Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2015 11:13:51 +0000 (UTC)
From: Ckskb Lfb <ckskb1@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Chronicles of Valana volume 1: Shadowlands Chapter 5

This story is 100% fictional (DUH!! :P).

This story will feature sexual scenes between boys and boys, boys and girls
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.

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Send your feedback emails to: ckskb1@yahoo.com and add "BCC list" along
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Chapter 5: Unto the Elves

* * *

Two shall guard the prophecy, two shall remember of what was before
prophesy.  One of the Fairfolk, one of the Speakers. Two shall remember of
offspring of Speaker and Fairfolk.  All shall forget of what was, all shall
remember when offspring is told of what was.

* * *

Aer'andil's double picked up a bow from one of the dead soldiers and headed
back to where the rest of the company were.

They were panting but they were all alive and well except for some minor
cuts and bruises.

He smiled at them.

Merol didn't like fighting in the darkness, it also didn't help that it was
narrow. He could hear the tip of his sword clashing against the
rock. Lucas' own blades were happily slicing through it just as easily as
it sliced the oncoming hooded figures that assaulted them. He tried to
reach for his runes, but his pack was gone. Probably torn off in the
chaos. Darkness it will have to be then.

"Everyone alright?" The double asked and Merol noticed that they were no
longer being attacked.

"I'm fine," Merol replied. The kid was asking if 'he' was all
right. "Where's Lucas?"

"I'm here." Lucas said rubbing his arm walking over to them. "I'd be dead
if didn't have these swords."

Merol nodded and looked about as to ascertain which way to take in the fork
ahead.

"What about the twins?" Lucas asked.

There was a snap of air and then a "We're here." Beck said grinning. They
weren't even dirty. "The air down here is foul" Beck wrinkled his nose.

"Too foul. Like something is here that shouldn't be." Drake nodded. His
eyes met Aer'andil's.

Lucas realised it then. "Marco?" He asked looking at his friend. His
posture was all wrong., It was casual and relaxed but wrongly so. Lucas
knew that when standing still Marco would put his weight on his right
foot. Marco was now evenly balanced and his casual expression was missing
the warm glow that he knew. It was hard to explain, but Marco was different
and not just because he was elf. "Are you okay? You look a bit peaky."

Merol looked at the exchange. "Beck, what do you see?" He looked
meaningfully at the twin closest to Aer'andil.

"I see Marco. Perfect in every way." Beck smiled.

Merol nodded. He knew the code. Beck never saw perfection in anyone; he
always saw a weakness to exploit. "So, Marco." Merol pushed some of his
white hair out of his eyes. "Before we landed down here, you were about to
tell us that amusing story of what you did yesterday. You started saying it
was something to do with that cow we found." Merol smiled in a jovial way,
his hand close to his sword's hilt.

* * *

Aer'andil didn't know where he was or what hour of the day it was. He was
inside a mouldy, wet, dripping dungeon when he woke up and he had no idea
how much time had passed since the battle in the caverns.

He tried to get up and he heard a metallic sound coming from his legs. He
looked down and saw his legs bound together and chained to the wall behind
him by a large, thick chain and manacles on his legs and hands.  He tried
to rise but his hands and feet were manacled.  The manacles were attached
to the wall by a heavy chain and he found it impossible to do so.

He looked around the dark room. There was a door on the other but no
windows.

"Why capture me and not kill me instead?" He thought as he heard footsteps
outside the door.

A man entered clad in chainmail, wearing a helmet on his head. He stood
next to the door as another man wearing a dark hood entered and walked
calmly towards him, the crest of a sword flanked by wings emblazoned on the
black armour of his breastplate.

Aer'andil extended his hand, "Sala?" he tried to do the only air magic he
knew but he instantly felt a sharp, excruciating pain around his neck that
shot to his brain. He clutched his neck and fell to the floor crying.

The man laughed as if he had heard a joke. He grabbed Aer'andil's hair and
pulled him up and threw him on the bed.

"My name's Gilthian, I am one of the seven Generals of Zah Dah and your
worst nightmare. It is pointless to try and use magic, the collar around
your neck will prevent you. Resistance is futile. You WILL tell me what I
want to know."

Aer'andil reached instinctively for his bow but it was not on his
shoulder. Gilthian laughed again and slapped him hard across his face.

"Do you think me stupid, Boy? You think I would leave your bow or dagger on
you?" Gilthian told him as he slapped him again.

"What is your name?"

"Marco?" He was interrupted as he was slapped again.

"Your REAL name, Boy!"

"DON'T TELL HIM!!" His spirit screamed at him in, what could only be
described as, despair. "WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT TELL HIM!!!"

"I?I don't know what you're talk?" He was slapped again.

"Do not lie to me, Boy!" Gilthian produced Aer'andil's bow from his back
and held it in front of him.

"Do not lie to me boy or I'll break this!" Gilthian said as he punched his
face.

"I am not! I don't?" This time Gilthian did not punch him, instead he bent
the bow until it broke into two pieces. Aer'andil screamed and then glared
at him and spat blood on the floor but said not a word . He just looked at
Gilthian defiantly.

Gilthian squeezed his neck until he could barely breathe. He raised him
from the bed as if he weighted nothing more than a featherand threw him
across the room. Aer'andil smashed against the wall and fell to the floor
unconscious.

* * *

"Are you okay? You look a bit peaky." Lucas said.

He looked at the boy and smiled, "Yeah sure, just winded from the battle,
and my bow broke, I had to defend myself?" Then he heard two others
talking, the man called Merol and one of the twins.

"So, Marco. Before we landed down here, you was about to tell us that
amusing story of what you did yesterday. You started saying it was
something to do with that cow we found." Merol said to him. He looked at
the man and knew it was some kind of test.

He turned to the man and thought for a moment, he remembered the original's
memories, "No?I did not?I was pretty silent, thinking about what my spirit
had told me a few nights ago, then the ground fell under our feet, I
screamed if anyone was alive and a few hours after that we were attacked?"
He kicked one of the bodies of the fallen enemy, "Fucking morons broke my
bow!"

Merol nodded. Something was still off though. "We should be moving."

Lucas knew what Merol was thinking, he could see it in the man's eyes. He
recognised that expression. He had the same pensive narrow eyed look of
suspicion, or so he had been told.

"Hey Marco." Lucas tried to sound casual, he wasn't sure if he managed it
or not. "I'm glad you're here." He leaned into his friend and whispered,
"Kiss me, like you did before." He grinned.

* * *

"Listen to my voice Aer'andil. Let go of the pain!" He heard his spirit
speak to him. He knew not how much time had passed, only that every inch of
his body hurt and it hurt so much that his brain had begun not to register
it. Something was sticking out of his belly button. In his blurry vision he
could only see it as a black rod that emanated some kind of dark glow.

"Pain? What pa?" His thoughts were interrupted as he felt a sharp,
excruciating pain across his lower body. Like something was cutting him and
burning him at the same time across from his thigh to the base of his
boyhood.

Someone was laughing and talking to him, asking questions.

He heard himself scream at the top of his lungs.

"Ignore the pain Aer'andil, listen to my voice and nothing else!" His
spirit said as he felt more mind searing pain. He screamed and cried for
dear life.

"Let the pain go, it is only in your body. Let your body go. Let it fly
through the skies like in your dream and the pain will go!"

He tried and tried but the pain was just too much. He could hear someone
ask him questions constantly.

"I?I?don't?"

"LIES!" Gilthian said and twisted something inside him, tearing at his
skin.

"No, do not answer him listen only to my voice and nothing else!!" His
spirit said to him.

He tried his best to concentrate on that voice.

For a few moments, the pain dulled but then returned tenfold.

He fainted again.

* * *

"Sorry?not in the mood at the moment?we do need to get out of these caves?"
He said and stared walking.

Lucas raised his eyebrows and flapped his hands.

"You are being a jerk." Lucas said and walked away from him. "You are not
the person I knew. Stay away from me."

Lucas glanced up at Merol as if so say, 'Try this'. He wasn't angry, but he
was baiting Marco.

"Aww, Lucas can't have a kissy wissy because Marcey whiley can't get it
up." Beck laughed.

Merol laughed, he actually laughed. "Marco is always horny perhaps he is
having a problem. Maybe we can see a doctor."

"No I am just fine, just not in a mood to kiss right now."

"Where's the other twin...Beck or Drake...They look the same." Lucas said
looking about in the gloom.

"He'll catch up." Beck told him.

Drake glanced across the mountains as he walked, naked on of the the
snow. He could feel magic pulsating in the air. He knew it well and this
was not an easy magic to muster. He could almost sense where the magic was
leading. Had he been in his true form it would have been easy.

He looked out over the mountains. They didn't have far to go, and hopefully
they would actually survive this trek and get to the settlement of Yridrial
where they could catch the boat.

He caught a glint of light bouncing off metallic buckles. It was Merol's
rune pack. He couldn't take the pack to him as it wouldn't travel through
the rock. Instead he placed it into a bush. He could retrieve it later. He
could travel much faster through the air than on foot.

As he picked up the pack a rune slipped out. It was the rune for
quicksilver. He picked it up and went to slide it back into the bag and he
felt a familiar at then nape of his neck. He looked at the rune. The
spirits had just sent him a message. They couldn't speak to him, he was
banished, but they had sent something to him. This rune.

Drake gasped with sudden realisation. Marco wasn't a normal imposter, he
was quicksilver! He shivered at the dark magic used to conjure forth this
magical apparition.

