Where the path ends

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Where the Path Ends By Ian Ramey Completed 1/20/15 1

description

Journey to the fantasy land of Asindia in this brief short-story.

Transcript of Where the path ends

Page 1: Where the path ends

Where the Path Ends

By Ian RameyCompleted 1/20/15

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Table of Contents:

Prologue -- 3Chapter I -- 4Chapter II -- 6Chapter III -- 7Chapter IV -- 9Chapter V -- 11Chapter VI -- 13Chapter VII -- 15Chapter VIII -- 16Chapter IX -- 17

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Prologue

Vozahlein was once a peaceful realm. Men stayed on the coast in their massive walled-in city of Asindia and in the smaller city of Isen, and Elves in their city of Dryn in the forest. Dragons inhabited the mountains of the far north. The Orcs dwelled in the vast Gashnar Desert in the south. Each race stayed in their own area, rarely travelling outside of their homes to comingle with the other species. Men and Elves were allied and did minor amounts of trading. But that was long ago, before the Orcs went to war with the Elves.

The Orcs and Elves have been engaged in a war with one another for several millennia. This long-lasting ordeal has finally slowed down, with the Elves having finally pushed back the Orcs to their last great city, Kholheim. The Orcs’ final city is controlled by one of their fiercest leaders, a warlord named Groth Ta’aurc. He is the leader of the mighty Ta’aurc clan of Orcs, which is made up of the most powerful of the Orcs in their kingdom.

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Part IChapter I

4th of Simooras, Midday

Alfar Rumwold and his older brother Cynric are simple farmers living on the outskirts of the large human city of Asindia. The brothers share many of the same physical features including dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes. Alfar is eighteen years of age while Cynric is twenty. They spend their days working the fields and helping the grandmother with various tasks around their home. Their small farmhouse is located outside of Asindia, near the vast fields of grain. Asindia is split up into two separate districts; inside of the walls and the outside. Inside the walls (where the food is plentiful and the water is clean), and the outside of the walls where the only food you can get is that which you grow yourself. The people who live outside of the walls are mainly farmers and peasants; people who can’t afford to live inside the city. But it isn’t all bad. The outside of Asindia is still relatively safe, and you are free to come-and-go as you please.

One morning, Alfar and Cynric were working out in the fields like they do every day. “Don’t you ever just want to get out and see what’s beyond these fields?” Alfar asked his brother.

“I wonder every single day. There has to be something more exciting than this out there” Cynric replied as he continued harvesting the wheat beneath him. So the brothers finished their day of work, and returned home to dinner. During supper that evening, the brothers continued discussing their desires to see the rest of the world and what it has to offer. Their grandmother overheard the conversation and came up with an idea.

“Alfar! Cynric!” she called from the other room. “I need you for a minute!”The brothers willingly obliged and greeted their grandmother in the next room.

“What is it? What do you need?” inquired Alfar.

“I have a request for the two of you. I need you to bring this to Isen for me” she replied, handing them a small brown package. “Just drop this off in Isen with the tavern owner.” Isen is a town several hundred kilometers from Asindia. The trip to Isen is normally safe and uneventful, according to their grandma. “I just heard you two talking during supper about wanting some adventure, so I thought that I’d help.”

“Are you sure that you’ll be okay on your own while we’re gone?” Cynric asked.

“Oh… I think that this old woman will be alright on her own for a few weeks” their grandmother said with a wink. “Now go! Have fun, be safe, and see the world! And tell me everything about it when you get back!”

The next morning, Alfar and Cynric prepared for their journey. They packed any necessary food and clothing, and said goodbye to their friends and family. They made sure to tightly wrap the package and hide it deep within Cynric’s satchel. On their way out of town, the stopped by the merchant’s tents for some basic supplies like extra blankets, water, and camping gear. After

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obtaining supplies from the merchants, the Rumwold brothers continued their way across the fields.

The brothers trekked across the grain fields of Asindia, and then they entered the thick An’yar Forest. They kept walking for two or three more days stopping only for brisk naps and snack breaks, when they came into a clearing at the base of the An’yar Mountains. The brothers kept walking a little bit further until they came across a small creek.

“Let’s set up camp here for a couple of days. We need to take a break” said Cynric. The Rumwold brothers unpacked their things and set up camp for the night.

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Chapter II4th of Simooras, Early afternoon.

