by Jordan Cramm
Light poured into the great Hall of Emerald Shielding. The emerald sheeting ceiling above gave the light a magical green tint, casting green shadows in various places. But it didn’t matter; the green lighting was not obnoxious at all, because the structure had circular windows that were as large as an Elf, and those windows throughout the place had no emerald slab over them, so natural light poured into the building as well. There was much to see, and so much for them to admire. For Jakarta however, there was little time for such things and so he led them into a room with a long oval-shaped table and some chairs. The room was well lit, and it looked to be a dining room of sorts. Wolflen and Ayvock were both invited to sit, and Jakarta bowed his head as he also offered Katrina a seat. She thanked him and sat, as did the others.
“Now then,” Jakarta began, with only Trevel, his second in command in the room with them, “I have prepared some tea and I must apologize for this abruptness, but there is a rumor circulating in certain circles that one of these Izenians that you travel with Princess is in fact a War Mage. I need to know if there is any truth to this rumor, or I need to know why such a rumor exists. If it is true…please tell me it’s not that one….”
Jakarta pointed to Ayvock. Katrina slowly opened her mouth as if to speak, but she was having trouble finding the right words. Wolflen noticed and quickly interjected on her behalf.
“Jakarta, First Knight of Orenty, what you have heard is true. I can produce the War Mage manifest with but a single thought. Trust me, I could prove my claim in other ways, just as I have for a few others along the way. I have seen Free Mage counsel in Akartha. They couldn’t believe it. For one, they tell me that War Mages are Elven and not Izenian—they led me to believe I am some sort of freak of nature. Secondly, they say I am very young to be a War Mage. So I know what you might say about my claim to be one. Clearly you are no fool however, and you will see the truth to this claim.”
“I have seen more truth to this claim then you yourself know Lord Darkmoon. From Haven we traveled, likely not so different a foot path as you took yourself. We arrived here only a few days before, traveling more swiftly. But along our path, we encountered things covered in dark taint. We began to see some subtle things in the world; things we have not seen since darker days long ago…days when War Mages walked Fengysha. We didn’t believe it at first. But I have seen Specters in this continent. I fought against Werewolves just beyond Elven territory, and on top of that, I saw a pack of Goblins amassing near our borders. Oh yes, and then there is the business of this Night Elf who has made their way into our lands…”
Ayvock perked up at once.
“Night Elf? Is she in captivity?”
Jakarta snapped his head toward Ayvock to study his face.
“No. It is a ‘she’ you say? No she is not in captivity. My guards saw her move in shadow, and we tried closing in on her as she approached the city, but she is stealthy. We lost track of her. At first, we feared that perhaps she was after you Princess, but then we realized how the pieces of the puzzle fit. The Free Mages you saw in Akartha Wolflen—they sent word to us that an Izenian War Mage existed, and that one might be coming to Elven lands to learn more about what he himself is and what he is capable of becoming. That information of course, was classified, given only to high ranking Elves throughout all of our cities. I didn’t want to believe it—that a War Mage could be Izenian, but here you are. I suppose we are past the point of deciding IF you are a War Mage. Now we are at the point that we need to prepare some plans, and get you some training. Would you agree?”
Wolflen folded his hands on the table and lowered his head a moment. He knew he had a heavy decision to make. He had several actually, but he also knew that at the moment he really knew nothing. So he nodded slowly.
“I am young. I am a War Mage, and I think I know what that means. However, I cannot do this alone. The magic chose me, and so it must have known why it did so. Me, I have no clue. I was going to be a Ranger. Alas, I am told times will be getting darker for Fengysha, and maybe sooner than any of us can imagine. I know I am not ready, so I am here to ask for Elven help. Share with me the knowledge and wisdom of your people so that I can become what it is I am to become. Or let me wander my own way and we can all hope that I stumble upon the right answers in the dark.”
Jakarta drew a deep breath and spoke again.
“I will not lie to you Lord Darkmoon. I don’t like that a War Mage is not Elven. To my eyes, there is something far too risky about it—far too dangerous. I know your people are quite skilled in war, but with respect, most times your people rely on savagery rather than elegant skill and that worries me. Still, I respect the Free Magic and its choices, so for that reason, I support your role as a War Mage. But understand that there may be many Elves who do not. Some may disbelieve it. Others may try to outright challenge you. And of course, there will be some who whisper among their circles and hunker into their homes when you pass. Some will need time to see you in new light. Fortunately, with King Janureen coming here across the waters of the ocean, we do have some time.”
Katrina’s expression changed to utter surprise and she looked sharply at Jakarta a moment.
“My father is coming here? But when…I mean…”
Jakarta nodded and answered quickly. “Through communication magic, he was told about this; confirmed by us not long ago, but told to him weeks ago by Free Mages who had been living in Akartha for some time. So the King gathered what resources he and his council thought would serve Lord Darkmoon here, and then he summoned a fleet of 410 ships to make the journey from the palace city to the shallows of the coastline to the East of here.”
