Chapter 5 Xephon stepped into an upside down bowl of a room, aside from the doorway itself, there were several archways around the wall, all seemed to be simply for decorative purposes. The walls, floor, and ceiling, all seemed to be made of the same white marble Xephon had noticed on the buildings and decorations in the town. The only light came through a circular skylight, and cascaded down onto a lone stone chair directly in the centre of the room. In the chair sat a tall man with sharp features, wearing a pale grey robe and hood. “Welcome,” emanated a deep, powerful voice, “welcome Xephon, son of Artor, welcome Xephon foe-seeker.” “What? Foe-seeker?” Asked Xephon, a little stunned, “and did you know my father? Who are you old man?” “Please Xephon,” begged Eve, “show a little respect, my father is a very wise man. He has led our people for over seven hundred years.” “Wow he’s old,” Ash muttered to himself, to nervous glances from Xephon and Eve. “I know much of you Xephon,” the old elf spoke, “I knew your father well, I bore witness to your birth, and I have dreamed of your destiny this week passed.” “I have to say, that’s a little worrying.” “Indeed it is.” “I think you need to explain yourself. Just who are you anyway?” “In my home, amongst the elves, and amidst nature, I have no name of which to speak of. Most refer to me simply as elder, or healer, or friend. If you must name me, you may call me Seraphim.” “And how do you know my father, Seraphim?” The knight inquired. The old elf chuckled to himself, “So quick to adopt a name given to you by someone you know very little about.” The elf’s expression turned serious, “To answer your question, I am one of few here that would call your father friend.” “Ok..” “Don’t mistake my words young one, elves are not an unkind or hostile race, however, we generally have trust issues with other races, in particular humans.” “I had noticed a lot of the elves seemed to glare at me when we passed through the town..” Eve quickly stepped in, her tone a little nervous; “Well you see, the people here have never seen anything like you before, a half blood has not been heard of in thousands of years.” “Wait, a half blood? What are you talking about?” cried a surprised Xephon. “Perhaps,” boomed the old man’s voice, as he rose from his chair and started to walk casually towards Xephon, “I can shed a little light on this situation, and then, you will understand.” The old man threw back his hood, to reveal his long flowing white hair, it had a peculiar shine to it, which Xephon thought was exactly what a waterfall made of liquid pearls would look like. Seraphim extended his arm in the Direction of Xephon’s face. “Wait, what are you doing?” Exclaimed the young knight, almost stepping backwards. “Hold still boy,” said Seraphim, placing his palm on Xephon’s forehead, “this will only take a moment or two.” Xephon noticed his companions looking on anxiously, then the room began to spin. Xephon found himself in the exact same room, lying on the floor. Had he fainted from the old man’s touch? He quickly picked himself up and dusted himself off. As he looked around he began to notice that everything he looked at seemed to have an eerie grey quality to it. His friends had disappeared, but in front of him, in conversation with a tall, armoured man, was Seraphim. The old elf seemed somehow younger, with darker hair, although it was not easy to tell, as everything was still grey. Xephon concentrated on the man in armour. His stance seemed familiar. The man had long, shaggy hair, a thick beard, and tough looking eyes. Xephon now understood who he was seeing. “Father!” cried out Xephon. If either his father or Seraphim had heard his shout, they paid him no heed. Realisation dawned upon Xephon. They couldn’t hear him, this was just a memory. Suddenly, Xephon noticed the baby in his father’s arms. It was a tough looking boy, barely a few days old, hardly any hair, and a red mark, (or rather grey at this point) that began at his forehead and went all the way down to the right side of his face in the shape of a Y. Xephon absent-mindedly brush his cheek. Xephon noticed the stain of tears on his father’s cheeks. The two older men were now arguing. “There is simply no more I can do, I wish there was. I’m sorry Artor…” began Seraphim. “Please, there has to be something you can do!” “I have done much for you already, now you must find your own way. My people see the child as an abomination, his very birth a travesty. Return to your home land, but tell nobody that the boy is half elf, lest you wish to find yourselves outcast, and homeless.” “My wife; your adopted