S’yara stood atop the walls of Dryn, looking out into the forest. Dryn is home to the Elves, who are fierce warriors with delicate taste in architecture and design. S’yara is one of the Elven Guards, and she watches over her city from the outer walls. Elves are considerably taller and live much longer than humans, and they sport long hair and oddly pointy ears. S’yara, unlike most Elves, has red hair and a freckled face. Her eyes are dark green in color, and her clothing the same; with the exception of her armor. She wears the golden-colored armor of the Elven Guard over her robes. Dryn is a moderately large city in the forest at the base of the North Mountains. It is carved from marble and stone, with decorative statues dotting the courtyards. Streams and waterfalls flow through various canals throughout the entirety of the city.

As S’yara stood on the outer wall looking into the forest, one of her fellow guards came over to her with startling news.

“We’ve just received word that an Orc raiding party has crossed the borders of the Gashnar Desert.”

“Why now? They haven’t attempted to cause trouble in nearly seventy years” replied S’yara. She decided that she needed to speak to the Captain of the Guard, Lord Ey’tein. She turned away from the guard before he could answer, and she briskly walked along the wall towards Lord Ey’tein, who looked at her with a puzzled face.

“What’s wrong? How can I help?” he asked S’yara.

“I’d like to organize a team and find the Orc raiding party before they can cause too much trouble” she answered. “If I can take a team of four or five, we can take care of the Orcs before the wreak havoc upon any of our settlements, or those of the humans.”

“Yes. Do it. We can’t let the Orcs gain any sort of foothold here in the north. Not right now, not ever.”

S’yara proceeded to organize a team of Orc hunters, composed of members of the Elven Guard. Two archers and two swordsmen, who had overheard the plan and were already preparing for the journey. They grabbed all of the arrows, swords, and armor that they might possibly need, along with all of the basic supplies necessary for their trip.

“We will take what we need, and leave before the sun sets” S’yara tells her group.

A couple of days later, the Elves set up camp southeast of Dryn, to the eastern side of the An’yar Mountains. The Elves camped out for a few hours. S’yara told them that they’d be continuing their journey later in the evening, after everyone had gotten sufficient rest.

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Chapter III7th of Simooras, Early evening.

As dusk drew closer on the third day of their adventure, Alfar and Cynric set up camp. They made their camp on the edge of a small stream at the base of the An’yar Mountains. They built a small campfire and began cooking a meal over the burning wood. Alfar was stirring a pot of stew when suddenly he jumped after hearing a noise in the forest behind him.

“What was that?!” he exclaimed in surprise. Cynric laughed as he watched a small rodent crawl out from behind the trees. Alfar laughed with his brother after seeing the source of the noise crawl closer to them. The small creature crept closer to them, as if asking for some food. Alfar threw it a little piece of bread, which the rodent shyly accepted before running off back into the woods.

The brothers continued minding their own business and enjoying their dinner. A short while later, Cynric said “I think I heard something over there.”

“Oh ha-ha. Very funny” replied Alfar. Alfar just assumed that his brother was teasing him about the little critter.

“No, I’m serious, I think that I see—” Cynric was interrupted by a massive creature charging out of the woods, knocking him to the ground. The monster was an Orc, followed by several more that came out of the forest behind it. The Orcs are huge creatures with pale-green skin and tough hides. Orcs tower above humans and Elves alike, and they wield crude and rusty weapons. Orcs are not the most intelligent of creatures, but what they lack in intelligence they make up for in sheer strength and brutish tendencies.

“CYNRIC!” Alfar called to his brother after seeing the Orc. The creature looked over to Alfar, and lifted up its club with a grin. Alfar walked backwards and tripped over the stewpot, and was then knocked out cold by the club-wielding Orc. The stewpot clattered over to its side, spilling its contents onto the ground. Alfar landed with a thud.

10th of Simooras, Midnight

“Alfar? Alfar, are you awake? Are you alright?” Alfar heard his brother say. Alfar woke up with a splitting headache and a swollen spot on the back of his head.

With a groan, Alfar leaned forward and said “Where am I? What happened?” He then remembered the camp, the Orcs rushing out of the forest, and falling to the ground.

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“You’ve been unconscious for days.” Cynric replied. “It’s okay, Alfar. We’ll be okay. We need to figure out a way out of this first, though.”

