Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 13:23:23 EDT From: William Watts Subject: The Sword of Kings - chapter 01 Legal Notice: The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality. Don't read this story if: **You're not 18 or over, **If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live, **Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex. The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. Legal action will be taken against violators. I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this chapter. If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://www.teenboyauthors.org/thewolf, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories44@hotmail.com. * * * * * * * * The Sword of Kings - by BW (Fantasy). Copyright 2000 by bwstories44 Chapter 1 - A destiny revealed. June 2000 The wizened wizard traveled at a steady pace as he journeyed through the Woods of Wildoness. Although the mission he was on was urgent, it was not so pressing a situation that he couldn't afford a few moments to enjoy the serenity and brilliance that the forest offered the weary traveler. Each time he entered the faerie Kingdom of the elves, he experienced a tranquility that could be enjoyed nowhere else. Beraut often found himself wandering through these same woods. Occasionally the purpose of his journey would be to seek relaxation and to allow him the opportunity to unwind after some exhaustive undertaking. At other times, like now, it would be on an errand of business that required the attention of Dylan, King of the Elves. This rendezvous, however, was more important than any Beraut had previously held at the elfin court. This particular encounter concerned not only Dylan, but also one of the King's unknowing subjects. As Beraut neared his destination, the elfin capital of Aurelia, he scanned the surrounding landscape to absorb all of the loveliness that the enchanted forest had to offer. At the same time, the wayfarer also kept a watchful eye out for any sign of danger, one that might alert him to any significant change concerning the matter at hand. He constantly worried that the situation might suddenly worsen and he would be caught unprepared. He vowed that he would not let that happen, if he could prevent it. Diligently and methodically he let his eyes search the surrounding area until he caught a glimpse of movement about fifty meters to his left. Cautiously the aged sorcerer crept forward to inspect the cause of this disturbance. In the back of his mind he knew that the odds were strongly skewed in favor of an insignificant find. He believed that he would most likely discover a wild animal foraging through the underbrush, but nevertheless he continued to investigate the unlikely prospect of ferreting out an enemy warrior or a spy. As the magician moved closer to the spot where he calculated that he had discerned the hint of activity, he drew up abruptly. Cautiously he peered through the sparse undergrowth and the tangle of overhanging tree limbs until he spied three teenage boys frolicking merrily about the woodland. Somewhat relieved by this discovery, Beraut sat quietly in the shadows to spend a few moments observing the trio as they continued with their youthful games. The wizard soon became increasingly aware that there was something strikingly different, almost special, about the youth who stood a full head taller than the other two. He had a lean, muscular body, with a full head of ebony hair and skin that had been bronzed by the sun. This was a very peculiar sight among the fair haired, light skinned elves who called this woodland their home. Beraut seemed mesmerized by these three youths, who were unaware that this uninvited spectator was silently skulking in the shadows. As the aged necromancer continued his observation of their youthful shenanigans, he soon began to realize that he, too, was developing a fondness and admiration for this dark haired youth. The wizard soon became absorbed by the extraordinary personality of this delightful young man. He also began to understand the deep respect that the two sandy haired youths willingly gave to their friend. It was apparent that this unique young man was the beloved, unspoken leader of the trio. The threesome continued their activities, playing such youthful games as 'double dare' and 'king of the forest'. They played for many minutes before they stopped to rest from this exhausting physical exercise. While catching his breath, one of the eagle-eyed elfin youths discovered Beraut peering at them from afar and he summoned the attention of the other youths toward the old man. They knew that in recent times few outsiders were welcomed into the faerie kingdom by the Elf King. "Who are you and why are you here?" questioned the leader of the group. "What brings you into the homeland of the elves?" The boys seemed unafraid to approach the elderly gentleman and question his intent. They felt that if the situation warranted it, they could either overpower him or easily outrace him to Aurelia. "I seek counsel with Dylan, your King," came the reply, "on a matter of grave importance and urgency. It is a matter of such consequence that the future of all of Tarolia may depend upon the results of this meeting." "If the matter be as grave as you