annstallionwrites-blog

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Inspiration for the entry hall of the palace in Selka from my book Zelmaril 💕

[annstallionwrites-blog]

Zelmaril: Chapter 5

   "Welcome to Selka, Klain." Klain smiled as he heard Yuril's words, looking ahead of them. They had finally arrived to the elven capital and it was greater than he could have imagined, and he had imagined it in many ways.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Yuril said,

"Yes, it is." Klain said, taking in the scene as long as he could as Yuril let him do so for a short while before grabbing his attention.

"We should get inside. The gates are closed at dusk and I don't think we should camp out here." She said, glancing ahead of them.

"Why close the gates at dusk?"

"It's a rule that has been set since we were given this area. We don't question it." Yuril explained as she led the way towards the wide entrance.

As they walked along the wooden drawbridge Klain listened to the boards as they creaked under their weight. Making their way through the gate, the ground went from wood to dirt, the smell of earth still all around them. Klain glanced around once inside the capital's borders, he noticed stone steps to their right leading up the grand stone wall and a small building to their left. Three guards, each unusually tall, stood outside the building talking amongst themselves. One of the guards, upon noticing Yuril, came running over to them with a wide grin on her face. She wore silver armor, a green cloak falling from her shoulders, strawberry blond hair tied up revealing her long, pointed ears.

"Yuril, kuen luajeh!" She cheered in a happy tone.

"Xera, se mie nolas." Yuril answered as she looked over to the person running to them. The sudden transfer to speaking teirinn startled Klain for a moment as he forgot that it was the language spoken there.

"Se omni." Xera answered, smiling more before glancing to Klain. "Na eilmal olieras? Akjime n delmalae lemass?" The elves voice was soft though obviously questioning, Klain giving a slightly shocked look at her words.

"Vur ter pheril na olieras." He said, Xera looking at him like he had three heads before murmuring an apology and looked back to Yuril.

"Quie phiefio reimn soie deliem." She sighed.

"Delmalae n tes moreair, Xera, delmalae thate soie deliem." Yuril laughed slightly, not noticing the look Klain gave her at the words. Xera's Name was called from across the way at that moment, another one of the guards waving to her. She gave a sigh, smiling to Yuril before running to the other soldier to be handed something that made her take off down the streets. Once she was gone, Yuril turned her attention back to Klain with a straight face again,

"Let's get to the castle." She said, walking in the direction of the large building. Klain followed behind her closely, saying nothing for a while though the silence became unwanted so he spoke up.

"So, your father is the king." He said, putting his hand behind his back.

"He is," Yuril said, glancing at Klain with a curious look.

"That explains a lot." Klain said,

"How so?" Yuril questioned, the confusion in her voice obvious.

"You brought me here despite not many humans, if any, knowing of it. Normally this wouldn't happen, yet you weren't worried about how your people would react." Klain shrugged, weaving between a few people who stared at him as he passed.

"That's quite observant of you." Yuril said as she turned down a path that led between two buildings, fewer people walking through the area.

Klain looked up at the sky as they walked through, the sun nearly fully set now which made the path dark. As they exited the side path, they could see people and guards lighting torches, the flames making the entire area light up. The two then turned back onto the main street, making their way forward until they reached a set of steps that led to the entrance of the palace. Klain made his way up the steps a little quicker than Yuril, looking at two guards who stood on either side of a large metal door. When Yuril and Klain approached them they gave a small bow to Yuril, keeping an eye on Klain who moved to stand behind her.

He locked eyes with one of the two guards and quickly gave a respectful smile as Yuril made her way through the doors. He followed after quickly, being greeted to a large room. Stairs sat at the far left and right, great pillars with horses and many other beasts engraved into the stone stood connecting the floor with the high ceilings that dipped from one pillar to the next. Colored stone was mixed with the gray floors, making a sun pattern in the center of the main room. Woven tapestries sat on the stone walls, the images showing the stories of battles and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Yuril walked to the staircase at the far right of the room and began to walk up the steps, watching Klain run his hand along the wall as he followed.

At the top of the stairs, a table sat in the area between the two sets of stairs, a vase full of white roses sitting on top of it. Yuril seemed to be in deep thought as they reached top and she stopped in her tracks, looking to Klain. "My father and brother are likely in the throne room, so that's where we are going to go." She explained, Klain smirking,

"You have a brother?"

"Yes." Yuril sighed before pointing down the long hall beside them to the right. "The throne room is that way but before we go I need to speak with you." She said, voice wavering as she sat on the top step, gesturing for Klain to do the same. Once he was sat beside her, she took a deep breath and looked to him.

"Let me begin by apologizing. I haven't been as honest with you as I should have been. I told you I had gone to Quin for herbs and decided to take a longer route home; that wasn't true." Yuril murmured, "Yes, I was in Quin, but not for the reason I said. We had heard rumors of villages being overtaken in the outlands over the past four years and I was asked to see if the rumors were true. I had been tracking them since I arrived in Quin but as you know, I was unable to catch up to them until it was too late." Yuril fell silent as she looked to see Klain's reaction. He was paler than usual, his body shaking slightly as he looked up at her with watery eyes.

"Yalvar wasn't the first to be destroyed?" He asked sadly,

"No, it wasn't the first. As I said, all the villages were in the Outlands so no soldiers would hear of it." Yuril said,

"If all these raids were in the Outlands, isn't Selka at risk as well?"

"It's very possible, though it's not just Selka. Both the dwarves and dragon's lands are in the outlands; if you count islands the centaurs land is as well. We are all at risk from this."

"Have you told the others?" Klain questioned,

"We told them of the rumors, yes, but they chose to ignore them. Though my father still hopes to get the councils to agree to send some of our own to speak with the high king of the issue."

"High King?" Klain asked, having never heard of anyone going by that name.

"Your king, King Cerrond." Yuril explained, "Each race of mystic has their own royal family but we all know the Northhills are the rightful rulers of Zelmaril."

"I see... But with all of this going on, why am I here?" Klain asked, voice no louder than a whisper.

"You lost much Klain, Selka is somewhere you can start over safely." Yuril gave a small smile through her words, standing up once she finished.

"We should go see my father now." She said,

"Okay." Klain stood from where he had been sitting. Yuril turned to the hall to the right of them and began to walk down the narrow area. There were at least several doors spread through the hall, some made of different materials or different sizes than others. The largest, however, sat at the very end of the hall.

The door was made of oak, looking to be smooth to the touch and beautifully crafted. The doorknob was rather small, shaped like a leaf with a green gem placed in the center. Klain walked up to the door, opening the door with a loud creak once Yuril confirmed it was the right one. Yuril walked through the door first, Klain following her after a moment and shut the door behind himself. He then looked around the room from where he stood beside Yuril, taking in the area. Three people stood around a grand table that was large enough to hold forty men, chairs surrounding it. One of the people Klain recognized as Xera, she stood across from a male who stood much taller than her. He looked to be six and a half kepins in height and was rather toned. He had tan skin and light auburn hair that covered one of his light green eyes. His ears were like Yuril's with a piercing at the tip and he wore a white shirt with a jacket over it and brown pants and boots, a black leather belt holding a long sword to his waist. A silver crown sat on his head, simple in design yet professionally crafted.

Another man stood between them, standing close to Xera's height and he looked older than everyone else in the room. His hair was the color of rust, short and slicked back and he was tan skinned like the boy beside him. He had emerald eyes, a birthmark under his eyebrow and his face was wrinkled slightly. He wore a gray shirt made of expensive looking material, dark pants and boots matching and a fur cloak sat on his shoulders; held by a small chain. On his head sat a gold crown, white jewels embedded in the hard surface. Behind the three elves sat three thrones, raised by three steps from the floor. Upon seeing Klain and Yuril, Xera gave a smile and whispered something to the older man before turning and gave Yuril a small bow and giggle before exiting the room.

Once the elf soldier left, the male wearing the silver crown turned on his heel and ran over to Yuril with a wide grin.

"Usjiem viese Yuril." He purred, deep voice booming slightly through the room as he stopped before her and gently placed his forehead on her own.

"Hello Teran." Yuril sighed, standing there for a moment before looking to the older man as he stepped forward and placed his forehead to hers as well.

"Welcome home Yuril." He said with a smile. Klain stood in awe upon hearing the king speak in his own tongue, watching the scene in silence.

"Hello father." Yuril greeted, stepping back with a small smile. The three seemed to be in their own world which made Klain feel as though he was intruding though the king turned to him as he was lost in his own mind.

"And who is this?" He asked, eyes locked on the stranger before him.

"Klain Evarid," Yuril answered, following her fathers gaze. "Klain, this is my father, King Verlond and my brother, Teran."

"It's an honor to meet you." Klain said softly, his confusion on the nonexistent language barrier obvious.

"Some of us do speak the language of your people. The councils and royal families of every race are required to speak in the human language as well as their own for safety reasons." Yuril explained, noticing his confusion quickly.

"That explains why you speak it so well." Klain chuckled, glad for the explanation as Verlond led the way to a few seats at the table.

"I apologize for rushing to hard questions but I assume his being here means your journey did not go as expected." Verlond stated as he sat down, Teran sitting beside him and Yuril and Klain across from them.

"It didn't. I was able to track the bandits to Klain's village but it was attacked before I arrived." Yuril answered, her voice almost breaking at the end of her words.

"Were the rumors of people being taken true?" Teran asked,

"Yes, men, woman, and children were taken while most of the elderly were slaughtered." Klain answered, the image of Vilirma's last moments playing in his mind which made him grit his teeth.

"Barberic.." Teran murmured,

"How far was the raid from here?" Verlond asked, looking to Yuril.

"Eight days on horseback, give or take." the she-elf answered, thinking back to her own return journey.

"They were that close!?" Teran questioned in shock, looking to his father who was deep in thought.

The silence that fell in the room was long and uncomfortable. Klain looked to Yuril who kept her eyes locked on her father until he spoke again.

"We need to send out messengers to the councils. The attacks are getting closer if this keeps going on as it is, we are at risk."