The brothers looked around them, trying to figure out where they were. There were a few dry scraggly trees all around them, and in one direction a thick forest in the distance. In the other direction, there was nothing but sand and short stubby bits of grass. They were in the middle of what appeared to be the Orc’s camp. There were dozens of Orcs milling about snarling and barking at one another. The camp itself seemed to be made of wooden poles and crudely-made canvas materials. The Rumwold brothers were locked in a cell made of steel and wood. Their ankles were also chained to the ground.

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Chapter IV6th of Simooras, Dawn

“It’s time for us to go” said S’yara. The group of Elven warriors packed up their camp, and prepared to track down the Orcs. The Elves travelled for four more days until they were finally close enough to see the camp. As they drew closer, they made plans for an attack.

“Rey’sein and Fen’yeir, ready your bows and come with me. Yo’mar and Ey’neir, prepare your swords and enter from the other side of the camp” S’yara told the Elves. “Keep their leader alive, I need to speak with him.” They proceeded with their plan, and attacked the Orcs. S’yara and the two archers fired their arrows into the Orcs, successfully taking out several of them simultaneously. As the three Elves with bows kept firing arrows into the camp, the two Elven swordsmen crept further into the camp to capture the leader of this small Orc raiding party. The two swordsmen kept sneaking through the chaos that had erupted in the camp. Before they got to the leader’s tent, they walked past a small cell containing two young humans. The two young men stared out at the Elves pleading for release. Yo’mar and Ey’neir opened up the cage and un-hooked the chains that were linked around their ankles.

“My brother and I can’t thank you enough!” said the shorter of the two. Both of them were young, barely old enough to be considered human adults. The two of them were exhausted and half-starved, obviously having been though a lot.

“What are your names?” asked Yo’mar.

“I’m Alfar Rumwold, and this is my brother, Cynric Rumwold” he replied, pointing over at the taller human behind him. The taller one gave a slight nod and a quick smile.

“Okay, now you need to get out of here. Go to the outside of the camp and talk to the tall Elf named S’yara. She will be able to help you” Yo’mar said to the brothers. They obeyed his instructions and ran out of the camp to speak with S’yara.

“Enough distractions. Let’s hurry up and grab this Orc” Ey’neir said impatiently. The two Elves found the raiding party’s leader cowering in his tent, so they dragged him out and brought him to S’yara. The Orc looked up at her from his knees, making strange pig-like whimpering/snorting sounds.

S’yara stood over the Orc and looked down on him with disgust. “Where is your leader?!” she spat. “Tell me where Groth Ta’aurc is hiding!”

“Grah thun’ se wrok ne wrot tah wa’ahn gre’toh” replied the Orc in a shaky voice. “Grah thun’ Groth Ta’aurc nock leh taoh’pun Thrauc Ba’gorath keh fon’das Elves chun Men.”

“Speak English, Orc! I know you know how to” said S’yara, in an even more frustrated tone.

“Gro—Groth Ta’aurc no… …no here. Groth hide in Gashnar. Groth send Thrauc Ba’gorath and Orcs t—to kill Elves and men” said the Orc.

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“Okay, but where is HE?!” snarled S’yara, who grew ever more frustrated at the Orc’s incompetence.

“Groth hide in Kholheim. Orc city. BIG Orc city” replied the Orc, stammering even more than before. “You no kill Thrauc now? You let Thrauc live?”

S’yara turned away from the Orc, leaving his question unanswered. “Yo’mar. Ey’neir. Come over here and tie up this filth. Leave him for the buzzards.” After tying up and leaving behind Thrauc Ba’gorath, the Elves turned to Alfar and his brother. “How did you end up here?” asked S’yara.

“Cynric and I were headed to Isen to deliver a package. We had set up camp for the night a few days ago when these Orcs took us hostage. If it weren’t for you, I’m not sure what would have happened to us” said Alfar.

Cynric then chimed in. “We really can’t thank you enough.”

“Okay. We need to head to Isen next for supplies before we go to Kholheim to kill Groth Ta’aurc once-and-for-all. Would you like to join us for the journey there?” offered S’yara.

“Gladly!” and “Yes please!” replied the brothers. The group packed their things and got ready to leave. The Rumwold brothers managed to find their backpacks and supplies (along with their grandmother’s package) and were prepared to go. As they left, they could here Thrauc wailing the distance.

“Don’t leave Thrauc! Thrauc be good to you! Thrauc is nice!”

But they did not listen. The newly-formed group starting heading northeast towards the nearest road to Isen, which would be a long trip.

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Chapter V11th of Simooras, Early morning.