daughter, has just died giving birth to this child, and you would send us out alone, into the unknown.” “I am afraid I must,” said the old elf, bowing his head shamefully. “I will have my fastest horse, and a day’s supplies sent with you. Goodbye old friend.” Colour flooded back into the room. The memory was over. “Hey Xephon,” Ash spoke, shaking Xephon out of his apparent stupor. “Everything ok? You seem a little out of it.” “Yeah, I guess I’m ok. Did nobody else see that?” “See what?” Echoed Ash and Eve almost simultaneously. “What you just saw, was for you and you alone Xephon.” Exclaimed Seraphim. “It is the beginning of your story, of your destiny.” “Wait, destiny? What do you mean?” “Long before you were born, before even I was born; it was written in the prophecies of the ancients, that a half-blood would be born and that half-blood would have the power to shape the world. For good or for evil, you are destined for greatness Xephon.” Xephon seemed to take the news surprisingly well. “So what now?” “Well, I see you are a man of action. So be it. Before you set out to meet your destiny, you must face three tests of valour. Your first test shall be no small feat. You must seek out a dragon. ” “Wait, dragons? I thought they were extinct.” “That is not the case. Dragons have been sought out by humanity, and slaughtered for their hides, their teeth and claws, for armour, and for medicine. They have been pushed to the brink of extinction, but there are still a few tribes that remain, scattered through these lands, if you know where to look.” “So all I need to do is locate a tribe of dragons, separate one from the rest without getting killed, and then what? Talk to it?” “Your task shall not be as complicated as you make it seem. You will seek out one specific dragon in particular. This dragon lives in a mountain cave, only a few miles from here. I should however warn you, your journey will be challenging, and should you survive the journey, there is no telling if the dragon will attempt to kill you on sight.” “You make that sound so appealing. What if I refuse?” “You will not.” “Well, since I’ve never seen an actual dragon in real life, curiosity has got the better of me.” “So quick to rush into unknown danger. You are your father’s son Xephon. This dragon goes by the name of Blood-fang. Dragons are very proud and noble creatures, but they are also quick to anger, and are known to be the most powerful of creatures. Your intelligence, and in particular, manners, may be all that stands between you and death. Though, I am almost certain you will survive this encounter; in my dream, it was the dragon, and not I, that gave you your second and third tasks.” “Great, so when do I set out.” “You will leave at sunrise. I have a few items you may find helpful on your quest. For tonight, you and your injured friend here may spend the night in my home; it is a few buildings behind where we are now. I have plenty of room, and you will need your rest. Now, let’s attend to this young man’s ear.” “I’ll go with you tomorrow,” promised Ash, who had remained silent through the whole conversation, glancing at Xephon as he stepped forward. Seraphim pulled a cloth from his pocket, and dabbed Ash’s ear down so he could inspect the wound. “I am afraid,” began Seraphim, “that for the time being I cannot let you go anywhere until I have a better look at that wound. And this first task, Xephon must complete alone. I have a strong feeling that our young knight will need your help again before his journey is through, and very soon if my dreams can be trusted.” Smiling, he added “Eve, my daughter. I feel you will also have a pat to play in this young man’s destiny. I have sheltered you from the world for too long as it is, and I see you looking at Xephon anxiously.” Eve blushed, she remained silent, hoping the others hadn’t noticed. “And now we shall retire.” Said Seraphim. “We must clean and dress that ear of yours as soon as possible Ash.” The door opened, and the company made their way to the home of Seraphim, where they would spend an uneventful night. Chapter 6 Sunrise had arrived much sooner than Xephon had expected. The group had been served a paltry meal of bread and cheese, with water to break fast with. After they had eaten, Seraphim led Xephon to a small, empty room. At least it would have been empty, if not for a large wooden chest sitting neatly in the corner of the room, next to the golden patch of light where the rising sun could be seen through a small solitary window. It reminded Xephon of his dormitory in the castle barracks; a place he felt certain he could never return to. “I see