He dove through the rock, desperate to get to Merol before something bad
started.

* * *

Aer'andil woke up in his dungeon cell, well hole. He tried to stand up but
he groaned in agony and lay back in his bed.

Men came and took him. They bound him in another room with chains from the
ceiling.

Then, that same dark hooded man came in and laid a folded leather bundle on
a table. He unstrapped it and started unfolding it.

When he had finished unwrapping it, he saw various tools and knives
arranged neatly in it.

"Concentrate only on my voice Aer'andil or you will not survive this. Have
courage your pain soon comes to an end!" His spirit spoke to him.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on his spirit. He felt pain but it was
greatly dulled by his concentration on his spirit.

The "interrogation" went on until he could utter no more words, not that he
told them anything.

He was thrown in his cell. He didn't know how much time had passed since he
had had any food or sleep. They did not allow him much of either.

* * *

The double looked at them. They knew, somehow they knew?those two
twins?they were not normal human children. He could sense them.

"The Mission can be completed without you five." He said and took the
dagger out of its sheath. He jumped for Lucas' exposed back.

Merol was ready for something like this. He shoved Lucas into Beck who
dragged him out of the way.

"You wanna be far away from this," Beck said as he pulled Lucas away.

Merol came around a full turn with his sword in his hand. He reached his
mind out, seeking and calling for nearby spirits. His mind found few
willing spirits this deep underground. He would have to fight this out on
his own until they arrived.

Merol swung his sword in the direction of the fake boy.

The imposter didn't even try to avoid the sword. He laughed an eerie sound
and plunged through the sword, cutting himself in two only to "glue"
himself back together as he stepped sideways, melted into the ground, and
lost Aer'andil's characteristics entirely. He appeared behind Merol and
made a stabbing motion straight for the man's spine.

* * *

Aer'andil was almost delirious and the only thing that kept him going was
the warmth and love he felt emanating from his spirit.

The need to surrender though was growing inside him, to lie down and
surrender to the sweet embrace of death. Yet he held on to his spirit with
all the strength he had left.

* * *

Merol felt his sword hit the imposter then watched in horror as the blade
slipped through the flesh and welded itself back together, like two molten
halves of a sword being merged back as one.

"Merol!" Drake bellowed.

Merol turned and felt a pain in his side, the blade that was heading
towards his spine missed, but sliced along his flank.

"Quicksilver!" Drake bellowed again.

"The slippery shit." Merol growled. "If I had my pack you'd be dead in a
second, you impudent little demon." He spat out into the air.

"Oh, get ready." Beck said as he pulled Lucas and Micraal even further
back, grinning expectantly.

Merol gripped his sword with his right hand and placed his left hand along
the blade edge. "Spiritu Ardoris" He said softly into the air.

It wasn't a time to seek the aid of the spirits. This was the time to
demand the presence of one. He rarely used his ability to summon an
elemental spirit from the other lands, but this time, the deed could be
justified.

The air seemed to be sucked out of the tunnel and it got stifling hot for a
moment. A roaring sound was heard from deep inside, and an orange light
headed towards them. As the glow got closer, they could see that the shape
was reminiscent of a flaming bird, filling the entire space with flame.

"Here. We. Go." Beck said as he disappeared. He had turned into vapour,
shielding the two boys from the fire that seemed to explode into the
cavern, setting everything alight.

Merol stood amongst the thick flames but they seemed to just flutter over
his skin harmlessly. In truth, the flames will not harm the one who summons
them.

Before the shadow Marco could even jump to avoid the next move, he saw the
fire elemental come. He had no way out of the caverns?the heat intensified
until he melted into the floor and begun to vaporize?the shadow spirit
inside him vulnerable to the world.

Merol's sword drove through it and in a wail of evil and malice, it was
dead and gone.

* * *

Many an interrogation later, Aer'andil lay again on the table that had been
the site of his torture, used to torture him. Gilthian had just finished,
for the time being.

"You have not answered a single question you insolent little brat?but it
matters not?later on I shall rape you and then transport you by means of
magic to Zah Dah?you will speak to my master in his fortress of death
before he rapes and kills you. HAHAHAHAHHA!"

He was thrown back into his cell.

"Can you hear me Aer'andil? I am using the last of my strength to bypass
the collar around your neck?you must listen to me."

Aer'andil tried his best to concentrate on the spirit's "voice" as he spat
blood onto the cell floor. He hugged himself around his ribs tight and
curled up into the fetal position. His tears all dried and unable to
produce more.

Never in his life had he felt as much pain as in the last few days or
however long had passed since his capture.

"I?I?can't do this anymore?I?I?just want to die?"

"You won't have to my nephew?I am sorry you had to go through this much
pain but I had to concentrate all my powers, all my strength for what is
going to happen next?"

"My?my uncle? No?how? Why?"

"As I said before, it is not for me to say?but I can tell you this
Aer'andil?I am both very proud to have you as my nephew and very happy to
have met you even. I am afraid I must die now?"

"NO! Why!?"

"That thing around your neck?you cannot remove it?in fact the only persons
that can, without killing you, are that?creature that has been torturing
you?and his master. Aside from them, only one more power can do so, the
willing self-sacrifice of a higher spirit. It can release as much energy as
is required to break the collar without allowing it to pass the deadly
magic into your blood?so I must die. Tell?tell my brother?that he needs to
forgive himself?for not killing my son when he needed to?and that I will
always be grateful for the effort he made to save him. Tell him that I am
sorry?for bringing this monstrosity to Valana. I love you like my own son
Aer'andil, my name is Elrian Lavalas and I am proud to have been your
uncle!"

Then to Aer'andil's great dismay, everything went completely silent.

* * *

"They should be out of those caves by now?" Elrian Lavalas thought as he
searched for them. "It has been almost two weeks since they killed off the
imposter.

A few dozen kilometers away Elrian Lavalas found what he was looking for.
He identified Merol and spoke to him.

"Hear me Elduhost Merol, for I am Aer'andil's spirit. I know you have not
many reasons to trust me after your experience with the imposter, but you
must. My name is Elrian Lavalas. If you recognise the name and the lineage
behind it you must tell nothing to Marco, as you call him, it is for the
guardian of the prophesy to tell him. My nephew Aer'andil is at the Fedria
castle ruins, I must sacrifice myself so that he is not raped and sent to
Zah Dah. If he were to be sent there, he would never recover.

"My sacrifice, though, means that my nephew will be a spiritless elf and
that means he has only three days to live. Three days of excruciating pain
throughout his body and mind. You must hurry to him.  You must go directly
to Qazameria as the eagle flies. King Lados will know what to do. It has
been an honour to meet you, even from within Aer'andil. I understand why
the High-King of the Elves agreed to allow you to be raised amongst us. Why
he agreed to take you under his wing. I know that with you, my nephew is
safe. You are a good man Elduhost Merol, may you live a long and prosperous
life and die an honorable death when your time comes?"

The spirit went quiet for a few seconds before speaking again.

"You may all want to avert your eyes from the direction of the coast and
cover your ears...it is going to be rather?bright and loud?" He said.

"Everyone close your eyes and ears!" Merol yelled as he took Micraal and
Lucas behind him and sheltered them from what he knew was coming. He could
feel it in the air.

Seconds later, Aer'andil arched his spine backwards as his spirit erupted
from inside him. A pillar of clear, concentrated green light erupted from
the ruins of Fedria castle. Everyone saw it from kilometers away, from
Rodania to Gel'anr. All who could feel the spirit world, Elves, and
speakers felt the willing anguish of Aer'andil's spirit as every particle
of air and vapour exploded, sending shockwaves for miles in every
direction. The pillar of light penetrated the clouds and pushed them aside
before forming a dome of pulsating green light. Then, as the atmosphere
pushed in on it, it formed a double mushroom, green, sad and somehow
peaceful. Then it too fragmented into smaller explosions sending shockwaves
across the landscape.

The collar around Aer'andil's neck, the castle ruins, everyone inside it
except Gilthian, who transported away when he felt the magical energy
building up, and a few kilometers around the ruins instantly
evaporated. The ground shook and trembled, trees fell but Merol and the
rest of them were far away and safe.

Seconds later after the blinding light a wave of sound smashed at them.

The light disappeared leaving behind patches of ground and dust turned to
glass from the intense heat. Where the castle ruins had stood, a crater had
now appeared with Aer'andil in its centre. For kilometers around the
castle, all was dead, disintegrated in the explosion. The ground was
scrubbed white. Clean groupings of glass structures dotting the
environment.

Aer'andil was delirious as he tried to crawl away after the dust had
settled. The had felt pain before during the torture inflicted on him by
Gilthian was nothing compared to the constant flood of pain he felt now
rushing throughout his body and mind. Ash had started to fall all around
them. White, suffocating ash.

He tried standing but he fell, from the waves of pain, to the ground after
only a few steps. He tried to crawl but he felt the paralysing pain all
across his body.

He fell into half-sleep, exhausted.

* * *

"Drake, go." Merol ordered to the boy. Drake knew what he had to do and in
a second, he was blowing in the wind towards the sight of the fading light.

Drake raked across the landscape towards the light. He had to move fast,
faster than he would usually go, not just travelling in the wind now, but
also actually pushing the wind.

"Merol?" Beck said, his voice showing concern.

