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

by K. M. Bonde

  Arddun helps Elora up, calming her and the shaking stops.

  Elora whispers to Arddun, “I can feel the inner parts of the earth, almost like I could reach in and touch the core.”

  “You are experiencing the power of earth,” says Arddun. “In time, you will be able to control it and wreak havoc on the Dark Forces should you be forced to meet on a battlefield.”

  Elora gets up on her feet and looks at everyone. Their faces, though respectful, also reveal a glimmer of fear. I can’t blame them, she thinks, but I hope my power doesn’t change me. She squares her shoulders before speaking. “It’s time to leave. We still have a long journey ahead of us to reach the mountains. We should not delay any longer.”

  Drake is the first to move as he grabs his bag and weapons. He walks out to the other room and shouts to his second-in-command. “Protect the guild until I return.”

  “Elora,” says Eadric. “Before we go, we should sell off what we found in the dungeon. The coins will serve us well.”

  She nods, ignoring Drake’s irritated sigh. “Go, then. Be quick, please.”

  Eadric and Elof return a few minutes later, smiling, and hand Elora the coin purse.

  “Are we ready now?” Drake asks.

  The group leaves the hideout and walks back up through the sewer to find the ladder they came down. While climbing the ladder, they hear a song, from up above.

  Bruce reminiscences and says to the others, ”It’s an old poem, one I haven’t heard in a long time. It used to be sung on battlefields in the old days.”

  From the first volume, Endless Night

  Into the dark night

  Without remorse or plight

  In fog of violent dreams

  I drift on silent streams

  Free me of blighted days

  Judge me for wicked ways

  I wake in empty room

  All fallen to this doom

  They get out into the alley and there upon a barrel sits Nevrik, singing the sad song. “Ah, there you are,” he says, smirking.

  Elora smiles at him. “Nevrik, we found it! You were right.”

  He jumps down from the barrel. “I know, now please hand me the dagger.”

  “What do you mean?” Elora asks, her face scrunching up.

  Nevrik paces in front of the group. “The dagger is far too powerful for you to keep, and if you ever were to find the staff, it would be worrisome to my master. I need to destroy the dagger before it’s too late.”

  “Your master?” Arddun asks, stepping between Elora and Nevrik. “Who is you master? We cannot give you the dagger, Elora needs it.”

  Nevrik slips his wand out of his pocket. “I did not want it to come to this, but you have to give it to me now, or you all have to die.”

  When nobody from the party moves, Nevrik whistles, and a gang of goons jump down from the roof and attack the party. One of them knocks Elora to the ground, and she scrambles to get out from under him. Nevrik shoots a beam from his wand, but Arddun blocks it with a ward.

  The rest of the gang goes for Elora, who is backing into a corner. But Drake quickly makes use of his daggers, and after a flurry of daggers and footwork, the men crowding Elora fall to the ground. Drake helps Elora up.

  “Drake?” Nevrik asks. “I did not know that you involve yourself in matters that do not pay well. Why not leave before I have to deal with you as well?”

  Nevrik sends out a force wall that throws everyone to the ground, except Elora, who has now grounded herself using the earth power. Elora touches the wrapped sword on her back, feeling its power calling to her. She feels an urge to unwrap it and use it against Nevrik. Just before her urge gets the best of her, she remembers what Bruce and Arddun told her. No, I can’t do that, she thinks. Instead, she sends a flurry of icicles at Nevrik.

  Nevrik blasts the projectiles as they come toward him. Soon, Arddun is up on her feet and joins Elora’s attack, sending fireballs at her old friend.

  “Amazing that the two of you together can muster so much power,” he grumbles as he struggles to avoid both the fire and ice. With each blow against his protective shield, its power dwindles. He finally raises his hands and casts one final blast at the ground before he magically disappears with the words, “I will find you again.”

  This time both Elora and Arddun fall to the ground, Elora is not strong enough to withstand this blast, but Arddun’s shield protects them both.

  As they all get up on their feet, a sudden noise from the sewer makes them draw their weapons. An axe comes out of the open sewer first, then a very familiar dwarf.

