by A. D. Adams
“Draman?” a small voice said from the darkness.
“Yes?” Terra responded back.
“It is Shif.”
“Yes, Shif. What do you wish?”
“My king is on his way. He will be here shortly. We were sent to tell you there will be two hundred with him.”
“His protection?” Terra said in a questioning tone.
“Uhm, yes, he hopes you are not offended.”
“No, not at all. If I were him, I would do the same.”
It did not take long before a swarm of the little creatures was around them. They settled around the pair, and then thirty or so of the creatures flew in front of them. They watched the fairies bring a small platform made of leaves. They sat it down before Terra and Fienna and two more flew over with a small chair. Finally, ten fairies flew out in a circular form with a single fairy in the center. They landed, and the fairy in the center of the group walked over to the chair.
“That is not your chair, little one. It's his,” Terra said as he pointed to one of the fairies in the group of ten.
The one Terra pointed at walked to the chair and sat. The others surrounded him, leaving a gap in front of the king. Terra had never met a king and had little understanding of how a king came to power.
“How did you know?” the small king asked.
“All the other fairies looked to you for orders not to the one walking to the chair.” The king smiled.
“I am King Silrack. We have been waiting for you a long time. I know to you we are small and perhaps insignificant, but I assure you we are strong.”
“I respect anyone who could survive in this,” Terra said as he waved his hand toward the desolation of the land.
“Few would understand our struggle. I am impressed you do,” The king responded.
“How do you propose to help me?”
“For generations, we have learned these mountains and all the safe paths through them. We can lead you down the edge of the mountains and show you the safest paths to travel. There are mud swamps that even a dragon can sink into. We will even help you fight. We know Tone is dying. It shows in every niche and cranny of the world. It has to be stopped,” the king said sadly.
“I welcome your help. How many of you are there?” Terra asked.
“We are two hundred thousand strong. I have posted my fairies all along your path. We assume you are heading to the great landslide area to face the dwarfs.”
“You are correct. I do have a question that you may be able to help me with now,” Terra said
“Please ask. And if I can, I will answer,” the king responded.
Chapter 41 - The Story of the Elves
(Why become cowards after you have proven your bravery.)
- The Time of the Draman -
“Why did the elves run from the final fight all those seasons ago?” Terra inquired.
“Ah, a question we can help you with. You see other creatures rarely notice us and we hear and see much. I can tell you the story of the elves, their final betrayal, and where they hid.”
“I'm listening,” Terra said as he leaned back against the rock with his arm about his mate.
“It all started with King Hannon. He was a wise and brave elf with great insight. He was the first to see the danger from the combination of the dwarfs and the human wizard. When the dwarfs began to expand into other lands, he was the first to say all should gather and fight the expansion. It took two set of seasons before everyone realized they had to fight.”
“The first three fights were led by the elf king. In the third, the human wizard killed him. The elves have magic and the king was very powerful, but the human wizard was able to deflect his attack. He then caused a spike of rock to rise from the ground killing the king. His death marked a change in the fighting. The dwarfs began to slowly gain the upper hand.”
“You say he led the combined fighters?” Terra asked.
“Yes, he was the leader, and all respected him,” the king responded.
“Thank you. Please continue.”
“The elf king had an eight set of seasons, old son. His age prevented him from becoming king. Since there were no other children, the king's brother took over the throne. He fought, but only grudgingly. He avoided fights whenever possible. Over the next ten sets of seasons, the elves helped less and less. This left the fighting to the humans, the land and sea nymphs, and, of course, my kingdom. All fought until it became obvious that the last fight would decide the victor. The elf king had been convinced by the previous king's son and his advisers to join the fight. The elf king became fearful as he saw the fighters arrayed against them and word arrived of all the northern fighters deaths. He ordered his fighters to secretly leave in the darkness before the final fight.”
“I assume you know some of the rest. We escaped into our caves that lay beneath the mountains. I sent a few of my subjects to find the elves. They found them gathered in a valley, not too distant from here. The elf king had his best wizards prepare this valley in secret. At his order, a magic ice formed throughout the valley freezing the elves in time and space. A few of those fairies that were sent to talk to the elves were also trapped in this magic. We have tried to break the magic ice, but to no avail.”
“You say you have not been able to break the ice?” Terra asked.
“No, we cannot even scratch the surface of it. We have tried all we know,” the king replied.
“Can you lead us to this place?”
“Absolutely, I would be honored. Do you plan to break the ice?” the king asked with a smile on his face.
“If I can. All on this world will either help rid it of the dwarfs and their master or will face my wrath,” Terra said in a voice of such conviction that even Fienna was surprised by its severity.
“I will send you guides at first light.”
“Thank you,” Terra said as the king flew from his chair followed by his escort.
Terra called for the nymph wizard and their leader. They arrived and slowly walked through the dragon ring that protected Terra. Both were nervous coming this close to the great beasts, but they were left alone, except for the occasional sniff by a dragon.
