Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2016 06:48:17 +0000 (UTC)
From: A.B. <ckskb1@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Chronicles of Valana Vol 2: Elaria's Bane chapter 15

This story is 100% fictional.

This story will feature sexual scenes between minors of various ages so if
it's something you don't like/agree with or it is not legal in your
area/country or are not as of yet of legal age to be reading this sort of
stuff then don't read any further.

I welcome feedback emails with healthy criticism, suggestions etc. or just
plain correspondence, but flames will be ignored and those email addresses
will be added to the block sender's list.

Send your feedback emails to: ckskb1@yahoo.com and add "BCC list" along
with your comments/feedback if you want me to add you to the list of people
I will be emailing with updates and release dates of new chapters/stories.

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

Chapter 15: Two in The Price of One


The ship docked at Lea'laros, Gel'anr's port. "You must be Orphon." Norion
greeted the boy on the marble and wood dock.

"Yes...who are you?" Orphon asked feeling lost.

"I am Norion Anorion...Crown Prince of the Elven Kingdom of Udala." Norion
replied with a sad expression on his face.

"You, you are Norion? How come you are here? How did you get here?" Orphon
started firing question after question.

"I was never in Elaria to begin with." Norion paused for a moment before he
started walking towards the city and the Royal Palace. "All of this can
wait for later. For now, you need some rest, a bath and some food." Orphon
followed him through the cobblestone path towards the city.

"The vegetation here is...stunning." Orphon said as they walked amongst the
plush evergreen forest.

"Some of the trees are ancient. It is indeed a beautiful forest. Serene and
full of life."  Norion replied, his hand caressing some of the leaves of
the trees and bushes around them.

The birds and animals filled an orchestra of sounds with wind as the
maestro filling their ears.

"How ancient? Firefly forest has some really old trees I think." Orphon
commented.

Norion's lips broke into a faint smile. "A few centuries old are they?"

"Yes, I think so. I've only been allowed to go once so far with a full
battalion of dragon riders no less. Father's a bit overprotective of me."
Orphon stated.

"There are trees here in Gel'anr and in the Elven islands that are older
than a few tens...of thousand years old. Some of which are even Elves who
decided to take tree shape and become trees.  Their songs can be heard if
one remains completely silent." Orphon tried closing his eyes holding in
his breath in an effort to listen to the songs of the primeval Elves turned
trees. He could hear nothing other than the melodies of the birds and
animals of the forest and so with his lungs demanding air he released his
breath and opened his eyes.

"Your father...well, fathers can be that way. He loves you, you know."

"I know but I am not a little kid anymore, I am almost Fifteen years old
and he treats me like I'm five. I'm old enough to join the army and fight."
Orphon whined.

"How old do you think I am?" Norion asked him.

Orphon studied him from head to toe. "Thirteen?"

"Indeed...only I have lived for over fifty sun cycles and my father will
continue to treat me like a kid for a few...centuries yet. It is what
fathers do until you prove to them otherwise, if you don't like it you have
but one choice."

"I know." Orphon did not need to be told he could either stand up to his
dad or remain a kid forever.

They continued walking in silence until they arrived at the Royal palace
overseeing the city.

"This place is just..." Orphon whispered feeling awestruck by the simple
beauty of the place.  "A city inside a forest, streams and waterfalls
everywhere. Such craftsmanship in everything...my father did not exaggerate
when he described Gel'anr."

"Your father has spoken to you of this?"

"When I was little when he would put me to bed at night. Those nights he
had free time and could.  He often spoke of those long ago times when he
and his lost friend...I guess your High-King, had spent in this island."

"I see...well we had better go. They'll be waiting for us, son of Lucas."
Norion started walking up the Royal Palace's marble stairs.


* * *


Ravenered looked over the kneeling men and women. "These are all?" He asked
a man standing next to him.

"Yes, sir. Those are all those loyal to Micraal and the old ways."

"Good, execute them all without mercy or regret for they are traitors to
our cause." Ravenered ordered and one by one those kneeling, their hands
tied behind their backs had their throats slit from end to end.

"Good." Ravenered grinned. "Now that the traitors within our Order have
been dealt with...unleash upon Oghelle and rid her of any and all rich. I
want opulence destroyed. Art extinguished.  Affluence eradicated. Let the
poor rejoice for we, their saviours are coming."

