Part 3 "Falling City"
The combined armies of the El Fvis and the DeWorfers rushed out unto the plain. The few P'Orhks who roamed the plain began to immediately run toward the group as they emerged from the shrubs and bushes nearer the forest.
The DeWorfers lined up together, their large rectangular shields protecting them like a giant fence. A short distance behind them lined up the El Fvis archers. The archers loosed a slew of arrows in the far distance slaying many of the P'Orhks before the came even close, to the DeWorfers. The few who reached them were quickly cut down by the DeWorfers tight defensive formation. Slowly the DeWorfers marched forward. The El Fvis archers came up slowly behind them firing arrows at will at any monster that crossed their path. Soon they reached the edge of the plain. Where its high walls looked down upon the city. The city was swarming with the P'Orhks. They flooded into the city like ants. The DeWorfers looked down at the occupied city they had once owned. It seemed now that the entire P'Orhk army was inside the city. They ran though the houses carrying out what they could find. They began piling it the cliff wall that lead to the plateau above them where the El Fvis and DeWorfers were gathering.
The El Fvis fired their arrows mercilessly at the P'Orhks but to no avail for every one the felled was gathered up and likewise thrown into the pile they were building against the wall.
El Evan waved off the El Fvis archers. "Cease fire. We're just wasting our ammunition. Those evil creatures mean to get up here and this won't stop them."
Robin looked on curiously. "Hmm. El Evan, I think it might be a good idea to have as many P'Orhk bodies as possible in that pile. Bacon fat burns."
"These creatures do not burn. Often have we struck them with flaming arrows, yet it sets nothing alight."
"Oh, they'll burn you just have to add enough heat."
El Evan raised his eyebrow and called to his archers. "More bodies for the pyre."
The P'Orhks had built up a quite a huge pile against the rocks. When it towered near halfway up the side of the shear cliff face, Robin gave the signal. A volley after volley of flaming arrows was shot into the pile. But not at the bodies placed in it, but instead at the wares of the warehouses. The tables and chairs and piles of clothing that were all stacked into the pile. Slowly the fire spread. So slowly that the P'Orhks seemed not to notice it and kept piling on more fuel for the flame. But very soon fire engulfed the whole pile. The bodies began to burn, first with a horrid black smoke and then they seemed to explode into white-hot flame. In a matter of moments the pyre was so hot the DeWorfers and El Fvis above it had to stay away from the edge of the plateau to shield their faces from the heat. The flame spread outward quickly engulfing the P'Orhks nearby. Before they knew what had happened the entire city was alight with the bodies of the P'Orhks trapped in the city.
The DeWorfers yelled in victory. "Hurray we have defeated them! We may take back our city."
But the flames swelled in the city beyond all imagining.
Soon giant explosions wracked the city, sending shards of rubble to the air. As the P'Orhks perished within the great city of Elhm Erawld explosions collapsed the buildings into shards of green rubble.
The DeWorfers stared in shock and disbelief at the destruction of the labor of all their ancestors. Alecks bowed his head at the sight before him. "Our home. We have no home."
El Evan placed his hand on the DeWorfer kings shoulder. "You have our home."
Deep inside the El Fvis forest.
The gang sat seated on the ground surrounding the circular scrying pool.
It's reflective face seemed almost gray, as if lacking any color.
El Evan touched the waters of the pool. Ripples went spiraling outwards from where his hand had touched it. El Evan spoke. "The pool bids those to speak."
"If no ripple from the hand is cast.
Then no words beyond the lips go past."
"This is the great scrying pool of the greatest seer of them all, El Fvis prophet of old and keeper of the stone of light. El Aeker Alik."
Impulse looked up startled, he slammed his hand against the pool, but no ripples came forth. The crowd looked to him then looked away, to hear someone else speak.
Robin reached out to touch the pool. Thick ripples shot out from his hand quite forcefully. El Evan and the other El Fvis looked at this with Interest.
"This wizard has been quiet for thousands of years, why is suddenly making commotion now all of a sudden. We find our answer to that and we might be able to defeat him."
