Runefell: Crossroads

by Shawn Sodman

  “My name is Ariella,” She answers.

  “That is a beautiful name,” Chance replies. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  The young Ariella smiles brightly at him.

  Now Ariella's memories flash forward to another moment in time. She is a few years older now and she sits on the deck at night with Chance. He is showing her how to shape fire. She is attempting to concentrate as he instructs her.

  “Now picture the shape of a flower in your head,” Chance says as he holds a small ball of fire in the palm of his hand.

  Ariella stares at the fire and it begins to move and take the form of a flower. Then as Ariella starts to loose concentration the shape of the flower is lost and the fire reverts back to a ball of flame.

  “I can't do it,” Ariella says sounding frustrated.

  “Yes, you can,” Chances says reassuringly, “I believe in you. Just think of the flower in your mind. Like this.” As Chance concentrates the fire takes the shape of an intricate rose.

  “That’s so beautiful,” the young Ariella says in amazement.

  “I know something even more beautiful,” Chance says. He looks back at the fire and as he moves his fingers around, the flames seem to dance as they take shape of Ariella's face and hair.

  “Oh, Chance,” she says blushing.

  Chance concentrates again and soon the flames take the form of an eagle and it flies off as the spell dissipates. Chance says, “Someday, I will learn how to transform into an eagle. Then I will be able to fly were ever I want to go.”

  Ariella says, “Well, I hope that you will still come see me even when you don't need to use my father's ship anymore.”

  “Of course I will,” Chance says as he puts his arm around her. “I will use your father's ship whenever I can. Besides, my friends won't be able to fly,” he laughs. Then looking her in the eyes he says, “Once I can fly, I will soar in the sky. No ocean nor sea, shall keep you from me.”

  “Oh, Chance,” Ariella gasps. “Do you mean that?”

  “I promise,” Chance replies, “I will come for you.” Then as he takes her hand in his, they are caught in each other’s gaze. Chance whispers, “I love you, Ariella.”

  “Chance,” Ariella says trying to catch her breath, “I love you too.”

  They embrace tightly for moment then looking each other in the eyes they lean in to kiss. They are interrupted when a red bearded dwarf in the background says. “Ariella, it is time for bed.” They jump as they are both startled. Red Beard gives Chance a stern look.

  “Alright, father,” Ariella says. The dwarf walks off as Ariella turns quickly and gives Chance a kiss on the cheek and asks, “I'll see you in the morning?”

  “Of course,” Chance replies with a smile.

  Ariella's memories fade and she now finds herself looking into the same blue eyes she remembered from her youth. Though he is a bit older, he still looks remarkably young, as elves always do.

  The crew looks at their captain who seems to be at a loss for words. She walks slowly down the stairs and doesn't say a word. She walks up to him and for a moment they just stare at each other. “After all this time,” she starts to say. She pauses and then after taking a deep breath she tries again. “After all this time, why are you here now?”

  Chance is also at a loss of words. After a moment he finally asks her, “May I have a moment with you, please?”

  “What is it?” Ariella asks.

  Chance looks around at the crew and feeling a bit uncomfortable he asks again, “Please, can I speak with you alone?”

  Ariella, who is still in a bit of shock, replies coldly, “Whatever it is you have to say to me you can say right here.”

  “Very well,” Chance says with a sigh. “I am here to warn you that several vessels have gone missing over the last few days.”

  Ariella, with her mind once again clear, says sardonically, “So King Arioch has sent you out like a messenger bird to warn us? How sweet.”

  Chance looks down at the deck in silence.

  Ariella looks at him and asks, “There is more, isn't there?”

  “No,” Chance answers as he drops his eyes.

  “You liar,” Ariella says. “You never could tell a lie. Let me guess, King Arioch thinks we have something to do with the missing ships, doesn't he?”

  Chance sighs deeply and says, “Some on the counsel have questioned that since the Red Dawn has not been seen in this area for years, for you to suddenly show up just as ships have gone mis—”

  Before he can finish the sentence Ariella slaps Chance across the face. “Twenty years!” she yells. “Twenty years and this is how you greet me?” She slaps Chance again. “How dare you!”

