by K. M. Bonde
“Goodbye, Elora,” she says quietly. “Please be safe. I'll miss you, and I hope that you can come back soon.”
Elora pulls away from her and smiles softly. “I'll miss you more, Mom.”
Chapter 9: The Fields
As the party heads out of Flaxan, Elora puts one hand on Felan, his fur soft and warm in the sun. It makes her relax, and she even begins to feel some confidence about all of this. Still, Elora wishes that she could run and play with Felan, or at least lay down and cuddle into his soft fur.
As they get further from the village, they pass farmlands full of various crops. The people here are avid farmers, and they grow potatoes, tomatoes, corn, melons, wheat, and other plants Elora doesn’t recognize. Soon, they reach an enormous field of sunflowers at the very edge of the village’s territory.
“This is the biggest field of sunflowers I’ve ever seen!” exclaims Elora, and she runs ahead of the group to look at the field. She stops, mesmerized. It doesn’t seem to end, continuing hill after hill.
Arddun stops next to her. “It is called the Field of Solemn Wishes. At the very center, there is a well where people make their wishes for good crops and, in some cases, for love.”
“I want to go to the well,” Elora says without hesitation.
“There’s not really time for that,” Eadric murmurs, looking out at the field.
Elora gazes between him and the field, her eyes wistful. What she wouldn’t give for the opportunity for just one wish in that well before their journey.
She’s startled when Eadric sighs loudly. “Well, you are the queen after all. Let’s go.”
They alter their course and walk into the field through a small path. The flowers are taller than Elora, and she keeps looking and reeling in the feeling of being this close to something so amazing. Bees buzz around the group as the bugs strive to get to the next flower. It almost seems as if they are competing for the flowers, trying to get there first. The buzzing gets stronger when the bee attaches to the flower.
Elora senses the bees and the flowers in a way she has never before. This must be what Alric meant, she thinks. My powers are growing already. All of her senses are heightened, and she feels alive in a way she has never felt before.
A moment later, they enter an open area where grass is growing and benches are set up on the sides. In the middle is a stone well. As the party walks up to the well, they notice a figure in a hood sitting on one of the benches near the well.
“Hello,” Elora says as she passes him, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, the figure keeps his face down as if inspecting his boots. Glancing at her party, she notices Arddun is looking suspiciously at the stranger. But, no one says anything, so Elora shrugs and moves on.
As they reach the well, Elora runs up and peers down into it. She closes her eyes and whispers, “I wish for safe travels.”
“It is custom to drop a coin in or share a tear drop,” says Bruce.
Elora picks up a quarter from her pocket and drops it in. Suddenly, Felan growls, and a flash of purple light is cast as Arddun uses her staff to restrain the figure who is now inches from the team, his knife drawn. He mutters as he is stuck in a magical force field Arddun has cast around him.
“Who are you?” she demands.
“I am Drake. Please, let me down.”
“Not before you drop that knife you tried to stab us with,” Arddun barks.
“I did not try anything,” he says coolly. “My apple needed a peeling.”
Arddun looks at him and rolls her eyes. “Nice try, but I see no apple.”
Drake smiles. “Must have dropped it when you attacked me. Please let a poor old and honest thief leave. I'm only trying to make a living for my family.” He is looking at a pouch Eadric is carrying on his belt.
Eadric has his sword drawn and looks at him. “So, you tried to steal from me? Perhaps we should make an example of you. I don't like people stealing from others when they wish at this sacred place.”
Elora steps in front of Eadric, stopping him. “No, Eadric! I will not have violence in this place. Please don't let us start this journey by killing a defenseless man. Take his knife and release him.”
Arddun frowns, but she takes his knife and releases the magical field.
Drake removes his hood in front of the party and shows his face. He’s a young, good looking man with short dark hair and a strange ring in one ear. “Thank you for your kindness.” He grins and bows, placing a kiss on Elora’s hand.
