The Legend of Elora: Book 1 A Queen's Quest

by K. M. Bonde

  “Can I come too? I want to be of some help.” Bruce looks up at him and nods, and then they both disappear into the hole.

  Soon, Ryan calls, “Elora, there’s a small room here on this side. It has a few items we’re bringing back out.

  When the treasure hunters come back, Ryan proudly hands Elora a coin purse with a mixture of coins. She attaches it to her belt, uninterested in any of the other small weapons Bruce has. “Let’s go,” she says.

  They go back a short distance and turn to the other tunnel they passed earlier. This tunnel is much longer, leading them to a big room with a table and some chairs. Wine bottles and old food are scattered on the table, making it look like someone left in a hurry. Two new paths lead out of this room.

  Elora sticks to the tried and true “right path first” rule and heads down the path on the right side. This path leads the party to another descending staircase.

  “Let’s go back,” Eadric says. “We need to finish this floor first.”

  Once back in the former room, Elora marks the wall next to the path. Then, they try the other tunnel, which is much wetter and nastier than the first. It even smells terrible, and before long, they’re greeted by some very large rats. They’re bigger than the ones in her home city, but not so large that the group can’t get rid of them.

  Elora screams, clutching her staff in one hand and reaching for her dagger with the other. But Bruce and Eadric shoulder past her, swords drawn, and wade into the colony of rats. The sound of metal striking the floor and the walls echoes eerily in the tunnel, and soon, the tunnel is filled with the strong stench of blood and death. Bruce and Eadric continue forward into a large room, and Bruce yells back to Ryan and Elora. “Wait there!”

  The distinct sound of metal hitting the ground rings out again, along with some yelling. Soon, though, it’s quiet, and Ryan and Elora glance at each other before slowly making their way into the room.

  There they are met with the most gruesome slaughter area of what used to be a rat nest. Blood and rat remains cover the room. Ryan walks over to a corner and pukes, Elora turning her head away and covering her mouth and nose.

  “Did you really have to do that?” she asks, barely able to talk.

  “The rats here are not like the ones you know,” Bruce says. “They’re quite vicious.”

  Eadric motions to a skeleton in the room, its clothes in tatters. Bruce and Eadric use the cloth to wipe off their swords, then go about inspecting the room. They find very little useful information, just some small holes in the walls, probably where rats travel between tunnels and levels. The skeleton even has bite marks on it, but there’s no other sign of humans in here.

  The party swiftly leaves the room and heads back toward Elof and Arddun. It’s a really good thing Arddun wasn’t with us, Elora thinks. That rat-infested hellhole of a room was too much even for me.

  When they get back, Arddun is standing up and ready. “I felt a faint power source below us, two or three floors below,” she says with a hint of pride.

  “And we found a staircase down,” says Ryan, motioning in the direction of the secondary tunnel they found earlier.

  “Let’s go,” Elora says, letting Bruce lead the way. Just in case there are any other rats.

  They descend the staircase and are greeted by another set of tunnels.

  Elof cheers up, though. “Smells like home,” he says. The tunnel reeks of ale; someone must have spilled more than they drank here. Arddun creates a light from her staff, as it’s much darker here than on the first floor. The light forms a dome around the party, effectively pushing the dark away. The path splits, going left or right around the stairs.

  “To the right,” Elora says, and they all turn right.. Behind the stairs, though, both paths become one again and takes them into a large room with three new tunnels. There is a big chandelier in the ceiling, so Arddun uses her powers to light the candles, and warm light floods the room.

  There are tables and chairs all around the room, some smashed and some intact. One of the tunnels has an iron gate blocking it, with a convenient key hole next to it. Arddun points her staff into the other tunnels; these two don’t have gates, and the group peer down into the darkness.

  Elora turns and sits down at a table, then pulls an apple from her backpack.

  “Good idea,” says Bruce as he takes a seat next to her. “Let’s take a break. We’ve been down in these tunnels for hours.”

