Coming of Age - Chapter 1: Elle of Loire
By LampGenie
Elle dreamt. She was running down a path of an unknown stone. It stretched as far as she could see in either direction, yet she kept on running. Dim shapes moved in the void surrounding the path. Suddenly, a faint noise hit Elle's ears. A shrill, vocal cry. A battle cry... She sped up. The noises became louder and the sounds of battle more clear. A spear swish, the clang of a weapon on armor it couldn't pierce. Then she saw the battle. A flash of magic from the large, hideous figure blinded Elle, and she was thrown into the air, hurtling towards wakefulness.
She sat up suddenly in bed. She
had only been half asleep. There had been a battle cry, a skirmish and
a flash of light. The flash of light had awakened her. She got out of bed
and hurried across the darkened room to the window, grabbing the sword
her mother had given her on her sixteenth birthday, a week earlier. She
was the daughter of Lady Fyda of Loire and her husband, the former mercenary
Royd. She had her mother's pale-blond hair, which she cut to shoulder length.
Her face was that of her father- plain complexion and dark, beautiful eyes.
Outside the window, she could see nothing but the moonbathed downward slope
of the roof. She walked back to the bed and opened her dresser. Pulling
on clothes, she returned to the window, opened it, and stepped out into
the cold night air. The moon shone bright as she made her way towards where
she had heard the noises. The noises had been loud enough to hear, but
that didn't necessarily mean they were close. Yet the flash of light had
lit her entire room, so that meant that whatever had happened had been
on the side of the mansion facing her window. She suddenly froze as she
heard another noise. It was the sound of a door opening. Someone was emerging
on to her parents balcony. Elle scrambled to the edge of the roof, above
the balcony. She stopped suddenly, when a sharp, feminine voice pierced
the silence. It was Fyda.
"Perel! What happened?"
A low, strong voice responded, "I know as well as you do. Something
happened on the street down there. I heard Ark's shout, and there was the
clash of metal on metal. Then there was a flash of light. I'm not sure
who cast the spell."
Perel was an old companion of Elle's parents. A tall, muscular
black man, he had once been a master athlete, capable of fighting from
his skateboard. He had long since thrown away the skateboard for a sword,
and was now serving Elle's parents as a bodyguard.
Fyda cursed, "And it had to happen when everyone's here for
Elle's birthday!"
"Don't panic! This could be nothing! Maybe Ark just got into
a brawl with someone!"
"Oh really! Someone who wears armor and can use magic!"
"Hey, Ark's a good fighter! He won't got dying on us, and he
won't kill a drunkard!"
"Yeah, right..."
"Yeah! He saved the stinkin' world!"
"Different Ark!"
"You really are gullible, aren't you!"
Elle contained laughter. She agreed that her mother was gullible.
Apparently, when Ark had reappeared after Beruga's defeat, he had claimed
that he wasn't the Ark that they knew. Only Elle's namesake, a young woman
from the village of Storkolm, had believed it for sure. But that was enough
to convince Fyda.
Suddenly, the door swung open again. Elle leaned over the edge
of the roof to see her father storm through the door, flanked by MeiHou,
a Lhasan sage, and a young man that Elle didn't know. All three looked
very concerned.
"Ark and Elle are gone!", said Royd breathlessly.
Fyda looked confused, "Why'd they leave?"
"How should I know? This boy here says that he saw two
cloaked people on desert road, just out of town!"
"The Desert Road! But that just leads to the east! There
isn't anything for miles in that direction!"
MeiHou broke in, his voice strong despite his old age,
"Yes, but after those miles..."
"There's Gobi! All that's there is a bunch of nomad settlements!"
"...And Louran..."
Royd, Fyda and Perel looked confused. MeiHou and the boy
just smiled.
Fyda opened her mouth, but the boy broke in, "I don't
know why the're going there either, but I have a feeling it's urgent."
Fyda examined the boy, "What is your name?"
"My name is Ordel."
"And what makes you think it was urgent?"
"I... Well, they were being followed."
Royd interjected, a concerned expression on his face,
"Followed? By whom?"
"I don't know! It was dark!"
"How many people were there?"
"About 10."
Royd leaned closer to Ordel. He obviously didn't trust
the boy. "Could you see what they were..."
Royd stopped short and reached behind him. Embedded in
the wall, inches from his back, was a dagger. He held it out, and immediately,
Fyda and Perel had their weapons out. Royd threw the dagger to Ordel, who
caught it, and drew his own sword. Elle, from above, prepared to enter
the battle when the time was right. She pressed herself against the roof,
while the others knelt down and formed a ring around MeiHou. Men started
jumping from nearby rooftops. Suddenly, she was aware that she wasn't the
only one eavesdropping on the conversation. A figure dressed in dark clothes
knelt nearby, in the shadow of a chimney. Elle turned and leapt at the
figure, pinning it down. It immediately put up an enourmous struggle. As
Elle's strength began to give way, her opponent flipped her over and got
her in a headlock. Before he could do anything, Elle kneed him in the crotch.
He collapsed on top of her and Elle slid out from underneath him and stood
up, drawing her sword. She heard the sounds of battle nearby, and knew
that her relatives were fighting off attackers. Her opponent responded
by doing the same. In the moonlight, she could see him clearly for the
first time. He was a young man, about her age. He had short cropped blond
hair, and a solid, angular face. Sneering, he drew his sword.