"He'll be okay." Merol replied, indicating Drake. The twins were never
apart for long and Merol knew that separated they were emotionally
vulnerable. Drake would struggle, but he had his task to focus on. "We will
meet up with them soon; it looks like it's in the direction we are
going. We'll get some horses at the inn on the way, but we must make
haste."  Drake was exhausted, his body screamed at him to stop, but he
carried on in spirit form until he saw his target. This form finally failed
him. He had held it too long and he plummeted to the ground, rolling and
scattering soot and dirt.

"Argh," Drake got up and checked his body for breaks. He was okay and he
could already feel his spirit energy returning. He looked over at
Aer'andil, the boy left alone inside a white crater.

"For the sake of the Aeternae animus, what the hell have they done to you?"
Drake looked over at the bloodied boy in pity. He placed his hand on the
boy's head and his heart sunk...he felt no spirit.

"An elf without a spirit is no elf." He half whispered. "Poor Aer'andil."
He felt sad for the boy, the spirit that had filled the boy was gone, his
body starved for its symbiant spirit.

Drake sat back, at a loss as how to proceed. The boy was important
according to Merol, and even the great spirit-slayer was risking his life
for the boy. Was he really that special? Merol thought so.

He knew what he had to do. It could go horribly wrong. Any normal spirit
would never try to bisect their life force as it meant the death of the
spirit, and any spirit entering a spiritless elf would lose that
spirit. Giving his whole spirit to the boy would not work, as Drake had to
remain tied to his own body to maintain the sentence passed down from the
elder spirits. A life-force split was the only way to proceed. Drake might
die, Aer'andil might die; but he had to give both of them a chance to live
if possible.

"Aer'andil." He said to the boy, not sure, if he could hear him. "I am
going to try and ease your pain until the others come."

Drake placed one hand on the boy's forehead and the other on his heart. He
started to emit a mist like aura that flowed along his arms and into
Aer'andil's chest.

When Drake thought, about half had been transferred over, he pulled away
and he slumped groggily onto the ground.

Aer'andil heard what thought to be Drake, speak to him as he regained
consciousness, He felt the boy touch him and then he felt the boy's
spirit?wait spirit. "Aren't humans spiritless" he thought?

His first instinct was that of "defend" but he had no strength to do so, so
he just let go and allowed the spirit into his depths. He felt vulnerable
and as alone as he had ever felt but the spirit was warm and friendly and
was lending him some of his life force, for some reason he was not entering
him like?like his uncle had.

As a portion of his strength returned to him, he reached out with his mind
and probed the spirit, "engaged" with him as he had engaged with his uncle
in meditation.

This spirit was older than his uncle but younger at the same time. At
first, it did not make sense to him but then he understood it. His uncle
had been much older when he had died and ascended, whereas this spirit was
much younger, maybe only a child when he had done so, even if
chronologically it had been before his uncle.  This spirit, in the shape of
an orb, glowed violet. It was different to his uncle's, affectionate,
controversial, mischievous but loyal. He liked him.

Then Drake pulled out and he felt alone again.

He opened his eyes, feeling better if only slightly. The excruciating pain
was gone, but he still felt a constant ache everywhere and somehow he knew
that he only had days to live if something did not change radically.

He smiled at Drake as his vision improved. He coughed and spoke with
difficulty.

"Th?thank you?you?you and Beck?you aren't simple humans are you? Humans
don't have spirits inside them, do they? I don't mind?I won't tell anyone?"
He stopped speaking, the effort was too great, but he managed to raise his
hand and caress the boy's cheek before falling asleep again.

On the Elven isle of Qazameria, dawn was just rising, the sun's gentle
caressing tendrils waking Elf and nature alike.

King Lados was sleeping soundly in the arms of his young lover in his bed
in the large Royal bedchamber, made of finely carved wood in shapes of
grass and leaves. Qazameria City stood in the center of the island amidst
fields of grass and flowers. Qazameria was by far the lowest lying of all
the Elven isles, as horses do not need mountains or trees.

The island had two levels, as one quarter of the island stood twenty meters
above the rest still flat but higher creating cliffs and a river that ran
through the City creating a waterfall.

King Lados felt the anguish of a nature spirit blow the wind from his
island. He jumped from bed and shook his lover from his peaceful, content
slumber. Dressing as fast as they could, they run outside and towards the
coast in their horse forms, they saw the fading explosion.

King Lados knew instantly what it was.

He looked anxiously at his lover's young face, "Hurry back to the
city. Tell the court speaker to prepare the summoning circle and send my
way three speakers and an open carriage with two horses, normal ones?"

"Why? What has happened?" His lover was younger than he?much younger in
fact. King Lados was currently seven thousand years old. His boy lover was
only five hundred he had only just begun transforming into his stallion
form.

"A spirit inside an elf has made the ultimate sacrifice to save his host
from an inevitable fate of torment and/or death?a spiritless elf has only
three days to live unless a speaker or a spirit lends him some of his
life. And that will only postpone the inevitable death for so long. If we
don't perform the embodiment ceremony within the circle?it is usually
performed for newborn infants but now it will be used for this. GO! We
don't have time to lose!"

"Yes my king!" The boy said, kissed him, transformed and galloped off in
the morning mist.

"To the ferry port." King Lados thought and ran to the port, to await the
elf speakers. If the elf's companions had half a mind, Qazameria would be
their first port of call. It was the closest elf isle to their location.

His slick, long, black mane fluttered in the wind as he galloped at full
speed, his hooves thundering against the rocky ground.

* * *

Merol and the others had paid for their horses promptly and had raced to
the sight of the light as fast as the horses could gallop. It was still
longer than Merol would have liked, and when they arrived they found both
boys slumped against the rubble. Aer'andil was unconscious, or perhaps just
asleep, but Lucas ran over to him while Beck ran over towards Drake.

"He's very weak." Beck said, cradling his brother in his arms.

"Marco," Lucas crouched down next to his oldest and best friend, taking his
head in his hands, caressing his scarred cheeks. "Marco, talk to me, are
you okay? My god what have they done to you!?"

"We have to get to the ferry. The Elves will be expecting us and they will
know what has happened here." Merol explained as he knelt down and
inspected Aer'andil. "He has been given spirit power." He could sense it.

"I had to." Drake said softly. His face pal as death.

"I understand. I would have done the same." Beck said as he helped his
brother up.

"Merol," Drake said as he struggled to his feet. "Your runes pack, on Mount
Ironhorn, under a bush near the summit."

"It's okay Drake. I'll send someone from Qazameria to go and pick it
up. They will, no doubt, send people over to investigate the battle area."
Merol looked over Aer'andil quickly and decided to risk moving him. He
scooped the boy up and placed him on his horse, then mounted behind the
boy. Merol's own ability to communicate with the spirits could help calm
the fragment of Drake's spirit inside him, but both boys would need help if
they were to regain any resemblance of their former shelves.

Soon all the boys were on horseback, riding into the small ferry town of
Yridrial. It was a bit slower than normal, as Merol wanted to avoid the
bumps created by urgent horse riding.

When they reached the port, there was already a ferry there An Elven ship
carrying two Elves, a male and female The male got out and greeted them,
spoke to Merol as they all entered the ship, and helped them carry their
supplies and the two unconscious boys onto the ship.

A few hours later, at high noon, they arrived at Qazameria's port.

King Lados and three speaker healers were there to meet them.

King Lados recognised Merol and greeted him as the man disembarked from the
ferry.

"Elduhost Merol! What happened?"

Merol explained to him what had happened, and how the two - he gestured to
Marco and Lucas- had arrived earlier. King Lados had understood instantly
what the man meant.

"So early? They were not meant to arrive for a few years more?nothing we
can do about that though. We ride for Ilandri, the capital of our fair
island. We have not a second to lose. We have horses for you all. The elf
boy and?the other one will ride in the open carriage. I will go ahead to
oversee the rest of the preparations. We will have to perform the
embodiment ceremony, you all will be the first humans to see it. It is
usually performed for newborn infants, to imbue them with their spirits but
this occasion demands of us a more unorthodox means of handling. I will see
thee in the Capital of this fair isle."

Lucas studied the Elf King as he spoke. He was of average height but
slender and clearly well exercised as there was no trace of fat anywhere on
his nicely trimmed body. A body that was adorned with slick muscles and a
long set of tresses descending from his head. He had brown eyes and a
smooth looking, oval shaped face without facial hair. His face may have
looked young but his eyes betrayed a sense of being "ancient".

He spoke in haste but clearly and regally, then he transformed into a black
stallion, tall with long slender legs and glossy short hair. He reared on
his hind legs and galloped off in the direction of the capital city.

The carriage started moving, following the path of the Elven King. The
Elven Speaker healers removed the part of Drake's spirit from Aer'andil and
placed it back into the boy's body. Then the two Elven Speakers caring for
Aer'andil and one for Drake gave portions of their own life force to heal
and sustain the two boys until they arrived at the Capital and the royal
palace.

When they arrived, they held the boys in their laps to continue sustaining
them with their life forces and headed to the summoning room inside the
Royal Palace. King Lados was already there with about a dozen more
speakers.

The boys were placed in the circle.

"Elduhost Merol, you are a speaker and an experienced one, you can aid
us. Stand with us and repeat our words. It will greatly hasten the healing
of the both of them. The rest of you, stand behind us and do your best to
keep silent! Our concentration cannot be broken if all is to go well." He
smiled promptly at them, walked to Aer'andil and Drake, knelt between them
and placed a hand on each of their foreheads. The rest of the speaker Elves
stood in semicircle around them. Then the chanting started, in the form of
singing.

It was the fairest song Micraal had ever heard.

Soon after, Drake began to look better.

There was a faint glow forming around Aer'andil, which intensified as time
passed.

