The Warrior's Bane (War for the Quarterstar Shards Book 1)

by David L. McDaniel

  His vision blurred as he struggled to look around, but he could not see much more than a rocky cavern on four sides around him and the dark sky above where a bright moon shone. As his vision cleared, he noticed that the moon above was not the moon at all, but rather a hole in the top the cavern where outside light shone through.

  The man who held his neck now smiled as if he had just been reunited with a long lost relative.

  “Sit up, my friend,” he said and he moved his hand from his neck to his back to help him sit up.

  Alaezdar sat up, looked at the man, and noticed that he looked similar to his father, but without any facial hair. His jaw was gaunt and chiseled, and his hair was long and gray. The skin on his face was tight, yet seemed wrinkled, and his eyes were dark brown. Despite his obvious age, his presence was youthful.

  “Who are you?” Alaezdar asked.

  “I am the Guardian of the Quarterstar Shard and Keeper of the Elven Kings and Warriors, Custodian of the Catacombs,” he answered with a proud, yet tired smile.

  “That is quite a title,” Alaezdar commented, not really impressed.

  “It wasn’t always that elaborate, but I have added a few titles since I have been here,” the old man added, smiling.

  Alaezdar rubbed his head as a rush of memories began to wash back into his thoughts.

  “Aaelie! I have to find Aaelie. Where are Morlonn, Tharn and the others?”

  “In time you will find them.”

  “How much of this is real? Where am I?” Alaezdar asked as he began to remember his situation.

  “All of this is real.”

  “I was just with…an elven king and an elven prophet, I think. Was that real?”

  “You may have been, and yes, this is real. The past few weeks have been very busy around here. Many things that happen here are linked with the Time Keep and are in some ways happening concurrently with it. The elven king and his old advisors are feuding over you right now.”

  “Why me?”

  “Because we -- or you, more importantly -- we are the sons of Dar-Drannon and Traelyn, the Great Mother. Traelyn is Dar Drannon’s daughter, and we are from her line thereafter.”

  “I don’t know what that means. I don’t know who Traelyn is.”

  “Traelyn is the daughter of Dar Drannon and she had sons with the elven prince, but the elves shunned her and sent her away from their kingdom. That’s what caused the war between the humans and the elves. She lived the life span of an elf and kept the war alive for too many years, but in the end, she and her children did the bidding of the land’s prophecy that eventually led you to me. This means that you are both the destroyer and the savior of the realm and of the elven kingdom. Though, whether you are the destroyer or the savior depends on the translation of the prophecies.”

  “I don’t care about the prophecies,” Alaezdar said. He was shaking his head and wondering how he could ever escape the prophecy madness.

  “Oh, you will.” The Guardian laughed. “Whether you want to or not, you really have no choice. The realm will be in a total frenzy, either by helping you or trying to destroy you. Unfortunately for you, it looks like whether or not you are savior or destroyer, both lines of prophecy end in your death.”

  “That is exactly why I am not going to get involved in this prophecy game that the elves have created.”

  “Unfortunately, I am certain that you have no choice in the matter. Here, stand up. I want to show you something.”

  The Guardian stood up, took both of Alaezdar’s hands, and lifted him to his feet. Alaezdar wobbled a bit as he regained his balance and his vision first blurred and then sparkled.

  “You will be fine in a few minutes. I want to properly introduce myself.”

  “I thought you already did.”

  “I did, but that is not who I originally was. My original name was Daegon. I was tricked into coming here because those who thought to thwart the prophecy thought I was you.”

  “I am nobody,” Alaezdar said and looked into what now seemed to be familiar eyes.

  Daegon turned around and said, “Follow me. Here.”

  He stepped over to a table where a large tome lay closed. Behind the table were volumes of other books, all stacked neatly on rows of large shelves that had been carved into the wall. The books were free of dust and age and they looked to be as fresh as if they had just been written and bound that day.

  “This book -- and all these other books -- tell a different story. All of them mention you one way or another, but none of them tell the same story, except for that fact that each story is based on this quote.”

  Daegon stood behind the table, opened the tome, pointed to a verse and read aloud.

  “A time of peace and prosperity will be ushered in by the sons borne of the Human King’s Daughter. The last of her lineage will awaken the power of the Quarterstar by uniting all of the shards and this will restore the balance of the land.”

  Alaezdar shook his head. He heard his father tell him of such a prophecy, but he never believed any of it, nor cared.

  “All want this event to transpire,” Daegon began again. “There are those who believe that the uniting of the Quarterstars will indeed unite the land in peace, but he who commands the Quarterstars as one will be in charge of the land and will rule everyone. He will have the power to rule as a dictator. There are those who believe that this savior will unite the races, though, and will allow all the races and kingdoms to live separately, but harmoniously. However, once again all these prophecies involve you.”

  “Then they are all wrong,” Alaezdar said, clenching his jaw.

  “That is what I thought, my son, until I read them. Believe me, I have read them all, over and over: Some more than others, because some are relatively recent. Throughout the years elves from different beliefs have brought books to me to read and decipher.”

