Shadowbane: Age of Aelfborn

by Paul Francois

  “You are mad!” Megildur professed. “I am no royal heir, I am a simple peasant! No more! Unless you count the fact that I’m also a half-breed, which everyone I meet seems pleased to remind me! Now you claim that the gates to Heaven and Hell closed after the Turning. Then my parents might have experienced rebirth as well?” The old man nodded in agreement with Megildur’s inquiry. “Then I must make haste in returning to my village.” Megildur stood and looked at the elderly man, who seemed to offer no resistance. The boy walked for the door and proceeded outside.

  Megildur knew by looking at the sun that he was further north from the mainland. He needed to head southeast but was unsure of how to cross the vast sea once he made it to the water’s edge. On his way to shore, he saw the runegate again. The Aelfborn stepped onto the platform and tried waving his hands in an attempt to open a portal. Frustrated because it did not work, he walked off and sat at the shore for a moment. He felt a force of energy nearby and raised his head to see the old man appear before him again.

  “If you seek the way to your village I can guide you,” the old man proclaimed. “Follow me.” The old man led him to the platform that they arrived on for this island. “Once I open this gate you will be back in Sea Dog’s Rest. Proceed to the old tree in the center of the port and look for the runemaster. He will be standing next to the tree. Tell him you seek passage to New Mellissar and he will oblige. Once back in New Mellissar you may travel north to your village.” The old man waved his hands and chanted. The symbol once again illuminated on the platform. “Place both hands around this runestone, and I will know you need my assistance.” The old one placed a stone in Megildur’s hand; the symbol upon it looked like a flame.

  “Thank you for your guidance and tutelage,” Megildur said to the old man. Then he stepped onto the symbol and once again faded into darkness.

  CHAPTER 4: Along for the Ride

  The display during transport mesmerized Megildur, but he once again arrived in Sea Dog’s Rest as the old man had promised. He stepped off the runegate, and the first place he noticed was the tavern where he first met the old man, and the furious Irekei. Steering away from that disheveled place, he spotted the old tree he was seeking and the runemaster below. He approached the runemaster to interact with him. “Ahoy, stRanger! You have found our refuge. What can I do for you?”

  Megildur resounded, “I seek passage to New Mellissar, Sir.”

  “Granted,” the runemaster replied. With that, he waved his hands and Megildur transported to New Mellissar.

  Upon arrival, Megildur recognized the area from when his father would bring him there. With no delay, the boy began his journey to Fort Viatrus…or what remained of it. The sun was directly above him when he started heading north. Megildur did not dare follow the main road, since he had heard tales of Thieves and Assassins laying waste to travelers. He stopped once or twice to gather some water from any source he could find; he had not prepared for such a journey. Normally his father would have packed accordingly for such a trek.

  Night began to fall when Megildur reached the outskirts of his village. He made one full circle around the perimeter, being apprehensive of more invaders left behind. The entire village looked abandoned and charred. All that remained of the huts were faint outlines of their existence, so Megildur made his way to the stone building. Since his father was the village leader, his family used this building for their residence. It was three levels tall but had a small footprint, especially in comparison to the castles and fortresses Megildur had seen in drawings. The invaders did not leave anything unturned while rummaging through the stone building either. Megildur made his way to his room. It was also in disarray with his bed overturned and the few belongings he owned damaged. The boy picked up a drawing of his sister and him that their mother, Vanya, had drawn. He dropped to his knees and wept for the sister he could not save and for the parents he had lost. He felt a hand on his shoulder, which caused him to back into what remained of his bed.

  An elderly woman from his village whispered, “I am sorry, Megildur, I did not mean to startle you. Your father and mother were here this morning looking for you and your sister.”

  Megildur burst out. “They live? Where did they go? Did they find Aranel?”