An hour later, King Lados removed his hands from them both and stepped back
although he still stood closer to the two boys than the rest of them.

Then the ceiling of the room opened by means of some unseen mechanism, and
the sun seemed to direct his warm rays straight at the floor's center were
Aer'andil lay.

Then a light shone down from the heavens above. It glowed a bright and
blinding white. The orb-shaped spirit descended lower and lower as the
Elves' chanting grew in intensity, their voices filling the room and much
of the city.

Some of the Elves present, gasped in awe for reasons perhaps known to them
alone, perhaps known to all who could understand and "listen" to the spirit
world. King Lados, standing amongst them, did not gasp but seemed perplexed
his eyes wide in surprise.

As the spirit descended into Aer'andil it seemed to Micraal that the
heavens themselves were singing an ode to joy along with the Elves. He felt
as if his soul was lifting from his body, wanting to reach new heights of
happiness, wanting to reach further, achieve more than he was ought to. He
could not exactly explain it as he unknowingly smiled with all his heart.

He wanted to look around to gauge the rest of his friends' faces and
reactions but he could not break his eyes from the center of the room.

Aer'andil arched his back as the pulsating orb-shaped spirit entered
him. Only the sun's light was glowing now. The chanting and the singing
stopped from both the Elves and heavens.

All was silent for a moment. Then King Lados turned towards them and
smiled.

"They will both be perfectly fine, better than before. It was close though,
too close for comfort. Rooms have been prepared for all of you and you can
rest or walk about the city as you will. I suspect for most of you it is
the first time you have visited an Elven City. Please enjoy it." Six Elves
came into the summoning room and led them to their rooms. Two carried
Aer'andil and Drake in their arms.

Lucas noticed that his best friend no longer carried any of the marks and
signs of what he had been through. He looked, at least physically,
completely healed.

Aer'andil woke up feeling well rested and for a second he was completely at
peace.

Then it all came back to him, flooding his mind with information.

The battle in the underground passage, his capture, the torture, the pain,
his spirit numbing the pain, talking to him, sacrificing himself to save
him from a worse fate, Drake being something else than human, giving him
some of his own life force.

Where was he? He was lying in a very comfortable bed. It felt as if he was
lying on top of clouds.

He pushed himself up onto his shoulders, his chest was naked, but he could
feel pants below the bed covers.

He looked around. Lucas was sitting in a chair next to the bed, his head
resting on the bed as he slept.

Aer'andil smiled warmly and caressed his friend's cheek gently.

Then a very regal looking elf entered the room with Merol, who wore Elven
clothes. They were made of light blue and ochre silk that fitted his body
perfectly, with straps and belts for his various tools and runes and
sword. The Elf too was dressed impeccably in long, black, silk, hooded
robe. His hair dark, shorter in the front, longer in the back, caught in
ponytail. He didn't have the pale complexion Aer'andil expected of an Elf,
based on the lore and fairy tales of Earth.

* * *

To say that his Master was angry was an understatement of gargantuan
proportions. For days, no one had dared go close to him, not even those of
the seven that were inside the citadel. A guard that did on the first day
his Master learned of Gilthian's failure, did not get out of Olan's room
alive or in one piece and the sound of his screams carried across the
citadel and out to the tainted city. Other guards had dragged his headless
body out and thrown it into the gutters.

Now, four days later, he hesitantly knocked on the door.

"S?sir?it is Naire?may I enter?"

No answer came from within. He knocked again and heard only a buzzing,
pulsating sound.

He opened the door as soundlessly as he could and peaked inside. His Master
sat in his study with his back to the door.

Because of the angle of the door to the study he could not see exactly what
was going on but there was some kind of very dark blue light coming from
the room. He could not understand if the light was coming from the study or
from his Master. Could that be possible, for the light to be coming from
his Master? Maybe he was performing a magic spell or incantation.

He knocked again and spoke.

"Sir?Gilthian would like to speak to you, My Lord, and...and we have had
news from the dragons, My Lord?"

At the mention of Gilthian's name, the light disappeared and Olan stood up.

In less than a second, he had crossed the distance between the study and
the door and was looking down on Naire's flame red-haired head.

He looked at him for a second or two then spoke.

"Tell Gilthian, to go back out there and not to come back without the Elf's
head or I will make him understand, in prolonged and refined pain, as to
why I am considered a much worse and more sadistic torturer than he?- he
paused for a second- what news from the dragons?"

"Y?yes?Sir?we had a missive from one of our agents sent to Vaser?they
should be arriving any day now, as the ship carrying the messenger was
delayed by a storm." That very moment a continuous "Thud" pause "Thud"
pause "Thud" sound came from outside.

"They are here, My Lord!" Naire exclaimed.

Olan did not answer as he gave a chuckle that sent shivers up Naire's
spine, and left for the inner courtyard.

They arrived to see more than a thousand of the great Wyrms circling above.

Their wings flapping on the wind, making the thudding sound of thunder
cracking through the air. A huge black dragon, larger than all the other
ones, roared and let loose a stream of wyrmfire, dragon's breath. He then
descended and his form was lost as he sat on the outer court and the ground
trembled for a second, then another stream of fire was ejected skywards
followed by another roar that shuttered windows all across Zah Dah.

The dragons had arrived and made their presence known.

Olan hurried to the outer court.

"Art thou the King of the Great Wyrms?" He asked the ancient dragon.

The dragon listened to him and then began speaking in a heavy, ancient
sounding voice full of malice, "Yeeesssss, I be the Great King of the
Draggooonnnsss! My name be Droholost. We have come?.do you still offer the
lands of the Elves and all the riches therein?"

"Yes." Olan said simply. His hands crossed in front of his chest.

"Then the Dragons of Vaser will fight for you, we will follow your commands
to ruin or victory!"

"I accept your allegiance. What of Fundor and his followers?"

The dragon growled and Naire could feel the vibrations in his chest.

"Fundor will pose no problem, he may be my brood brother, but he only has
two hundred of followers. I command more than three thousands of our finest
warriors and I am more skilled than him."

Olan said nothing for a few moments.

"My first orders are these then. Find a mountain top to the north of the
city to settle and then start raiding the countryside from Varania to
Lavonia, and the countryside around Eri'Adar. Kill and burn all that you
like but you are NOT to go anywhere near the Elven islands or attack them
yet. Any Dragon that attacks the Elven islands will be punished by death."

"Yes, king of Zah Dah!"

Droholost roared again and launched up into the air. He spoke to his
dragons in their guttural tongue and they left for the hard rock Mountains
surrounding Zah Dah.

"Yes. Rain fire and death in my name." Olan said and left for the dungeons.

* * *

Merol smiled warmly at the two boys in the room. They still looked so young
but they had grown up so much since he first bumped into them. They had
fought and battled, and done quite well for boys that had never seen a
fight, not a real one.

"You are looking a whole lot better." Merol said through his smile.

"Yeah?thanks, I feel better?at least?physically?." Aer'andil's face
shadowed for a second as he remembered the torture and the pain after his
uncle had died.

Lucas popped his eyes open and looked about. "Huh!" He said groggily. He
noticed Aer'andil was awake and he smiled sleepily. "You're awake." He
grinned. "You should have seen the thing that went into you. It was like a
white Fawkes!" He said half-laughing as he remembered the phoenix from the
Harry Potter movies.

Merol nodded. "That was something that got everyone's attention."

Aer'andil looked at his best friend, didn't even care about the other two
people in the room as he held Lucas by his cheeks, and brought him forward
for a kiss. Starting with pecks and then in a full tongue filled kiss like
they used to before coming to this world. He had missed this so much.

After a few moments, King Lados cleared his throat and chuckled.

Aer'andil blushed and remembered what Lucas had said to him.

"A phoenix entered me?"

"Not exactly Aer'andil, you were spiritless, and we performed the ceremony
of embodiment.  We usually performed on newborn infants so that their
spirit can enter them. It was the only thing that would save you from a
very painful death.

"Where are my manners? I am King Lados, Trael Lados, which means young
stallion in Elvish?not so young anymore though?"

"Pleased to meet you Your Highness?" Aer'andil begun to say but was
interrupted by King Lados.

"King Lados will do, Aer'andil."

"I suppose you have questions for us?" Aer'andil asked him.

"Yes and no?you have been asleep for almost five days now.  Elduhost Merol
and I have spoken at some length about most of the events of your journey
so far, but I suspect the High-King will have more to discuss with you.  He
will be here by tomorrow, at the latest, if the weather does not get any
colder."

"Why colder?"

"Bird's wings need thermal winds to fly properly?horses on the other hand
can travel whatever the weather!" There was something teasing about his
comment, as if there was some kind of healthy competition between the
different Elf islands and animals they transformed to.

Aer'andil looked perplexed and King Lados understood as much, as he gave a
small smirk.

"You will have time to understand Aer'andil.  You will all be staying for
some time in Qazameria, as in the north most part of the island there is a
Speaker monastery, and your friend here needs to have some training with
his abilities.  You must also be trained in magic, the ways of our people
and various other fields?but all that we can get back to later. I suspect
you both have many questions, but for now you require rest.  So rest,
explore the city and tomorrow we can all discuss things in greater length.
I shall leave you now, as matters of ruling this fair island call upon my
time and attention. Before I leave, what was the name of your uncle's
spirit if I may ask?"

"Elrian Lavalas, Sir." Aer'andil answered rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

King Lados showed no emotion at hearing the name.

He gave a small bow with his head and left.