suggest," the dark-haired boy responded, "then why are you dallying here in the forest? Why are you not flying as fast as your feeble old legs will carry you, until you reach the capital?" Beraut grinned at the insightfulness displayed by the taller youth. He hesitated briefly before he framed his reply. "It is because, my dear Kieren, that you are a pawn in this matter of which I speak. I request that you join with us in this counsel. You will have much to do with the outcome of this matter and you will play a significant role in deciding what course of action shall be taken." All three youths were completely taken aback from this proclamation, especially Kieren. He tried desperately to regain his composure. "How do you know my name, old man, for I do not recall that we have ever met? And how am I, not even a full blooded elf or of noble birth, involved in a matter of such significance?" The wizard smiled thoughtfully at the youth, pleased by his perceptions. "I know you, Kieren, as I have known and watched your ancestors before you. Question not why you are needed, but come with me to the house of King Dylan where all shall be made known to you." Kieren contemplated briefly about what the aged seer had said. 'If King Dylan is involved with this,' he thought, 'then I must do whatever I am asked. I shall rely on the King's judgment on this matter.' He turned toward his companions, who had been gawking at him since the discussion began, and he searched for their reactions. He hoped that they would give him the moral reassurance he was seeking. Fervently he searched their faces, only to find the dazed, confused looks of those who had become awestruck by all that had transpired. Having discovered this fact and realizing that he would have to make this decision unaided, he turned back to the sorcerer. Kieren peered into his ancient, steely eyes and lifted an arm toward his comrades. "Will my friends be allowed to come with me, sir? I don't wish to leave them behind." "If that is what you desire, then they may come. However, I would wish to advise them not to disturb the deliberations we are to attend." With that said, Beraut reeled about and made his way back to the road that led to Aurelia. "I will vouch for them myself," Kieren retorted, then turned toward his friends. "Come quickly, Garreth and Romaric, for it appears that great excitement lies ahead!" With that, all three lads raced down the path to catch the briskly moving necromancer. They did not have far to walk before they reached the great capital city. No matter how long you had lived in the woods or how often you had visited this wondrous place, it was still a magnificent sight to behold. As the passed through the threshold of the metropolis, they beheld the mighty oaks that held in their boughs the elfish structures. This was the stronghold of King Dylan and his people. When they reached the tree that contained the royal enclave, they gazed at the marvelous structure. It was something that only the elves were capable of producing and it completely encircled the shaft of this enormous tree. In the adjoining trees were scattered the dwellings of others of the elfin kingdom, arranged in descending order of importance from the royal apartments. A visitor might have expected the elfin kingdom to have its own dove colored moon, to account for the eerie silvery light that danced off the domiciles of the faerie folk. This gave the city an awesome, overpowering effect of splendor and surrealism. Truly this was one of the matchless wonders of Tarolia. It was a vision beyond compare, breathtaking to behold. Having been a guest of the elfin king in the past, Beraut headed straight for the royal quarters. The guards on duty recognized the wizard at once, saluted, and gave him immediate entry to the king's chambers. Kieren wondered who this stranger could be if he was not even challenged before gaining entry into the royal household. As a resident of the faerie kingdom, the young man had heard that even the King's officials had to be announced before they could see him. 'What,' he wondered, 'makes this person so special?' The door to the royal sitting room swung silently inward as the wizard, followed by his three youthful companions, entered to meet with the King. Dylan and his Queen, Arielle, had been carrying on a private dialogue when the guests arrived. Upon seeing the withered necromancer, the Elf King leaped up to greet his old colleague in an embrace of warm affection. "I began to wonder if you wonder if you would ever arrive, you old conjuror," he began. "We expected you half a fortnight ago. What delayed you?" The magician smiled and bowed. "I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but there was much preparation to be made before I could make my way here. There were many errands to be run, appointments to be kept, and numerous messages to be sent before I traveled to this fair and wonderful realm of yours. Besides, it appears as though our antagonist has been delaying his movements, rather than accelerating them. This unexpected favor might afford us the opportunity to plan more cautiously than it first appeared." "I see that you have also found time to locate and brief the lad, Kieren, as well." "Nay, my good lord. By chance I found him and his companions entertaining