  “And where do those books come from?” Alaezdar asked rhetorically, “I will tell you. They were written to make something happen politically or otherwise to strengthen someone’s personal advantage.”

  “That is also what I thought at first. Believe me, I was not happy about being placed here over six hundred years ago, but I have had plenty of time to figure out the truth. And trust me, the truth has not been easy to determine. Those books were written by elves, a despicable race that I once hated, but I have long since learned to respect and, oddly enough, adore them. Elves are an inspired and spiritual race. However, I do not yet fully understand where the gods that they worship come from. I have learned that they are real, even though there are conflicting sources about them. It’s as if the gods battle each other for power in this realm, and there is some spiritual conflict between the Wrae Elves and the Sor Elves which I don’t quite understand fully yet.”

  “I do not believe in the gods, elven or other.”

  “You should boy, they are fighting over you, or us, or Dar Drannon, rather. Our Great Father must return in order to unite the elves, humans, dwarves and all the minor races, as well. Even the goblins are a bastardization of his being, and you are the piece that will bring it all together. Again, whether you live or die will determine the outcome of those fighting for their end. Yes, you are partially correct about these books being written by different points of views – by all of those wanting their own personal outcomes -- however, they all contain some truth to them. That is where I, having been here over six hundred years, will be your greatest benefit. All of the prophecies have Dar Drannon returning, one way or another, but some want to kill him when he returns, and others want to isolate him within the realm somehow. The other thing the prophecies have in common is that you are the catalyst for making his return possible. Many write that
your death must be concurrent with that endeavor.”

  “This is all very fascinating, but it will take much more than you to make a believer out of me, especially if I am to die to make all of this come true.”

  “I understand. It took me over a hundred years for me to come to grasp the truth. Right about the time I should’ve been dying of old age, I realized I was going to be here for quite awhile -- especially when I started figuring out the time line in the texts that predicted such events. Once I stopped fighting it, and started learning, I began to listen to the events. I also began to figure out the two opposing sides of the prophecy and came to the revelation that the entire being of our realm is at odds with itself. Our realm, known as Wrae Kronn, is comprised of two opposing forces that work with, and against each other, in order to survive, while the same time each side is fighting for dominance. Wrae is magic and its beliefs are purely elven dominated. Kronn is separate in nature and is magic originated from the land.”

  Alaezdar remembered his father telling him the same thing, but instead of his telling Alaezdar that he was the catalyst, he had told him that he needed to keep a low profile always, and that he needed to learn both types of magic in order to survive. Alaezdar never listened to him and he was barely listening to Daegon now.

  “I am sorry, Daegon. This has been my bane ever since my father began explaining these prophecies to me. I am not here to save or destroy the world. I am here to rescue a dear friend who is in trouble. How can you help me do only that?”

  Daegon smiled so big that Alaezdar thought he was going to laugh at him.

  “This event has been predicted, as well. Yes, Aaelie needs your help, and what you do next will change many things in the predictions of the prophecy. In fact, it will allow me to throw half of these books into the river here because they will no longer hold precedence to the future. In essence they’ll become children’s myths.”

  Daegon walked to the far end of the room, scanned the books, reached into a nook in the corner of the cavern and pulled out a talisman.

  “This is the Quarterstar Talisman. It has one shard imbedded into it. It is the portion of the star that crashed into the land right at this exact spot during creation.”

  Daegon handed the talisman to Alaezdar.

  “I have been waiting a long time to do this,” he said to Alaezdar.

  “What am I supposed to do with this?”

  “Find and unite the remaining three shards.”

  “I am not going to do that. I have to help Aaelie.”

  Daegon laughed.

  “Oh, yes, you are right. You must. And I believe you will”

  “Where are Morlonn, Tharn and Rivlok?”

  “Morlonn is nearby. A friend will be bringing him to us shortly. Tharn and Rivlok are already where they need to be.”

  Alaezdar heard a sound coming from above him and when he looked up, he saw Morlonn’s head sticking through the lighted hole.

  “Alaezdar, I found you!” he shouted down.

  Meanwhile, Daegon continued, ignoring him.

  “The Quarterstar Shard has powers that can only be harnessed once inside the talisman. I do not know all of what it can do, but I do know that it holds some of the power of the Aaestfallia Keep, or the Time Keep, as you call it. You can transport anywhere within the realm with it. However, not always in the exact time line you are currently in. Kronn controls that. That’s where the power of the prophecies comes into play. If you still aren’t a believer in the prophecies now, Aleazdar, you will be once you unharness the power of the Quarterstar. The magic in the Quarterstar is a powerful force that has been tasked to complete a mission. What that mission is, one can only guess, but the magic of the Quarterstars together want the prophecies to come true and they will thwart time and worldly events to make them happen as predicted. Be careful how you use this power once you learn it. It doesn’t always bend to your will.”

  “This will help me find Aaelie?”

