The Elementalist: Journey to Zlorta: Adult Fantasy Paranormal Novel (Elementalist and Guardian Series Book 1)

by S. N. Hunt

  She handed him the talisman and bag. The talisman looked like vines wrapped around a jewel. The jewel was white and sparkled in the starlight. It had a smaller jewel at the top and bottom of it.

  “Press the top jewel to communicate and accept incoming messages. The bottom jewel will create the portal. It can only create one portal. Once pressed, it will lose all of its magic.”

  Micheal nodded and pocketed it into his cloak.

  “I will see you both off tomorrow. I am glad to have met Alavara’s daughter. We pin our hopes and dreams on her. I only hope she will prove to be a great Queen.”

  Micheal walked back to the door and walked through.

  ∞∞∞

  Micheal and Sarah woke early, and she broke her fast. Little was said as she ate. He did not talk about what he and the queen had discussed. Sarah was curious but kept it to herself. The dread in her stomach had not gone away.

  They left the room and walked to the stables. Angel pulled away from the stable hand holding her and rushed towards Sarah. Sarah laughed and stroked her coat.

  “I missed you so much.” Sarah said as she laid her head on the Unicorn’s mane.

  There is danger in the air. Do you feel it, Sarah? Something is happening.

  Angel’s sweet voice filled Sarah’s mind. Sarah nodded against the unicorn. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw the queen standing behind her. Lyris gather her into her arms and hugged her close.

  “Be careful. Use your bow when you need to. Do not hesitate. Stay close to Micheal. There are dangers stalking the forest today.”

  Sarah nodded as a tear ran down her cheek. She had never had an actual family, and now she had an aunt. Her heart broke to have to leave her.

  “Do not cry, we will see each other again.”

  Lyris kissed her on the cheek and released her. The queen turned to Micheal and greeted him. Sarah mounted Angel and adjusted her bow on the saddle. Her quiver of arrows on her back. Micheal rode up on Lucifer and reached out a hand. He wiped the tears from her cheek and then nudged Lucifer forward. Angel followed behind. Sarah waved back at Lyris and viewed her till she faded from view.

  ∞∞∞

  Darian followed them as they rode out of the Elven city. He couldn’t go into the elvish city and had been waiting a full day for them. Wood elves had found him twice so far. They had shot arrows at him and he just barely escaped both times.

  Darian saw Sarah wore leather britches and growled at the image she presented. Pushing away the distraction, he shook the thoughts from his head. He had to capture her and take her back to the master. He followed them from behind. Staying far enough back Micheal would not smell or sense him.

  His fur bristled in anticipation. He had to take her tonight. He only hoped they did not ride through the night to reach the city. Sarah looked amazing in the britches she wore. He wanted to grab her now and take her on the forest floor.

  He stopped and waited as Micheal handed her a bag. His eyes tracked her and observed as she changed her clothing. Pressure built in his groin and he absently rubbed it. He stifled his whimper and tried to concentrate on the task at hand.

  Chapter Eleven

  “By the end of today, we should be in the Blood City of Windern. We have to find the Centurion Inn. Once there, we will get lodging and meet some people who will help us.”

  “I am still not sure what we are doing. Why am I here? What any of this has to do with me?”

  “You will see soon enough. I am sorry I can’t answer your questions. The one who can is in the Centurion Inn. It’s easier this way, Sarah. Before we go any further change out of those leather pants. Gretchen packed you a bag with clothing suitable for the weather ahead.”

  He stopped the horses and tossed the bag to her. She went behind the nearest tree and pulled the clothes from the bag. The light green underdress was made of silk fabric and was lighter feeling than the wool. There was no petticoat with this one. Once she slipped it over her head, she saw why. Each side of the underdress slit up to her hips. The underdress was sleeveless and the low neckline was curved just over the top of her breasts. The dark forest green bodice did not cover her breasts at all, but cupped them instead. In the bag’s bottom was a pair of sandals. She put them on and gathered her other clothes into the bag. She mounted quickly. Micheal stared at her for a moment before he nudged Lucifer forward.