Everyone Ivy reached out to touch the pool the lines of the ripples she sent outward were weak and unharmonious. Her face stiffened upon seeing the pools reaction. "He is a mad lonely human male. He needs no reason to destroy."
Bart slammed his fist down into the pool forcefully but still no ripples came forth.
Anita touched the pool the ripples she sent outwards were quick and nervous. "What's the black stone all about? I can sense all around it a presence of immense evil."
Secret held out her hand and touched the water. The ripples she sent outwards were deep and smooth, a hazy golden color reflected from the colorless pool. The El Fvis turned to stare at her in wonderment.
She spoke but not in her girlish voice but in the voice of a mature woman.
"Long ago the lord of the stones created 6 stones of many colors, all save for white. He combined the shades together, and created the one stone of all colors and of none." She rose and stared at Slobo. "As for the black stone of death. None but you and he can withstand its terrible power. But beware Slobo Fraggins, least the stone corrupts you as it did corrupt him by its creation."
The group paused staring at her for a while.
Suddenly Bart slammed his head forward into the pool head butting it in frustration but still no ripples were forthcoming.
One of the El Fvis asked. "But the wizard took the black stone to his sanctuary deep within the salted wastes. How is it that it comes to be here?"
"Perhaps that is why he is attacking us, he wants the black stone returned to him." Ivy expressed.
Aleks looked over at her. "The wizard is mad how are we to judge his motives? Should we simply travel to the salted wastes and ask him if he wants his stone back?"
"It's as good an idea as any, I suppose." Slobo looked questioningly at Secret.
Secret again touched the pool. "Slobo is to venture into the salted wastes."
And so early in the morning they set out. They gathered together on the shores of the Gud El Mietee River. There were three boats. One was colored lavender gray containing Anita and Slobo. The other was a green one that contained El Evan and Aleks, and the last was a red one with Kon and Cassie on board.
Bart waved to them "Good luck Guys." He looked at Slobo sideways suspiciously. "I hope you all come back alive."
Secret approached the boat with Cassie and Kon in it. "You will need this. You will know when the time comes." Cassie looked strangely at the object she had given, a large hand mirror. "Uh yeah thanks Secret, you feeing ok, you've been acting heavy weird since we got her, your mysterious powers and everything."
Secret merely smiled and pushed the boats away from the dock with a sudden gust of wind.
The party paddled up the wide rivers slow current. For many hours, everywhere they looked to see the wild wonders of the El Eeg forest. A giant tree hung over the river. Flowers as large as pumpkins feathered out from the branches. Giant oddly shaped yet brightly colored butterflies covered the tree. Yet when they passed beneath the tree they cold see that it was not butterflies but birds with rapier like beaks, they flew away in a flurry from the tree. Decorating the sky with their colors.
Cassie breathed in deeply. "My god this place is like paradise. This and the Elhm Erawld city, is all Innbee Tweenerth like this."
El Evan smiled sadly. "Alas no, the El Fvis wild lands are the only places as yet unspoiled by the destroying hand of man."
"Long ago before the coming of the lord of the stones, before the slaying of the great dragons, the El Fvis controlled all of these lands to the south and to the east. All was wild then. And although the dragons plagued us it was because of the great dragons men feared to go near the wood."
"The great wizard traveled here to the Lake Ovfier, where all the dragons nested and cast them down into the waters forever with the magic of the red Stone of Flame."
"Wait a second, Lake Ovfier? That's where we're headed isn't it?" Kon said alarmed. Dragons means fire, and I don't like fire. I'm not invulnerable to fire."
"Like you're invulnerable to everything else," said Aleks snidely.
"As a matter of fact on my world I have more magic power then than anybody here."
"Yeah right, anybody here," Slobo laughed menacingly.
El Evan smirked. "And you just happed to have lost your powers on this world."
Kon turned away from them and paddled harder up the stream. They came to large rocky rapids.
"You'll want em back now soon Kon." Cassie pointed ahead of her. "Looks like you're going to have to be doing some heavy lifting."
They pulled to the side of the river and hoisted the thin lightweight boats onto their shoulders and portaged up the River.
Robin looked out at the smoldering ruin of the town from the plateau above.
