It would be a new future for them… the destruction of an entire race, to a great renaissance. Their bodies become more fragile, but now they had a pure soul… of spirits of elves.
1
Distant Past
Spring1677–MainSquareofHanneris…
TwoCenturiesAfterTheInvasion…
Hundreds flew over the main square of Hanneris,
Edryon then changed direction and went flying over the city, and as he approached the Council of the Leaves, there were more of them. When the elf passed near the cemetery of the druids, over fifty of the skeleton fairies jumped over the tombstones…
“Get out, green demons!”, Edryon yelled, holding the reins of
Snow, who was beating his wings ever faster.
Crossing the highest clouds found that the gray elf’s eyes widened, he realized a group of seven of them, who were dancing, wiggling, shaking their thin and pale bodies on the left wing of Snow. There should have a more practical way to destroy those green demons, but Edryon just thought of going down to the square, to meet with the druids at the Council of the Leaves. Suddenly, one of the little creatures uttered a cry so shrill that Snow turned his body to the right, plunging into the midst of cold winds and falling rapidly, passing through the smaller clouds, playing to the back of Edryon his long elvish, silver gray hair. While Snow was still falling through the blue sky, the little green demons followed him, and then one of them began singing in a tone tune enough to Edryon drop the reins, struggling to cover his ears:
“Little Death Star, go shining in the firmament,
Crossing the border from the east, and down the wine of the gods, Load the heroes in his crib, and toast the strongest, Feed the poor with promises, and follow shining in the
firmament.
Elven little souls, follow in their suffering torments, Stars of the shadows, bring the blood of the righteous, Certain death of the gods, toast those who lost their lives,
Follow up in the mountains, shining in the firmament of the heroes and the promises. “
Edryon then remembered Ornell, the bard, who had traveled in the Island of the Gnomes, he would sing the same song when he was lost in thought, in the middle of wine and women.
It was horrible having to listen to those damn creatures singing… He would rather to endure even the songs of Ornell and his fellow bards, but even so, before he had drunk a good bottle of wine, accompanied with slices of roast boar. Edryon descended from his mount. He was tired of flying over the wooden houses of the Hanneris’s city, then he peered at the little creatures.
Dozens of them flew over the Sgnilliv’s tabern. Every night was the same thing, they appeared to upset the customers fleeing in terror, without even paying the bill. Edryon felt like someday he would help Sgnilliv but he could not be everywhere at once, and also he felt he should defend the city against greater threats. Immediately he put pieces of old cloth and were still tucked in his ears. Children and women ran scared in the dusty road. But they came back to their homes, afraid of being attacked. The square was increasingly empty. Each corner of the Hanneris’s city appeared to be completely overrun by the little demons. Edryon for a moment wondered if he ever had found some utility in the skeleton fairies. He reached the conclusion that he hated those bizarre creatures.
They were many hundreds, thousands of green demons, with pale gray fur, but sensual bodies and faces, which had now been freed from a parallel world to the planet of Fynge. From the great cataclysm, which began two hundred years ago, affecting the nature and magical rituals of most witches and wizards, the creatures began to beat their wings across all continents of the ancient world. The humans, despite having been infected by the plague of the mountains, became more dependent on other races, and learned to use them for their own benefits. Since then it was established a certain order.
Near the market of jewelry, luxury cars and stately noble men mounted in horses stopped near the tents. They bought slaves, rare objects and domesticated skeleton fairies. A very obese old man, who wore a large black cloak, greeted Edryon. The elf found his attitude very strange. No one of that city had the habit of doing any friendly gesture, or something that could mean a formal greeting. Maybe that man was just trying to show that he was richer, more elegant and more educated than the gray elf, so Edryon thought it was best to ignore him. Behind the man was a group of four fairies following him, quite agitated. Each one of them was carrying small jewelry boxes. The elf then realized that the man was one of the infecteds. His scaly skin was covered with a white powder. Edryon knew the powder was used for protecting from the blazing sun, and the skeleton fairies appeared to be very busy in helping the old nobleman.
But they, too, even though many used to help them with household chores, even though many people were buying from the merchants by prohibitive prices, they had their drawbacks. An almost endless thirst gained control of their frail zombified bodies. The creatures, when they felt thirsty and could not find cows, pigs or chickens, and when they were also forced to feed themselves through humans and elves, could spread terror at unexpected moments.
Edryon, although he was helped by some of them, at the time he had begun to build his tower on the north side of Hanneris, never liked the skeleton fairies, or green devils, as he liked to say. The young gray elf, when he noticed the presence of even one or two of them, was always suspicious, he had the habit to use small pieces of cloth in his ears for fear of being attacked. He wore a reinforced armor plate that has saved him countless times from merciless claws of dragons, and a powerful silver war spear with a symbol of a golden dragon on the handle of the weapon. It was the same weapon that defeated and killed Ernak, the swamp dragon.