Yuril, "Father, even so, we cannot say if the councils will see reason so soon."

"I agree with Yuril, father. Even if we can prove we are all at risk, we don't know how we are even going to meet with the king before things escalate. Our chances of getting them to agree to go to see him are slim to none." Teran said, the three going back and forth. The debate went on as Klain thought over their words, his mind finally placing things together.

"What if a human went on the journey as well?" He asked, Verlond looking to him.

"It could very well help us to convince the councils."

"But who would-" Teran began, his words quick though Klain interrupted him.

"I can go." He said, Yuril turning to him quickly and shook her head.

"No. This journey will likely be long and very difficult, I could never allow us to ask you to put yourself at risk for our people."

"You don't have to ask, I am offering. The king could not only help stop these raids but also save those who were taken; I say it's worth it." Klain spoke with his eyes locked with Yuril's, the she-elf obviously hesitant as she looked to her father.

"What do you think?" She asked,

"I think Klain just gave us a chance." Verlond stated with an unreadable expression.

"Alright," Yuril muttered as she looked back to Klain. "But if you do this, I want you to let Teran help you with your sword skills."

Klain gave an uncomfortable look at the words as he glanced down at the sword sitting on his hip.

"I'm no fighter Yuril." He breathed,

"And gods forbid you ever have to be, but you need to know how to defend yourself." Yuril said as she placed a hand on Klain's shoulder.

"Okay," Klain smiled nervously, not noticing Teran walk over to him.

"Seems like we'll be spending some time together." He laughed, hitting Klain on the back which startled the smaller male.

"So it seems," Klain sighed, looking up at the prince. Verlond and Yuril watched the two for a moment, letting them speak before looking to each other.

"Could you help me with the summonings Yuril?" Verlond questioned,

"Of course."

Yuril walked around the table to where her father sat, smiling at him before looking back to her brother.

"Teran, please show Klain to a room he can stay in. I will have dinner sent to him though I recommend you both get some rest."

"Sure thing." Teran hummed, giving Klain a moment to say a simple 'Goodnight' before dragging him up and out of the throne room. The prince hummed as he led the way down the hall and passed the stairs of the front room, going down the left hall. The hall was identical to the other in its decorations though was far longer, more doors lining the walls and a spiral staircase sat at the end of the hall, leading both up and farther down. The prince led the way passed multiple doors before stopping at a smaller pine door, looking older than the others, and opened it slowly.

"One moment," Teran said, walking into the room. It was a decent size, a window and pine wood bed taking up much of the far wall. The bed had finely made bedding covering it and red drapes circling it for extra privacy. There was a dresser across from the bed, an unlit candle sitting on top of the object and a mirror sat beside it. A chair was sitting under the window, moonlight showing where exactly it was as it poured in through the window. Teran made his way over to the dresser and grabbed the candle before rushing out of the room and lit it with one of the torches that lit the hallway outside. Once it was lit, he gave the candle to Klain with a smile,

"There. Now, this is where you will be staying. There are clothes in the dresser that should fit you so go ahead and change when you are ready.

"Your food should be here soon so expect that but make sure to head to bed once you finish, practice starts early so I will have someone come wake you and get you breakfast beforehand then I'll come to get you. There will be a guard posted outside your room at night so don't be surprised about that. " Teran explained everything slowly, making sure Klain got it all before giving a smile.

"Then I will leave you for tonight. Goodnight Klain." He said, exiting the room as he shut the door behind him.

Left by himself, Klain walked over to the dresser and set the candle down before pulling off his sword and belt. He walked over to the chair by the window and placed the sword down in it, reaching up and undoing the messy braid his hair was in. As his hair fell to his waist he placed the tie he used in the chair with his sword and turned to the bed, flopping back. It was soft, much different from the ground he had gotten used to over the last few days and he pushed his face into one of the pillows, thinking of all that had happened that day as he unwinded for the night knowing the next day would be just as eventful.

-Translations-

"Yuril, Kuen luajeh!" / "Yuril, You're back!"

"Xera, se mie nolas."/ "Xera, you look well."

"Se omni." / "You too"

"Na eilmal olieras? Akjime n delmalae lemass?" / " A human child? why is he here?"

"Vur ter pheril na olieras." / "I am not a child."

"Quie Phiefio reimn soie deliem." / "Your father should meet him."

"Delmalae n tes moreair, Xera, delmalae thate soie deliem."/"He is the king, Xera, he will meet him."

"Usjiem viese Yuril." / "Welcome back Yuril."

[annstallionwrites-blog]

Zelmaril: chapter 4

  Seven weeks had passed since Morin, Tor, Rolando, and the people of Yalvar were taken from their homes, the journey they were forced on long and difficult. They had been led far north and into a vast range of mountains, no noise around them other than the wagon as they were hauled up steep areas. The rock paths they took were narrow and barely large enough for the large wagon, let alone horses and other people. Towards the end of the path at the top of one of the mountains the rock was oddly shaped and strange to see from a distance though the closer they came to it the clearer the area became. The shape was a large building build in the foundation of the mountain. The entrance was an iron gate approximately 16 kepins tall with pillars standing taller than it on either side. 

The pillars held up something like a roof and windows sat above it, going up what seemed to be multiple floors within the core of the mountain. As they got close to the iron doors the people in the wagon began to scream and ask questions, which quickly got out of hand and caused all causing issues and those who tried to help them to be pulled away only to get thrown back into the wagon motionless; Orin being one of the few. They were then brought through the iron gates and forced from the wagon before being taken down multiple levels of the building, the inside like a fortress, and brought into a shallow corridor. Cell doors could be seen on either wall, four on each side and one larger cell at the end with a narrow gap beside it. Morin looked to the cell at the end, woman and children visible through the bars of the door that locked them in the space.

  Tor, having been carrying the unconscious Orin, glanced at Morin as he looked where the other was looking and gave a look to keep him quiet as the woman and young children from their own group were directed to the end cell.

"Separate cells? You already took us from our homes is it really necessary to separate us from our wives and children as well?" Rolando asked one of the bandits who was still keeping an eye on them as he opened the first cell door to their left.

"Quiet! You've no right to question where they are put." The guard growled, watching as people were shoved into the room. Morin helped to keep Tor from being shoved as he still had Orin with him, the boy not having been taken with the other children, and stumbled into the cell.

  It was spacious, rock pillars sitting around the room and there was plenty of space to walk around despite all the people in it. Lanterns swung from the ceiling giving the area light and buckets of water and medical supplies were scattered here and there. Four men were already in the cell, two of which were staring intently at the new people as they filed in. Once everyone was inside the bandit slammed the door shut with a loud thud and locked it before walking out of sight.

"You all okay?" Rolando asked, murmurs of confirmation coming from those he knew as he walked to Tor and Morin.

"You are both alright as well?"

"Yeah, and you?" Morin sighed,

"I'm alright. How's Orin doing?" Rolando asked as he looked to the boy as his father set him down.

"He should be okay. They gave him quite the hit to the head though." Tor muttered, anger causing his voice to shake as he looked down at his son.

  "How could they do this to a child?" Morin hissed, his own frustration obvious.

"They've already shown us they are capable of much more than we believe." Rolando said as he walked towards the door and peered through the bars.

"Still, wherein Hwertlao's name are we?" Tor groaned, "I have never heard of mountains with a fortress inside."

"Neither have I." Rolando turned around as he spoke and looked to the strangers in the room who were looking at them though one looked away immediately.

Rolando, "We should ask one of them."

"Agreed," Morin said. Tor nodded, taking a moment to convinced one of the men to keep an eye on Orin for him before he joined Rolando and Morin once more. They looked around for a brief moment before walking over to one of the men at random.

"Hey, mind if we ask you a question?" Morin spoke first, being the more conversational one of the bunch while the man looked up at him.

"No one is stopping you." The stranger laughed, the air around him welcoming.

  "Oh, okay then. I was wondering if you could tell us where exactly we are." Morin stated, the man turning to him before shaking his head.

"Sorry but can't do that. I could get in a bad situation if I speak of these matters before you have been told by guards or... someone else."

"Then can someone else?" Tor huffed as he found the response rather unhelpful.

"Well," The man hesitated, looking around before giving a sigh "See that guy over there?" He asked, pointing to a large man who sat on the ground at the far end of the cell. He had shortly trimmed dark brown hair and hazel eyes, his face expressionless as he threw a rock into the air and caught it.

"His name is Norvier Alkor, he's been here for much longer than I have and knows a lot about this place. He can be pretty cold but if anyone is willing to fill you guys in, it'll be him." The man said, laying down on the hard floor as he spoke.

   "Thank you." Rolando smiled, the man just waving them off which made Tor huff as they turned and went over to Norvier. Upon noticing them, the brunette gave a quiet sigh and glanced between the three.

"Can I help you?" He asked, placing his rock down before crossing his arms.

"Yes, you can. We want to know where we are." Tor stated, the fact he went straight to the point making Rolando shake his head.

"And what makes you think I would tell you?" Norvier asked,

"You don't have to. We just want to know where we are, that's all." Rolando responded.

Norvier looked at Rolando at the words, seeming more willing to speak with him than Tor seeing as he just nodded.

"Sit. I'll tell you what I can."

Rolando and Morin sat at the invitation, Tor taking his time before doing the same.

"So you want to know where we are." Norvier said, looking at them for confirmation. 

  "Yeah, though I must say that being oblivious to where the bandits took us is fine too." Tor scoffed and rolled his eyes though was shocked when Morin covered his mouth with his hand.

"Please continue." He sighed, Norvier taking a moment before continuing.

"We are in the mountains of Mezth. More specifically, the mountain's core, Serval." He explained slowly.

"The Mountains of Mezth have been abandoned since King Vale's reign." Rolando protested,

"They were abandoned but not now. They have been bringing people here for the last seven years." Norvier said with a short glare. Morin looked to Tor and Rolando, both looking shocked and were rightly so.