  “Please, Ariella—”

  Ariella strikes Chance a third time and snaps, “You have some nerve coming here after all this time just to accuse me of piracy.” She turns and starts walking up the stairs and to the lounge.

  Chance follows and calls to her, “Please, I am sorry. My words were ill chosen. Would you just talk to me?”

  They reach the lounge door and she turns and says, “Oh, you have said quite enough.”

  “I am not talking about the ships,” Chance explains. Then quietly he adds, “I want to talk about what happened between us.”

  With a look of both sadness and anger, Ariella says, “What could you possibly say to me now that you couldn't say twenty years ago? Did it take you this long to learn how to fly? I wrote you so many times, Chance Na'Moon, that I lost count, and you never had the decency to write me back even once!” Ariella turns and walks into the lounge.

  “But I did write,” Chance says as she slams the door in his face.

  The crew now stirs at the mention of his name. While most of the men have heard of Chance, with the exception of Ariella and Torgus, no one else on board has ever seen him in person.

  Allen says to John, “That's Chance Na'Moon? I always thought he would be, I don't know, taller.”

  “Excuse me,” Torgus says to John as he makes his way through the crew that has now crowded the deck. He enters the officers’ quarters and climbs down the stairs to the lower deck.

  Chance looks around at the crew staring at him. They try to look busy doing their work, but Chance knows all their eyes are on him. Chance looks back at the door as the memories of his past come back to him.

  It is years ago and he is on the deck of the Red Dawn. It is the morning after Chance and Ariella had said good night and they are docked at Sheathelm. Captain Red Beard greats Chance and his companions, “Gentlemen, I am sorry but we have to be going now.”

  Chance says, “But sir, I was hoping to say goodbye to Ariella.”

  Red Beards says to Chance, “Sorry, lad, but we have no time for that. A storm is coming in and we have to go now. Prince Arioch, thank you for sailing with us again.”

  Chance's companion, a human prince named Arioch Ravenguard, says, “Come on, Chance, let’s go. You will see her again soon enough.” Arioch and his other companions lead him away as Chance stops at the edge of the ship. A less grayed Torgus is there.

  Chance says to him, “Thank you, Torgus, for showing me those new spells.”

  Torgus says to him, “My pleasure, Chance.”

  Then Chance hands him a letter and quietly says to him, “My friend, can you see that Ariella gets this, please?”

  Torgus says to Chance, “I'll see what I can do,” as he takes the letter.

  Chance's memories fade away while on the other side of the door Ariella is sitting at the table holding back tears. Marie is there and she asks, “I am sorry, ma'am, are you alright?”

  Ariella sniffles and says, “Oh, Marie, I am fine.”

  Marie looks out the porthole and sees Chance. She asks, “Who is that, ma'am?”

  Ariella sighs and says, “That my dear Marie, was my first love.”

  “He is so handsome,” Marie says. Then after thinking for a moment she turns to her and asks, “What's his name and why is he here?”

&
nbsp; Ariella explains, “His name is Chance Na'Moon and he is here because some of King Arioch's ships have gone missing and he wants to know if we knew anything about it.”

  “He thinks we had something to do with it?” She asks.

  “He didn't directly say, but yes,” Ariella answers.

  “Why does that name sound familiar?” Marie asks as she looks out the porthole at Chance who is now talking with Fernando and Allen.

  “Well, you weren't born yet,” Ariella explains, “but he and King Arioch of Sheathelm stopped the dragon slayers many years ago in what is now called the Dragon Wars.”

  “Oh, I think I remember hearing about it in some bards’ tales,” Marie says.

  “Yes, there are a few,” Ariella says. “Then about five years after that, Chance would lead the armies of Sheathelm and The Amazons of the Silver Moon across the north destroying all the orcneas in the land.”

  “That's where I have heard his name,” Marie says. “Isn't he called the 'Orcnea Slayer’?”