He was already two hundred eighty-two years of age, the right time in which an elf abandoned the adolescence, and the time that the hormones went haywire after beautiful maidens, and therefore he was still young for his elvish race. Considered one of the best hunters of the world, and being called several times to defend the most distant realms of Hanneris, the elf felt proud to provide selfless service to all continents of the world of Fynge. And almost every person respected and admired him.
Dragon hunters were no more around the world, because nobody else had the courage to be one of them, but Edryon was still alive to tell his stories of fighting. He continued walking down the road of the city with the silver spear resting on his right hand, and watching the people with their black clothes, walking on the streets frightened. He removed his helmet, letting his long silver hair swaying against the chill wind.
From the time that almost the entire human race was wiped out by the mysterious plague of the mountains, the few survivors lost their resistance against the sun. Their skin became flaky and weak. Few cities have escaped the curse that has spread through the air. Some said that the gods wanted to punish the men for their cruelty.
Edryon continued walking down the road, while remembering that he should feed Snow. He was very fond of the animal, he had received as a gift of the King William II for his services to the Kingdom of the Lights. He looked at the sky, the blazing sun mercilessly punished his body, then he removed the top of his armor.
He was already approaching his house when he heard a strange noise coming from inside his stable. he hurried the walk, opened the wooden door and saw his mount lying on the floor covered with straw. The griffin looked a little agitated, and when he saw Edryon he rose animated.
After a few hours, Snow was well fed then Edryon decided to fly over the city watching the ancient Druids. They were near the main square, seemed to be discussing something important. The Hanneris’s city had always been very well protected by the council of the Druids, they controlled the laws and taxes. And all the people were satisfied with their government, Edryon also felt that the city would never be attacked by dragons. The latest attack by air had been prevented by him twenty years ago, against Rastnos, the black dragon.
The young gray elf continued flying astride his beautiful Griffin, but was
a little sad when he remembered the tragedy. They were creatures of fire, elementals, which destroyed his stone tower of the North, at the time it was still ruled by humans of Hanneris. The elementals had destroyed not only his home but his mother and father also suffered during the great invasion, they lost their lives, battling in the flames. An anger that seemed never to end was invading his mind during the sleepless nights. He wanted to go to the Kingdom of the Elementals, and end them all, especially the king of destruction, Kordius.
Edryon was descending towards the druids, to land with some people close to Snow, who looked great move by the curious. The Druids wore simple clothes, not like luxury or anything that would demonstrate power. But his spells were powerful, and two of them seemed to be showing a magnificent waterfall that fell from above, showering the people passing by the square. Edryon was fascinated and amazed by the new ritual that the Druids had developed. Because most of them liked to show only their attack spells, wild and offensive.
The elf then left his griffin beside a big green tree, and pulled out a little green book of his leather satchel. He flipped through some pages until the page 64. That page spoke of his hundredth victory, this time was against Tharonnak, the dragon of the fens. He felt proud to continue writing the victories in his personal diary, and so he was wondering what will be his next battle. It would be in the Kingdom of the Elementals, or elsewhere strange, one destination not revealed to him? He tried to stop keep wondering, and he turned his gaze back to the Druids.
He was amazed to see dozens of skeleton fairies flying toward the people who ran desperate. The druids tried to help, but it always appeared increasingly larger quantities. So men and women fell in the middle of the road, with the dried bodies, no blood. The little creatures used to bite the necks of their victims, or invade your ears, disturbing even cause death. Edryon managed to scare some, but at the same time he was very scared, so he returned to near Snow, because he did not want anything to happen with his mount. The druids looked confused, as they reflected on new ways to expel the little devils.
The young gray elf was ready to leave, when he heard a familiar voice:
“Edryon, it is already on the table. If you remain here without returning to home, i will leave only the bones.”
“Wait a minute. This time they do not leak.”
That voice reminded him that he should not be irresponsible, being away from home for long hours without eating anything. So in a way he liked to listen Thelron, even if it were to say any nonsense or say no point in acting impulsively, without taking a better decision.
“There’s no point trying to kill these fairies. Let’s go, the savages will find some magic to get rid of them. The druids are well prepared.”
“I was looking for you around the city. Where you was, Thelron?”, said Edryon as he looked worried for his brother.
The skeleton fairies would never leave the city so easily, but the gray elf felt that he should keeping to help the druids. Thelron was still watching him, while he was finishing to kick a chicken that was near his feet, then he replied:
“I was looking for some ingredients.”
“Ingredients? What do you want to do?” “It’s for a magic ritual.”
Rituals, it was all that his brother could do, even if they could often turn into disasters. Edryon always disliked having to advise Thelron to seek other paths, but felt compelled to divert it into a goal of better life.
“I do not believe you are messing the house with smoke again.”
Thelron was the only brother of Edryon, and was also older, but not too fond of crowds. He preferred to stay alone in his thoughts, even if other people would find it strange.
“Since you prefer to stay here, i will go away. The boar is great.”, Thelron said.
“Okay, you managed to convince me. Come on. I’m hungry.”