As the group left the edge of the Gashnar Desert, they approached the edge of the An’yar forest. The snow-capped An’yar Mountains were visible in the far distance. The group came across a large field that led to a road. They followed the road east, and they eventually ended up in Isen. The trip took four days and four nights, which were all spent walking with few breaks.

After arriving in Isen, the Rumwold brothers ran off to deliver their package to the tavern owner, like their grandmother originally had asked. The Elves followed them to the tavern for a bite to eat and some rest. After talking to the tavern owner about the package, Alfar walked off to talk to S’yara. “How can my brother and I repay you for what you did to help us?” he asked.

“I have an answer for that question, Alfar.” Cynric said from his side. “We’ll join you on your mission to kill that Orc-person in Kholheim. They don’t seem too tough.”

S’yara stifled a laugh. “You think you’d be able to take down Groth Ta’aurc? He’s the leader of the toughest, meanest, smelliest clan of Orcs in Vozahlein. They’re bred for war, and know nothing but how to kill. But if you insist on joining, I suppose you two could tag along. You’ll need gear firs though.” Under her breath, she added “and training too, I suppose…”

After a couple days of resting at the Isen Tavern & Inn, S’yara and the Elves began teaching the Rumwold brothers how to fight. “Alright Cynric, have you ever used a bow before?” inquired Fen’yeir.

“No I have not. How hard can it be though?” replied Cynric in a rather cocky tone. Cynric drew out the bow, and pulled out an arrow. He placed the arrow on the bow and attempted to fire it at the target.

“Ow!” he exclaimed. The arrow had fallen off of the bowstring, and then the string slapped him in the fingers. His fingers quickly turned purple and swollen.

Fen’yeir laughed mightily. “Next time wait for me to tell you how!” he said through his laughter. “The only person you’re going to hurt by firing an arrow that way is yourself.” Fen’yeir kept laughing, but after a few minutes his laughter subsided and he continued his lesson with Cynric.

Yo’mar was teaching Alfar the basics of sword-fighting, and how to disarm your opponents. “Try to make me drop my sword. Do whatever you’re capable of” he challenged Alfar. Alfar lunged towards him, sword in hand. As Alfar sprinted forward, Yo’mar merely stepped aside and let gravity finish off poor Alfar. The poor lad fell face-first into the muddy ground, standing up with his face covered in dirt and filth.

“Why’d you do that? How is that supposed to teach me anything?!” demanded Alfar.

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“That was your first lesson. You need to learn restraint and patience. Take the time you need to view your surroundings and the situation at hand” Yo’mar replied calmly. These lessons continued for several more days, until eventually the brothers were ready.

S’yara and her team, along with the Rumwold brothers, were ready to embark on their journey to Kholheim on the 7th of Agneis. They prepared everything that they may need for the trip, and everything they may need for the battle. Alfar and Cynric were given proper armor and weaponry, and then the group left for Kholheim.

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PART IIChapter VI

7th of Agneis, Midday

The trip to Kholheim was largely uneventful. They followed a similar path to the one from the Orc camp, but instead of continuing west to the Orc camp, the travelled south towards Kholheim. The traversed the Gashnar Desert, which is easily one of the most inhospitable climates of Vozahlein. The vast desert of Gashnar is nothing but sand and heat for hundreds of kilometers.

When they arrived near Kholheim, they got ready for battle. S’yara created a strategy for the attack. “We’ll do two teams of two, and one team of three. At least one archer and one swordsman in each group, and we’ll enter the town and find Ta’aurc at the same time. Yo’mar and Fen’yeir, you’re going to approach from the west” she said. “Rey’sein and Ey’neir, you go from the other side. Alfar and Cynric—you’re with me. We attack at dawn.”

The three groups went to their respected positions and waited for the sun to rise. When the sun came up over the horizon, all hell broke loose. The three groups snuck in to the center of the town where Groth Ta’aurc was bunkered down in a large stone-and-wood structure. They entered it from all possible entrances to find Ta’aurc standing there chuckling.

Orcs tower over humans and Elves, standing at an impressive 2-3 meters tall. They also weigh considerably more than either of the other species due to their massive size. Groth Ta’aurc is no exception to this, and he easily reaches the 3-meter-tall mark. Ta’aurc weighs in at nearly two hundred kilos, making him an imposing sight to all who stand before him. He wields a massive cleaver made of rusted metal, with a handle carved from dragon’s bones.

