The Sacred Woods of Silvernarion (Book 1)

Chapter 9 Good Intentions

Good Intentions

Thunderfaust waves his hands over a table. A woman in a green gown looks at the odd inscriptions around the oak table with her arms crossed. They begin to glow, as the wizard smiles at her who looks back confused.

He then gestures to look further at the table as a vision reveals itself at the center of it. It shows a young woman lying in a bed sleeping next to an elf in a tavern room. She then puts her arm around him, as he smiles snuggling closer to her.

“How absurd is this?” she comments putting her hand over her mouth shocked to see her daughter through the visions the magical table offers.

The wizard only sighs, as he sits on a high arched chair in the corner of the oval room. He looks at the wide assortment of pipes in a cabinet next to him. After a short moment he selects one and starts to put leaves into it. He then glances at the lady who only nods her head unsatisfied at what the table shows her.

“It’s not in our power to select ones love,” he finally says.

She drops her hands to place them on the side of her hips and frowns. Her face turns stiff and her eyes show the desire to skin those words just placed on her.

Thunderfaust takes his eyes off the lady to concentrate on stuffing more leaves into his pipe paying no mind. Her face eases after a moment before letting out a sigh that sounded like a retreat from a battle.

“I just don’t understand,” she says before stopping to sit on a small chair opposite from the wizard.

“Has it ever happened before? I mean… a human and an elf,” she asks in an unsure tone.

“So you are accepting the possibility,” the wizard replies.

“Of course not!” she snaps back dismissing the thought.

“How can that elf evade to be seen by the commoners of town in the first place?” she asks quickly.

“You should have come here earlier and you would know how it happened. I so happen to have seen it,” he replies.

“Well go on then,” she urges.

“The town’s wizard specializes in magical mixtures and has given him a potion to drink. Although he is a wood elf, he looks like a human to everyone else in town,” the wizard explains.

“He certainly doesn’t look like a human to me,” she says bitterly getting back up and looking at the images the table reveals.

“This magical table never lies what it shows us,” the wizard replies.

She gives out another sigh after a long silence.

“I shouldn’t have let you have my daughter go on that impossible adventure. A few days ago I thought I would lose her. She fell down that hill and was chased by that bandit. Luckily the soldier was outside off the gates that day,” she says in an angry voice.

“And that huge beast or whatever was stomping in her direction in Nurenhill Woods,” she continues barely breathing.

“Ah yes,” the wizard replies calmly starting his pipe with a couple of puffs using a narrow candle that was sitting on a table next to him.

“You mean the wood giant,” he corrects after puffing a few more clouds of smoke.

“You know what I am talking about!” she screams.

“Now, now no need to get feisty. I promised you that your daughter will be safe,” he reassures.

“I have given her a staff that will make sure that nothing will happen to her.

“If her life is to be ended, the staff halts time and reevaluates the situation for her,” the wizard explains sucking on his pipe in-between.

He tries to keep a straight face, as he knows the staff has been lost that day. She adjusts her clothing and looks at the wizard.

“Besides the falcon is there to watch her also,” the wizard finishes now standing up.

“Well the day has been long and I must go back to my studies.

Perhaps I will find answers to this spell cast upon us in one of my books,” as he looks at a wall full of bookshelves piled with books that reach the high end of the oval ceiling.

He waves at a thick gray book that slowly floats from one of the higher unreachable shelves into his hand. Gloriana’s mother shakes her head disapproving of his magic.

“Very well, but I am her tomorrow to look at your strange table,” she says before walking down the spiraling stairs.

“Don’t let me find out that the table shows lies,” she finishes.

He only shakes his head turning the pages of the book and sucking the sweet apple flavor leaves from his pipe.

He then looks up from the page thinking of the day he looked at Gloriana in her room.

He saw the sacred tree symbol on her forehead that only he as a master wizard of the arts of air can see knowing that she was to start the apprenticeship with him. Only few are selected by the ancient tree to start such studies in the ancient arts of magic that helps keep balance in the lands. How odd that such a powerful spell had been inflicted in the town affecting every child except for Gloriana.

As if she was immune to it. Could she be the one chosen to defeat an upcoming evil yet to return after so many centuries?
He then gives a few more puffs of his pipe before adjusting his glasses to look at the pages of the book.

A brief light from the round oak table occurs, as he looks up to see its urgency. The inscriptions circling the oak table begin to glow, as he gets up slowly to watch what it has to reveal.

