Shadowbane: Age of Aelfborn

by Paul Francois

  “Well since he’s moving north, we will travel southwest and see about making camp,” Megildur commanded. He turned to Gaal, “Can you scout ahead and see if there are any sections free of demons, vampires and other undesirables?”

  Gaal chuckled, “I will see what’s available.” He vanished from sight to survey the area ahead, without anyone spotting him. He was gone for about thirty minutes before he reappeared. “I found a spot near a tree up ahead, it looks clear and I can’t spot any ‘undesirables’ either visibly or on track.” Scouts, Rangers, Huntresses, and some others, like Thieves, have the ability to track enemies in wide open areas, though it does not detect animals. A handy feature to possess for just such an occasion.

  “Ok, we will make camp there for the night,” Megildur decided. “I will need you to check our track often in this forsaken land.” Gaal agreed and guided the others to the area he found.

  On Oblivion, the sun never showed itself, just bleak and gloomy skies. By the time they made it to the campsite, the sky had changed from dismal to a darker shade of dismal. Megildur started a fire close to a tree, concealing the light from the flame in one direction. He worried about uninvited guests seeing their campfire and dropping in.

  “Stand close to the fire and dry your clothes,” Megildur said. “I do not want to keep the fire this large for too long. We should reach the Lich Queen’s Keep tomorrow. Once we get past Ithriana, one way or another, we will use the Lharast Portal to reach Kierhaven…wherever that may be.” The travelers did not look comforted by the thought of having to face Ithriana.

  Gaal joked, “I guess ‘one way or another’ our journey will soon be at an end.”

  This made the others laugh. That was another one of Gaal’s talents, using humor to diffuse a tense situation. This helped Megildur loosen up a little, since the burden of having to save the world was a bit overwhelming at times. They sat around the fire in silence, contemplating Megildur’s words. They let the fire dwindle once their clothes were dry. Each of them rested as Gaal took first watch. They envisioned their pending encounter with Ithriana, but none thought of what peril awaited them if they do make it through the portal.

  CHAPTER 32: Undead Disturbance

  Gaal woke Megildur sometime during the night. Something was definitely wrong, Megildur could tell by the look of dread on his face.

  “What’s wrong?” Megildur asked the Shade.

  “I tracked a Vampire Thief coming in from the east,” Gaal replied. “He’ll be here any minute.” Honoria and Scyleia awoke from the commotion.

  “We have a Vampire Thief approaching,” Megildur announced.

  “Honoria and I can reveal the Thief once they are close enough,” Scyleia admitted. “If you two can attack the Vampire once they are visible?”

  “Are you certain about this, both of you as bait?” Megildur inquired.

  Scyleia looked over to Honoria. “Yes, now put on your cloak and wait for our signal,” Scyleia insisted.

  Gaal vanished from sight and Megildur put on his invisibility cloak. Scyleia and Honoria laid down around the campfire. They knew this would give the Thief the best opportunity to steal from them. A few moments passed, Scyleia felt a slight tug at her waist and knew the Thief was making his move. She rolled on her back and cast a spell into the air that not only revealed the Vampire, but also slowed the Thief’s movements. Honoria also rolled over and cast a spell that would cause some damage to the would-be Thief. Once they exposed the Vampire, Megildur and Gaal revealed themselves and began their assault. Fortunately, Thurin gave Megildur and Gaal the perfect weapons for this type of encounter. Gaal first snuck around behind the Vampire and plunged his dagger into the back of a fellow Thief. This caused an effect of releasing a fire power against the Vampire. The blood-sucking Thief turned to face Gaal, raised his dagger, but was unable to complete his blow thanks to Megildur. The Aelfborn plunged his dagger into the side of the Vampire. It released an intense light, which due to their unholy nature caused severe damage to it. Another power Vampires are vulnerable to. The Thief slumped downward. Megildur moved around to face his enemy.

  The Vampire Thief hissed at Megildur, “I will not forget this, whelp!” Megildur held his sword to the Vampire’s throat.

