Dragons Eyes:

Beginning a Pilgrimage

Of the black gold series

A Dark Elven Province

A chilling night wind sweep over the peaks of the Elven mountain province; the wind was colder then frozen steel and felt like flat daggers of ice against anyone's face. The only heat came from an almost dead fire that barely flickered in the night. Two Dark Elves sat nearly frozen around the flickering flame. One had some what greenish skin with dark brown eyes and faded blonde hair. He stood at a tall size, and a sheathed sword sits at his hip. His face seemed rough and he around his late thirty's. His partner sat on the other side of the fire fiddling with a small twig. He had grayish skin with silver hair with red eyes; which was common among Dark Elves. He stood tall as his partner, with powerful arms. He wore leather leggings and shirt as did his partner. But he had a double volage; which was a spear with sword blades at each end, and a sword sheathed at his side. His partner looked up and began speaking.

"So Raze, hows been ya? You don't come `round as much anymore," his voice was heavy, with beer, and powerful.

"Fine, I was sent to retrieve some thing, a stone to be precise, got loads of money for it. Good paying job it is," he spoke with a slit smile. "It was a very peculiar stone. Black and glossy, smoothest thing I've touched. It was flawless. As if it was made of some sort of magic. Though it seemed to be alive when I touched it, the king wanted it, so I gave it up," he ended with a shrug. From behind him some thing rustled in the bushes. They both jumped and unsheathed their swords. A couple of minutes went bye, with tension strong in the air. Then a rabbit bounced from the bushes, and hopped away. Relieved they sheathed their weapons and sat back down.

"So I hear ya goin aways dish year, in matter of days`"

"Yeah I sure am, they sending me to look for a boy who found a stone similar to the black one I gave to the king," with that he gave a yawn, "and I'm leaving tomorrow," he added,

"well`sh den you`sh better gets some restin` in," he said pointing to a bed in a small house, "ya can stay here`s tonight. Dat way ya don't have to travel in thesh dark," then he fell back. Raze decided that his friend was drunk. He got up and went to bed.

The next day Raze woke up, with a stiff back. He got to his feet washed his face in a basin in the corner of the room. After he put on his shirt and reset his sword, belt, and double Volage he began to ready his horse for travel. He saddled the horse and out the saddle bags on when he heard his friend speak to him.

"Ya never did learn how to use a bow did ya? Always up close and personal, so that ya could feel the thrill of the battle didn't ya?" he and his friend laughed, and then he began to work more on readying the horse.

"Never thought it was worth the time, de'reth`," he said placing his hand on his shoulder and laughing. "Man the forest out here is beautiful isn't?"

"I agree to that man, till the king takes it over," he scowled, and then cursed under his breath. "You better be careful out there you don't know what this kid is capable of," he said flicking his hands around.

"I doubt any normal boy is going to be able to over power me," he smirked.

"Yes but still you don't know this guy could be a skilled mage, or necromancer! Be careful," he urged to him.

"I Figured that." Acutely he hadn't even thought of that. To fight a mage or necromancer would be dangerous. "Then I guess I'll need a little more practice," he said tossing his friend a piece of sturdy wood.

They stood for a moment then Raze lunged at his friend. His friend easily parried the blow and attacks him. Raze barely dodged the blow and gave a sweeping blow to his friend's feet; his friend fell to the blow and now lay on the floor. Raze made another falling strike; that was easily block by De'reth. Raze weapon was kicked from him; so he jumped back to guard him self.

De'reth jumped to his feet and raised his weapon; and lunged at Raze. With out his weapon he had to move out of the way. He kicked De'reth in the back of his legs knocking him to the ground. Then he kicked the stick out of De'reth's reach; and readied to fight with bare fists.

But De'reth rose with his palms facing Raze. "You win," he said. "Can't have you bruised up when you get to the king's," he smirked and pointed to the horse. "You better get to ridden if you plan to make it there before sunset."

Raze could only agree, but then point at his friend and mocked, "guess we'll finish this later." He went back and belted his double volage and sword to the horse's saddle. His friend came a joined him.