A dark and mysterious figure dashes quickly from one tree to another. He eventually approaches the town streets unseen and dashes quickly to one of the guards to touch him with a long and curly scimitar. He then grabs from underneath his black cape a throwing star and throws it at the other who was about to scream to attack.

It hits him in the arm. The guard paralyzed by the star falls suddenly to the ground joining his partner. The wizard observes the strange figure, as it walks along the sides of a building.

He recognizes the building as the town’s bakery. The dark figure takes out of his belt buckle a vial of blood. He takes the cork off the vial and begins to wave his long and dark purple fingers around it.

Small particles fall into the vial as it begins to glow yellowish. He then quietly chants ancient words to cast a spell. The wizard listens, yet doesn’t understand.

His face hardens, as he sees the one who had cursed the town. He walks to the tower’s window and whistles three tunes each going lower then the first one. A small blue jay appears.

“Go and take this letter,” the wizard says giving a small parchment, which the bird grabs with its talons and jumps to fly downwards towards a building at the end of the town.

He then grabs his staff and taps it on the ground.

Puff, he disappears to reappear in front of the dark stranger. The wizard points his staff at the dark man. The dark figure only grins, as he takes off his hood revealing his dark skin and pointy ears. Thunderfaust’s eyes widen, as he sees what is said to only be a myth.

“Can it be true?” he asks looking at him.

Thunderfaust waves his free hand and screams,” “Ti-i-tem!”

A net shoots out of his hands and covers the opponent.

The dark elf only shreds the net with his sharp weapon quickly and steps back dropping the vial, which shatters on the ground. He then frowns looking cautiously at the wizard. Two soldiers on horses arrive acknowledging the wizards need for help. They get off their horses unsheathing their broad swords. They advance quickly as three more soldiers come to aid the wizard.

Thunderfaust grins as five soldiers on foot come running with long pikes. The dark elf oddly stands still, unworried that he is outnumbered. The men, swords in hand, come in at the dark elf’s side.

“I want him alive,” Thunderfaust orders as he watches the many soldiers slowly encircle the stranger.

A last soldier stands next to the wizard. He has a crossbow aimed at the dark elf’s heart.

It didn’t take long before the elf springs vertically up in the air, tucking his legs under him and then kicking out to the side before the startled soldiers could react, connecting squarely on the faces of both the approaching men and sending them flying away. He then falls down on the ground and rolls as a bolt barely misses him. The startled soldier curses before trying to reload his crossbow quickly.

The pikemen press forward thrusting straight ahead. The dark elf slapped his forearm out to intercept, purposely missing the parry but skittering backward out of reach at the same time. The pikemen become confused and begin to bang their weapons together frustrated at the small gimmick the enemy is playing with them. They try to reorder as the dark elf only grins.

He then jumps back into the air and kicks the first pikeman square in his jaw before landing quickly on his agile feet. Without a moment to spare he rolls over to the next soldier to cut the throat with his faintly glowing scimitar. The three pikemen thrust in their best efforts. The dark elf only parry’s to the side and throws two stars with one hand hitting two of the soldiers square on their foreheads.

The soldier with the crossbow begins to curse at his weapon wondering why it is jammed. The dark elf then rolls over on the back off a soldier taking his pike at the process and throws it quickly at the soldier with the crossbow.

He drops his weapon in shock wondering how he managed to hit him from such a distance. The weapon had hit him square in his chest. He falls on his knees holding it with both hands. Thunderfaust’s face turns serious, as he begins to chant his next spell.

The dark elf begins to run forward on the attack, as three soldiers jump in front of the wizard with their broadswords drawn. At the last moment, the dark elf jumps back barely missing aggressive swings of sharp swords. The soldier’s stern faces approach closer.

They wave their swords trying to buy time for the wizard to cast his spell. Finally, a warrior appears on top of a Pegasus. Her golden armor faintly glows, as she points her joust at the dark elf. The dark elf scowls at the sudden appearance. He then throws his cape around his whole body including his head.

The high elf charges pointing her joust towards the dark elf’s body. She hits the cape square in the middle insuring victory, as the soldiers look in awe at the magnificent Pegasus galloping a foot off the ground. She halts too look at the black cape hanging on her joust.

The dark elf had disappeared. She then drops her joust and jumps off her Pegasus to approach the wizard.

“Thank you for coming to my aid,” Thundefaust says while bowing down.

“The blue wizard has been friends to the high elves for many centuries. It is an honor to serve you,” she replies bowing back.

Her exotic golden helmet and dragon scale armor adorn her slender and petite muscular body. Her Pegasus waits patiently above the ground, as the soldiers sheathe their swords to walk up to the fabulous animal.