  Megildur bellowed, “Good, then let me see if I can leave you with a lasting impression, bloodsucker!” He pulled his sword back, gaining enough strength to strike the Vampire, and decapitated him. The Thief’s lifeless body toppled to the ground and his head rolled several feet away. Megildur turned to Gaal and asked, “How does your track look now?”

  “Let me check,” the Shade replied, gazing off in the distance to check for enemies on his track. “I see another Vampire. A Scout this time, no wait, the Scout is gone. It must have been traveling with this Thief and evacuated, sensing his friend die.” Gaal turned to walk back to his friends, “Track is all clear now.”

  “Well, I will be unable to sleep after that fight,” Megildur admitted after removing his dagger from the Vampire and wiping it off on its corpse. “Put some more wood on the fire so we can warm up a bit, before we continue on to the Lich Queen’s Keep. I think the sky has lightened up, a little.”

  The Aelfborn was correct, dawn was a few hours away, but nobody could tell in Oblivion. The sky was always cloudy and bleak. The four of them warmed themselves by the campfire for a short time before Megildur suggested they depart for the Keep. They traveled for some time in silence until Megildur spoke up.

  “That was an impressive ambush back at the camp, Scyleia,” the Aelfborn Lord commented. “I doubt we could have revealed him, let alone defeated the Thief, if you had not cast that spell against him.”

  Scyleia beamed, “Thank you, M’Lord.” She gave a slight smile and continued walking.

  “Yes, that was a good plan,” Honoria added, bumping playfully into Scyleia.

  The group continued walking for several more hours before seeing any activity, living or undead. Off in the distance they noticed a grouping of trees. They were not in their path, which was fortuitous for the explorers. The trees appeared dead and decaying. Below what branches remained, skeletal forms were visible. They moved in a circular motion around the trees, almost as if they were guarding…nothing. This caused Megildur to shiver a bit and then hasten his comrades on their way. Gaal would periodically stop to check track but he discovered the track was clear each time, until now.

  Gaal exclaimed, “I got three Vampires on track!” This caused the rest of the group to halt.

  Megildur fretted, “What direction are they coming from?” He dropped his gear and clutched his dagger, the Morloch's Betrayer of Fire. He also kept his Jen’e’tai sword at the ready.

  “Checking now,” Gaal replied. “West, they are west of here.”

  Megildur bellowed, “West? You dolt! Of course there are Vampires in that direction, what do you think Ithriana is?”

  “Oh, good point,” Gaal confessed, picking his gear back up and standing sheepishly next to his friends. “Sorry, I thought our Vampire friends were back from earlier.”

  “Well I guess this is a good time for everyone to get their gear and weapons ready,” Megildur said, pulling out his armor and invisibility cloak. This encounter with the Lich Queen would be the first real test of this armor Maethorion gave Megildur. He felt this was fitting, since they forged the armor for Sillestor and now Megildur wore it for battling the Elf Lord’s daughter. “Are we ready?” Gaal, Honoria, and Scyleia followed the Aelfborn Lord toward the Keep.

  As the Keep came into view, Megildur spouted off, “Gaal will use his Thief stealth, and Scyleia will wait here, just out of sight from the undead at the Keep. I wish we could take you with us, but without any stealth you will be an easy target.”

  Scyleia acknowledged, “I understand, good luck.”

  “You both wait for me just outside the door to Ithriana,” Megildur commanded Honoria and Gaal. “I want us to enter at the same time, to increase our chance of success.” The Aelfborn put his cloa
k on. “Let’s go!”

  None of them could now see where the other two stood. Someone bumped into Megildur; this was expected with all of them being undetectable. Megildur was glad his friends could not see the apprehension on his face. The sheer size of this malevolent place increased the dread in the Aelfborn’s heart. Skulls and enormous bones used as large braces comprised the outer walls. Past the walls was an open courtyard with a massive building within the center. The outside guards paced back and forth, making navigation through them difficult without hitting anyone, or anything. Megildur stopped to look at the main archway and noticed a massive skull just above it, too large to come from a Half-Giant. He assumed it was from a full sized Giant. Megildur looked back down from the archway just as a Vampire Scout materialized blocking the opening. The Vampire sneered directly at Megildur, as if the bloodsucker could see the Aelfborn Lord. It then waved its hand into the air to cast some sort of spell. There was a spark of light in the air and Megildur could then see Gaal in front of him and Honoria to the right.

