“Here, eat these herbs. You will be better after a few hours.”
The gray elf chewed the leaves with difficulty, and felt a bitter taste in the mouth. While trying to finish eating the grass, he stood looking scared to the spirits, he noticed what appeared to be elvish warriors who died in some ancient war.
“Edryon, do you know about the skeleton fairies?”
“I do not know, they’re unbearable. We must find a way to exterminate this plague of the world.”
“They are less evolved spirits of elves.”, Agmar said, while four red candles lit on an altar of wood, “during the time of the war against the Kordius’s elementals, many elves have died trying to save the innocents. Kordius took advantage of suffering and the will to power of King William I, he managed to elude him easily.”
“Okay, but did they emerged as these little devils?”
“Kordius gathered all the bodies of warriors and wizards defeated in war, and made a magic ritual so powerful it caused the spirits to create a physical form, small but enough to cause great tragedy.”
“I still do not understand. Why Kordius decided to invade and destroy the Kingdom of the Lights?”
“He tried to find the Grimoire of Eternity. He spent his entire life in search of the ancient book, and many say his thirst for power has made to destroy his own body, in sacrifices to the God of Death.”
“But then he still looks for the grimoire?”, Edryon asked suspiciously.
“Yes, but this magical book can not be opened normally, because it is sealed by an arcane lock, which can only be unlocked by the Rasputin’s key.”
“Wait, Thelron told me he found a strange key, and also managed to finish a magic ritual.”
Agmar stared at the elf, and said:
“What you’re saying is very serious. Your brother should have created a portal that gives access to other dimensions. And i’m afraid that the world will still suffer the consequences.”
Edryon quickly left the house without saying goodbye. Agmar felt a strong pain in his left arm, burning it seemed would never regenerate, despite it having eaten the herbs for healing.
Then the elf entered the tavern, as he looked sideways, suspicious and frightened. When looking at Ellen behind the bar, washing some dishes in a basin of iron, he did not see Sgnilliv, and said:
“Your boss is not working here anymore?”
“He traveled to the Forest of Spirits, but he’s not yet returned. And it’s have been two days, i can not continue to serve the customers. The flesh is gone, and the wine is also ending.”
“Agmar told me that the skeleton fairies are spirits of elves.”
Ellen smiled, and when she just washed all the dishes, she replied:
“Do you believe in these stories? Agmar do not know what he says, he just gets locked in his house. He’s getting crazy, because every night i hear his cries, which annoys the entire neighborhood. If he continues to give trouble, i will tell the soldiers. “
“Ellen, forget it! He is not crazy, he is just a little upset with his son. Urentir should visit him. Maybe then he will be more relaxed. My brother came here these days?”
“Yes, he came here, but he seemed very nervous. He wanted to buy wine without paying, and then i activated the magic scrolls to lock the tabern. But after he calmed down, i lit him to go.”
Edryon left the tavern without saying goodbye, and was immediately reminded of the druids. He felt that they could find him at any time, and that again he would be humiliated and stoned. He could not understand why so much anger because he had helped the city several times, they could not have forgotten all his brave service. Maybe if he tried to convince them that he was still on their side, it would cause them to see the truth, or at least ceased to haunt him. He felt he could no longer be walking alone in the middle of the road.
The gray elf suspiciously walked until near the main square, he noticed that a crowd seemed to be cheering someone who was on stage in plays. Increasingly, elves, some dwarves, and almost the entire population huddled to watch and listen carefully to the speech of a man. He seemed to be higher than normal, and also more muscular. Edryon wondered if the man could be some stranger from another city in search of adventure. Or it could also be a criminal trying to steal and cheat innocent people. The gray elf decided to approach carefully.
It was not a man. It was a very strong ogre, and wore an armor of steel plates, his hatchet was about the size of his body. The ogre laughed while wielding his weapon, scaring everyone, at the same time causing a great admiration of those around him. After showing his ax, spinning and shouting loudly, the ogre called out once more:
“There’s nobody here to fight me? I already knew, you are all weaklings and cowards.”
Some soldiers, realizing that the ogre looked nervous, came to try to calm him down.
“Calm down, Multorgh. We know that you are the best dragon slayer,”, cried an old woman, while applauding, fascinated by the ogre’s demonstrations.
At the same moment Edryon forcefully grabbed the woman by the arm and said:
“Wait, what did you say?”
“Multorgh is the best dragon slayer.”
Then people started shouting the name of the ogre, excited, hoping for one more demonstration of combat. Multorgh got two watermelons that were on the stage and threw them into the air quickly. His heavy hatchet broke them into four pieces, even before falling to the ground.
“Hmmmf, i can also do this”, cried Edryon, as he raised his spear of silver into the air.
“Be quiet. We do not want beggars creating confusion.”, said one of the guards.
So Edryon took the soldier’s neck and shouted:
“Listen, i’m not a beggar. I am the best dragon hunter, and people know it. And if they keep believing in this stupid, i will show everyone who’s the best.”