“Gar’ota keh shima wrok gre’toh se’ima! Shikma’ara Groth Ta’aurc groshna thun’ Ta’aurc kish’ma!” bellowed the Orc warlord. “You have fallen right into my trap, fools! I am the mighty Groth Ta’aurc, warlord of the Ta’aurc clan!” The Orc kept laughing, globules of spittle leaving his mouth with each mighty guffaw.

“Oh no…” whispered S’yara. “Everyone! Get ready!” she shouted as Groth Ta’aurc swung his cleaver at the ground, shaking it as if an earthquake had occurred. Debris flew everywhere, and the Elves and humans scrambled for cover. Cynric and the Elven archers began firing arrows from cover, but these just ricocheted off of Ta’aurc’s thick plated armor. Orc archers and warriors entered the building and attacked the Elves. S’yara dipped behind cover and had to shout just to be heard over all of the chaos. “How did he know we were coming?” she shouted. Her questions were answered by the next Orc who entered the room.

It was Thrauc Ba’gorath, the Orc she had interrogated to find out where Ta’aurc was hiding. She made the mistake of letting Ba’gorath live. She promised herself that she would not make that mistake again. Ba’gorath brandished an Orcish longbow composed of bones, dragon’s teeth, and sinewy threads. He raised his bow and fired an arrow towards S’yara, but she ducked and it whizzed past her head. After seeing the arrow barely miss S’yara, Cynric leapt up and fired an arrow at Ba’gorath, successfully landing it into his target. From the other side of the room, Fen’yeir nodded with approval.

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Ey’neir was the first of their company to fall. He was battling two Orcs simultaneously, but their massive size and immense strength proved too much for him. Once the Orcs had the upper-hand in the battle, Ey’neir fell to the ground. Rey’sein was next, after he was hit by several arrows from Orcs all around. This snapped S’yara out of shock, and she went into an enraged fury, blinded by anger. S’yara charged at Groth Ta’aurc, plunging her dagger to its hilt into the Orc. The Orc stared at her, blinked, and then fell to the ground in a heap. The sound of his body crashing to the ground was deafening. After seeing their leader collapsed on the floor, the Orcs retreated and ran off into the vast Gashnar Desert.

The remaining members of the groups stood there digesting what had just happened, when suddenly Alfar broke the silence. “I—I think something is wrong with me…” he said, before collapsing. S’yara approached him and looked over to Cynric.

She lifted up Alfar’s shirt to see his veins pulsing with a sickly greenish-black hue. “It’s an Orcish poisoned arrow. The only way to cure this is powerful magic. Nothing any of us are capable of accomplishing” she kept examining the wound. “I know of an Elven wizard named Stron’tiumm in the far north. He resides in Draedaro Keep. His magic will be able to cure your brother.” Cynric was on the verge of tears, but he tried to remain calm and not give in to his emotions.

“What are we waiting for then? Let’s go.”

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Chapter VII2nd of Pluvias, Midday

Alfar, Cynric, S’yara, Fen’yeir and Yo’mar are all who remain of the original group at this point. The team is now trekking through the ice and snow that covers the North Mountains. Alfar’s condition has worsened over the past week, and things are not looking promising. As they draw near Draedaro Keep, things began to look less bleak and hopeless. The group entered Draedaro Keep and they were met with great generosity and kindness. The wizard Stron’tiumm approached them and asked why they had journeyed this far. S’yara explained their predicament and how ill Alfar was.

Stron’tiumm stroked his beard thoughtfully as he contemplated their scenario. “I will be able to help him, but it will take time. In the meantime, you and your people need to get some rest.”

“Thank you” said Cynric. “But I’d rather stay by my brother’s side while he is healing.”

“If you insist, human. But I must tell you, he will be in pain. The effects of the Orcish poison will have taken their toll, and he may not be the same person that you remember once he wakes up. He will be very hostile towards anyone and everyone around him, but he will return to normal after that. For now I recommend that you and your group go and get some rest” Stron’tiumm continued to stroke his beard as they walked away.

The next day, Cynric woke with a start. He had heard his brother’s screams and these jolted him awake. Cynric got up and ran around, frantically looking for his brother. After find him, Cynric attempted to comfort him. But Alfar was in pain, terrible pain. His agonized screams grew more intense as Stron’tiumm used his magic to draw the poison out of Alfar’s system. The next few days were spent with Alfar while he healed and grew less aggressive. Once he was feeling well again, the brothers decided that it was time to go home.