  “Blasted axe got stuck,” Elof mutters. He looks at his party, their drawn weapons, and the unconscious gang. “What happened up here?”

  Eadric motions to the chaos before them. “You just missed a fight with a wizard called Nevrik. He went mad and tried to attack Elora and take the dagger.”

  Elof frowns. “He’s just lucky I wasn’t here to bash his face in,” he mutters, gripping his axe.

  Arddun rolls her eyes and turns to Bruce. “Tell Alric what his brother is up to. I'm concerned that this master Nevrik talked about might be someone bad, someone dark. Perhaps Alric can shine some light upon this for us.”

  ”I’ll send word as soon as I have an answer,” he says. “But now, let’s get out of here.”

  The group leaves the slums, making their way back toward the inn on the eastern side of the city. On their way, they pass the center of the town, and nearly one hundred people are gathered. Soldiers, merchants, and farmers all gather around, and some people are peering out the windows and balconies of their homes.

  “Those are the representatives I met with earlier,” Eadric says, motioning to the group standing at the middle of the meeting.

  “Hear ye, good people of Bor'lansh, we have received note from our fellow leaders in the other towns that the royal armies are on their way here. We need to close the city during the investigation they are to perform. By early morning tomorrow, we cannot let anyone leave or enter this city. They are to reach us in the coming days.”

  The party looks at each other, and Bruce frowns. “I have to leave tonight to get back to Flaxan in time. I have to get everybody there to safety. Alric can protect us if we leave the village to hide in the cave.”

  “I think that is a good idea, but I'll miss you,” says Elora. Tears prick her eyes as she hugs Bruce. “Please take care of Mom.”

  “Don't worry, I'll protect Elora,” Drake says, fully serious this time.

  Bruce takes his hand. “Thank you Drake. Everyone, I will see you again soon. Be safe.” Then, he leaves, heading toward the city gate.

  “Well,” Elora says, turning to look back at her group. “We should rest before we have to leave in the morning.”

  “Back to the inn, then,” says Arddun, and the group continues their trek east.

  * * *

  Meanwhile, in a room far below the city, Nevrik looks at the burnt items that used to be his secret lab. He sighs. “Must have been those pesky girls,” he mutters to the empty room. “I don't know how they found it. I can't believe I lost both the lab and the dagger in the same day. I need to clean this up, so I can continue my experiments”

  He sits down on the floor and takes out an orb and speaks to it.

  A voice in the orb says, “Yes, is it done?”

  Nevrik tries to speak with a calm voice as to not show fear, but his eyes show otherwise. “I'm sorry, but I was not successful in retrieving the dagger. I will try again soon.”

  The voice from the orb is remarkably strong, echoing through the small lab. “You failed? Don't make me come out there myself. My master does not easily forgive failures, and neither do I.” A hooded being with red eyes appears on the surface of the orb. “You have one week before I come.” Nevrik's neck starts to hurt as if someone was choking him. “Don't make me make an example of you. I would not like to lose another vessel, but I would not hesitate to break you into pieces.”

  The orb stops gl
owing, and Nevrik's neck is released. He breathes heavily, gasping for air. He takes one last look at the room before leaving and disappearing into the shadows.

  * * *

  Early the next morning, Elora wakes up in a cold sweat. Just a nightmare, she thinks, reassuring herself. She looks around in the room, and everyone is still sleeping except Arddun, who sits at the window.

  Ryan coughs, and Elora looks over at him. He’s sweating profusely and out of breath from his coughing fit. She puts her hand on him and pulls back quickly. “He’s burning up,” she cries. “Arddun, please, help him.”

  Arddun rushes over, and as they help Ryan sit up, he pukes all over the floor. He lays down again, and Elora runs to the washbasin, soaking a cold rag for his forehead. Taking his bandages off, Arddun looks at his wound turning greenish.

  “It’s infected.” Arddun sighs heavily and sits on the bed next to him. “I can’t do anything for him here.”

  The commotion woke the others up, and Eadric stands at the foot of Ryan’s bed. “We need to leave him behind. There’s nothing we can do.”