After arriving at his house, the young elf gray waited Thelron descend to Snow, and has entered the front door very tired. He walked slowly down the hall, he felt a terrible smell coming from inside the bedroom of his brother. Arriving in front of the old wooden door ajar, he could not believe what he was seeing. Three skeletons danced cracking his bones in the midst of filth, skulls, bits of food thrown all over the floor. It looked like a foul and putrid swamp, some rats were running out and getting under the bed of straw.
“Thelron, I told you. Do not mess with the magic of the dead!”, cried the elf, really nervous.
“Leave me alone. I do not need your advice.”, Thelron said, holding a black book of dirty dust.
“What are you doing with this book?”
“Creating some skeletons. They are very smart, huh?”
“I wish I could help, but you seems to be blind. You can not see your own faults.”
Edryon left his home disappointed with everything that has happened in recent days as he tried to convince his brother not to become a necromancer. Then he entered in the tavern Orc Head, after Snow left in the back, outside. It was already night, and several elves drank wine and talked excited at their tables.
“Sgnilliv, I want a full mug of wine.”
“There’s no more wine.”, said the goblin, wiping the wooden counter with an old cloth.
“But it is not possible. Every time it’s like this, when are you going to have wine here?”
“When you pay me the fifty pieces of silver you owe me. Do you think i forgot the day you arrived here with your brother and smashed tables and chairs, pushing the other customers?”
“Stop it. You know i’ll pay. Wait until i slay the dragon of the mountain, i’ll give you a hundred pieces.”
Sgnilliv handed a mug to the elf, despite appearing upset and angry. Edryon sat next to four beautiful elfs, took a sip of wine and said:
“Girls, do you know who i am?”
The elvish girls looked suspicious, and a little frightened, while Edryon continued:
“I’m Edryon. The most powerful dragon slayer of all continents.”
Then they started laughing out loud as he said:
“But have no fear. The city will be protected by my spear and Snow, griffin fierce and intelligent of all. Some lady wants to take a wine with me?”
Edryon got no response, while the elves retreated hastily from the table, going toward Sgnilliv. The goblin then said some strange words and a large fireball appeared in his open hands. Then he shouted:
“Edryon, if you want to continue in this world, stop disturbing my customers!”
The gray elf ignored the words of the goblin as he looked strange to his empty mug. Then he remembered the pleasant evenings when he entered the tavern with his mother, and his entire family. He felt nostalgic for the good times that would never return, and a tear fell from his face.
2
Meeting With The Druid
Edryon opened his eyes, looking carefully around him.
Sunbeams narrows and weaks, penetrating through the cracks of the window covered with planks, surrounded by cracks in the fragile wall of wood, slowly warmed his face. Struggling to stay awake, he tried to keep his eyes open even after sleeping a few hours in the cold night that happened. Then he raised his arms in the air, snapping the neck to the left, then right. Should not be lying there, as someone who had no purpose to do.
When he sat down on the bed of straw, putting his feet upon the icy floor of the wooden floor, the gray elf remembered the latest happenings. There was so much time he not was hunting, or doing anything that could be distracting, so Edryon felt he should look to forget a little at the city’s problems.
Maybe if he was up to the Forest of Spirits, he could find some strange animals to meet, or even the trees could talk, they liked to receive visitors.
He approached of three iron cages that were near his armorial, looked at his crows, they was flapping their wings, Edryon had wanted to catch more of them. Since the death of his mother, the elf found in the black birds a company that would never offer criticism or complaints. Edryon always thought crows were
not like other birds, because they had an aggressiveness and courage demonstrated like anyone of the little winged creatures.
The gray elf grabbed a bag of dried corn cobs, then shaved with his silver dagger to pull the beans, then he spread carefully all the corn, which was divided equally between the three cages. He could spend all afternoon looking for the birds, when the last peck of corn ended, they beated their wings, as if giving thanks for the food.
Throughout the afternoon passed, Edryon did not want to leave home, he was dominated with a great sadness because Thelron, his brother never seemed to listen to him. The elf did not like the noises he heard every night, while walking down the hallway near the Thelron’s bedroom. He had already told his brother many times, that if he continued preparing banned rituals, he could even lose his soul, or something worse, but Thelron seemed not to care, and found it funny and continues to pervade the whole house with black smoke and horrible smells from dead animals.
Then he opened his mouth to sleep, he threw herself back on the bed of straw and ended up taking a nap.
When he awoke again, he was startled by a skeleton fairies that gave small jumps and did a strange dance on top of your belly. That little devil… how that damn fairy had come into his house, Edryon was trying to understand, while he wondered at the most painful way to torture her.
He quickly grabbed the knife that was tucked under his feather pillow, but then the creature said in a soft and pleasant voice:
“You will not take my life, is not it?” Edryon looked curious to the fairy, she did not seem as offensive as the others.
“How do you came into my house?,” asked the elf gray suspiciously.
“It was easy, the door was open. You slept and forgot to close it.”
“Tell me why you came here this time?,” shouted Edryon, he was quite nervous.
“I know you’re a dragon slayer, is not it?”, the fairy gave a slight smile while flying spreading through the air a gray powder.
Edryon (Book 1 of Edryon Trilogy) Page 2