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The ill female druid sat by the crystal clear river, her fingers tapping into the water, which turned into red. Yes, it was red, the colour of disaster, of war and blood. She shook her head, her eyes gleamed in dull light. She sat up straight by the river, lifting her hands into the air as she began to spell an incantation. She mumbled a few words in her druid language, and the water began to rise and formed a pillar-like water mirror. Slowly, she looked into the magic mirror, and all she can see was darkness, an evil darkness. It was the colour that would fill up the future of her people, her beloved friends, and her village. A few drops of tears rolled down her cheeks and she put down her hands, the water deformed and fell back into the river. "What a sadness, what a sadness," she said and fell down to the rock floor, her eyes filled with tears. "Mother, are you alright?" a voice suddenly filled her ears and filled the cave. such a lovely voice of a child. She lifted her heads, wiping away her tears and flashed a sad smile to the teenage boy, an elf as she was. He was her only faithful companion, whom she seeks to talk about everything in her mind. He was a brave young elf. "Yes, yes, I am alright, Aldor. I am alright." "It seems a lie, mother, and tell me what did you see in the magic mirror?" "Nothing, my dear son. Nothing." "But you are crying, and I can see the sadness in your eyes now. Tell me, mother." He was such a sensitive young elf, and an intelligent one too. She wished he could be the next leader of her people, and be a better one than she was. He was not her real son, as everyone knew he wasn't. She picked him up from the Dark Forest, where he was left to die besides his already dead father, who died of serious burnt, cast on him. Aldor was not crying then, his eyes were so clear and shone the light of bravery and warrior and she brought him back to her cave. "Good son, you will know the truth when the time comes, and for now, gather me the 3 Elders from the village. Go now, and tell them I want to meet them as soon as possible," she said weakly but with the tone of a leader, a command. Aldor smiled and strode out of the cave. She stood up and walked to her throne, made by leaves and branches of the best wood in her village. Her time was running out and there were a lot of things she needed to figure out to the Elders and her people, and yes, her beloved son. She closed her eyes to rest but all she sees was the same darkness. She woke up when the 3 Elders came into her cave, and was standing before her. When she opened her eyes, they bowed and greeted her. "Good sleep, Your Highness?" said Galbar, the Head of the 3 Elders. He was a little younger than her, face full with white beard and moustache. His eyes shone intelligence and knowledge, which she never dare to challenge. "Not really, Galbor the Wise One. Not really." "What is the emergency to gather us here then?" She stood up from her throne, and waved her hands, spelled a few incantations and the water rose again from the river, forming the magic mirror. The 3 Elders turned back and watched the darkness. She walked pass them and stood in front of the mirror, her fingers reached to touch the water, and suddenly the darkness became red. One of the Elders gasped. "Red, the colour of war and blood, of destruction to our people and village, Your Highness." "Yes, Harrim, yes. And my time is running out soon," she said and coughed. Tears began to form in her eyes again. Harrim was the biggest elf among the 3 Elders, and the youngest one too. He was the fighter, the Hero of Faiir, the name of her village. He fought in countless battle and won them uncountable victories when he was young, and now he was the combat trainer to all the young elves. She coughed harder, and nearly lost her balance and she felt Harrim's arms on her shoulders. He was her most loyal fighter and he respected her more then everyone in the village, others except Aldor. "Thank you Commander Harrim," she smiled. "That was long time ago, Your Highness. Now I am a normal combat trainer." "And a good one too. But now the time of disaster is near us." "Who will be our enemy, Your Highness?" stepped forward another medium-sized elf. "That's for you to find out, Reka, our master of wizardry. Please help me find out the person behind the darkness, behind the red curtain that would befall on our village soon." Reka was the best wizard, the most powerful spells caster among her people and he stood out as one of the best strategists too, whom fought battles side by side with Harrim, his best mate, while Galbar helped her in ruling her village. Reka was remembers for the day when he cast a huge meteor shower in the battle against the Ogres in Mount Jaril, the mountain situated almost 100 miles in the west. And the shower saved the village and killed almost every ogres fighting in the battle. Harrim was most amazed. Reka stepped forward again and sat down by the river and took over the magic mirror. He closed his eyes and began to meditate; a form of blue energy surrounded his body as he began to chant a few words. The energy became green and then red and suddenly he opened his eyes and the magic mirror began to swirl and the darkness became dark cloud, moving in frenzied motion. Reka was deep into his spell and the dark cloud began to form into a face, and slowly it revealed the face of an old elf. The others were startled by the look of the face: the ancient enemy of Faiir, Thaga, the Evil One. "He is back once more, my respectable Elders. He is back again after 50 years," she said weakly and her coughed became harder. Harrim took her arms and led her to her throne and she sat down. "What can we do now? What can we do now?" she sighed. "We are in danger now, Your Highness. We need to talk to the other villages leaders now, right away. It is an emergency," Harrim said. "Yes, that's what I plan to do. Now, my respectable Galbar, please bring Aldor here. I will send him as a messenger to other villages right away. Do it fast." Aldor was playing with his childhood friends, Barin, Nafgar and Meeshl, when Galbar appeared in front of him. "Come with me now, young Aldor. Your mother needs to see you." And with an instant, Aldor appeared before his mother, in her beautiful cave. Master Harrim, and Reka were also there. There must be something big happening as this seemed like an unusual meeting. He sensed a troubled mind from his mother gaze. It was not only the gaze of a troubled mind; it spelled out danger and disaster. Seldom enough did he saw his mother being so dull and worried. "Yes, mother. What is troubling your