Elf Lords: 01 - Pearls of the Elf Lords

by Richard Saunders

  Landis winced at the repeated use of the word prince. It was true that he could claim the title, for his father had married into the royal house of Alexon when he had sold his services to the King of Alexon to become the King’s Sword-Master. Still, the title held little significance to the half-elf. He had never felt accepted as royalty during his childhood years in the kingdom; many of his elven relatives would be quick to remind him that at the age of 45 he would barely be considered to be an adult, despite more than a dozen years of traveling and adventuring. “Well, Jandellie, I guess we get to visit the palace. Hopefully we will find our answers there.” Landis said as he grabbed his cloak off the floor before standing and assisting the lady thief by pulling her chair back for her as she stood.

  “What about me?” The dwarf asked.

  The Squire looked at the dwarf inquisitively, “I was told to escort Prince Landis and the lady. I was told nothing about bringing you to the palace, Master Weslocke.”

  “And you were not told to prevent me from coming either, were you?” Weslocke hopped off the chair to join them. “And since I am the Royal Smith of Birhirm I believe that I would like to accompany my friends to the palace.”

  The seventeen-year-old Squire was not sure what to say or do until Landis reassured the young man, “Relax, Squire Jarobohim, Weslocke Blademender is an old friend of my father’s so I am certain that he will approve of his accompanying us.”

  Chapter 2

  Squire Jerobohim escorted Landis, Jandelie and Weslocke to the palace, where they were met by a pair of palace guards who were already anticipating their arrival. They ushered the four of them—Squire Jerobohim included—into the foyer outside of the King’s council chambers. Fortunately the rain had subsided while they had been passing the time in the Silver Fox Tavern, so only their feet had become wet and muddy on the walk over to the palace, but it appeared that no one cared tonight that they trampled mud onto the tiled floor as they entered. Following Weslocke’s lead, Landis unbelted his sword and removed his boot dagger, handing them over to one of the guards, who placed them alongside of the dwarf’s axe in the weapons storage locker. Landis took a quick inventory of the weapons already there; a large two-handed sword and shoulder harnessed-scabbard leaned against the wall. Hanging nearby were two nearly identical swords; the only difference being that one had the markings of a Knight of Alexon. Landis assumed that this sword belonged to the knight who Squire Jordan Jerobohim served.

  After securing the weapons the two guards looked at Jandelie. Her tight fitting and revealing clothing left few hiding places for the attractive woman to conceal a weapon. Observing their lingering glances Jandelie raised her arms outwards and said, “Do you wish to search me?”

  Landis resisted smiling as the two men blushed, mistakenly judging her as harmless. Landis knew that—like him—Jandelie had at least one concealed dagger on her. Recollecting his memories of her, Landis also guessed that she had at least one razor and a thin, sharp spiked weapon strategically placed in the lining of her clothing.

  Satisfied that they had done their required duty in disarming the guest, the first guard opened the door and quietly motioned for them to enter the chambers. Inside they found several men sitting around a table. Landis saw his father, Jaylen—the Sword-Master of Alexon—sitting beside the King of Birhirm. Other than Jaylen’s short graying hair, the elf’s features did little to suggest his three-hundred-sixty-six-years of age. He was dressed in a dark-green tunic and matching trousers. Unlike the others, Jaylen was still very much armed; two braces of throwing knives crisscrossed the elf’s chest and a pair of sheathed matching short swords hung on the back of his chair. Despite rules to the contrary, Jaylen rarely parted with his weapons, no matter who he was meeting with. Upon seeing their arrival, the elf rose from his seat to greet them, “Welcome, Landis. And you too Jandelie, it has been a long time. And I see that my old friend Weslocke has decided to join us.”

  “Please come have a seat with us.” King Jobez offered. The king was prematurely stoop shouldered and gray haired, but his eyes and face showed an alertness that belied his initial appearance.