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Chapter VIII9th of Pluvias, Early morning

S’yara, Fen’yeir and Yo’mar were packing their gear to leave while the Rumwold brothers did the same. They decided that they would all travel home together, parting ways when the Elves had to return to Dryn. They took the path west across the North Mountains, stopping after two days to get some rest.

“According to the map, there’s a small shortcut we could take to cut an entire day’s worth of walking out of the trip” observed Yo’mar. The group decided that this was a wise choice, because they were all anxious to get home. They were ready for this adventure to come to an end. Their paths had met, crossed, and were intertwined, but eventually all things reach an end.

So after resting for a few hours, the group took their shortcut, which led them to a cave. “We could set up camp here for the night” said S’yara. “It’s dry, warm, and covered.”

The group ventured into the cave, but inside they heard a deep rumbling sound. “WHO DARES TO ENTER THE LAIR OF THE MIGHTY NAAKINDOJUUL?” hissed a deep voice. “WHY HAVE YOU HAVE WOKEN ME FROM MY SLUMBER?” it grumbled. The voice came from a massive grey-green scaled dragon. Beneath the dragon was a massive haul of treasure. Gold, silver, and hundreds of priceless gems and jewels rested underneath Naakindojuul.

“On second thought, let’s skip the cave and camp somewhere else” said S’yara with a curt laugh. But Fen’yeir had other ideas. He had seen the treasures hordes belonging to the dragon, and his greed had gotten the best of him. “Fen’yeir, NO!” screamed S’yara, but it was too late.

Fen’yeir had already dived into the cave in hopes of snagging some treasure.

“YOU WOULD DARE TO STEAL FROM ME?” shouted an enraged Naakindojuul. The dragon whipped around to face Fen’yeir. “THIS IS WHERE YOUR PATH ENDS, ELF.” Fen’yeir turned around and stared at the dragon, his arms full of treasure. Naakindojuul smiled, and unleashed an intense wave of flame upon the ground where Fen’yeir once stood. Nothing of Fen’yeir remained, not even ash.

The remaining members of the group fled, just barely avoiding the second plume of fire that Naakindojuul unleashed into the night sky.

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Chapter IX12th of Pluvias, Dawn

The next morning, the group kept walking down the road until they reached a fork. To the west was Asindia, and to the east was Dryn. “Well, I suppose that this is where our path together ends. Alfar, Cynric, you two take care of each other” said S’yara as she and Yo’mar turned away.

“Wait—you’re just going to leave? Just like that?” asked Alfar.

“We need to return to Dryn and tell Lord Ey’tein that our mission was a success” explained Yo’mar. “We will see each other again someday, I am sure. We all met for a reason, and now our destinies are forged together.”

“Okay. S’yara. Yo’mar” said Alfar. The two Elves turned back and looked at him. “Thank you. If it weren’t for you, Cynric and I would be, well… I’m not sure where we’d be right now if it weren’t for you.” S’yara smiled at him, then looked over to Cynric.

“You showed great promise with that bow. I want you to have this.” She handed Cynric her bow. “It was my one of father’s bows, but I have others that I can use. You should keep that one, to keep Alfar safe.”

“Tha—thank you” replied Cynric. “Goodbye S’yara, goodbye Yo’mar.” The Elves said their final goodbyes before taking the path to their home of Dryn.

The Rumwold brothers continued their walk back to their small farmhouse in Asindia, back to their grandmother. When they arrived home, their grandmother greeted them with a big smile.

After saying hello and catching up and sharing their adventures, Alfar asked his grandmother a question. “So… …what was in the package that you had us bring to Isen?”

“Nothing” she replied with a grin. “I just knew that the two of you were craving adventure, so I gave you an excuse to get some.” She gave them a wink and then left the room. The brothers simply looked at one-another completely baffled.

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Acknowledgements:

I’m not sure what to put on this page, but I guess that I’d like to thank my family and friends for helping me plan the plot and create characters.

A special thank you to my friend Ben, who especially helped with character development while we were playing Dungeons and Dragons one time (kind of nerdy, but oh well).

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About the Author:

Ian Ramey is a college-student who lives at home with loving parents and a lot of siblings. He spends his free time with friends, family, and with books of all kinds. Ian has a specific interest in Science Fiction and Medieval Fantasy genres of books. He is not any sort of distinguished

author, but it might make a fun hobby someday.

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