Legend of Fire and Ice

by Xaiver Morden

  “Of course I did, you really know what a man desires.” He kissed Larianna’s hot lips.

  “I found you very attractive from the moment we met.”

  “I really liked you too. I wanted to handle more than your wounds.” She smiled perkily.

  “Let’s get dressed sweetheart.” He kissed Larianna belly.

  “Al Sarran will exchange us soon.”

  They quickly got on their clothes on and went back to the tent together.

  Would you still like me if you knew who I really was? I cannot hide it forever. Sooner or later I have to reveal it, Larianna thought.

  The rest of the night went by calmly. Nobody disturbed the little team. They packed their things in the morning and prepared for the journey to the moorland. They collected some food and drinks from the storage of the Night Blades. They divided the money and the gems between themselves. There were several bottles clinging in the orc’s pack, so he could not die of thirst anytime soon.

  “I heard you became very friendly with Larianna last night,” the young thief girl teased the captain.

  “Yes we could say we got to know each other quite well,” he looked at the poison-green eyed girl, blushing a little.

  “Enough of the chitchat. Can we go now?” He tried to change the subject, searching for Dergo with his eyes in the meantime.

  The marble white little dragon was sitting on his usual place, on the shoulder of Al Sarran.

  “I am ready captain, let’s go!” he said in his deep voice.

  Corwen got on his Terwaldian steel helmet, looked around the company and cleared his throat.

  “If we enter the space gate, there is no turning back my friends, if anyone has changed their minds, say it now!”

  They others looked at each other, blinking, and Larianna was to speak first in her thin voice.

  “You know my answer, my champion. Wherever you go, I will follow you,” the ginger-red haired girl was smiling.

  “You can count on us captain. We all go with you! We did not change mind!”

  “The orc says it right, we are with you till the end!” the elf warrior added.

  “Hell yes, no one would want to miss this adventure!” the thief girl said confidently.

  “I can gain knowledge during this journey that would help me finally become a real magister in the Inner Circle order. You couldn’t stop me, captain!” the panther man said with determination.

  “And I will follow you anywhere my master. Whatever danger we might face,” the little servant dragon said on his shoulder.

  “I am happy that you are all so determined and I am proud to go on this dangerous mission with a team like this. Dergo, please open the space gate for us that leads us to the moorland!”

  The small creature began to mumble some incomprehensible magic spells one after another. Suddenly a small creek appeared in the air, expanding to the size of a door. On the other side, they could see a tropical forest and they could feel the hot, humid air streaming from the hole. Leading their horses through the gate, they travelled more than a thousand miles to the South, within a blink of an eye. As everybody crossed the gate, it closed itself and disappeared.

  Chapter Six

  The woman in the dark armor flew fast with large wing-beats towards the mountains, where she sensed the chosen one. She could almost feel the girl between her claws when she suddenly stopped, confused and floating in one place. She lost her sense for a moment, when suddenly she could feel the girl’s presence again, far in the South.

  “So you are escaping with magic, but you cannot hide from me!” the divine creature thundered in an unearthly voice.

  A shadow appeared above her head, approaching so fast she could not avoid it. Blade sharp claws pierced her armor around the shoulder. The monster bit her with its jagged teeth on the neck, moaning loudly. The attacker looked like a dragon, but was much smaller. It could not be bigger than a buffalo. It had muscular legs, winged arms ending in disfigured claws. It used its long, flexible tail for maneuvering. Thick brown scales covered its body. It was a dragon hybrid, called a wyvern. It took the victim completely by surprise, since it was considered to be an excellent hunter.

  The divine representative did not panic. Her face did not reflect pain or other sentiment. Her steel glove ended in sharp claws cut the face of the dragon, forcing it to let her go of her, screaming. They stared at each other for a second. The wyvern began another attack with its muscular legs, but its claws bounced back from the surface of the dark armor. Suddenly, a jagged broadsword appeared in the hand of Zandurin. The magic sword piercing through the scales on the neck of the monster. Crimson blood began to pour out deep from the wound. The beast was trying to escape, but she did not let it go.

