The New Earth Chronicles: V
The Fall of the Elves
by
J. J. Thompson
Text Copyright © 2019 J. J. Thompson
All Rights Reserved
“We cannot retreat and we will not surrender .”
- Ethmira, Commander of the Elder Guard
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Links and Things
Chapter 1
Trillfarness. That is what the world is called. The ancient and revered home of the elves. It is a shining green jewel in the night, a planet almost entirely covered by a single, immense forest. There are no oceans there. No deserts. Instead, the world is crisscrossed with countless rivers and streams and dotted with beautiful placid lakes. High, snow-covered mountains rise above the ancient trees like needles poking through the skin of the world. And there are vast plains carpeted with tall, thick grasses where countless animals graze under the warmth of the yellow sun.
But the star that Trillfarness orbits around is not the sun that the remnants of humanity see in their sky. The elves were created by the elder gods before all the other races and, when their creation was threatened by ancient evils, the lords of Light used their powers to draw the elves into another plane of existence and gifted them with the world of Trillfarness. And there the elven people have lived in relative peace for many thousands of years.
Only once have the elves been threatened by malevolent dark forces. That was when the same ancient evil that sought to destroy them in the distant past found a way to send their servants, the poisonous brown dragons, to Trillfarness. The elves were aided in their battle against those dragons by a handful of human heroes led by the wizard, Simon O'Toole. And because of their acts of courage, elven kind have come to see humans both as allies and as friends.
But even upon their own world, the elves have always faced many challenges and threats. The vast forests are inhabited by monsters almost as aggressive and dangerous as the dragons. Huge scaled beasts stalk the darkness beneath the towering trees. Giant snake-like creatures live amongst the treetops. And leather-winged avians and enormous birds of prey patrol the skies, ready to swoop down upon any likely target, including the elves themselves.
And yet the elvish people live in harmony with nature. They understand their own world as few humans have ever understood the Earth. They feel the pulse of Trillfarness like a living thing and seek to always find balance with it.
The wide meadow gleamed under the warm sunlight. A gentle breeze rippled across the long grass that was dotted with tiny yellow flowers. The buzz of many insects rose like a whisper of song from the grass and the entire scene appeared almost dream-like in its beauty.
The sky overhead was turquoise and a handful of puffy clouds drifted lazily across it. For anyone gazing upon the serene meadow, it all combined to look idyllic and safe. And Chase was having none of it.
The ranger was resting on one knee just within the shadows of the forest as she looked out at the glade ahead. Her dark brown hair was tucked back behind her pointed ears and her eyes, a match for the color of the sky above, scanned the wide meadow suspiciously. Something didn't feel quite right here.
Chase was wearing the leather clothing and waterproof cloak of the rangers. Their colors blended flawlessly with the dappled shadows and shades of the vast forest, allowing rangers to stalk invisibly amongst the trees as they patrolled the territory claimed by their people.
Since her return from Earth, where Chase had been badly wounded in battle defending Nottinghill Castle against the goblin hordes, the elf had spent time recuperating until she was ready to resume her duties as a scout. She had been eager to return to protecting her people from the constant dangers that threatened them on Trillfarness. It was their world, yes, but they shared it with many other creatures that hunted the elves as prey.
Several weeks after she had gone back to work, Chase had been summoned by a member of the Council of Elders and given a mission.
Salfrena was ancient, even for an elf. She had been a member of the Council for many centuries, but she no longer traveled to their retreat to meet with the other leaders. It was simply too hard on her old bones, or so she said. Instead, she stayed home in the small village of Imrathstal and others came to her to seek her wisdom. And this is where Chase had gone when a courier had delivered a letter to her summoning her to meet with the Elder.
In a small house built into the bole of a massive tree, the ranger had met with Salfrena. The Elder had been sitting in front of a neat little stone fireplace on an elegant wooden chair, reading from a thick tome when Chase had been shown in by one of Salfrena's many servants.
“Ah, there she is,” Salfrena said as she looked up from her book. “Come in, child and sit down. I bid you welcome.”
Chase had bowed politely and set her bow against the wall as she walked forward and took a chair across from the Elder. She stared at Salfrena, feeling slightly nervous in her presence. After all, the Elder was incredibly old and wise and had a reputation for a certain ruthlessness. Why she had summoned Chase by name was a mystery. While she was a captain in the armed forces of the elves, Chase did not consider herself to be anything other than a ranger, and a rather ordinary one at that. Why was she here?
Salfrena was wearing a long flowing gown that covered her from her neck to her feet. It was made of fine silk and was a lovely shade of pale yellow. Around her shoulders was a knitted shawl made of white wool and covered in a pattern of pink flowers.
