Shadowbane: Age of Aelfborn

by Paul Francois

  The Elf snarled, “Another step Human, and you will have the cursed blood of this half-breed sprayed upon you! My thralls will decimate all of you, if I so command. Did you think your foolish little light show outside would distract us while you saved these worthless slaves? All you have accomplished is helping me increase my slave count for the day.” The Elf began to chuckle since he knew he had the advantage. “Drop your weapons or suffer a fate worse than death!” Megildur dared not challenge him, since he feared the Elf would hurt his sister. Even if he did manage to save her, the Minotaurs would stop them from leaving. The Aelfborn Lord was unsure how he would handle this dilemma but no options other than slavery were present at this time.

  CHAPTER 17: The Dar Khelegur Disaster

  Megildur stood there helpless against the Elf, who had his sister by the throat, and the horde of Minotaurs breathing down his neck. He did not want to place his family or his troops under the tyranny of the Deathless Empire, but he also did not want to cause them any ill fate either. If, in this day and age, there were a fate worse than death, the Dar Khelegur would know of it. Megildur motioned for the others to lower their weapons while he began to lower his sword.

  The Elf sneered, “A wise choice half-breed! If you didn’t surrender I would have…!” The Elf’s reprimand ceased when his scornful tone turned to a gurgling sound. Megildur felt a hot liquid spray across him and he noticed this liquid, was blood. The Aelfborn Lord looked up, fearing the blood was from his sister, and found the source of the blood was from the Elf. Their fortunes had improved but this confused Megildur, along with the rest of his group. He noticed the blood originated from the Elf’s neck, which now had a sizable gap in it. Megildur wondered how this injury could have occurred. A blade then appeared near the wound. Megildur followed the blade back to the wielder. It shocked him to see Gaal, the Shade Thief, materialize behind the incapacitated Elf.

  Gaal exclaimed, “I thought he would never shut up! Why are Elves so arrogant?” Obviously pleased to see him, Megildur smiled at Gaal.

  Megildur wanted to know how he escaped and was able to sneak inside, but that would have to wait. He picked his sword back up from the ground and stared at the immense group of Minotaurs, just waiting to disembowel them. The giant bull-like Warriors grew increasingly agitated, now that their commander was dead. With nobody to command the thralls, they did not advance but somehow knew they must kill the intruders. As both groups considered their next move, an Elf ascended into the air from behind the Minotaurs.

  “Destroy the Wethrinaerea!” The Elf commanded the Minotaurs, pointing at Megildur. The Elf wore a crown and dressed majestically, but Megildur did not know who he was.

  Gaal whispered to Megildur, “That is Dar Thaelostor Caunion. He’s ruler of the Deathless Empire, and a cruel one.”

  “How in Aerynth would you know who that is?” Megildur replied, staring back at Gaal.

  “Any good Thief knows thy enemy,” Gaal smirked at the Aelfborn Lord. “And I believe he just called us the deceitful ones.”

  Megildur now knew his enemy, but had no idea how to stop him. The Minotaur horde began to claw at the ground, looking just like any beast before they charge. Waiting for the Minotaurs to attack, Megildur noticed a lone soldier running toward the enemy group, one of Maethorion’s men. He was wearing heavy armor from head to toe but did not appear to be a match for the Minotaur horde. He reached the middle of the herd and began waving his hands in the same manner Zeristan would when conjuring a spell. The Minotaur Warriors started beating down on him but the soldier did not stop. A bright light shown down from the sky, almost as if the Heavens had opened up and the All-Father himself created the light. The beam filled the herd of Minotaurs and the Elven ruler dropped to the ground and attempted to flee, but it was too late. For this was no ordinary light, it was a beam of pure energy the soldier conjured. The soldier raised his arms and released an energy blast more powerful than anything Megildur had ever witnessed. The blast threw everyone nearby to the ground. This included all the Minotaurs, the Elven ruler, and even the soldier who initiated the explosion. The blast of energy nearly blinded all others. After checking on his group, making sure all was well, Megildur moved in to evaluate the damage. Minotaur Warriors lay motionless on the ground and the soldier, who saved them all, was lying in a newly formed crater because of his blast.

