With difficulties to stand up from his straw bed, Edryon felt a strong headache that seemed it would never end. The last night had brought him troubles, because some elves insisted him to take more than enough wine and various other types of drinks that were offered by the new visitors who entered the tabern. He heard a strange noise coming from outside his bedroom, walked over to get closer to Thelron, who was rummaging through some objects inside his chest, like candles, books, medals and all sorts of different items.
“What are you doing?”, Edryon asked suspiciously.
“Do you remember the day we went out to hunt wild pigs?”, Thelron showed a smile on his face, very rare to happen.
Edryon looked at his brother, smiled and said:
“Of course, you did not get any of them. If it was not my spear, we could starve.”
“That’s not what I am remembering. There were some ancient ruins, near an ancient cemetery. I feel it will be better to making a visit there.” “Are you getting crazy? What will you do there?”, Edryon looked at his brother, very angry.
Suddenly, horrible screams were heard in the direction of the main square of Hanneris. Edryon ran out of his house and Thelron followed him. Dozens of necromancers rode on skeleton horseback, crossing their bloody swords against the panicked people, and when their attacks hitted, were stucking to the skins of their victims, sucking all the blood. By observing the evil group approaching, a couple of elves ran in the road and then they entered a house, closing the door quickly. A girl of about seven years old, with his face full of tears and with the green dress covered with blood, held the Edryon’s arm and shouted:
“They killed my mother!”
Thelron approached on his thin horseback, holding a war mace, and said:
“Edryon, this time I will not leave you. Let’s stop these necromancers. Mount on the horse!”
“No.”, said the gray elf, “I’ll get Snow.”
“Forget the griffin, he will not help at all, because he is very weak. Mount now, go on!”
Edryon mounted the Thelron’s skinny horse, while necromancers were jumping with their swords towards the two brothers. Edryon prepared his left laminated arm, and quickly passed through the throat of one of them, who fell dying on the road, writhing in pain. An old man who drove a cart with an ox, while seeing the intense fighting, jumped scared on a lot of hay, and took a large iron rod. Thelron looked at the old man, and gave a big laugh, as he striked his war mace at the head of a necromancer, sinking his head violently.
“Get away, old man! Go take care of your sheep!”, Thelron seemed to be enjoying himself in combat, as his weapon broke bones and ribs of his enemies.
When he realized that Edryon had also dismembered and beheaded a few evil men, Thelron received a quick blow of a sword in his left leg. The magical blade so stuck on his skin, sucking his blood, causing Thelron to fall from his horse. The necromancer looked at him, showing an intense hatred, his bloody sword fed from Thelron for a while, then suddenly the blade came loose from his leg. The necromancer fell to the side while his head separated from his neck, fell onto the Thelron’s side. Edryon then wiped his laminated arm, spattered with blood, and knelt down to help his brother.
Inside the tabern of Thornak, the dwarf, most of the tables was occupied by elves storytellers. In one of them, Multorgh, the ogre warrior, showed their fighting skills to a group of three elven boys. Ornell finished putting one of the barrels of wine along with Kimiru at the counter inside the inn, and said:
“Thornak, I think after we had loaded all of these barrels, you could serve us some of the best wine you have, huh?”
The dwarf looked at the bard druid a little angry, and then replied:
“Okay, Ornell, but Heng Lawf got down and wasted a half of a barrel of wine.”
“You’re exaggerating, it’s not my fault if these elves get me to stand in the way.”
Thornak got three cups that were next to some bottles of mead, and gave them to the bards, saying:
“We will not create problems because of it. Ornell, it seems there was another invasion of necromancers.”
The bard looked at the dwarf very worried, and said:
“But when this happened?”
“The north side of Hanneris. I met some soldiers who were seeking reinforcements to protect the second entrance to town. I hope this time they are able to act faster.”
“But this is not possible, if the necromancers…”
Suddenly, many elves rose startled from their tables, stunned by the presence of the King William II, who came through the door of the tabern with Gulinnar, the paladin. Kimiru was preparing the blade of his ax, while Ornell then grabbed his arm and said:
“Be quiet. They can only be looking to say something important.”
Multorgh departed from the elven boys when he saw the king approaching, lifted into the air a piece of dragon scale, and shouted: “Look here! I killed Tharonnak, I’m waiting the reward!”
Gulinnar was wielding a war mace, and then pointed the weapon at the ogre and said:
“If you do not want the guards to take you to the guillotine, you’d better calm down.”
Ornell approached the king as he looked suspicious to Gulinnar, and said:
“Majesty, it is an honor to meet you again. Can I help you with something?”
“No,” the king said, “Actually, you only have confused me at all these days. You’d better go away from here, along with the other two.”
Kimiru lifted his heavy hatchet, and then almost broke a table in half, such was the violence of his blow, and screamed:
“We are confusing you? It’s a shame! While you sit playing with your toy soldiers inside the castle, most people are dying without any help.” Gulinnar walked to get close to the bard, and said:
“Drop that weapon now, for your own good.”