"Say we are in Serval, why bring us here?" Morin asked,

"It's what they were hired to do." Norvier stated,

"Hired? By who?" Tor spoke up, silence falling for a moment as Norvier went to answer but said nothing as footsteps and harsh grunts came their way.

"Easier to see than to be told." Norvier said, voice still holding a hint of ice in the tone as he looked to the cell door.

The footsteps continued to grow louder as the air grew heavy in the cell. All looked anxious as they listened and when the door swung open, someone scurried further back to the wall as a shorter figure stepped in. The figure was disfigured, parts of its skull caved in and its eyes were nearly black. Its mouth was opened in a twisted smile revealing sharp, yellow teeth and its skin was a murky gray color. A brown cloth was wrapped around its waist as pants, falling just above its knees and it wore a large bone necklace that made Morin feel sick to his stomach, one of the bones still holding pieces of flesh.

"The queen has come to visit." The creature rasped slowly, its deep voice ragged and uncomfortable to listen to. It quickly stepped, or rather, scurried to the side as to make room for another to enter.

The one who entered was a woman, she was pale skinned and frail looking, long silver hair falling to her waist. A blue gown covered her, the back falling to the floor and dragged along as she walked, a black crown with what looked like vines carved into it sitting on her head.

   "Welcome, my friends. I apologize for only now visiting despite our new companions having arrived." The woman said softly, her voice slightly deep in pitch and the words fell from her tongue smoothly. "Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Toriair Vielden and this is my home." She stated as she gestured around the area. She paused to look at each individual, her face kind though something about her made the air feel heavy and all were uneasy.

"For those who have just arrived, I am sincerely sorry for any trouble my soldiers caused you. I know you are confused as to why you were taken from your homes and I have come to explain."

Toriair continued to speak with kindness in her words, Morin looking to Tor and Rolando in discomfort as the three exchanged glances before looking back to the woman before them.

"You see, I have been building an army over the last seven years. It's purpose, to take back the throne which was taken from me long ago, although rightfully mine." Toriair sighed sadly before giving another smile, "Though allow me to assure you that once I regain my throne, you shall all return to your homes."

   Rolando clenched his fist at the words, Tor placing a hand on his shoulder as the speach continued.

"Though I must warn you. Now that you are here, you may not leave until your job is finished. Fail to follow my orders, and I promise, you will be made an example of." Toriair continued though unlike how she had spoken before, her tone was now cold and was laced with venom.

She scanned the room for a moment, the silence deafening for those there before she smiled once again and gave a hum,

"Now, I must go. You should all rest, training begins at dawn." and with those words, she exited the room. The creature she entered with followed her to the door though turned back to those in the cell as he walked through the threshold.

"Sleep well." It cackled, closing the cell door and locked it before walking away.

  Once she had left people began to talk quietly amongst themselves, Morin, Tor, and Rolando turning back to Norvier.

"Is what she said true?" Tor questioned,

"Afraid so, though how it's possible I can't say." Norvier answered blandly.

"Then the creature that was with her-" Morin began,

"Goblin. They're her guards." Norvier sighed, "Now enough questions. I recommend you all get some rest; tomorrow won't be easy."

Norvier then layed down, letting the three walk away as he began to try to sleep. Tor, Rolando, and Morin went back to Orin and laid down in a small group. Tor was the first to fall asleep, leaving Morin and Rolando to stare at the rock ceiling. After a while, however, Morin looked to Rolando,

"Where do you think Klain is now?" He asked,

"I don't know, but he is probably looking for a way to help us." Rolando murmured,

"Probably." Morin sighed, going silent once more as he rolled over and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow will be a long day. 

-A/N-

Hwertlao: God of all living things in their world and, though not spoken of much, there will be mentions later on of this god and his sister, Elaurzev (God of nonliving things)

[annstallionwrites-blog]

Zelmaril chapter 3

The next morning Yuril woke just as the sun began to rise. She had always been a morning person, unlike Klain who was still fast asleep on the ground. Yuril scanned the surrounding area quickly before she stood and placed spare wood shavings from the previous night into the remains of what had once been their fire, getting a new one started to get some better light. She reached beside her and grabbed a bag, pulling out a flint, knife, and a small handful of torn cloth. Placing some cloth into the wood shavings she leaned down and began to slide the knife on the flint. Sparks flew onto the cloth after a moment and once it was smoking, light dimly coming from it, did she set down the flint and knife and went back to the cloth, blowing on t until flames were visible.

After watching for a moment to be sure the fire was staying lit, Yuril turned her attention to Klain as he tossed and turned in his sleep. A nightmare?  Yuril thought as she crouched beside him and placed a hand on his arm. "Klain, wake up." She said, slightly shaking the small figure. His eyes opened suddenly and his breathing was quick for a brief moment as he looked up to Yuril. It wasn't until he remembered the situation that he spoke. "Morning." He greeted as he sat up, his arms supporting him. "Good morning." Yuril greeted in return. "What time is it?" Klain asked, looking around the dimly lit area around them. "Dawn," Yuril answered, reaching back into her bag and pulled out four slices of bread. "You should eat now; we won't be eating again until lunch later in the day." She held out two of the four slices of bread. "Thanks," Klain said gratefully as he took his rations and began to eat slowly.

  "May I ask what your dream was about?" Yuril questioned, taking a bite of her own food while Klain glanced up at her and gave a smile. "I dreamt of last night." "I see. That often happens after traumatic experiences. It's possible your brain is struggling to process it, which is understandable." Yuril sighed, looking at the small fire she had made. "Yeah, it's possible." Klain agreed, taking another large bite of his bread, Yuril quickly eating hers before standing. "I'm going to go feed the horses," she said, "Would you like help?" Klain asked with a soft tone. "No, you finish eating. Though when you finish, come help me get them ready to leave." Yuril answered, going to the horses. Klain finished his meal as Yuril fed the horses, immediately helping get things together. It wasn't until all around them was brightly lit that all was ready and Yuril handed Klain a small pouch of water.

 "Put out the fire, please." She instructed, Klain taking the water and turned to the fire. He opened the pouch and dumped the water over the flames that quickly went out, steam and smoke rising from the ashes. Once they were cooled off, Klain kicked the ashes around the ground as a safety measure. By the time he had finished, Yuril was watching him wok while she waited to leave when Klain walked over to Smith she gave a slight smile. "Alright, let's get moving." She started to untie Toreala's reins as Klain moved to do the same, mounting once the reins were undone. Yuril mounted Toreala only moments after Klain mounted Smith and wasted no time, immediately bringing Toreala to a walk. Smith began to walk as soon as Toreala did which made Klain and Yuril sit right beside each other as the rode along. "How far's Selka from here exactly?" Klain asked with a side glance to the elf.

  "About an eight days ride." Yuril responded, looking over at Klain as she spoke. "It's that far?" "It isn't that far, believe me." Yuril laughed, one of the few times she had since they had met and she looked back at Klain, her auburn hair falling in her face. "I guess it isn't." Klain chuckled, hearing a bird call loudly and looked up as it flew overhead. The next few days went by slowly. Two days in they reached a small forest, much to their relief as it had begun to rain that morning and the trees gave at least a small amount of cover and they were able to find rabbits to hunt for a meal other than bread. They reached the end of the forest the next afternoon, the air freezing as they made their way through. Yuril was able to make gloves out of the rabbit fur they had after taking a few extra hours to prepare the fur and the relief the warm material gave them was much welcomed. Klain still wore the wolf fur cloak that Morin had given him while Yuril kept her own cloak and vest tightly wrapped around her. Even though it is now Zesladam*, the air was still cold which made things difficult.

 Another five days passed, Klain and Yuril having been riding in open fields since they had exited the previous forest. Halfway through the eighth day, more trees came into sight and Yuril was obviously relieved at the sight as she stopped to look at the large forest. The trees were abnormally large, blocking everything beyond them and they gave off an intimidating aura. "Is that it?" Klain questioned as he looked at the ocean of trees. "Yes, but we still have a little ways to go." Yuril stated as she led the way towards the trees and through what was like a large gate. The sun filtered through the branches of the trees, making oddly shaped shadows while animals of all kinds could be heard. The area was a maze as everything seemed to repeat, despite that, Yuril continued on confidently. Quiet was the only word Klain would have described the forest as, eerily so as you could hear everything; even one's own breathing. The farther in they went, the more Yuril seemed to look around the area as faint voices could be heard cutting through the quiet woods. "What's that?" Klain asked.

 "Likely elf hunters. They live in the village on the other side of the forest so they know we are somewhere in these woods." Yuril said, listening to the voices closely. "Elf hunters... That's barbaric." Klain murmured as he listened to the voices get louder. "It is, but it can't be avoided. Their village lies in the outskirts of the Garden of Eiaurzuv and they don't go to any towns or villagers other than their own; They have become quite savage over the years." Yuril sighed, pulling Toreala to a stop and dismounted. "You should dismount; It'll be safer to go the rest of the way on foot." Yuril instructed though Klain just looked at her in confusion. "What about the horses?" He asked, "Toreala knows her way home. I'll tie Smith's reins to hers so they get there safely." Yuril stroked down the white mare's neck as she spoke. "Are you sure that it's the best option?" Klain sighed, "Positive."

  "Alright." Klain smiled as he dismounted Smith and handed the reins over to Yuril. He watched as she tied the two reins she had in her hand together, making sure they were secure before whispering into Toreala's ear and stepping back. The mare took that chance to begin walking away while Smith followed her and the two began to run, disappearing quickly. Once they were out of sight, Yuril and Klain began to make their way through the trees. They used bushes and other large covered areas to stay out of sight though once the voices could no longer be heard they stepped out and walked quickly through the trees. The sound of water running made it hard to hear as a waterfall was close by, the fact startling Klain. "It was handmade," Yuril explained as she continued on though she froze suddenly blocked Klain from going further. He looked forward and saw two men standing by a tree, their voices quiet as they spoke amongst themselves. Yuril pointed to the side, Klain giving a quiet agreement as they began to quietly make their way to a covered area. As they walked back, a low growl could be heard and a black mass lunged out at Yuril.