The soldiers of The Vaghish, now armed with armour and weapons from looted
Oghellen military storehouses, saluted and left.

A voice thundered in Ravenered's mind. Dark, hallow and
foreboding. "Wellllll doooonneeee, my ssssservant. I grant theeeee the
power of immmoorrtaall ssssppiirriiits. Usssse it my name.  Conssssuumme
this world in my naaame. Fiiirsssst of my bisshoops."

"Oghelle...and the world will buuurn in thy name." Ravenered replied before
pain shot all over his mind and body.


* * *


"Riders, riders approach from the west!" A forward scout shouted to the
armies moving behind them through the fields. They had entered the borders
of the Kingdom of Oghelle the night before.

Aer'andil urged his horse forth. Minaroth and Belevod close behind him.

The riders rode closer and closer until Aer'andil and his Elven companions
could see them, even if human eyes still could not.

"They don't look military...and what is that thick black smoke in the
horizon? The second Darkness army can't have reached Oghelle yet."
Aer'andil murmured.

"At ease, they are civilians." Minaroth yelled to the armies.

The riders, a man, a woman and three young children. A boy and two girls
came to a sudden stop in front of Aer'andil and his mentors who had walked
their horses in front of the forward scouts.

The horses reared on their hind legs. One of the two girls fell off her
horse.

"Orkhavocs? An Orkhavoc army is marching to Oghelle?" The man asked no one
in particular, in obvious panic.

"What's happening my good man?" Aer'andil asked him as he dismounted his
horse.  "Why are you in such a panic? Worry not. The Orkhavocs are not
heading to Oghelle as enemies." He extended a hand to the fallen girl
helping her up to her feet.

"Thank you." She told him timidly. Her cheeks flushed, rubbing her
posterior. She was maybe seven or eight years old but no older than that.

Aer'andil nodded with a smile turning his attention to the older man.

"The Vaghish...or so they call themselves. Oghelle has been betrayed from
within. They are killing anyone who they consider "rich". Everything
beautiful is being destroyed. I was a merchant in Oghelle bringing wine and
deeds from Nikorn. I barely managed to escape with my life, my wife
children and niece...her parents, my brother were not as fortunate. We are
heading to Hordivar where my wife's sister lives." The man told him.

"Hordivar is no more. Oghelle's army led by the Dark General Elaria's Bane
burned the city to the ground killing almost everyone in it. Head to
Lakosi. The refugees from Hordivar are heading there, maybe your sister in
law survived." Aer'andil answered him in a grim voice.

"By the...thank you, we will head to Lakosi. What happened to the Oghellen
army?" The man's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets while his wife
covered hers with her hands, trying not to show her kids the tears falling
off them at the news of her sister's probable demise.

"Slain, all of them down to the last man and creature of Darkness. The Dark
General as well." Aer'andil replied getting back on his horse.

The man looked at him in disbelief, his eyes looking as if he had not heard
correctly or believed he had not.

"Dark General? Dead? Who...what can kill one?" He stuttered.

"Me." Aer'andil turned his head to Minaroth. "Tell the army to move out. We
can't lose a moment more." Aer'andil spurred his horse onwards.

"You...you killed Elaria's Bane? What are you?" The man whispered.

Aer'andil's Elven ears caught the faint sound on the wind. "I am Aer'andil,
son of Liandras. High-King of all Elves and descendant of Glothoin."

A few hours later they stood to the east of Oghelle's impressive walls.

"Oh my..." Rodania's Crown Prince and general of the army whistled. Before
them the city burned with screams echoing everywhere.

"The army of Darkness will come from the west and north, from the Kingdom
of Riadbar.  Everyone have their orders?" Aer'andil asked Minaroth.

She nodded. "Indeed, my King."

"Good, do not go near the city's walls, give them a wide birth and do not
attack unless attacked first."

Behind them to the east the horizon could not be seen. Heavy dark clouds
gathered everywhere.  It had not stopped raining since they had left the
remains of the Serpent's Bastion.

"Move out!" Minaroth yelled out and the combined Alliance armies marched
on.

It was night when they arrived at the sea.