  They had only ridden for a few hours when lightning lit up the sky. At the sound of thunder, the sky opened up and let loose a downpour. In a matter of minutes, it soaked Sarah to the skin.

  Over the wind and rain, Micheal yelled, “We have to find shelter.”

  He led them quickly through the trees. He stopped just outside of a cave opening. Animal bones were scattered around the mouth of the cave. Vines hung down from the stone overhang. She could only imagine what kind of beast would call this place home.

  “Stay here. I will make sure it is safe.”

  She watched him disappear into the den. Only the whitish-blue light of his sword was visible as he walked deeper and deeper into it. Then the light flickered and disappeared into the darkness. Panic started to build inside her.

  She started to dismount, but Angel pranced around preventing her from getting off. Sarah looked back out into the forest. She shivered in fear as the rain continued to pour down. Turning back to the cave, she gripped her bow tightly.

  She yelled, “Micheal? Micheal, are you there?”

  “Were you worried? The den is abandoned. We should be safe and dry in here.”

  Micheal melted out of the darkness. He helped her dismount and handed her Angel’s reins. He grabbed ahold of Lucifer’s reins and headed back into the darkness. The only light was from his sword. It cast shadows all around them. Sarah walked closely against Angel, knowing the mare would alert her to any danger.

  The cave walls were tall and stalactites hung overhead, water dripping slowly down them. Animal bones crunched under their feet. In the distance, she faintly heard water flowing. She saw Micheal occasionally picking up sticks and debris off the ground as they walked.

  “Are you sure there is nothing left in this cave?”

  “I am positive. Pick up anything you think will burn. Outside there won’t be anything dry. We will need a fire to see and keep us warm.”

  After a while, he stopped them and laid the bundle of limbs and debris on the ground. She placed her smaller bundle down on top of his. He arranged the bundle to his liking, then set his sword on top. The dry sticks quickly ignited. He released his sword, and it vanished. As light filled the cavern, she shrieked as she saw a huge skeleton curled around the outer edge of the cavern.

  Micheal looked up at her and then to the skeleton, “A wyvern. Might have died of old age, starvation, or disease. I would say starvation based on its size. It wasn’t fully grown. That is how I know nothing lives in this cave. If something had taken over the cave, it would have eaten or torn down the bones.”

  The wyvern skeleton was huge, towering over her. It looked as though it had just laid down and died. Sarah felt her heartstrings tug at the suffering the creature must have gone through. Glancing around the cavern, the ceiling was taller in this area than the opening. To the right side was a pool of crystal clear water that looked bottomless.

  “Wyvern? So a dragon, right?”

  Micheal chuckled, “No. There is a difference between a dragon and wyvern. A wyvern is smaller, only about fifteen to thirty feet in length. Around a ton in weight. They also have two legs rather than four. Their tail has poisonous barbs that will kill in a matter of minutes.”

  He walked to where the skeletal tail lay. Bending down, he dislodged a barb from its tail. He carefully handed it to her.

  “The venom is probably all dried up by now, but it will work well as a dagger. If we ever get separated or you run out of arrows, use it if you are in danger. Before we leave here, we’ll gather up what we can. Wyvern scales, claws, teeth, even their skulls are worth something on the market. If w
e find enough scales, we might get you a breastplate made from it.”

  Sarah stared down at the sharp ended barb in her hand. She wasn’t sure she would be able to hurt anyone. Even if her life was in danger. She turned and slid it into one of Angel’s saddlebags. Micheal started unsaddling Lucifer, so she followed suit with Angel.

  “We might as well rest while we wait for this storm to lighten up.”

  Micheal sprawled on the cave floor using his saddle as a pillow. Sarah copied his position with her saddle. She soon succumbed to the darkness.

  ∞∞∞

  Darian crept through the shadows of the cave. He realized this was his last chance to capture the girl. They would have made it to the city today if it hadn’t been for the storm. As he approached their campsite, he saw that both were asleep.

  He was nervous of taking the girl this close to Micheal. He had no choice, though. The master had promised death if he failed. He crept closer to her, keeping his belly low to the ground. Watching Micheal across the fire, he cautiously wrapped a hand around her mouth.