“Could it be true that what I saw was a dark elf?” Thunderfaust asks looking at the many soldiers who have fallen this night.

“Dark elves have always existed in the grounds of earth choosing to live among vile creatures,” she replies in an elfish accent unaccustomed in speaking human.

She then bends down to look at the glowing substance scattered on the ground. Thunderfaust joins her.

“It looks like some kind of spell he wanted to inflict on someone. I don’t know what it may represent though,” she finishes standing back up.

“I think I may know Thunderfaust,” replies.

“Many of the people of this town have been cursed to an eternal sleep. For what reasons I don’t now,” he explains now leaning on his staff.

“If it is the doing of a dark elf then nothing good of it can come from it,” she replies now jumping high into the air to land on the back of her Pegasus.

“I will speak with the council. Perhaps they will know,” she offers.

The soldiers pet the mane of the Pegasus once more before it begins to rise higher into the sky flapping its huge wings.

“Until the next time,” she says and gallops higher until a white spot is seen, which eventually disappears.

The soldiers look at each other astonished to have seen such an event. Soon the tale will be sung by every bard in town adding to the splendid evenings taverns offer. They then straighten up, realizing that they are still on duty and walk towards the wizard who only looks at the glowing substance splattered on the ground.

“Tell Captain Daerius that we should strengthen our guard in each tower and to send a report to our lord. If anything is unusual report to me,” he orders.

The soldiers nod their heads and jump onto their horses to gallop away. Thunderfaust looks at the scattered soldiers.

He realizes his life had been spared from the dangerous dark elf. Not only had it fought beyond the skills of the most experienced warriors these lands could offer, it also knows how to use magic that only an aged and experienced wizard would know how to use. Only myths tell of such warriors that have a combination of ancient fighting skills and magic for each alone take a lifetime to learn. If more of such elves emerge on these lands then the empire as he knows it could come to an end.

Why would the dark elves after so many centuries want to resurface the lands? Does this curse inflicted on innocent people wear off? Could this be the reason why the dark elf had returned to renew the curse? Thunderfaust continues to ponder.

He straightens up and walks down a street towards a few building before turning to approach a smaller house. He walks up to the entrance and taps his staff on the door. A faint light turns on, as a shadow walks past the window towards the door.

“Who is it?” a low voice asks.

“It is I, Thunderfaust,” he replies.

The door opens as a hefty man with sleepy eyes looks at the wizard.

“Tell me something good. Have you found the cure to this spell?” he asks.

Thunderfaust shakes his head slowly.

“Not yet Mr. Mesina,” he replies now walking inside.

“May I see your son?” Thunderfaust asks taking off his pointy blue hat.

“Of course, of course,” he urges as he waves the wizard inside.

He then leads Thunderfaust to a door in which he opens slowly. The room has a small candle at the end of the table showing a curly black hair boy in bed on his back sleeping. The father only wipes a small tear from his eyes before looking at Thunderfaust.

“Oh I wish my son would awake one day. It has been almost a week now. I am so scared for him,” he finishes.

Thunderfaust waves his hands, as a small blue light surrounds the boy for a short moment before disappearing.

“His body has been nourished for another week,” he replies smiling to the father.

“Don’t worry your son is safe. I will make sure he will not starve and die of thirst. It is if it has never happened when I find a cure. He will awaken never knowing what happened to him,” Thunderfaust reassures putting his hand on the man’s shoulder.

He only drops his head, knowing that the wizard is only trying to brighten his spirits.

“I assure you Mr. Mesina, we will find a way to undue this spell,” he says before walking out of the room putting his pointy hat back on.

He doesn’t want to worry the people about dark elves just yet, as he walks out of the front door. He stops to look at the sad man. He has seen so many sad faces over the last few days. If only he knew how to reverse this curse.

“Get some sleep. I will come in frequently to see how he is doing,” he says after a big sigh.

Mr. Mesina only nods his head before closing his door.

Thunderfaust walks down the empty and dark streets thinking of what a dark elf is doing on the surface and why it chooses to bother a small town like Augshill. He will have to see what books he may have available on dark elves back at the tower. He has much to study, as he begins to walk faster tapping his staff down the empty street.

He then stops his walk for a moment to think. Perhaps he should pay a visit to the high elfin council in Swienalden.


Continue to chapter 10 The Last Demon's War - http://mingle2.com/topic/show/195619

You are something else, John! Creativity runs in your blood and soul... I would love to be able to write so well! Great job!

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