. "Of course. We'll be happy to help any way we can."
"It would be best to take them through the anterior tunnels. No sense drawing any more unnecessary attention."
"Of course," Lylor said. "Come, friends of another world. I will take you to my abode."
Chapter Forty-Seven
Lylor's home was located in the western part of the settlement and was reached by crossing a bridge over a small stream that wound lazily around the buildings and through groves of trees. It was dark as they made their trek, though there were globes of bright white light spaced out at intervals throughout the settlement. When asked, Lylor informed them that they were powered by magic, though he couldn't explain exactly how.
Lylor lived in a home that was situated against the western outer wall. He led them through the front door, which was unlocked. Apparently, home security was not a big issue among the elves. They walked inside and found themselves in a spacious living area. Lylor put his hand on a wall panel and a soft white light filled the room.
"Amyallyna," Lylor called softly, "I bring guests."
A female elf appeared in a doorway. She quickly looked the visitors over and raised her eyebrows. "Human youths. Strange guests indeed. I suspected we might be having visitors when their travel bags arrived. To what do we owe this great pleasure?" Lylor's wife had golden hair and striking green eyes. She stood almost as tall as her husband, and if anything, she had an even greater air of authority.
"They were sent from afar to render us aid," Lylor said. "I felt that they would be safer
under my protection. They have quite an unusual story."
"I look forward to hearing this tale, but I can see that at the moment our guests are weary." She smiled warmly at the teens. "Our daughter has already retired for the night. Come, I will show you to your beds. There will be adequate time tomorrow to clean yourselves and to make proper introductions."
"Beds?" Sarah murmured. "Actual beds? How wonderful."
"Yes," Amyallyna said, smiling. "And in the morning, we'll draw you a bath."
"And I must return to the walls," Lylor said. "The demons will have returned. They have not attacked us as of yet, but they have not been hiding their presence. They grow bolder by the day." He reached for his wife's hands, kissed them, then turned and disappeared out into the night.
Amyallyna showed the teens to a suite of rooms at the back of the home. "This wing was our son's quarters before..." She bowed her head and went silent for a moment. "At any rate, they will do quite nicely for as long as you need to stay."
Jordan and Sarah were given a room to share. Jordan wasn't incredibly enthusiastic about this, but she didn't complain. The four boys were given their own larger room, and extra beds were brought in so that each of them could have their own.
"May you sleep deeply," she said before leaving them. "Your presence brings us honor."
"I don't know about that," Ian said when she had left them alone.
"Her son died, didn't he?" George asked.
"Yes, remember?" Ollie said. "He was killed in the war against the undead army. Lylor went after them to seek revenge on his killers. That was your campaign."
"Does that mean it's my fault he died? I just made that story up when you met Lylor. It wasn't even part of my plans before that."
"I don't know what it means," Ollie said. "But for these people, it's just how it is. We need to stop worrying about things like that and concentrate on what's happening around us."
"I just thought it was an interesting idea. The elvish warrior, seeking revenge for his lost child."
"I know, George, but we can't let this stuff get to us. I mean, I'm the one who came up with the razor birds. I've been feeling kind of bad about that. And Johnny made the land sharks."
"Well, none of you brought a demon lord into the world," Ian said. "That was me."
"This is crazy," Johnny said. "How can any of this be happening? An actual elf named Lylor? It's all so ridiculous."
"I don't know," Ollie said. "But I think we need to get serious. We're stuck in our own game, and we need to start playing to win."
Chapter Forty-Eight
Morning dawned bright, and George was the first to awaken. The others were still sleeping soundly, and he decided against awakening them. Instead, he left the room to try to find something to eat. He wandered around until he found the kitchen. Amyallyna was standing just inside the room at a counter, and she greeted George when he entered the room.
"Good morn to you, young human. You are the one named 'George', are you not? Do all people sleep this late into the morning in your land?"
"Only when we're really tired. We had a tough day yesterday."
"Well, come join us at the table," the elf lady invited.
"Us?" George hadn't realized that anyone else was in the room. He turned to look over at the table...
And at that moment, his life changed.
"This is my daughter, Yrabelle. She has been waiting anxiously to meet our human guests. It is not often that we receive visitors from your race this deep into the wilderness."
Yrabelle. George knew that word. It was one of the first he had invented.
"Great Beauty," he murmured. If anything, it was a huge understatement. Lylor's daughter was the most beautiful girl George had ever seen. She had long golden hair, like her mother, and violet eyes that pierced into his very soul. It took all his willpower to keep himself from staring.
"You know our language?" the girl said. "How wonderful!" Her voice was light and musical. She spoke a phrase in elvish. The inflection wasn't exactly the way George had imagined it, but he found he was able to understand what she said.
"I am happy to meet you as well." He spoke in English, which in this world was called the common tongue. He didn't trust himself to get the elvish right. Not the way he was feeling right now anyway.