  Elof quickly brings out his water pouch and takes a sip, but everyone knows it doesn’t contain water. They sit around the table.

  “Have I ever told you the story of how Elof here nearly got stuck in a hole on a scouting mission?” asks Bruce.

  “Don’t you dare,” Elof snarls, causing the rest of the group to laugh.

  “Well, one time…” Bruce starts, but he stops when a sudden shriek comes from the tunnel behind them.

  “What was that?” asks Ryan.

  The sound starts again, and this time it sounds like something is coming toward them.

  Elof stands up, readying his axe. “I think we’ve woken something up.”

  Chapter 18: The Search

  Far from the tunnels and the city, in a distant part of the lands, a huge desert embraces a small oasis of trees and water. A lone person in a robe rides a horse toward the oasis, jumping off to make the last stretch to the oasis on foot. He runs up to a tent resting in the shade of the trees.

  While catching his breath, he says to the people inside. “The beasts are on the move!”

  “We knew this day would come,” says one of the people in the tent.

  The people in the tent are talking to each other. They are part of the do'kamiri, an ancient group of protectors tasked with protecting the sands from any evil that tries to invade or rise to power.

  “We have been forced to operate in the shadows for a long time, ever since Grimdar invaded,” says one. “It has been hard on many, as his power is hard to resist. We have hidden, we have planned, and we have waited for the day when our true leader would return and free the kingdom. It seems she has returned now. Some of us will find her and protect her, the rest will rally our forces.”

  “It is time to fight!” another calls out. “We must gather all the warriors once again.”

  They leave the tent and mount their horses, splitting up to find the warriors.

  * * *

  Further away, near the edge of the desert in the west, where the forest starts its sprawling domain, a huge army of beasts are gathering. They are cutting down trees for their fires and melting anything metal to continue forging new weapons.

  Hundreds of beasts of all kinds preparing and waiting for something. On a hill near the forest, right off the sandy dunes, seven figures stand around a table with a big map.

  “I'm on my way to oversee the building of the new weapon in the moor as directed by our master. Send your scouts to all corners of the lands to search for the girl,” says the largest of the beings.

  “Yes, General,” the other six reply in unison.

  “I have sent one Azurghoul toward Flaxan and the neighboring areas. The information we have says this is where the girl was last seen,” says the General. “We need more information to where she is heading and why. No one stands and fights an Azurghoul. This should flush the girl out if she is still there and have her run into one of your scouts.” He looks at the others, his cold eyes slowly filling with rage. “Send small groups of beasts with each scout.”

  Then, he opens a portal and walks through, leaving the rest to their preparations.

  * * *

  At the same time, in a dark, damp chamber, Grimdar stomps toward the guards’ room at the end of the tunnel, his black boots splashing in the blood puddled on the floor. The prisoners strapped to the walls with chains turn their faces away from the blood and the man who just tortured their fellow prisoners.

  Grimdar throws the metal instrument he just used on the prisoners to the guard outside the metal door. Then, he storm
s into the room, cursing and throwing lightning around him. The guards shiver and duck, hoping he doesn’t take his anger out on another one of them today.

  He walks into another room where the Captain of the Guard sits at a table drinking ale from a pouch. The ale dribbles down his beard and pools on the table. The guard does not even notice Grimdar before he is forced out of his chair and securely attached against the wall behind the table.

  Grimdar stands before the table, using his powers to simultaneously strangle the Captain and push him against the wall. Whether the crunching sound was the wall crumbling or the Captain’s bones breaking, Grimdar didn’t care. The scream from the Captain as his back breaks soon turns into a soft gurgling sound that only leaves silence behind. Grimdar releases him, and the Captain’s body falls to the floor, landing in a pool of his own blood.

  Grimdar turns around and calls the second in command who nervously runs in and bows. “Will you disappoint me as well?”

  The man continues to bow, answering without looking up. “No Master,” he says, his voice wavering.

  “You are the Captain now. Don't fail me like that miserable fool. The Captain had the prisoners for a week and could not break them, but I came down here and got the information from them in minutes. I don't want to have to come down here again.”