themselves as I traveled hither. I had only enough time to explain that he must be present for this counsel." Kieren had stood observing the sorcerer as he spoke with the elfin King and Queen. He was admiring the beauty of the old man's flowing white hair and beard and he thought that it contrasted magnificently with his deeply tanned and withered hide. Beraut's eyes were set like deep, gray pools beneath his wrinkled brow and his noble nose rose like a monument from the center of his face. The agile old man seemed aged, yet ageless. He seemed ready for senility, yet omniscient. He appeared cold and unyielding, yet gentle and compassionate. Kieren was not sure if he liked, or even understood, this enigma of a man. Still, he felt bound and drawn to him. As all of these conflicting images ran through his mind, Kieren sensed there was something else. Something was different. Something had changed since they had first met in the woods, but Kieren was unable to pinpoint what it was that had been altered. The lad reflected back over their initial meeting in the woods and then he pursued his thoughts forward in time. He had not yet decided what the change was, when his mind was suddenly snapped back to the present. Someone was calling his name. "Kieren? Kieren? Are you all right, my boy?" King Dylan inquired. "Is there anything wrong?" The King had been trying to get the teenager's attention for quite some time. "Oh, I'm sorry, Your Majesty," came the boy's reply. "It's just that I was thinking about something else. Please, forgive me." "That's perfectly all right, my son, but what was it that so engrossed your thoughts?" The young man looked slightly embarrassed by the attention, but he knew that he must answer the King's question. "I was just thinking about this stranger here," he began. "There's something, well.something different about him now. I mean, well.ah, there's something different about the way he looks from when we first met and that was just a short time ago. It's well, a." the young man stammered and then there was a lengthy silence. After this unplanned pause, he spoke again. "Now I've got it! At least I think I do, but I don't understand how it could be possible." He stood and looked at Beraut briefly before he continued. "You see, when we first met in Wildoness I could have sworn that he was wearing a dark green cloak, one that made his snowy white hair and beard seem even whiter. But now he has on a beige cloak that lessens the contrast and makes him look more pale and bleached out. I mean, how could this be since we have never been parted and he hasn't had a chance to change his garments?" "Splendid, my dear boy," interjected Beraut. "Absolutely splendid. How wonderfully perceptive of you to notice such a minute detail." Now Beraut glanced over at the other two youths. "I'm sure that neither of your mates had made that same observation." At that remark, both Garreth and Romaric's faces reddened slightly and they shook their head from side to side, indicating that they had not detected that small detail. Beraut rose from his seat and walked over to Kieren. He put his arm around the lad's shoulder and spoke. "Let me explain that change to you, my attentive friend. You see, my cloak is woven from a very magical thread. It takes a great deal of time and much sorcery to create such a garment. Therefore, there are not many in existence. The material is absorbent in nature, which means that it absorbs its color from the objects around it. In the forest, under the deep, rich green canopy of leaves, the cloak absorbed the dark green tint that you first noticed. Now in this magnificent oaken room, complete with oaken furniture, it draws its hue from the pale shades of the wood. If I were to pull my hood up over my head and draw my hands into my sleeves, I would be virtually imperceptible to the naked eye." With his final pronouncement, Beraut did just that and he seemed to disappear from sight. The astonished onlookers released a collective gasp as the feat was accomplished and, almost as quickly as it happened, Beraut reappeared. "That was wonderful," squealed Kieren. "Have you other tricks that you can show us?" "All in good time, my young chap, and you shall see much, much more. For now, we must get on with more pressing issues." Turning toward Dylan and Arielle, he addressed them. "Your Majesties, if I may have your permission to begin, I would like to fill Master Kieren in on the importance of the quest upon which he is about to embark." King Dylan nodded slightly and then he spoke. "For the great wizard Beraut, sole survivor on our behalf from the Great Council of Wizards, no permission is necessary. However, if my permission is what you desire, then you most certainly have it. Continue as you wish concerning this matter." Beraut bowed gracefully toward the royal couple, then he turned his attention back to Kieren. "There is much to be told this night and much that you must understand. Please sit down, your companions also, and make yourselves comfortable. You will have to bear with me as I delve through this lengthy tale. "Until nearly one hundred and two years ago," he continued, "this land was ruled by the great King Ethelbert and his descendants. The last of this line was King Orthilue. During those many