Multorgh seemed to have heard the words of Edryon, and replied, laughing:
“Pointed ear, no one here has called you, and you better be quiet or my ax will show you how an elf is divided in half.”
Edryon turned, and thought by some instants. He could not let an ogre to think he was the best hunter, and also his honor was at stake. But at the same time he should spy on the druids, because it could risk his life. He looked around, most of them were going toward the Council of the Leaves. He realized that Urentir went along with some elves inside the tavern. It was finally time to take a big decision.
6
Unnecessary Deaths
Multorgh ripped through the air with the tip of the
blade of his ax, it was the third time that he kept doing that movement, and Edryon noted the ogre warrior, but every minute was even more difficult for the gray elf. It was not easy to cope with that freaking laugh who was finding he was the best dragon slayer. Then almost two hundred citizens of Hanneris started clapping, shouting:
“Multorgh! Multorgh!”
Women, children, peasants and even the older, they all seemed more excited about the ogre’s presence in the town square spectacles. Edryon untied the rope that tied Snow in a large eucalyptus tree, and distanced himself from the Sgnilliv’s tabern, walking and pulling the reins of the griffin. Snow was fluttering his wings, when a group of three elvish boys started screaming near the animal.
“Listen, i do not want to lose my temper, let him alone, i will destroy that damn ogre! So stop that screaming near Snow!”
More and more screaming taunts. Those boys would not miss the chance to continue tormenting the day of the gray elf, then Edryon felt he should try another way of trying to convince them to stop the noise.
“Which of you is the strongest?”, the elf asked.
“Me,”, answered one boy, with arms as thick as a needle, while showing the muscles absent.
“If i give you fifty copper coins to buy candies, vow to stay silent?”
The elvish boys no longer said any word.
Edryon do not wanted no more of those observing demonstrations of pride and
arrogance, so it was time to show the ogre who was the better fighter… the best dragon slayer.
“Hey, catfish’s head! Since you are so brave and kill as many dragons, come fight me!”, Edryon said, as he climbed on top of Snow, wielding his spear of silver.
The gray elf immediately remembered with sadness when he had been taken as a prisoner in the Dungeon of the Bells, and ten years have passed without him to prove his innocence. Almost the entire population of Hanneris was against Edryon which they thought their skin was gray because some bad omen, they thought the elf was a chosen of Erunn, the God of Death.
“I do not fight with cowards. Come down now that this emphasis will show you the wrath of my ax.”, Multorgh said firmly, showing an air of superiority.
The elf thought for a moment, descended from Snow and shouted:
“Okay. I will not need much to break a liar!”
Lies were not part of the life of Edryon, from the moment he had received a painful punishment by Nalron, his father, for stealing an apple in a fruit stand when he was a little elf of fifty years of age. Spending four hours under the hot sun near the death, while peeling potatoes with a rusty knife’s blade, it had not been a good day, and he did not like being thrown right into the creek from the Forest of Spirits, with no ability to swim… this was his punishment, and therefore he hated liars.
Multorgh then gave a strong laughter, causing the crowd of elves to become even more agitated. Edryon approached one of the soldiers who watched the move and said:
“Lend me your sword. I’ll show this jerk who is the real dragon slayer!”
The soldier just grunted suspiciously, handing his weapon to the elf:
“Humpf… Since you want to kill yourselves, do it soon.”
It was not his habit to use a broad sword of steel, because he always preferred to use the spears, when he went flying, riding in Snow, his emphasis from combat, but he should not leave the damn ogre underestimate him, as if Edyon only knew to fight over a winged steed. Just a single hit, a single cut, deep enough to rip the throat of a coward, and then Edryon could show everyone who was the best warrior of Hanneris.
When the gray elf took the iron sword, he felt a violent impact, which quickly spread a shower of sparks, causing the sword to fall in the middle of the road. Multorgh approached furious with his double hatchet, and his second attack spotted on the left ear of the elf.
So people looked startled for the Edryon’s ear fallen by the sword. The gray elf tried to forget the blood flowing quickly into his face, and an anger that could not be measured gripped his whole being.
He crouched with ability to get the weapon and received a kick to the chin that made him to fall near two screaming young women. They tried unsuccessfully to help him, but the warrior ogre pushed him with a stunning brutality. Edryon was to his feet but he was caught with a punch so strong in his stomach which caused him almost the lost consciousness.
The soldiers realized that the fight could become more severe, causing new problems between the citizens, then one came quickly in the midst of combat. The gray elf felt a terrible pain in the neck, although Multorgh was not seemeed worried about killing the elf.
“Go away from here, this is not your place!”, cried the ogre warrior, as he turned his hard battle-ax.
Edryon hurried toward the tavern, with his hands in his left ear. Then he tore a piece of his shirt with his dagger and attempted to stop the bleeding.
As he approached the tabern, he was startled by several people who suddenly began to fall on the road, writhed and shouting frighteningly. The elf pulled back a little, he was afraid of being attacked by one of them, then he remembered the infecteds. But this time he realized that the elves were also affected, but the mysterious plague of the mountains had never been a problem for other races. There could be a pest, but something that Edryon not yet met. He felt increasingly helpless because he could not help them.