  The horned, armored woman pointed her sword to the sky and a flash of lightning struck the escaping dragon from a cloud. Burnt by the discharge, it plummeted, howling. The woman put her hand on the wound on her neck and her wounds immediately healed.

  “You chose a wrong victim to kill, you stupid animal!” she said after the helplessly falling attacker.

  “No one can destroy the representative of the goddess of pain and distress, but you won’t make this mistake again!” she screamed with a thunderous voice.

  Leaving her falling victim behind, she turned to South and disappeared among the clouds with enormous wing-beats.

  *****

  Raduem Morquol, the sorcerer of the Black Tower magician order was carefully examining the details of the map. His companions were waiting quietly on their horses. The strange warriors all wore night-black, starched leather armors covering their whole body including the legs and the arms. Their faces were covered with a dark metal mask and they wore a longer and a shorter, slightly curved blade on their back.

  A giant figure was standing next to the sorcerer, who was walking on foot. It was at least eight feet tall, its body was covered in a coat and its face in a hood. It had thick arms and legs, but no weapon, although it did not need it.

  Morquol had a black obsidian gem instead of an eyeball. He pulled the hood back on his head to see the map better. He wore a limb-long, burgundy baize coat with loose arms. He had a masterfully crafted staff in one hand, ending in the figure of a scull of a wolf-like creature. His shoulder-long, tangled hair was graying, just like his chest-long goat beard. He had seen more than fifty winters, his eyes were baggy, not from fatigue, but from the use of black magic. Whoever looked at him was overcome with a strange, gruesome sentiment.

  “Commandant Vardo, we have to turn South-East according to the map, we have to follow this direction!” he said firmly.

  “As you command, Master Morquol!” one of the horse riders replied obediently.

  His skin was different than the others’. It was ash gray and his ears were pointy, like and elf’s. His eyes were turquoise blue. His messy, snow-white hair was shoulder long. He was one of the shadow elves. He was the valor of dreadful imperial assassin clan, the Faceless. He was from the small group of elves, who joined the Nozgold Empire, during the demon wars thousands of years ago. Their appearance and attitude was altered with dark magic. They did not respect nature and animals anymore like their ancestors. They found pleasure in murder and destruction instead.

  They spurred their horses and advanced slowly on the moorland. The giant creature followed them with loud, creaking steps, sometimes sinking in the bog to its knees. It rained every day here and the sky was usually gray. The sun rarely appeared between the dark clouds.

  “If I estimated the distance well, we will arrive to the ruined town depicted on the map in four days. We just have to find the crypt of Orender Teroldo then, which hides the key to the relic,” the black magician informed his men.

  “We go where you tell us to. I was commanded to follow your instructions in any case,” the ash gray-skinned elf replied.

  “If we manage to find the relics, we can even influence the demon lords. They fear the power of the weapons too. This would be crucially important in a
n upcoming war.” Morquol analyzed the situation.

  “Anyone attempting to cross our paths will die a dreadful death, I can assure you!” the turquoise eyes flashed at the sorcerer.

  “I did not expect anything less from you valor, but be careful, the moorland can still surprise is,” he warned the elf riding next to him.

  “Unexpected situations make me even more excited. We can face everything, dark magician.”

  “I heard the report on your warrior skills, Vardo. I know you are familiar with the shadow dance. It is highly possible that this rare skill of yours will soon become handy.”

  “We will see Master Morquol. I only use this dangerous ability in the gravest of emergencies as I learnt it from grand master Karundum himself.”

  The fog above the moorland soon covered the whole group as they went deeper and deeper in the immense swampy land.

  *****

  Somewhere at the edge of the moorland, six people stepped out of a space gate that immediately closed behind them in the middle of a dense tropical forest. The trees were thick and their crowns were immense. Their leaves hid the light of the sun. The air was warm and humid. The wind carried the noises of unknown animals from the cover of the plants.