Elora’s eyes open wide, surprised at his boldness. She looks around and meets Ryan's flustered face, and he takes a step closer. Elora pulls her hand back, but Drake is already gone.
“Drake might be part of the illusive underground guild in the city known for their ways to blend in and disappear. He is long gone now,” Eadric says, sighing.
Elora looks down, noticing that her ring is gone. That bastard! I shouldn’t have stopped Eadric. It wasn’t a particularly expensive piece of jewelry, but she treasured the dainty ring that Catherine gave her. She glances at the party, desperately wanting to tell them to chase the thief. But, she stops herself at the last second, deciding that the ring is not worth interrupting their mission.
Arddun turns around and looks back at the road. “We should move out. It’s a long way to the city still, and night is coming quickly. I hope we can reach the camp near the Sideways Cave tonight. After that, it’s less than a day to the city.”
“It is imperative to make it to the city before nightfall,” Bruce says. “The outskirts are dangerous during the night. It’s much safer within the walls of the city.”
“Alright, well, let’s get going, then,” Elora says, following the rest of the group away from the well.
But before she can move too far, Bruce pulls Elora to the side. “Elora, I'm not sure, but I think I recognized that thief,” he whispers. “I stood too far back to completely see his face… did he have fancy twin daggers at his belt?”
“I'm not sure, I don't think so, why?”
“Nothing, I just knew a person like that back in the day,” Bruce says while looking straight ahead.
Assuming the conversation is over, Elora sprints up to Felan and Arddun. “When can we start my training? Alric told me that you could help me master my powers.”
Arddun turns her head, meeting Elora’s gaze. Her stare is so intense that Elora feels like she could shrink. “Have you felt any changes yet?” asks the wizard apprentice.
“Yes, I have. I feel everything much more, I sense a connection to things,” says Elora.
“Your powers waking up from being dormant for so long,” Arddun says. “There is a difference between your natural powers and your inherited dormant powers. What you are feeling is your natural powers coming to life, just like any mage, sorcerer, wizard, or spell-casting entity in the world. They are present from birth and grow stronger as you mature and learn to control them. Some of us have one path that is stronger than others. It could be any of the elements, like fire. It could also be non-elemental powers, such as summoning or illusion.”
Elora looks at Arddun, hesitating to ask her next question. I don’t want to look dumb, she thinks, but I have to ask if I want to get any answers. “How will I know which is my path?”
Arddun laughs. “You are special. Most power-wielding entities have one extremely strong side and several weaker ones. I am an apprentice, a future Elder with some stronger powers. In rare cases, like with Alric and other Elders, they have several strong powers. Elora, you are the direct lineage of Cornelia, and you have no limits. It was said that Cornelia could wield all powers at full strength. You will be able to do this one day as well.”
Elora sucks in a breath, still unsure of the magnitude of her powers. It doesn’t seem possible, and she might not believe it if she hadn’t crossed through that portal several times. “What about Grimdar?” she asks.
“Let's hope that you don’t have to meet him until you are at full power. At the time of the war, there
was no Elder that could match his powers,” Arddun says, her face and voice dark. “Grimdar was corrupted, that we know, all his powers are dark, evil and based on destruction. Some believe that he was born a long time ago, a future Elder with tremendous power, a new leader, good and just. Something evil caught him and corrupted him and gave him an unnaturally long life. We believe he has been around for more than four centuries. He used his dark powers to amass an army of dark beings to bring war to the kingdom. We did not stand a chance, no one was prepared. It was a slaughter...”
* * *
A time not that long ago on a vast battlefield…
… Endless armies gathered to fight for the future. On one side, there was the king with his army and his council of Elders. On the other side, upon a dark two-headed horse with red eyes, was Grimdar, and behind him an army of gruesome beasts and dark beings thirsting for blood and violence. There was a huge clash when the armies met, but there was really no chance for the king. Soon, the Dark Army had consumed most of the king's army and Grimdar himself slaughtered the council members with his dark magic. Swords, fire, and lightning clashed, and magic lit up the sky that day. The king was captured and the surviving Elders fled after the king told them to retreat. From there, Grimdar marched to the City of Lights and captured it with ease. The king and queen were executed, and it was proclaimed that all lands were now under the rule of Grimdar.
