The Crest of Gods:
Chapter 1-
The Calling
It was a cool day in the tree city, Kelethin. The sunbeams shot through the tree canopy like spears from the hands of barbarians. The winds blew through the leaves, giving life and Tunare's blessing. Two young elves awoke in their decrepit cabin to the chirping of birds and bustle of the city's people. Kelethin was a prosperous and beautiful city and it held great opportunity for the young people who wished to fight for it. These two elves, Kaialis and Ulthangar, were ready to go out into the world once again. They have been on quests before and seen much of the world, but this time it was special. They had received a letter from their friend in Freeport about a quest for a holy relic. This intrigued them, and they got ready for their best adventure yet. Kaialis was a wood elf and a druid, preserving the balance of Tunare. Ulthangar was a half elf and a ranger, walking the path of both warrior and druid, holding both bow and spell in his hands. This would be their opportunity for fame and fortune, and they were ready to take it.
"What are you doing?" Kaialis said as he peered over his shoulder at Ulth." We have to get going. The boat will leave soon."
"I'm getting that letter. It said we had to pick someone up in Felwithe." Ulth explained." They could help. This isn't going to be easy, you know."
"I know, but why do we have to bring a high elf along? They're so stuck up and.uhh."
"Intelligent. Something you aren't," Ulth retorted.
"Hey, I'm smart! How else could I be a druid!"
"That's different. Druids tap into a different part of their mind to cast spells." Ulth stood and held an envelope that had already been opened. "Okay, I found it. Let's get going, or we'll be late."
"That's what I said!" Kai exclaimed.
They ran through the city, dodging merchants, squeezing through crowds of travelers, and saluting guards they knew. They made it to the lift and hopped on. It would be and hour's walk to Felwithe, so they had to walk swiftly. They made their way along the beaten path, crossing the occasional orc pawn and slaying it with great ease. Kai and Ulth were well-weathered fighters and could even take on the leader of the local orc army, King Crush. To some this was an easy task, but to them it was a great feat. They reached Felwithe with time to spare. The grand gate to the city was white like a pearl and just as shiny. The guards acknowledged them as Kai and Ulth had met them before. They walked through the tunnel to come to a bridge into the city. They passed many high elves, the tallest of elves and by far the smartest. Ulth's letter said to go to the magician's guild and ask for a woman named Clasha Flameweaver. She sounded like a grand magician. They walked through the city to come to the caster's area. The guild was just a teleporter away. A quick zip, and they were there.
"Okay, let's go in." Ulth said. "This Clasha lady doesn't sound like she's a patient one."
They entered the guild to find a man standing just inside.
"What do you want?" he said.
"Ooh. What a grouch!" Kai whispered in Ulth's ear. Ulth chuckled, but stopped abruptly as the elf shot a glare at him.
"We're looking for Clasha Flameweaver. Is she here?"
"Oh, so you're the travelers Clasha's been waiting for. She's in the common room right down there, talking to the merchants." The elf said.
"Thanks a lot," Ulth replied.
"No problem."
The walked down the staircase to find a big room, lighted by torches. There were six elves in the room, and Ulth and Kai were having trouble guessing which one was Clasha.
"I have an idea," Kai said. Ulth shook his head as he knew it wouldn't be a good one. Kai drew in a big breath and screamed, "WHICH ONE OF YOU IS CLASHA FLAMEWEAVER!" All eyes fell on Kai as they all took offence to the elf's rude approach. One certain elf walked towards Kai and stared at him cruelly. "My name is Clasha," she hissed. "What do you want?"
"Hey, I thought you'd be expecting us? Nice going-away party. Where's the mead?" Kai said calmly.
"This is not a going." Clasha said, but fell silent as she began to understand what was going on." Are you fellows my companions for the quest?" she asked.
"That's right," Ulth said, "but there's no time for talk. We have to hurry. The boat will arrive tomorrow."
"Okay, but there is someone we have to meet with at the Wizard Spires," Clasha explained.
"Who?" Kai asked.
"I don't know who, but his name is Mercosis Shadowbaine. My letter instructed me to meet him at the spires."
"Okay, then. Let's go, but now dawdling," Ulth said.
Clasha grabbed the things and they walked out the door, but not without Kai hitting on her first. That ended with her smacking him and Kai saying, "She likes me." Ulth had heard that before, so he acted like a gentleman and opened the door for Clasha. They made their way through Felwithe and back into the Faydark where they set out for the Wizard Spires. They were only a half hour away, so they weren't too worried. They occasionally stopped so Clasha could adjust her shoes that were hurting her feet. As they made their way through the thick forest, they began to see the tips of the spire, which seemed to touch the sky, catching the clouds. They reached a clearing to find two figures. One of which was the spire's scion, the one who helped travelers reach the moon, Luclin. The other was hiding in the shadows of the tree, away from the sight of others.
"That must be him. Go talk to him, Clasha," Ulth said.
"I don't know. He seems dangerous," Clasha argued.
"I'm not that dangerous," came a voice from behind them. The three looked at the place where the scary figure once sat, and turned to find a hulking mass of a man. He was obviously a barbarian, a race of tall and strong people who originate in the cold city of Halas. He put his hand out to receive a hand shake from Kai and was quickly appeased as the audacious druid took the huge hand and shook it vigorously.
"We should be on our way. The boat will reach the docks soon. We have to get through the Butcherblock Mountains to reach it," Ulth said. They all nodded and made their way through the tree. The sun disappeared behind dark clouds, rolling from the east. It seemed as if their voyage would be a difficult one.