  “Yes Master,” the man says. “I will do your bidding.”

  Grimdar heads toward the door, and before leaving, he turns to look over his shoulder. “Clean up this mess.”

  ***

  In a room in a fortress far above the chamber, General Kard looks at the map in front of him, sighing as he tries to decide what to accomplish next.

  “Based on the information he got from the prisoners, the traitors should be here,” General Kard mutters, pointing to a spot on the map. These traitors have stolen something very precious to Grimdar, and he wants to deal with them himself.

  I can only imagine the horrors he’ll inflict on those traitors, General Kard thinks. Bringing them to Grimdar alive, or mostly alive, will be the real challenge. He puts his orb down, now feeling warm in his hand after the message from Grimdar. It is a strange magic that inhabits the message orbs, and Kard has never bothered to try to understand it.

  General Kard comes from a noble family that served the royal family for hundreds of years. His father used to hunt with the old king as children, and their families were close. Kard remembers being best friends with the prince, the now late king, and it feels like so long ago. It was an easier time. It was before Grimdar.

  He cannot help thinking what it really means to be a traitor. Is it a person dark in nature fighting for what is good? Or is it a good noble man failing his king for the promise of dark power? He gets up from his chair and peers out the window. It’s beautiful outside, and the sun warms his face. The forests and streams below his fortress are a stark contrast to the darkness and cruelty he has inflicted on people at Grimdar’s orders. He is unable to resist the corruption that spreads inside of him.

  The prince once told him, “If we are not happy, the people we serve will not be happy.” But that was also a long time ago, long before his beautiful wife died. After a few seconds, he turns around and storms out of his room, yelling to soldiers to saddle up.

  He himself will lead a force to capture the traitors. “Men, we leave for the city of Corinth. Arm yourselves and follow me.”

  Chapter 19: The Dagger

  The shrieking sound stays with Elora even after it fades and vanishes almost as quickly as it surfaced. She shivers slightly and looks at her companions. They all stand still, listening and waiting for some enormous and disgusting monster to appear from the tunnel slaughtering them all and ending this mission before it really started. Nervous hands tightly grip the weapons.

  Elora's heart races. Memories of the sun shining on the lands above seem to be eons away now. The burden to find answers, seems to be a lot heavier now than a moment ago. Then, for a moment, there’s nothing... no sound, no monster... nothing. It’s as quiet as it was moments ago before Elof got on his feet with his axe aimed toward the tunnel. They look at each other. Now what? Arddun sends a small ball of fire into the tunnel. It whooshes by Elora, lights up the tunnel, and slowly fades into the dark.

  Bruce’s lips press into a thin line.. “Pack up, let's leave this place.”

  But it’s too late. Suddenly, a dark shadow ascends upon them, clawing, scratching, and flapping its wings. It’s a giant bat that somehow made it into the room unseen.

  Elof takes the brunt of its rage as the others try to adjust to this new situation. Ryan fumbles with his sword, dropping it near a table. As he tries to pick up his sword, Elora makes her way around the table to get a better position to use her magic, and she tries desperately to remember every small lesson Arddun’s given her these past few days.

  Meanwhile, Bruce swings his sword at the bat. Blood squirts out of the newly made gash on the bat's black skin, and the bat shrieks, turning its attention to Bruce. Soon after, Elof is free from the flapping wings and claws, and he finally aims his axe.

  The chop is brutal, and as the axe sinks into the bat, attaching it to one of the tables, blood splashes all over the floor. Elof spits at the animal and slowly retrieves the axe from the table, the sound of breaking wood and flesh tearing from the bat is too much for Arddun.

  Elora and Ryan move forward to witness the mess, and Ryan's face is white as a ghost. “This is gross, all the blood and gunk... and this bat... it’s at least ten times the size of a normal bat!”

  Bruce puts his sword away before looking at Ryan and Elora. “It’s normal for these creatures to dwell in places like this. They can grow quite big. You have get used to this if you one day will fight against the forces of dark. This is nothing compared to what you will see then.”