  Darian screamed as pain flared through his right shoulder. Looking down, he saw an iridescent horn sticking through the muscle. He released Sarah and grabbed at the horn. He was lifted into the air and thrown hard back to the ground. The unicorn stomped the ground, and he rolled quickly out of their way. The hooves just barely missed his face.

  Standing, he came face to face with Micheal. Micheal’s sword burned brightly as it swung down at him. He dodged the blow and quickly went on the offense. He cried out as he attempted to lift his right arm. The muscles in his shoulder refusing to work. He jumped back quickly as the sword swung at his midriff. The tip caused a thin line of blood to well across his abdomen. He lifted his left arm and lunged at Micheal. Micheal sidestepped him and slashed right through his elbow.

  Darian fell to his knees as his blood flowed out of him. The blue stain of blood spreading around his knees. His breath came in little gasps. He looked up as Micheal loomed over him. His eyes burning with his hatred.

  “He will come for her. She belongs to him. Not you, never you. You are a betrayer! How could you turn away from us? I was your friend once.” he shouted at Micheal.

  “Let him come for her, I will die to protect her. She is mine now and always.” Micheal whispered at him, before slicing through his neck.

  ∞∞∞

  Sarah started screaming as soon as Darian’s head detached from his body. She covered her eyes and curled into a ball. She had watched enough movies that she thought she would be able to deal with the blood and gore. Seeing it firsthand changed her mind. The sight of Micheal cutting the wolf’s head off would haunt her dreams.

  “Sarah, Sarah! It’s over. Look at me. It’s over.” Micheal said as he gripped her shoulders.

  She looked up into the black void that was his face and crumbled into his arms. He sat down on the ground and pulled her into his lap. She pressed her face against his chest and let the tears flow. He gently stroked her hair and whispered in her ear that everything was going to be okay.

  When her tears finally dried up, he tilted her chin up with a gloved hand. He used his gloved thumb to wipe away her tears. He gently cupped her face in his hands and laid his forehead against hers.

  “Are you okay?” He asked her with concern in his voice.

  Sarah nodded and wiped the back of her hand across her nose. She knew she had to look terrible. She had always been an ugly crier. Her eyes were swollen and her nose was stuffed up now. His breath feathered across her cheek. She lifted the bottom of his hood and kissed his lips. He kissed her back softly.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and squirmed in his lap. All the fear, stress and uncertainties from the last few days morphed into desire. She wanted him and she burned with it. Her kiss changed into one of desperation. He pulled back and pulled the hood down. The sound of his rapid breathing filled the cave. He held her for a moment longer. Then he laid her down on her cloak. He turned her, so her back was to Darian’s body.

  “Rest. I have to clean up this mess. If the rain has stopped, we will leave this place and head to the city.”

  As he stood, she grabbed his hand, “Thank you, Micheal.”

  He looked down at their hands, “Go to sleep, princess.”

  ∞∞∞

  Micheal quickly got to work dragging the body out of the cave. Sarah had surprised him with the kiss. If he had let her continue, they would have been naked on a cave floor next to Darian’s dead body. He shifted himself in his pants and he walked out of the cave. He had told her he was dead and cold, but that was changing. Each day his skin grew warmer, the sun didn’t hurt his eyes as much as it once had. He knew it was from being in her presence. But he couldn’t explain it to her, not till they reached the city.

  Micheal prayed that they reached the city soon. He didn’t know how long he could stand the pain of his desire. He wanted nothing more than to spread her under him. But first, she needed to learn what was going on. She needed to realize who and what he was to her. He knew she suffered the same; he had smelled her arousal when they kissed.

  The rain was now just a sprinkle. Soon it would stop and they would continue their journey. Micheal dragged the body parts farther away from the cave mouth. He caught Darian’s head as it fell from the pile. He set it back on top of the body.

  Micheal looked down at the now human body of the werewolf. With Darian’s death, his curse had ended. Micheal closed his eyes and his tears fell. He had been friends once with Darian. It seemed like so long ago when they had drunk and gambled in Antony’s hall. He had always preferred the human side of Darian. Darian’s wolf side had pushed his limits.