Ariss approached behind him. "It's been burning for days. Now finally the fires are staring to die out."
Robin sighed. He looked to the P'Orhks gathered beyond the ruins on the other bank through giant cracks in the crumpling outer wall. "They'll be coming back at us soon."
Ariss smiled at him. "I wouldn't worry about that lad."
Cissie watched as one of the taller El Fvis archers stood on the bank of the plateau and fired past the burning ruins of the city. She saw the arrow descend on the far bank with what seemed impossible accuracy. The two P'Orhks were killed with one arrow pinning them together. Cissie stared at him and was instantly enamored. In the next instant an arrow struck her lightly in her butt cheek but pierced the skin nevertheless.
A young elf, shorter than the rest with a saggy main of unkempt hair ran up to her apologizing. "Oh I'm so sorry I kinda let go of the arrow by mistake."
The tall El Fvis that Cissie had been watching approached them. "Kuepidd what have you done now?" He came up to the boy giving him a harsh look.
"Hello I am Gud Luk son of Gud Fuk. Please forgive me. Kuepidd is my brother's child he wishes to be an archer as well. But he has not the strength to yet draw a string."
One of the El Fvis archers came up to the group and scolded them. "Gud Luk!" She wagged her finger at him. "What ill fortune you bring us by insisting on bringing your nephew to our training."
Gud Luk bowed slightly, "I am sorry your ladyship."
"Kuepidd is dangerous with that bow! He's as bad as those damn DeWorfer archers."
Cissie stepped boldly in front on the El Fvis woman and looked her squarely in the eye. "Hey watch your mouth about those archers, they have as much right to be here as you do."
She grabbed the short El Fvis by the shoulder. "And the same goes for Kuepidd here."
Aleks heard El Evan approach behind him as he fished by the rocky shoreline. He moaned under his breath. "Oh Geez, not him, he's so stuffy."
Aleks flicked the fly rod expertly. The tiny-feathered hook rested delicately on the surface of the water. A large fish jumped out of the water snapping the fly hook in its jaws. Aleks tugged on the line hooking the fish.
El Evan smiled impressed. "DeWorfers are known to be great fishermen but I had heard that DeWorfer fishermen used large nets to catch fish in."
"They do. But I have always favored fly-fishing. With nets one often catches fish that are too small to eat as well as other fish that that one cannot eat. The fish die needlessly. This way I can throw back any fish that I do not wish to eat. Besides I find it relaxing."
"You care that fish die needlessly? It is comforting to know that it is not the El Fvis alone that concern themselves with such matters."
"The El Fvis don't have a total monopoly on wisdom."
El Evan turned up his nose. "Hmpf."
Robin and the archers stood ready at the edge of the plateau. "Remember when they come at us take out their front line people only. We want to pile as many of them into the city as we can."
Two El Fvis runners ran up to Robin on the plane. "They've headed for the boats, they're attacking en mass. All defensive positions inside the city are being withdrawn."
Robin nodded, "Good work, now grab a bow."
The panting runner smiled. "Gladly sir."
"Here they come." Robin saw several P'Orhks coming into view below him charging through the city. "Fire at will."
Several arrows were loosed at the P'Orhks below. The ones behind the fallen P'Orhks stubbornly climbed over the bodies of their dead comrades.
Even through the hail of arrows the P'Orhk onslaught was relentless.
Robin turned to Ariss. "This really was a good idea Ariss Tawtell. You really are a genius."
One of the DeWorfers ran up to Robin. "They're about to reach the plateau wall sir."
"Initiate operation Atlantis." Robin looked sadly at the DeWorfer.
"Yes sir." The DeWorfer looked resolutely back at him.
Robin looked at the city below them as it began to rumble slowly. Several of the P'Orhks were knocked of balance as the ground shifted beneath them. Then suddenly the ground fell from beneath their feet as the entire city fell downward into the river, with a great flash of dust and mist.
"For hundreds of years we mined underneath the city to harvest the exceedingly good marble within. We dug to the point that the structure beneath the city became unstable." Ariss Tawtell looked passively at the destruction.
"From that point on we banned further mining, and reinforced the substructure of the city."
