Chapter 10: Ne Flerana

I closed my eyes just as the sun rose up over the horizon and begun to poke through the protection of the trees and limbs above me. I had dug out perhaps my best underground shelter to date; I was underneath the same enormous maple tree that just minutes ago Thresh had rammed my head into. There was enough room under the roots of the maple for me to stretch my legs out and sit up if I so desired. But for now I only desired sleep. Sleep to heal the wounds Oases had caused upon my face. Sleep to heal the knot on my head that the maple tree had left. Sleep just to slip away from going insane due to the fact that I had been undeniably betrayed by my wife and my dearest friends. As my eyes finally found their way completely shut, visions began swirling inside of my mind.



An Elven Ranger sat alone on the top step of a magnificent castle. The walls appeared to be made of white marble with gold accents all throughout. The Ranger sat with his head resting in his right hand. His arm supported by his knee. Hanging from both hips were two glorious swords barely visible through the dark green cloak. Out of the tree line from the south came two more Rangers. One dark headed male and one fair headed young female approached the castle steeps with purpose. A conversation ensued, with the two new guests doing most of the talking. The seated Ranger looked up at the others and mumbled a few words, only to hang his head in his hands once more. The younger female reached for the Elf's cloak. She gave one last look at her elder Ranger, then grabbed the cloak and removed it quickly. She handed the cloak to her elder then turned her back and walked back down the castle steps. The raven haired man began speaking again for a length of time. The seated Elf looked up and only mustered a small whimper as he let his head hang to his chest this time. The male Ranger turned his back to his fallen comrade and rejoined his companion at the bottom of the steps. Together they walked back from whence they came and the now cloak less Ranger was alone once more.



I watched him sulk for what seemed like hours. While he wallowed in his own self pity, I admired his swords for the same amount of time. I could tell just by looking at them as a whole that they were swords of power. I was also being told so by Harbinger, and it wasn't pleased at all. The weapon on the Elf's right hip was made of some sort of green material. It was almost see through, like a thick sheet of ice. The hand guard was decorated with jewels of every color that seemed to glow like the sun. The handle was wrapped in the finest leather I had ever laid my eyes on. It just hung from the Elf's belt as if it had no purpose. Harbinger let me know otherwise. My sword of power shivered and hummed in its sheath so much, I thought it was going to lunge for the Elf by itself but it remained where it was. The sword on the left was a typical looking weapon. The only thing that separated this sword from any other was the gold flakes scattered along the thin blade. As I admired this sword from a distance I could feel Harbinger's hate welling up within me. I closed my eyes tight and turned away before I let my sword of power take hold of me. I calmed myself enough to turn back to the secluded Ranger. When I did, there was yet another Ranger standing at the bottom steps of the castle. Hope had finally been restored to the hopeless Ranger. The new visitor spoke with such a booming voice that I had to cover my ears to keep them from bleeding. I tried to remain focused on the conversation. But I could hear nothing except loud booming, like a drum being beaten upon mercilessly. The Ranger on the ground raised his right arm and with some sort of magic removed the fallen Ranger's weapons from his sides. This Elf was now truly alone. Everything seemed to have been taken from him. The Ranger who confiscated the weapons turned and looked directly at me. He gave a wink, and then was gone. I watched the once proud warrior walk slowly in to the forest, and then he was gone as well.



