Chapter 1
A Time in Turmoil
Long, long ago in the land known as Annill there was a massive conflict. The conflict was between two halves of a humongous land mass. The Eastern half was ruled by Olithia. Olithia fought against his evil sister, Alithia, for more than two centuries. As they fought many brave and adventurous knights and soldiers died.
Olithia was in his war chamber planning very carefully about his next move on Alithia's battlefront. While he was planning he was interrupted by a loud thud on the door. "Come in," said Olithia. Slowly the door creaked open. Then through the door came the royal messenger. He was blood-soakin and his clothes were torn and ragged.
Olithia inquired, "What happened?" The messenger replied, "I was attacked by a raiding hoard on the southern end. They greatly and swiftly overran the forces, and for that I blame myself for it dearly. I did not reach them in time to give them the message that Alithia was marching in large numbers. I drew my sword and tried to help as best I could. Soon the walls were crumbling in...men were dieing... and the gate was smashed through... beasts of great size came smashing through stepping on soldiers and knocking the soldiers against walls...I myself barely made it away...on my way here I set a ambush. Alithia might use the forts to her advantage, but she now has access to our defenses if she marches far enough North. If she stays idle in the forts and sends only a small battalion of men North to our defenses, then the ambush I set may very quickly disband the raiders, and the survivors who try to flee will be shot down by archers in the trees."
Olithia was now in deep thought, "Alithia will most likely remain idle in the forts as you thought...she may though destroy the forts and move forward as one huge army. But if I know Alithia then she will not destroy the forts...not yet...she knows they still have a role to play on her part...but if she does march as a huge group but without destroying the forts...can our ambush hold out?" "Unfortunately the men I have set as the ambush are new recruits and could only handle a small brigade as I was hoping on. I'm sorry to tell you m'lord but if Alithia marches as a whole army then there will be no surviving. It is possible though that they may parish but in the process the ambush would weaken her forces. If they continued to march further North then eventually King Therin's scouts would see her forces and inform the king. From there his mages and forces could finish them off."
Olithia was full of rage. The veins in his body were pulsing as the anger grew in him and he knew he had to do something. He knew he had to recapture the forts and save the men that are down there. It was possible that Alithia has taken captives and what she will do with them can only be imagined in nightmares. Olithia made a notion towards one of his guards by the door. "I want you to find the healer. Bring her here so she can tend to the messengers wounds. I will go and gather the troops. We leave tomorrow at sunrise!"
Olithia walked out of the chamber and into a bleak and bare tunnel. Nothing but the cold gray stone and the flickering torches could be seen either way down the tunnel. He turned right and walked on till he came to a set of spiraling stairs. He wearily climbed up, grasping the railing as he went trying not to pass out for he was very tired. The stairs opened up into a well lit hallway. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and a red rug was laid down a stone hallway. Carved oak doors could be seen as he walked down this passage. He passed many sets of decorative armor and banners, each with its own history that played back into his mind as he walked by.
He finally reached his room which was a big circular room with a domed roof. Bookshelves lined the walls that were full of ancient history and past times. Moonlight poured through the huge windows and filled the room with a silvery luminous glow. A big red rug was in the center of the room with gold leafs on each corner. There was a gold border that went around the rug about a inch away from the edge. In the center of the rug was the symbol of Hasendor. There was a H that was written in a ancient elf rune. The letter was cast on a shield that had red and orange flames below the rune. A sword stuck in each corner of the shield. He laid down on a bed near one of the huge windows. He lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling wondering what dangers would lie ahead. The moon had now risen high in the sky when he finally fell victim to sleep. He dreamed of a time of peace that seemed so distant with peaceful green meadows, rolling hills, majestic mountains, and the villagers could wander outside the town without fearing a fatal arrow strike or a armed goblin in the bushes.
He woke the next day feeling fully rested and refreshed. Light streamed through the window lighting the entire room. Smoke rose from the embers and coals from the fireplace that had been burning the night before. He went down to the dining hall where a feast was being held for him and the soldiers that were going to the South. Olithia would not normally feed his troops with such a wonderful meal, but he knew they would be marching a long time and they would more than likely be eating gruel and soup for almost the entire trip. The feast was marvelous with meats of all assortments and vegetables mixed with herbs and spices to create a wonderful filling taste. The ales and wines that were served were enough to make the angriest of men happy and cheerful again. The chef of Hasendor was known for his skill with cooking and masterful choice in flavors. He had traveled far and wide to collect the best and finest ingredients that the local market did not always offer. He learned new recipes from his journeys. You see the chef had once been a skilled fighter but retired after a wound to his leg kept him from fighting. He was happy with his newfound skill and always found it a joy to cook for the pleasure of others.