"Yes, our High-King will have much to discuss with you." He thought.

"Where is Drake?? I?he?I would like to talk to him?he kind of saved my
life?is he okay? I hope he wasn't?.harmed?or worse?" Aer'andil asked Merol.

"Drake is doing well. With the return of his whole spirit, he got up
earlier today and went for a swim at the bottom of the large waterfall."
Merol said. "The waters are scented, you two might like to visit them." He
said to both the boys. "If you think you are well enough."

"I'm glad he's okay!" Aer'andil said, shaking his head to emphasize his joy
at the news.

"Scented waterfall?! Yeah, I'm up for it!" He said excitedly and looked at
Lucas.

He got up and saw there was a mirror in the room.

"Finally! A mirror.  I haven't seen myself since we came to this place!"
Aer'andil said and walked over to the reflective glass.

"Not to be vain or anything, but I look FUCKING EPIC! I mean look at those
ears! He posed some in front of the mirror and then just dropped his
sleeping pants and looked himself all over. He noticed that he had no scars
on him; the Elf healers must have healed the scars from his torture. Well,
good riddance he thought.

Then he looked around the room for his clothes and located them. The room
was all built from wood, or rather of wood, as if branches had been twisted
and smoothed in creating a room, with leaves poking out all over the
ceiling and columns.

He put on the pants but carried his top clothes instead.

They walked through the city. Aer'andil couldn't help himself as he looked
everywhere, at every building, every tree.  Most buildings were built in,
on or around trees, and some from living trees, just like the royal palace
they were staying in.

There were lots of Elves around, women, men and children.  This was their
city and their island after all. They walked around, talked to each other,
and all smiled and greeted them.  Some of the children, mostly girls
brought them necklaces made of flowers and leaves.

The climate was very pleasing, neither too cold nor warm.  After the frigid
cold of the mountains, it was a very pleasant change.

They arrived at the waterfall and it must have been at least thirty, forty
meters high.

"How deep is the lake below?" He asked an Elf boy that was near the
waterfall.

"Five m?" At the word five, Aer'andil grinned mischievously, ran over the
wooden passage built over the waterfall's edge and jumped.  Arching his
spine backwards, his hands extended to his sides, he plunged into the void
below. He closed his eyes relishing the freedom of the air pressing in on
him and the gravity pulling him irrevocably down.

At the last moment he opened his eyes and brought his hands forward in
front of his head, his hands closed into fists to break the water.

His head broke the surface of the water and he looked up at his best
friend.

"COME IN!! THE WATER IS GREAT!" He shouted and swam to Drake. He could tell
him apart from his brother now even more easily because of their spirits'
colours.

"Show off!" Lucas bellowed down the cliff face. He looked.  It was a long
way down.

"Jump."

Lucas turned his head around to look for the owner of the voice.

"Jump."

He found it. A small frog on a branch was looking at him stretching his
vocal sack each time it said Jump.

"It's a long way down." Lucas replied to the amphibian. He was used to this
by now. "If I land wrong, I could snap my bones."

"Chicken." It croaked.

It didn't actually say 'chicken', but it was the closest thing that Lucas
understood it to mean.

"Yeah, okay I can do this." He forgot about the frog and looked down. He
wasn't going to do a fancy back flip, as he would probably pull a muscle
and end up doing a mighty belly flop.

He jumped and pointed his hands in front of him.  He felt like he was
flying. For the longest of seconds he was a bird, he was soaring through
the air.

Cold water enveloped him and he pumped his arms forcing himself towards the
surface. The water was crystal clear. He broke the surface and
laughed. "Wow!  That was amazing." He gasped and searched for his
friends. He saw Aer'andil swimming towards Merol and the twins.

Aer'andil hugged Drake from behind, with as much affection as he could and
spoke into his ear because of the water crashing sound.

"Thank you! If it wasn't for you?I owe you one! But?what are you if you
don't mind me asking?" He asked the boy as he released him from the hug.
Drake smiled back and pulled himself up onto a rock that was just submerged
under the water line. "Well," He said smiling. "I guess the secret is
already out."

Beck came up and leaned on his brother's shoulder. "We're not human." Beck
said.

"No shit!" Aer'andil commented and poked his tongue out.

"We're spirits." Drake continued. "We uhh..."

"They screwed up." Merol said as he waded into the water wearing only a
pair of borrowed shorts. They were way too small for him, the Elven
clothing was stretched obscenely over his bulging legs and waist. "They
were spirits that took a wrong path.  They would seduce men and lead them
to their deaths."

The twins looked down in shame.

"But," Merol said a bit more cheerfully. "That was a long time ago. There
was a battle, in the end their true nature showed through, and they were
offered a second chance. The elder spirits spared their existence at my
request. Instead, they were locked into two bodies of flesh. They were put
to good use in the boy Harem where they joined us."

"We're different now though." Drake explained. "We understand that just
because a person doesn't have a spirit, it doesn't make them less of a
person." He looked up at Merol.

"We were defeated by one who does not have a spirit." Beck continued. "But
we have our uses."

Drake took over. "We can't speak to the spirits as such, but we can take
their form for a short while. We can travel as they do and we have some
abilities that make us unique."

"We're still the same spirits as we were before, but we have realised that
sex is much more rewarding than killing a spiritless man." Beck
finished. "So please don't judge us. We were foolish and immature."

Merol chuckled. "Were?" He patted the twins on their shoulders. "Now
though, I see my request to spare you has paid off. You are still horny
little toads but your hearts have been warmed to life."

"It's okay. I didn't know you back then.  I know you now, and now you are
both great, and you saved my life - he said as he looked into Drake's
eyes-, we all get lost from time to time, which is why it's good to have
friends to pull you back?" he was interrupted as he felt dizzy and
lightheaded.  He tried to use his hands to steady himself on the rock, then
he felt it, the same instincts and familiar "tag" in his insides he had
felt when his uncle had spoken to him when not in meditation. This time
though, it felt different, far more powerful, more?ancient than his uncle.
As if a vast, endless, and incomprehensible existence pressed in on his
soul, he didn't know how much of it was visible to others looking at him.

"Lubidus and Amarus were judged unworthy to live in the higher planes of
existence. But this act of selfless action has not gone unnoticed by the
Animus Aeternum." He heard himself speak not really knowing what he was
saying but feeling the need to do so, just like he had felt it with his
uncle. His voice was not entirely his own either.

All three heard the spirit speaking through Aer'andil, but even so, it was
a strange thing to witness as the boy's eyes glowed pure white for a
second.

"Woah, haven't felt that since?well since my uncle gave his life... -he
paused for a second as he felt tears coming to his eyes as he continued
speaking?"?for me?well?anyways?I'm going to swim?" He finished talking to
the twins and gave Drake a peck on the lips. He swam to Lucas and started
tickling him and trying to duck his head under the water.

"Keep it up boys." Merol smiled at the twins. "You might redeem yourselves
yet."

Drake frowned. "No." He said and even Beck looked at him strangely. "I
don't want to do this just to redeem myself."

Beck realised now. "I understand, Brother. We do this because we want to."
He said sincerely. "This is what we are now."

"I don't want to lose this body and these forms." Drake looked down at his
body, naked of course.

"I don't think you're done yet though," Merol told them. "They have
noticed, but you are not yet redeemed?far from it I'll wager."

Aer'andil wondered where Micraal was, but then he thought that he would
probably be out and about, exploring the city.

Aer'andil had gone off to play with Lucas, who writhed under the other
boy's tickling. They chased each other about in the water and a few moments
later Beck and Drake also joined in the fun. Merol had decided this was a
good place as any to let boys be boys.

The four of them played, dunked, swam and giggled until they were all out
of breath and feeling physically exhausted.

Aer'andil looked at Lucas and smiled a warm smile at his friend.

He saw a cave entrance behind the waterfall.  He took Lucas' hand and
looked at the twins in such a way that suggested that he wanted some
privacy with his best friend.

They nodded.

Aer'andil and Lucas walked beneath the curtain of falling water.  The cave
was large enough for two persons to sit inside it.

Aer'andil sat opposite Lucas and looked at him very seriously.  He smiled
meekly and bit his lower lip.

"I?I?was thinking?ehh?back?back at that place?. when that?guy?tortured me?I
kept thinking?." His voice trailed off as he started crying.

Lucas hugged him close, caressing his luscious golden locks.

"I?you don't have to tell me if?you?I mean, if it makes you feel like
this." Lucas stuttered, not really knowing what to say.

It took some time for Aer'andil to stop crying but eventually hiccupping,
he looked up with tears in his eyes. "I was in so much pain?after my?uncle
died.  I thought that every cell in my body was on fire?I could feel my
life draining away and yet all I could think about was how I haven't felt
love?you know for?I mean romantically?how I?I haven't yet?I mean?uhmm?."
Aer'andil trailed off, blushing like a beetroot.

Lucas giggled, "?been fucked yet?? I?have been wondering how that feels as
well?" he said blushing just as deeply.

"All the boys at the harem?Beck and Drake?they all seem to enjoy
it?greatly?" Aer'andil sighed, "Iwantyoutofuckme!" He said, altogether in
one breath.

Lucas looked at him and shaking his head.  Smiling gently, "You don't
really want your first time to be with me?even if we've known each other
forever.  If we had stayed on Earth, sooner or later that would have
happened?but here?you should have your first time with one you love?and so
should I." He said hugging his best friend. He wanted to do that with him
more than anything but he felt that if he did that, now with Marco, he
would be taking advantage of his best friend in his time of weakness.