  “The moorland is on the East, if I remember correctly,” the little servant dragon said.

  “Thank you Dergo! Let’s go towards the East!” the captain said, getting on the back of Smokey, who greeted his owner with a neigh.

  The elf tracker walked to a giant tree, put his hand on the trunk, closed his eyes and concentrated very hard.

  “What are you doing Lowarien?” the thief girl asked.

  “Trees here are old. Their roots go deep in the ground. I am talking to them. They say we have to be careful! There are some dangerous predators here,” the golden haired elf replied.

  “Trees talk, good thing they don’t run around,” the orc warrior grunted.

  “Just because you do not believe in Tusk, it does not mean trees are incapable of talking, you just have to listen to them,” the fighter with pointy ears ended the conversation.

  They all got on their horses and began the journey. After a few hours of monotonous walking, the tropical forest was becoming more diffuse and the trees were becoming smaller, letting more light onto the ground. It was late in the afternoon, when they got to a slowly streaming river and camped down on its bank. The girls went into the water to wash themselves. Everly wore a thin nightgown to cover her young female figure, but Larianna was not so shy. She went into the water completely naked to clean herself. The eyes of the members of the opposite sex followed the movement of her curvy figure, her breast and bottom like shadows.

  After them, the men washed themselves too, except the orc, who hated water, so he collected firewood instead. The body of the rour was completely covered in dark hair, while the skin of the elf was almost completely smooth. They dried themselves around the fire. Tusk looked around slyly with his light brown eyes.

  “I show trick to you. Watch!”

  He took a few large sips from his firewater and blew the last one on the fire, which created a few large flames, scaring his unsuspecting audience.

  “You will dry faster friends!” he grinned widely at the others, who were swearing at the jocular orc.

  “Next time I would dry the traditional way, Tusk! I might prank you and smuggle a whole beehive in your tent!” Larianna frowned her eyebrows angrily.

  The light of the comet appeared on the sky, as the sun disappeared on the horizon. It was a bit further than the last time they had seen it.

  “How long will this light be up on the sky Al Sarran?” Everly asked.

  “If I know well, for a week at least. Maybe a bit more,” he answered.

  “Tusk, did you know that your battle axe was made by dwarves, of a rare metal called blue luniar?” the elf tracker turned to the orc.

  “No, I only know that when I got it, it was lighter than my old weapon. But it is sharp as hell. I throw away old one and keep this. Anyone want a sip?” he asked the others.

  “Fine, give it to me, Tusk!” Corwen reached for the battle and took a large sip, then gave it to the others, only Lowarien refused to drink from it.

  “I prefer eating the fruits than drinking a spirit made of them,” he gave back the bottle to the orc.

  “No problem. More for me,” the giant shrugged his shoulder and took another large sip from the bottle.

  “Tusk, you start the night watch, I will exchange you, I will be followed by Lowarien and finally Al Sarran!” Corwen made the command.

  Following his command, everybody went to sleep. Only Tusk was left next to the fire with his almost empty bottle in one hand. He threw a few sticks at the fire and watched Larianna getting into the tent with Corwen.

  Well, they will soon get very cozy. Now I would play with a fierce orc woman, but I am out of luck. No it's okay, the point is I have something to drink, thought the orc.

  Larianna slipped next to the captain in the tent, embraced him with her legs and they started kissing passionately. He massaged her breasts and she reached into his pants. They were getting into it, when suddenly the orc shouted something.

  “Get up friends! The wind brings some strange smell,” he warned the sleepers.

  “Goddamnit, why now!” The captain was swearing.

  The others woke up quickly, got on their equipment and lined up next to the tents at the riverbank. Corwen commanded them expertly.

  “Tusk and I will make the first row, Lowarien and Everly are next and the magic users on the back. Get ready!”

  The cracking noises were undoubtedly approaching them, Groans and the noise of breaking sticks could be heard. There were more than one intruder.

