Legends of Marithia: Book 1 - Prophecies Awakening: Uncut and Extended Second Edition (11 page)

“Queen Andrielle and Princess Helenia… They
should have escaped to the Elven Woods - I remember the king's
commands myself. The elves would prove the strongest of allies.
They practice powerful elven magic and should have the numbers we
need. I also still have a duty as a knight to ensure their safety,
and I must see them again. Can we not travel there now?"

“You are wise beyond your years, Vartan,”
replied Karven. “If what you say is true, then we must seek out the
elves for reasons other than this war alone. However, you need
training in the arts of magic before we even think of letting you
leave the protection of our island. Come and eat with us, and
regain your strength. If the queen and princess are still alive,
then we have plenty of time on our side.”

“I understand, but I need to seek out Helenia
soon. I can ill afford to waste time,” said Vartan.

“I understand your feelings completely,” said
Karven. “But you must learn to trust in our guidance. We only have
your best interests at heart. You will not be misled by any
dragon—it is others which you need to be wary of.”

Vartan watched as another dragon flew over to
them, a freshly killed calf gripped firmly in his talons. He
dropped the carcass in front of them and returned to his position
in the circle. Vartan's stomach turned at the sight of the deceased
animal. “Thank you, Karven; I appreciate your kindness. I really am
starving, but I don't eat raw meat."

Finn laughed heartily, took a deep breath and
engulfed the calf in a breath of flames. “Is that cooked enough,
brother? Or would you like it crisper?”

Karven’s face hardened and his voice
reverberated in Vartan’s mind.

Vartan, there is something very important
you and I need to discuss about Talonsphere. We shall talk about
this in private. Just let me know when you’re ready, as I’m sure
you would like some time alone with Finn. But we must soon take
flight to the Elven Woods. Use this time wisely.

Elven Warrior - by Guido Leber

Chapter 6: In Love and War

“Many of our people looked to King Arman for
guidance, and he did the very best he could to provide that to
them. It was his responsibility as King of Greenhaven to protect
them.

With one hand, he held them to his bosom and
provided them the love that they craved from their king. With the
other, he grasped his sword vigilantly to defend them at any cost,
even against his own son.

He gave his life in an attempt to rid
Marithia of any threat that would harm them and we will forever
remember him as the king of the people, a protector of
Marithians.”

(Queen Andrielle of Veldrenn)

The precise location of Veldrenn, deep in the
Elven Woods, was a well-kept secret. It was hidden far from the
gaze of any prying eyes, and not even the alliance with Greenhaven
permitted its location to be revealed. The elves believed that
remaining hidden was their first and best line of defence. While
Kassina’s forces now searched aimlessly through the many lands
between them, Andrielle knew that they had plenty of time before
they might possibly be found.

Although they succeeded in keeping their home
a secret, they took no chances. Veldrenn was extremely
well-protected and it was this protection that had kept its
location unknown to outsiders. It was inevitable that they could be
accidentally found at any time, and so lookout faeries resided in
the surrounding trees for great distances, and would signal an
intruder’s presence; in return, the elves provided protection from
wild predators that threatened the survival of faeriekind. The
great oak trees were also enchanted by elven magic to create a dark
canopy that served to confuse even the best trackers. If anyone
were to somehow find their way through the great maze of trees,
they would then have to face the elven guards, who were permanently
stationed around the outskirts of Veldrenn. Each guard was trained
to the level of Master in magic, and all were expert swordsmen.

The city itself was surrounded by menacing
walls of closely placed oak trees that were under the control of
the elven queen, and could be shifted as desired by the elves.
Within those walls, the elves had built their homes in gigantic
trees that were enchanted to grow swiftly into whatever shape the
elves required. Queen Andrielle’s home was well-placed in the
centre of the great city, and was the largest of them all. The
elves had carved extraordinarily detailed images of animals into
its surface. Sapphires, diamonds and rubies were used to enhance
the carvings and decorated the animal's eyes. Long swatches of red
silk were hung from the branches, which swayed in the wind when the
canopy was opened.

Princess Helenia wiped the built-up tears
from her eyes as she bit into the soft honey bread. Its sweet taste
and soft texture only worsened the longing in her heart. Queen
Andrielle and the remaining knights also joined her at the table.
The Elven Queen took a deep breath to cut through the silence and
prepared herself to address the table.

"We have already spent too many days in
mourning, and it is important that we discuss the difficult matters
which I know we would all prefer to avoid. We must accept that we
cannot change events that have already passed, and I know that my
words will not make the pain of our losses any easier, but we are
all safe here, aren't we? We have no choice but to stay here and
work together. Brave men, you are all welcome to reside with us in
Veldrenn. I understand that you may wish to seek your own vengeance
or seek out your families, and I would not stop you if you chose to
leave our city to pursue those desires.”

The knights stopped eating and slowly turned
to look at each other, before they all nodded in agreement. They
all knew that only one choice would be made. One of them rose to
his feet and spoke for them all, bowing to Andrielle. “My Queen,
you knew our bravest knight, Vartan. All here will agree that he
was the strongest of all of us, and we do hope he finds us here;
the gods know that we could use his help. However, I gladly accept
the responsibility of leading the knights in his absence. My name
is Dryden, my Queen. We served you in Greenhaven and will serve you
with our lives wherever you may take us."