  The memories came back to him as he stood over the body. The time they had fished off the dam near the castle as children. Him telling Darian how one day he would be a great warrior and that Darian could be his trusty sidekick.

  The first time Darian had shifted as a teenage boy. Micheal keeping watch over him as they kept him chained up in the dungeon. Staying by his side till Darian could control the wolf. Then both of them running through the forest, finding freedom in the hunt.

  Darian and he chained to the wall as they were both whipped. Both of them submitting to the torture and accepting their situations. Darian being by Micheal’s side as he gave into Antony’s demands. The last memory was of the night Darian and he had argued. The night Micheal had left Antony’s castle.

  He walked back to the cave and gathered up some dry kindling. Wandering back to his old friend’s side, he built up a pyre for the body. He laid Darian’s body on top of it. Summoning his sword, he used it to ignite the brush. As flames engulfed the body, Micheal prayed.

  “May the moon bless you, may she take you in her arms. In a sky of blue, may you fall to her charms. Till we meet again, may your wolf be free. Let go of the pain, I will pray for thee.”

  Micheal stood by the pyre and watched his friend burn. He knew not for how long, but when he looked up from the fire, he found it had stopped raining. Walking back to the cave, he found Sarah sound asleep. He led Angel to the pool and helped her to clean her horn. He patted her side and wrapped an arm around her neck.

  Leaning into her ear, he whispered, “Thank you for watching out for her.”

  Angel bobbed her head against him. Micheal let go of her and walked back to the fire. He looked down at Sarah’s sleeping form. He hadn’t expected to feel more than a protectiveness for her. Taking a glove off, he knelt and examined her. He tucked a strand of hair that had fallen over her face behind her ear. She moaned in her sleep and rubbed her face against his hand. Electricity sparked across his palm. He quickly put his glove back on.

  He would have to wake her up soon, but first, he would gather what he could of the wyvern. Creating a dagger of light, he started his work on the skeleton.

  ∞∞∞

  “Sarah, it’s time to go.”

  She blinked her eyes a few times. She must have fallen asleep after Micheal had lef
t the cave. Sitting up, she looked around. The body was gone, but a dark patch on the ground could still be seen. The blood had left behind a dark navy blue spot. She shivered and looked up at Micheal. He held out his hand. She took it and he helped her up.

  “I have already gathered all I can from the wyvern. We are close to the city.”

  She nodded and saddled Angel. They walked out of the cave in silence. Outside the cave, they mounted up and started riding through the forest. She saw a fire a little off in the distance. She was thankful Micheal had drug the body downwind.

  Chapter Twelve

  As they rode, the surrounding landscape changed. The trees thinned out and became scraggly and thin. Crimson sands replaced the grass under the horses’ hoofs. The temperature of the area started to climb and perspiration trickled down the back of Sarah's neck. She was thankful for the cooler clothes. Just ahead of them, a massive crimson dune blocked out the horizon.

  The sun beat down on them from overhead. The horses struggled to get to the top of the massive dune. Micheal finally stopped and gestured for them to dismount. He motioned for her to go first as he took the reins of both horses. She climbed the dune on her hands and knees. Finally reached the top, she saw it leveled out into flat red rock. Walking forward, she looked over the edge of a cliff. The cliff dropped off into an enormous crater.

  Someone had carved a walkway into the side of the cliff face. In the center of the crater stood a massive city. It looked like a city straight from a fairy tale. One of those stories where the hero was a mage or a warrior. Completing quests and saving townsfolk. Except the walls were in various shades of reddish browns. In spots, it even looked black or bright red.

  Micheal joined her at the edge, he handed her Angel’s reins. They mounted up and started descending into the crater. Reaching the bottom, she noticed that there was no sand. Just deep red stone. As they drew closer and closer to the city, she realized that the red spots on the walls were blood. It oozed from between the bricks of the wall and dripped down till it dried in a brownish strip. The black marks were dried clots that had stuck to the sides. She felt the bile rise in her throat but forced it down.