An Elf's Story

[0000 175]

“An Elf's Story”

(based of a true tale)

By Alkenaar

PROLOGUE

Its was a rather windy night. Rain was pouring hard and thunder shot in the distance as the sound of 5 horses galloping rang through the air.

"Men! Halt!" yelled the leader of the noise of the weather. The cavalry halted and dismounted, surveying the area.

"Are you sure, Reinhal?" a man asked the leader.

"Positive," confirmed Reinhal.

The men quickly strode into the forest, following Reinhal. Upon entering the forest, the men were hit with what seemed like a curtain of pure darkness. They could barely see past their hands.

"Tregnak, do you have the lanterns?" asked Reinhal.

"Indeed I do." he replied as he reached into his satchel and retrieved two lanterns, one of which Reinhal carried, the other was carried by Tregnak.

"Men, I want you to scout the area for any settlement, shelter, cave, anything someone could be hiding out in. When you find it, send the signal, and we'll come." Reinhal instructed.

The four other men nodded and went their separate ways, while Reinhal continued on straight. It wasn't more than an hour before a call was heard throughout the forest, and Reinhal immediately dashed in the direction of the sound.

--*--

"Anna, will you quite him, for the love of---"

"Rangak, he's just a baby! And your causing more noise than he is at the moment. You're going to wake up the other."

"I don't care. We all need to be alert anyway, but we don't need HIM giving away our position to the Orcs!"

Rangak was looking at his wife furiously. Anna, her head bent low, took the baby and went into another room.

"Shh... Alkenaar. Be quiet, it's alright." she cradled the small child in her arms.

At the moment, a loud horn was heard throughout the house, coming from nearby. Followed by screams and shouts of Orcs.

"They've found us!" yelled Rangak, "Get to the basement, quick!"

But it was no use. In minutes the house was in flames, and Reinhal was staring down his new victim.

"Please.. we'll give ourselves up to you as prisoners, just promise you'll let the boys live as well."

"Oh, don't worry, the boys will live," Reinhal grinned. "But we won't be taking no prisoners."

---

CHAPTER 1

"P..p.. please! Don't kill me."

Alkenaar laughed a distorted laugh.

"Don't worry. I won't kill you," Alkenaar replied with a grin. Alkenaar then took the dwarf by the collar of his work clothes and pulled him close. "That is, I won't kill you if you give me the money."

Alkenaar dropped the dwarf and pulled out a sword of pure diamond. The dwarf's eyes widened.

"Now."

The Dwarf reluctantly reached into his satchel and pulled out a sack of coins. Alkenaar reached over and snatched it from his hand.

"Thank you, dwarf," said Alkenaar, sarcastically, turning away.

"Th..th..thank you, sir, for your mercy." the dwarf replied, his voice still trembling.

Alkenaar, facing away from the dwarf, raised an eyebrow. Mercy? Heh.

"LEAVE!" yelled Alkenaar, his back still to the dwarf, who proceeded to scroll back down King's Road. Alkenaar quickly snapped around, a bow in his hand. Grinning, he took an arrow, aimed, and shot the dwarf right in the shoulder.

Screaming in pain, the dwarf fell to his knees, still attempting to get away from the bandit. Alkenaar chuckled to himself, admiring his new profit. He swiftly leaped onto ledge above him, continuing into the wilds.

He came upon a crude, wooden hut in a clearing. The nearby trees were only stumps, and the ground was slightly disheveled. Alkenaar dislodged a wooden panel from the deck, revealing a small underground pathway. He dropped in, and put the wooden panel back in place.

“We got some more.” Alkenaar shouted. He set his pack down over in his room. He entered the main lounge, noticing the crackling of the fireplace. The old, worn armchair was occupied by rather slender figure.

“I managed another 100 minas.”

“Good... good.” said the man in the chair. He looked up at Alkenaar, and stood.

“Your arm.”

Alkenaar looked at his wound.

“Ah, yes. Stupid Orc decided to fight back.” Alkenaar explained, laughing. “I think we have enough now, Master.”