  “For Valinor’s sake, what kind of monsters can those be?” Larianna was worrying.

  “I told you, the old trees warned us!” the golden haired elf got out his bow.

  “Let them come. We will kill them!” the orc was baring his teeth, clenching his battle axe.

  “Calm down, there are fifteen yards between the edge of the forest and the riverbank, they cannot attack us so easily. Get ready, they are here!” the captain warned the others.

  Soon four robust, huge humanoid figures appeared from the dark, approaching the little group. Their skin was mud grey with no hair on it. They had no eyelids and their eyes had a dark irises, like snakes’. They were watching their victims without blinking. Their ears were deformed, their noses also resembled to snakes’ and their heads were flat. Even Tusk could have envied their large, sharp teeth. They had column-like legs and strong arms ending in claws. They enclosed the group like a pack of wolves, approaching them with an evil rattle.

  The elf bent his beautifully crafted bow, aiming on one of them. The arrow pierced the creature’s muscular neck, he tore it out with a painful moan and attacked the group with mouth wide open. The sorcerer pointed his unicorn horned staff and casted a magic spell on it. An invisible power struck the attacking beast in the chest and pushed him onto the ground. The other monsters began to make a run at them together.

  Larianna pointed at one of them with one hand, murmuring some unknown words. Suddenly the creature was covered in stalks and branches, clenching his robust body, pinning the attacker to the ground. Everly fired her crossbow, shooting one of the attackers in the chest.

  The other two attacking beasts got very close to the fighters in the first line. Their stomach suddenly opened and a gross antenna reached out from under the thick skin, ending in insect mouths with blade sharp teeth. Corwen was cautious and avoided the hit of the antenna. He quickly cut down the strange lump with his sword in his left hand.

  Tusk was not so lucky. He was caught by surprise. The sharp teeth got through the magically strengthened chain mail and pierced his chest. The orc was baring his teeth in pain, whisked his battle axe above his head and cut the antenna. Pulling back their antennas, the two monsters aimed at their victims, whisking their clawed hands and screaming awfull
y.

  Corwen managed to avoid the attack and to pierce the monster with one of his weapons, cutting the other’s hand with the other weapon. His ring with the magical power was at his service. The beast tried to bite the captain on the neck, but fell aside and he managed to cut him in the knee too; the giant body collapsed and the beast fell to one the knee. He managed to behead the monster with his next move. Blood shot from its body and it fell on the ground.

  The orc was defended himself successfully, and began an attack, striking his battle axe into the chest of his opponent, whipping out his weapon, knocking over the beast with a kick. He aimed at its skull with the next hit. The head of the gasping monster ripped up after the terribly powerful hit.

  The monster attacking the sorcerer got up from the ground and began a new attack, but before he could reach him, Dergo put a magic spell on it. One of the thick, fallen trunks next to them came to life and hit the creature in the back, who stopped in its tracks vertiginously. Using the opportunity, Al Sarran clenched his fist and a large fireball appeared above his head. He aimed it at the beast, who burst into flames. He tried to escape, whining and screaming, but his burning body finally collapsed to the ground.

  Meanwhile, the fourth attacker managed to get out of the squeeze of the stalks. The thief girl and the elf aimed at it, hitting the robust body of the creature. The shots stopped its momentum right at the moment Corwen attacked it from the side, cutting down one muscular arm and piercing through the creature with his other weapon. It tried to hit him with the other clawed hand while shouting painfully, but the magically reinforced, segmented armor protected the captain. He beheaded the bleeding monster, with a cross cut and the lifeless body fell on the ground like a sack.

  Then, clomping out of the forest, another mud gray creature appeared in front of their eyes.

  “Bloody hell, there are more!” Corwen was swearing.

  The orc was feeling giddy. He was obviously not in a good shape. He was leaning on his huge battle-axe and hardly managed to stand.

  “Quickly, get Tusk! These monsters might be poisonous!” the captain shouted to the others.