Her white hair was very long and twisted into a long braid that hung over one shoulder and down into her lap. Her face was deeply lined with wrinkles, but her sapphire eyes were bright and alert as she stared at her visitor.
“I came as soon as I received your summons, Elder,” Chase said politely.
“Yes, I am sure that you did.”
Salfrena's voice was thin but clear and she spoke slowly as she looked keenly at her visitor.
“You must be wondering why I requested your presence specifically, yes?” she asked.
“It did cross my mind,” Chase admitted.
The Elder's lips twitched as if she was holding back a smile.
“Of course it did.”
Salfrena turned and picked up a sheet of vellum that was lying on top of a pile of papers on a small side table. She sat back and scanned the page.
“I received a report about your valiant efforts to aid the humans on Earth. You were wounded, were you not?”
“Yes, Elder.”
“And we lost many good warriors in the battle against the goblins there?”
“We did.”
Salfrena put down the paper and looked at Chase.
“And after losing elves under your command, you returned home and almost immediately got back to work. I consider that admirable, Captain.”
“Thank you, but I simply felt that it was my duty to resume patrolling our lands. Especially since we had lost so many of our people.”
Salfrena smoothed her gown across her lap and then looked do
wn into the dancing flames in the fireplace.
“Indeed? And your decision was not influenced by any sense of guilt?” she asked softly without looking at Chase.
Her stomach clenched and Chase caught her breath at the question. She glared at the Elder and then breathed slowly, allowing her emotions to drain away.
“Guilt, Elder?” Chase replied evenly. “No, I felt no guilt. Those under my command fought valiantly against overwhelming odds and helped to save the small group of humans who were under attack. I felt pride in their bravery and, if they were here today, I believe that they would as well.”
Salfrena looked at her and finally smiled.
“I see. I rather thought that would be your answer. And that is why I asked for you in particular, Captain. I need someone who is unburdened by distractions such as guilt or misplaced feelings of remorse. I agree with you, by the way. Your warriors fought bravely, in the finest traditions of our people. We honor their sacrifice. But our fight has just begun.”
Chase's gaze sharpened.
“Just begun, Elder? I do not understand.”
Salfrena sighed and picked up the thick tome that was resting on her lap.
“I have been reading about our history lately,” she said as she opened the book. “You might think that someone as old as I am would know a lot about it, considering how much of it I have witnessed with my own eyes.”
She glanced at Chase, who smiled in return but remained silent.
“But it is ancient history that I am speaking of now. Of the days when the gods, both good and evil, lived amongst the stars and fought each other for control of the universe. When we were cast out of our home realm and given this world to live on in peace, we thought that we were safe. Did you know that?”
“No, Elder, but it is logical that our ancestors felt that way.”
“True. But they were mistaken.”
Chase sat up straighter and frowned at the Elder.
“I don't understand. Are we in some kind of danger?” she asked.
Salfrena closed the book again and set it down on her lap. She looked at Chase, her face free of all expression.
“I have received a report from our scryers, as I assume the others on the Council have as well. Apparently the dwarven empire has been attacked. By goblins.”
Chase gaped at her in shock.
“Goblins? They struck so deeply underground? But how? And why?”
“Ah, that is the question, is it not? The goblins were always the tools of the dark gods. Since the return of magic to the realm of Earth, they have regained a foothold on that planet and are growing in numbers. You were witness to several of their assaults, so you know this to be true.”
“Yes.”
“Then know this as well. The goblins were given the knowledge of how to find the dwarven cities by a traitorous dwarf, a creature who had trafficked in the dark arts. And this dwarf was trying to summon one of the servants of the Chaos lords. If that ceremony had succeeded, it might have given the dark gods the advantage they have been seeking to finally reenter the mortal realms. And I do not need to tell you what the result of that would be.”
A loud pop from the fireplace made both women glance at the flames. A small shower of sparks floated above the burning wood for a moment and then quickly died.
Chase looked back at the Elder, considering her words.
“But the dwarves stopped the incursion, did they not?” she asked her.
“This time, yes. Their king, a dwarf named Shandon Ironhand, is young and strong. He is determined to protect his people and I believe that he has the will and the courage to do so. At least for a time. But do you see the pattern that is emerging?”
The elves loved patterns. They saw them everywhere in nature. In the stars over their heads. In the seeds of trees. In the veins on a leaf. In the flow of time. Patterns could predict the future, if one could see them properly and interpret their meaning. Or so they believed.
“The goblins and the dragons have decimated the human race,” Chase said slowly as she thought her way through the patterns. “And the goblins and other dark forces have attacked the dwarves.”
“And our world is now permanently conjoined with the Earth,” Salfrena reminded her. “For the first time in recorded history,” she patted the book on her lap, “we are locked together, like partners in a dance, circling each other. Not drifting, not separating. Overlapping. The wisest sages in history claimed that this was not possible. They said that our phasing in and out of touch with the realm of Earth was one of the protections given to us by the lords of Light. And now that protection is gone. Why?”
