II

Together, Selura and Alain traveled outside the gates of Stoddarvale and through the forest of Whipping Crow. The rich green forest with its huge trees provided a cool shade for them while they treaded through the forest to get to the Shutlzhammer Mountains, where lies the Harvester's Stone in one of the caves at the base of the mountain.

Alain's green eyes looked back and forth through the forest. During his short stay in Stoddarvale he had heard rumors of wild beasts living in the forest, some as wild and bloodthirsty as a chimera. Yet there seemed to be no beasts out in the open. Common sense told the young man that the animals could be sleeping during the day, but he had a feeling it was because of his elf friend that there were no wild animals attempting to greet them.

The sun chariot of Helios had only moved a few inches across the blue sky, when Alain and his elf companion found their exit through the forest. Selura smiled, saying that they were making good timing. Alain looked ahead of him, seeing the large rocky base of the mountains. He began to wonder what would be in store for him once he confronted the sorcerer Thantole, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a screaming woman ahead of them.

Reacting to the scream, Alain broke out in a racing sprint, drawing his dagger hoping he could rescue the damsel in time.

He didn't wait for Selura, who then heard the scream, and spat an elvish curse when she saw the man she had just left the forest with, run off ahead for her.

Alain quickly closed in on the location of the screaming woman. He saw three brutish green skinned orcs surrounding her with swords in their hands. One orc turned around to see Alain, and swung his sword. Alain dodged the orc's attack, then followed it up with a stab to the orc's face.

The other two orcs left the woman alone and focused their attention to the man who just stabbed their comrade. One orc, who sported a black eye patch over his left eye, drove his blade forward, cutting the human's left side.

Alain gritted his teeth in pain as a little blood seeped from the orc's attack. In one fluid motion, he spun around behind the orc he stabbed, grabbed his sword and pushed him into the other two orcs. The orcs caught their friend and growled at the man, then the one eyed orc held his right hand up, telling the other orcs to stand back.

"I'll cut out your eyes and make them a perty necklace once I'm through with you," growled the one eyed orc as he stepped forward and slashed his sword in front of the human. Alain deflected the blade with his newly acquired blade in his right hand, then took a step back and snapped his dagger forward, throwing it in the exposed good eye of the orc.

The orc howled in sheer pain as he clutched his hands over his face. Blood slowly leaked through the fingers that covered the wounded eye. Alain took this time and slashed a deep cut in the orc's unguarded midsection. The now blinded and wounded orc gurgled a cry before falling to the ground dead.

That left the other two orcs, were more than ready to avenge the death of their fallen comrade. They screamed a war cry and jumped forward at the human.

Alain was ready to die fighting both these brutes. He had hoped the woman had gotten away safely while this battle was ensuing, for he she had not than Alain knew his death would have been in vain.

Two green streaks of light came from behind the sandy blond haired young man and shot through the orcs in midair. Both orcs fell to the ground, their bodies twitching and jerking but their voices made no sound. Alain didn't know what to make of this. He quickly looked behind him, seeing Selura holding in her hands a beautifully crafted crossbow.

"You're not a bad fighter Alain," Selura commented as she walked towards him," but tell me when you run off next time." The elf stepped towards him and look at his side, where the one eyed orc's blade had cut him. "Not too bad," she said softly, examining the wound," but you need some protection."

Alain looked to the dead orcs on the ground. Each of them was wearing poorly crafted leather. A lot good it did them, Alain thought to himself, then out of the corner of his eye he saw Selura reach into her pocket and pull out a small gold ring.

The elf held her hand out for Alain to see the gold band, which sported no special design on it. Alain slowly took the ring from Selura's open palm and placed it on his ring finger. The ring generated no special aura while it set on Alain's finger, but it gave the young man a feeling of protection and security.

"That's a beautiful ring you have on your finger," a soft voice said from behind him. Alain jumped from shock. He had completely forgotten about the woman screaming.

When he had arrived to rescue her, he really didn't get a good look at her. Now standing before him was a stout female who wore green robes and wreaths in her hair. For a second Alain guessed her to be a very comely looking hill dwarf, but her skin had a slight grayish tint to it, He knew these creatures to be called everendie, or mountain nymphs.

Alain hadn't ever encountered an everendie, except in the books he had read over his lifespan. The young man read that these type of nymphs appeared like dwarves, but had the characteristics of their naiades cousins, such as prancing around the streams and rivers as well as mountains.

"Thank ya for savin me life," the mountain nymph whose name was Marsia said softly, wrapping her smooth arms tightly around Alain's waist. Alain looked back at Selura, who let out a high pitched giggle.