From the second volume, Endless Night.
Mighty is the foe that has no fear
We stand but left with ash and tear
Fire and lightning from up high on hill
Raining down to make all stand still
Forget me not when running past
Remember truth and light that last
Through the blood of our friends
Can we now finally make amends
Chapter 10: The Cave
“This is it,” says Eadric, pointing to the narrow road stretching out before the party. “This road will take us to the crossroads near Hulking Rock, which is a famous landmark in this region. I could explain what it is, but it is just better to see it.”
Elora looks over her shoulder at Flaxan in the distance, takes a deep breath, and looks back to the road. “Well, let’s go,” she says.
They start walking again, and soon they leave the open fields as the road takes them into a forest. It’s not dense, but it is lush, small and medium trees weaving an intricate web of leaves above the road. How odd, thinks Elora as they enter deeper into the forest, the trees look like bamboo and birch. I never saw that on Earth.
The forest is so green and quiet that for the first time since arriving in this world, Elora feels at peace. She breathes in deeply, taking in the fresh smell of the tall grass, the mushrooms, and the colorful flowers growing around the trees. And the mushrooms are blue and yellow here? Elora asks herself, almost not believing the site. It’s like the stories I read when I was little, the ones about kids adventuring and exploring the world and discovering all kinds of amazing and wondrous things. She smiles.
“Hey,” Ryan says, sidling up next to her. He looks at Felan, and the wolf almost seems to nod in greeting. “Are you doing okay? We haven’t had a chance to talk since we got here.”
Elora slips her hand into his. “I'm fine. I just hope I’ll be able to do what everyone is hoping for. I know I wanted adventure, but I miss our simple walks in the park.”
Ryan squeezes her hand gently. “I’ve been thinking about my family a lot, and my mind’s been in a dark place. I think a walk in the park would cheer us both up a little. This is as beautiful as any park, let’s take a walk here.”
Elora grins, and they run off into the grass with all the flowers, Felan bounding behind them.
Bruce looks over his shoulder and catches Elora's eyes. She raises an eyebrow in a silent question: do we have time for a walk? He smiles at her and nods.
Elora and Ryan wander through the forest, never straying too far from the path, and examine the flowers and trees. It’s a beautiful day, and the sun is warm on Elora’s skin. I miss our lazy days in the park, she thinks as she looks down at the soft green grass. They used to spend afternoons laying in the grass and looking up at the sky, talking about all of their plans for the future.
A little later, the path starts going uphill and becomes rockier. The side of the road is now a mix of trees and big rocks, and Elora is excited to see the view from the top, to see the lands beyond these parts, to see where this adventure will lead them. This is the adventure I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little girl, she reminds herself. Everything will work out.
Eadric walks up to her, startling her out of her thoughts. “How are you doing, Elora?” he asks, his voice gentle.
“I'm fine,” she says, “if not a little out of breath.”
Eadric chuckles, then points to a sharp turn in the road. “We’re almost up at the clearing, and after that, it will be a little further before we reach the top. At the clearing, it gets easier, it flattens out.”
Five minutes after passing the clearing, though, the path becomes steep again.
“When will this end?” Ryan asks, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “This is just too steep. I’m not cut out for this!”
Elora trots to catch up to him, then pokes him in the ribs. “Just remember all our hikes and walks in the park,” she teases.
“The park!” Ryan practically shouts. “This is nothing like the park! In fact, the park would be a blessing right now.”
Elora giggles, but soon stops when she sees Arddun rushing past them. The apprentice doesn’t seem to have any issues with the terrain, as she quickly and very silently rushes past Ryan and Elora. They look at her taking nimble and steadfast steps up the hill with almost no effort, then they look at each other, eyebrows raised in disbelief.