Wolflen looked confused, but Katrina seemed to understand the implications of what she was hearing.
“But with 410 ships, he could bring thousands; he arrives with an army?” she asked curiously.
“Yes. An army and supplies is bound for this place, and one day soon it will arrive. In the meantime, I have been assigned to the duty of training Lord Darkmoon here in combat. Unless, that is, you object Princess?”
Katrina smiled and shook her head no.
“Good,” Jakarta remarked, “because we have much work to do and precious little time. Wolflen, Ayvock, we have quarters for you here at the Hall of Emerald Shielding. Please though, I must ask that you surrender all of your supplies and your clothing too once we show you to where you will be staying.”
“Surrender our clothes?” Wolflen asked curiously.
Jakarta looked over at him seriously.
“You are in Elven territory now, and you will be trained by us. To wear what you currently wear would be seen as insulting to this great Hall, and—with respect, as this is an undertaking the Elves are putting upon our own shoulders, we would not dare do this any other way but Elven. That is not to say we are being arrogant or prideful, only that we will fit you for proper attire and armor. Also, with respect, your weapons and armor that you now have will simply not do. Against a rabid dog perhaps, but the evils you will face are much more advanced, and far more dangerous. You will need better armor and weapons in addition to the knowledge of how to use them.”
Wolflen wasn’t sure he fully understood what he was hearing.
“See though, the thing is, I came here with a limited amount of funding. We’ve already spent through half of what I started with. So armor and weapons the caliber of which I think you speak, are way out of my price range. Otherwise, I would have arrived with better equipment.”
Jakarta raised his hand with his palm out very slowly.
“My King has already dictated that the Elven people will bear the burden of expenditure to equip you and your party, which I assume is yourself and Ayvock here.”
Wolflen nodded.
“How much have you told my father about Wolflen and me?” Katrina asked with a gleam in her eye.
“Your father knows that you and Wolflen have spent time together, and that some courtship has already taken place. But I have not given him any spe
cific information about that courtship Princess. I believe that is something you are capable of doing yourself.”
Jakarta’s words made Katrina swallow hard. She revered her father, as did every Elf from Orenty. And to further the point, her father was bringing an army with him when he arrived. Katrina wondered how her father would react to Wolflen, and to the relationship that Wolflen had with Katrina.
Later that same evening, Wolflen and Ayvock were each given quarters within the Hall of Emerald Shielding. They each discovered that those quarters were not quaint by any means, but like suites at a hotel, or rather like their very own apartments. Not only that, but to each of the boys, a servant, tailors, a blacksmith and even a messenger was assigned. Wolflen and Ayvock were both overwhelmed by the way that the Elves were waiting on them hand and foot. Their servants handled all manner of things, including coordinating appointments with the tailors and blacksmiths the first following day. Until those appointments were met (within the boys’ own quarters) the two Izenians were given robes to wear in their rooms.
The quarters however were more than just rooms. They were like indoor homes, having running water that was temperature regulated for warm baths and cold drinks, refrigeration methods from magic in order to store and keep meat and fruits fresh when not being eaten. The rooms also had large dining areas, living areas, enormous closet space, large beds, small kitchens with cupboards and a sink, as well as a wash area of their own for laundry. Not only that, but each room came also with a bath for soaking sore muscles in—tubs that were big enough for five Izenians at once easily.
As for the Elven servants, Wolflen guessed that they were compliments of the King, or perhaps even of Jakarta—a detachment perhaps from Jakarta’s guard. Wolflen couldn’t be sure. But he began to realize that while his new surroundings were indeed quite nice, the life he was starting to live was starting to become a little lonelier. On the road, he saw Katrina every day. But in the first few days of living in his new home away from home, he had only seen her one other time. She had told him that things would accelerate quickly for him and his training, but that it would take a few days for them to be properly fitted with new attire, and to have all the arrangements made for their new training. She had told him that in those days, it would be best for him to rest, and read up on his War Mage manifest and spellbooks whenever he had the opportunity.
Unfortunately, in the lonely and boring downtime, Wolflen found that he would rather not read. So instead, he and Ayvock spent most of the lull time together, talking about various things, recalling old stories from their past, wondering about home, and even drinking. They enjoyed that part. Their own servants had no qualms about bringing them Elven Tika wine, which really knocked them over with small amounts.
Besides that, all Wolflen and Ayvock could do was wait. Their dwellings were well lit, partially by windows, and partially by the reflection of light off mirrors from above. And their dwellings were not far apart, separated by only a short hallway, which made it easy for them to walk back and forth between rooms whenever they wanted.
So in the first few days, they waited patiently, bored and anxious. They only hoped that soon their new clothes would arrive, and they would have new armor and weaponry, because they both knew that their training was going to begin soon. They also both knew that they were not as prepared as they would have liked to be.