 Klain quickly pushed her out of the way as a large dog barked at them wildly, only a rope holding it back from them. The two men came running at the sudden commotion and upon seeing Yuril and Klain, they began to scream at them, holding out swords as they approached. "Yuril," Klain said, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword in case this would result in a fight as Yuril's ears were obvious. They wouldn't be able to talk their way out of this, even if he wished they could. "I know," Yuril began as she turned on her heel, "Run!" She yelled, going to the right with Klain close behind. The two men yelled louder, chasing after Klain and Yuril as they weaved through the trees. Their running reached a quick halt when a cliff came into sight, though when the men could be heard again, Yuril looked to Klain and began to run. "What're you doing?" Klain questioned as he ran beside her and they closed in on the cliff.

 "Jump," Yuril said as she carried on, Klain looking at her in shock as they neared the edge, "What?" "Jump!!" Yuril yelled as they reached the end and Klain groaned as they both jumped over the edge of the cliff, beginning to fall. As soon as they began to fall, Klain had a moment to see water rushing below him and closed his eyes before his body had a sudden stop. There wasn't the cold of water or pain of hitting the surface but rather the rough feeling of rope underneath him as he opened his eyes. Below him was a rope net, keeping them above the water and at the realization, he looked to Yuril who had fallen near him. "You knew this was here?" Klain said in slight annoyance. "Of course I did," Yuril sighed, "Follow me." She then turned over and began to slowly crawl across the net towards an opening in the stone they had jumped from.The opening was just big enough for the two to crawl through, the dark and cramped space uncomfortable as they made their way through at a quick pace.   Light soon began to show from ahead of them, making Yuril speed up as the opening got much larger and they exited to sunlight pouring down. Klain squinted at the sudden light as he stood up beside Yuril, allowing his eyes to adjust though once they did he stared ahead in awe. He was greeted to large, light gray stone walls wrapping around an even larger town that seemed to be floating as water surrounded it. A wooden drawbridge was lowered across, making a way to get into the walls while buildings of various colors could be seen through the entrance. In the center, was a whites stone palace that stood out over the other buildings. Emerald green flags sat on the peeks of the castle and on the stone wall, a white dragon in the center of them. The large area was blocked by the massive trees around it, making the walls look small in comparison. Yuril looked at Klain as he stared, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome to Selka, Klain."

 - A/N -

Zesladam - spring. (There are only three seasons in this book as summer and fall are counted as one season.)

[annstallionwrites-blog]

Zelmaril - Chapter 2

   Heat hit Klain's face in waves as he watched the flames dance across the houses before him. The black smoke that billowed into the air turned into a blanket as it covered the length of the village. "We need to go down there," Klain said with a scared look to Morin who was taken aback and looked at Klain with wide eyes. "Are you crazy? We risk getting burned alive if we go into the village! Let's go around and look on the other side; maybe there are people there." "And if there aren't? There may be people stuck in the village." Klain said, voice shaking though Morin shook his head. "You check for anyone still in the village. I'll go around and see if I can find anyone who escaped and get them away from the fire." Morin said, pointing to where he would go.

  Klain looked at his friend for a moment, wanting to argue though the sound of screams coming from the direction of homes kept him quiet. "Okay, but be careful." He finally said, swallowing back the fear that crept through him. "Same to you," Morin said, turning Ginger to the outside of the village while Klain rode Smith to a log far from the fire and tied his reins loosely. "You should be okay here... I'll be right back." Klain murmured, gently stroking down the steed's neck before turning back to the village and ran towards the center. The heat got worse the closer he got and the sound of flames crackling was excruciating as Klain cautiously made his way over to the first house and banged his fist against the wood door as smoke seeped from below. "Is anyone in there?" He called, hearing no voices he banged twice more before the roof above him cracked, the sound of things sliding making him lunge back.

  The woven roof that had once been a beautiful gold was now red and black as it burned from the flames that began to cover it. Klain gave a silent curse as he ran to the next house then the next, making his way through the burning area. There was no one around, at least none who were living, as there were some bodies already engulfed in the flames of what had once been their homes. Halfway through his search, Klain reached his own house and hesitated before running to the burning building and forced the door open. Smoke filled every room while some things had flames covering them, the sight making Klain's chest tighten as he ran to what had once been his parents' room and swung open the door. The flames had yet to reach the room which was a welcomed sight as he walked to a now black wooden chest that sat on the edge of a bed and opened the heavy top. Inside were many papers and books which Klain quickly looked through, grabbing any that were in different languages that he was learning as well as a bag to stuff them in and filled it to the brim; throwing the bag over his shoulder. At the bottom of the chest was a sword that Klain pulled out and looked over. It was long and well made, sitting in a black leather sheath that was attached to a belt made of the same material. Klain quickly paced the belt around his waist and did it up as he made his way out of the room, frowning at the unusual weight of the sword that now sat at his hip.

  As the flames began to fill his house more, Klain rushed out the door and to the next house as he continued his search for any who were still there. Smoke was filling his lungs more he ran, beginning to cough as he made his way to Vilirma's house, only making it to the fence before red liquid could be seen faintly on the ground and groaning could be heard. Klain followed the small patches of red with his gaze and froze as he saw a figure lying on the ground. "Vilirma?" Klain said as he ran to the figure, seeing it was the woman, he crouched beside her and lifted her to a sitting position. There was a gash along her side that had blood seeping from it at a rapid pace making Klain look at her in shock, "What happened?" He asked, looking down at the woman. "Bandits..." The woman rasped though her struggle to speak was obvious, as Klain to grab her hand. "Bandits...?" He asked, the question more to himself as he tried to wrap his head around the words, "They took..." Vilirma began to speak again, Klain trying to hush her.

  "Don't talk..." Klain nearly whimpered as tears brimmed his eyes. No matter how much the two didn't get along, he did respect the elderly woman in some ways, so seeing her like this was a hard blow. "No... They took- our... People." Vilirma spoke slowly, her eyes shutting as her movements froze. Upon the realization, Klain turned his head from her and grit his teeth before laying her back down so he could stand. "They took our people." Klain murmured, thinking over the words though it did not take long as he began to run to the far end of town. The smoke he inhaled made him wheeze as he stopped to catch his breath and look around, his eyes locking on something he didn't expect to see. Across the way from him, a wagon was getting filled with people as men and women with weapons in hand screamed at them to do as they were told. He could see Rolando, the man's head bleeding as he tended to Tor who seemed to be injured as well. Beside them, Orin was sobbing as he looked at his father and the other children were hiding behind their own parents. Klain felt his blood run cold at the sight, using the smoke to hide from sight as he watched in horror.

  A horse was suddenly being led along by two men, the mare kicking and whining which made all look to it. The horse was Ginger, the packs that Morin had set on her being opened and thrown to the ground, "Gods save us..." Klain murmured as he looked around for Morin, only to spot him as he was dragged and thrown into the cart with the others, his body limp. As he was thrown to the floor of the wagon, Rolando turned and began to look him over while whispering to the children to calm them. The bandits around the wagon began to search for any people they may have missed forcing Klain to sneak around them and to the side of the wagon where he wouldn't be seen, quietly climbing to where he could see those inside. "Are you all alright?" Klain said in a quiet voice, one of the children nearly calling out his name though he quickly covered her mouth and shook his head. "Fine," Tor said with a quiet laugh, his leg was bleeding, making Klain wince as Rolando looked up from Morin. "You're late," He whispered, giving a sight smile "I don't suppose you want to have that talk now." Klain murmured, the man laughing before holding up his wrists that were held by a rope. Klain shifted in an attempt to get his swords to cut the restraints but was violently tugged back before he could.

   "Klain!" Rolando called, quickly moving to the edge as one of the bandits stood over Klain as they had their swords pointed at one another. The bandit above him was a woman, she was covered in animal fur clothes and was obviously skilled in her trade. She grinned down at Klain from where she stood, ignoring the other bandits as they returned due to the commotion. "Seems we got a brave one." One of the bandits laughed, "If you'd call it that," The woman answered, "Shall I throw him in with the rest?" One of the other bandits looked over the wagon for a moment, then glanced at Klain. "No, we've reached our limit." The man said as he looked to two others, "You two stay with her and the boy, make sure this mess goes out. The rest of us will bring this lot back home." "And what should we do with the boy?" The woman that stood above Klain asked, while Klain watched as the other man gave a smile that sent chills down his spine. "Kill him," he said, Rolando giving a loud protest only to be hit in the stomach as the bandits got into the wagon with their captives and the other got on the horse that was pulling the wagon. "No!" Klain screamed, his voice raspy from all the smoke he had inhaled and he watched as the wagon began to disappear while listening to those in it screaming.

   Once the wagon was gone, the woman that stood above Klain pulled him to his feet with a laugh. "Shall we make this fun?" She asked, pointing her sword at Klain who raised his own. He had never fought before, being one who prefers to stop fights then fuel them but his situation was now unavoidable. The woman laughed as she swung her sword towards Klain who shakily blocked it as he moved back. Another swing was sent for his head and as he ducked, he nearly fell over as his world spun, his breathing difficult. The two went back and forth while the bandits who had stayed would try and trip Klain from the side or hit his sword from his hand. They seemed to find the situation entertaining as their laughter filled the air while Klain struggled to keep up. Finally, one of the bandits was able to stick their leg out and tripped him, making Klain fall to the dirt with a thud. "Oh dear, and I was having fun." The female bandit said as she raised her sword and readied to thrust it into Klain's throat, only for an arrow to fly through the air and pierced her arm, causing her to shriek. "Three bandits against an untrained boy does not seem to be a fair fight." A feminine voice sounded behind Klain and all turned to see a woman standing with a bow in hand.