Chase looked at the Elder, wide-eyed.
“The evil old gods are trying to wipe out all of the sentient races. Is that where this pattern is leading us? If they destroy the dwarves, the humans and the elves, there will be no one left to stop them from returning from the Void.”
“Precisely,” Salfrena agreed. “They are strong enough to break through now, but the lords of Light continue to battle with them, to hold them back. The presence of the three sentient races adds to the power of the Light. But if we are destroyed? Well then, that might weaken the veil between the mortal realms and the Void enough to allow the dark gods to return, and to lock the lords of Light out in the darkness, forever.”
Chase slumped in her chair and rubbed her eyes with one hand.
“That idea is monstrous,” she said. “Evil would control all of creation. The universe would be covered by eternal night. We know that there are other races living out amongst the stars. Younger races still evolving and moving toward sentience. If the dark gods should win...”
“Those races would be snuffed out without so much as a thought, and all of their potential would be lost,” the Elder said. “A bleak prospect, is it not?”
“And does your summons have something to do with all of this, Elder?” Chase asked.
“In a way, yes. I need an experienced ranger to find someone. And I wanted someone who was not only highly skilled, but battle tested as well. That is why I chose you, Captain.”
Salfrena turned in her seat again and picked up another sheet of vellum. She extended it toward Chase, who quickly leaned forward and took the page from her.
“Study this image,” Salfrena told the ranger. “Do you know who this is?”
Chase sat back again and looked at the page. Someone had drawn a portrait of a female elf in remarkable detail. Her hair was pale blond and cut quite short, just above her ears. Her eyes were wide and blue-green in color. She had a pointed chin and looked ageless, as all elves did until they were quite old.
Her mouth was small and her lips thin. Taken as a whole, the woman exuded an obvious strength and confidence.
Chase tilted her head slightly as she scanned the picture. The artist had also managed to convey a sense of melancholy and wisdom in their work as well. Whoever the elf was, she had seen her fair share of sorrows.
“No, Elder, I do not recognize her,” Chase said after a moment. “Is this the person you wish me to find?”
“It is. You may not know her face, but I think that you will know her name. That is Ethmira, the hero of the battle against the brown dragons.”
Chase gasped as she looked down at the picture again.
“Ethmira! Of course I have heard of her, Elder. Everyone has. She fought against the dragon invasion alongside the humans who came to our world to help defend it. The story is already a legend amongst our people.”
Salfrena smiled at the ranger's reaction.
“Yes, it is. And rightfully so. After the dragon queen was defeated on Earth, with our people playing a small part in that battle, Ethmira decided to withdraw from elven society. She had been given a seat on the Council, you know, but soon found the position too onerous, or perhaps too restrictive, for her liking. She stepped down and, after briefly serving in the ranks of the rangers again, disappeared entirely. She left word that she needed time to contemplate all that had happened on
Earth. She felt that she had lost touch with nature and she wanted to regain that connection. And we have not seen her since.”
“How long has it been since she left, Elder?” Chase asked as she studied the portrait.
“Over a year now.”
“And do you know where I can find her?”
Salfrena smiled briefly.
“If I knew that, Captain, your services would not be required, now would they?”
Chase's face reddened.
“Yes, of course, Elder. But do you not have any more information for me? At least a direction that I should travel in? The world is a big place to try to find a single elf.”
Salfrena glanced up at a small painting that was hanging above the fireplace. It was a landscape, a picture of distant mountains rising out of misty forests.
“The last time that Ethmira was seen, not that long ago actually, she was heading northeast into the deep forest,” the Elder said softly. “She had stopped at a small settlement to purchase some supplies. She left no word about where she intended to go. Obviously she wanted solitude. How far she went or where she decided to stop, if indeed she did stop, are questions that I cannot answer.”
“And what about the scryers? Can they not find her?”
Salfrena tightened the shawl around her shoulders. She looked a little irritated.
“They say not, but for the life of me I cannot understand why. They have tried to explain the reasons for their failure, but all this talk about energy patterns and the flow of the ley lines is quite beyond me. Suffice it to say that they have been useless in my search. Which is why I need your help.”
The Elder leaned forward toward Chase.
“We need her back, Captain,” she said, a touch of desperation in her voice. “The humans and the dwarves have both been targeted by the dark gods. And our world is now tethered to the Earth. I suspect that means that we are the next target of the Darkness. Ethmira has more experience that any of our people when it comes to fighting the gods' dark servants and that expertise will be invaluable in the battles to come. Find her, Captain. Find Ethmira and bring her home.”
The Fall of the Elves Page 1