After what feels like hours for Elora and Ryan, they make it to the top of the hill, and they plop down on the ground to rest.
“I can’t believe you have to take this route every time you need to go to town!” exclaims Elora.
Eadric smiles down at her. “It’s either this or the northwest path through the Dark Forest. Believe me, no one goes through the Dark Forest.”
Elora gives Ryan a weary glance, and he just shrugs. She would ask about the Dark Forest another time, then.
“This particular hill is called Orange Hill.” Eadric rummages through his pack and pulls out an orange, handing it to Elora. “According to custom, people traveling through here always make a stop at the top to eat their oranges. Follow me, Elora.”
They walk north toward the edge and there it is, beyond the edge and down on a little platform: Five beautiful orange trees filled with fruit.
Elora grins. “It’s so beautiful.” They walk down to the trees, and they each pick an orange.
Eadric points beyond the trees, and they walk under the trees looking out over the gorge in front of them. A vast forest lies beneath them. “That is the Dark Forest,” Eadric says, pointing to the very dense and dark forest below.
“Well, I'm glad we came this route, even if it was a difficult hike,” says Elora. “How did this happen? How can these orange trees grow here?”
“Through the years, people have been bringing oranges here, and after eating them, they would throw the peels and spit the seeds over the edge, not knowing that there was a platform underneath,” Eadric explains. “As time went on, the trees began to grow, still hidden from above unless you peek over the edge. Everyone knows about the Dark Forest, and people did not want to look at it. People had their backs against it and would look the other way. Since you can see the village from up here, and the sunflowers, people always thought that was a better view. Eventually, someone discovered the trees, and now people come here from the village to take care of the trees. They see it as a sign of the Light to ward against the Dark Forest.”
As Elora and Eadric turn around, they see the rest of the party has made their way to the trees, now picking fruit and eating, too.
Ryan and Bruce are sitting under a tree talking and eating. Arddun leans against a tree, relaxing, and Felan is laying under the tree closest to Elora. Elora and Eadric sit down next to Felan, and he scoots closer, butting his head against her hand. She grins and scratches his head.
“So, what’s down there? In the Dark Forest, I mean,” she asks.
“It is considered a forbidden part of the kingdom,” Eadric says. “No one really knows as few have returned from venturing in there. The ones who have returned have never really been the same.”
“Some say that Grimdar was born there,” says Arddun as she joins them, “and that he later took refuge in the southeast when he was turned from the Light and took his first step down his dark path.”
At that, the others turn their heads and look at Arddun. Elora can feel their distress, and deep down, she hopes she never has to enter that forest or confront Grimdar.
Bruce stands up suddenly. “We should get going,” he says. “Everyone pack up and pick a few extra oranges for the road.”
Soon, the party is on the road heading downwards. The path down is winding but a lot easier than the way up. They leave Orange Hill behind them, and Elora looks over her shoulder and whispers, “Bye bye, Orange Hill.”
As they move on, the path becomes wider, and after a while, they come upon a small path leading into a cave.
“Here it is,” says Eadric. “We will stay here tonight.”
The party enter the cave. It’s much bigger than the cave Elora was in earlier, and she’s grateful.
“There is nothing to worry about here,” says Eadric. “Travelers use this cave to camp in all the time.”
Felan growls a little as they walk down some slippery stone steps. Arddun mutters something that Elora doesn’t quite understand, and suddenly, her staff lights up. As light floods the area, the air drowns in growls from within the cave. Eadric raises his sword, cautiously stepping closer to the noise. Arddun follows after him.
Two massive wild boars come out of the shadows and attack, their roars echoing in the cave. Arddun quickly shoots fire from her staff, halting the boars. Eadric swings his sword quickly, slashing the boar closest to him. It falls to the ground, dead. Then, he slashes out toward the other boar, and Arddun fires more spells at it. Once both boars are dead, the rest of the party moves forward and finds a fireplace.