that the chest has caught your eye Xephon,” began Seraphim, “as rightly it should, you will find that all you find in there now belongs to you. You may well have need for it in your journey to come.” Xephon approached the wooden box; there was nothing special about the chest whatsoever, just a simple chest, no locks, a flat lid with two hinges on the back. Xephon blew a layer of dust off and carefully opened the lid. Nestled into a cushion of straw he found a dusty old scroll, a small dagger with elven writing inlaid on the handle, and a surprisingly shiny suit of armour, made grey by age, or made of some dark metal Xephon had not seen. Xephon found he could not resist trying on the armour, and before he realised what he was doing, the knife found itself in its place on his belt, and the scroll open in his hands. On the scroll he found a few dozen even sentences he could not understand, and seven coloured circles dotted around the page. “That armour fits you surprisingly well,” said Seraphim, disturbing Xephon’s thoughts, “When your father learned that there was a scroll concerning your destiny, he began to do a little research for himself. Though we could not find any evidence of a connection, Artor was certain that scroll you hold had something to do with it.” “What does it say?” asked Xephon. “It is written in the ancient language of the elves; even a scholar such as myself cannot translate it in its entirety. What I understand is this: It tells a legend of seven stones, seven magical stones of many colours that were scattered throughout the lands. These stones were used either release or imprison a great evil force that would seek to rule these lands with chaos and turmoil.” “So, what? I have to stop this great evil? Is that it?” “I would not presume to know your destiny Xephon. But know this; even if your father was right, it may well be you that determines what path to take. I do not believe that a person’s life can be left entirely to fate, that no choice we make ever has a consequence that was not foreseen. Your destiny is not set in stone Xephon.” “I think I like that answer.” Smiled Xephon. “I have noticed that you did not wonder where the helm for your suit of arms might be.” “I find that the benefits outweigh the risk in most situations, it’s easier to be aware in combat if you can see what you’re doing, or what you adversaries are doing. I doubt I would have taken the helmet even if it had been in the chest.” “You are very much like your father.” Seraphim smiled this time. “Guess I better get going then. I have a dragon to find.” “Indeed. When you have retrieved your sword, Eve will lead you out. She has packed you enough supplies for two days, though I should hope for your sake that you return here by nightfall. Strange creatures lurk these woods of late.” “I’ll be careful.” With that the young knight set out to find Eve, and begin his quest. Xephon found Eve and Ash waiting for him by the city gates. “Still wish I could go with you.” Said Ash wistfully. “Much as I’d love the company,” began Xephon, “I’m not exactly used to doing missions with other people, I tend to work alone unless there’s no alternative. Besides, I think you’ve already helped me more than enough. My pride couldn’t handle it if you saved my life or something.” Both young men laughed, and shook hands. “Xephon,” said Eve, stepping forward, “Just outside of the secret entrance, you will find a silver horse named Fleet-foot. He will take you to the mountain, and wait for your return. If you find him missing, it will mean he has sensed danger, and you should be wary. When you are certain it is safe, you should simply whistle, and he will appear. We have loaded his saddle bags with enough food and water for two days, should you need it. We are a simple folk, and as such, tend to eat only simple foods, such as bread and cheese, and vegetables. There are few meats that we elves will eat; we believe that all life has meaning.” Eve paused. “I’m afraid that I have rambled on, I apologise. I usually don’t talk this much. I have delayed you much already.” “That’s ok.” Replied Xephon. “Xephon..” said Eve anxiously, “be careful out there.” “You don’t have to worry about that. I’m always careful on a quest.” Said Xephon smiling. “Well, if I hang around here any longer, I’ll be losing daylight.” Xephon found the horse waiting for him just as Eve had said. He mounted up and headed towards the mountain at a steady pace. Xephon rode through what seemed like endless forest, almost two hours later the trees began to clear away. The knight found himself on a long and dusty rock trail that seemed to spiral up