years, including the present, Tarolia has been plagued by the existence of an evil, vindictive foe, the black wizard Madumda. Madumda was not always evil. In fact, he was once a member of the Great Council of Wizards where he and I were brothers. He was a very bright, adept, and ambitious magician, much older than myself. He was the fifth eldest of the council, of which I was the twelfth and youngest. "In about the fourth year of the reign of the mighty King Ethelbert, his majesty asked the Council of Wizards for their assistance. Thialfi, chief of the council, agree to help the King secure his southern border from invasion. Thialfi chose the next three eldest and most powerful sorcerers to join him in this task. I was invited as a novice, not to assist but merely to accompany, observe, and most importantly to learn. We were gone nearly three months on this errand, helping to push back the enemy, heal the wounded, and most significantly to set the wards. These wards would seal off the southern border from any person with evil intent in their hearts. It was like an invisible barrier that couldn't be penetrated by those carrying weapons or those who were malicious in nature. "While we were away, Madumda was placed in temporary charge of the council and its fortress of Treblanc. He was to serve as the leader, in absentia, until the four elders returned. During the second or third week of our departure, Madumda summoned each of the remaining six necromancers to attend a private audience with him. As they arrived at the reception hall, he overtook them. One by one he bound them, sealed their mouths so they couldn't recite any spells, and he made sure that they were separated so they couldn't assist one another in any way. Once they had all been restrained, Madumda used a form of an ancient spell to neutralize them. He had uncovered this obscure incantation during his covert research into the all but forgotten volumes of dark magic. These tomes had remained neglected and allowed to collect dust in the council's library. "Slowly, Madumda literally drained them of all of their supernatural powers. Methodically, he siphoned their magical potential from them, accumulating and controlling it in his golden staff. This was the same staff that every member was given upon being accepted into the Council of Wizards. It was to symbolize all of the good that the council had come to stand for and it was capped with the personal symbol of that individual. For Madumda, his staff was topped by the symbol of a fox. It was because of this foul deed that his staff has now come to signify all that is evil and vile. It will forever remind the rest of us of the treachery that he perpetrated upon my brothers. "You see, Kieren, when admitted into the Council of Wizards, each novitiate was evaluated by his superiors. After this was completed, he was assigned a personal insignia that symbolized his collective strengths. Madumda's act was, ironically, justification of the issuance of his symbol. As we all know, the fox is characterized by his slyness and cleverness. These were two traits that Madumda exhibited in abundance during his initial appraisal, though no one guessed how he would come to use them. "Madumda had now collected the cumulative power of the six eldest wizards for his own use. Having finished this dastardly deed, the six were no more. By draining them of their power, he had also consumed their life force and sent them into oblivion. More significantly, he had simultaneously increased his own potency and heightened his status in the council. He had effectively reduced the membership of our body by half, but in essence he singularly represented that half's potential. Arrogantly, he began to think of himself as a god." "Beraut, please excuse the interruption," pleaded Kieren, "but how could Madumda have learned all of this without anyone else knowing? How could the council have allowed such evil magic to continue to exist? Why didn't they destroy the volumes which contained it?" "There is no easy answer to this question," the conjurer responded. "You see, the magic, in and of itself, is not evil. The nefariousness comes from the user and how he utilizes this knowledge. The council had realized many decades ago that they could not destroy various forms of knowledge merely because it might someday be subverted. If they had chosen that policy, then there would be little, if any, knowledge left in the world. Instead, they decided it would be better to try to safeguard this type of information and maintain it in written form. This way they could one day retrieve that information, if necessary, to counter its ill advised use. Intentions however, no matter how pure, are not always enough to prevent mistakes. Eventually, the members of the council neglected to monitor access to these volumes, as they had vowed to do. Gradually, they even forgot about their existence. "It was during this period that Madumda made his discovery. His accidental discovery of those volumes was unbeknownst to the other members of the council. His research started innocently enough, as he searched for an answer to an insignificant problem. While searching through the archives, he blundered across those long forgotten journals. They were lying dusty and alone in a remote area of the