“Yes, I will let her explain.”
They arrived in front of an office that looked over Thelsedorei.
Standing there was a woman who only looked a few years older than Aila. She was communicating to some- one through a glowing pool of water.
“Make sure that they also step up their Guardian Apos- tles. It is time we cleared the chaos from Dena.”
“Yes, Grand Elder,” the person on the other side of the water said before the light dimmed and Allynna turned to greet them.
“I am sorry. With your information, we are preparing everyone for the coming battle, searching for where the doomsday doors might appear and contacting our allies to make sure that they are ready.” Allynna touched her head and waved her open hand at them. The others re- peated the gesture as she waved for them to take a seat.
“We will re-establish contact with our dark elf cousins, but I require your help,” Allynna said in a grave voice. “We believe that there is a group of Guardians who went into hiding on Ilsal. We have sent our own elves, but...” Allynna looked at Anthony.
“If they don’t want to be found, it would be hard to do so,” Anthony said.
“I also think that there might be someone there who will be able to help you regain your strength and your mem- ories, though we can’t confirm any of this,” Allynna said. “This will be an opportunity to stabilize Dena and for you to spread the word about the shadowlings’ return.” Her eyes moved to encompass all of them in the room.
I had been looking forward to going home, until I felt that my mission was over. Aila looked at her two companions, who looked at her.
“Well, it sounds like an adventure—plenty of materials to be found. I’m in!” Tommie said.
“I would like to remember.” Anthony nodded.
And I can’t very well let them get into trouble all by them- selves. Aila felt a smile sneak onto her face as she
coughed, hiding it behind her hand and looking serious. “I’m willing to do so for the elves.”
“Good. Take the day. We will organize a guide and sup- plies for you and you can head out first thing tomorrow morning.” Allynna stood.
They said their good-byes and made for the door before Aila and Tommie noticed Anthony still stood in front of Allynna.
“I hope you don’t mind, but you look like an old friend of mine, someone who was dear to me.” Anthony let out a laugh. “Hopefully, with my memories, I might be able to tell you some stories about your ancestors.”
“Promise?” Allynna asked.
“Of course! They weren’t all holy yada yada sages. Some of them were young girls going on an adventure, or peo- ple thrust into the unknown and they became powerful figures in their own right. But under the figurehead and the prestige, they were just people who had their own likes, dislikes, pain, and happiness.”
Allynna was silent for some time. “Well, I would like to hear their stories.”
“Till we meet again, and may we both have more stories to share then.”
“Till we meet again; may the tree always see you,” Allyn- na said.
“And may Dena bless your growth,” Anthony respond- ed. The two of them saluted each other before Anthony left.
Vulmar opened the door for them as they prepared for their new quest.
***
“So how are we going to get to Ilsal?” Tommie asked. “Go west?” Anthony asked.
“How have you survived—wait, no, never mind.” Aila shook her head as she pulled out a map. “We have to go northeast to Enni. That is where our guide will drop us off. Then we have to get to one of the sea towns and get a ship to Epan and then over to Ilsal.”
“All I hear is that it is time for another adventure!” An- thony said.
Aila made to say something, then shook her head and put the map away with a resigned look on her face.
“Hello, I am your guide. The elders have asked that I take you to Enni,” an elf said, leading a white forest spirit. It was from the reptilian family, with a dignified air about it. Like Ramona and her children, it had four legs, but while Ramona and her children looked as if they had battled their way through the forest, this elf ’s mount was pure white except for a black diamond of scales on its forehead.
“Well, hello, guide.” Anthony leaned down to look at the man. It was a much smaller mount than Ramona and her children.
“My name is Garrik.” He saluted and bowed his head to them.
They returned the gesture as well.
“I am Anthony. That blushing darling is Aila, and that’s our gnome, Tommie.”
“Hey!” Aila’s cheeks turned a darker shade.
“Think I can’t tell when an elf is blushing?” Anthony muttered and looked to Tommie, who shrugged.
“Why you looking at me? I only traded with them!” Tommie said, securing his pack.
Anthony saw something glowing in the pack as it was sealed up. “That—Tommie, how did you get that?”
“I have my sources,” Tommie said with a smile that told Anthony he wouldn’t be revealing anything any time soon.
“What are you building?”
“The Gnome-inator,” Tommie said. “I want to see!” Anthony said.
“Well, if you look at this here...” Tommie pulled out some plans from a hidden pocket and started showing them to Anthony.
“Dude!”
“Just ignore them. Shall we start going?” Aila sighed.