the enormous mountain that now lay before him. Remembering what Eve had told him earlier on, Xephon left his horse to roam free, and began his trek up the mountain trail. After an uneventful hour or so, the mountain trail came to an end at the entrance to a small dark cave. Xephon knew this could not be the cave he was looking for. The dragon was said to live at the top of the mountain, and there was no way a fully grown dragon could fit through that cave entrance. Although the caves could be somehow connected, this was most likely a goblin cave, and even a knight of Xephon’s calibre would be foolhardy to try to get through it unscathed. Xephon would have to climb the rest of the way. As he way just about to start climbing, Xephon heard a deep groaning and thumping coming from inside the cave. Curiosity led him inside. Xephon edged along carefully, sticking as close to the cave wall as he could without making any noise. The sound grew closer and closer, Xephon could now hear the distinct noise of several squeaky voices laughing, mixed in with the moaning. Xephon could now make out a source of light almost dead ahead. He crept forward to the end of the tunnel, doing his best to remain hidden. A large cavern, with several tunnels leading in different directions coming off of it, lay in front of the knight. A small hole in the ceiling turned out to be the source of the light, making it so Xephon could just about make out the bizarre situation he had stumbled into. Before the knight, in the centre of the cavern lay a creature, almost human in shape, a little bigger and much more hairy. Although he had never seen one in person, Xephon knew this must be a troll. The troll was tied with horrible black vine-like ropes all the way up its torso. About the troll, beating it repeatedly with wooden clubs, and laughing in their sinister squeaky voices were five small green creatures clad from the neck down in black armour, these Xephon had seen on far too many instances, these were goblins. “Finish me..” The troll begged. The goblins laughed and carried on the beating. Xephon hated goblins, in his experience, they were vicious and brutal creatures that loved mischief and mayhem, but generally were not that smart. The troll groaned in agony. “If we finishes you then all our fun bees over.” Sneered one goblin, slightly taller than the others. Trolls were generally not known to be nice or peaceful creatures, but no creature deserved a fate such as this. Xephon had seen enough. Unsheathing his sword the knight stepped forward. The goblins turned around in surprise. Xephon charged in. In one simple stroke, three goblins fell to the floor dead. The remaining two goblins ran to the nearest tunnel and disappeared. Now Xephon had to figure out what to do with the troll before the goblins returned with reinforcements. As Xephon stepped towards the troll, he couldn’t help thinking how human it looked, but at the same time it reminded him of a wild animal. The troll was beaten and bloodied, but Xephon noticed there was still a fire in its eyes. “Finish me,” grunted the troll for the second time. “What purpose would that serve?” Asked the knight. “You’re clearly not in and shape to defend yourself, and I do not wish to bloody my blade any further.” “Then what will knight do?” Asked the troll cautiously. “Just sit still for a moment friend.” Said Xephon, helping the troll into a seated position. Xephon carefully cut through the thick black ropes carefully with the tip of his sword. “Thank you.” Said the troll, standing upright for the first time. Xephon considered himself to be fairly tall, but the troll, permanently in semi-hunched position, stood now at lease a full head above him. The troll wore simple black trousers and boots, and what Xephon assumed was a tight full length tunic of a dark mossy green, reaching from the trolls neck to his stomach and covering both arm to the wrist. Upon closer inspection, this turned out to be body hair, compact together so tightly they retained the shape of the muscle underneath. “Don’t try anything funny.” Warned Xephon. “We need to get out of here as quickly as possible.” “We climb out?” Suggested the creature, gesturing towards the hole in the cave ceiling. