Chapter 1
Beside the Bnarn River
I was walking down a road heading towards the Borderlands, an area of the world I had not been yet. Even though I have been traveling for 131 years does not mean I have been everywhere, it means I have traveled for 131 years.
In the distance was a castle with pennants flying, guards on the walls, a draw bridge and a moat. To the south was a valley with a river in it. There were several grass and flower covered hills all around it. I knew this river. It was called the Bnarn. I would not drink it. I knew there were several towns upstream, and all of them dump their sewage into it. I knew only an idiot would drink that water, but sadly there were many idiots in the world.
To the north was a forest of deciduous trees. I could hear the birds chirping, the squirrels chattering, the leaves rustling in the wind coming off of the plains. I could smell the forest. I almost thought I could hear the elves singing. I knew that deep in these woods were the Elven Northern Lands. I knew that somewhere the elves were singing, and I thought I could hear them, but I knew I could not. They were thousands of leagues away.
I was wearing a grey wool cloak with a hood. In my right hand was a staff, on my back was a bow and a quiver full of twelve arrows, and there were two hidden knives on my body, one in my soft leather boots. The other hidden up my cloak sleeve. The staff itself was not Avenst; I left it with the Gold Dragon I had spoken with years earlier. I knew he would keep it safe, and that none would dare take it.
In my hand was a sword, the staff was the sheath. It did not look like it, but I just had to twist the top of the staff, and the hilt would spring out and I could unsheathe a four foot long sword. While it was not a hand-and-a-half sword like Avenst, it was High-Grade Elven Steel. This sword was given to me as a gift by my friend whom I had met in the bar years earlier.
I looked very much like a wizard. In fact, no one would mistake me as something else. I was an elf who looked like a wizard. I had a white staff, five feet high which I used to walk. I carried a bag with me, which if you looked inside you would find a magic book and a journal, and a quill and ink. You might also find leather gloves.
Underneath my cloak I wore leather armor. And beneath that were regular clothes weaved from Elven yarn.
Despite my age and experience traveling, I had never gone this far west. I knew this river only because I had seen it before. Yet, I had passed the town I had visited years earlier a month ago, and so, I was traveling in unknown territory.
A hundred yards behind me I could hear footsteps, like someone running in leather boots. I turned around and saw an elf woman. She was decorative boots, obviously not made for travel. She carried a bow on her back. I estimated her age to be between 25 and 50 because she looked like a 15 year old human. She ran up beside me and stopped. "Hello." She spoke in Elvish.
"Hello," I replied in Elvish as well.
"I haven't seen an elf in a while." She said in the common tongue.
"Neither have I. But the Elf Forest is far from here. I have not seen an elf in a decade." I spoke in Elvish.
"How long have you been traveling?"
I sighed and counted the years. After a minute I lied to her, "189 years if you count the days I was young. But if you do not, then it has been 116 years since I left Osilon."
She spoke in Elvish. "So, you haven't been among elves for 116 years?"
"I have met elves, but I have not walked among them for 116 years."
"What is your name?" she asked, still speaking in Elvish.
This was a touchy subject. Though my name was Thaan Irigorn Ravelst, I had been living under the name of Irigorn Dagel. I rarely told anyone my true name, and those whom I had told were all elves who I had deemed trustworthy. I studied her for a few moments and deemed her trustworthy. "I am Thaan Irigorn Ravelst."
"I am Cynwyd Salvoron. Are you the Thaan Irigorn Ravelst?"
"Yes. I must ask, what is Foror doing?"
He paused as if thinking for a second. Then she replied, "Last I heard he was still searching for the secrets of the First People's, specifically the Grey Ones."
"How long have you been traveling?"
"About 5 years. I am now 30."
"I see. I left Osilon when I was 30. I only spent 35 years total among elves. My story is a sad one. Oh, and do not call me Thaan, call me Irigorn Dagel."
"Why?"
"I do not wish my true identity to be known." I replied.
"Okay." We walked in silence for a while. Then she said, "I knew your brother was a wizard, you are one as too?"
"No."
"Then why do you dress as one?"
"I am a thief. I search for the same knowledge as my brother. This and I am a regular thief. I steal from men's pockets, pick locks and such. I was taught how to do these by a friend of mine years earlier. Sadly, he died in the attempt to scale a wall."
"Okay. Well I am a…"
"Sorceress. I know."
"How'd you know?'
"All magic users have a specific look to them. I know this because of my grandparents and my brother, as well as some of my friends. Almost all magic users have a certain 'I am more powerful than you' look in their eyes. Most do not notice it, but I do." "I never noticed that. I suppose I should know."
"It is good you had not discovered this sooner. I also know you were a witch for a time. I can tell by the acid marks on your boots."
"You are correct. The potions kept blowing up in my face."
"A good reason to cease."