The man smile.

“Yes. This should do it. I have some of my own minas put aside for supplies for the journey. The northern planes are desolate and dangerous. Not to mention the fact we are walking right up to the Undead’s doorstep. You are brave to come along.”

“There is a problem though,” Alkenaar said “I haven’t encountered any myself, but you are wanted by the Royal Guard. Dead”

“Is that so?” his master replied, smiling. “Well then. I guess we’ll have to turn me in.”

---

CHAPTER 2

The waves hit the shore with a gentle rumble. The soft smell of the ocean accented the calm, cloudy sky. A path of cobblestone was built along the edge of a cliff, a forest to one side, the ocean to the other. The road was relatively quite, except for the occasional traveler. A tall, muscular man in iron armor walked along the road. He surveyed the area for any trouble.

“Hayden! Hail!” yelled another guard walking by, wearing the same armor. Hayden whisked around, his finger to his lips. He replied, whispering.

“I’ve received a hint towards the location of an infamous bandit...”

The other became silent, nodding. Just then, rustling in the leaves off the road caused the guards to turn their heads, quietly unsheathing their swords.

“Bandit! Ye better show yerself if ye don’t want our swords through yer back now in seconds.” Hayden threatened. Then, a man wearing rugged, torn clothes, walked out of the brush. He looked up at the guards, a scar pierced his left eye, slightly covered by his golden hair. Both guards looked at each other in surprise.

“Avalon!”

They held their swords at Avalon, his head bent in anguish, so as he could not escape. Upon the sound of a voice, both guards, without releasing there gaze from the bandit, stepped aside to let the speaker through.

“Looks like you aren’t untraceable after all, Avalon,” said a voice he recognized. Avalon looked up, to see the shining, blue, traitor eyes of Alkenaar.

“Yeah, with your help,” spat Avalon “And to think I considered you a respectable bandit.”

“Oh, but the reward was much more than your pitiful efforts at thievery could have ever raised, Master.”

Alkenaar gave Avalon a subtle look, not enough for the guards to notice. At the same time, Alkenaar and Avalon swept their feet under the guards legs, knocking them off the road’s edge into the water, rendering them unconscious. Avalon turned to Alkenaar.

“Get their armor and identification” Alkenaar nodded at his request. Both jumped off the cliff, preparing themselves for the incoming water. The two bandits struggled to get the guard’s limp bodies to the shore, and stripped them of the armor, weapons, and identification, then turning to leave.

“Die, bandit!” Avalon turned around quickly, only to be punched in the jaw by Hayden. Avalon yelled at Alkenaar to go quickly, but Alkenaar refused. Knocking the guard down cold with the blunt of his sword, and rushed to Avalon, now on the ground.

“Okay, let’s keep going.” Alkenaar insisted, but Avalon did not budge. He just stared at Alkenaar, a smile on his face.

“Come on!” Alkenaar yelled, fighting his unyielding resistance. “I can’t finish this alone. It’s too dangerous... I’m only your apprentice ---”

Avalon spoke, cutting Alkenaar off suddenly.

“No. No, you are the master. I am merely the apprentice, Alkenaar.”

“I don’t understand.”

“No, you wouldn’t... You nor your brother. There are things you two don’t understand.”

Avalon coughed, clutching his chest. Alkenaar noticed it was bleeding heavily. He shook his head wildly.

“But you’ve taught me everything. What couldn’t I understand, Avalon?”

Avalon chuckled.

“First of all,” said Avalon, relatively humored, “My name’s not Avalon.” Alkenaar

naturally looked confused.

“It’s Rangak.” Alkenaar stared his master in the face, and suddenly it was like staring into a mirror. The shining blue eyes, the shape of the mouth, cheeks....

“Father...”

Rangak coughed severely.

“You were born with good in you Alkenaar. You don’t need to be a hero or a ruler or anything above a lower class peasant, as a matter of fact. You need to be you. And you are perfect.”