"My Lord...should we attack the boats carrying the enemy army?" The crown
Prince of Eri'Adar asked Aer'andil. They were standing on a cliff's edge at
the outskirts of their camp. Below them a vertical cliff, a thin beach
leading to a pathway up the cliffs and the sea lit by the seemingly
countless ships crossing the sea between Riadbar and Oghelle. The first
ones having made landing, spilling the soldiers on the white sand.

"No. Some of those are carrying men, not creatures of Darkness..."

"I know, my Lord but we will have to fight them either way. Why not sink
their ship from here with archers and siege weapons and lessen what we will
have to face?"  The Crown Prince of Eri'Adar pressed on.

Aer'andil smiled in the dark of night. Minaroth and Belevod caught glimpses
of it with their Elven eyes, Vacroth, Crown Prince of Eri'Adar missed it.

"We shall have to wait and see won't we, prince of the deceitful."
Aer'andil walked to his tent.

Vacroth chuckled. To him that title was not an insult but an honour.

Aer'andil was awake and ready before the crack of dawn.

"Minaroth, have the armies of men cover the western approach. The Elven
armies shall attack from the center path. Oh and have the Lavonian King
lead the human armies with the Crown Prince of Fadr."

"My King? Those are not the orders from yesterday." Minaroth noted.

"I know, Minaroth. I know." Aer'andil mounted his horse headed for where
the Elven armies gathering and breaking up camp.

Minaroth shrugged making her way to the human part of the camp.

"What? This is..." The General of the Rodenian Empire begun to complain.

"The High-King's orders. You want to be the one to disobey them, General?"
Minaroth inquired calmly yet with a death stare.

The Rodenian General opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally
giving a cough and staying silent.

"Good. Gather your soldiers and move out." Minaroth left.


* * *


"They are coming." Belevod stated.

"Finally. Well the army have their orders...rid this place of Darkness."
Aer'andil replied in a stern face. "Minaroth, Feldon's navy in place?"

"Indeed my King." Minaroth replied dryly.

"Good. Good." Aer'andil took hold of his bow spurring his horse to the edge
of the overhang.  Below the army of Darkness had begun it's ascend up the
cliff-face.

"Shall we deal death, then?" Aer'andil fired an arrow down at the incoming
creatures of Darkness.

The Elven armies closed rank blocking off the path to the top of the cliff
with a wall of spears, shields and magic spells.

"Zigush nivaj glughj!" A male voice shouted from below.

"Kill us all eh?" Aer'andil shouted back. "Come and get us then!"

A hollow laughter. "I, Atrik Nakeros am coming to kill you, little one."
Aer'andil grinned.  The battle was afoot.

Wave after wave of Dark creatures fell upon their lines.


* * *


"Why are we here if not to fight?" Vacroth inquired.

The General of Rodenia smirked through his beard and helmet.

"Raise the parley flag." The General ordered one of his underlings.

"Parley? You want to negotiate with them?" Vacroth asked.

"Of course, why slaughter each other if we can...avoid it." The King of
Batorn laughed.

The Rodenian General, Vacroth, the Crown Prince of Fadr and the King of
Batorn along with the other Kings and heads of armies walked forward.

Two horses walked forth from the opposite side. The men on both sides
standing at attention.

"So...you Kings of Valana want to negotiate with us?" A man with a gold
crown on his head and an armour made to look as a lion's head spoke.

"My honourable friend, King Hatoushet of Riadbar. How are you?" The King of
Lavonia asked him.

The King of Riadbar smiled a forced smile. "Wish that we met on better
terms, my old friend."

"Why are the terms not favourable for a reunion my friend? We are not here
to kill you and your men.  No, for heaven's sake. We are here to negotiate
a...pact, a treaty which has you and your men leaving for your Kingdom with
all of us alive. There is no reason to kill each other is there?"

"Not today, perhaps." The King of Nikorn, the other man on horseback said.


* * *


"Shield wall!" Aer'andil yelled from his horse behind the front rows of
Elven warriors.

The Front lines of the Elven armies holding back the creatures and fiends
of Darkness at the mouth of the path leading from the beach to the top of
the cliff. In one synchronized move the front row of soldiers kneeled
locking shields and protruding spears and long swords between the voids of
the shields. The second line locked shields above the shields of the first
line with their spears extruding through the gaps.