library at Treblanc. Intently, he began to study those ancient tomes until he became totally fascinated and then obsessed by the potential of their content. Eventually he learned how to use his golden staff to infuse the powers of the others with his own. This process had originally been used to magnify several individuals' power into one mighty force, to stand against a powerful opponent. It had never been meant for the purpose for which our misguided brother intended to use it. Madumda formulated his strategy and then he lured the others of his brotherhood to their doom. Completing this foul deed, he increased his singular power by eliminating Weylin the falcon, Saliyl the lion, Nedelka the horse, Jephtah the hawk, Ikar the cobra, and Montega the tiger in one fell swoop. "When we returned to Tarolia, Madumda had power equal to or greater than the combined power of the survivors. He declared himself Chief of the Council and he demanded that we follow and obey him. Thialfi and the others were furious and they stormed out of Treblanc. They hoped to discover a way to neutralize or, if need be, eliminate Madumda. At that point in time, we dared not challenge him for we did not know the extent of his power. In turn, Madumda dared not challenge us for he was uncertain as to whether the elder wizards possessed the knowledge of how to infuse their power into a single force. This created a very uneasy stalemate, with each side hesitant to make a move. "We followed Thialfi to Leander, where we were housed and cared for by King Ethelbert and his court. It was there that we began to plan our revenge against Madumda. Thialfi sent a message to Madumda stating that he was willing to negotiate with him at Leander, under the sponsorship of King Ethelbert. This, of course, was merely a ruse to draw Madumda away from Treblanc. Believing that he was going to get his way, Madumda eagerly accepted. While he was journeying to Leander to parley with his peers, one of our brothers was making his way to Treblanc to see if he could discover an antidote, of sorts, for Madumda's madness. "Knowing that Madumda could have left magical forms of protection to safeguard his newly acquired possessions, this became a possible suicide mission. Avelin bravely volunteered for this duty and he set off for his former home. After a lengthy journey, he was able to search the fortress until he located the answer to his prayers. He found a spell that would allow him to transport things great distances. Using this newly discovered magic, Avelin moved the contents of the library of Treblanc to the Woods of Wildoness. There it would now be housed, under the protective cloak and watchful eyes of the elves, at least until the elders could study them at great length and find a way to neutralize Madumda. He had made the library to appear as though the volumes had been destroyed, should Madumda discover they were missing. Many years later, I would also be allowed to study these ancient works at great length. This would hasten my maturation as a full-fledged member of the council. "Secretly, Avelin left Treblanc and made his way to the kingdom of the elves. He wanted to make sure that his task had been successful and that the multiple volumes were now securely held. From there, he made his way back to Leander, where he found the negotiations strained and Madumda's patience wearing thin. Thialfi and the others had rotated into the meetings in groups of three, so Avelin's absence wouldn't be noticed. When Avelin returned, Thialfi immediately called a halt to this sham that had long been disguised as a negotiation. This sent Madumda flying back to Treblanc in uncontrollable rage. He spewed a progression of threats and curses in his wake. "Fortunately for us, our misguided brother had been so completely absorbed in his attempts to gain domination over the council that he failed to discover our true agenda. This allowed us to complete our larceny and secure the needed materials for our perusal. Madumda compounded his error by failing to uncover our thievery when he returned to Treblanc. Seeing he had already memorized the necessary material, he seldom ventured into the library room. It was this oversight that allowed us the time necessary to formulate our strategy to neutralize him and set our plan into motion. "At our first meeting after completing this exhaustive research into those innumerable volumes of spells, the council held a meeting. We gathered to discuss this newly acquired knowledge and we determined a course of action. Putting the welfare of the kingdom ahead of their own concerns, my brothers reached a consensus on a specific strategy and then they set that plan into motion. The first step was to seek and procure the assistance of the most proficient blacksmiths known to exist, the master dwarf smiths of the Amber Mountains. We went to Thorold, the dwarf capital, and posed our problem to the Dwarf King. We needed to know what ore existed that would allow us to create a nearly indestructible metal, from which we would create our talisman. The dwarfs, and only the dwarfs, knew of such an ore. They had accidentally stumbled upon it while mining for diamonds near the planet's core. It was an ore they had named 'rigilliad'. We immediately commissioned them to forge the finest