   She had on a long, light gray shirt that was covered by a brown fur vest, her legs covered by black pants and leather boots that reached her knees and a hood covered her head. She was very tall, standing close to six kepins and her figure was slender. As the bandits looked her over, she leaned down and helped Klain off the ground as he gave her an appreciative look. "Thanks," he said, the woman giving him a nod as they looked back to the bandits with their full attention. "Get them!" The female bandit shrieked as she pulled the arrow from her arm, shifting her sword from one hand to the other. All three rushed Klain and the new person beside him. The woman pulled out an arrow as quickly as the bandits had charged and shot it into one of the bandit's legs, watching him fall to the ground as Klain stabbed one of the others in the hip. "You caught on." The woman beside him said as she grabbed onto Klain's arm and pulled him passed a building that's roof was falling apart before shooting a loose area, flames falling with the debris. The bandits yelled from where they were, the female bandit being the only one who could give chase at that moment though she was blocked by the flames as Klain and the woman retreated up the hill. Once back to where he had started, Klain saw that Smith was where he had left him, though now there was another horse, a white mare, standing beside him.

   "Mount your horse and follow me." The woman said as she untied the white horse's reins and mounted it though Klain shook his head, "I need to go after the others." He said, his breathing harsh. "By yourself? What good would that do them? It is better to get help than kill yourself trying alone. Don't worry, we will find a way to help them." The woman said, watching as Klain clenched his fist before getting on Smith's back, only then did the woman bring her horse to a run, headed west. As the woman began to go at a fast pace, Klain followed close behind, though he did look back to what used to be his village; the area now almost completely ash. "Where are we going?" Klain asked, panting a bit. "Somewhere safe." was the only answer he received, though the voice was smooth as silk. "Somewhere safe?" Klain questioned, wanting more than that to know if going with the woman was a smart decision. "Why are children always so questioning?" The woman sighed, "I will tell you more when we stop for the night." "Alright, but I am not a child. I'm nineteen." Klain said with slight annoyance in his voice.

   "My apologies, I shouldn't have guessed by your looks." The woman responded quickly, "Don't worry about it, by the way, what is your name?" "Yuril. Yuril Neslef." The woman answered after a brief moment, not even glancing back as she spoke. "My name is Klain, Klain Evarid." Klain said, turning his own attention back to the road as they continued on at a fast pace. The ride went on until Yorvile was long out of view and they were in a field with large rocks and bushes they could use as cover. Yuril led the way behind a group of large stones that had somewhere to tie up the horses and brought her horse to a stop. "This is a good place to make camp for the night," she said, climbing off of her horses back and looked up at Klain. "Could you tie up the horses' reins? I'll get some wood so we can get a fire going."

   "Oh, okay." Klain said as he hopped off of Smith's back and took hold of Yuri's horses reins as Yuril walked away to get some wood. Klain looked over to a large rock with a tree growing next to it and tied the reins of the horses to two of the branches before grabbing two apples he had put in a bag on Smith's saddle while with Morin. He gave one of the apples to Smith, letting him eat it before he went to the white mare and gave her the other, petting her once she finished. He stood in silence as he stroked down the mare's neck though he began to cry after a moment, placing his head in the crook of the horse's neck as the tears fell. "Her name is Toreala, in case you were wondering." A voice said suddenly, making Klain turn as Yuril walked back with her arms full of sticks and wood she could use to start a fire. "I see, now I can call you by your name." Klain said with a small laugh while he wiped his eyes, Yuril glancing at him as she set down the wood.

   "Klain, you don't have to hide the fact you're upset. You lost much today, there is no shame in crying." "I guess, though to be crying now.." Klain said as he walked over to Yuril and sat in the dirt. "When you're mourning, time doesn't matter." Yuril murmured as she worked to light the fire as Klain gave a small smile. "Thanks, so, you said that your mares name is Toreala? That is Teirinn for silence isn't it?" "You know Teirinn?" Yuril asked, "Yeah, I spent a lot of time learning various languages growing up," Klain said, watching as flames began to come from the wood. "That's impressive." Yuril complimented as she sat on the ground close to Klain and placed a pot over the fire with some water in it, putting herbs inside as it started to boil. "How'd you learn Teirinn?" Klain asked as he watched her, "Everyone speaks it where I'm from."

   "Where are you from?" Klain asked curiously, leaning forward as he gave a cough. "Selka." "Selka?" "Yes, it's the elven capital." Yuril sighed as she checked the water, which seemed to be nearly ready. Klain gave a surprised look at her words as he didn't expect her to say that of all things, nor for her to be so blunt. "You live in the Elven capital?" He asked, "Yes." Yuril nodded and slid her hood off her head, long auburn hair falling down and almost touching the ground since she was sitting. The hair was tucked being her ears which were longer than a normal persons' and pointed at the ends while silver cufflinks were attached to the top with chains dangling downwards. Klain looked in awe before smiling, "No wonder you live in the elven capital." He laughed, coughing a little after a moment.

  "Yes, Though I still find it odd that you know of us. How'd you find out?" Yuril asked as she pulled two wooden cups from another bag she had on her and placed them down. "My Father and Mother were very passionate about our history with the mystics, so I was told many stories and rumors growing up," Klain answered as Yuril poured what she had been making into the two cups and handed one to Klain who took it gratefully. "I see. I've heard rumors about us by the few people who believe we exist. Saying we live to be thousands of years old or that we are the same size as dwarves..." Yuril scoffed slightly through her words, "We may live much longer than humans but everything must have an end. No living, human descended creature could possibly live that long, elves are normally taller than humans." "Really? That's interesting." Klain said before taking a sip of the drink Yuril had given him though he winced at the bitterness of it.

   "What is this?" He asked, looking at the liquid that sat in the cup. "Medicine. You inhaled a lot of smoke today and that will help get it out of your lungs; make sure to drink it all." Yuril instructed as she drank hers in one sitting and set the cup down. "Okay." Klain said as he quickly drank his own, giving a face as he placed his cup down that made Yuril laugh."You actually drank it in one go." She said, her amusement obvious which made Klain huff at her. "Yuril, you still haven't told me where we're going," Klain said to change the subject. "We're going to the Cordor Forest. It's what surrounds Selka and keeps it from the rest of the world; it's the largest forest in Zelmaril." Yuril responded as she put away the things they had used.

   "Is it alright for me to be there? Selka is the elvish capital and I doubt bringing humans in is exactly normal." Klain added with a nervous look as he worried that he could offend those who lived there. "It isn't but it has happened, and the king is very open to humans as long as they are respectful." Yuril comforted with a soft smile. "Alright." Klain smiled back before tilting his head, "Yuril, what brought you out here in the first place?" "I was in Quin getting herbs that are running out in Selka due to low temperatures and decided to take a longer way home. It was a good thing I did too," Yuril answered as she laid down with a sigh, "Now you should get some sleep; we have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow." "Right," Klain agreed as he laid down as well and let his mind clear as he listened to the quiet sound of wind around him. "Sleep well Klain," Yuril said, "You too Yuril."

[annstallionwrites-blog]

Zelmaril (Chapter 1)

   Klain woke with a start, the sounds of screaming and metal clanging rang in his ears despite the fact all around him was quiet. He sat in his bed, the soft mattress much different than the hardness of the dirt and the warmth coming off the bedding almost as comforting as the sunlight that filled the room. He had never had a dream quite like that one before and it left his mind in a state of confusion as he looked around his bedroom. His dresser, nightstand and his desk all as he had left them; the mirror above his desk showing his current appearance that made him laugh. His long, black hair that normally fell to his mid-back was tangled and sticking up in all directions and the shirt he wore was completely crooked.  His pale skin looked white as a sheet in the light and the only thing that gave him color was the freckles that covered his thin face and his eyes, their golden color seeming to glow.

 "Maybe one day I won't wake up looking like I climbed through a thorn bush." Klain laughed, getting out of his bed and fixing the bedding before he went over to his dresser. It was brown in color, being made out of wood from an oak tree it was rough around small details such as the spirals carved into each drawer that made it look different compared to most. Klain opened the first drawer, the rough, square handle giving a creek as he pulled on it to get to his shirts. The drawer was full of different kinds of shirts of all different colors though Klain chose a simple light brown shirt with long sleeves and a small slit in the front that was held by a string that crisscrossed through the soft fabric. He pulled the shirt out of the drawer and closed it, placing the cloth over his bed frame before opening another drawer and grabbing a pair of dark colored pants and socks as well as a belt. He set the rest of his clothes on the wooden bedframe before swiftly pulling off his shirt and beginning to change. Once fully dressed he turned to his desk and sat down, trying to help the terrible state his hair was in.

 The curls were unruly and fluffed out as he brushed through them and it seemed to him an eternity passed before he was able to sweep it to the side and braid it. Once he had himself looking presentable he stood and walked to his door, opening it as it let out its normal shriek as it swung towards the wall. Klain walked out of his room and shut the door behind him before walking down the narrow hall passed three doors. The first was the door to the washroom, the second to his study and the last was his father's old room which held all his belongings and a chest he had left to Klain before he passed. His passing was quite sudden, due to sickness, so that was the only thing Klain was sure that his father had prepared for him to have. The hallway opened up to the front entryway, the front door was an auburn red and rounded at the top with a window in the center. The floor in the house by the door was a light gray stone that spanned out half Klain's size before rising to the wooden floor and level of the rest of the house. There was a room to either side of the front room, the one to the left leading to a room with comfortable seats with tables beside them and bookshelves full of various books both old and new and old maps and pictures sat on the walls.

 The one to the right lead to the dining area, a table that could hold several people was in the center with chairs for each and not far away was cupboards full of dishes. There was a small pantry along the wall with a window beside it, though it was only one of three large glass windows in the room. Near the table was a fireplace with a pot still sitting in its place from the previous night and in a far corner firewood was stacked in a pile. Klain walked over to the woodpile and picked up two logs, placing them in the fireplace before lighting them. "Better take this off too." Klain murmured, taking the empty pot off its hook and placed it on the floor before going into the pantry to grab a piece of bread and some strawberries, nibbling on the bread as he leaned against the wall. There was the sound of people speaking loudly outside, something that was quite normal for this area. The town Klain lives in is called Yalvar; it is a small village with few people and everyone knows everyone around them.     There aren't any shops or markets in the town seeing as everyone grows their own food and share with those around them. Why they don't just go to the market that is a days ride away is unknown but it has just always been how things worked. Klain looked over his pantry as he ate his breakfast, checking to see what he was running out of when he heard his door open and sighed as a voice boomed through his home. "Klain!" The deep voice was loud with no shown attempt to be quiet, which made Klain shake his head and walk to his entryway. A large man stood in his doorway rubbing his head, which in turn messed up his dusty auburn hair as it fell just below his ears. He had light blue eyes, lightly tanned skin and he wore clothes similar to Klain's through his sleeves were shorter and the shirts color was that of an orange. The man's name was Morin Korist, he and Klain have known each other since they were children so his random visits were normal.

