by A. R. Wilson
“If I may have everyone’s attention! We do not have time for questions or Council meetings. The safety of Bondurant has been compromised, and we must act quickly. An evil is spreading through this land. It started in Southam and is making its way north. Hallinger is already being evacuated due to the deaths of fourteen people. All other villages must be notified to stay out of Gaulden Forest and move their people north. As far north as they can get.”
A hand shot up in the crowd. “How can we be sure of this? Have any of these reports been confirmed?”
Shevenor shrugged. “Feel free to wait it out in your home village if you wish.” The man blanched as Shevenor turned his gaze to the rest of the crowd. “As for Kovarilos, I want every man, woman, child, horse, wagon, and sword heading north before nightfall. Those of you here as runners from other villages feel free to take a fresh horse and relay all my words to your own leaders.”
Most of the faces in the group stared at him. A single runner slipped on his cloak and headed for the door. Then another and another.
A spot of blond hair moved between two men. Shevenor craned his neck in time to see Vrayken pull a hood over his head as he slipped out with the rest of the group. Hopefully to tell his mother to prepare to leave. That boy was too young for the shoes he wanted to fill. No matter how capable he thought he was, Vrayken was still a child. Nearly a young man, yes, but not ready for the decisions a man had to live with. Besides, Shevenor did not have the heart to tell his son not to put so much faith in the strength of the Grand Wizards. If anything could be done, they would have already done it. Wizards prided themselves in their foresight.
That last thought drug an icy thread through Shevenor’s mind. If the wizards in the Fortress of Erudition knew of the goblin threat, yet said nothing to them, it could only mean one of two things. Either they were busy preparing to welcome Bondurant’s refugees or they were preparing to defend themselves against them.
Mucail broke into Shevenor’s train of thought. “Since Southam is lost, where would you have me go to deliver this message?”
“Make for Ryrdan, they are the only village who has yet to send a response.”
“I will leave within the hour.” Mucail glanced back at the thinning crowd.
“Be swift but shrewd. If anything isn’t right, abandon the mission and head north. We will regroup in Srien, in the Great Northlands, then determine what to do next.”
“And if that fails?”
The question held an emphasis that suggested Mucail also questioned whether the Grand Wizards would be a help or a hindrance to them.
“Then do what seems best in your own eyes. And if at all possible, find me and come to my aid. We will face this danger together.”
Shevenor held out a hand, and Mucail grabbed him at mid forearm. With a smile, Shevenor put a fist to his chest. Now they were bound by oath.
GLOSSARY
Adjh (ad-juh, pronounced as a single syllable): first elf to obtain magic from the Mind-Hand of Fate
Amador: an elven guard/steward who monitors the forest surrounding Chlopahn to ensure no one enters their borders
Arkose (AHR-kohs): neighbor to Jurren; brother is a former general to the Hess-Bren militia; swordsmith by trade
Avian Expanse: massive cavern along the Xanz Mountains ranging between several hundred yards and several miles across; the depths of its bottom are unknown
Azredan: member of the Roan Order sent to aid Jurren on his quest to rescue Tascana
Bondurant (bon-DUR-ant): nation containing the villages of Flint-Heart, Kovarilos, Southam, Primmitt, Evolni, Corrinor, Ryrdan, Hess-Bren, Hallinger, Aplaskra, Trayth; each village operates as its own sovereign state
Cale (KAYL): dragon with metallic blue scales, approximately 15 feet in length from nose to tail
Chalance (CHAY-lents): male human living in Tretchin Valley
Child of Destiny: an elven prophecy given through the Path of Destiny that secures promises from the Fates to the elves of Chlopahn
Chlopahn (kloh-PAHN): elven village city in the mountain south of the Avian Expanse
dallest (DAL-lest): humans mutated into a form resembling a humanoid cross between a mole and a muskrat, stand a little over four feet and are covered with fur
Dellia (Del-yuh): female human living in Tretchin Valley
Ellesha Shan Shair: seer priestess banished from the Fortress of Erudition for refusing to serve the Fates and abide by the code of the Grand Wizards
Fortress of Erudition: place of learning for the Grand Wizards and their students; also where their rituals are performed
Gaulden Forest: the prominent land formation of Bondurant, most villages reside along its edge; only species of tree living there are ghostwoods
ghostwood: a species of tree capable of growing over 300 feet tall and 40 feet in diameter; red wood with rough, scaly bark; branches tend to die and break off the lower portions of the trees as they mature
Grand Wizards: servants of the Fates in the Fortress of Erudition with strict rules of entry and conduct for all in their ranks
Helmsley (HELM-slee): dragon with metallic purple scales, approximately 15 feet in length from nose to tail
Heluska (heh-LOO-skuh): wife to Jurren
Hess-Bren (HESS-bren): home village to Jurren, Kidelar, and Arkose
horsk dragon: dragon with flat black scales, approximately 40 feet in length from nose to tail
Jerricoh (JER-rih-koh): servant to The Master who oversees the care of Tascana
Jurren (jer-REN): father to Tascana; husband of Heluska; tracker by trade; skilled with a sword and bow
Kidelar (KID-uh-lar): scholar and advisor to the Hess-Bren Council; prospective student to the Fortress of Erudition
kros (crowz): green, crystal-like mineral used in an eternal youth spell
Logan (LOW-gan): dragon with metallic purple scales, 15 feet in length from nose to tail
Lord Marvae: elven lord residing in Chlopahn
Montanya (mahn-TAN-yuh): Child of Destiny to the elves in Chlopahn; possesses magical properties and skills
Mucail (MOO-kayl): general of Hess-Bren militia
Orison (or-I-suhn): Jurren’s homeland; an island to the far east of Bondurant
Predator’s Den: cavern created by the warlock Einiko to produce goblins, horsk dragons, and other creatures to serve him
quick paths: magical paths sensed only elves capable of transporting people at 6-10 times the normal rate of running, even greater when the traveler is skilled at sensing their nuances; non-elves can only travels these paths when copying the steps of a elven guide
Revel (REV-uhl): male human living in Tretchin Valley
Roan Order: secret group of elves who defy the Fates
Rosamie (ROHZ-uh-mee): daughter to the owner of the inn at Kovarilos
Saimohl (SAY-mohl): leader of Hess-Bren
Shevenor: (SHEH-veh-nor): leader of Kovarilos; had uncanny ability to decipher truth; father to Vrayken
Srien: village closest to the Fortress of Erudition in the nation of the Great Northlands
Sword of Einiko: talisman wielded by Einiko, possessing half of the magical power granted to him by his great-grandfather Lesoeth through the Lineage of Adjh
Tascana (tuh-SKA-nuh): daughter of Jurren and Heluska
The Master: unseen perpetrator of Tascana’s abduction
Tretchin Valley (TRET-chin Va-lee): a realm near The Master’s castle
Tzevidon Desert (ZEHV-dee-uhn DEHZ-ert): arid landscape west of Bondurant
Vrayken (VRAY-kin): son to Shevenor
white-cliff falcons: birds of prey which live primarily in the cliffs above Flint Heart; easily domesticated for training
Zander (ZAN-dur): male dallest living in Tretchin Valley
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Text copyright © 2016 Angela Wilson