  “Slow down,” replied the woman. “After rebirth they returned to find both you and Aranel were gone. They did not know if the Deathless Empire seized you both, but I was able to tell them that they took Aranel. They grabbed what provisions they could and began the journey for Aelarnost.”

  Megildur declared, “That is where I must travel to.” He stood and proceeded to the armory on the first floor. His father never permitted him in the armory before, but everything had changed now. Determined to keep his vow to his father, he equipped himself with some leather armor. He also armed himself with a sword, dagger, food, and as much water as he could carry. He trudged through the halls to the front door where the old woman met him at the exit.

  The woman pleaded with him, “Do be careful. These roads are not safe anymore since the Deathless Empire trampled through. Scavengers have swarmed the roads since they know the Dar Khelegur demolished most of the villages in these parts.”

  Megildur replied trying to restrain his dread, “Do not fret. I shall be triumphant in my journey.” He placed his hand on the old woman’s arm and pushed the door open. He pulled the hood over his head to insulate him from the cold night air and started heading north to Aelarnost.

  Megildur walked far away from the view of the road, keeping the sea in sight. The moon was his torch, since he dared not light a fire. After walking for a great distance, Megildur began to see the sun peer up over the horizon. He had not slept in quite some time, but he could not waste time now with sleep. He did need to stop briefly to adjust his armor. Otherwise, he would surely die of the wound his sword would make digging into his side. He found a fallen tree to rest his weapons on and adjusted his armor. While he was doing so, he caught the reflection of a metallic object out of the corner of his eye. He knew this could not be good. Megildur reached for his sword only to have an arrow obstruct his path to his weapons. He followed the path of the arrow back and caught a glimpse of a Scout fade from his view.

  He knew he must move with haste, so he once again reached for his weapons but this time he spotted an adversary even closer. There was a Half Giant standing just on the other side of the fallen tree. The brute unsheathed a sword. He emitted a light from his body as bright as the sun. The Half Giant grew wings of fire that stretched longer than Megildur could see, being that close. The boy stumbled back to gain some distance from this new aggressor and in doing so he felt pain to the back of his head. The light of the morning sun faded, Megildur plunged to the ground. This time he was in total darkness…this time, there was no calming voice telling him to have no fear nor did he see a spectacle of lights.

  Megildur felt a force against his belly. This was not a feeling of hunger, but a familiar feeling. It reminded him of a simpler time when he and Aranel went down to the sea and they ate too many berries. After that they got…oh no. Megildur abruptly opened his eyes and before he could see his surroundings, the contents of his last brief meal came bursting out of his mouth. The taste was less satisfactory coming out as opposed to the time it went in. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. When he did this, he detected he was over the shoulder of the Half Giant that confronted him earlier. The giant man threw Megildur to the ground and attempted to glance over his shoulder, to see what mess the boy had made.

  Megildur could hear laughter, but knew it could not be the brute he just expelled his meal on. Megildur observed a man appear out of thin air, when once there was nobody except him and the Half Giant. He observed this Scout before losing consciousness. He heard that they could blend into their environment and vanish from sight.

  Looking at the brute, the Scout jeered, “It’s a good look fer ya!” He noticed the boy staring at him in disbelief. “Cease yer gawking boy or I’ll carve out yer eyes!” He tur
ned back to the Half Giant. “Now, let’s git this pagan back to the safehold before I disembowel him!” The Scout walked away laughing, fading away once more.

  The Half Giant snatched Megildur. Fortunately, this time, he threw him over the other shoulder. Unfortunately, this action dislodged the runestone the old man had given him. The object fell to the ground and Megildur doubted the brute would let him stop and pick it up. Bouncing up and down, off the giant’s other shoulder, Megildur noticed that they traveled on sand but could not tell where they were. Hopefully they would reach their destination soon. This desert heat was unbearable, nearly as unbearable as the view from the back of this brute. Megildur thought it might almost be worth having this savage kill him, just to reduce the time they carried him like a side of meat. Whenever possible, he would bend in such a fashion so he could see something new in the direction they traveled. He did not do this often since it upset the Half Giant and he would bounce Megildur on his shoulder even harder, causing great discomfort to his belly. The last thing he needed was to heave all over the brute’s back once more. That would surely lead to a slow and painful torture session.