"Raze I always knew you were going to end up going some thing exciting with your life, and now ya have."

"Yes it seems I have, but I will be back, and then we can bet each other with sticks some more," they both laughed hard about that. Then with their good byes Raze saddled his horse and rode off down the trail that led to Seaimain`ablmoer. (Say-men-all-bend-more.)

A First Elven Sight

A few hours after dawn, Raze had almost made his way to the end of the trail, but stopped for a moment to rest. He sat quietly on a fallen tree, not to far from his horse. And he began to look around him at the beautiful green forest. The light was tinted green as it filtered through the canopy of the trees above. Bushes and shrubs were very vivid. Trees were covered with bunches of moss. The under brush seemed to be soft and wet. Some leafs were covered with the morning dew, that sparkled with the same green tint as the light coming from above.

Raze's hair fell to just below his ears, and he had a small soothed expression on his face that traveled through his body. He felt like he could just stay there for ever. But he had to force his body to move from its spot and he jumped off the fallen tree. Hoping he would be able to return to this wonderful place. He saddled back on his horse a rode off.

It didn't take more then two hours till he made it to the mouth of the trail. He rode faster now. The city was just about a mile or so away.

It took not even an hour to make it to Seaimain`ablmoer. When he reached Seaimain`ablmoer, another rider was also making his way into the city. The rider seemed to be glaring at him for unknown reason. The rider's fierce glare gave Raze an awkward and qualm feeling, that made him rush quicker into the city so that he could be out of the riders gaze. To be free from the sapphire eyes those made him feel so uneasy. As he entered the city he rode into the stalls, that awaited just inside the large city he had now entered. In fact he was in the largest city in all of the Western Kingdom. The site was magnificent. Even in the morning, the colors of flower shops brighten up the streets with the help of the lamps hung on post. The smell of a perfume shop was so powerfully, disturbingly, and rank in smell he had to cover his nose as he swiftly walked past it.

He also found an armory, which cover the street closest to it with the smell of melted metal. Finally he found some one to give him directions.

"Hello, my name is Raze and I have a meeting with the king about a, umm, mission," he said staring at a guard that smile back and simply said.

"Well dear Raze good news. You're here; the King has been waiting for you, for a while. Let me take you to him," he motioned for Raze to follow him into the castle, which he kindly did so. When in side the light was much gentler then what it was outside. This gave him the feeling of being welcomed.

He followed the guard down a hall, through a couple of doors, which were very delightfully decorated with red linen, and to a larger door that he now stood in front of. It was decorated with red and black silk, and came open with great ease. But as the door opened, he had the same feeling that he had when the rider was glaring at him outside the city. He walked as calmly as he could through the door and sat himself which him settle down from the awkward, and qualm feeling.

The King himself was dazzlingly dressed. A great green silk shirt with black trousers, and a red linen robe. His face was rough, hands large, rough, and powerful. He had black greasy like hair; that was cut short. If he were to stand he would tower over Raze himself. An aura of power seem to emit from him, as he sat there smiling to himself.

"Raze dear friend I must thank you for the trouble you have made into getting the stone for me. Much faster then any other of my men, so I guess I might end up relying on your abilities now." He smiled and took a drink from a goblet that was beside him, which Raze didn't realized he was sitting at a table until then. "So now I have another task for you which involve getting another one of the stones. Interested?" he said raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, but how much will this one pay?"

"Awe Raze that is why I like working with you. You don't care about the task, you just care about how much you'll get," he gave a loud chuckle, deep and throatily, "well because this ones farther away I'll give three times your weight in gold. Is it deal?"

"Of Course."

"Excellent. Now this one is hidden from me. So I guess, you're on your own this time. But hey I have faith in you, much more then I have in my own men. When can you get started?" a simple question to answer.

"Right now, I have every thing I need. I can leave right now and get to searching," he was on his feet when he finished.

"Excellent!" Was all the King needed to shout because Raze was out the door the next minute.