"Push!" Aer'andil yelled throwing a fire ball at a four-legged Khasival, a
creature corrupted from a large cat into a being of dark blue fur,
elongated, sharp teeth and viscous red eyes. The Khasival avoided the spell
before launching itself at Aer'andil with a roar.

Aer'andil bent backwards avoiding it while at the same time arching his
hand up holing the bow-transformed-bastard sword.  The Khasival dropped
dead behind him just as his horse reared on its hind legs throwing him on
the ground.  Aer'andil rolled on his back rising to his feet to see a
second Khasival mauling at his horse with both teeth and claws.

The Elven warriors used their swords and spears to jab at the enemy before
using their shields as a battering ram to push the enemy back. They stabbed
again before walking forward two steps.

Minaroth took off the Khasival's head, offering her hand at her King who
used it for leverage jumping up behind her. "Push! Push them back at the
sea, over the cliff, slaughter them all without mercy!"  She bellowed
casting acid rain on the rear ranks of the enemy host.


* * *


"Are we in agreement then gentlemen?" The King of Lavonia asked, a gleeful
smile on his lips.

"Quite." The King of Riadbar replied emotionless. "Oghelle loses the
exclusivity of the trade with the Kingdoms from Valana, we get two percent
from all trade from Fadr and the Kingdom of Lavonia and the Empire of
Rodenia become equal partners to the Kingdom of Eri'Adar, correct?"

"One percent, let's not be "that" forgetful now, shall we?" The Crown
Prince of Fadr corrected him.  The King of Riadbar nodded his submission.

"Then we are all in agreement, for the aforementioned terms, the Kingdoms
of Elaria will not join in any hostilities towards any Kingdom of Valana,
Human or Elven for a period of twenty years, including the Orkhavoc
Confederacy." The King of Lavonia said.

"Where is the Orkhavoc army?" The Crown Prince of Eri'Adar asked.

"The High-King of the Elves has them at the rear, in case anyone from
Oghelle decides it a good idea to attack us from behind." The Rodenian
General replied. "I so have enjoyed these negotiations. Learned something
about diplomacy, boy?" He taunted the Eri'Adar prince.

Vacroth grinned. "Oh most assuredly, I learned diplomacy from my father,
who ordered me to take a tenth of the army and join the rest of the
alliance in the war effort in Elaria. Since you guys decided to bring two
thirds of your army over he is now liberating every piece of ground and
territory Rodenia was kind enough to steel from us after the last war when
our military was almost annihilated and we could not reply in fear of
losing the whole fucking kingdom. Now we are repaying the favour in full. I
believe my father's ambitions stop just east of the mountains, who knows
maybe we'll reach the Anarmel River.  You don't mind having an empire
without a capital city do you?"

"They've had you, General, do not unsheathe your sword unless you want war
between the rest of us against Rodenia." The King of Lavonia told the
Rodenian General before he could unsheathe his sword and attack Vacroth.

"Losing some trade is not such a bad tradeoff for about a third, if not
more, of your territory, I believe." Vacroth turned and went back to his
army leaving the General of Rodenian steaming.

"We shall take our leave then." The King of Nikorn told them getting ready
to head back to his army when the King of Lavonia spoke again.

"Join us in the battle against the Darkness army and Lavonia and Fadr will
give you ship-docking privileges throughout our kingdoms, even for external
trade."

The King of Nikorn smiled and nodded. "So be it then."


* * *


"Master," A corrupted man called out to Atrik. "They are overwhelming us."

"Where are the fucking human armies?" Atrik chopped off an Elven Soldier
atop his horse.

"Attacking our flank, they joined the Humans of Val..." Atrik shrieked
beheading the man.

"Give the signal to our reinforcements." Atrik told one of his army's
spellbinders who waved his hands as if pulling a bow-string chanting in Zah
Dah's tongue of Darkness. A black arrow left his hands bursting in a ball
of black fire a few dozen meters above them.

Aer'andil saw it and looked at Belevod fighting next to him. Daggers in
hands.

"They've called for their reinforcements." Aer'andil changed the blade back
to a bow firing two arrows at a couple of Shadowkillers attacking him. The
arrows burst in bright white light.