  Megildur began to hear voices and realized they must be approaching their destination. For better or worse, the journey was over. It was starting to get dark but he could see the gates, once they had cleared them. The Scout had once again reappeared, Megildur assumed since he could hear his raspy voice again. The brute once again dropped him to the ground, made a grunting noise, and walked away. Someone forced him back down when he attempted to stand.

  The Scout grumbled, “Git down, ye pagan! We’ll purify ye soon nuff!” To Megildur, purification sounded pleasant enough. Maybe it would remove the stench he now had from that brute carrying him over his back. The Scout dragged the boy along the dirt to a nearby tent. The Scout bellowed to a young girl already inside the tent, “Slave, clean this pagan so I can offer him to the High Confessor!” She just bowed to the Scout and gathered her container to collect water he assumed.

  Once the tent was vacant, he peeked outside to see if he could find an escape route. However, the guard, who he did not see in time, had other plans and smacked him in the head with the pommel of his sword. After rubbing his head for a bit, the girl returned to the tent. She was around Megildur’s age with blonde hair and tanned skin. Megildur assumed this was because of her desert lifestyle. When she walked past the Aelfborn, her scent filled the room and aroused Megildur. She smelled like flowers in a meadow near his village, and this reminded him of a more peaceful time in his life. She now had her container filled with water and a cloth to cleanup Megildur, seemingly impossible in this waterless desert. She avoided eye contact with him.

  She requested, “Please remove your leather armor and shirt.” Megildur did not want to in front of a girl, but he figured if he denied her request she would call for the guard. He preferred to avoid him if possible. It was not difficult to remove his armor now, since they already stripped him of his weapons. He dropped the leather chest piece to the ground and removed his shirt. Megildur glanced back at the girl and caught her peeking at him. She made an unexpected sound and turned away, due to embarrassment. Standing there half-naked with only his tattoos covering him, she turned back around and began to scrub his body. Now Megildur was the one trying to avoid eye contact due to embarrassment. Looking away was not possible when she stopped upon reaching his right shoulder and gasped, “By Saint Malorn!” Her eyes grew wide and she stared at Megildur. She dropped the cloth she was using to clean the boy and ran for the tent opening. Megildur knew it would not be in his favor when she returned. He put his shirt back on and grabbed his leather chest piece when the girl returned with an older woman. The older woman pulled back his shirt, exposing his right shoulder and she too gasped. Megildur was beginning to feel like an exhibition.

  “Where did you get that marking upon your shoulder boy?” The older woman queried.

  Megildur was fearful of her reaction, since he thought the girl was going to pass out after she viewed the mark. He did not want to mention his meeting with the All-Father. “A Minotaur’s stomp crushed me into the ground and upon my rebirth I heard a voice tell me to have no fear. The same person who told me this also laid his hand upon my shoulder.” The woman gasped, as the girl did, and they both receded near the back of the tent to converse amongst themselves. Megildur used this opportunity to finish getting dressed. Once Megildur nearly finished getting dressed, the older woman confronted him once more.

  The old woman pleaded with the boy, “You must leave this place! It will mean certain death if you do not.”

  “All they mentioned was purification, which does not sound bad,” Megildur speculated.

  “The High Confessor achieves purification with fire,” the old woman explained and Megildur’s eyes widened. “If you survive, they will then either test you further or just slaughter you for being Aelfborn. The Temple of the Cleansing Flame insists outsiders undergo purification for the sanctity of the religion.”

  “On second thought, fleeing sounds like the more survivable choice at this time,” Megildur replied. He finished getting the last of his armor on. The woman explained to him that she would have her daughter guide him out through an opening in the fence. The woman said she would distract the guard outside the tent so he could escape. “Thank you for your assistance, but why are you doing this?” Megildur asked.