“You taught me the life of a bandit! You aided me in murdering other civilians, taking their money! And you say theirs good in me? As if all this time you were joking around?” Alkenaar looked fiercely at his long-lost father. “What do you want me to be? You basically come back to life and suddenly the tables turn... What side are you on?”

Rangak chuckled quietly,

“You’ll understand.” His father spoke these words with his last breathe he drew, smiling at his son. He then fell limp, as Alkenaar knelt beside him, his eyes stone dry, but his heart aflame.

Alkenaar lowered his head.

“Oi! Your getting real close to being with him again, boy! I suggest ye give that armor back...”

Alkenaar looked up. Four other guards stood around him. Sighing, he pulled out his diamond sword. Several guards took a step back, but did not waver, since Alkenaar was still outnumbered.

One guard ran up, his sword to the side of his body, about to swing. Alkenaar dropped to the floor, and pulled his feet under the guard’s legs, while clashing his sword with the second guard, knocking them both off balance. He turned around in time to catch the third guard’s sword coming straight to his neck.

Alkenaar raised his sword, and became locked with the other. Struggling for the advantage, Alkenaar shifted his balance, and he was able to knock the sword out of the guard’s hand. He hit the guard in the chest with the blunt of his sword.

Three guards were down, and Alkenaar was lose to passing out. He brandished his sword, turning to the final guard.

“Go.” Alkenaar said, saving the combat. The guard ran off. Alkenaar fell to his knees, his vision turning white. He lay sprawled on the sand, next to the other unconscious guards and his father pale body.

“Take him to the camp. Now”

---

CHAPTER 2

Alkenaar awoke to a hooded man examining him.

“What is your name?” the man asked harshly.

“Alkenaar...” He replied, drowsy.

“Where are you from?”

“I’m not really from anywhere... I was abandoned at birth. I’ve lived on the streets for my life,” Alkenaar explained.

“I see,” he paused for a moment, thinking. “I’ll be back,” Th man exited a solid iron door, locking it excessively. Alkenaar was lying in a bed surrounded by torches, emitting a dark, red light.

Alkenaar attempted to get up, but his wrist was chained to a post. He lay back, evaluating the situation. Who are these people? Are they dangerous?

He then froze in his realization. He’s in an Undead camp.

“Alkenaar, is it?” said a different voice, coming from outside the small room.

“Well, Alkenaar, we’ve had our eye on you for a while.”

Alkenaar was confused; he had never seen an Undead in his life.

“Yes we’ve had our eye on you. And... you've showed a promise. Iblees has seen your doings and heard you pleas. You could be of use to him, and to our cause.” said the disembodied voice.

Alkenaar was surprised. This was what he and ‘Avalon’ were trying to accomplish, to become an Undead. He remembered not to make a big deal of wishing for acceptance.

“Such recognition from Iblees would be the greatest of honors.” Alkenaar replied, keeping his composure.

“Don’t think you can fool me, boy. Yes, such recognition would be an honor, but one must DESERVE it to acquire it.” the man spat. There was a long pause, followed by a light natured chuckle.

“But... you may have promise.”

Alkenaar silently sighed in relief. For a moment there, he thought he was going to be----

“Now.” the voice spoke, “You cannot leave with memory of this.”

Alkenaar froze. They were going to erase his memory? In a flash, Alkenaar was in a large open space, outside of a tower surrounded by a large wall.

“The fool...” spoke one of the Undead to another.

Suddenly, the sky grew dark, clouds rolled in, and the air become chilly.

“You really gave me an entertaining time, fool. It did seem you were thoroughly convinced we were going to recruit you! Ha! Well, don’t worry. You can be an undead. Just without the ‘un’ before it.”

Alkenaar was immediately knocked on his back, a powerful fore striking him. He felt bleeding, and a.. tingling.

“Them temple monks won’t be able to help you this time. Goodbye, Alkenaar.”

Then another flash appeared beside him, missing him. Four or five times he was struck, until he lay there, unmoving, upon the rocky ground.

-------------

Hope you liked it!

-Alkenaar

[steelersfan1221 300]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.