  “If it is in the will of the prophecy to do so, yes. You will be transported at the exact time and place that the Quarterstar deems necessary. It may be minutes from now or it may be days from now. It may even be in the past. That I do not know. I have seen many forks in the prophecy concerning Aaelie. But you must be very cautious of Fyaa. She is the disrupter of the land. She is also a catalyst, but in different and dangerous ways. Do not help her. Do not trust her…ever!”

  “How do I use this?” Alaezdar asked and held the talisman above his head so that he could look at the shard in the light.

  “I don’t know, but I have a feeling you will before you go. First I need you to do something for me.”

  “What do you need?”

  “I am no longer needed here,” he said and folded his hands in front of him.

  “Aren’t you the Guardian of elven kings and warriors?”

  “Yes. But in reality I am merely the guardian of the Quarterstar. Everything else is secondary. Besides, these dead elves can take care of themselves. In some small way when you take the talisman, you will become their guardian, although you will not be confined to this imprisonment, as I have. I think I have done my duty, especially since I was tricked into being here.”

  “How can I help you then?”

  Daegon turned and grabbed the stone chalice from a shelf by the books.

  “I am so thirsty,” he said and handed Alaezdar the chalice. “Take this cup and fill it with water from the river and bring it back to me.”

  Alaezdar took the cup and walked to the edge of the cavern where a set of crude steps was carved out of the platform leading to the river. He walked down the steps, dipped the cup into the river and filled it, and returned to Daegon. he handed him the cup.

  “Thank you, my son. It has been a pleasure waiting for you and finally meeting you. Remember, you are the son of Traelyn, the son of Dar Drannon. Protect that knowledge and do what you think is best. Other than that, I can tell you no more.” Daegon looked at the water in the cup, saw the purple swirl beginning to rise out of it, inhaled it through his nose and smiled broadly.

  “I am so thirsty. I have not eaten or touched a drop of water since I have been here,” he said.

  He took a long drink from the cup, draining all of its contents, and turned the cup upside down as if to prove he had drunk every drop.

  “It has been such a long time.”

  Within seconds his hair began to fall out of his head and his skin smoothed itself out like marble. He turned to dust and fell like a feather to the ground. Then, right before Alaezdar’s eyes, Daegon was gone.

  Alaezdar looked up at Morlonn, who still had his head sticking through the hole.

  “What just happened?” Morlonn asked.

  “That was my great, great grandfather, I guess you could say, and I think we are about ready to save Aaelie. Are you ready?”

  “I have been ready for a long time, my friend.”

  Alaezdar put the talisman over his head. All he could think to do was to direct his thoughts toward Aaelie, and as he did so he saw her in his mind tied up to the outside of a caged wooden cart. The cart was on fire and she was screaming, and although she was not on fire herself yet, he could tell it would not be long before the flames reached her body. All around her goblins chanted and cheered as the sun began to rise through the trees.

  Alaezdar opened his eyes and he and Morlonn were already there.

  Chapter 28

  Alaezdar looked at Morlonn in fear and amazement. They had been transported to what must have been the exact spot they had been searching for since they left Valewood. Aaelie had to be within their grasp, but how to rescue her still seemed to be an impossible task as
she was surrounded by crazed and fanatical goblins dancing around her as the wooden wheels on the cart began to burn.

  Smoke was beginning to rise up into the cart and conceal her. The last they saw clearly was her shaking the metal bars on the wagon. After the smoke consumed her, she began to choke and went to the far side of her enclosure where there was still a little fresh air.

  “We have to save her!” Morlonn said, but he panicked after hearing Aaelie scream in terror, not knowing if she was burning yet. He knew if the flames did not consume her, the smoke would still asphyxiate her in a short time.

  “Here take this,” Morlonn said, as he scrambled to remove Gartan’s cloak and hand it to Alaezdar. “Use this to get in there and save her.”

  Alaezdar grabbed the cloak and wrapped it around his body. As he did, his form began to disappear. When Alaezdar saw Morlonn smile, he knew that the effect he had wished for was attained. He reached for Bloodseeker and withdrew it from his scabbard. He could feel through the veins in his arm Bloodseeker pulsing in excitement.

  “Stay here,” he said.

  He skirted along the wood line towards Aaelie’s burning cart. To his amazement the goblins did not notice him, or at least he was obscured enough not to attract any attention from their celebration. Not far from the cart, he saw Ra-Corsh and another goblin figure that looked to be their leader watching the event.

  This was going to be too easy. How could he have been so wrong? All he had to do was open this wagon, release Aaelie and get out of there before anyone would notice. The smoke might even provide enough cover for him to pull her out and no goblin would ever know the difference.

  “Gralanxth the mighty and powerful!” the goblin next to Ra-Corsh shouted.

  Alaezdar looked over and noticed a ball of black sludge forming between where they stood and Aaelie’s burning cart. The sludge twisted, turned and flipped until it began to form into a large humanoid figure.

  “Come to us, Gralanxth. You have been away far too long!” he continued to chant and the black sludge began to change from black to dark green.