"I?guess you're right.  Let's go out and play some more." Aer'andil said
and got up.

Lucas kissed him and got up, wore his swim clothes and got out of the cave.

Micraal had been walking throughout the city for the better part of the
day, exploring, when he reached the main waterfall. He saw the boys playing
below in the lake and he started descending the stairs.  When he reached
the lakeshore he saw Aer'andil and Lucas coming out of the cave.

They played and swam for a few hours more.

"I'm going to walk the city for a bit." Aer'andil said.

"I'll come with you!" Micraal said.

"No?I want to be alone for a while?" Aer'andil said looking sad.

Micraal looked shell-shocked but said nothing.

Aer'andil walked about the city lost in his thoughts and memories of the
past days.  He walked and walked until he reached the city's edge, and
then, he walked some more. He was in the middle of a meadow, the city
glimmering in the distance, lost in a sea of grass and water.

He sat on the ground and crossed his legs.  This spirit was not green or
fatherly warm.  This spirit reminded him of white-silver flames. It was
scorchingly hot and cold at the same time. He soon found out that this
spirit was far more cryptic than his uncle had been.

"Who is after me and Lucas?"

"A mistake."

"That is no answer."

"Who matters not, why is far more interesting."

"Question or not I have made it."

"That means not it will receive an answer you will understand."

"I cannot understand what I have not yet received!"

"That is not entirely accurate."

"Who is he?"

"Why? What would you gain if you knew he was a human or an elf or if you
knew its name?"

"More than I do now!"

"Not entirely accurate.  All you would know more than before. Would be its
name."

"How can I defeat someone I know nothing about?"

"By learning not of who he is, but why? By finding out why, you will find
out who."

"Agghhh!! Fine!  Why?"

"No cheating! I tell you, you will have cheated and most importantly I will
have done so as well."

"Where then, where can I find out why?"

"Ah much better question. Where knowledge lies."

"You didn't say much of anything?again."

"I said enough. Use your Elven mind and cunning and you will understand
that which you do not now."

"What happens?what happens if - Lucas and I can't?win?"

"The worlds of both the living below and the high planes above stand on the
edge of a cliff, on the precipice of change. Your actions will decide
whether it all falls or will continue as it is."

"If a prophecy says I?we'll win?is it not sure that we will?"

"Prophecies say nothing?prophecies are interpretations of possibilities."

"Why me and Lucas?  Why not two other boys or girls?"

"Why blue and not red? What is, is."

"You still haven't answered why the spirits selected us."

"The spirits selected no one. A prophesy was made. A prophesy was
interpreted."

"So?someone interpreted the interpretation of a possibility."

It was the first time he had heard his new spirit make a noise resembling a
chuckle.

"Yes."

The conversation went on for some time.

"It is time for you to return to Ilandri, the capital of Qazameria." It
said and then remained silent and detached again.

Aer'andil "woke up" from the meditation and walked back to the city with
his head down.  The wind was blowing his long blond curls all over his
face.

He entered the royal palace where a boy that looked to be around his age
greeted him.

"Good greetings to you, I am Imlathis." He had straight brown hair, amber
eyes and a nice body clothed in fine silk attire that worked to emphasise
his toned muscles and healthy looking bulge between his legs.

"Good greetings to you as well?I am Mar?my name's Aer'andil?" Aer'andil
went to offer his hand to shake but then withdrew it. He had no idea if
this was a custom here as well or not.

Imlathis smiled, "Humans shake hands because they fear someone drawing a
sword.  Then again, that still leaves the other hand free and weapon ready.
We have no such fears amongst us, so we just extend our arms in front of us
and touch our palms as we bow our heads slightly." As he spoke he extended
his arms and Aer'andil did the same, as their palms met they bowed their
heads.

"I know who you are. I am King Lados' lover." The boy said without any
hesitation.

"I?well?I guess they don't mind around here about the age difference?" He
said softly, blushing.

"Age works differently with Elves.  Elves don't reach adulthood until
somewhere around one thousand years old?" Aer'andil interrupted him.

"One thousand years? How?how old are you?"

"I am the equivalent of fourteen for a human child, but I have lived for
five hundred years."

"You?I?but?will I live for so long?"

"King Lados is seven thousand years old and the High-King of the Elves is
almost twenty thousand years old?so yes, if you don't get ill or die in
battle, you can reach even further than that?"

Aer'andil looked to be shocked and sad all of a sudden, as if he had
suddenly realised something.

"I?thank you for the information?do you know where my room is? I
feel?tired."

"Yes, I will take you there."

They went to his room, passing Lucas talking to Merol on the way there.  He
said a faint hi as he passed them he went straight to bed and fell into an
immediate sleep.

He saw in his uneasy dreams, himself standing above his friends' graves.
They were not dead because of a battle but because of old age and he was
not even past his teens. In other dreams, Lucas died in his arms.  He was
as old as he was now, or at least he looked like a twelve year old boy and
Lucas looked like he was past his eighties.

He woke up with a start and a scream.

He was drenched in sweat.

"Fuck?" He whispered. He looked outside the window.  Dawn was breaking and
he wouldn't get anymore sleep so he got up and searched for his clothes.
He found a chair with some silk clothes on it.

Before he could do anything two Elves he had never seen before entered the
room. They bowed. King Lados walked in right behind them.

"They are your personal servants for as long as you are in Qazameria and
Ilandri."

"My-what-now?" Aer'andil hadn't even woken up and he was met with weird
stuff.

"You and Lucas will have your personal servants for the duration of your
stay in Qazameria." King Lados said with a smile.

"Oh?ehhh?Me and Lucas? Ehhh, what are they supposed to do? How do they help
me?"

"Well, they see to your every desire. They will bathe you, dress you, and
bring you food and drink.  Just ask and they will do whatever you ask of
them." King Lados said.

"I am not used to being served like that?I guess we'll have to try it
out?what time is it?"

"The sun is not even out yet?according to the prophesy two boys of royal
blood one elf, one human will unify Valana.  Before you ask, I do not know
all of the prophesy or who your parents are.  That is for another to tell,
but for now, Uley and Thelin will dress you."

"Will they follow me everywhere I go?" Aer'andil asked freaking out at the
prospect of someone following him wherever he went.

"No, not unless you want them to, they would only if you were a king.  If
you were the High-King or the Crown-prince then they would follow you but
for now you are a highly honoured guest in my house." King Lados told him.

"No, it is okay I don't think I would feel right if I had two people
following me around everywhere?no offence or anything?just not used to it?"
Aer'andil

"No offense taken, they understand, you will get used to it."

"Maybe?" Aer'andil said.

King Lados bowed his head and left.

"So what do I do?" Aer'andil asked the two Elves.

"Just stand there.  We will take care of everything.  If you need anything,
have a messenger or even yourself find us.  Our rooms are next to yours and
we usually can be found in the palace grounds and gardens."

"Okay?" Aer'andil stood there as they removed his night clothing and
dressed him.  Then they combed and prepared his hair. When they had
finished they bowed and left. Aer'andil bowed back and tried to smile.

Aer'andil got out of his room and walked to the gardens where he remained
until the sun came out.

He walked to the waterfall and sat on the cliff's edge.  He stared at the
lake below and the various Elves going about their day.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he felt someone gently prod
his shoulder. Aer'andil turned his head to see Lucas.

He tried to smile at his best friend as he sat next to him, their legs
hanging from the cliff's edge.

"Hey, didn't see you last night."

"Yeah?sorry I kind of got carried away and walked outside the city?then
meditated a lot?so when I returned, I was tired and went to sleep?" He said
unconvincingly.

"Come on! It's me you're talking to!" Lucas started saying, but he was
interrupted by some commotion by the Elves.  There were quite a lot of
birds flying above them all of a sudden.

"This must be the High-King that King Lados told us about?which one do you
think he is?"

"The eagle I suppose?but don't change the subject?what is up with you?"

Aer'andil didn't answer, "Nothing?really.  I'm going to go and see where
they?land." He got up.  He didn't want to be rude to his best friend but he
didn't want to talk about this at that moment.

Lucas sighed shaking his head but did not pressure him anymore.  He knew
that when his friend wanted to he would talk to him.

Aer'andil walked, following the birds above until he reached the front of
the royal palace.  He followed a staircase upwards where there was a
clearing with a wooden extension over the cliff.  The cliff plunged to the
valley below which led to the sea on one side, and to the city, with its
cliffs and waterfalls, on the other side.  You could see the whole island
from there.

The birds, all different shapes and sizes, started landing in front of him,
as they landed they changed back to their elven form, men and women.  Then
he saw the eagle.  A majestic, huge, golden-plumed eagle landed and
transformed into a tall, blond, blue-eyed elf-man.  He looked to be around
fifty but Aer'andil knew him to be closer to twenty thousand years old.

The man looked at him with something akin to longing and maybe love? It was
obvious to Aer'andil that he was holding back.

Then behind the High-King, he saw a crane land and transform into a
she-elf, beautiful as a clear spring day and as fair as a rose in full
bloom. She had long, dark hair caught in braids behind her head, and
piercing yet gentle emerald eyes. There was something very regal and
equally sad about her.

"Good greetings to you both Bearers of Prophesy. I am High-King of all
Elves, Liandras, and this is my wife and High Queen, Felwyn Galay. Welcome
to our fair islands."

She bowed her head but her eyes lingered, as if she was unsure of something
but could not quite place what. As if she was trying to remember something
but at the very last moment it eluded her.