 "Hey, Morin." Klain smiled, looking at the taller man as he closed the front door. "Morning Klain." Morin hummed, walking over to Klain. "Hope you don't mind me stopping in." "Not at all. What brings you here so early?" Klain asked curiously as he turned and walked into his seating area. "I was told to ask you if you could watch the children for a little while so I thought I would get some breakfast at the same time," Morin smirked, "So you welcomed yourself to my food?" "Yup," Morin responded bluntly from the doorway, already headed towards the pantry. "Don't eat it all," Klain called after him, sitting down in a chair close to yet another window after moving one of the many pillows that sat in the large chair. There was only silence for a moment before Morin walked into the room with three slices of bread and an apple and flopped down into an empty chair.

   "Hungry?" Klain mused, looking at the load of food his friend had in his hands. "A bit," Morin answered with his mouthful, Klain giving a slightly disgusted look before sighing. "So when do I need to go watch the children again?" he asked, crossing his arms. "As soon as you're ready to get moving," Morin answered, "Then how about we play a quick game while you finish eating?" Klain asked, "What game?" Morin questioned, "Chess." Klain beamed as he pulled a small box out from under a table and began to set it up. "May the best win." Morin laughed, helping Klain set up the game before they started. The game didn't last long as only minutes after Morin finished his food Klain won the match and Morin flopped back in his chair. "How'd you win so fast?" Morin groaned, rustling his fingers through his hair in irritation. "You just don't think your moves through, that's all." Klain chuckled, "have you ever heard the saying 'Ilieon jare elu kosa'?" "No. Is it in Orian*?" Morin asked in confusion, not understanding the words.   "That's right, it means 'think before you advance'. I think you should remember it." Klain shrugged, leaning forward and placed his hands on his knees. "Hush. One more game!" Morin cheered and began to place all the pieces back though Klain stopped him. "No, I need to get going. I'm supposed to watch the children remember?" Klain stood with a sigh, "Oh yeah. You should probably get a move on." Morin said with a pout as he stood and walked towards the door while Klain placed all the game pieces back in their box and put them under the table once more before following. "Don't be like that Morin. We can play again later." Klain said, slipping on a pair of leather boots before opening the front door for Morin who stepped out immediately. He was greeted by the bright sunlight hitting his face as he closed his door.

The rock path that leads to his house was warm from its exposure while grass grew all around and seeped into the cracks. An oak tree sat in front of Klain's front window, a swing hanging from one of the branches and stone steps led to the dirt road. Klain walked down to the road and looked around for where he would be going and saw the children playing in a fenced area not too far in the distance so he turned to Morin, "It was fun playing chess, though please knock next time you come to visit." he called, Morin, giving a wave of his hand said, "Maybe. See you later!" and laughed as he ran the opposite way leaving Klain by himself. Such an energetic person. Klain thought in amusement before he turned and headed towards where the children were playing. After a little walking, he could clearly see the children play wrestling in the dirt while an older woman watched them intently. The woman was Vilirma Hestue, the eldest person in the village and the one who normally watches the children while their parents work. Vilirma was as short as the children, no more than four and a half kepins in height though Klain wasn't much taller, standing just over five kepins.

The elderly woman has long white hair that she placed in a bun and skin paler than snow; one would think she was a spirit upon first seeing her. She's even skinny and her face always makes her look upset one way or another and that was more so when she was around Klain as she held much distaste for him and, in a way, as did he for her. They had never gotten along even when he was a child so of course, at the sight of her, he gave a displeased look as he walked over. "Good evening Vilirma." Klain greeted, giving a half faked smile. "Hello Klain, you finally decided to show up did you?" Vilirma cackled, her laugh painful to the ears. "Yeah. How long am I going to be watching them for?" "Until I get back. I have to go help with a large blanket that ripped and I don't know how long it will take. Just keep an eye on the little ones until then." Vilirma said, grabbing a small bag from the ground slowly.

"Of course." Klain sighed, feeling her gaze hitting him like a horse. "Good, and do behave. I don't want to hear of any mishaps, you hear?" Her voice filled with venom. "I hear you," Klain muttered, crossing his arms as he looked at the ground. "Good," Vilirma said as she turned and began to walk towards her destination, Klain watching her until she was out of sight before turning to the five children who were still busy wrestling behind a fence that he now jumped over. "It seems you all don't need me to help entertain you," he said, watching as they all stopped and looked to him in excitement. "Kwain!" a little girl cheered, running over and jumped on him with a loud giggle. "Madam Hestue is lettin you watch us?" a boy asked, his short blond hair full of dust and his blue eyes wide. He was one of the older children, being twelve years of age. "Is it that surprising Orin?" Klain questioned as he placed the little girl who had been clinging to him back on the ground. "It is, seein as she seems to really hate you." Orin shrugged, though Klain flicked him in the forehead. "Hate is a very strong word Orin, remember that."  "Sorry," Orin grumbled at the flick and flopped onto the ground with crossed legs as another younger boy pulled on Klain's sleeve to be picked up which Klain did quickly, "So, what shall we do until Vilirma gets back?" Klain asked as he sat down with the little boy he was holding. "Can you tell us stories? You are really good at it!" One of the older girls with dark brown hair that was braided into pigtails and emerald eyes asked with an excited look. "They aren't just stories Fira," Klain sighed and looked around before continuing "What would you like to hear?" "Can you tell us about the mystics?" Orin asked, "You remember me mentioning them?" Klain asked in surprise. "I remember because you never told us much about 'em," Orin said as he leaned forward, giving a pleading look. "Alright, then I'll tell you about them." Klain smiled and waited for all the children to sit down before he began to describe what Orin had asked about. "Mystics are a large part of our history. Our stories of them began hundreds of years ago before our country was called Zelmaril and it started with our first meeting with the elves. They look much like us, though they are extremely beautiful and their ears are pointed at the ends. They live in forests and were known as the best warriors seen in the time.

"The elves were agile, able to track better than any of our praised hunters but more than that, they were welcoming when strangers different than them arrived. Among them, were the centaurs who had the top of a man and the bottom of a horse, dwarves, small people who were the best ironworkers and miners known. Dragons, giant animals with scales as thick as steel that flew through the sky and blew fire through their mouths. There were beings that were said to control the sea and horses with magical horns on their heads. There were even men and women who practiced the magical arts and were said to be able to heal any wound." Klain explained, the children looking at him in awe as he spoke. "How did we become friends with the mystics?" One child asked, "We didn't really. After all, there was only one person who's known to have been truly close to the mystics." "Who?"

 "King Vale," Klain answered, watching as confusion covered the children's faces. "How'd King Vale know 'em?" Orin asked, the question making Klain turn to him. "Long before the reign of our current king or even the reign of the king before him, our country was a very different place than it is now. The kingdom was called Hwartlao Zortier and was known for the monsters that roamed it's soil, burning villages by order of the one who ruled at the time. Her name was Toriair, the Queen and witch of the Selvior mountains to the east. It was said that the ground shook when she walked, the air thick with poison when she spoke and fire and destruction fell everywhere she went. "The world was filled with death and fear of her army of trolls, goblins, banshees, chimera, and humans alike. Her reign lasted many years before someone began to make a stand; gathering his own army of elves, dwarfs, sirens and many other creatures or as they are known now, mystics, and humans who wanted to end the queen's reign. This man, alongside his many companions, confronted Toriair in the mountains she claimed as her own and began the war known as the great struggle. Many lives were lost in the battle, but Toriair retreated along with her army as her wounds were too great in the end, and so, the battle was won by the man and his army. "This man was Vale Northhill, the first king in the fior line and friend to all mystics. Soon after the battle, castles were made, villages rebuilt, and our homeland was renamed Zelmaril in honor of those who lost their lives in the struggle." "But if the king was friends with the mystics, why did they leave?" Fira asked with a confused look, the other children agreeing with her words. "They left because towns began to turn against them; saying that they were friends of Toriair. King Vale supposedly gave them areas to rebuild in secret and visited them often, but he never shared their location with anyone; even when he was on his deathbed." Klain explained, giving Fira a soft smile. "I hope I get to meet an elf one day!" The girl cheered as she jumped up and began to pretend she was an elf, another child jumping up and flapped his arms like a dragon and chased her around. Klain laughed as he watched the children run after each other while someone walked up behind him. "They really do like you." A voice said in amusement, Klain turning to see a man with short blond hair and brown eyes standing behind him.

"No, I think they just like that I tell them interesting things. What brings you here Tor?" Klain asked as he leaned on the opposite side of the fence from the man. "Here to pick up Orin. His mother wants me to bring him fishing down at the pond." Tor explained, giving an awkward look. "Oh, then I better get him for you. Don't want to hear you got in trouble with your wife again." Klain laughed, turning fully to the children. "Orin! Your father is here to get you!" he called, watching as the boy ran over and jumped the fence. "Did you have fun, Orin?" Tor asked, looking down at his son who nodded and grinned happily. "Good, then let's get going." Tor laughed, giving a small wave to Klain. "Bye Klain!" Orin said loudly, waving before running down the path with his father chasing after. After Orin left, the rest of the children continued to pretend to be mystics of their choice, most of them not what the mystics actually were like, but Klain didn't correct them as they played.

