Runefell: Crossroads

by Shawn Sodman

  “So this is about Chance then?” Torgus asks.

  “Torgus, look at me,” Ariella says. “I am not as young as I once was, but Chance—” She slams the book down onto the table. “It's not fair!”

  “Listen to me, Ariella,” Torgus says softly, “Chance may not age like you and I, but there are other ways to stay young. Stealing the youth from another individual is risky and cruel.”

  “I know,” Ariella says, “and if it were any other being than an orcnea, I wouldn't do it, but how long do you think this orcnea will last at the arenas in Bastion? Is that not cruel? They will just slaughter him for entertainment, at least I can make better use of his life.”

  “In the arenas, Ariella,” Torgus says, “he will at least have a chance. Look, I am not going to stop you. This is your decision. I have done some things in my life that I am most certainly not proud of. Not the least of which was helping your father keep Chance's letters from you. I have robbed you of years with someone you love. Robbing this creature of his years will not make up for it, but you need to make that decision for yourself. I will not be a part of it however. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go down to my quarters and meditate.”

  Torgus passes the orcnea as it spits on the ground and says, “You dwarves will all die just like your allies, the filthy humans.” The orcnea then laughs at Torgus.

  Torgus stops at the door and opens it. He turns to Ariella and says, “You know, Ariella, on second thought, I don't think this orcnea will miss a few years.” Torgus then walks out and says to Drake and Leon who are waiting on either side of the door, “The Captain is almost done with him.”

  Ariella closes the door behind Torgus. She picks up the book, and finds the spell. She says to the orcnea, “You know, in a dark sort of way I should thank you. It was the orcnea attacks on the ships that brought Chance back into my life. On the other hand, however, it is your impending attack in the north that has taken him from me again.” She looks back down at the book and begins to read it out loud. It is an ancient language that is mixed with Latin, Elven, Dwarven, and even some Dragon. Holding the book with her left hand Ariella continues to read the passage as she begins to gesture with her right hand.

  A darkness comes over her hand as she moves it over the orcneas chest. The orcnea screams in pain as its chest begins to glow with green light. The light is absorbed into the dark aura surrounding Ariella's hand. As this happens, hairs on the orcnea turn gray and some wrinkles form on his face. Conversely, Ariella appears to get younger. The small bits of gray in her hair turn to their original vibrant red. The small wrinkles around her eyes fade away.

  After a few minutes of this the orcnea passes out and she stops. Walking over and looking in the mirror, she smiles and adjusts herself in her dress. She even checks the firmness of her breasts, and grins. Ariella walks to the door. She opens it and says to Leon and Drake, “You boys can put him back in his cell now.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Leon answers as he stares at the Captain for a moment.

  “Is something wrong?” Ariella asks.

  Leon coughs and answers, “No, Captain.” He and Drake then enter the room as Ariella leaves.

  They unchain the orcnea and Leon asks Drake, “Did you notice something different about the Captain?”

  Drake shrugs his shoulders and says, “Kind of. Not sure what it was though.”

  The sun begins to set in front of the ship. Ariella asks Fernando, “Well, Mr. Greythorn, I don't suppose you would like to join me this evening for dinner?”

  “Captain, I would love to,” Fernando answers. Then as he notices her younger appearance he adds, “Captain, have you done something with your hair?”

  “Yes,” Ariella says with a laugh, “something like that.”

  Just then a voice calls down from the crow’s nest. “Captain!” the lookout calls. “More storms dead astern!”

  The Captain and Fernando rush up the stairs to the quarterdeck, then up another stairway to the very top of the poop deck. With her looking glass Ariella can see far off in the distance a line of dark clouds. She then hands the looking glass to Fernando and says, “Looks like we will have company soon.”

  Fernando looks at the dark ominous clouds and says, “At least it will be dark soon. Perhaps if we can out run them in the night they will give up by morning.”

  “We can only hope, Mr. Greythorn,” Ariella says to him.