  “Oh no, I can see both of you!” Megildur announced.

  “Our cover is blown!” Gaal retorted.

  The travelers realized the guards detected them. All five of the guards drew their weapons. Megildur, Gaal, and Honoria also drew their weapons and prepared for battle. They thought the situation could not get worse, but it did.

  Gaal shouted as he deflected an attack from a guard, “Uh, Megildur! We have more on track now!”

  Megildur demanded, also trying to deflect numerous attacks, “How many?”

  “It looks like…oh no,” Gaal gasped. “Dozens of Elves!”

  Megildur suspected the Elves could be from Aelarnost, in retaliation for them taking Caunion. He knew the three of them could not handle the five guards and numerous vengeful Elves.

  “Pull back to Scyleia!” Megildur commanded. “Honoria, see if you can slow these guards a bit!”

  The Bard waved her hands and cast a spell, slowing the guards. The guard’s swings were half their original speed. The three of them turned and ran back to where they left Scyleia. Megildur approached Scyleia and could see her standing out in the open with a frantic look on her face. Her arms were down at her side. Something was wrong but the Aelfborn did not know what. Honoria also noticed as the three of them approached her friend.

  Honoria inquired, “Scyleia, are you alright?”

  Scyleia screamed out, threw her hands around to her back, and fell. Megildur could see what was affecting Scyleia. A shape materialized over her motionless body, the Vampire Thief they encountered earlier. He was holding a blood-covered dagger in his left hand. He stabbed Scyleia in the back to avenge his death at the hands of Megildur.

  The Vampire hissed, “I told you I would not forget, whelp!” The Thief vanished, leaving their friend bleeding on the ground.

  Honoria screamed, “Scyleia!” She rushed to her friend’s side and held her tight, “Stay with me!”

  Scyleia muttered, “I am sorry, I did not see the Vampire Thief coming. I do not want to return to Fort Irsadeng. They will…torture me for…helping you escape. Don’t let them…” The Bard beseeched her companions not to leave her in the Amazon safehold with her last breath, leaving Honoria crying over her friend’s body.

  Gaal gasped, “Megildur! Look, back at the Keep!”

  Megildur turned to see the worst scenario he could imagine unfolding. Not only had the guards broke the slowing spell, but they also had reinforcements. Another two dozen guards joined the original guards and all were advancing on Megildur, Gaal, and Honoria. With a legion of undead progressing from the Keep and a large group of vengeful Elves coming from the other direction, it could get no worse.

  CHAPTER 33: Ithriana

  “Honoria, we have to move now!” Megildur begged his friend to leave Scyleia’s body. “I promise if we make it out of this mess we will save her from the Amazon guild, but we have to get out of here now!”

  Megildur reached down to help Honoria up from the ground. A flaming arrow soared past Megildur, a bit too close for comfort. The Aelfborn heard an agonizing shrill, from the one receiving the arrow he assumed. Fearing for his friend Gaal, he spun around to see the Vampire Scout standing next to him with a flaming arrow protruding from his chest. Two more flaming arrows and even a blast of fire followed the first arrow. The blast of fire propelled the Scout to the terrain, his lifeless body landed next to Gaal.

  “Look to the east!” Gaal exclaimed, pointing in that direction.

  Megildur turned to see a massive group of Elven Scouts, Rangers, and even Channelers proceeding to their location. He stood up and unsheathed his sword, but he wondered which direction to defend first. West of them was the undead guards and advancing from the east, an Elven army. Megildur began to move against the Elven army as another arrow flew well above him and struck one of the undead guards. This puzzled him since twice now an Elf did not assault Gaal, Honoria, or him.

  Honoria blurted out, “Megildur, look over there!” She put her hand on his shoulder to stop his attack.

  “Mother!” Megildur gasped, looking in the direction Honoria was pointing. He now realized the Elves charging were from the Gwaridorn tribe, the same as his mother, and not from the Dar Khelegur. Megildur was unable to determine which Elven race advanced upon them at first because of the dismal surroundings. The two Elven races were close in appearance. Only slight skin variations distinguished the two. The Gwaridorn’s skin has a greenish hue while the Dar Khelegur’s skin is alabaster in color. Nevertheless, Megildur was ecstatic they were on his side. Vanya spotted the three companions and rushed to them.