  To the King’s right sat Prince Eric, the youngest of Jobez’ two children; his older son was away on some unnamed errand on behalf of his father, though many who knew the young man also knew that he had suffered illnesses throughout his life. Rumor was that the King had sent him to the Temple of Jahan in hopes that the clerics there could help find a remedy for his continuing maladies. Jobez’ younger son, Prince Eric, was twenty-one-years old, with well groomed blond hair and a boyish face. He looked Landis and Jandelie over, allowing his eyes to linger on the female thief a little too long for Landis’ liking. Landis had met the prince before, but that had been several years earlier, before Eric had reached adulthood. He remembered him to be an energetic and overreacting teenager. Weslocke had another phrase to describe the Prince in those days—spoiled brat—but the dwarf had to admit that Eric was beginning to mature as his father thrust more responsibilities upon the young man.

  Squire Jarobohim left their side and went to sit next to a Knight of Alexon. Other than the armor, and difference in age, the two men looked remarkably similar, bringing Landis to believe that they must be brothers.

  Continuing around the large table, there sat two more men. From their look and dress, and remembering the swords he had observed outside, Landis recognized them, for he had heard many tales of their deeds during his travels. The first was astern looking man with black hair and dark eyes that looked up, accessing the newcomers instinctively. Scars were visible upon his face and forearms and Landis knew that there were many more scars concealed beneath his black clothing. This was Trevor Kahn, a former Knight of Alexon, who had been stripped of his knighthood—wrongfully so, as many people believed, Landis’ father included—for supposed cowardice in battle, when he had been the only survivor in a skirmish with a band of well-armed brigands who had attacked a caravan many years earlier. Since his banishment from the lands of Alexon, Trevor Kahn had served as a mercenary; vigilantly hiring his sword out only to those he felt had due and just cause in their efforts. At Kahn’s side sat a towering nomadic Eastlander who traveled with Kahn, named Konik Dakaardban, also known as Konik Greyfeather. Even sitting it was obvious that the plainsman warrior stood at least a head taller than any other man in the room. He wore a brown leather vest that did little to cover his immensely large, muscular chest and bulging arms. His long brown hair was worn in braids that reached the middle of his back, and a thick brown beard and mustache covered much of his face.

  What surprised Landis the most was the last man sitting at the table, Natis, the black robed wizard who had left them sitting in the Silver Fox Tavern, was already here—his robe somehow completely dry—meeting with everyone ahead of them. After Landis, Jandelie and Weslocke had taken their seats with the others, Jaylen began making proper introductions around the table. Landis learned that the Knight of Alexon sitting with them was Alek Jarobohim, who was, as Landis had already speculated, the elder brother of the squire who had escorted them to the palace and who now sat at his brother’s side.

  Landis looked to his father, who he had not seen in over five years. There was no animosity between the two; it was just that Landis did not want anything more to do with living in Alexon amongst the humans who he believed only pretended to enjoy him being around. Too often did humans forget the sensitive hearing of elves that enabled Landis to overhear many of the conversations that were intended to be behind his back. The only people in the Castle other than his mother who had never treated him differently had been Princess Petra, her parents, King Semmitt and the odd elf named Seebaul, who served as the chief cleric for the castle. Everyone else had at some time or another allowed prejudice to betray their actions around the growing half-elf. Princess Petra had always adored both Landis and his father. At times, as a little girl, she annoyed the half-elf with her desire to follow him around like a lost puppy, forgetting that she was the daughter
of the heir to the throne. But no matter what, she had always treated him like any other human.

  Landis’ father had been a hero nearly three centuries earlier at the creation of Alexon during the war with the Empire of Sedau. The elf had been a Sabodine warrior, one who had mastered The Way of the Sword and who had been honor bound to serve one of the royal families in the elf homeland of Delindea. Jaylen had been—and still was—the youngest to ever achieve the title of Sabodine in Delindean history. He had been sworn to serve the heir to the Delindean throne, one of four picked for this honor. When the heir went to war to defend Delindea from attack by the Empire of Sedau, Jaylen and his three counterparts went with him.