  Elora frowns. “Absolutely not,” she says. “We need to treat him so he gets better.”

  “This looks like a serious infection, probably caused by the poison from the Wyhrmein. We don't even know if it is curable,” Eadric argues.

  Elora looks between Eadric, Arddun, and Ryan, tears stinging her eyes. “There must be something we can do,” she says, her voice cracking. “We treat infections all the time in my world.”

  Eadric puts a hand on her shoulder. “He will slow us down. It’s best to leave him.”

  Arddun interjects quickly. “I have heard about a healer who lives on the Island of Virana that once was able to heal a person stung by the mysterious sand bee,” she says. “We could take him there.”

  Elora straightens up. “Let's go to him. Where can we find him?”

  “There is a timing issue,” says Eadric, “as we might not be able to reach the mountains before the armies are upon us.”

  Arddun shakes her head. “I would say it is a bit out of the way, but it’s doable. It is west of the city, in the middle of Lake Uriel.”

  “Lake Uriel?” exclaims Elof. “That’s a good two-day journey.”

  “We have to try!” Elora shouts. “Don’t you understand? He means everything to me, he is my light from the other world, the voice in the dark that removes the curtains of my mind. We are family to each other. I will not abandon him.”

  Drake finally gets up from his bed. “We need to leave now then,” he says, stretching.

  “We have no time to lose. We need to move swiftly. The lands to the west are infested with Red Baron's goons and probably some of the Wolf Raiders as well. We must travel fast and avoid big roads.”

  Arddun looks at Elora and sees her pain as she watches over Ryan. Her eyes are sad, too. “We’ll need to take turns to help Ryan.”

  They all agree, and within twenty minutes, they leave the inn. Soon they are outside the city through the west gates. While walking outside westward, a beast comes crashing through the forest, and because of their trials in the tunnels, they all draw their weapons.

  “Felan!” Elora shouts, and the beast bursts through the tree line. “It’s ok, everyone,” she says as she hugs her companion.

  Elof puts his axe away. “That is one big wolf.”

  Chapter 22: The Road

  Heading west through the countryside, the group runs into many people traveling toward the city on the main road. Felan keeps his distance in the nearby bushes, seemingly wary of strangers and his effect on them.

  “For being a main road,” Elora says, “it’s not very well maintained.” She steps over a particularly muddy spot, trying to stick to the gravel instead.

  As the group continues west, everyone else travels east, their horses and wagons piled high with their possessions. A lone person with a bell stands next to the road. “Return to the city! Return while there is still time!” He shouts at people passing by.

  Elora stops one of the other travelers. “What’s happening? Why are you going to the city?”

  The old man looks at her confused. “Our lives are at stake, the end is near,” he shouts, waving his hands above his head. “The dark armies are coming to this region! We need to find shelter in the city. The bandits are to the west, and no village or city is safe out there.” The old man shakes his head and quickly hurries on toward Bor’lansh.

  Eadric sighs. “The bandits are probably trying to loot as much as they can before it’s too late, and who knows if the situation will improve once the dark armies arrive. One thing’s for sure, for the people living here, it will be much worse.”

  Ryan leans on Eadric’s shoulder, coughing, and Elora watches him carefully. “I’m sorry for what happened,” he whispers.

  “Don't be,” says Elora gently. “Stay strong. We’ll be there in no time.”

  Their speed, however, is slow, as Ryan can barely keep up with their slow pace. A few people urge the group to turn back toward Bor’lansh, but Arddun assures them they know what they’re doing.

  “You’re crazy,” replies one man, and Arddun simply shrugs.

  “Perhaps,” she says, motioning for her group to continue.

  Elora watches the crowds moving toward the safety of the big city, feeling sorry for them. If only they knew what was waiting, she thinks. They may not even be safe there.

  Eventually, they reach the village of Saeter, the final frontier before the vast expanse of land beyond the valley. The village is bustling with people, crowds pushing their way through town as they travel inland from the valley.

  “Maybe we should take a break,” Elora says as the group shoulders their way through the crowded street.