“The Fairies' king has come to me. They have been living in caves below the mountains. They wished to help. Apparently, they have been exploring the mountains for generations. They know the best path to follow and where the elves are located. They will send guides to us at first light,” Terra told the two.
“Are you sure you can trust them?” the wizard asked.
“Can I trust you?” he asked in an amused tone.
“Of course, you can,” Xillan replied in an angered tone.
“I trust all, until it is proven to me that my trust was misplaced. You see, betraying me would be a grave error. Imagine me angry,” Terra said with a small smile on his face.
“Yes, we understand,” the wizard told Terra, as the two nymphs looked at each with complete understanding of what an angry Draman would be capable of.
Chapter 42 - Finding Elves
(Finding an explanation of betrayal.)
- The Time of the Draman -
At first light, the king sent six guides to Terra. Over the next two sun-risings, they traveled along the edge of the mountains. Twice the fairies led them into the mountains to avoid landslide areas. On the third sun-rising at high sun, the fairies led them down a long valley. They came to a great wall of bluish ice. Within the ice, odd images seem to be floating.
The wall spanned the opening of two great mountains and reached to their peaks. It was not cold near the wall. In fact, it seemed oddly warm. Waves of light rhythmically moved through the ice. The wall seemed to absorb sound, for the whole area was deadly silent.
Terra walked up to the wall and looked into the ice, and then he heard a scream to his left. A nymph had touched the wall and his hand stuck. The ice started to travel down and encase the nymph’s arm. Terra reached out and placed his hand on the ice. The ice began to move down his ar
m just as the nymph’s limb. He looked down, appearing amused.
Terra's hand began glowing orange. The orange glow began to flow into the ice and spread in all directions. The ice stopped flowing down Terra's arm as well as the nymph’s. Slowly, the orange light began to fill the ice. It was dull at first, but as it filled the entire expanse of the wall, it began to glow brighter. Soon, it was too bright to directly look at, and everyone had to close their eyes. Even the dragons looked away.
One of the nymphs placed a cloth over the nymph's head attached to the wall to protect his sight. The ice cracked and broke away from Terra's arm, then from the nymphs. A large cracking noise rang through the valley, and a huge fracture formed from Terra's hand to the top of the wall.
Terra placed his other hand upon the wall and the bright orange light began to pulse like the beat of a heart-Terra's heart. Upon each pulse, more and more cracks formed throughout the ice until it was no longer clear. It began to look like the ice at spring thaw with thousands of small fishers throughout its structure.
Terra pulled one hand back and formed a fist. He struck the ice wall so hard the ground shook with the blow. The wall bowed in and then back out. Terra pulled back and again struck. This time the wall shattered with a sound that could be heard throughout the mountain range. Those near the ice had to cover their hearing holes. The entire block of ice turned into thin flakes that blew out in all directions, slowly drifting to the ground. As the flakes touched the soil of Tone, they turned to a bluish mist, which then dissipated into nothing.
As the mist cleared, they could all see thousands of bodies lying upon the ground throughout the valley. They seemed at first to be dead, but slowly the bodies began to move. Some stood up while others got to their knees and put their hands on the ground in an attempt to breathe. As most of them gained their feet, they looked about as confused as if just waking from a long sleep.
“Fienna, have one Flight land on the surrounding mountains,” Terra thought to his love.
“I will order them down now,” Fienna thought back.
“I am the Draman. I have broken the magic about you. I need your leader to appear before me by sunset. My friends above are there to persuade your leader to face me. We have come to retake the lands lost to the dwarfs,” Terra said to the elves using his sounder magic. They all heard his demand and looked up to see a thousand dragons landing on the surrounding mountains. Terra pulled back to the entrance of the valley and waited.
As sunset approached, Terra sat on a rock with Fienna curled about him. All the land nymphs stood in fighting groups, behind Terra. He could hear movement in the valley and could soon see a group of twenty or so elves. Behind this twenty, were perhaps a thousand or so elves with weapons. The small group moved toward Terra. As the elves came close to him, they stopped and a single elf stood before him. Behind this obviously older elf was a young, strong elf. This elf had anger in his stance and hatred in his eyes. Then, came six elves in a half circle and behind them twelve more elves in a similar half arc. The thousand or so elves stood in rows about five dragon lengths away from Terra. This was supposed to intimidate him, but it just amused him and he smiled at the elves.
“I am King Issal, the king of all elves. What gives you the right to demand my presence?” the king said in an imperial voice.
Terra stood and removed his clothes. “This is my right,” Terra said as his body grew into the massive white dragon.
“When you abandoned those fighting the dark one in the last great fight, all elves were branded cowards. I have come to judge you for that treachery,” Terra said with a voice so powerful that it forced the small group back. The thousand elves behind them began to raise their weapons when a thousand dragons bugled into the valley. The elves looked up and quickly lowered their weapons.
“Attack me and I will fill this valley with dragon fire, the rocks themselves will burn,” he said, not in anger but in disgust.