  “Anyone with the mark of the All-Father deserves our help, not cleansing. Your heart is pure. Fulfill your destiny and bring peace to this fragmented world,” the woman replied with a warm smile and went outside to distract the guard. Apparently, she knew the mark of the All-Father without Megildur telling her.

  Megildur turned to the young girl and said with a slight grin, “Shall we?” The girl smiled back, lifted the back of the tent material, and they both crept out of the tent.

  They followed along the perimeter until a large brute in armor halted them in their tracks. Megildur panned up the massive length of the guard’s body just in time to see him raise his sword. The boy froze with panic, unsure of what to do. The sword came down but before it could reach him, an arrow struck the guard in the chest. He dropped his sword and looked past Megildur, just as another arrow struck him and he dropped to the ground. Megildur looked behind him to see the young girl holding the bow that killed the guard. This impressed Megildur, and aroused him at the same time. He loved seeing strong women who could handle their own battles. Before the boy could give a compliment on her aim, energy bolts started flying across the encampment. They seemed to appear out of nowhere. Megildur scanned the area and found the source was a hooded figure in the middle of the camp, atop of some structure. His newfound distraction was attacking guards within the camp. Megildur and the girl took that opportunity to proceed to an opening in the perimeter. Once there, the girl moved aside and allowed Megildur access to the escape route. He inquired, “You are not going any further?”

  She looked at Megildur with sorrow in her eyes. “This safehold is my home. No matter how bad it is, I must stay with my mother,” she replied, glancing at the ground.

  The Aelfborn lifted her chin gently. “I understand, I am fond of my home as well,” Megildur responded. Her skin was soft, like a flower petal. “May I know your name?”

  She responded, “I am Zabrina. My mother named me from the desert flower.”

  “Well Zabrina, I will not forget you. Nor will I forget what you have done for me,” Megildur replied. The Aelfborn could resist her scent, and beauty, no longer. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, pressing firm against her. He would always remember her, and his first kiss.

  He then turned away and forced his way through the small opening in the fence. Because of the hooded figure’s attack, it was easy to sneak off amid the chaos. He did not know which direction to travel, but he surmised anywhere was better than here amongst the heretics. How could a place be so treacherous, and yet contain such a gentle soul as Zabrina? He just started running, assuming t
hat would take him away from certain death by purification.

  CHAPTER 5: The Lost Child

  The sun was now peering up over the sand dunes. He wondered the desert all night. The sand in his boots ground against his flesh, causing intense pain and discomfort…and not to mention driving him crazy. He stopped momentarily to rub his feet and to remove as much sand as possible from his boots. Megildur could now survey the land better and detect predators. This also let him know the direction he traveled was east. As a child, his father helped him track and observe his surroundings, as well as how to read maps. He knew directions well, but he had never been to this uncharted desert before. The temperature surged as Megildur trudged through the desert. He was able to bypass most of the encampments with beasts, which helped him live a little bit longer, but that would be meaningless unless he found water soon. The heat was now getting unbearable, and Megildur knew he must find shelter from the sun if he was going to survive.

  He found a large rock formation that provided some shade. The day turned to night as Megildur lay sleeping against his newfound shelter. Because of the distance, he covered in one day, Megildur slipped deep into sleep that night. So deep, in fact, that he began to dream. Before him, he saw a girl standing with her back toward him. She had golden blonde hair, and he assumed it was Zabrina. He moved closer behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She spun around and thrust a sword into the Aelfborn. Terrified, Megildur looked down at the sword protruding from his chest and stared back up at Zabrina, a Minotaur now stood before him. The beast opened his mouth to speak and asked one question, “Why didn’t you save me, Megildur?” The words emanated from the creature in front of him, but the voice was that of his sister.