weapon they had ever created, a weapon to control or destroy our wayward brother. "Within a double fortnight the dwarf smiths had presented us with a broad sword beyond compare. It was a blade magnificent to behold. Now, what remained of our council was left to discharge its most important duty since the inception of our order. Thialfi gathered his three aged brothers to perform this exceptionally potent task. In much the same way that Madumda had drained the power of the younger members of the council into his staff, the elder council members willingly relinquished their powers into the Sword of Kings. Thus ended the lives of Thialfi the eagle, Edelin the bear, Briand the wolf, and Avelin the panther. "My power was not included in this feat for several reasons. In the first place, as a novice my power was negligible and not worthy of the sacrifice. Secondly, Thialfi and the others felt that as I matured and my powers grew, I could be a deciding factor in the balance of power. I was the key in the uneasy truce between the forces that we had protected and the evilness of Madumda. My brothers also wanted to leave a representative of the council to relate this story about the rise of Madumda, the creation of the Sword, and the history of our council. They also charged me with reviving the council, should we finally put this chapter of our history to an end. They felt that if they left me as a cornerstone on which to rebuild, some day a new council might be created to once again preside with power, wisdom, and integrity. Finally, as the youngest member of the council, and the one with the greatest potential for longevity, my fellow wizards determined that I would have the greatest chance of surviving long enough to see Madumda neutralized or destroyed. "More than anything else, the council feared that the cunning of the fox would prove sufficient to prevent us from finding an easy or immediate solution to eliminate his threat. From that day on I was left to my own resources to face this challenge. I was enjoined to endure of all this alone. I was devoid of leadership and guidance, I was totally separated from my instructors and confidants, and I was torn from the essential security the council had provided. I was now orphaned, homeless, and facing the greatest challenge that anyone, up to this time, had ever known." As the gentle necromancer paused in his story and sat next to the boys, Kieren thought he caught a glimpse of the shimmering of a tear in the corner of his aged eye. A wave of sympathy and despair swept over the young man and he longed to reach out and caress his shriveled body. He feared that this was inappropriate or unwanted. Empathetically, he merely reached out and touched the old man's wrinkled hand. Beraut turned and smiled. "Your kindness and concern does not go unnoticed," he whispered to Kieren, and then he faced the others and resumed his story. "With the immediacy dictated by the situation, I carried the Sword to Leander and presented King Ethelbert with the magnificent blade. Then I explained the secret of its power and the void that had been created by the sacrifice of the council. "Madumda had spies everywhere and he soon learned about the existence of the Sword. Even though he knew that the Sword posed some sort of risk to him, he remained unaware of its true power or of the nature of its threat. It did not take him long, however, before his ignorance was replaced by fear. An oracle in Madumda's court was the first to reveal the true nature of the Sword and the prophecy that accompanied it. The soothsayer warned his master that an issue of Ethelbert's loins, wielding this Sword of annihilation, would eventually destroy the evil sorcerer. No sooner had the seer finished his admonition than Madumda had ordered his execution, which was promptly carried out. "Frantically, Madumda set about developing his scheme to circumvent this prophecy of his demise and to establish himself as the sole ruler of Tarolia. He continued to hone his plan but the first part of his agenda would not come to fruition until the reign of King Orthilue, many generations later. Now he has reached the final stages of his plan and he is making his push to bring it to its conclusion." Beraut then presented a discourse on the demise of King Orthilue and his family, not offering a particularly gory rendition of the tale. He did, however, describe it vividly enough for them to understand the cruelty and the barbarity with which the execution of the royal family was carried out. "I still do not understand how I am involved in this," interrupted Kieren. "Nor do I understand why you sought me out. What role do I play in this tale?" "Be patient, my impetuous friend, and you will have the answers to your queries." The magician composed himself and reordered his thoughts. "In my account of the final hours of King Orthilue and his family, was there anything that caught your attention?" Beraut asked the lad. 