Ornell came between the two, then pushed the paladin, and answered:
“Listen, we don’t want to create more problems. But lately our majesty has acted very strange.”
The king turned away, walking toward the tabern’s door and said:
“You have three days to leave this town. I hope this is the last warning.”
Gulinnar smiled, looking in an ironic way to the bards, and left the tabern, accompaning King William II.
“What do we do?”, said Heng Lawf.
“Wait. He has this right.”, said Ornell.
Entering hastily in the tabern, a group of four druids sat at a table that was empty. Multorgh looked at them suspiciously, holding his ax.
“It were they who were near the square, making a magic ritual?,” Kimiru asked.
“Yes,” said Ornell, “But I still did not understand what was the reason.”
Among the druids there was Hiang, the Hanz’s brother, who had died during the invasions of the necromancers. After a few minutes, he stood up and approached Ornell, saying:
“How’s the training going?”
“It’s not started yet. We are awaiting the Urentir’s decision. Let me ask you something.”
Hiang looked carefully and said:
“Tell me.”
“Earlier today, you and the other druids were doing a strange magic. What was that?”
Hiang then removed from inside his brown cloak, a black covered book, and said:
“This is the Grimoire of the Elements.”
Ornell looked in wonder at the magic book, he felt that this time the city could still be protected against Kordius. “So?”, Ornell asked, “Where do you will bring the grimoire?”
16
Immortal
Repaired roof houses, taberns with reconstructed walls,
and dozens of people walking more smoothly on the roads of Hanneris. Edryon looked at two human boys of pale skins, hiding from the strong sun of midday. Though most of them were still being infected with the mysterious plague of the mountains, the gray elf wondered if one day humans would have some cure to that disease. Druids and soldiers su
rrounded the two towers of the entrance to the city, while looking through the stone blocks destroyed during the last invasion of the necromancers.
When Edryon flew mounted on Snow, over a group of four elves who seemed to be discussing about the great warriors of the world, the elf could understand the word that was still tormenting him: Multorgh.
“He’s strong, he is skilled, he is gentle.”, said an elven girl, sighing and looking up.
“Really, Multorgh has killed hundreds of dragons. He is much better than Edryon, that skinny, grayskinned elf.”, said another elf.
Immediately, with his griffin, Edryon passed around the group of maidens and raised his spear into the air, saying:
“Wait, I heard my name. Do you need help?”
The elven girls ran in the road, frightened.
Edryon looked worried for his brother, while he flew with him, on an ancient cemetery. Small pieces of bones were falling from Snow, Edryon was increasingly sad because he could not do anything to save his skeleton griffin.
“Sorry, Edryon, but I think Snow will not last for long.”, Thelron said while wielding a war mace.
“Do not worry. I want to thank you to have resurrected him when I suspected that you were selfish. But I was wrong, forgive me.”
Thelron was silent, and remembered the day he almost killed his brother, he would not have acted so cruelly and inhumanely. Then he smiled and laid his right hand on the shoulder of Edryon, and said:
“It is not time for us to be talking about nonsense, right?”
Since the day he woke up with severe headaches, Thelron felt that something wrong could be happening. He stared at the sky, which changed in color, it seemed to engulf the world, revealing a large mouth, almost demonic and bizarre. At the same time he thought that maybe some skeleton fairies could have succeeded to enter into his ear, affecting his senses.
“Are you okay?”, Edryon asked as he stared at two ravens who approached Snow.
Thelron felt he had reached the right moment to try his new spell to create dimensional portals. For him, the two ravens were like two huge gargoyles, wanting to tear his soul, then he answered quickly:
“Let’s going down. I need to be alone.”
Edryon would not contradict his brother because he felt sorry for him to continue acting strangely. Snow flew down gently by a stream, Thelron jumped with unbalance from the animal, and after a few minutes, he managed to create a greenish, magnificent magic portal.
“What a joke! The two stupid brothers are playing to do magic!”, said Multorgh, laughing, as he approached, mounted on a dragonet.
Edryon, observing the ogre swinging his hatchet, remembered so angry with all his losses, then focused and pointed to his two ravens. The birds had separated, each one going to a different direction.
“I’m not afraid of you, go down here now and face me!”, shouted the elf gray, looking at the ogre and preparing his left laminated arm.
Thelron, realizing the courage of his brother, approached the elf and prepared his war club, because this time he wanted to show Edryon that he was sorry for his past. When Multorgh drove his dragonet upon the two brothers, dozens of crows quickly surrounded him, attacking the wings of the animal in small points of articulation, making the dragonet getting very hurt. Edryon felt satisfied when he realized that the two crows had been communicating with other birds.
“Let’s enter the portal!”, shouted Thelron.
The two elven brothers climbed on top of Snow, who flew out, spreading a gray powder that impaired the vision of the ogre warrior. Although the skeleton griffin has lost some bones, Edryon realized that the animal could still help him. The griffin then flew quickly into the magic portal, Edryon looked back and saw some crows following him. Thelron, remembering when he learned the creation of portals with Gulinnar, the paladin, was proud to be using his new spell efficiently. Edryon went down with Snow near some dry trees, he realized they were in a region surrounded by strange creatures.