"I can see that, my Lord." Belevod stated throwing one of the daggers on a
Beralock catching it between the eyes dropping it dead.

Aer'andil rolled his eyes killing another Beralock with an arrow. "I know
you can, Belevod.  Give the signal to Feldon...after they disembark from
their ships."

"Is that wise my King? We would have more enemy creatures to fight."

"I know, Belevod. I know. And a third Dark General to slay as well as less
for later. Eradicate as much as we can now. We have been wanting to kill
off the armada of our enemy since the last war I believe." Aer'andil
answered gleefully.

"If you two are finished we have a battle to fight." Minaroth cleaved at
anything near her not Elven.

"Quite." Aer'andil replied. "Push!" Four layers of Elven warriors pushed
the shield wall forward.  "Without stop. Let's put an end to this fight."
Aer'andil fired a volley of arrows as the shield wall begun to move slowly,
step after step.


* * *


"My King!" An officer called out to the King of Riadbar. "reinforcements
from the sea to the west."

"Fantastic...now we all get to die a slow painful agonizing death." The
King of Riadbar quipped sarcastically without a shred of joy or fun in his
voice.

"We turn to the west the existing army slaughters us. We stay and fight
this army, the reinforcements slaughter us...a high of a price for ship
docking as I have ever seen." The King of Lavonia killed off a Vorug. A
creature created by Dark Spiritum abilities, a dog and the evil thoughts of
men when murdered by a loved one.

"Thankfully, this whole charade of a battle is yet another ruse by the
High-King of the Elves." The King of Lavonia continued pointing his sword
to the sky to the east.

The King of Riadbar saw dark clouds form all over the battlefield, starting
from the positions of the Elven armies spreading outwards.

"What can dark clouds d..." The King of Riadbar did not get to finish his
sentence as thunders started raining down from the clouds. A few minutes
later ships showed in the horizon. Elven ships.

"They never show you the whole picture do they? Elves." The General of
Rodenia sniggered as he slew a corrupted man.

"Nay, neither do they ever tell the whole truth. They may not lie but they
do omit things ever so cleverly."

"Quite. Our nobles have a lot to learn from them." The King of Riadbar
replied chopping off a head.


* * *


An hour later the battlefield had moved westerly on the beach where the
reinforcements of the army of Darkness and Feldon's army of Udala had
landed.

"Are you finally going to fight me, Atrik?" Aer'andil shouted at him from
behind.

Atrik turned letting a Human soldier fall to the ground dead. His neck
broken.

"But of course Elf-ling. I and Throngul will fight you together." Atrik
smiled a vile smile. Two rows of rotten teeth showing with a black tongue
between them.

"Throngul? A third Dark General? Good, the ruse has succeeded I see."
Aer'andil avoided a sword directed to his head from his left flank. He
dashed back turning to see his attacker.

He saw a tall pale-skinned elf with longer than average ears, red eyes and
dark brown lips, armed to the teeth and handling a two handed sword in one
hand and a large kite shield in the other.

"Throngul, I presume." Aer'andil fired an arrow at the Elf.

"Indeed. I come from the North, slayer of men and Elves." Throngul launched
another attack at him. Aer'andil parried it easily.

"From the North? So there is another land mass." Aer'andil stated.

"Now face the both of us." Atrik attacked him.

"Ready to die are you?" Aer'andil smiled.

"There's two of us. You may kill off one of us with an arcane magic spell
or avatar like you have done with Naire but the other one will kill
you. And that is if you can guess our bound elements." Throngul told him
swinging his sword aiming at Aer'andil's head.

Aer'andil ducked to avoid Throngul's blade before rolling to the left as
Atrik tried to slash him open.

"Not entirely true. I have already killed Naire using Fire. The farseer in
Gel'anr using time, the farseer in the place of water here in Elaria using
water. I'm guessing one of you is bound to soil and the other one to wind
so why not get the both of you for the price of one..." Aer'andil jumped to
his feet grinning.

Speaking in a tongue that no one present understood, not even the two Dark
Generals he turned his bow to a spear.  A spear of pure wind mixed with
what appeared to be mud.