  Sedau had been ruled by an elf wizard—a practitioner of the dark arts of magic that the elves had long ago forbidden—named Bytorron. The elf, who had taken control of the empire in a bloody coop many years before, had made the mistake of attacking not only the elves, but also the dwarves and the humans of the Westland. Once the Westland united into one force, the war was a lost cause for Sedau. But rather than surrender, Bytorron continued the fight until Sedau had been destroyed in a fierce battle led by the warrior human who would become the first King of Alexon.

  Though the victory ended the empire and made heroes and legends out of many, the cost was high and Jaylen’s reputation as a Sabodine came to a premature end. The heir to the elven throne had died in the battle, along with Jaylen’s three fellow Sabodine. They had fought side-by-side with Alex Sergius—the hero of the Westland and Alexon’s first king—Even with Alex’s comments defending Jaylen’s heroic efforts in protecting the elf lord, Jaylen found that no other royal family would accept him as their own Sabodine, so he left his homeland to become a Roni, a Sabodine without a master. Jaylen had many adventures as he traveled throughout his life, but he eventually returned to Delindea. Over the years he enjoyed traveling to Alexon to see how the city grew over the passing centuries: Elves were always in awe of how quickly the humans rushed about to build and change things during their short lifespan. And whenever Jaylen traveled to Alexon he was always treated as a hero of the Sedauhan War.

  On one such trip Jaylen had met, and fallen in love with, Princess Megan Sergius, the sister of the King of Alexon at that time. To gain the King’s permission to marry his sister, Jaylen had agreed to serve as the King’s Sword-Master, finally giving the Roni a master after more than two centuries. Upon the King’s death, Jaylen accepted the offer to continue as King Semmit’s Sword-Master. A few years later Megan gave birth to Landis. Jaylen and Megan had a happy life together, but she had died when Landis was thirty-two years of age—just an adolescent by half-elven standards—That was when Landis had found it difficult to remain in Alexon and began taking journeys farther and farther from the kingdom and spending longer time away without returning.

  “What is the reason for calling all of us together, Father?” Landis asked the obvious question. From the way some of the others around the table looked at him the half-elf thought that perhaps he was one of the few who did not already know the answer.

  “I have been sent on a quest by King Semmit of Alexon. One that King Jobez has graciously agreed to assist with.” The elf began, “As many of you know, Prince Nathan, the King’s only son, died in battle with the Snow-Elves a few weeks ago.”

  Most around the table nodded their heads acknowledging that they had heard this news. The elf then continued, “What most of you do not know is that King Semmit is dying.” It sounded difficult for Jaylen to get the words out. “His imminent death has been kept secret, and the clerics do not know for certain how long he has. But they all agree that it is no more than a month or two.”

  “And what does this death have to do with us?” Jandelie asked.

  Jaylen ignored the woman. “King Semmit wants to ensure that his daughter, Princess Petra, assumes the throne upon his death. But there will be other contenders vying for the throne. Petra has the right to be the Queen of Alexon by virtue of being Semmit’s only surviving heir. However, Alexon is still at war and Petra is only sixteen. The Council of Elders will be under pressure to consider one of the other claimants to the throne, such as Lord Thenamin, the Duke of Shoal who is a distant cousin to the King and a proven military leader, or most probably Lord Boric of Freeport: Boric is not the leader that Thenamin is, but he has a better claim to the throne and he was Prince Nathan’s friend and was at his side when the Prince perished in battle.”

  “Thenamin would be a good choice.” Trevor Kahn commented.

  “I have nothing against either man,” Jaylen replied, “But my oath is to the King and his family. If it is his desire that Petra becomes the Queen so that her son will sit on the throne, then I will do my part to help attain that outcome.”

  Konik, the barrel chested giant of a man leaned forward, resting his arms on the table as he spoke, “And somehow those of us at this table are going to achieve that goal for him, when some of us are not even permitted to set foot on Alexonian soil.”

  Jaylen nodded, “King Semmit has entrusted me with a plan to achieve this. I need help to make this succeed and I have personally chosen most of you to help with this task. Others of you were chosen by either King Jobez or by the Master Wizard of the Tower of Lonia. And still others have just volunteered to help.” Jaylen eyed Weslocke as he made this last remark.