"You're very welcome," Alain said, trying to lessen the grip of the everendie, but she would let go. He ceased his struggle, and looked down at her. "Why were those orcs circling you like that?"

The nymph looked up at him with her big hazel eyes. "I haven't the slightest clue. One moment, I was prancing around me home, and the next thing, these stinkin orcs were tellin me to leave while the master was getting thee stone."

Alain and Selura looked at one another, wondering if they had come too late. The everendie reached up and stroked Alain's sandy blond hair, then pulled him down embracing him in a deep kiss. The young man held his eyes closed, kissing her back, then he suddenly remembered why he and Selura had come to this mountain. He tried to pull back, using all his strength and willpower.

After what seemed like an eternity, Alain was able to release himself from the nymph's lips of lust and rapture. When he pulled back, he felt Selura's hand jerk him hard by the back of his cloak. "You have a job to do," the elf hissed into his ear, then she looked at the nymph with anger in her eyes.

Marsia put her hands on her curvy hips, and sighed, then looked up at the elf "What job would are ya gonna have the lad do? Goin into the cave to fight Thantole? You can try, but he will be needin somethin to fight that dragon?"

Alain looked over at Selura, confused and scared. One moment, all he wanted to do was kiss and enfold himself with this enchanting nymph, then he felt Selura strength pull him away, strength that would have ripped the orcs into pieces, and now there was talk of a dragon.

"Dragon?" he asked, realizing the new danger he was going to face," I don't remember you saying Thantole had a dragon with him."

The elf turned to her worried companion with a slight smirk on her face. "Thantole doesn't have a dragon with him, he is the dragon." Selura turned to Alain and shook her head. "You're not going to quit and turn back are you?"

"It would be the logical thing to do," he responded to the elf," I mean how are we suppose to fight a dragon?"

"You mean, how are you suppose to fight the dragon?" Selura corrected for him, placing her hand gently on his shoulder," I am forbidden to go in there."

Alain wanted to know why she was forbidden. She was able to help kill the orcs for him, but now she can't go inside to help him fight a dragon. "If you can't go in there with me, then why did you follow me out here?"

She kept her silence, refusing to answer her companion's question. Alain shrugged and turned to the cave entrance that he now saw was only a few feet away. "There is no turning back now for me I guess," Alain remarked sarcastically," I'll probably go in there. I'll fight Thantole and die a horrible death. Maybe when I get to the underworld, I'll explain to Hades why I died in such a meaningless manner."

Selura's eyes filled with warm tears. She turned away from him, not speaking a word. Alain looked at her, feeling a bit of remorse for what he had just said. He slowly turned to the direction of the cave and started towards it. After taking two steps, he stopped feeling a tug on his pant leg.

Looking down, Alain saw the small mountain nymph standing next to him. Perhaps she wants a goodbye kiss, he thought, but any ideas of kissing this everendie again were erased once he saw her holding a longsword in a green scabbard. The handle was in a black leather for the grip with small horse heads painted in gold on the side of the leather. Wrapping around the base of the blade and was a thin line of green jade that resembled a vine or a small snake coiling itself around a tree branch.

"This might make it a little easier of fightin the dragon," the mountain nymph said softly, then leaned closer and added with a whisper," She wanted to give this to you, but she was too nervous." Gently taking the sword from the nymph Alain kissed Marsia once more, but this time on the top of the head. He then looked up and saw Selura looking at him. He felt the urge to go up to her and kiss her, to hold her and not let go. Is this what they mean by love by first eyesight, Alain wondered as he continued to stare at the elf. What was these feeling of confidence that was now flowing through him. Could it be from the sword? he wondered.

"If you succeed in this Alain, your questions will be answered," Selura called out to him.

Alain nodded, now holding his new sword in hand. It was a beautiful weapon, and he felt a cold feeling coming from it. Maybe I can do this, he thought as he gazed back at Selura.

He suddenly found himself staring into her eyes that were once hazel had now become green. They were filled with warmth, love, trust, belief. Maybe it wasn't just the sword that now filled him with the belief that he could defeat Thantole, and the desire to bring the dragon's head along with the Harvester's Stone.

Alain gave a smile just before he ventured towards the cave where he would meet his destiny. As he came closer towards the cave, a thought entered his mind.

Maybe she is more just an elf, a nymph maybe, or even a goddess herself.

"Who are you Selura?" Alain asked under his breath, yet he already knew the answer he would receive if he had asked her back at the library, or just a few minutes ago.

Once you finish this task, your questions will be answered.