  Torgus walks up from the quarter deck below. He walks to the back of the ship and says, “I knew I sensed trouble. At least they are behind us, Captain. It will take them a while to catch up, but we are going to have to create a little extra wind of our own.”

  “I'll grab the wind stones,” Ariella says as she leaves to her cabin.

  “Wind stones?” questions Fernando.

  Torgus laughs and explains, “I assume you know what a power stone is, Mr. Greythorn?”

  “Of course,” Fernando says. “Most everyone knows what they are. I just have never heard one referred to as a wind stone before.”

  “That was Ariella's doing,” Torgus said with a laugh. “When she was very young I was teaching her about the air spells, we would use these power stones during her lessens. She called them wind stones. Her father and I felt no need to call them anything different.”

  “I see,” Fernando says.

  *****

  “So what is a power stone?” Haley asks.

  “Well,” Kyle explains, “think of it as a rechargeable battery for magic, but instead of electricity, it holds mana, the energy for casting spells.”

  “Do magic users have to use one?” Josh asks.

  “No,” Danielle answers. “A mage, wizard, or sorcerer has a natural ability to cast spells, but it can be tiring. A power stone helps to cast bigger spells or to maintain a spell longer.”

  “Some power stones can only be used to cast certain kinds of spells,” Kyle explains. “The ones that Ariella is getting can only be used for spells from the storm school.”

  “School?” Haley asks, sounding confused.

  Kyle laughs and says, “Just think of school as a type of spell. So if someone says they studied the fire school, then it means they know some fire spells.”

  “Did Chance use a power stone on the ship?” Josh asks.

  “Yes,” Kyle replies. “Chance has something more than just a power stone. He has a talisman that was given to him, by a dragon.”

  “That is so epic,” Josh says.

  “So why didn't Chance just go around a burn all the orcnea ships?” Laura asks.

  “Well,” Kyle answers, “all power stones need time to recharge, even Chance's dragon talisman. While it didn't need as much time as a regular power stone, Chance used a lot of mana to destroy the orcnea ship. It would take several days to regain it all. So do you all understand what a power stone is now?”

  The three kids nod their heads. “Good,” Kyle says. “Now back to the story.”

  *****

  Ariella returns holding two amulets with sapphires in the center. She hands an amulet to Torgus and puts one on herself. She says to Fernando, “I am sorry but I am going to have to cancel our dinner plans tonight.”

  “I understand,” Fernando replies, “Perhaps tomorrow night then?” He takes her hand and kisses it.

  “If we are still alive then,” Ariella answers, “then yes, tomorrow will do nicely.” Then turning to Torgus she asks, “Shall we get started then?”

  “Yes,” Torgus replies, “Let's make ourselves comfortable. We may be up for a while.”

  Torgus and Ariella sit down as Fernando climbs back down the stairs to the quarter deck. The Red Dawn sails towards the clear western sky as the sun sets before them, while behind them the faint sound of thunder can be heard from the dark storms that follow.

  Chapter 11

  Day 4

  The Common Foe

  The new morning's sun shines upon the stone walls of Sheathelm. Chance has been flying all night, and as Sheathelm comes into his vi
ew, he spots a large airship flying above the city. It has an enormous canvas balloon on the top shaped like a giant egg. Below the balloon hangs a galleon style ship. Thick ropes hang down from the balloon binding it to the ship. To maneuver, it has sails almost like gills on the sides of the balloon portion. Chance studies it and notices the very common GTC symbol on the side, the insignia of the Goblin Trade Company.

  The castle of Sheathelm sits near the water’s edge. It is only separated from the sea by the fortified outer wall that encompasses the entire city and the docks just beyond the wall. The castle itself is a four sided rectangular structure with high walls and a tower at each corner. A large atrium sits high above the walls and overlooks the ocean. The atrium is circular and has high vaulted archways all the way around. While it would be easier for Chance to enter the castle this way, he does not wish to alarm the guards that stand on watch—one for each archway. Instead, Chance eyes the courtyard located on the opposite side of the castle, facing the city.