  “He is a Sentinel,” Maethorion commented, approaching from the southern half of the safehold. “We call the energy blast you witnessed the Divine Word of Binding. It’s powerful but unfortunately it also affects those who cast it.”

  “He gave his life for us?” Megildur inquired, looking upon the Sentinel.

  Maethorion responded, “Do not fret M’Lord. Remember, nobody in Aerynth dies since the Turning. He will return to Greensward Parish, maybe a bit charred, but he will live.”

  Megildur stood over the Sentinel for a moment but a noise distracted him in the distance. It was Caunion, crawling away like a snake. The blast did not deprive him of life, but Megildur planned to change that. He walked over to the Elf Lord, unsheathed his sword, and placed his weapon at the base of the Elf Lord’s skull.

  Megildur commanded, “Get on your knees coward!” Caunion stopped crawling and turned to face him. The Elf Lord decided to stand rather than kneel before Megildur, but the Aelfborn Lord kept his sword trained on Caunion’s head.

  Caunion scoffed, “Why should I bend a knee to a half-breed like you?”

  Megildur roared, “I am Lord Megildur, rightful heir to the High King Cambruin and chosen by the All-Father himself to reclaim Shadowbane! You will bend a knee to me or I will cut you down where you stand!”

  Caunion countered, “You’re Cambruin’s heir?” The Elf spit on the ground near Megildur’s feet. “That carries little weight to an Elf. The fool deserved his outcome. I only wish the All-Father would receive the same fate. As for Shadowbane, that sword carries a curse since Wethrinaerea stole it from the rightful owners, the Elves.”

  Filled with rage over Caunion’s comments Megildur hit the Elf Lord in the gut with the hilt of his sword, finally causing him to drop to his knees. He placed his sword at Caunion’s throat when the Elf Lord looked up.

  Megildur lashed out, “Thurin gave Shadowbane to your people, as a gift! Afterwards, the Elves turned their backs on the Gods and placed their beliefs in false Gods! Finally, Sillestor made the greatest betrayal of all time! He turned Shadowbane upon the All-Father and attempted to stab him in the back!” By this time, Megildur was fuming while he stood over the Elf Lord, his sword still focused on Caunion. Megildur glanced up to see most of his army, and family, gathered around watching his confrontation with Caunion. “You deserve a worse fate than Cambruin, and you shall receive it!” Megildur raised his sword and began to swing it down with all his might. Caunion closed his eyes and winced, but the sword stopped just short of the Elf Lord’s throat. “Your fate will be nothing less than what you have done to others, oppression.” Megildur sneered at Caunion and kicked the Elf Lord to the ground. “Bind him and prepare him for travel back to Greensward Parish. He will make a nice addition to the community, as a slave. There your arrogance shall be stripped from you.” Several Warriors dragged Caunion off for binding.

  Caunion shouted, “I will release my vengeance upon you half-breed! You will rue the day you did not kill me!”

  “Let us remove ourselves from here.” Megildur said while turning to face his army and family. “I prefer not to be here when these Minotaurs return.” He regrouped with the others and all of them went out the front gates with no opposition. Aelarnost was an empty shell, due to Megildur and his allies. He succeeded against the might of the Dar Khelegur, now to face an even greater adversary, his parents.

  CHAPTER 18: Separation Anxiety

  Megildur’s army and his family returned to the camp they made prior to the attack. It was south of Aelarnost and just outside of their tracking range, in case the Elves decided to retrieve Caunion. Once Megildur tended to the tr
oops, assuring their losses were not too great, he turned his attention to a more pressing matter, talking to his mother and father. Megildur entered his tent and found Marie tending to his family’s needs. His mother, father, and sister had just finished their morning meal and they all turned their attention to Megildur.

  Marie announced, “I will bring your food immediately, Sir.” She turned to exit but Megildur stopped her.

  “Do not bring me any food, I need to talk with my family,” Megildur replied.

  Marie murmured, “As you wish, Sir.” She slightly bowed and left the tent.