'Well, there was one thing. You had mentioned that the king had five offspring and in rendering your tale you only accounted for the deaths of five children. But one of the girls was the king's niece and you never told us what happened to Orthilue's younger daughter. I assumed that you had merely forgotten to tell us a morsel of the story." "Never assume, Kieren, for that has led to the demise of many great persons. Your powers of observation are indeed keen, but your logic and reasoning are still a bit faulty. No, I did not omit any part of the story. The answer to the discrepancy is that the King's youngest daughter, Tayce, was not at the castle when the butchery occurred. At that very instant, Tayce was here in the Woods of Wildoness, in this very edifice. She was a guest of King Dylan's father King Rondelle. King Rondelle had married King Orthilue's youngest sister and their daughter, Sumalee, was the same age as Tayce. The girls were extremely close and they often spent time with each other, as they were the best of friends. On this particular occasion, Tayce was visiting Sumalee while Latona was entertaining her older cousin. "When Moustapha reported back to Madumda and gave the details of the event, neither of them realized their error in judgment. They never guessed that there had been a survivor of Orthilue's line. Madumda did use his magical powers to track down all of Ethelbert's other descendants and he has destroyed them, one by one. Though he gave it his best effort, he never discovered the princess or her heirs. "When I first heard about the slaughter at Leander, it was only hours after Moustapha and his troops had embarked on their journey back to Treblanc. I came immediately to the elfin kingdom for aid. It was then that I too learned of Tayce's escape from the executioner's scheme. Adding a portion of my powers to the cloaking shield that the elves used to protect Wildoness from outside intrusion and interference, we effectively protected the Princess and her descendants, even to this day." Again Beraut paused to catch his breath and to partake from the goblet of wine that had been placed next to him as he told his story. When he was properly refreshed, he began his tale again. This time he added his concluding remarks to the story. "Madumda's activities became accelerated, beginning approximately three months ago. At that time he slew what he thought to be the final offshoot of the royal line of King Ethelbert. It was a very distant cousin of King Orthilue. The Dark Lord has been building his army ever since that time, preparing to make a strategic assault against the combined forces that will stand against him. We are not certain as to when he plans to attack, but we may conjecture that it will be within the next few months." Kieren sat, trying to absorb all that he had heard, piecing it together into a logical form that would include him. Try as he might, he could not make the pieces fit. Finally, he spoke to the wizard. "Sir, if I am not mistaken, you still haven't mentioned how I am involved in this malady that afflicts Tarolia. I cannot see how I am affected, at least any more than any other ordinary citizen of this great land." "Ah, quite right, my lad. Quite right. I have indeed forgotten to mention that minor detail." The necromancer looked Kieren straight in the eye, a slight grin creeping over his face. "You see, my dear Kieren, you are the great-great-great-grandson of Princess Tayce." Kieren flushed from that last comment. His mouth was agape, his breathing coming unevenly, and his blood pumping frantically through his veins. He had always thought that he had been of common but proud stock. He certainly had never considered being of noble birth, and royal at that. As the revelation slowly began to be absorbed by his intellect, he began to think of all the ramifications this might have. At first he grew enormously excited by the prospects that this would now afford him. Then he became saddened to think that his entire life might change. All that he knew and loved, from his friends, his home, his hobbies, and his favorite activities, might change. All this could happen because of this unsolicited announcement. The conjurer had anticipated the boy's reaction and he spoke to Kieren before the lad had time to form his question. "Don't worry about what might be. For now, we have much graver issues to deal with. I will, however, tell you a little more about your lineage. "Your great-great-great-grandmother, Tayce, married an elf named Marius. They had two children, your great-great-grandmother Kabina and a son, Michon. Michon died of the fever when he was nine. Kabina married a man who had married a man who had traveled from Cassander into Wildoness. His name was Lucero. Kabina gave birth to three daughters. Beva, the eldest, died several months after birth. Fleda, the middle child, died barren of child at a ripe old age. The youngest daughter was your great-grandmother, Evadne. She married an elf named Tremor. They had several children, but all but one died when the plague ravaged this kingdom. This deadly disease had been inadvertently introduced to the population. It had been carried into to the elfs' homeland via a lone infected man. Somehow he had wandered into the woods and made contact with several elves in the process. The disease spread quickly among the elderly and the young. Many died during this time and the only one of Evadne's children to survive was your grandfather, Romeyn. He married a maiden from Leander named Marielo. I had brought her here with me on one of my trips and I introduced them. After three stillbirths, Romeyn sired