Men, women, elves, and some dwarves, the road covered with dying people made no distinction of race or economic power. Everyone was yelling desperate, losing control of their movements. The gray elf noticed that some of them tore their own bellies of pain, like something was inside their fragile bodies. An old woman who was writhing around some elves, opened his mouth so violently that his jaw broke, shifting entirely to his pale face. Then it is appeared reddish hairs of her skin, and her legs were dismembered, giving rise to many strange types of small feets, like those of an insect.
Edryon realized that most people no longer had a human form, seeming immense giant worms, which tore the bodies of their victims, blowing chunks of flesh all over the bloody road. The monstrous creatures began to destroy the fragile wooden houses, spreading panic among the few surviving citizens. The gray elf approached one of the worms, and throughed his silver spear against the monster, causing the worm to fall, letting out a terrifying scream. Edryon felt that people had to be helped, they could not continue to suffer.
“Why are you wasting your energy with these idiots who have died?”, said Thelron, approaching on his skinny horseback.
“Do not tell me you are with the Grimoire of Eternity. Why do you keep doing these things?”
“Do not meddle, i told you several times. I could have killed you that day.”
“Why did you not kill me? Your sense of brotherhood was louder?”
“No. I just felt that you still would be useful to me.”, said the necromancer, retreating toward some dead people.
Suddenly Edryon remembered that he should meet Snow as soon as possible. He ran across the road, and every once in a while he hid from some druids he could see. On approaching his house, looked at the roof on fire, the worms have destroyed almost the whole city, but his stable seemed intact. He heard a strange noise, like something being smashed, and when he entered the stable, he could not believe his eyes. Two giant worms was devouring his griffin with violence, who struggled, trying to free himself. But the poor animal did not resist the attack, he was completely devoured by the monsters.
The gray elf screamed a lot, and walked quickly advancing in the direction of the worms. His spear of silver did not rest for long time. After destroying the monsters, he continued attacking the remained worms, he crouched, as if they was still alive. He approached with caution near Snow, but it only remained the bones. And then he quickly remembered all the good times, when he fed the animal, and when he was flying over the mountains, forests and islands. He never would him back again, he felt like he lost a part of his body. Snow was dead.
Edryon sat beside the animal, he was still not believing what happened, his tears quickly covered his face. He should not have left the stable without any protection. He could never fly again with Snow, then he sought to collect the bones, in a final sign of respect. He heard some footsteps, Thelron was standing outside, and then he told Edryon:
“It was just a stupid griffin. Do not waste your time with nonsense.”
“You… how did you might Snow die?”, shouted Edryon.
“Listen, I had no time to come here to the stable. So you have no right to blame me.”, said the necromancer, as he withdrew a scroll from his leather bag.
“Thelron, you act all the time as an egoist who thinks only of yourself! You never worried about anything, and you thinks only of evil spells. You’ll never evolve! How long will you continue hurting yourself?”
The necromancer approached the bones of Snow, and said:
“Get out there.”
Edryon walked away, very suspicious, and realized that the necromancer gathered all the bones of the griffin, and placed them inside a big red magic circle. For half an hour, Thelron shouted nonsense words that only he seemed to understand. A horrible smell of ashes, mixed with sulfur, invaded the whole place. Slowly, the bones of Snow gathered on his joints, in front the unbeliever eyes of Edryon.
The gray elf realized that all the bones were totally connected magically. Thelron seemed to have done a good job, Snow now was moving disorderly, but he was s
uccessfully resuscitated. The skeleton griffin beated their wings a few times, and once again walked normally, approaching Edryon. The elf then felt that Snow was back, even though he have lost his physical body.
Urentir mounted his warhorse and remembered with sadness of the other druids that had caused confusion in the city. He did not approve the decision they had taken, because he thought Hanneris would be able to recover even after the great plague that has infected the humans. Then he stopped his horse near one of the druids and said:
“Hanz, i disagree with what they did. Arming the whole population was an act of madness.”
Hanz was a leader of the Council of the Leaves, and Urentir always thought that the city would be better off without him.
When the army of elves left the city along with Urentir, it was night. The equipments were already all over the saddles of the horses of war. The mysterious fog in the Forest of the Spirits should be dispelled as soon as possible. While crossing an old wooden bridge that connected the two mountains, the elvish warriors were frightened with black figures flying over the region. They looked like huge winged creatures, with short wings, but pointed. They increased the pace of the riding course, with the leadership of Urentir, who was with his black horse in front of the elves. The icy wind that was cutting their skin further increased the desire to reach the forest.
Three agonizing hours passed before a merciless rain that was beating down on the animals. After looking back and realizing the trail they passed was over, Urentir realized what they were in the forest. The dead trees was swaying against strong winds and rain, revealing a mysterious and macabre landscape. The elvish warriors, eager to reach their destination faster, hastened the pace of the ride. Although exhausted and with his armor plate full of water, Urentir thought they would be defeated by the terrible challenges of the woods.
Edryon (Book 1 of Edryon Trilogy) Page 5