clear mind as I can see it through your eyes? It is of disaster and great danger as I predicted, and I assumed it is correct." "Oh Aldor, my beloved child. Such sensitivity and nerves are a great gift to you from Gaea, the nature spirit. Yes, we are having trouble coming in our way, big trouble that affects the fate of all our people and even our neighbours as well." Dark Forest, the place where his father was buried with such pain and ill fate. The black soil was his tomb and Aldor wondered who killed his father. The forest was a prohibited place to all children of Faiir, including him, but well, he was curious and over-active afterall. The trees were mostly dead and there were thousands of poisonous and dangerous plants. Flesh-eating carnivorous plants and monsters roaming around freely and luckily he never had a chance to fight any of these creatures. Aldor jumped onto a branch of a big dead tree, ready to roam into the forest to get to the Village of Guran, occupied and ruled by the relatives of elves, the half elves. Aldor was to send a message to the leader, The Great Bard, Albarum. Aldor began to jump through the dangerous forest when he was stopped by three shadows. "Where do you think you are going, Aldor?' a female voice greeted him from the back. It was Meeshl, the beautiful female elf. Beside her stood his another two childhood friends, Barin, a half-elf and Nafgar who were both smiling. Three of them were older than he was, and were more skillful than him in most matters. "This is a very dangerous place for a small elf like you, Aldor. Hehe..." she added. Aldor shrugged and turned back to meet his friends. And they seemed very prepared for a journey and battle. They had some weapons with them; Meeshl with her dagger, Barin a small sword and Nafgar a lance. "What are you guys doing here?" "Well that is supposed to be our question shouldn't it?" Barin asked. His smile was very annoying, a disgusting grin. "Yeah, where do you think you are going to in a place like Dark Forest without us? Hmmm…. We know about your important journey Aldor. The news spread fast doesn't it?" Meeshl said with a smile. "And we are going with you, brother. How can you count us out?" Finally Nafgar said something. And it was a claim, not a suggestion. Aldor smiled weakly. He knew how they were not allowed to join him in this messenger journey, and should be made known to his mother; it would get him into trouble. Trouble with capital T. But well, it was only among four of them, if none was going to say anything, it was a secret then. Aldor smiled and nodded as approval, and all smiled. Suddenly they heard the rustle of leaves, and the sound of huge breathing. Aldor and friends kept alerted, their eyes rolling and looking into each possible direction for a sign. "There, a few trees away. It is a one-eyed beast," Nafgar said with an alert tone. Barin was swallowing his saliva, and all of them knew he was afraid as always. He was the most coward figure among them. Meeshl reached for her dagger and the other followed, preparing for battle. The beast walked nearer, heaving hard, and they can see his movements through the rustling leaves. When it got 2 trees nearby, Meeshl nodded to them and all of them jumped down the tree, to face the upcoming creature. It was bigger than they expected but Meeshl was no backing from the battle. She shouted for attack and jumped toward the beast, her dagger gripped tightly in her hand. Aldor followed next and rushed toward the beast legs and slashed its left leg with his sword. Barin was all startled but gained his bravery from his brave friends. He closed his eyes, his hands lifted to the air, and he spelled an incantation. A few fire-darts shot out from his fingers and flied toward the beast body. Nafgar stepped behind and waited for his chance to attack. Meeshl pierced the beast's face but the beast was no weak fighter. It fighted back and shoved Meeshl to the ground with his right hand. "Be careful, Meeshl," Nafgar shouted and cast a magic, that made the leaves formed a bed below the falling figure. "Damn beast." Nafgar jumped and jabbed forward with his lance that caught the beast in the chest. Blood spurted from the wound. The beast let out a painful roar and began to fight Aldor. It lunged forward; its claws stretched out and tried to grab Aldor's head. Aldor dodged the attack and slided toward the beast's legs and made another slash with his sword and rolled skillfully to Meeshl's side. "Are you alright, Meeshl?" he asked. "Yes, the beast is quite fast. Caught me by surprise though," she smiled. A sharp yell from Barin signaled Aldor about the beast attack, he turned, grabbed Meeshl arm and thy both rolled on the forest floor and grouped with Nafgar and Barin. "So who want to fight this one? How about you Barin? Want to try?" "Me?" "Yes, afraid? You coward, hehehe, I will fight it," Aldor said followed by some giggles from Meeshl and Nafgar. "What? You call me a coward? What on earth does that mean? Step back, I will face this beast and take it down," Barin stepped forward, his body a little shivering. "Now what", he was thinking," I am dead." The beast roared and looked at him, his mouth opened, exposing two rolls of sharp white teeth. He was afraid, yes, but his dignity made him brave. He lifted his hands into the air; eyes closed once again, and began to chant. The air surrounding his hands began to swirl and turned red. The air in the forest became hot, as he continued to chant his spell. "He is very serious now, Aldor. What a pity beast. Will die roasted," Nafgar said as the three knew what spell was about to be cast. The beast charged forward, his claws all prepared to tear open the elf flesh. Barin stopped chanting, and opened his eyes, which were red now. His hands straight toward the beast and with a shout, his hands opened and a red huge fireball flied toward the beast and hit it in the chest, burning the hair and then began to eat the beast body. The beast cried out loud, his body burning in flame. The four young elves stood and watched the beast died. "Good job Barin. That's a massive spell. When do you learn that?" Aldor asked in amazement. Barin grinned and shrugged. Laughingly, he chuckled. "Teach us that spell," Aldor said. "No way. Learn it yourself. Read your scrolls. Hah!" Barin said and jumped onto a branch and began hisjourney further into the Dark Forest. "Hey! Don't you think you going to run away like that, you chicken elf," Aldor shouted as he followed Barin into the forest while Meeshl and Nafgar followed behind, smiling. The journey was going to be a merry one now. ©
Rymond Wong 2001
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