  Elora raises her eyebrows. “Will we see more of them?”

  “Probably, they normally don't dwell alone.”

  Ryan sighs. “Fantastic,” he mutters, and Elora nudges him with her shoulder.

  The group gathers their items and continue deeper into the tunnels.

  Elora tries to infuse some courage by saying the obvious. “We need to find the dagger and the coin before we can continue the journey toward the mountains. Being in these tunnels takes time, valuable time. We all know, and some might even sense, that the Dark Forces are coming closer. We have to be fast or we might be in greater peril before we even have a chance to leave the city.”

  As they stride down the tunnel, the stench of death grows stronger, enveloping them like a heavy blanket. The party finally enters a room, an apparent dead end.

  Now, they see the source of the smell. Fragments of bodies, bones, and flesh are strewn about and walls are covered in blood.

  “This must have been the bat’s nest,” Elof says.

  Without another word, they all turn around and walk back, except for Arddun who lets some magic flow over the room, discovering a small key near the remains. She quickly picks it up and returns to the rest of the party. Then, they go back to the central room where they can breathe a little easier.

  “I found this,” Arddun says, showing the key to Eadric. He hands it off to Bruce.

  As Bruce looks at the key, they all turn their eyes on the gated path. Bruce walks over and puts the key in the keyhole. He turns it, and it makes a metallic sound as it unlocks the gate. Bruce slowly pushes the gate and it swings open. “Shall we?” he asks, his voice low.

  He takes the lead and marches past the gate, Arddun sending light down the tunnel. The tunnel takes them to a small room filled with clothes, chests and bags, and coins are scattered on the ground. In a small alcove on the wall, Elora spots a dagger, and she feels its power. It’s almost as if it speaks to her. It almost leans toward Elora as she reaches for it.

  She grabs it, and its imprecise form lays unnaturally perfect in her hand. It is beautiful and has an inscription on the blade, Dagger of Dun. “This is it, we found it.”

  She and Ryan in
spect it, and then she slowly puts it away in her bag. She feels good, accomplished and, in a weird way, satisfied. Her power has grown, and she can sense and feel her surroundings in ways she never thought possible. With the knife tucked away, she is aware of the power within, and she feels more confident.

  The more my power grows, the better I’ll be able to control it, she thinks. I will destroy Grimdar and free these lands. I will never be like him. With my friends here, we can do anything. Elora smiles as she watches the rest of her party picking through the room.

  Elof moves toward one of the corners. There, leaning against the wall, is a huge axe with a stunning design. The hilt is long and sturdy and fits perfectly in Elof's hand. The hilt has a cross at the bottom to weigh it down and give more power when swinging. The head is mesmerizing, decorated and engraved with ancient text. The sharpness is only surpassed by its delicate design.

  Elof gasps. “It’s… it is the Temeth. I cannot believe it! People have looked for this all over the lands; it was believed to been destroyed in the last war.”

  Bruce looks at Elof and smiles. “A fine upgrade from that old rugged axe of yours, don’t you think?” Elof simply nods.

  Ryan picks through some of the rubble, eventually picking up a sword laying under some wood. “Look at this, another old dirty sword. Can it be worth anything?”

  Eadric takes the sword and brushes of the dust and layers of dirt. It glitters in the magical light from Arddun, and a purple color shines from within the middle portion of the blade. Eadric drops it, his eyes bugging out. Everyone comes up to him and Bruce picks up the sword.

  “Can it be?” Eadric's voice is frail as Bruce examines the weapon.

  “It is,” says Bruce. “It is the Comet.”

  Bruce drops it down on a table as if something has awoken his darkest fears. Eadric nearly stops breathing, his face pale. Elora walks up and looks at the sword, and her hand stretches out toward it without her even trying. She feels a pull that she can't control. It scares her, as she has no control of her body. She is drawn to it like a moth is drawn to the flame. She picks it up, and it burns her inner being with such power that she wants to scream.