After the meal Olithia then went down to the war chamber yet again and went over to a cupboard and opened it. The rusty old hinges swung open. Gray cobwebs hung from the corners and dust had settled in thick layers all over the bottom and top. In the center of the cupboard was a stand, tall, slender, and covered in a slight touch of rust at the base. On it rested Olithia's prized armor. It was red with gold trim on the shoulder plates and the waste. There was also the same H elf rune engraved in gold letters upon the chest. Gold trim was on the elbows of the arms and on his hands he wore red gauntlets with gold trim on the knuckles and wrist. He wore red plate legs that had gold trim at the waste, knees, and ankles. On his feet he wore red greaves with gold trim at the ankle and at the toe end of his greaves.
Next to his armor was his sword. This sword was not ordinary in a mile run. It was forged in a smithy powered by magic. At first glance one might think the blade to be steel for its silvery look, but this was not so. The blade was actually a rare and powerful ore that no arrow nor weapon could damage. The material is called mithril and it is fancied by all those who fight. Infused in this powerful mithril blade was The Eternal Flame. The Eternal Flame was a element of fire but like the sword that it was infused with, it was not normal. This element could be wrought into weapons and armor. His armor itself had The Eternal Flame inside it. The Eternal Flame is not found by mortal eyes. Elves who are masters of the elements summoned it and were able to bend the element to there power. That race of elves is now long past for they have all died out. In there mission to purify the land they were consumed and the evil aura destroyed them. All that is left now is the ruins of there towns and the items and such that they left behind. The Eternal Flame can only be summoned by a item that has been bestowed with it. The sword itself could summon flame when drawn and when used wisely it can bring down even the toughest of foes. His sword had red runes set into the blade which burned as red as the flame it summoned when surrounded by darkness or when in battle.
Every wizard has a stone or gem for the element they control. Ruby for fire, sapphire for water, emerald for earth, pearl for light, amethyst for darkness, topaz for thunder, opal for air, diamond for elementals. Elementals had all the stones but they themselves desired a stone for which others could marvel upon. They were given the diamond. The diamond resembled the divinity of their aura, the roughness for there awesome power, and the shine to resemble there mission for good. They are the head of the mage order.
He took his armor down and his weapon and put them on. As bulky as the armor looked it was as light as a feather. He wrapped his belt around his waste and attached the scabbard to it. He put his sword in his scabbard and took his shield out of the cupboard. His shield was red with a gold trimmed border around the edge. Once again the elf rune for H was carved into the shield in gold letters. He then opened a drawer that was built into the cupboard and took out a cape. The cape was red with gold trim at the bottom. There was a gold elf rune H in the center. Finally he opened a small box that was in the drawer with the cape. It was a older box, sort of rotted and dusty. The hinges were all rusted up and the handle was broken off. He had to use a knife to pry the box open. When he opened it there was his final set of clothing. It was a red headband with the gold elf rune H set in the middle. Once he had all his armor and his weapon put on he looked in a mirror on the far wall. He looked like a grand warrior and the combination of gold and red was a wonderful masterpiece.
Once he was armed and ready he went down to the stables to get Lyrnox, his trusted steed. Lyrnox had been to many battles and served Olithia well enough for his own purposes. Though most of the time Olithia only rode him upon the hills that lined the horizon and watched down at the small villages and huts. Lyrnox was a white steed with great speed. It was highly admired by the townsfolk and was the pride of all the local horses.
Olithia rode down to the courtyard of his castle and assembled the small army of men who would accompany him to the South. "Men and women of Hasendor, we march now to aid a call of great distress. If we fail to succeed, then this whole war and everything we have done to fight for good is at a loss. I will only say that where we are going will lead into turmoil and great danger. If anyone among us has a change of thought now, please feel free to leave the ranks now. For those who leave though I will say this, sure you can leave now and march back to your homes and your families, but what will happen if this band of people fail because you or someone else failed to be there in a time of need? When all else fails and when armed men and women were needed, you were not there to aid us. That is all I will say for now. We have a long ride and time has been lost." As he said this he looked up at the sky and observed the sun's position.
A few moments later Olithia returned to the ranks and looked in astonishment as he saw that none of the men or women had left the ranks. They all stood there straight as a pencil awaiting their orders. Olithia mounted Lyrnox and strode to the front of the line of soldiers. "Alright men lets move out! We have much land to cover and time is of the essence!" With this being said they marched out of the city gates. Townsfolk, whether they be fathers, sons, daughters, mothers, or someone else of importance, they all stood in crowds and watched them march away to a unknown fate that only time would tell as it unrolled itself as it does everyday. Wives, daughters, and maids of the court threw flowers at the soldiers. The men gave shouts of cheer to raise spirits.
The men started down a long dusty trail through a prairie of rolling hills and tall grass. The land outside of Hasendor was quite beautiful, though many people did not have time to view them in this time of turmoil. As they reached the first set of hills Olithia strode ahead and peered out at the horizon. "Signs are clear. The scouts up ahead have spotted nothing. Lets keep moving men!" said Olithia. As they reached where the scouts once stood they looked behind them and saw the last tower of Hasendor, small and vague in the mist and fog of the morning start. They then turned around and headed south towards the Forest of Secrets.