Chapter 13: Elven Finery
Wolflen woke the next morning, and he stood from his bed. He immediately threw on his robes that would keep him covered, and then he moved through his dwelling until he could open the door to the hallway beyond. When he opened the door though, he saw several stacks of clothing outside the door. In addition to the clothing, Wolflen saw a note from Jakarta that had been written for him. Wolflen picked it up and examined it carefully.
“Lord Darkmoon,
Please note that your clothes are finished, which means that today you will be able to leave your new quarters and perhaps take some time to explore a little more of our city. Tomorrow, we begin combat training and you will be summoned first thing in the morning. Be ready. Surely by now you will have noticed the new colors and designs on these clothes. It is my own belief that these will serve as your colors for now. I believe you will find that the items each fit properly.
Now then, let me also say this; the boots are lightweight, but they are also heavily charged with magic. They will give you the ability to run faster than you have ever run before; it is comparable to casting a speed of cheetah spell from the Ranger spell repertoire because I know you favor the Ranger class. These things will begin your basic dress, and in time you will receive more items undoubtedly, and undoubtedly you will develop your own style and may wish to change things up a bit. For now though, dress in the garb we have prepared for you. Your armor is finished as well, but you will receive that tomorrow when training begins.
Explore Peludeen in your new attire. You will find Katrina in her home, which your servant can guide you to easily. I don’t doubt that you wish to see things here and get out of your living quarters for a while. But rest tonight, for tomorrow begins your training.”
Wolflen begin to pick all of the items up from the hallway and pull them into his room, finding a place for everything as he set most of it on the dining room table where he could spread everything out and look over everything. He examined the clothing carefully and realized that all of the items felt like they were made from silk. He set everything out carefully, noticing that the clothes did not seem to wrinkle at all, and he also noticed that the colors used for his new attire were quite interesting. He had three long-sleeved shirts that were white with silver swirls around the collar, the sleeve cuffs and the bottom of the shirt. He also found three other white shirts that were exactly the same but having brown trimmings instead of silver. He also had six pairs of pants that matched the shirts; three with brown trimmings and three with silver trimmings. Then, Wolflen noticed another set of undershirts, and noticed that they were burnt orange in color. Again there were three sets, and each with various trimmings. These three shirts also had matching pants.
Wolflen moved each of these things aside and saw that he also had short-sleeve versions of the same shirts. Next, Wolflen noticed that he had three different robe length vests that were sleeveless. He imagined that the long vests were things to wear as finery rather than something worn under armor. One of the long robes was a pale green color, much like his old fur-lined robe. Another was burnt orange in color, and lastly, there was a brown one as well. Wolflen wondered if he would be wearing these when the Elves later presented him to their King.
In addition to these things, Wolflen noticed that he also had three different cloaks. The first was white in color, and had silver trimmings of swirl along the bottom border and the edges. The next was brown in color with green trimmings and designs over the back, and the last was burnt orange in color and had silver detailing throughout. He noticed though that the cloaks were made from the same material as the clothes; which looked as thin as silk but felt much more comfortable to the touch. But these cloaks were much thicker, and he tried one on, noticing how it would shroud him completely, with extra room inside.
He noticed that he had long socks to match every color of pants and shirt that now were sprawled out on the table in his living room. And then he saw three pairs of boots as well. One was white, one was brown, and one was orange. He knew if nothing else, he could at least dress in the Elven fineries so long as he was a guest in their city.
He chose an outfit to wear from the new clothes that were now his. He decided on the burnt orange colors, which really were close to a copper color, but slightly lighter. He decided to wear a long-sleeved shirt with the pants, and socks. As he put everything on, he was quite pleased to discover that the clothes were extremely comfortable. After he was dressed, he sat at a chair and pulled his boots on, which laced up half-way up his shin. They too were quite comfortable. In fact everything seemed to fit perfectly. Then he noticed thr
ee belts on the table as he lifted the burnt-orange sleeveless vest.
He put the vest on, and it shimmered as it hung down just over the top of his boots. He spun a circle and grinned as the robe length vest danced around him. Then, there was a knock at his door. Wolflen told whoever was at the door to enter, and Ayvock stepped into the room wearing a new outfit of his own; an outfit that consisted of black pants and boots, a short-sleeved shirt with black etchings around the collar and other edges, and then a black robe length vest without sleeves (just like Wolflen’s) which fastened over him with a black belt.
Ayvock entered the room just in time to see Wolflen smiling about how the long vest swirled around his body.
“You put the belt on over it dummy.”
Wolflen lowered his head and responded.
“Uh yeah, I knew that.”
Ayvock shook his head in disbelief.
“My servant told me this morning that tomorrow we will be starting training. For me, they are going to just start training me as a Knight. So soon, I will be a better ally in combat. I don’t know what they are going to teach you though—probably War Mage stuff. Anyway, they said we could go see the city today. So I wanted to see if you were ready to go.”
Wolflen grinned.
“Actually,” Wolflen said hesitantly, “I think I have a standing invitation to go see Katrina at her home here in the city. I would invite you too, but…well I mean…”