In front of us was a man in shining armor. He wore a sword on his side. He was tall, six foot three at most. And by the look of his face, I could tell he was 15 and incredibly muscular. He stood in front of a sign at a cross roads. There were five roads leading off of this road in various directions.
"Hello, would you like to go on an adventure?" he asked us.
"No," I said in the common tongue.
"Sure," Cynwyd replied.
"I am tall for my age aren't I?" he asked.
"How old are you?" Cynwyd asked.
"15."
"Yes, you are tall for your age."
The man towered eight inches above my head.
"What are your names?" the boy asked.
Cynwyd said, "I am Cynwyd and this is Irigorn."
"Both elves?"
"Of course. Isn't it obvious Malgoreal Vlacus?" I snapped at him.
"My name Irigorn the Elf Wizard, is Adamis Theodore, not Malgoreal Vlacus." He sounded very proud of his name. He was arrogant, and, as the name I had given him suggested, he was a Blessed Idiot. Not just any idiot, but a blessed one.
"Would you like to go on an adventure?" Adamis asked again, to me in particular.
"No, I only just met you." I said. My logic was sound, I had only just met the boy.
A man in a wagon came down the road. I could hear it minutes ago, but ever since we stopped I knew it was coming closer and closer. When the wagon stopped the man in driving the wagon asked us, "Would you like a watermelon?"
Cynwyd and Adamis said, "Sure."
"One gold piece per watermelon."
I said, "The watermelon looks to green. I don't think it's ripe."
He was taken aback by my answer and growled, "I'll go to the village where people know a good watermelon when they see one."
"I'm going to the castle." I said, following the watermelon salesman.
Cynwyd followed and so did Adamis.
When we came to the draw bridge, two guards with their pikes crossed their pikes, blocking our path. The guard on the left asked, "Who are you?"
I immediately answered, "Irigorn Dagel the Wizard." I lied.
Cynwyd said, "Cynwyd Salvoron."
Malgoreal Vlacus said, "I am one of you."
I shook my head, and placed my hand on my forehead as if I had a headache.
The left guard asked, "You are a guard?"
"No." Vlacus said. "I am like one of those guys." He pointed towards the guards on the walls, walking around the trebuchets and large crossbows and other large weapons.
"You're a soldier?" The right one asked.
"No, this Vlacus is a paladin!" I growled at them. I was growing tired of this conversation and the sooner I was done with my quest in this city the sooner I could leave. Certain cities reminded me of Osilon, usually the ones with Elf-like architecture, such as this one.
I admit, Elven cities are beautifully designed. The ones in the forests are composed out living plants, usually trees. Elves 'sing' a tree into a shape of his or her liking. This creates interesting architecture, and some of the most advanced choruses can create statues out of wood, moss and flowers. The half-humans (or half-elves as humans call them) bring architectural ideas from the Elven cities to human cities. This is why some human architecture looks Elvish. The unique architecture of Elf-inspired cities reminds me of home.
"What is your name?" The right guard asked.
"Adamis Theodore."
The left guard said, "Very well. Go see the man at the gate." They uncrossed their pikes and we walked across the draw bridge.
We walked to the gate, which was placed in the middle of a twenty foot long stone archway with weapon holes all over the ceiling and walls. There was a side door which was opened and inside was a man sitting at a desk. Beside him was lever with the word "Open" written in the common tongue underneath it.
"Yes. Hello. Who are you?" He asked us, looking up from his papers.
"I am Irigorn Dagel the Wizard."
"Where are you from?" He asked me while dipping his quill in the ink bottle and writing my name on the paper.
"Oxentor, on the eastern side of the Elven Northern Lands," I replied. He scribbled the lie down as well.
"Very far from home," he commented. "How long will you be here?"
"Two, three days at most." I replied. He scribbled in his papers. I looked over them and saw he was writing in elvish. I looked over him closely and saw he had elfish features, but a strangely human face and posture. I knew he was a half-human.
He looked to Cynwyd and asked, "Who are you?"
"I am Cynwyd Salvoron from," she said, but I interrupted her.
"She is also from Oxentor.
"Is she a magic-user?"
"Yes." She replied before I could answer for her.
"How long will you be staying Miss Salvoron?"
"Three days." She said. He scribbled down all the information. While he scribbled, Cynwyd shot me a quizzical look. I mouthed 'Ignore it' in Elvish.
"And you." He lifted his head as high up as he could to look Adamis in the eyes.
"Adamis Theodore, Paladin. Three days."
"Do any of you carry weapons? I do like to run a peaceful city."
I handed him my bow and quiver full of a dozen arrows. I then handed him the knife up my cloak sleeve. He tied them up in a bag and handed them back. Cynwyd and Adamis did the same and received similar bags.
"Very well," he pulled the lever towards him and the sound of gears turning, then a booming sound the gate opened.
We all entered the city.