  “My brother and I are at your service as always, Master Jaylen.” Alek, the Knight of Alexon, spoke up.

  Jaylen looked about the table. Seeing no dissention thus far he continued. “How many of you remember the Sword of Alexon?”

  Several of them nodded their heads or gestured in the affirmative. Only Jandelie and Konik had not heard of the legendary enchanted weapon that had been created for and used by Alex Sergius during the war with Sedau. Being that both the female and the plainsman were originally from the Eastland, it was understandable that they may have never heard of the sword.

  Jaylen continued, “As most of you know, Alex Sergius wielded this sword that was created with Delindien ore and forged by the dwarven smith, Murdocke the Mad, while being enchanted with spells cast by Alex’s grandfather, who was the Master Wizard of Lonia at the time, along with spells by one of the clerics of the Temple of Jahan.”

  “Was the sword as powerful as legend claims?” Jordan interrupted, earning the squire a stern glance from his elder brother.

  “I am one of a handful still living who saw Alex Sergius use it in combat,” Jaylen answered, “and I can assure you that it was special. Perhaps not as powerful as you humans have made it out to be over the centuries, but it had a strong magic and enabled the sword bearer with an array of powers.

  “As most of you have been taught, the sword was buried with Alex Sergius, and it was claimed many years later that someone had somehow stolen the sword from his tomb. But I am here to tell you that both of those stories are false.

  “The sword that Alex Sergius carried after the war was a replica. The true sword was lost in Sedau when Bytorron was killed. Everyone knows that the Master-Wizard of Lonia, Alex’s grandfather, died in mortal combat with Bytorron beneath the tower. But only a few knew that the sword was lost in that same fight.

  “Bytorron and Aaron Sergius were deadlocked in battle, perhaps with Bytorron gaining the advantage. Alex rushed into the room and ran the elf-wizard through with the sword. The wound may not have been a mortal one, but it forced Bytorron back and broke his concentration. In the process Alex lost his grip on the blade, as it was still stuck in Bytorron’s body. Seeing his advantage, Aaron ordered Alex to back out of the room and the Master-Wizard raised his staff and broke it. The door closed and there was a violent explosion inside. When the dust settled in the hall the wall—indeed the entire room—was gone. There was a hole in the tower where the room had been. The floor below the room had given way and the entire chamber had collapsed into the depths beneath the tower.

  “The structural damage to the tower was enough to topple it. We had barely enough time to flee
before the tower collapsed in upon itself.

  “Knowing that the sword completed Alex’s legend, a replica was quickly made by the same dwarf who helped to craft the enchanted blade. And this helped to secure Alex Sergius’ claim to the throne.”

  “Nice history lesson,” Konik offered, “but what does it have to do with us?”

  “King Semmit has asked me to retrieve the sword.” Jaylen retorted.

  “Impossible!” the dwarf spat, “I have escorted both Eric and his brother to the ruins of Sedau. What remains of the tower is nothing but scattered blocks half buried by time. Even if you could avoid the spells that the wizards of Lonia cast to protect the ruins, it would take a team of miners months to dig so deep below the crumbled tower. And the ground will be freezing before long.”

  Natis rubbed his bearded chin, “I am beginning to understand now. Weslocke is correct that anything beneath the tower is pretty much unattainable due to the collapse and the magical curses placed upon it following the war. But I am beginning to think that you have found a way around that. Why else would the Tower have agreed to send me to help?”

  Eric nodded, “While my brother and I both made the journey to Sedau, which every prince of Birhirm has done as a traditional test of manhood, there was another reason for our quest. It was done to familiarize us with the area so that we would know where and how to find certain secrets about the old city once they would be taught to us.”

  “Secrets?” Landis’ ears pricked.

  King Jobez continued what his son had started. ”There are hidden passages that lead down into the depths of the old tower. Places that were thought to be caved in or protected by magic, but which remained intact. My ancestor was inculcated with the responsibility of protecting this information until something was done to correct it. Of course, things went on and eventually those who cared moved on to the next crises and this was all forgotten—except by my ancestors, who passed on the responsibility throughout the years from one king to the next.”