"Come on then. Attack me." Aer'andil held the peculiar-looking spear with
both hands and jumped at the two Dark Generals.

Atrik turned to run, a look of utter terror on his decaying face while
Throngul tried to parry with his blade.

Aer'andil's spear broke the two-handed broadsword in two before hitting
Throngul right on his face, neck and chest.

Throngul fell, dead, the pearl on his chest shuttered, before turning to
ash.

"Fly true." Aer'andil whispered to the spear before throwing it at
Atrik. Atrik tried to avoid it, to parry it.  He tried everything he could
but still the spear pierced his torso. With a screech of anguish and malice
he turned to ash.

"Give the signal to our kin. Finish this. Sing the army of Darkness to
oblivion." Aer'andil yelled to Minaroth who sent out the signal.

It was not fifteen minutes later when the singing was heard all across the
battlefield. Clear voices carrying chants of magic. The dark clouds in the
sky, the same ones that had been used earlier to signal Feldon now turned
purple and blue before a chain of dark-blue lightning bolts erupted all
around them frying anything they hit.  A few minutes later the lightning
stopped and the clouds cleared before a beam of light filled the
battlefield for a few seconds, scorching the creatures of Darkness.

"Belevod, the signal to the Speakers! Hurry!" Aer'andil commanded. He knew
the Elves who had just finished singing would be exhausted and unable to
fight so the Elven and Human speakers would have to protect them.

The singing had killed all of the creatures of Darkness but the corrupted
men were still alive.

Belevod sent the signal. A few seconds later pale-green barriers appeared
all around the Elven armies.

"That's our cue lads." The King of Lavonia shouted to the armies of the
Human Kingdoms of both Elaria and Valana.  "The barriers won't last
forever, let us end this."

Surrounded by all sides, either by barriers or by the now charging Human
soldiers the remaining soldiers of Darkness had nowhere to run or
escape. Not half an hour later the battle was over.

"My King, are you alright?" King Lados of Qazameria asked Aer'andil.

Aer'andil returned the courtesy bow with a small inclination of his
head. "I am fine, thank you King Lados.  Prepare the Elven armies to depart
for Valana. We have spent enough time on this place."

The Kings and army chiefs had retired away from the battlefield in Feldon's
Flagship leaving the armies to mop up and prepare for departure.

"What about Oghelle?" Vacroth asked.

"The city is lost. When things settle down the Human Kingdoms of Elaria and
Valana are free to send emissaries to negotiate with the city's leaders.

"What of the Royal Family?" The King of Riadbar inquired.

"They're all dead. Queen, Heir to the throne and King." Aer'andil answered
him.

"What of the King's brother and his children?" The King of Riadbar
continued, clearly pleased.

"Imer is dead, his children are safe." Aer'andil replied.

"How do you know all of this?" The King of Nikorn asked.

"I know." Aer'andil's reply was short and vague.

"Where are Imer's children?" The King of Riadbar questioned.

"Safe. The where is unimportant. Their father asked of me personally to
keep them safe if he helped me reveal and kill the Darkness in the throne
of Oghelle and I am a...man of my word. His kids are safe and I intent to
keep it that way."  Aer'andil replied, now clearly starting to become
irritated.

"You wouldn't happen to ask because you are the previous King's brother and
you want to remove any...obstacles to the throne now that Imer's brother,
the man who killed your brother and uncle to Bava and Uer, is dead. Would
you? King Vagahomir?" Minaroth queried. Her voice emotionless.

Her father, King of Gel'Glidorn smiled, placing a hand in front of his
mouth as if to scratch his nose.

Vagahomir looked at her, clearly agitated for a moment. "Of course not, my
lady. I merely wish to know where they are so I can help protect them until
they are adults and I can marry them off to my daughter and cousin's
son. Assassinations are such a...grim business. And completely unrequired
when one can use Royal marriages to get the same result." He replied with a
smile.

"They are my responsibility now. If they wish to marry off to anyone when
they come of age that will be their decision.  This subject is closed."
Aer'andil said with finality in his tone. "Feldon has signed papers from
the both of them relinquishing any and all rights to the throne of Oghelle
which will come in effect and sent to you, King of Riadbar, when they come
of age. Until then they will remain safe within the Elven Kingdoms."