  “Yes,” Ariella replies. “They say he burned entire orcnea villages to the ground.”

  “By the gods,” Marie gasps. “That's horrible.”

  *****

  Back in the modern day apartment Haley raises her hand. Kyle asks her, “What is it?”

  Haley asks, “What is an orcnea?”

  Josh says, “They are the green creatures I fight against in my video game online. You know, the ones with the big teeth on the bottom.”

  Laura says, “I have never heard them called orcneas before.”

  “They have been called many things,” Kyle explains. “Orcneas and humans first met thousands of years earlier. Through magic portholes humans had already traveled to other realms where they were greeted by the elves, dwarves, and other races. Humans had only heard of the orcneas through stories told by the others. These stories differed depending on who was telling it. In some stories the orcneas went by different names. The size and intelligence of orcneas were also inconsistent. Even the color of their rough skin varied from story to story. An individual orcnea could have almost any color and shade of skin, depending on where it was from. In all of the tales, however, orcneas seemed to be more like monsters and demons than a humanoid race.”

  “What color are the orcneas of Runefell?” Josh asks.

  Danielle answers, “They have reddish-orange skin.”

  “Cool,” Josh replies.

  Kyle continues to explain, “When a scouting party of humans came across the first orcneas they had ever seen, the results were tragic. Fighting ensued and the two scouting parties almost perished before both retreated. After that day stories have been told by both humans and orcneas that the other race was not to be trusted. Throughout many realms, humans and orcneas have gone to war countless times over the many years since. The world of Runefell was no different. Now back to the story...”

  *****

  Marie says to Ariella, “I don't understand how someone could burn an entire village. Even if it was an orcnea one.”

  “The Chance that I knew and loved was from before that time,” she explains. “We were young and innocent, but now so many years have passed,” she pauses and then adds, “for both of us. He has changed, but then again, so did I after I saw him take his vows.”

  “Vows? What do you mean?” Marie asks curiously.

  “One day he just left without saying goodbye,” Ariella pauses reflecting on her thoughts. “After years of getting close he was just gone. I wrote him all the time and he never returned my letters. Then a few years passed and we were docked at Sheathelm. I ran as fast as I could to the palace to see him, only to find...” Ariella stops to take a breath as a tear roles down her cheek.

  “What, ma'am?” Marie asks as she takes the Captain’s hand.

  Ariella gains her composer and continues, “I found Chance in the courtyard of the palace taking vows with an elven woman.”

  “Oh no,” Marie replies.

  “Yes,” Ariella continues. “She was an Amazon of the Silver Moon. I guess they had met during the Dragon Wars. Over the years, they ended up having three children together before she was killed in an orcnea raid in the northern territory of Sheathelm.”

  “Oh, that's terrible,” Marie says as she looks outside once again.

  “Yes,” Ariella explains, “that is why he was so relentless in the Orcnea War. It was the raid that killed his wife that started it all.”

  At that very moment outside on the quarterdeck, Chance, who has been talking with Fernando, Allen, and a few others, continues telling his story, “So you see, I wrote her every time her ship would pass, but she never wrote back. I knew that her father didn't approve, but I didn't think it would stop her from writing.”

  Allen asks, “Pardon me for asking, sir, but are you sure that she actually received your letters? I mean, if her father never liked you and found out about them...”

  Chance ponders for a moment. He then says, “I suppose it's possible. Could it really be as simple as that?” He looks again at the lounge door.

  Still inside Marie asks, “Captain, are you sure, he ever got your letters?”

  “I never really thought about it,” she answers. “I had always just gave my letters to Torgus. He said he would take care of it. I never had any reason to doubt him.” Ariella thinks for a moment and then says, “Just as I slammed the door I thought I heard him say that he did write me.”

  “Well, he is here now,” Marie says, “perhaps you could ask him.”

  “You're right, Marie, thank you,” Ariella says as she stands and walks towards the door.