“Okay.” Garrik got on his mount and they headed out of the city. Anthony and Tommie talked to each other in low voices, conspiring together. Tommie wrote down what Anthony was saying, his eyes glowing.
Whenever I see someone that interested in what Anthony’s saying, why do I have a bad feeling about it?
“Your companions are interesting,” Garrik said.
“Oh, you have no idea. And I think Tommie has been lost.” She sighed mournfully as they reached the main gate.
She had thought that this would be the end of their jour- ney.
But when they gave us the new quest, I couldn’t help but be excited. She looked back at the duo. I would never ad- mit it, but life is more interesting around them, and there is still so much more of Dena to see!
The branches making up the gate moved apart as if wav- ing good-bye to them as they passed through and out in- to the Deepwood.
Thank you for your support and taking the time to read Skeleton With A Heart Curse.
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197
Thanks again for reading! ☺ Book 2
Chapter: First Stop
Their time from leaving the elven capital Thelsedorei went smooth- ly as the guide took them along a path between different beast ter- ritories and across open ground.
They passed the days riding and talking, and the night sharing meals and stories.
The guide continued to stare at Anthony the entire time. He hadn’t eaten, slept, or drank the entire time.
“Maybe you could put on a better show?” Aila asked as they were at the rear of the group.
“Better show of what? Eating? I’d just get it all over my bones and then in my boot! Ugh, boot dinner. I might be undead but I have standards!” Anthony tilted his head up to the sky, just to get hit by a branch.
Well, put his h
elmet through a branch without so much as flinching.
“Damn, did I dent it?” Anthony asked, touching his helmet as the broken half of the branch fell off Ramona’s back.
The guiding elf coughed as Aila looked up front where the tree line ended and a city could be seen in the distance.
“We’ve arrived at Enni. This is where I leave you,” she said. “Thank you for guiding us.” Aila touched her head and saluted
the elf.
“As is my duty.” The elf responded with the same salute.
They turned and headed back into the forest as Aila got a closer look at the city Enni.
198
There was a wide variety of people of all different sizes working the fields that had to be two or three times the fields that ran around Laisa.
“So this is a beast man town?” she asked.
“A lot of them are bigger than humans and the other races, and they require more food,” Anthony said, noticing her looking at the fields.
“They’re alchemists—should have the compound I require,” Tommie said, looking at the town closer.
“Compound?”
“Oh, did I say that out loud?” Tommie just laughed awkwardly and then averted his eyes, not answering her question.
“Let me know when the Gnome-inator is done!” Anthony said. “Of course! You gave me so many great ideas!” Tommie had a wide, almost crazed smile as he patted the burlap sack filled with parts and components that Aila, even with all of her studying,
didn’t know what they could possibly create.
“Come on then!” Anthony let out a really high-pitched squeaking whistle. “Really isn’t the same without lips.”
Those in the nearby fields were looking over at them as they walked out of the tree line.
Anthony waved to them in greeting.
Aila, with her Far Sight, was able to see the panic on their faces when they saw the trio and they started to leave the fields.
A group of armored beast men stepped out from between the fields and headed directly for them.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Aila said in a singsong voice.
“I’m really close to the beast men. I had some really close beast men friends!” Anthony said.
Aila didn’t feel any more confident with his words.
They continued forward and more patrols appeared. There was a group of beast men soldiers on the walls of the city as the farmers all moved back.
“Who fights today!” Anthony said when the group was in earshot.
The beast men all leveled their weapons with the group.
“Get off your beast and put down your weapons!” the leader yelled out.
“That went well,” Aila said.
“I’m pretty sure that is the general greeting,” Anthony said. “Stop talking!” The leader gestured with his spear, as the tribal
tattoos across his body started to surge with power. The other beast men also readied themselves for a fight.
“We’re just passing through. We don’t want any trouble.” An- thony kept his hands up and visible.
“A human comes into beast man territory and they don’t want trouble.” One of the guards let out a snort and pawed the ground.
Guess he’s got a rather lot of warthog heritage, Aila thought, looking at him.
“All humans have to be questioned and identified,” the guard captain said. His eyes turned to Tommie and Aila.
“Okay, very well,” Anthony said. He slowly got down from Ra- mona.
“Thank you for letting me borrow your mount,” Anthony said, looking at Aila.
“No problem,” Aila said.
What does he mean by that? She looked relaxed on the outside but inside felt he was plotting something.
The guards grabbed Anthony, putting manacles on his wrists and taking away his sword and scabbard. They removed his cloak, revealing his armor.