one child, your mother, Cenobia. "As you already know, your father Kier is also of elfin blood, so you have more than one-half of the faerie blood flowing through your veins. You are still a descendent of Ethelbert and we pray that you are the one that prophecy foretold. Therefore, my royal friend, I need you to go with me to Leander for a council of war. King Dylan and some members of his military forces will be joining us on this journey. We will meet there with the other races to make our battle plan, prepare our defenses, and plan our diversions for the upcoming battle. It will be a dangerous journey, especially once we leave the protection of the Woods of Wildoness. I wouldn't ask this of you except for the fact that this is a mission of great necessity. The rest of the story will be explained to you when we reach your ancestral home, the Castle of Leander." Garreth and Romaric, who had sat quietly and patiently throughout the entire proceeding, had been whispering between themselves for the last few minutes. Finally, Garreth rose and began to speak. "My dear Beraut, I know that we promised you not to interrupt this conference, but I feel that I must speak now. If Kieren is to go on a dangerous mission with you, then Romaric and I wish to go with him as companions and protectors. We have long been as close as brothers and we would not let even the threat of death split us apart. I implore you to grant us this favor." "Your friends are very loyal, Kieren, though possibly a bit misguided and foolish. What do you think of their request?" Beraut looked at the youth who sat pondering his friends' request. "I would not wish to endanger my beloved friends in such a matter, yet I would sorely miss their company and friendship more than anything else. If they are truly willing to join us and it meets with your approval, then I would prefer to have them with me." "So be it," answered the sorcerer. "It shall be as you wish." The wizard looked at the two young elves and then he continued. "As for you, Garreth and Romaric, you may live to regret your fealty to your compatriot. We must now make our preparations as we shall depart at first light." Turning back to the elfin King he added, "If that is acceptable to Your Majesty, of course." "The Elf King smiled and spoke in a very soft voice. "I have been packed for more than a week, my good friend, and I am anxious for this journey to begin. You, Kieren," the King continued as he turned toward the youth, "will be allowed to go home and bid your parents farewell. I have already forewarned them of your mission and I have secured their permission. They have been somewhat prepared for your announcement, but I am sure that it will still be an emotional parting. You must pack whatever things you wish to take with you on this venture, but I shall warn you to be very selective about what you bring. This will be a long journey and you will have to carry these items over many difficult paths. The weight of each additional item that you bring will increase proportionately with each passing step. I advise you again to choose only those items that you believe to be absolutely essential for travel. "As for you, Garreth and Romaric, you shall be sent home accompanied by one of my couriers. They will inform your parents of the importance of this mission and assist you in any possible way. You must also say good-bye to your families and pack your belongings for this trip. Remember the admonition I gave to Kieren regarding what you choose to bring with you. Hurry on your way and return hither to rest for the night. We must all get a good night's sleep in preparation for the journey ahead." As King Dylan finished his remarks, the three boys left the room, talking excitedly. They were looking forward to the adventures that awaited them, yet scared about its dangers. They were invigorated by the novelty that this journey offered them, but they did not fully comprehend the horrors that might be present along the way. They were extremely excited by the prospect of venturing beyond the boundaries of the faerie kingdom, an experience that none of them had previously enjoyed. They were equally excited about the prospect of visiting Leander, the capital of Tarolia. They had heard many stories about this wondrous place from the various traders and merchants who dealt with the elfin homeland. They had secretly longed to see this magnificent place for themselves, and now it seemed that their wish was about to come true. Being youthful and eager, not necessarily thoughtful, they prepared enthusiastically for the big day that awaited them. I would like to ask you to email me with your reactions to this story. It takes a great deal of time and effort to put this together and I only wish to continue it if there is sufficient interest. I have limited my other stories to the 'young friends' section and I have no concept of the following for this genre. Please use the email address listed below to contact me if you feel that this story is worth pursuing. I may or may not post one more chapter before I make my decision. Bill * * * * * * * * If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://www.teenboyauthors.org/thewolf, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mails may be sent to: bwstories44@hotmail.com.