Immediately Edryon realized that the region they was just entering was the Forest of Spirits, because the trees were laden with black sheets. Thelron stared at a monkey with a skeletal appearance that was on top of a branch. The animal let out weak screams, while trying to hang on a vine.
“These animals… are all dying, Edryon. We will not stay here, right?”
“We have no choice. The magic of the forest is unbalanced, but I want to know who was responsible for all this tragedy.”
After a half hour flying over the region surrounded by trees, Edryon looked back, he realized they were being followed by Multorgh, who was riding a blue dragonet.
“Edryon, do you think this damned ogre will follow us for long time?”, asked Thelron while thinking of some magic that could help them.
“I do not know, but I just saw a house down there, that seems to be a temple of monks.”, Edryon descended a bit more with Snow, to better observe the region, and then he realized that there were many monks, walking slowly with chains attached to their feet.
Thelron took the holy book he had received from Gulinnar, and immediately tried to focus on some magical ritual, but then he heard a shrill voice, which nearly blew his ears:
“He can not even help his brother, what a shame.”
The skeleton fairy was still in his ear, and when Thelron prepared to answer her, he noticed an area in the distance covered in smoke, which was spreading through the forest.
“I’m seeing some fire elementals.”, Edryon said, “What are you doing here?”
Snow flew over the forest to get closer to the clearing where the elementals were, then the two brothers realized that Kordius was among the creatures. The sorcerer seemed to be giving some sort of order, as he looked sideways suspiciously.
An immense hatred gripped Edryon, who remembered the Sarah’s death. Then he opened his leather satchel and carefully removed his diary of victories against the necromancers. Thelron looked surprised for the attitude of his brother, but preferred to stay silent. Suddenly, Edryon jumped from Snow and ran toward Kordius. When the sorcerer turned to the elf, Edryon showed to him the diary and shouted:
“You’ll be the next!”
Ornell looked at his empty bottle of wine, and then remembered that perhaps Kimiru and Lawf Heng could have some other beverage.
“It’s no time to be resting.”, he said while looking furtively to the opened bags from the other bard druids, “We have much work to do. Do you remember?”
Kimiru rose above a broken-down cart that was next to a barrel, stretching and scratching his head. Heng Lawf dropped his harp beside his leather bag, and then said:
“Ornell, it will take so long to start with the Urentir’s magical training?”
“I don’t think so, because Urentir should now be less busy. Do you have a bottle of wine?”
Heng Lawf made an expression of discontent, while withdrawing a bottle from his bag, and then replied: “This is the last. Kimiru is not seemed to want it.”
Upon hearing the words of Heng Lawf, Kimiru slammed his ax on the cart and shouted:
“Hey, who ever said that I don’t want? Bring this bottle here!”
The three bard druids sat beside the broken wagon, and then Ornell said:
“It was a long time ago our first meeting, is not it? I remember very well that infernal day.”
“You almost died, you’re really a loser, can not even go out alone from a quicksand.”, Heng Lawf said, laughing, while Kimiru layed on the grass, laughing.
“Alright, alright… you helped me, but that don’t makes you the best. I have something important to tell you.”, Ornell said with a most serious expression, “It is indeed very good news, the druids of Hanneris are recovering their spells.”
“But how?”, Kimiru asked suspiciously. “When the necromancers of Kordius were defeated, Urentir and Edryon freed the druids who were enslaved, and with that they could focus again on their magical rituals of nature.”, Ornell said, “But if we do not watch the ci
ty carefully, Kordius can return, bringing more death and destruction to our people.”
“This is all very obvious. I think if we can find some other way to protect the city, it would be better, eh?”, Heng Lawf seemed anxious and worried at the same time.
“I think I’ve figured out what’s the best solution.”, Ornell said, rising quickly from the grass, and preparing his longbow, “Let’s find the druids!”
The three bards took their war horses and went riding into the Council of the Leaves. As they approached the main square, an very young elvish girl, very thin, with soft and blond hair, pointed to Ornell, screaming his name. The bard druid came close to the girl, who then smiled and handed him a bouquet of red roses. Heng Lawf and Kimiru looked surprised for the attitude of the girl, then Kimiru said:
“My princess, and my gift?” The young elf came out of the square rather irritated with Kimiru, and then the three bards with their horses, stopped near one
of the wooden benches in the square. A gentle breeze blew through the spreading leaves that fell from the trees. Two boys were playing with wooden swords, until one of them fell to the floor, facing Lawf Heng, who pulled him by the arm and said sharply:
“This is no place for playing.”
The boy pointed the wooden sword to the bard and shouted:
“Come get me!”
Heng Lawf seemed very angry, and then told Ornell:
“These kids do not respect anyone… Let’s get out of here soon.”
The bards rode rapidly to approach a group of peasants who were near a large market. One of them shouted, while holding a scythe:
“I saw the creatures near the cemetery!” Ornell advanced with his horse near the group and asked a middle-aged woman:
Edryon (Book 1 of Edryon Trilogy) Page 13