  "Klain! Can you tell us more about dragons?" One child asked as they ran over to him suddenly, their faces lit up like candles, though before Klain could answer a scratchy voice sounded over them. "No, he can not." Klain whipped around to see Vilirma standing on the opposite side of the gate with a displeased look on her face and silently cursed his luck. "Why don't you all go play more, okay?" Klain murmured, the kids doing so immediately as Klain climbed over the fence to stand beside the unhappy elderly woman before him. "Why can you never behave like everyone else?" The woman growled, "I just told them a story from one of the old history books." Klain answered, flinching as Vilirma looked as though she could smack him. "Old history books? Those are fairy tales! I will not allow you to fill the children's minds with nonsense. You will not speak of these things again, do I make myself clear?" Vilirma snapped, "Crystal," Klain said through grit teeth, clenching a fist behind his back to control his spiraling emotions.

   "Good, now go home before you cause me more trouble." Vilirma instructed as she turned and opened a gate to get on the inside of the fence. Klain did as he was told and went back to his house, his mind racing as anger filled him and he wanted to yell at the wind. No one had ever believed the history books even when his mother and father tried to tell of them, so it didn't surprise him that Vilirma reacted as she did though it was infuriating nonetheless. Klain ran up the steps of his house and flung his door open and stepped inside before slamming it closed with an angry yell as he went into his bedroom. Once in his room he flopped down onto his bed and used the silence to compose himself, praying he wouldn't see Vilirma anymore that day. He sat in the quiet of his room for a long while before a knock came to his door and he dreaded who it would be. He almost refused to get up from his bed, and if not for the sudden sound of his door swinging open he would have. "Hey Klain!!" Morin's voice boomed through his halls once again making Klain groan. "In my room!" He yelled back, moving to sit up on his bed as the bedroom door opened and Morin stepped in.   "You look awful." The redhead stated, ducking as a pillow was thrown for his head. "I got into it with Vilirma again. Think she'll tell Rolando?" Klain asked nervously. Rolando was the one who his father had asked to raise Klain when he passed. The man was older, old enough to be Klain's father if he was honest but he never cared. The only downfall was how strict he was with Klain, especially when he fought with someone in the village. "Probably," Morin sighed, crossing his arms. "But I do have a way to get you out of a scolding for a day or two." "And how will you do that?" Klain asked, "I have something I need to pick up in Elum. It's two days there and back so maybe Rolando will cool off by the time we get back." Morin grinned through his words, Klain staring in shock. Morin has hated going far outside the village for as long as Klain can remember so the fact he was offering to go to Elum was unheard of. "You feeling alright? You never travel." Klain commented, "I'm fine, I have my reasons for traveling now. So what do you say?"   "I'm in. When do you want to leave?" Klain asked, standing up with a sigh. "How about now?" Morin smirked, "Ginger is outside and everything is packed and ready." Klain raised an eyebrow at the words, crossing his arms as he looked at the redhead. "You knew I would say yes didn't you?" "Of course I did." Morin laughed, "Now get your stuff!" Klain got his things quickly, packing some food, his brush, and a book he had been reading. Once he was ready, Morin led the way out of his house to where a light brown horse stood waiting or them. A brown leather saddle sat on its back with a blue knit blanket underneath, both looking old and worn out. Klain quickly went up to the horse and stroked down her neck in greeting, a smile on his face. "Hiya girl." He said as Morin walked up behind him and suddenly picked him up and placed him on the mares back. "I could have gotten up myself." Klain said in embarrassment, his face red. Nineteen years old yet he treats me like I'm four. he thought, watching as Morin got on behind him.  "You could've but where's the fun it that?" Morin chuckled, grabbing Ginger's reins and brought the mare to a walk. Klain stayed silent as they made their way down the dirt path, heading southeast towards a river as the path could potentially help them speed things up a little with fewer people around. As they rode down, Klain looked around at the people around them. He noticed Tor and Orin quite a way down the path, Tor sitting the side of a pond directing Orin who was in control on their fishing pole. When Orin got too excited and stepped closer to the pond, Tor got up and went to stand beside him before falling in while the child laughed at the situation. Klain laughed as he watched, glancing back at Morin who was struggling to suppress his own laughter. They continued past the pond, Klain waving to Orin as Tor was climbing out of the water and continued on. The ride through the village went smoothly until Klain noticed someone walking over to them and he groaned.    The person was an older looking man standing at five and a half kepins with dark skin, wrinkles just barely visible on his face. He had hazel eyes and brown hair that was significantly lightened from age, multiple streaks of silver mixing with the brown. A displeased look was plastered on his face as he looked at the two on the horse that made even Morin uncomfortable. "Should I keep going?" He asked Klain as the man got closer, "No, I'll just be in more trouble if I ignore him like that." Klain sighed, Morin pulling Ginger to a stop. "And where are you going if I may ask?" The man asked as he reached the horse. "Good morning to you too Rolando.." Klain murmured, looking at the ground like a child being scolded. "I am going to Elum with Morin. You know how he can be." "I see. Then if you can answer before you leave, I was told you caused an issue with the children earlier this morning." Rolando said, crossing his arms. "I just told them a story, promise, no harm was done." Klain stated, "Even so, you need to think of how the others..." Rolando began though his words trailed out as he locked eyes with Morin who was tapping his fingers in impatience upon being stopped.  For one who hated to travel, he was rather anxious to leave. "Never mind, it seems you need be leaving now. However, we will speak of this when you return, alright?" Rolando's voice went softer than it had been in his previous words, startling Klain who nodded slowly. "Alright." Klain smiled a bit, relaxing his body that had been tense during the conversation while Rolando looked to Morin. "Keep him out of trouble. He may not be one to start a fight, but that sharp tongue of his could cause some problems." "I'll watch him, no worries." Morin grinned, bringing Ginger to a walk once again while Klain said a quick goodbye as they left. One the older man was out of sight Klain gave a chuckle, "That was  awkward." "Really? I didn't notice." Morin scoffed, continuing down their path. The ride was slow as until they had gotten far enough out of the village, finally being able to move at a faster rate as fewer people were running around. The two rode through the day, making a camp that night and continuing on later the next morning so they arrived to Elum not long after.   There were many people around as they entered the large town, the sound of merchants calling out as strangers passed loudly echoing in the streets. The scent of freshly baked bread with thick no matter where you were, making Klain take a deep breath with a grin. "It smells wonderful here." He said, "Home smells better," Morin huffed, making Klain scoff in response. Morin continued down the now brick street while looking around as he led Ginger through the crowds. There were large buildings standing one next to the other on either side of the street, all made of stone rather than wood and flowers and herbs were planted in pots that sat in the windows of the shops and houses. Though, Morin didn't make his way to any of the larger buildings but rather an old, wooden stable that was full of horses and other animals. "That's where we're going?" Klain asked, "Yup," Morin confirmed as he rode up to the stable and brought Ginger to a halt, getting off her back. "Stay here, I'll be right back." Morin said, walking over to a woman who stood just outside of the stable.   "Excuse me, is Herold here? I'm here with the rest of the payment for a horse I bought from him." Morin explained as the woman looked up at him with a soft smile. "You are here for the black steed are you not? I'm afraid master Herold is currently away but he should not be going too much longer." "Well, then I suppose I'll come back later," Morin groaned, "Thanks." He walked away with an annoyed look on his face, though at the same time Klain could see the slight relief behind it. "Where to now?" Klain asked as Morin grabbed Ginger's reins. "You'll see." Morin answered bluntly as he led the horse further into the town. The redhead led the way past a few more shops and over to a larger building with multiple places in the front for guests to tie up their horses. Morin led Ginger to a wooden post beside one of the horses already there and tied up her reins as Klain dismounted and turned his attention to the building. The stone building looked rather new compared to the ones around it, windows cleaned spotless. Men and woman went in and out of the overly large doors, some not quite steady on their feet and Klain looked above the door to a sign that hung off a metal rod to the side of the door that read, 'Lion's Crown'.    A taven. Morin had led them to a tavern. "You're joking." Klain said as he whipped around to where Morin stood. "Not this time." Morin laughed, walking over to his friend once Ginger was situated. "It's still morning Morin!" Klain stated, not too happy about this though he knew he wouldn't let Morin go in unattended as he always seems to get drunk when he does. "Doesn't matter. Come on Klain, I'm just meeting with someone." Morin pleaded, Klain looking to the tavern hesitantly before raising his hands in defeat. "Fine, but no drinking too much okay? I don't want to have to cut you off." Morin grinned widely at the words as he realized he had gotten his way and grabbed Klain by the arm as he ran into the tavern. Two pillars sat a few kepins away from to door once you entered, a large counter sitting ahead of them. Three waitresses were behind the counter, making drinks and handing them to guests and there was row after row of tables. Most of the tables were empty, though Klain spotted small groups drinking here and there.