  Discovering no harm befell her son, Vanya sighed. “Megildur, it’s good to see you’re alright.”

  Megildur cried out, “Gaal, Honoria, and I are alright, but a Vampire Thief killed Scyleia. We vanquished it earlier today and the bloodsucker returned with the Scout your group just defeated.” He pointed to the Vampire Scout’s body.

  “I will send two Scouts to deal with the Vampire Thief!” Vanya commanded, motioning for two from her group to find the remaining Vampire. “Let us handle the undead around the Keep. You three should sneak inside using your stealth. You still have the cloaks, right?” Megildur told her they did, looking down at Scyleia. “I know you are worried about your friend, but you cannot save her if you do not complete this quest. Now go!”

  Megildur knew his mother was right and this would be the best time to sneak inside the Keep. He put on his cloak and disappeared from sight, followed by Honoria and Gaal. The Aelfborn turned and continued on to the Keep’s entrance. Since his mother’s tribe was fighting with the undead of the Keep, Megildur crept past the archway without any resistance. Once inside the courtyard he found the vast edifice and the doors leading to Ithriana. No undead remained inside the courtyard with the Elven army at their backs. He removed his cloak so his friends could see him. Gaal appeared out of stealth just before reaching Megildur but Honoria was not there yet.

  “What happened to Honoria?” Megildur asked Gaal.

  “I am already here.” She replied, removing her cloak. “I did not want to be first one to remove my cloak.” She was still visibly distressed over the loss of her friend.

  “Don’t worry about Scyleia, we will save her,” Megildur reassured Honoria. “But I need your help now. If we do not function as a team against Ithriana, we will never make it through the portal. So, are you with us?” Honoria took a deep breath and agreed. “Good, now I want to try to sneak past her if possible. Gaal, follow along the walls to the left side of the Keep. Honoria, take the right side. I will do my best to find the portal and not run into Ithriana. Confronting someone of her malevolence would be our last option.”

  Gaal and Honoria agreed that encountering Ithriana would not be wise. So all three of them went invisible once more and Megildur opened the door. The trio navigated a maze of hallways that turned left and right, but never gave a choice of altering routes. It was as if they were being guided to a single p
oint inside the building. They finally reached what Megildur assumed was their destination. There sat a throne on the opposite end of the room. Behind that was an archway containing a green glowing aura. Megildur assumed that was the Lharast Portal. He took a few steps toward the portal, something unexpected happened, laughter.

  “Did you feeble mortals think you would evade my detection?” A voice echoed from the dark. “I changed the halls within my Keep to guide you straight to me. Between the abomination, the chaos demon, and the half-breed, I am not sure which one smells the worst! You did not provide me with a very good selection. Could you not have brought along an Elf or at least a Minotaur thrall? They are so much fun to snuggle up to after I’ve drained their blood, but you will have to do.” There was a long silence, none of the companions wanted to give up their location. “What, no banter from the inferior beings? Alright, let’s finish this!”

  An intense light radiated from the center of the room, followed by a blast of energy. The three travelers, along with Ithriana, were now visible in the room. Most were near the center, including the Lich Queen, who hovered above the floor. This was the same as the first Vampire Megildur encountered.

  Ithriana teased, “That’s better, now we can play!” Like a predator with its prey, she decided to romp with Megildur, Gaal, and Honoria, now that she exposed them.

  Honoria jested, “So you want to use magic? I can play that game too!” The Nephilim transformed into her chaos demon form and ascended into the air.

  With one wave of Ithriana’s hand she forced Honoria down and with a wave of her other hand she blocked all three of them from using any powers. With incredible speed, the Lich Queen struck each of the companions with her bare fists, driving each of them to adjacent walls. Their flaccid bodies toppled to the flooring. Megildur and Gaal were motionless from the intense blows, so the undead Queen focused her attention on Honoria. The Bard was already weak, bleeding, and slumped over, which pleased the Vampire.