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” said Xephon, “Climbing almost horizontally in a suit of armour, in a strange dark cave can’t be easy.” “Knight is funny,” laughed the troll, “You have rope?” Xephon pulled a coil of rope from the pouch of supplies around his waist, and without thought or hesitation handed the rope to the troll. “And my name is Xephon.” He added. “Hmph,” the troll nodded. “Carcass,” it added, gesturing to itself with a thumb. “Carcass?” Xephon questioned. “Seems like an odd name even for a troll.” “Carcass not really odd for troll people, Carcass has cousin named Dung. Dung get picked on all the time. Troll babies get named for the first thing mother troll lays eyes on after baby is born.” Came the reply. “Nice.” Added the knight. The troll did not hesitate for a second longer; it leapt upward, effortlessly gripping firmly to a shelf like formation in the cave wall some twenty feet above Xephon’s head. Xephon watched on in amazement as the creature proceeded to climb the rest of the way until it disappeared through the hole in the ceiling. Just as Xephon was beginning to think he had been abandoned, the rope dropped swiftly through the opening above. Xephon thought he could hear the screechy voices of goblins approaching, that was all the motivation he needed. Exiting the cave he found that, much to his surprise, the troll sat calmly on a nearby rock awaiting him. The troll dragged the rock he was previously sat on over to the opening, and rolled in into place. “Much better.” Said the creature. The unlikely pair found themselves on a wide rocky outcrop on the side of the mountain, with another outcrop perhaps a hundred feet above them, that outcrop to Xephon seemed much larger, and would be the most likely place for a dragon sized cave. “I think we should have little chat before we go any further,” said Xephon. “Grrr,” grumbled the troll, falling to one knee. “Carcass needs food.” “I doubt that I have much here that will be to your liking,” said Xephon, “Mostly simple bread and cheese. I have no form of meat with me whatsoever.” “Carcass love bread,” said the troll, lifting himself onto another nearby rock. “Manlings always think troll people eat only meat.” “My mistake,” said Xephon, throw a loaf for the troll to catch, before taking another out for himself. “Mmm,” grumbled the troll, devouring the bread in a few simple bites. “Not as nice as troll bread. Still, Carcass is grateful, Carcass not eaten in half a moon.” “Wait, so you haven’t eaten in two weeks? How long were you held prisoner by those goblins exactly?” “Carcass ashamed to admit, was captive most of that time.” “I’m surprised you didn’t starve to death or worse.” “Trolls have greater endurance than manlings, trolls shut off base needs for days at a time.” “That’s impressive. But if you don’t mind my asking, how did they capture you in the first place? I mean, surely one troll is more than a match for three or four goblins.” “Carcass entered cave to look for the wise one. Before Carcass could look around, he feels dozens of arms all holding onto his legs, then loud thump noise and sharp brain pains. When Carcass wakes up, he tied up with goblin rope, and filthy mudsuckers have stolen Carcass’ club and supplies. Carcass surrounded by hundred or so slimy giggling goblins. The drag Carcass back into corridor and take turns to hurt him, 3, 4 or 5 little mudsuckers each time.” “Wow. I never did like goblins, but that’s just brutal. You’re lucky to be alive right now friend. We’ll see if there’s a rough bough or branch along the way to make a new club if you’d like.” “Troll peoples favour clubs, is only weapon available in troll city. Carcass not like most trolls. Carcass think club not feel right in his hands. Is hard to explain.” “No, I think I know what you mean. So, who is this Wise one that you seek?” “Wise old dragon that live in big cave in mountain. Dragon is only one who can help Carcass with big problem.” “Well, it seems we’re both heading to the same place my friend. I think I saw a big cave on a ridge not too far above us.” “Then we are close?” “Very close. You know, Carcass, you are exactly how I had imagined a troll to be.” “And Xephon-knight not how Carcass picture either. You too nice to be knight.” “Thanks I guess. This doesn’t mean that I trust you or anything. Now let’s get going.” And so the unlikely allies tied the rope around their waists, and continued their ascent. After some time, they found themselves standing just outside of the entrance to the most daunting cave Xephon had ever seen. Now they had a dragon to find. Above are the final free chapters for my book, which is still unfinished and will be edited and smoothed out in the future. Anyone who finds my work interesting, please, feel free to give me some feedback. Again, you can find the four previous sample chapters on my website. Its mantarokinnikuman.wix/chroniclesofthesword
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 08:10:29 +0000
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