  “We could go to the inn to eat,” suggests Arddun.

  “And to drink,” quips Elof.

  Elora rolls her eyes, leading Ryan and the rest of the party to the inn across the street. Just as they get a table and something to eat, they are interrupted by a lone lunatic.

  “You greedy newcomers are the cause of this curse which has been cast on our village!” he shouts.

  Drake jumps up from the table, but before he has a chance to respond, the individual is thrown out by the innkeeper. “I am sorry about the unkind welcome,” he says, turning to Elora’s group. “please, have your drinks on me.”

  Elof looks up at the innkeeper, his mouth full of food. “Whath thats about?” he slurs. Eadric slaps his back, and the dwarf spits out some food. Elof rolls his eyes, then asks his question again. “What was that about?”

  The innkeeper sighs loudly. “We have had all kinds of people come through the village, and some prefer to blame the ill falling on this village on the newcomers.”

  “Typical,” mutters Eadric.

  The innkeeper shrugs. “As long as they pay, I don't care how many comes through here. A paying customer is a good customer. Let me know if you need anything else.” Then, he walks away to tend to other customers.

  The group finishes their meal in silence. When they depart the inn, stomachs full, they prepare to traverse the divide known as the Valley of Saeter.

  “So, what is this valley?” Elora asks Arddun as they head west.

  “It’s a vast valley separating the village of Saeter and the areas surrounding it,” she replies. “Beyond the valley lays the farmlands and other regions. We must pass it to reach the lake and island.”

  “I see,” Elora says. As they continue through the village, she looks around the village, noticing its architecture is like Flaxan.

  How were these villages built? Elora wonders. It’s so much like Flaxan… well, not as peaceful, but it looks the same. There are a lot more people, mostly farmers and poor people. The roads are really dug in and uneven, and the town smells murky, old. One smell that stands out is rabbit stew, and Elora tries her best to keep her churning stomach in check.

  At the center of the village, they come upon another pole with wooden signs in all
directions. Elora stops to look at it. Bor'lansh, Lake Uriel, Tower of Uthgar, it says on the signs, all handcrafted in the same manner as the other signs. They continue in the direction of Lake Uriel, and Elora walks carefully on the uneven road. As they pass over a small bridge, Elora notices the water is brown and filthy, unlike the clean water back in Flaxan.

  They pass by a merchant, and Eadric walks up to him. “Do you have, or would you be able to create, something that can be used to carry a person?”

  The merchant surveys Eadric suspiciously and puts his tools down. “Do you have the coins for it?”

  “Of course,” Eadric replies coolly. “It’s for that young man there,” he continues, motioning to Ryan.

  The merchant takes another look at Eadric and then looks around his shop. “I think I can make something like that.” He whistles, and a few younger kids comes by and help him. As soon as they are done, they give a wooden stretcher to Eadric.

  Eadric waves his hand to Drake and Elof. “This will give some relief for Ryan.”

  Elof and Drake pick it up, and Eadric helps Ryan lay down on it.

  “How is that?” Elora asks, looking down at Ryan. He doesn’t look so good, she thinks. We better hurry up.

  “Good,” Ryan grunts, closing his eyes.

  Soon, they reach the slope going down into the valley. Arddun motions toward the divide. “The valley is really old, and it used to have a lot more water running through, but since it has dried up and there is only a little stream at the bottom now. Legend has it that a big rock fell from the sky and carved this valley as it skimmed the surface. No rock that size has ever been found in the valley, so it remains a myth.”

  The sides of the slope are filled with flowers and beautiful trees with big green leaves. The road curves down, winding among the flowers and trees. Elora notices Felan running around among the trees, enjoying himself. She touches the flowers and grass as she walks, and it feels good to let go, even for a moment. I wonder if Mom is any better being back in this world. Hopefully Dad made it back ok, too.

  Once they reach the bottom of the valley, they see the stream that Arddun mentioned. The path they’re following runs parallel to the stream, and they eventually pass over a small, wood bridge. Elora looks up at the canopy above, noticing the trees competing for the sunshine.