  The sound of chatter filled the room despite there being few people and the sound made Klain sigh while Morin led the way through the tables. Klain only paid attention to the tables as he weaved through so when Morin suddenly stopped and waved to someone he looked up with a bit of surprise. A man stood and smiled happily at Morin. He by no means blended in with the people around them, he was tall, looking to be at least six kepins in height and strongly built. He had short blond hair that was shaggy on the top and shaved on the sides, bright emerald eyes, and wore silver steel armor with the emblem of the kings gener on his breast and a sword at his waist. It wouldn't have been much of a surprise if he was a normal soldier, however, the gener were not often seen this far from the capital as they are the kings most trusted generals, and sometimes even friends. When Morin approached him, the man walked over and placed both hands on Morin's shoulders before their foreheads connected gently. The gesture was a well-known sign of trust and friendship so seeing it was no surprise. "Of all the places to find you." The man laughed, stepping back just a little as he patted Morin's back. "It's good to see you too," Morin stated happily, both beaming as they spoke to one another.    The two took a moment, Klain allowing them their space until Morin looked at him. "Who's this?" The blond asked curiously, looking from Morin to Klain as he walked towards the much smaller figure. "Klain Evarid; I'm a friend of Morin's." Klain introduced himself, holding out a hand to the man before him. "Dariyol Teyar, It's nice to meet you Mr. Evarid." Dariyol greeted, shaking Klain's hand though the formality in his words made Klain a little awkward. "Please, just call me Klain. I'm not one for formality." Klain said, listening as Morin gave a small laugh from behind him. "Okay, but if I call you Klain you call me Dariyol. Deal?" Dariyol said, watching as Klain noticeably relaxed. "Sounds fair to me." Klain chuckled, sitting down along with Morin and Dariyol, the blond calling for three drinks that were quickly brought over. "So Klain, how long have you known Morin?" Dariyol asked, the question sudden but not unexpected.    "Around fourteen years now. What about you?" Klain questioned in return as he took a small sip of the brew that had been given to him. "Ten years, met him rather suddenly but it was an amusing scene. He tripped over a log in the woods and knocked me over in the process." Dariyol explained with a laugh as he spoke, Morin looking embarrassed at conversation. "I'm right here you know." The redhead muttered, making his two friends laugh loudly. The three conversed for a long while, Klain finishing his one drink before keeping an eye on Morin just in case. The talks were varied, those mainly questions of jobs and random stories that they ended up on after getting sidetracked. Their conversations never seemed to end, and may not have if they weren't interrupted by two men as they burst through the two large doors, leading their horses inside the giant building with them. The horses were tied to one of the poles by the door before one of the men jumped up on the counter and the other followed on the floor. The man on the counter held a paper in his hand and held it out, angry voices coming from the few people in the tavern. "You all know what it's for! Sign it and we'll leave." The man yelled, "This again? We already told you we want none of your nonsense here!" A woman screeched at him, "The king is the one bringing nonsense love, not us! All these ridiculous taxes..." The man on the floor spat on the ground as he spoke, making the woman's face contort in disgust. "What is this?" Morin growled, Dariyol looking at him for a brief moment before giving his attention back to the men. "How could you speak of your king like that?" A man at another table yelled in disbelief, a scoff the only response he received. "My king you say? What man in his right mind would make his people pay such high amounts of money like this? He is no king!" The man on the floor laughed through his words, though anger was on his face while more protests aroused while Morin and Dariyol stood to stop what was going on. Klain quickly stepped in front of them, shaking his head. "Don't, you'll only make it worse. It's not right of them but if you interfere, especially with one of you being close to the king, it'll cause much more harm than good." Klain stated quietly, praying the two understood his words though his heart skipped a beat as Dariyol shook his head, "I'll not allow them to speak of the king like this." He said, walking past Klain with Morin close behind.  "Faoll," Klain muttered, quickly going around to the far end of the room and snuck his way towards the doors. "What do we have here?" The man on the counter spat as he saw Morin and Dariyol approach, his eyes locking onto the crest on Dariyol's armor. "I recommend you go home." Dariyol said, looking between the two men. "How about you go back to the capital!" The man on the floor hissed, reaching to a sheath at his waist and pulled out a large dagger. "You don't want to do that, believe me. Just go home." Morin said, trying to calm the man down though knowing it would likely not work as Dariyol now had a hand on his own sword. "I would sooner see you dead!" The man hissed, looking ready to lunge forward though stopped as a voice sounded out to him. "Oh, this definitely doesn't belong here." All turned to the one who spoke, Dariyol and Morin tensing as they saw Klain standing with the reins of the horses the men had brought in tucked in one hand with an empty cup in the other.   "What are you doing?" The man on the counter asked angerly, Klain just smiling in response. "Oh, sorry. I saw these horses tied up where they shouldn't be so I was going to move them." "Drop them now!" The man on the floor snapped, going to walk towards Klain who gave a fake look of shock at the words. "You sure you want me to do that? Your things are on the saddles." He said, "Drop them!" The man yelled, Klain giving a small shrug. "Okay," As the words left his mouth he dropped the reins, though letting go of the cup in his hand at the same time. When the cup hit the ground it let out a loud clang, the sudden noise spooking the horses so they made nervous noises. Klain took that moment to direct them carefully to the open door and watched them run out with a sigh. The man who had walked towards him stood in shock for a moment before lunging at Klain, grabbing the front of his shirt with a hand and pressed him to the wall. "I'll kill you for that!" He screamed, missing the crash as his companion was knocked from the counter and kept in place by Morin.  The moment the man holding Klain to the wall went for his dagger, the hilt of a sword hit the back of his head and he slumped to the ground. Klain looked up once sure the man wasn't getting up and locked eyes with Dariyol, who looked like he had much to say to him. "What were you thinking?" The gener asked, crossing his arms as Morin walked over. Some guards had been made aware of the situation and were just arriving so they let them take care of the rest. "I was thinking you were going to start a fight over something that would have passed if you left it alone." Klain sighed shakily, rubbing his hands as they shook violently. "Even so, had he gotten his dagger quicker, you could've been dead right now." Dariyol stated, Morin sitting down beside Klain. "I know, but I didn't want anyone to get hurt..." Klain murmured, looking to the side as Dariyol finally gave a slight smile. "You did accomplish that." He sighed, crouching down in front of Klain. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you before."   "It's okay, I know you care for the king. I imagine that listening to those things was painful." Klain smiled, looking at Dariyol kindly. "Thank you Klain." Dariyol said, placing his forehead on Klain's with a smile before standing. "I better go explain what happened to the guards. Will you two be okay?" "We'll be fine," Morin nodded, "How much longer will you be in Elum?" "I'm leaving tomorrow. I'll be heading to Quin and staying there for a few weeks on my way back to Vale." Dariyol said, "I see, well, safe travels." Morin smiled, getting up and gave his friend a hug goodbye. "You as well, both of you. Hopefully we'll see each other again soon." Dariyol said before leaving the tavern. Once Dariyol was gone, Morin looked at Klain who gave a groan and looked up at him. "Rolando's going to kill me." Klain said, catching Morin by surprise as he burst into laughter. "He may," Morin admitted, "Come on, I need to get the horse I bought so we can head home." "Oh yeah." Klain chuckled, "You get Ginger and meet me at the stables okay? I'm going to go finish up with the payment." Morin stated, waiting for Klain's okay before running out the door and leaving Klain by himself.  Now alone, Klain went and did as Morin had asked, taking his time getting Ginger untied from the post she had been attached to and led her to the stables where Morin was waiting with a black steed at his side. Upon seeing Klain approach, Morin brought the horse forward with a grin. "Klain, Smith. Smith, meet Klain." Morin introduced, handing Klain the horses reins before taking Gingers as Klain pet the steed's neck. "Nice to meet you Smith." Klain chuckled, giving his full attention to Smith so he didn't notice Morin get on Ginger's back. "Come on Klain, we need to get going!" Morin stated, Klain turning to him. "Aren't you going to ride him?" "Nope, you are." Morin grinned, showing Klain his mind was already made up so he just mounted the black steed and followed Morin as he led the way back to their village. The trip was long, the two having to stop more often now then the way there so it took them an extra day's ride to get close to the village. It had night as they went up a large hill, the last thing keeping them from Yalvar and the air had become cold.   Klain was now wearing a light gray wolf skin cloak that had two buttons done up to keep it on; Morin wearing a similar vest. By the time they were halfway up the hill, the path became clouded and the smell of smoke was strong. "Did they have a gathering planned for today?" Morin questioned as the only time Yalvar was this smoky was during gatherings due to the large fire they made. "None that I heard of." Klain said with a shake of his head, the two now rushing up the hill. Once he reached the top, Klain quickly pulled Smith to a stop and stared in horror as Morin stopped beside him. Loud screams hit their eardrums as flames billowed across houses and crops. "Morin..." Klain stammered, looking at his friend. How it happened, he didn't know but Yorvile, their home, was on fire.     -A/N- Kepins = feet "Faoll." - "Fools." Orian: Language created during the great struggle to enable the mystics and humans to understand each other in a way Toriair could not follow. (If you like this and want to read more before the sooner, I have up to chapter eight on Wattpad. The story is under the same name :) )

[annstallionwrites-blog]

Zelmaril

Prologue

  Loud screams rang through the open air as Klain ran through a field full of men and women in armor swinging their swords at each other as metal hit metal. Bodies fell to the ground as they were struck down by their enemy and red soaked the soil turning it crimson. The area was chaos and he felt himself yell something into the air, though he couldn’t make out his own words. He looked down to the swords that he clasped tightly in one hand, expecting to feel the cold steel handle press against his skin, though it seemed as though nothing was there. ‘What’s happening?’ Klain thought as he felt the urge to run and did so with no second thought.

   A creature jumped before him with an ax in hand as it swung the blade down for Klain’s head. Forced to move, Klain found himself sliding on the rough ground as he slit the ankles of the beast in a swift movement and left it there as he continued on. Blood coated his boots as he ran between battling people, most paying more attention to those in front of them than those going around. He heard his name called through the chaos by an unfamiliar voice and he was told to keep going, so he did. He kept going until he wasn’t sure exactly where he was headed anymore; not that he ever did. However, the further he went through the battlefield, the fewer bodies there were. It was strange to watch the grass turn from a crimson stain to bright green as if nothing had soiled it.

   As his feet touched the grass all went quiet in his ears as though time had slowed, while Klain stopped and looked around him. The once crowded battlefield was now empty, save for two people in the center, a man who laid on the ground in defeat, and a woman who stood above him with her sword to his chest, her face blurred. The air turned cold as ice as she gave a smile at the man below her and moved to pierce him with a swift blow. As her sword entered the man’s flesh Klain walked forward with his sword ready in his hand as the woman turned to him. “And so you arrive.” The woman said as she pushed the body from her blade and turned it in Klain’s direction.     A response left his lips, still silent to his own ears though the words made the woman laugh before lunging with her blade stretched forward. Two steel swords connected with a loud crash as the battlefield filled with the deafening sounds of people around them once again and suddenly they were no longer alone. Klain swung forward with his blade, feeling frustration when once more his blade connected with the woman’s own. The movements of the two were quick and planned as they aimed for areas that were sure to end the fight, while in one movement the woman lunged for Klain’s stomach, the sword disappeared, and all went black.