George sat down at the table, and Yrabelle passed him a plate filled with some kind of cake. He accepted one and took a bite. It was light, and it tasted like butter and honey. He felt a strange surge of energy as if pure health was pouring into his body.
"This is delicious. It's not like anything we have at home." That was another huge understatement. He thought about asking for the recipe but decided against it. That would probably be too much. Besides, he highly doubted they would be able to get all the ingredients back home in Pennsylvania.
"What is your home like? My father says that you come from a different world. Is that true? Father likes to tease me."
"It's true," George said. "The place where I come from is very different than this one. In our world, magic doesn't work. At least, I've never seen any."
"No magic! I can't imagine such a world."
"People in my world would have a hard time believing in this one," George said.
Just then, Sarah burst into the room. "Good morning everyone. Oh! An elf girl! Hello. My name is Sarah."
"This is Yrabelle, " George said. "She's Lylor's daughter."
"You're so beautiful," Sarah said. "How do you get your hair to shine like that? It's literally the most gorgeous hair I've ever seen."
Yrabelle smiled. "I am afraid it's an elvish trait. There is no secret."
"Oh, too bad. I was hoping it was some magic product or something."
"Oh, come on, Sarah," George said. "You don't need any magic. You already have half the boys in school in love with you."
"That's not true," Sarah protested. "Just because I try to be friendly to everyone..."
"Believe me," George interrupted. "It's true. Everyone likes you, Sarah. Weren't you dating a football player?"
"Well, yeah, but Kevin and I broke up. He wasn't very interesting. All he wanted to talk about was sports. And he wasn't very smart. It was hard to keep a conversation going."
Yrabelle had been trying to follow their conversation. "Your world sounds like a fascinating place. I would love to be able to visit it."
"We're just hoping we'll be able to get back there," George said. "It's not looking really good for us right now."
"Well," said the elf girl brightly, "I am very glad you are here. You have already made things so much more interesting."
"After their needs are met, I propose that you provide our guests with an excursion to the marketplace," Amyallyna suggested. "I am certain that they would enjoy seeing our fair settlement."
"Won't your husband want to talk to us some more?" George asked.
"Lylor will be in council for several hours. There is no reason for you to remain imprisoned in our quarters until they call you."
"What a wonderful idea," Yrabelle exclaimed. "You will love the marketplace. And you can see the training center as well."
"Sounds great," George said. "I'll go get our friends." As long as the elf maiden was there, he really didn't care where they went. He all but ran back to their rooms to wake up the rest of their friends. He had never felt more like going shopping in his life.
Chapter Forty-Nine
A somber mood reigned at the busy marketplace. The rumors of the demon lord had spread throughout the community, and although most of the elves didn't believe them to be true, none could totally dismiss the possibility either. They had seen the lesser demons outside their walls, and even these were formidable enemies.
It didn't help that everywhere the humans went the elves stared at them with expressions ranging from curiosity to amusement all the way to distrust.
"I apologize for the subdued demeanor of my people," Yrabelle said. "This is not our normal state. These are troubled times. Of cours
e, that is why you are here."
The group walked through an arch and into a vast open space. "Now, here we are, the heart of the fabled marketplace of Lilenoree. Well, maybe not actually fabled, but it is magnificent none-the-less."
The marketplace looked like what a shopping mall might be if it were built in Ancient Greece. There were rows of stalls selling all kinds of fascinating items. There were vendors selling food, weapons and armor, household items, farming supplies–almost anything you could think of.
"Be careful," Yrabelle said. "The salespeople are generally honest. They would not be able to keep their licenses otherwise. But they will bargain for the best deal possible. Never accept the first price that is offered."
"Don't worry," Ollie said. "We're really only window shopping."
"Why would you want to buy a window?" Yrabelle asked.
"It's an expression, " Ian said. "It means we only want to look at the things for sale. We aren't really planning on buying anything."
"Oh, I see," said the elf girl. "Still, they can be very persuasive."
"Come on, roomie," Sarah said, dragging Jordan behind her. "Let's go look at the dresses." The horrified look Jordan gave the others was priceless.
The next two hours were spent wandering among the vendors. Ian found a weapon shop that sold almost every weapon that was possible to use in the game, from swords to flails, from slings to bows and arrows. They had played with these in the game for a long time, but it was weird to see them for real.
The big excitement came when the boys discovered a vendor who sold magic items. There was a display of magic rings, a section of magical weapons, and a case that held small vials of liquid, each with handwritten labels.
George translated one of them "Potion of stealth. That sounds like fun."
"I am currently having a sale on healing potions," the vendor said. "Three for a gold."
"That's more than half off the regular price," Ollie said. He was basing his estimate on how much items were supposed to cost in the game. When they played, every item had a specific value. In the real Valoria, it appeared to be more flexible. "We'll take six of them."