"That substructure was the only thing holding up the city, we simply destroyed certain critical sections of the substructure, which then caused the destruction of the entire substructure hence the destruction of the entire city."
Ariss gazed at the vacuum below where the DeWorfer city had stood. "Sometimes there is wisdom in our folly."
The party portaged up steep hills until they reached an area where the rivers widened. The put their boats back into the water and began paddling again. High steep walls of rock covered them on all sides.
El Evan stared up as he stoked the still water with his oar. "We travel through the great Fjord El Mietee." They gazed at the columns of rock. They stretched off to infinity above them as they paddled through the still clear blue water. "Beyond lies the Lake Ovfier."
When they had paddled to the ends of the fjords, El Evan pointed to a small out clearing, "I know a spot near those rocks where we can take shelter for the night."
The gang set a campfire on one stony bank over the now blackened lake, as clouds had covered over the moonless sky. The licks of flame from their fire danced on the surface of the black waters behind them.
Cassie stared at the surroundings dreamily. "Isn't this wonderful camping out, in such an exotic place."
Kon poked at the ground with a twig. "I dunno its kinda boring don't you think. I mean what do you guys do for fun around here, I mean you can't watch TV."
"TV?" Aleks asked.
"Never mind."
"We tell stories of the heroes and the great creator gods." Aleks piped in.
"Is there a story about dragons?" Cassie asked anxiously.
El Evan spoke up. "There is the story of the creation of the dragons."
"Oh!" said Cassie excitedly
"I don't wanna here this." Slobo said trying to brush the idea aside.
The Creation of the Dragons:
A long, long time ago, when all the lands were El Fvis forest. There came a time of draught, this draught caused a terrible fire to burn that was so ferocious it soon engulfed near half the El Fvis lands. In this time lived the great El Fvis wizard Gud Kuumbust Shen. Gud Kuumbust was a lover of the trees and the forest, as are all us El Fvis. But so incensed was Kuumbust of the burning of his homeland that he began to use dark and terrible magic. He planted a tree away from the others in the path of the approaching fire. There he sat and endured the heat as the distant great fire approached. The wind rolled toward them sending licks of flame in his and the trees direction. When the small tree he had planted caught fire. He cast a net around it. A magical net, with it he captured the flying wild fire. The great forest fire that had raged uncontrollable began to die out. Gud Kuumbust tied the net together, and dragged the flying wild fire back with him.
For many a year things past quietly, no wild fires burned, only the walking tame fires remained. When Gud Kuumbust who was most meticulous left a frog, he intended to use in a magical potion, unattended by the windowsill.
The frog looked out the window but every time he tried to jump through a magical barrier prevented his escape.
Then he heard a voice behind him. "Escape, escape I would do anything to escape."
The Frog saw a large net hanging beside him on the wall. Its end was tied with a twine of string that hung loosely over the windowsill. "Would you please pull on the string to open the net and help me escape?"
The greedy frog looked up and licked his lips. "What will you give me if I help you to escape?"
The voice from the net spoke. "I shall give you incredible size and power. You shall be the greatest beast of them all."
"What else will you give me?"
"Great magical power and near immortally."
The frog thought for a while. Then he asked. "What else can you give me?"
"All I have left is my very spirit, but I would do anything to be free of this net."
So the frog croaked, "I accept your offer." He took the end of the cord in his mouth and hopped off the ledge. The net opened and the flying wildfire escaped and became the spirit of the frog, bestowing upon it all the powers it had promised.
The window shattered open as the frog began to grow, it's jaws began to fill with teeth, from its back it sprouted wings, it flew out the window growing ever larger and more dragon like. It flew high into the mountains high over the prime El Fvis lands, and made its home right at the center of the world.
El Evan looked at the group seriously under the hazy glow of campfire light. "Right where we are now."
Kon scoffed. "Oh brother."
El Evan ignored him. "From here they could wreak havoc on all the world. Which they did for many thousands of years before the coming of the wizard."
To far lands they traveled he brung an army with full wagons.
Yet with but the red flaming stone he flung from the sky the dragons
End of Part 3
"The Lord of the Stones" m