Andrielle smiled at them warmly. “Then let it
be so, Sir Dryden. Greenhaven may be lost, but chivalry and honour
can never be taken from us. Former Knights of Greenhaven, stand and
give your oaths to become Knights of the Elves. You may induct
yourselves as you would have in Greenhaven.”

The knights stood as one and drew swords,
connecting the tips of their shiny blades in the centre of the
table.

“We swear never to use violence without
purpose; never to submit to murder or treason. We swear on our
honour as knights to give mercy when asked, and to protect all
innocents and enforce their rights. We promise never to fight in
any unjust cause, or to fight for personal gain. This oath we take
upon our Knighthood of the Elves.”

Andrielle nodded gently for them to sit. “Be
seated, Knights of the Elves! Welcome to your new home. Allow me to
introduce you to our finest elven warrior, General Faowind. He will
work with you to establish a new army - a
combined
army -
that will be strengthened by both the skills and training of your
knights, and the magic and enchantments of the elves.”

The knights all watched in amazement as an
empty chair was engulfed by a thick puff of white smoke. As it
cleared, the elven general was revealed. Faowind was a tall elf,
visibly battle-hardened, with numerous scars of combat marking his
otherwise smooth skin. He had long, silver hair, tied back tightly
in a ponytail. Faowind smiled as he looked over the knights, his
pearly white teeth glistening. “Welcome, brave knights. The
pleasure of our meeting is all mine. Our people cannot thank you
enough for bringing our queen and princess home safely and
unharmed, and we will be forever in your debt for doing so.” His
gaze swept around the new Knights of the Elves. “I will do my best
to teach you everything I know, given that undisturbed time is of
an uncertain nature. Be prepared, as there will be challenges
ahead. We need to work together to build an army capable not only
of defending our city, but ultimately of reclaiming Greenhaven and
returning it to its former glory. Know that Arman’s death will not
go unavenged. For the king!”

The knights raised their glasses in unison
and shouted, “For the king!” They drank heartily, pounding their
glasses on the table and wiping their mouths.

Andrielle raised her hand to settle them down
as she addressed them once again. “Our good spirits
are
returning, but we can never forget the lives that we lost in
Greenhaven. Dryden, I am sure that Arman’s instructions would have
included saving our most sacred scrolls. One of them is partly
damaged. What I am about to say stays within this room, as the last
thing we need right now is panic and hysteria among us. It’s about
time that we openly discuss Talonsphere.”

The knights stared at each other silently in
astonishment until Dryden found the courage to speak up. He spoke
cautiously, “My Queen, with all due respect… Talonsphere only
exists in legends and fables. We cannot put our faith in ancient
stories to save us."

Andrielle reached under the table to produce
a dirty old scroll that at first appeared unremarkable. Half of it
had been hastily torn away, but their eyes lit up with curiosity
when she opened what was left of it. As the dust fell off the
scroll, it appeared at first glance to be blank.

“Not everything is as it appears,” said the
queen with a knowing smile. She took a deep breath and blew warm
air down the scroll. The dust cloud made them cough as they waved
it away.

“
Redivivet,
” she whispered.

The scroll glowed with a white light as a
layer fell away from its surface to reveal a shining golden map.
They all gazed in awe and disbelief at what was now before their
eyes.

Andrielle spoke firmly. “We should assume
that Kassina holds the other half of this scroll. However, Derian
was never entrusted with the secrets of the scrolls, which proved a
wise move under the circumstances. The portion they hold is only an
illusion, ink magically formed to mislead the wielder. We alone
hold Talonsphere’s true location. They may find it by absolute
chance, but that is a risk we will have to accept.”

The queen quickly rolled up the scroll and
carefully returned it to its leather binding. Placing her hands on
the table and leaning forward, she continued. “We must reclaim
Greenhaven and protect Talonsphere at all costs. There is something
else about Talonsphere that is crucial to our success in this war,
and that we are still missing; we don’t know where to find the key,
the prophecy, to activate this weapon."

Dryden paled at the revelation. “By the gods,
are all the songstresses in Greenhaven singing of the
truth
?
Talonsphere? The tale of the boy born of dragon blood?”

“I speak the truth, Dryden. The best way to
keep such a secret hidden is to display it in plain sight. Nobody
believes in something unbelievable that is given to them on a
silver platter, especially if it’s sung to them by a songstress. We
lived in the hope that eventually the boy would seek us out, visit
the royal chambers to reveal himself, and unlock Talonsphere to rid
Marithia of the tyranny of darkness for eternity. This is all that
I know. All we can do now is hope for a sign.” She sighed, and
returned to her seat.

The entire company returned to eating
quietly, deep in their own thoughts.

Helenia!

The princess was so shocked by his voice
filling her mind that she dropped her food on the floor.

Did I imagine that?
she thought, her
eyes widening.