Both fighters immediately began circling upwards, waiting
for the right moment to attack. Elle was ready when her opponent made the
first blow. He was slightly above her, and he thrust his blade forward
in a swift, and possibly deadly attack. Elle calmly pushed the blade aside,
and did a counterthrust, which he just barely dodged, bringing him down
the slope and closer to her level. Then she attacked, catching him offguard.
He barely blocked her attack, and went stumbling down the roof, barely
keeping his balance. Elle, now above her attacker, closed in a third time.
This time, she was sure she had him. She feinted. He parried. She thrust!
However, it would seem he was prepared for this, as he was on the ground,
tripping her. She fell backwards, her feet held by the hands of the young
man. He stood up sharply, but before he could even let go of her, he fell
backwards, onto the balcony, dragging her with him. She fell unconcious
as her head struck the ground.
Elle's vision swam. She could see dark
shapes moving against brighter background and could feel a faint softness.
Voices seemed faint and slurred. Slowly her senses began to return to normal.
"...have to follow them. God only knows what'll happen to them
if they get caught."
She could now see clearly. She was in a large bed, curtains
pulled all about her. She was clothed as she was when she had fought the
unknown soldier. Sitting up, she pulled aside the curtain that shielded
her. She was in an average-sized, very elegant bedroom. Paintings and tapestries
hung from every wall. A fire burned in a large hearth, and there was a
table in the middle of the room, at which about 10 men, the city council,
sat. They were all dressed in business suits, and Elle only recognized
two of them- Jean, the mayor, and Louis, his assistant. Fyda sat inches
away from Elle, facing away from her, in a chair pulled up next to the
bed. Royd, flushed, was pacing back and forth in the space between the
bed and the table. Perel and Ordel stood guarding the large double door.
Royd had been the one speaking.
Jean responded, "I greatly apologize for the incident of last
night. Even as we speak, petitions are circulating to raise the security
of Loire."
Royd stopped and turned towards Jean, "Circulating within the
castle!"
Elle spoke, "Where are we?"
All eyes focused on her. Fyda tried to smile, "We're in the
castle. Loire was overrun, and all the survivors fled here."
Royd continued for Fyda, "We're discussing what we'll do about
Ark and Elle. We suspect that they were aware of the attack and fled the
town. Regardless of the reason, we've got to make sure that no harm comes
to them."
"We haven't come to any decisions yet, Royd.", said Jean.
Royd resumed pacing, this time even more desperate and angry.
"Damn! I don't understand how it can hurt anybody!"
"It's your safety that we're concerned about. Besides, if we
let anyone out of the castle, there's a chance that the enemy gets in."
"Hey, just lower me over the wall or something! All I'm concerned
about is getting Ark and Elle to safety!"
"You really are persistent, aren't you?"
"You really are restrictive, aren't you?"
"Think it over first!"
"Think it over! I've been thinking it over since those bastards
tried to kill me last night! You'd think I'd come to a decision by now!"
"Well have you?"
"For god's sake, YES!!!"
"Then explain your decision to me, carefully."
Royd took a deep breath to calm himself and continued, "Okay,
last night we heard the noises of a fight outside, and found that Ark and
Elle were missing. MeiHou and I went outside to examine the situation.
No bodies were found, just Ordel and a pile of ashes. Ordel claimed that
he'd just gotten back from the Charging Boar tavern by the Desert Road
exit from town, and he had seen a fairly unusual sight. Two riders were
leaving town on the Desert Road. Shortly after them, a small group of dark-garbed
horsemen passed."
Louis looked concerned, "You never told us about the horsemen..."
Royd continued, "Anyway, shortly after, all of Loire was attacked
by men that fit Ordel's description. My assumption is that those men were
attempting to kill Ark and Elle, and they knew about it, so they left the
town."
"And the pile of ashes?"
"Ark has some pretty powerful tricks up his sleeve...."
There was a knock on the door. Perel opened up a small window,
then opened the door. MeiHou entered, followed by two soldiers. His face
was grim.
"The attackers are advancing on the castle."
Jean stood up, a determined expression set on his face, "Raise
the alarm. Anyone able to fight is to do so."
MeiHou nodded and he and the soldiers hurried from the room.
Jean continued, "Royd, I'll let you go, but you stand no chance
alone. Get together a few companions and leave immediately. We don't have
much time before the castle is attacked."
Royd nodded. "I would like to go with Perel and Fyda."
Fyda stood up. "I apologize Royd, but I cannot go. Take Elle
with you instead."
"But..."
"Elle is a woman. She is as able as I am. I must stay here to
command the defending army."
Royd reluctantly nodded. Elle jumped out of the bed, thoughts
blaring through her head. As capable as mother?, she thought, My gosh!
No way she was as capable as her mom! Her thoughts were interrupted by
her father's voice.
"Ordel, I'd like you to go also."
Ordel turned to Royd, "Why?"
"I have seen potential in you. You saved my life several times
last night."
A loud bell rung through the castle. Jean looked urgent. "Go
now! You have your companions! You must hurry!"
Elle, Royd, Perel and Ordel secured their weapons and followed
Jean to the passage out of the castle.
To be continued.....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That was my first fanfic! Hope you enjoyed it! Expect chapters
2-4 in the series soon enough!