“A knight.” The leader scoffed and turned his eyes to Tommie and Aila again.
“Get registered at the town gates.” With that, he turned with the rest of the patrol and headed for the city, roughly dragging and pushing Anthony ahead of them.
“You’ll scuff the armor!” Anthony complained. They only started to do it more.
Why is he letting them push him around? Aila had an under- standing of his strength and there was no way that those manacles or those beast men were stronger than Anthony.
“What do we do now?” Tommie asked, still looking scared from it all.
“I guess we get registered. Trust me, Anthony isn’t in danger,” Aila said.
Tommie took a few moments. “He’s the strongest person I’ve ever met.” Tommie nodded as he coaxed his mount forward.
“Come on, Ramona,” Aila said.
The big beast looked at Aila with a pitiful look. “He’ll be fine,” Aila said.
Ramona seemed to give in, lowering her head and following them.
***
Captain Etheras put down his report and pulled the glasses off his snout. “You captured a human who was travelling with a gnome and a dark elf, and you have been questioning him, but you haven’t been able to take his armor. So you can’t use the Eyes of Truth on him?” he asked Lieutenant Ralo.
“Yes, Captain.” Ralo’s ears tucked down and his tail didn’t move under the captain’s gaze.
Etheras was from the wolf clans and they had some links to the coyotes.
“What has he said?” Etheras asked.
“He said that he is only passing through. He is travelling to Ilsal,” Ralo reported faithfully, relieved to have something that would put him in a good light and show he was at least trying to do his job.
“Does he have papers saying that he is an Ilsal citizen?” “No.”
“His weapons and armor?”
“He says that he won’t take them off—he doesn’t want to freak people out.” Ralo frowned before he cleared his throat. “The armor is specially made. We haven’t been able to pull it off, or even open the helmet so we can use the Eyes of Truth on him. I think that it might even be some kind of artifact. It has this tree on the back and it glows and moves. His sword we can’t pull out of the scabbard but I got one of the smiths to examine it. He says he’s never seen any- thing like it. He thinks that it is made from ores only found in the heart of dwarven lands. He even keeps on saying that he’s saying the truth.”
“What is the rule?”
“Never trust someone who has not been checked with the Eyes of Truth.” Ralo stood straight and answered rapidly, the words burned into his mind.
Etheras tapped his glasses on the desk before he put them down. “Let’s see just what he wants.” He stood up.
“Sir?” Ralo asked.
“I have nothing but boring reports waiting for me, and it is not every day that we have a human on this side of the border,” Etheras said, already walking for the door. “Are you coming?”
“Yes sir!” Ralo stumbled into action and followed him out across the training ground and into the heavy stone buildings that made up the city’s jail.
No human would be able to break out of here. They’re made to withstand even someone from the ox clan trying to break out.
Etheras wandered down into the depths of the jail, where he heard screeching and scratching.
“Ahhh!”
“Nooo!”
“What are you doing!” a man yelled. But Etheras’s ears perked up.
“Is he...laughing?” Etheras picked up the pace. He saw a man on a rack with three guards trying to lever off his armor as he laughed and bucked, clearly acting as if he were being tickled by them.
Etheras let out a growl.
The guards stopped what they were doing and looked at Etheras, saluting him awkwardly. One of them dropped their tool on their foot, wincing as they saluted while one eyebrow fluctuated wildly.
“At ease.” Etheras moved in front of the man, who was starting to get himself back under control.
“Oh, sorr
y about the noise. Just, they wouldn’t stop, you know,” the man said, taking a few breaths.
“Who are you?” Etheras asked. “Anthony. And you are?”
“Guard Captain Etheras. We need you to answer a few ques- tions,” Etheras said.
“Sure!”
“We need you to answer them while under the effect of the Eyes of Truth,” Etheras said.
“Can you just put it up against my helmet and we do it that way?” Anthony asked.
“We need to make sure you’re not using some kind of means to stop the spell from working.”
“I would if I could, but I think you might get a bit freaked out,” Anthony said.
“Freaked out.” Etheras repeated the words, clearly not amused. “Look, I’m nearly eighty years old, so I’ve been fighting ever since the slaver wars.”
“Slaver wars?” Anthony asked. “Humans forget so soon,” Ralo said.
Etheras glanced at him, making Ralo stand straight and close his mouth.
“When the humans started slaving the beast men and other races en masse, treating us as lower species, and an emperor used them to build his power as he pushed into our lands. How they created the slaver collars that had been banned for generations,” Etheras said.
Death Knight Box Set Books 1-5: A humorous power fantasy series Page 15