I removed my hands from my ears and examined them closely. They were dripping with blood as was my ears. I concentrated on healing as best I could. I closed my eyes to try to ease the pounding in my head, it was no use. I opened my eyes again and found myself standing on the ground face to face with my father. I dropped to my knees and had I had the ability to cry, I would have. "Father," I said, "I have missed you and Mother so much. I am doing my best to avenge your deaths." I hung my head in shame, knowing that I had not yet done enough. My father spoke, though it was a voice not familiar to me. "Aerol Reign, stand up." The voice that came from my father's mouth was not my father's at all. This voice resonated with so much power that at its command I did as was told. Now standing my father spoke again, "I am not your father or your king. I am who I am." I looked upon his face and confused said, "You do look like him. But the voice is…different. If you are not my father, then I demand to know who you are!" The impersonator never flinched or wavered as he said, "I do not take demands from mortals. But as time is very short I will say that I am who you want me to be. I appear as you need me to, so that what I have to say sticks. Thus, I have appeared before you as your father." I shook my head and turned to the direction the lonely Elf walked just moments before. "What do you need to tell me that is so important?" The man clasped his hands behind his back and said, "You have been warned by your friends and family many times about the dangerous path you are traveling on." I nodded my head in acknowledgement. "Should at some point in your travels you decide to let yourself be redeemed, there will come a time when what you just witnessed will come to pass. It will be up to you to redeem another so that you can pay back the debt and sacrifice made for you. Do you understand?" I sat upon the warm sun soaked grass and studied what my father had just explained to me. After several moments I looked up at him and said, "Yes, I understand. But how will I know when and where to do this? I do not even know this Elf that I have been shown." A smile came across my father's face and he said, "You will know this man very soon, and you already know what this place looks like. You will know when it is time. However Aerol I must warn you that if you continue down the road you're on, what you have just witnessed will never happen. But a greater tragedy will occur in its place. You have been warned for the final time." I opened my mouth to speak, but the man who looked like my father had vanished. I sat soaking up the sun for what seemed like an eternity when I seen myself exit through the tree line and head toward the castle. I was different. I didn't seem to carry the worries…..BOOM!!!



My eyes flew open as the tree I was using as shelter began to shake. I dug out a small hole to see what the commotion outside was. There was a group of ten battle mages standing just beyond my temporary crypt. They were not the Dragon Mages that Thresh spoke of. Another deceit by the traitor, they were just battle mages. They were hurling spells at the tree trying to knock it to the ground. The magic warriors had already decimated half of the forest in their attempts to find me. I can fight them, and defeat them all. I pulled Harbinger from its sheath and began to dig my way out when I heard a slight crack in the air just behind me. "I would not dare try that Aerol. It would be quite foolish of you." I whipped my head around and to my surprise was my sire, Dante. I pushed aside my astonishment and said, "I have to do this, it is part of my quest." Dante just sat very calm and still and said, "Is your quest to die? Have you seen who is approaching from the east as I have? Have you seen who is leading this fight? If you had, you would come with me and leave Orcshire for now." I turned my gaze back to the mages outside. Dressed in blue robes was my wife, Cirania. I looked back at Dante, "Who is approaching from the east?" He let a smile cross his face, "Dragon Mages. They have been sent here by the one who promised you the world." Stunned, I looked down at Harbinger. "No, no it can't be. He told me…" Dante interrupted, "Exactly what you wanted to hear. Now he knows that you can be saved from your destructive path. He feels if he cannot have you and I to himself, then no one can." Thresh had been telling the truth all along. What have I done? How many people that I cared about have I harmed? I…I must finish this! "Fine Dante, take me out of here. But I will return soon, and I will finish what I have started. Then I will seek the redemption that is out there for me." Dante reached out and grabbed my right shoulder and said, "Spoken like a true Reign." I heard a light crack in the air once more, and we were gone.



When I awoke two days later I was underneath a giant sequoia tree. I dug a little earth out to find out my position. Everything was quiet. I could see a roaring fire just off in the distance. I also heard the grunting language of the Orcs. I was just outside of the Chieftain Orc's camp. My mission was near complete.




Author's note; if you enjoyed these writings, join our blog group on myspace. By doing so you can follow the Chronicles of Desidarious Devenshire, written by my friend Dustin Green. And the Tales of Paralay Vextar, written by Damon Tinsley. If you don't want to join the blog group, then at least go to their pages and read their stories. Desidarious' story has already begun. And Paralay's have only just begun. Eventually, all three stories will become one. So you'll need to stay in the know. I hope you all enjoyed the tenth chapter of The Adventures of Aerol Reign: Ne Flerana