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Chapter 34: Home

There's an expression `home is where the heart is' and I found it strange that I was in a place I had never been before and yet I felt more at home than I had ever before. Venore led me into his chambers which I then discovered would become `our' chambers. We were only a short way away from the throne room and we were also close to the kitchens.

Back at the Manor I had my own little chamber close to the kitchens that I could call my own, it was more like a closet than anything else, but it was all mine. I didn't know what to feel knowing I was imposing on Venore. More important I didn't know what to call him other than Venore.

As it turned out his chambers were quite luxurious compared to what I was thinking. He had a three bedroom suite complete with its own library and potions lab, a balcony overlooking the city and a kitchen.

"You must be tired" Venore said giving me a glance and I had not realized it, but I was extremely tired and if on command I yawned and sighed

"Come" he said "I'll set you up in my guest room until we can get it more suited for you"

I followed him down a hallway and he showed me to a comfortable looking room that had a desk and a big comfortable looking bed.

Without much thought I disrobed and climbed into bed. I must have fallen asleep instantly because I remember nothing after that.

I awoke to a bell clanging and I rubbed my eyes wearily trying to figure out where I was when it all came rushing back to me.

I got out of bed grabbing my clothes and throwing them back on I walked out into the hall and into the main part of the chambers. The bell was still clanging but from this part of the room I could hear yelling and shouting from different parts of the castle. Suddenly I heard a noise coming from outside so I rushed to the balcony to see what was going on.

I could see that a magical barrier had been erected around the city which was a mighty feat. It looked like glass covering the city. From outside on the balcony I could feel its power. It was past dawn and the sun was beginning to peak over the mountains when I saw dark clouds coming in over the horizon when I realized they weren't clouds.

I backed away from the balcony in shock but unable to move from the horror I was seeing. Suddenly I heard a crash from behind me and I was startled to see Venore rush to my side.

"We need to get you out of here now!" he said "we're evacuating the castle into the sanctuary"

I looked up into the sky and now quite clearly I could see the black clouds were indeed not clouds, but rather swarms of dragons surrounding great mechanical ships in the sky.

"Those are airships?" I asked "I thought they were only legends."

"Aye" Venore said trying to pull me inside "we uncovered plans by the Drow to build them, but they were destroyed during the war" he said "they could never get the magic to work"

"I guess they did" I said

"We need to move" he said

I then watched the first horde of dragons bounce off the magical shield as I then turned away and rushed out into the corridor

"How long will that shield hold?" I asked

"Against that number of dragons, minutes at best" he said

We made it to the throne room and Venore rushed past the throne with me at his heels. We entered another set of doors when I noticed a portcullis above our heads.

"We are in the sanctuary" Venore said

We rushed down a hallway when it suddenly ended and I turned and gasped at what I saw. We were inside the castle next to the sanctuary tree which rose infinitely into the sky. Its mass was greater than a whole village its size incomparable. I noticed a path along its roots which we followed.

Suddenly I heard a popping sound and my ears started hurting

"The shield is down" Venore said "we must hurry"

We followed the path into the roots which seemed to lead downwards into a tunnel in the ground. We continued down and down until it opened up into a chamber and I saw Prince Rivven and Lady Talenna there along with a small trope of guards.

"Where's the King?" I asked

"He rallying he troops, he refused to flee" Rivven said "I wanted to go with him but he ordered me here" he said

"Through here" Venore said opening up a hidden door and we followed him into a chamber. Inside was a large room which seemed to go upwards into the tree. In the center of the room was a small vertical stone. From this distance I could feel vast magic coming from it.

Venore approached and placed his palm upon the stone

"Protect" he said and I suddenly felt the magic shift around the room and it made my head spin

"That will hold them for a while" he said

We heard shouting and suddenly three guards and another elf came through

"Uncle!" Rivven shouted

"Prince Rivven, Lady Talenna" the elf said breathing heavily "thank goodness you're alright, the Drow have stormed the city" he said

"Uncle Zathrow, what's happening" Rivven asked

"Not to worry everything will be okay soon" he said

My magic was warning me of something, something wasn't right and I sensed the danger, Venore was too busy with the shield to notice it.

"Who's that?" I asked Lady Talenna

"Lord Zathrow, Lord Zasuan's younger brother" she said distastefully

I watched as Lord Zathrow came closer to Rivven and my magic was burning inside me. He moved behind Rivven to when I couldn't see. Suddenly I heard a clang and I watched in horror as a blade stuck right through Young Rivven's chest from the back blood pouring from the wound.

"ADA WHAT AR..." Lady Talenna started to shout when an Arrow struck her right through the throat. She clutched it as she crumbled to the ground. My magic flared around me as two arrows came straight at me. My shield deflected them and I moved for Venore who turned and seemed to be fighting one of the guards with magic.

"Venore!" I shouted and momentarily distracted he turned to me and I watched in horror as a dagger hit him in the chest. I ran forward and caught him. My magic flared around us protecting us in a shield.

"The stone" he said "Ada" he heaved struggling to breathe

"NO!" I shouted holding him the attacking guards seemed to leave me be for a moment as I held him.

"Protect the stone Aden" he said and with his last breath held my hand "I will protect you."

I watched my Grandfather die in my arms and I stood and got a good look at my assailants. The three guards moved about the room slitting the throats of their victims to make sure they were indeed dead. My blood turned to ice watching them.

"Well my boy, any last words?" Lord Zathrow said coming forward towards me and I felt my magic surge around me, as if waiting for my command to attack.

"Why?" I asked

"So I can be king" he said "The Drow will kindly rid me of my brother and I will rid myself of any other possible heirs" he then laughed and a chill ran down my spine.

`I need to run' I thought as I watched Zathrow. Everything about him seemed dangerous to my magic.

"I'm going to kill you now" he said "you will not live to tell of what happened here."

"You'll never get away with this as long as I live!" I said and he advanced towards me

I backed away in fear and I felt my back touch the stone in the center of the room. I had nowhere to run.

"Then I guess it's time for you to die" He said and I closed my eyes

`I need to escape and get help' I thought and suddenly a painful surge of magic flowed into me and I felt my magic burning me like I had never felt before, all I could feel was pain. It was flowing into me from the stone I had backed into and was overpowering me. I felt myself losing consciousness and when I finally blacked out from the pain the last thing I saw was Lord Zathrow hovering over my Grandfather's corpse.