  Chance lands in the courtyard and transformations back to his regular elven body. A guard approaches him and says, “Master Na'Moon, welcome back, sir. The King has asked me to send for you as soon as you arrived.”

  “Thank you,” Chance says as he walks pass him toward the main entrance.

  “You're welcome, sir,” the guard replies.

  Chance enters the main hall and is greeted by a large crowd. When people notice him they move out of his way. Among all the noises of the crowd Chance picks up on what some of the people of Sheathelm are saying.

  “Chance will help,” a woman's voice says.

  “There he is,” says a man

  “Where has he been?” says another voice.

  One person even says, “That's Chance Na'Moon? I always thought he would be taller.”

  As he makes his way to the front of the crowd he can see that the king is talking with several men, the goblin Resheck, and a dwarf.

  Standing out among the representatives with the king are three beautiful elven women. They are Amazons of the Silver Moon, and Chance has met them before. The long dark haired leader, A'ranah Ree stands in the middle. She is slightly taller than Chance, and the Amazon to her left, Serena La'harn, is even taller. With their fitted chain-mail armor that has a bright white, silvery sheen, it is clear they are ready for battle. A'ranah has tribal markings on her face and arm of stars and a crescent moon, while Serena's markings are made up of dark curves and sharp points. These intricate patterns are stained upon the amazons' faces using henna and other plant extracts.

  Chance glances at them for a moment before turning his attention the third member. On the other side of A'ranah is Finna Dri'el. She is the smallest of the three and is fair complected with light blonde hair. Instead of chain mail her armor is made up of heavy cloth and is covered by a long dark green robe. Her face is stained with green vines and eloquent white flowers. This organic display is common for those from the house of Dri'el. Finna looks over her shoulder and sees Chance coming to the front of the crowd. She smiles at him.

  Chance smiles back as he breaks through to the front. King Arioch now sees him as well and yells, “Chance!” The others take notice and look at him. “Chance, please join us. We were about to move to the planning room.”

  “Good,” Chance says as he holds the bag with the plans from the orcnea ship, “I have some very important information.”

  The crowd becomes unsettled and the people begin to shout questions.

  “Are the orcneas back?” a man in tattered clothing asks as he grabs Chances arm. The guards quickly step between Chance and the man separating them.

  Chance does not know how to respond and he quickly looks up at the King.

  Arioch stands up to gain control of the crowd and yells, “People of Sheathelm. Please, you have nothing to fear. We must now discuss these matters in peace. Now please return to your homes and allow us to confer.” The crowd of people groan with disappointment as Arioch motions to the guards and they start to clear the hall. Then Arioch turns to the small gathering near him and says, “If the representatives would please follow me, we can discuss this elsewhere.” Arioch turns and begins to walk down the grand hall as the small group follows him.

  “Chance,” Finna calls as she stays back from the group.

  Chance walks over to her and says, “Finna, it is good to see you.”

  “It is good to see you too, brother,” Finna says as she hugs him. They begin to follow the King and the others down the tall marble hallway. She quietly asks, “So, can you tell me what you found?”

  Chance answers, “The orcneas are back, but I believe with these plans that I found we should have time to ready ourselves for them.”

  “Oh good,” she says with a sigh of relief. “I have not seen you in some time. How are the children?”

  “They are well,” Chance replies. “Ya'leigh is home for the summer, but Ambra and Kelik have decided to take a few summer classes in Dicean.”

  “I would like very much to see Ya'leigh if she is around,” Finna says as they enter a room with a large table in the middle.

  “We will go and find her after this then,” he says as he takes his place by Arioch's side. Finna continues around the table and stands next to A'ranah.

  Arioch says to the group, “Gentleman,” then looking at three elven women he adds, “and ladies. You all got to know one another earlier, and most of you already know Chance. Chance, I would like to introduce you to Bortak. He has come from the Northwind Range,” Arioch says as he motions to the dwarf.