  On the other side Chance is standing there at the door. Just as he is about to knock the door opens. Face to face, Chance and Ariella stand there for a moment startled. Then simultaneously Chance and Ariella ask each other the same question, “What did you mean when you said you wrote to me?”

  Then as the entire ship's crew stares at the two of them, there is a long silence that is broken by Torgus's voice. “Perhaps I can be offer an explanation,” he says. Torgus walks towards them while carrying a small sack in each hand.

  Ariella turns to Torgus and asks, “What do you mean? Torgus, what are those?”

  Chance then adds, “Torgus? Don't tell me you never gave her my letters.”

  Torgus bows his head and says to Ariella, “My dear, I am sorry. Your father knew about the letters you had written.” Then looking at Chance he adds, “That both of you had written.”

  Ariella and Chance look at each other with eyes full of sadness and yet still, within their gaze, there is a spark of happiness and a clear feeling of relief. After years of not knowing the truth they were now both learning that the other had written back after all. Torgus continues to explain, “He ordered me not to deliver or send your letters to each other. I received all of them over the years. He wanted me to destroy them, however I knew that someday Chance would find you again. I couldn't bring myself to do it.” He looks down at the two sacks then hands each of them one.

  “I don't know what to say,” Ariella says looking inside the small bag revealing the letters inside. “There are so many,” she says as she fights back the tears swelling in her eyes.

  “It is my fault,” Chance says to her, “I should have known. Your father hated me. Even though I did search for you the very same day I learned to fly, I should not have given up so soon. By then the Dragon Wars had started, and then...” Chance drops his eyes unable to finish his thoughts.

  “Then you took your vows,” Ariella says finishing.

  They stand there for a moment again in silence. Ariella looks up at her men who are still watching them. “Alright, get back to work!” she snaps. The crew quickly jumps back to their jobs. She then turns to Chance and says, “You can tell Arioch that we have nothing to do with the missing ships.”

  “For the record,” Chance says, “I knew that you didn't.”

  “Care to join me for dinner?” Ariella asks with a smile.

  Chance s
miles back but before he can accept her invitation, the watchman from the crow's nest calls down, “Debris dead ahead!”

  The crew scramble to their posts, and Chance rushes to the bow of the ship and watches as they approach a small debris field of a floating shipwreck.

  “There is not much left of whatever ship it once was,” Fernando states.

  Small pieces of wood are everywhere. Jacob notes, “Whatever it was, it was completely destroyed.”

  Ariella orders, “Haul in what you can! I want to know what ship it is from!”

  The crew brings aboard pieces of wood and a small crate as Chance and Ariella gather around. They spot the markings that say GTC.

  “What is it, Captain,” Allen asks.

  “The Goblin Trade Company,” Fernando says.

  Chance sighs heavily and says, “This is worse than I thought.” He pulls Ariella aside and says, “I have to report this to Arioch. I don't suppose I could convince you to return to Sheathelm instead of continuing south?”

  Ariella replies, “I am sorry, but I have to go south. I am looking for a treasure of my fathers. Do you really have to go now?”

  “I do,” Chance says. “This has just become a lot more urgent. I am sorry, but I will return I promise.” Then taking her hand he kisses it and says, “Be careful.”

  “I will,” Ariella replies. “Chance,” she says grabbing his hand, “I...” as she looks into his eyes she is unable to find the strength to say what is in her heart.

  “I know,” Chance says as he kisses her forehead. “Me too.” He secures the bag of letters that Torgus had given him to his belt. He steps back from her and closes his eyes. Ariella watches him take the form of a giant eagle. With his claw he grabs the banner of Sheathelm and takes flight.

  Fernando says to Allen, “Well, he certainly knows how to make a dramatic exit.”

  Allen laughs a bit.

  “Alright everyone!” Ariella yells out. “Stay alert! We don't know what we are up against, but neither do they! If it's a fight they want we will be sure to give them a proper one!”

  The ship cheers loudly with enthusiasm. Ariella, clinching her bag of letters, heads towards her cabin. She passes Chris and says, “Let me know the first sign of anything out of the ordinary.”