Go to Ch. 2
It was a cool day in the tree city, Kelethin. The sunbeams shot through the tree canopy like spears from the hands of barbarians. The winds blew through the leaves, giving life and Tunare's blessing. Two young elves awoke in their decrepit cabin to the chirping of birds and bustle of the city's people. Kelethin was a prosperous and beautiful city and it held great opportunity for the young people who wished to fight for it. These two elves, Kaialis and Ulthangar, were ready to go out into the world once again. They have been on quests before and seen much of the world, but this time it was special. They had received a letter from their friend in Freeport about a quest for a holy relic. This intrigued them, and they got ready for their best adventure yet. Kaialis was a wood elf and a druid, preserving the balance of Tunare. Ulthangar was a half elf and a ranger, walking the path of both warrior and druid, holding both bow and spell in his hands. This would be their opportunity for fame and fortune, and they were ready to take it.
"What are you doing?" Kaialis said as he peered over his shoulder at Ulth." We have to get going. The boat will leave soon."
"I'm getting that letter. It said we had to pick someone up in Felwithe." Ulth explained." They could help. This isn't going to be easy, you know."
"I know, but why do we have to bring a high elf along? They're so stuck up and.uhh."
"Intelligent. Something you aren't," Ulth retorted.
"Hey, I'm smart! How else could I be a druid!"
"That's different. Druids tap into a different part of their mind to cast spells." Ulth stood and held an envelope that had already been opened. "Okay, I found it. Let's get going, or we'll be late."
"That's what I said!" Kai exclaimed.
They ran through the city, dodging merchants, squeezing through crowds of travelers, and saluting guards they knew. They made it to the lift and hopped on. It would be and hour's walk to Felwithe, so they had to walk swiftly. They made their way along the beaten path, crossing the occasional orc pawn and slaying it with great ease. Kai and Ulth were well-weathered fighters and could even take on the leader of the local orc army, King Crush. To some this was an easy task, but to them it was a great feat. They reached Felwithe with time to spare. The grand gate to the city was white like a pearl and just as shiny. The guards acknowledged them as Kai and Ulth had met them before. They walked through the tunnel to come to a bridge into the city. They passed many high elves, the tallest of elves and by far the smartest. Ulth's letter said to go to the magician's guild and ask for a woman named Clasha Flameweaver. She sounded like a grand magician. They walked through the city to come to the caster's area. The guild was just a teleporter away. A quick zip, and they were there.
"Okay, let's go in." Ulth said. "This Clasha lady doesn't sound like she's a patient one."
They entered the guild to find a man standing just inside.
"What do you want?" he said.
"Ooh. What a grouch!" Kai whispered in Ulth's ear. Ulth chuckled, but stopped abruptly as the elf shot a glare at him.
"We're looking for Clasha Flameweaver. Is she here?"
"Oh, so you're the travelers Clasha's been waiting for. She's in the common room right down there, talking to the merchants." The elf said.
"Thanks a lot," Ulth replied.
"No problem."
The walked down the staircase to find a big room, lighted by torches. There were six elves in the room, and Ulth and Kai were having trouble guessing which one was Clasha.
"I have an idea," Kai said. Ulth shook his head as he knew it wouldn't be a good one. Kai drew in a big breath and screamed, "WHICH ONE OF YOU IS CLASHA FLAMEWEAVER!" All eyes fell on Kai as they all took offence to the elf's rude approach. One certain elf walked towards Kai and stared at him cruelly. "My name is Clasha," she hissed. "What do you want?"
"Hey, I thought you'd be expecting us? Nice going-away party. Where's the mead?" Kai said calmly.
"This is not a going." Clasha said, but fell silent as she began to understand what was going on." Are you fellows my companions for the quest?" she asked.
"That's right," Ulth said, "but there's no time for talk. We have to hurry. The boat will arrive tomorrow."
"Okay, but there is someone we have to meet with at the Wizard Spires," Clasha explained.
"Who?" Kai asked.
"I don't know who, but his name is Mercosis Shadowbaine. My letter instructed me to meet him at the spires."
"Okay, then. Let's go, but now dawdling," Ulth said.
Clasha grabbed the things and they walked out the door, but not without Kai hitting on her first. That ended with her smacking him and Kai saying, "She likes me." Ulth had heard that before, so he acted like a gentleman and opened the door for Clasha. They made their way through Felwithe and back into the Faydark where they set out for the Wizard Spires. They were only a half hour away, so they weren't too worried. They occasionally stopped so Clasha could adjust her shoes that were hurting her feet. As they made their way through the thick forest, they began to see the tips of the spire, which seemed to touch the sky, catching the clouds. They reached a clearing to find two figures. One of which was the spire's scion, the one who helped travelers reach the moon, Luclin. The other was hiding in the shadows of the tree, away from the sight of others.
"That must be him. Go talk to him, Clasha," Ulth said.
"I don't know. He seems dangerous," Clasha argued.
"I'm not that dangerous," came a voice from behind them. The three looked at the place where the scary figure once sat, and turned to find a hulking mass of a man. He was obviously a barbarian, a race of tall and strong people who originate in the cold city of Halas. He put his hand out to receive a hand shake from Kai and was quickly appeased as the audacious druid took the huge hand and shook it vigorously.
"We should be on our way. The boat will reach the docks soon. We have to get through the Butcherblock Mountains to reach it," Ulth said. They all nodded and made their way through the tree. The sun disappeared behind dark clouds, rolling from the east. It seemed as if their voyage would be a difficult one.
Go to Ch. 2