  Bortak's long brown beard is scruffy and unkempt. His clothing is more for mining than diplomacy. He gives a nod to Chance who nods back.

  Arioch continues, “This is Michael of East Artos.” Though his clothing is a bit worn, Michael is far more appropriately dressed than Bortak. He also nods to Chance before Arioch moves on to the last man to be introduced. “This is Romnelius, of West Artos,” Arioch says as he motions to a tall thin man. Romnelius is finely dressed with white sleeves and a bold yellow vest with ruffles. His pleated trousers match the yellow of his vest. The brightness of his clothing makes the pale man look sickly.

  Arioch says, “We all know why we are here. An unusual amount of ships have gone missing the last several weeks. Then a few days ago a ship owned by the Goblin Trade Company was attacked. Survivors of this ship were able to tell us that the attacking ship was of orcnea origin.” He then turns to Chance and says, “Chance has just returned from warning a ship of the dangers. Now, Mr. Na'Moon, you said you have some important information?”

  Chance pulls out the small bag and as he takes out the papers he obtained from the orcnea ship he explains, “Yes, Your Highness, I have discovered something of great importance.” He unrolls one of the scrolls and continues, “It appears that the orcneas have plans to land their forces in the north territory beyond the Northwind Range and re-claim their old lands. From what I can gather from these plans the orcneas should be arriving in two days.”

  “Those lands have been vacant for years,” Arioch says, “but Bortak tells me that there has been some orcnea activity in the Northwind Range recently. We have sent a small group to scout it out, but that was just yesterday morning. They will not arrive for a few more days.”

  “The orcneas will have already made landfall by then,” A'ranah says. “We too have sent a scouting party, however ours should be reaching the mountains as we speak. A week ago we heard about a raid on the monastery on Sapphire Lake. We sent a few of our younger sisters to look into it. It is supposed to be part of their Rite of Passage. Of course, we had no idea at the time the seriousness of the situation.”

  “Wait,” interrupts Chance, “A'ranah, you said that there was a raid a week ago?”

  “Yes, the monastery on Sapphire Lake,” A'ranah says. “At the western base of the Northwind Range.”

  Chance turns to Bortak and asks, “You say that there has already been activity to the north, correct?”

  Bortak nods
and says, “Yes, there have been a few small attacks on a mining village just north of the city of Northwind. I think the first one was just over a week ago.”

  Chance looks down at the maps and says, “These first set of plans do not make sense then. It says on the first moon they will land with their forces.”

  Romnelius, with an arrogant tone, suggests, “Perhaps they are merely a scouting party sent to the area before they land their forces.”

  “May I see that map?” Bortak asks. Chance hands the map over to him. Bortak studies the map and says, “I think you have the plans right, but I don't think there is any way to tell what moon they were considering to be their First Moon. Maybe it was last month.”

  “He is right,” Resheck says. “The orcneas celebrated their new year just a month ago. I'd be willing to bet that last month was the First Moon.”

  “So they may have already retaken the territory north of the mountains without any resistance,” A'ranah says.

  Chance then takes out a second scroll and says, “If that is the case, then I am afraid that what I am about to show you is even worse.”

  As Chance lays down a second parchment, Bortak steps up and looks at it closely. After a bit he looks up and say, “By the gods, if this is correct and we are right about the moons, they are not going to land in two days—they are attacking in two days.”

  Arioch looks at the maps and says, “I can't read the orcneish language, but it is clear from this that they plan to attack the city of Northwind first.”

  Chance looks at Arioch and says, “They are defenseless.”

  “I know,” Arioch replies. “We are currently gathering troops, but it will be days before we can reach Northwind.”

  Romnelius comes around the table and looks at the map for a moment and says, “Gentlemen,” then looking at the amazons he adds, “and ladies, I will leave you to your planning. It is clear that you have a lot to deal with.” He then starts to leave.