  Aedan spoke, “Well, Lord Megildur, where do we begin?” Megildur’s new leadership role had them all puzzled. “Last memory I have of you was a scared boy promising his father to protect the family. Now you lead an army, formed by multiple guilds, and carry the title of Lord.” Aedan stood from the chair he was sitting in and placed an arm on Megildur’s shoulder. “It’s quite a dramatic change from the boy who hated doing chores to become the Lordly ruler who conquered the Deathless Empire.” Aedan smiled at his son, grinning ear to ear with pride at the man he had become.

  “Megildur, what happened to you in Fort Viatrus?” Vanya inquired. “When I saw you last that Minotaur had just impaled me with a sword from behind. What happened after that moment?”

  “Well the Minotaur who stabbed you did not stop there,” Megildur explained, removing his armor. “Afterward, the beast turned his attention to me. I was no match for him. So once I annoyed him with a scratch from my dagger, he crushed me with his hoof.” Megildur began to pace inside his tent, telling the tale of his journey so far. “I died and instead of returning right away, my spirit went elsewhere. I floated in a misty haze listening to multiple voices talking all at once. I found the event maddening. I called out after the noise stopped and a voice told me to have no fear. At that same time, someone touched me on the shoulder and I received this mark.” Megildur exposed his shoulder to show his family the glowing mark he received.

  Aedan exclaimed, “That is the mark of the All-Father!”

  “Yes, it is. Zeristan told me that the All-Father chose me to reclaim Shadowbane and that I was the rightful heir to the High King Cambruin.” This news widened Aedan’s eyes. Aedan stared at Vanya, then he began to pace around the room.

  “Zeristan the Wise is with you?” Aedan questioned his son. Megildur nodded. “It has been a legend passed down from Father to Son for several generations in our family. I should have told you before now. We wanted to shelter you and Aranel from the cruelty of Aerynth. I guess the All-Father decided it was time you knew. We suspected someday the All-Father would call upon us to retrieve the mighty sword forged by Thurin and reclaim our heritage. We just did not know when or who the All-Father would choose.”

  “You knew?” Megildur exclaimed. The Aelfborn’s blood began to boil, but he knew his family suffered enough at the hands of the Elves. Megildur took a deep breath and calmed his thoughts. “So you know why I must leave to begin my quest for Shadowbane.”

  “No you will not!” Vanya interjected. “We just put our family back together and I will not let you tear us apart!” She took on the role of the protective mother, clutching both Megildur and Aranel. Letting the motherly embrace continue for some time, Aedan placed his hand on Vanya’s arm.

  “We cannot stand in the way of Megildur’s destiny.” Aedan responded. “The All-Father gave him this quest.” Vanya looked up from her children and released her grip on both of them. “Besides, Megildur reached the age of maturity. The All-Father just laid out his path before him.” Aedan gave Megildur a proud smile but he knew deep down that this would not be an easy quest. Even experienced knights had set out to find Shadowbane and come back empty handed. Some unfortunate souls never came back.

  “Thank you both for understanding,” Megildur sighed. He was not looking forward to leaving his family, but he knew the significance of this quest. “I will call a meeting right away with Maethorion and Atreus to advise them that I am departing.” Megildur turned to leave the tent but someone blindsided him, a slightly smaller Aelfborn girl who attempted to stop his departure.

  Aranel squealed, “I will not let you leave, big brother!” She blocked Megildur from moving, or at least tried. Aranel pushed against him until she exhausted herself and slumped to the floor crying.

  “You have nothing to fear,” Megildur responded, kneeling down to comfort his sister. “I have rallied armies behind my cause before and I have the support of the All-Father.” Megildur raised his sister’s head to look into his eyes. She could see the confidence in his eyes and that helped her to stop crying.

  Aranel wailed at her older brother, “But we just got our family back together! Who is going to take me down to the sea when Father is gone? I will have nobody to tease. I love running into your room and waking you early in the morning. Who will I torment now?”