"The children or the papers?" The King of Nikorn asked.

"Both." Aer'andil replied now clearly vexed.

"Shall we proceed to the end of war negotiations?" The King of Lavonia
changed the subject.

"The Elves wish only one thing." Aer'andil interjected. "We retain custody
of black river and the passage in the east.  Our trade deals remain the
same with the Kingdoms of Valana except for one change. Fadr is now a trade
partner of the Alliance and all previous sanctions against them are
lifted. In the coming years we will as a whole begin to discuss trade deals
with the Human Kingdoms of Elaria." Aer'andil stated.

"This is one thing?" The King of Nikorn asked. "What of The Orkhavocs?"

"It is one thing indeed. The Orkhavocs are and have been part of the
Alliance for a while now. I am sure they will want to negotiate for new
peace and trade treaties with each of you separately...in a few years."
Aer'andil smiled.

"Why in a few years?" The King of Qadon requested.

"Ah...well you see." Aer'andil chuckled knowingly. "Since a few
hundred...thousands of years now their land has been arid, a desert.  This
will now begin to change. Rapidly. In a few years the lands of the
Orkhavocs will be the most fertile in all of Elaria so I'm guessing that
after they start feeding their own population they'll be...eager to find
trading partners. Until then I would...  stay out of their lands."
Aer'andil turned to leave the cabin.

"My Lord. You set your terms but there's nego..." The King of Riadbar cut
him off.

Aer'andil shrugged. "I didn't set terms to be negotiated. I just stated to
you what the Elves are getting from this and I am leaving as soon as my
army is ready to depart if you think you want to negotiate with me and my
people at this stage you better start a war with me and hope you win it."

The King of Riadbar laughed. "I like this one. No, child I have seen what
you and your people are capable of, I have no wish to start a war with you
and your kin."

"Minaroth, I want us gone from this place before dawn breaks. Tell the
Elven Kings and army Generals. The Human Kings can "negotiate" to their
hearts' content. We are done...for now." Aer'andil told her and spotting
Feldon speaking to one of his generals headed his way.

Feldon saw him approach and gave his general a nod.

"Feldon! I haven't seen you for so long." Feldon was ready to greet his
King when Aer'andil just hugged him.

"My...liege, Aer'andil. It has been long indeed. I...thank you. My score is
settled."

"It worked out. I am astonished it did as it did but it does give us reason
to talk more. Come with me." Aer'andil led them to the Flagship of the
Gel'anr's navy and in the captain's cabin.

A month later the ships carrying him and the army of Gel'anr docked in
Lea'laros.

His mother and Tha'ala were there to greet him. The port was full of Elves
who wanted to welcome back their loved ones, mothers, husbands, sons,
siblings and friends. Some would leave the port happy and some in grief. As
with any war not all who had left had returned alive.

Aer'andil hugged his mother and Tha'ala.

"I wish to walk back to the Royal Palace. Norion?" He asked. Tha'ala shook
her head negatively.

Aer'andil gave a deep sigh. "In Udala?" Tha'ala nodded.

"I see...I can't blame him I just wish he forgives me sooner rather than
later. I miss him so." He started walking.  Tha'ala and his mother followed
him. Belevod and Minaroth close behind them.

"Orphon and Lucas?"

"They left a week ago. You'd have liked him, Orphon." His mother answered
him.

Aer'andil nodded. "Vashka and Imer's kids settled in?" His mother nodded.

"Good, any news from Micraal?" His mother shook her head negatively.

"Is it done? Is it finished?" Tha'ala questioned.

"No, but three Dark Generals are dead and I don't mean their
hosts. Elaria's Bane is dead and our plans are developing.  Now comes the
long wait." Aer'andil replied in a grim mood.

"When will it be over?" Tha'ala asked.

Aer'andil did not reply. They walked the rest of the way in silence.



End of Volume 2. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing
it and that you felt what I felt while writing it.

Send your feedback emails to: ckskb1@yahoo.com and add "BCC list" along
with your comments/feedback if you want me to add you to the list of people
I will be emailing with updates and release dates of new chapters/stories.

The story shall continue and conclude in Volume 3: Open Doom.

you can find this and many more stories in:
http://nostringsattached4you.weebly.com/abs-stories.html