“I, I am,” the elf king began to say when a surprised look came across his face. A sharp piece of metal dripping yellow blood came out the front of his chest. The king looked down, and then dropped to the ground dead. The six guards in the half circle also fell to the ground, dead. Terra looked across the field of elves and saw several hundred of them also fall. The young elf stepped forward, kicking the body of the old king aside.
“This elf and his followers were cowards. He took the kingship by custom and we to our shame followed his orders. Our action caused us dishonor, which we may never be able to overcome. I now claim my right as king of the elves. My father was the true king. His memory has been tarnished by our dishonor. I promise you from this sun-rising forward, we will be the first into the fight and the last to leave. You will command no braver fighters. I pledge myself and all elves to you, and I offer my life to you to prove our loyalty,” the young elf went to his knee, bowed his head, and held both arms out, offering his life. All the other elves did the same.
Terra looked down at the elf and took a moment to consider his offer. He returned to his human form as he left the elf kneeling.
“Stand. I do not need your life, I need fighters I can trust,” Terra told the young king.
“Thank you, sir. My elves and I will redeem our honor and prove to you that we can be trusted.”
“Remember this, I forgive only once. My dragon friends and I will make sure there is no second chance. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand. I need the sunset to organize the elves. Can I have that much time?”
“You may, we will leave here in two sun-risings. The land nymphs need to rest, and I need to bring your elves into my fighters. Come to me at first light,” Terra said as he walked back to Fienna and climb to her neck ridge.
“Dragons, go to your perches.” Terra made a series of odd very loud trilling sounds. The dragons began to fly off.
“Land nymphs, please go to the stopping point and arrange your sleeping areas,” Terra said loud enough for all the nymphs to hear. Fienna took off and circled over the valley then disappeared over a mountain.
Chapter 43 - Elves Join the Fight
(Those who have betrayed must prove loyalty.)
- The Time of the Draman -
Terra and Fienna lay quietly looking at the distant lightning. Xillan came up to them after passing through a thousand land nymphs and twenty dragons. He had assigned the nymphs to protect Terra. The elves were not going to harm him. Not if he had anything to say about it.
“Xillan, thank you for coming. Could you please place a thousand nymphs outside the elves' valley entrance?” Terra asked him.
“Of course, in fact, I was planning to suggest the same thing. May I ask why you allowed the elves to return to the valley without anyone accompanying them?”
“The new king has to solidify his control. I assume this will mean some form of retribution. If I knew of such actions or plans to kill, I would be compelled by my sense of right and wrong to stop it. Many died in the final fight all those seasons ago and the elves that caused many of those deaths have awoken in that valley. It is the elves' responsibility to deal with it, not mine nor yours. I hope you understand.” Terra explained.
“I do see what you mean. I don’t trust the elves, but why do you wish to post a guard outside the valley?” Xillan asked.
“I don’t wish any unfortunate surprises. They have yet to prove their trustworthiness.”
“You are more knowledgeable than I realized.”
“Thank you. There is one other thing; I would like the elves to be in front of the land nymphs. If they decide not to fight, facing your weapons may change their minds.”
“Excellent thought,” Xillan said with a smile on his face.
Xillan returned to his fighters. He called his commanders together and told them of his meeting. Xillan then visited the old wizard and explained to him what had happened.
“He's young, but he seems to have the wisdom of an ancient spirit,” Xillan told the wizard.
“Yes,
I don’t understand where this knowledge came from. You know young males are usually aggressive, but he is not. Have you seen him angry?” the wizard asked.
“He was disturbed by the tormenting of the dwarfs, but he wasn't really angry. I thought he was angry when he started to talk to the elves, but I don't think he really was.”
“We're fortunate that he seems nearly incapable of anger. I can't imagine what he could do if he was truly furious,” the wizard told Xillan.
At first light, the new king and six of his new advisers came to see the Draman. He walked through a thousand land nymphs and twenty dragons. The great green dragon was curled around the huge and powerful human. He sat leaning against the dragon's side. At his feet lay a huge slese cat. No one had ever tamed such a cat, yet this one was purring to him. He had not noticed the embedded amulet the sunset before. He saw it now and eight of the stones were brightly lit. He was dealing with a human that could become a dragon at will. He had the power to take the time spell down. He had no idea how much magic this being possessed, and he had no intentions of ever having that power used against the elves. He had meant every word he had told this being the sunset before. He would not disappoint his father’s memory.
“What is your name?” Terra asked the young elf.
“I am Willick,” the king replied.
“Have you solidified your kingship?”
“Yes. I am the true and only king of the elves.”
“Good. Do you still plan to come on this fight?”
“Yes.”
“How many fighters do you have?”
“Thirty thousand. I will have them ready to leave by high sun.”
“You will follow me, then the land nymphs will follow behind you. See the empty area out next to the large white topped mountain,” Terra said as he pointed.
“Yes.”
“Have your fighters set up there by sunset. We will leave at first light. Come back to me at sunset.”