Looking back to Liandras, he realised that the High-King had spoken in
plural.  He looked behind him to see Lucas standing there as well.

"We have much to speak about Marco and Lucas...many words to be spoken with
you and your friends." He told them and then turned his head to the others
standing there.

"King Lados.  How are you, my friend? And Elduhost Merol.  How are you, my
old friend? I had heard you had decided to come our way again."

"My King, it is good to see you again! Yes, your information is as always
accurate. I couldn't very well leave these two alone in the wilderness?not
with all that is moving about in the countryside of late." Merol answered
after bowing his head to the High-King.

"Yes, our scouts have mentioned something moving about that should not
be. Let us go to the palace and discuss this further." Liandras said as he
turned and whispered something to his wife and then some of the other
Elves, before he headed to the Royal palace of Ilandri.

They all walked towards the palace.  Aer'andil saw the twins walking along
with them and Micraal in the distance looking grim.

They reached the palace.

"I suppose you all must have a ton of questions?the four of us must go to
the council room?we have much to discuss." He said motioned to him, Lucas
and Merol and walked towards the rear of the palace.

Aer'andil, Lucas, Merol and the twins followed him.

The High-King opened his mouth to say something but Merol spoke first.

"No point.  They will join us irrelevant of our wishes, or those two will
tell them afterwards?" he finished pointing at Lucas and Aer'andil.

The High-King chuckled and continued walking.

They entered a large room with a round table and lots of chairs. They sat
around the table but Liandras remained standing.

"Before you start with your questions a short history lesson.  Twelve years
ago, the seer made a prophesy. I was ordained to be one of the two
Guardians of that prophesy, and thus, I know who you are Marco.  I know who
your parents are?

"But I only know of you?the other Guardian knows of Lucas' identity. It was
deemed safer. If one of the guardians was captured, he could only endanger
one of you, not both. There is a catch though, if I tell you who you
are?everyone that ever knew of you, about you, your parents, or your birth
will remember you.  You see, the spell that made me your Guardian, made
sure that only I remember you,

"Everyone else in Valana, on this?planet, no longer remembers you or that
you still exist, not until you learn who you are and the spell is
broken. It would be safer if you learned, who you are after this is all
over.  It would give us an edge over what it is out there rising,
gathering, preparing. But if you want to know I will tell you?" Aer'andil
interrupted him.

"I want to know!" He said decisively and solemnly. His hands were bunched
in fists on the table.

"Very well, I will need to start earlier then, much earlier in order for
you to understand it all?"

"Some is known to the humans, some is not even known to Merol, who knows a
lot more than the average human.  Some is forgotten even by today's Elves?

"Aeons ago, beyond counting, there was nothing but magic?primordial
magic. After?a while the magic coalesced into spirits in an effort to
understand itself. Soon enough though, that was not enough and so magic
formed into all that make us separate. Into land, water and air and after
that, animals came into the world until a species called Nial evolved into
sentience."

"The spirits were very intrigued by this and after some time their
curiosity could not be satisfied by observation alone. So they came down on
the plane of mortals and entered the souls of animals. All other animals
eventually died, not being able to contain the spirit that tried to bond
with them, but the Nial did not die.  Instead some of them, most of them
gained immortality and enhanced senses, and other?privileges. Thus the
Elven species came into being. One drawback of this was that all Nial, now
Elves had to have a spirit inside them or they would die a horrible
death. Also, all children born from Elves have to have a spirit inside them
as well or they too, would die.

"That was not the spirits' intent so they made it their cardinal rule not
to ever do that again.  The lower planes were off limits to interference
from that time on." Liandras paused and looked at the twins for a second
with a neutral but disapproving look on his face. "A pact was then created
between Elves and spirits. A pact, that declared that Elves alone would
carry spirits in the world of mortals.  Speakers those few Nial that had
not gained immortality and the other privileges of the Elves, would be able
to communicate with the spirits. The pact also declared that the spirits
would not be able to venture into the world of mortals without
consequences, unless called there by an Elf and/or a Speaker. Illegal
interference would be severely punished."

"From time to time some of the Elves, male and female alike would fall in
love with a human and in some occasions they would marry and have
children. But the children would always get their human parent's mortality
and senses?until about seven thousand years ago?the seer made a
prophesy?one of many before and since.

"A boy of a human and elf will be born, of royal descent through both
lines, if not stopped he will end the line of Glothoin, an evil unheard of
before, the boy must be killed upon his birth or the pact's end is nigh.

"At the time there was only one elf that was married to a human, my
brother.  He was married to the heiress of Dara and she was with child. I
thought about killing her?doing it without the knowledge of my brother but
I could not. I could not deny my brother the love of his life. So instead,
I thought that if the child was raised amongst the Elves, with kindness,
gentleness, care and love?that he would not grow up to be the evil the seer
had foretold.

"His mother died in childbirth and the boy was raised amongst the Elves,
his rights to the throne of Dara were relinquished and his cousin took the
throne.  from him the lineage of today's Dara's rulers' spring.

"For a few years it seemed like we had undone the prophesy but then
worrying signs started to immerge?tortured animals?raped children?I
confronted him.  He tried to lie his way out of it but I pushed and he
snapped.  He screamed about how Elves were abominations, how all beings
should be mortal?how the spirits should be all killed.  I should have
killed him then but instead, feeling sorry for my brother, I exiled him
from all elven lands.

"For three thousand years I thought it was all done?then clouds started to
gather above Valana.  Marauding bands of raiders more organised than usual
ravaged our lands, elven ships were sunk and finally Udala, our only city
in the mainland, was attacked. The armies were assembled and we marched
against the assailants. When we reached Udala?the Elves there had not been
killed?their fate was far worse. They had had their spirits removed and
were all turned into mindless monsters with all the speed, agility and
senses of Elves but without the grace or mind, we call them Adalnial.  We
fought hard that day?killed thousands, Adalnial?evil humans?in the end I
came head to head with their leader?"  "?my nephew, the first offspring to
have acquired the elf parent's immortality, magic and senses and the
mother's speaker abilities, and far more powerful than either. Such evil
never had I before encountered, nor have I since?"  "He screamed at me how
he had been wronged.  How he would kill all Elves and humans and create a
world without any spirits and rule over it, alone and mighty. After three
days of swordfight I?my blade pierced his black heart and he fell to the
ground, dead."

"That day I lost three loved ones; my brother slain by his own son, my
nephew slain by me and, most importantly of all, my son and your elder
brother Fendalas Nemue?"

"I should have heeded the seer's words and killed him at birth?but I could
not?so much bloodshed and sadness followed my hesitation and brotherly
love?so when the seer made another prophesy I did not take its foretelling
so lightly again?"

Aer'andil interrupted him, "What was the prophesy?" He sounded as if a
simmering anger was reaching critical mass.

Liandras looked at him with a pained look and spoke in a singing voice.

"Evil's will ancient beyond aeons, first of all, it wills after aeons.  An
offspring of the Fairfolk, of high descend amongst the Fairfolk.  An
offspring of the Speakers, highest and first amongst the speakers.
Together they shall be born, under a pale moon on the last of summer's days
they shall be born.

Elf and speaker from death they must leave, from Valana they must leave.
To Earth they must go, to rise and train they must go.  To return when
ready, to face the evil when ready,

Two shall guard the prophecy, two shall remember of what was before
prophesy.  One of the Fairfolk, one of the Speakers. Two shall remember of
offspring of Speaker and Fairfolk.  All shall forget of what was, all shall
remember when offspring are told of what was.

Two offspring many a hardship will face, first of all evil they will face.
Many a league they will traverse in a quest, across Valana in a quest.  But
cruel is not fate, there are unknowing mentors and guardians by fate.

War will come to Valana, it will spread from the Shadowlands to Valana.
Blood and destruction, no one can avoid the destruction.  War's wrath will
spread, where will loyalties lie when it spread.

Elves fair and immortal will stand, Speakers loyal and stubborn will stand.
Human hearts are easily deceived, magic, sword or spirit will be deceived.
Orkhavoc stand for evil, unpossesing of requirement to resist the evil.
Wyrms of fire stand divided, for evil, for survival they stand divided.

To face what is neither there or here, they must go both there and here.
Primordial magic does not lie, but those that use it lie.  Wyrms inside
them have fire, and their temper is of fire.

To open the Gathlail Aeternae is to open doom, to use yesterday magic speak
intent and will doom.  Death and creation, death can bring creation.
Creation and death, creation can bring death.

To undo what is neither here or there, one must understand what is here and
there.  Neither here or there, only celestial essence can bring there.
Neither there or here, only fire can bring it here.

Neither here or there, it cannot exist in here and there."

Liandras paused for moment before he continued talking.

"Emissaries were sent to all the Elven and Human kingdoms. You two were the
only ones that fit all the prophesy's criteria and after the previous time
I spared no effort in trying to prevent it.  Thus you two were sent away to
that other land called Earth. But you have come back far too early and so
you must be prepared and begin training here tomorrow?" Aer'andil again
interrupted Liandras.

"Who am I? Who are my parents!?" Aer'andil asked this time sounding angrier
and with his emotions boiling to the surface.

"You?you are my son and the Crown Prince of all Elves and Elven
lands?Storm-arrow indeed?you have gr?" Liandras started saying, looking at
his son full of love and longing.

Lucas' eyes grew as big as saucers and both the twins gasped. Merol stayed
emotionless.

Whatever Liandras had intended to say he was interrupted sharply by a
furious Aer'andil.