  “I love you teasing me in the mornings,” Megildur replied. That was a lie but he figured it would make his sister happy to hear that. “I must complete this quest, for our family, and for Aerynth. We have all lived in fear of guilds like the Dar Khelegur and the Temple of the Cleansing Flame. We need Shadowbane to bring peace to our shattered world. Even though I am not with you at Fort Viatrus, I will always be with you in spirit. Besides, I hear your voice in my head even when you are not around.” Megildur smiled at Aranel. She jumped into his arms and hugged her brother.

  Aranel exclaimed, “I love you, brother!”

  “I love you too, Aranel,” Megildur admitted, returning his sister’s embrace. He then heard applause coming from just outside the tent. He stood up and pulled back the tent flap to find Marie, Maethorion, Atreus, Zeristan and the rest of his army. Embarrassed, Megildur walked outside with his family close behind him.

  “We apologize for listening into your private conversation, Lord Megildur,” Maethorion said once the troops quieted down. “We heard your sister cry out. We thought you were in danger, until we heard why she wept.” Maethorion separated himself from the rest to talk with Megildur. “So, it’s true that you plan to set out on the rest of your quest now?” By this time Marie, Atreus, and Zeristan joined the conversation.

  “Yes, it’s true. However, I must continue without an army. I am unsure what obstacles I will face but I am certain the All-Father wishes for me to draw as little attention as possible on this quest.” Megildur bowed his head and with sincerity spoke his next words. “I would like to thank all of you for helping me rescue my family. I couldn’t have accomplished that part of my quest without you.” Megildur turned to address certain individuals. “Maethorion, please take our new guest, Caunion, back to Greensward Parish. I am certain Aerynth will be better off with him in your custody.”

  “Certainly, Lord Megildur,” Maethorion said while bowing.

  “Atreus, if you would be kind enough to escort my family as far as the Centaur Cohort?” Megildur requested.

  “It would be my honor to take them all the way to Fort Viatrus, My Lord,” Atreus concurred. Megildur bowed his head to the mighty Centaur ruler in gratitude.

  Marie interjected, “I will prepare a travel pack for you, Sir!” She scurried away. Megildur noticed her agitated demeanor, but was unsure what provoked it.

  Turwaithion declared, “It would be an honor to join you on this quest.”

  “I appreciate your offer Turwaithion, but this is a mission of stealth,” Megildur replied. “Unlike the attack on Aelarnost, this quest requires gathering information and sneakiness. Something tells me you prefer a straightforward fight as opposed to stalking in the night.” Megildur chuckled, placing his hand on Turwaithion’s shoulder.

  Gaal boasted, “Basically, he needs my skills.” The Thief materialized next to the Elven Captain. He placed his arm atop of Turwaithion’s other shoulder.

  Turwaithion bellowed, “You abomination, I should have executed you when we first captured you!” He brushed the Thief’s arm off his shoulder. Megildur laughed.

  “
To be blunt, yes, I do need your sordid talents,” Megildur countered. “Less attention we draw to this quest the better our chances. We will also need someone who knows the tale of Shadowbane, so we might know where to start looking.”

  “It would appear you need the talents of a Bard, Lord Megildur,” Zeristan stated. “Not only do they know melodies to sooth the savage beast but they are also masters of the chronicles of Aerynth.”

  “I am sure we can find one in Thieves’ Den,” Gaal replied.

  “Then that will be our first stop,” Megildur announced. “Gaal, see about some provisions and I will meet you back here soon.” Gaal agreed and departed. Megildur returned to his tent to collect his supplies.

  Megildur entered his tent to see Marie flinging his items into a bag. He knew from experience never to confront his mother or sister when they were this upset but he had no choice, he needed his belongings.

  Megildur inquired, “Are you alright Marie?” He knew the answer to that question was no, but he did not know another question to ask.

  Marie retorted, “No I am not alright, Sir!” She finished packing and turned to face Megildur. “Everyone knows it’s a mistake to seek Shadowbane, except you. Death and disaster have always surrounded that sword and you want to run right out into the same fate as many other knights…just like him!” Marie knew she had said too much and burst into tears, spinning to leave the tent. Megildur grabbed her arm before she made it to the opening.