"WHY DID YOU SEND ME AWAY!? WHY DID YOU ABANDON ME!? WOULD I NOT HAVE BEEN
SAFER IN GEL'ANR WITH ALL OF THE ELVES AS GUARDS AND GUARDIANS?! WHY DENY
ME THE RIGHT TO BE RAISED AMONGST MY PEOPLE!?" The room vibrated and shook
as magical energy overflowed from the emotionally charged Aer'andil, his
voice changed to an otherworldly tone.

"WAS I SAFER TRAVELLING ALL THIS DISTANCE? WAS I SAFER WHEN I WAS CAPTURED
AND TORTURED TO WITHIN AN INCH OF MY LIFE?! WAS I SAFER WHEN MY UNCLE
SACRIFISED HIMSELF" -Liandras' eyes bulged but said nothing- "TO PREVENT ME
FROM BEING SENT TO ZAH DAH?! HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT IT FEELS LIKE WHEN YOUR
SPIRIT EXPLODES FROM INSIDE YOU?! WHAT LEVEL OF EXCRUSIATING PAIN I WAS IN
UNTIL THIS NEW SPIRIT WAS PLACED INSIDE ME?!" The walls of the room shook
and cracked as Aer'andil screamed. Everyone had started to sweat as the
room's temperature soared.

"I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF MY OWN PEOPLE AND I AM CALLED TO
LEAD THEM? WHY DID YOU SEND ME TO GROW UP AWAY FROM MY FATHER AND MOTHER?!
IN WHAT WAY WAS ALL OF THIS BETTER FOR ME THAN GROWING UP WITH YOU? AND FOR
WHAT? SOME PROPHESY THAT MAY OR MAY NOT COME TO PASS!?!?" Liandras did not
look angry, but Merol thought he had never seen him look as sad before, at
least for as long as he had known him these past forty years.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS GROWING UP NOT KNOWING WHO YOU ARE?! WHO YOUR
PAERENTS ARE?! WHY THEY ABANDONED YOU?! WHY!?" Windows and fragile surfaces
shuddered all around the room as Aer'andil bellowed the final word.

Aer'andil stood there for a second before he turned and left, smashing the
door behind him with just a flick of his hand.

Lucas tried to get up but Liandras placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, let
him go. Storm Arrow in more than just name?his mother named him well?and
such build-up of magical energy?the prophesy was correct about him as
well. He will not be the only one angry with me today. His mother will?well
she will be unpleasant. Unfortunately, I do not know who you are Lucas.
The second Guardian is the current steward of Dara, although we've had no
news from Dara in over a year, what with the civil war and all?" he said
looking straight in Merol's eyes.

"Perhaps it is time for the rightful heir to the throne to return to the
lands of his ancestors and reclaim his birthright.  Otherwise I fear Dara
and her speakers might be lost to us when war breaks out and we are called
to ride and meet the enemy on the field of battle." He said calmly and
departed from the room.

Lucas listened with undivided attention to all that the High-King had to
say and then some, things worked very differently over here so Liandras'
account of how things were created could be partially correct.

Even if it wasn't entirely true, it was great lore Lucas thought. He felt
for his friend and he had expected him to snap as he did, although the
intensity of it came as a surprise. Lucas understood why the two guardians
had had to send them to Earth and didn't begrudge them their actions, but
Aer'andil was far more emotional than he and so it was only to be expected
for him to react as he had.

He wanted to go and talk to him but he sat in his chair.

Micraal had not entered the room with them but stood outside the wooden
doors. He saw Aer'andil leave and slam the door behind him.  He had not
heard anything from inside. There must have been some sort of spell that
prevented anyone from outside listening in.

He followed Aer'andil until he caught up with him outside, "Anything I can
do for you?" He asked and tried to caress the boy's shoulder but Aer'andil
pushed his hand away.

"No?don't?look it's not your fault but I am not in a mood to talk to anyone
at the moment?or to do anything else." He said to Micraal trying not to
sound as dismissive as he was feeling.

"You talk with Lucas! You talk to Merol, but you don't want to talk to me?"
Micraal asked irritated.

"I am not going to explain myself to anyone.  You are my friend, and I love
you as one but don't push me! Not today." He said his voice calm but
deceptively so, and started walking. He had no idea where he was going but
he did notice that wherever he went all Elves now bowed their heads more so
than their normal greeting. They knew.  They knew who he was and were
showing their respect to him and to the title he apparently possessed.

He walked and walked around the city until he bumped into someone.

He fell to the ground as the other person staggered back, "Oh?I'm sorry?I?I
didn't see you th?" He stopped talking the moment he looked up and saw the
High Queen, his biological mother, looking at him with tear-filled
eyes. Her hands closed in front of her as if she was hugging something or
someone.

"Ohh, my Love! My sweet boy! I?thought?I thought you were dead all this
time?" She knelt in front of him and hugged him tight, rubbing his back and
shoulders, crying softly. "?you have grown so much?and into such a handsome
boy!"

"I?I?never thought?knew?that I was an elf?and?royalty to boot?I mean?it's
just too much all together?" He said burying his face in her neck. She was
so warm and he felt so comfortable in her embrace. He had never felt this
way when his stepmother back on Earth had hugged him and that had not been
a frequent occurrence. She caressed his cheek and kissed his forehead.

"I know Love?I know Aer'andil, my child. I thought I would never see you
again?" she lifted his chin and wiped the tears from his face and hugged
him again, "I know it's too much but?don't blame your father, Love. He only
did what he did to protect you?out of love for you?even if I'll be giving
him a piece of my mind later." She tried to laugh.

Aer'andil was enjoying her warm skin so much. He could barely believe that
she was his real mother. He could scarcely believe that he was actually
hugging his real, biological mother.

He hugged her close and sighed in contentment.

"I know?Mom, it?just sort of all came out?"

"I suppose you screamed at him releasing magical energy in the process??"
she chuckled softly, as if she had expected him to do so, "I did name you
Storm Arrow for more than one reason." She said with pride in her voice.

* * *

Merol was thinking on what the High-King had told them.

Trouble was brewing and clouds of war were gathering again. He had no idea
if his country was in a civil war?for some very worrying reason he had had
no warning for the civil war in Dara from either human, or spirit
sources?nothing.

"Lucas, starting tomorrow you will train in the monastery of the Speakers
here in Qazameria. You wake at dawn." Merol said to Lucas sternly and
without room for arguments.

Lucas did not argue. He knew it to be pointless. He nodded and got out of
the room.  He searched for Marco until he saw him walking hand in hand with
the High Queen, his mother.

"Hi?" He felt awkward, he didn't know if Aer'andil still wanted to be
friends now that he was amongst his people and with his real family.

Aer'andil smiled warmly and hugged him.

"Uhm?Lucas, this is my?mother Felwyn Galay?Mom, this is my best friend in
the world?"

Felwyn Galay bowed her head slightly and Lucas made a deeper bow, "Your
Highness!"

"You who have taken care of my son for all these years in the other land,
from now on you will be known as friend and ally to the Elves." She said
smiling and caressed his cheek.

"I?ehhh?thank you, your Highness."

"Felwyn Galay will do Elduhost Lucas?until you learn your real name in
Dara."

"Walk with us!" Aer'andil said. Lucas walked with them and they
talked. Lucas relaxed after a while.

"How does it feel to be a Prince?" Lucas tugged on Aer'andil's shoulder
feeling playful.

"Crown-prince apparently?I really dunno?to tell you the truth.  Too new.
But it is who I am, so?" Aer'andil spoke to his friend as he shrugged his
shoulders shaking his head in disbelief.

Felwyn Galay observed them and smiled. She could not stop looking at her
son. She had not been so happy in a long time.

* * *

"Merol, I will require your assistance while Lucas and my son train in
Qazameria and Gel'anr." Liandras spoke. They stood on a balcony of marble,
overlooking the city below and stretched out in front of them. There was a
light breeze making the curtains sway and ruffling their hair.

"Of course." Merol gave a small bow of his head.

"We are going to create a bow for my son." Liandras said calmly, his
fingers grasping at the carved marble railing.

"You taught me most of what I know?what do you need my help with?"

"Speaker abilities. The bow will have both magical enchantments and
spirits.  It will be my final creation. One I wield, one you do, two were
lost and one was broken, this shall be the last one." Liandras told Merol.

"Will they allow it?" Merol looked at him.

"They will not intervene.  The other side isn't playing by the book either,
and they know what will happen if whoever leads them, wins."

"What is that?" Merol asked trying not to show his worry.

"I do not know."

"You don't? Have you used Farsight?" Merol was unable to hide his surprise
and worry.

"Not of late?it gives me nightmares?and the fact that Aer'andil has to
fight?it?"

"I've decided?I do not want the throne but I will aid my brother in Dara's
civil war?it is my homeland and I care for it."

"That is good news?ah! Feldon Leolin!" Liandras said as an elf approached
them.

"My King, you summoned me?" The Elf said and bowed his head.

"Yes, you are to start educating my son.  Starting tomorrow."

"In what, my King?"

"Everything, our language, our customs, fighting with the dagger and spear.
With a bow and magic above all.  I want you to train him like your father
trained us.  And when they leave our fair islands, you are to go with
them?I believe you also have a score to settle with one of the residents of
Zah Dah."

"Indeed I have if?that resident is to be found?it will be done, my King."
Feldon bowed and left.



End of chapter 5. 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 comments, critique, feedback and correspondence to the email addy
at the beginning. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed
writing it and that you felt what I felt while writing it.