The full deeds of the hero, Elmonrona as she wielded the Silver Sword are related in the chronicles of Irowasa’s magic war. I will here relate only a few tales of the exploits of Elmonrona and the Silver Sword during the war.
For the Silver Sword's background please refer to Forging and the 1st Unworthy.
For the story of the 1st hero refer to Swan Warrior parts 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5.
For the second hero's story refer to Fairy Vault.
For the tale of how Elmonrona obtained the sword refer to Riddle of the Stones.
The Great Magic War
Let the praise of God be on their lips and a two-edged sword in their hand, to deal out vengeance to the nations and punishment on all the peoples.
Psalm 149: 6-7
Defense of Windola
Elmonrona marched in time with fairy and human soldiers as they crossed the northern plains of Windola to fight against Drazil’s army of monsters and magicians which even now advanced to meet them. The warm spring sun heated her back through her spell resistant armor. On her hips she wore a thick brown Algamise battle sash. In the traditional style of Algamar, the sash was knotted over her right hip opposite the sheath of the Silver Sword hanging at her left hip.
A winter of searching had led her to discovering thousands of magicians and legions of monsters joining Drazil in causing chaos in the villages of the kingdom, Windola. Elmonrona had formed an alliance with other warriors dedicated to keeping the magicians and monsters in check and with them had rallied the armies of Windola and Fairy Wood to face the Dark army.
A wave of dark spots broke out of the ranks of the Dark army and lifted into the air. Elmonrona squinted passed the edge of her helmet until she made out the individual shapes of harpies, witches on broomsticks, dragons ridden by wizards, and some strange kind of monsters which looked like giant bats. Once they leveled off over their army, this air unit wheeled and made straight for the advancing army of Windola.
“Incoming!” Elmonrona shouted.
The archers sent up a volley of arrows and crossbow bolts. Several monsters dropped from the sky while those remaining dodged the missiles and continued their forward flight. Beating their mighty wings, griffins, dragons and winged horses with elven riders rose from the center of the Windolise army. They were joined over the plains by the airwalker squadron with whom they flew to meet the oncoming threat. The opposing air forces crashed in the sky between the two armies with an explosion of popping spells, ringing weapons, animal screeches and the sickening noise of claws tearing through flesh. Bloody feathers and scales rained onto the grassy fields like confetti. Enemy dragons sent streams of fire at each other turning the air several degrees warmer. Then the first ranks of foot soldiers broke through the goblins and trolls forming the front lines of the Dark army. This forced Elmonrona to focus her full attention on the action taking place around her on the ground.
A bow legged troll with thick wiry black hair covering his body leapt the first couple rows of soldiers. He hurtled toward Elmonrona with an evil gleam in his beady eyes, extending thick claws to rip at her face. Elmonrona lifted the point of the Silver Sword and, unable to turn aside in time to save himself, the monster impaled himself on the blade. As more trolls swarmed over the army she pulled her sword free. Another troll jumped toward her and she dispatched it in the same way as the first. A band of slimy skinned goblins fought their way through the soldiers to join their troll allies. As Elmonrona faced them, the goblins snarled at her with yellowed fags and brandished weapons made of sharp unfinished chips of metal. Accepting the challenge, she swung the Silver Sword over her head then stabbed it into the armored chest of the closest goblin. Another green monster moved forward and raised his piece of scrap metal to block her sword. As soon as the Silver Sword touched it, the jagged metal snapped. The goblin turned and retreated as fast as his legs would carry him.
Two dragons dipped out of the sky and opened their giant jaws to send out jets of flame which set a section of the Windolise and fairy army on fire. Screams of agony and the smell of burning hair soon filled the plains. The archers shot a volley at the dragons who turned and flew a crooked path back to their masters, landing behind magician lines. As frost fairies worked to extinguish the fires, the Windolise and fairy archers shot until the witches and other air monsters were also forced to retreat. Feeling this shift in the tides, Elmonrona pushed back against the magicians and monsters, forcing them to yield the ground they had recently gained. At the sight of the Dark army falling back, the members of the army of Windola and Fairy Wood rallied to fight with all a last resort of strength they hadn’t known they still possessed. Monsters were hacked down by their blades and the spells the magicians shot in their direction were useless to stop them. The beasts and magic users who survived the new advance of their enemies scattered into a mass of confused chaos. Elmonrona saw the sun glint off the spike capping Drazil’s quarterstaff as he signaled a full retreat.
“Do not back down now!” she shouted to her fellow troops. “This is the chance we have been waiting for. Let us drive the Dark army out of Windola.”
While the healers moved to tend to the wounded, Elmonrona raised the Silver Sword and led the chase of the retreating magicians’ army.
Ambush
Elmonrona rolled off a shelf of rock, landed in a crouch and drew the Silver Sword. She readied herself to fight her way through the sorcerer, Drazil’s mercenary soldiers who surrounded the commanders of the army of Light.
Following their defeat in Windola, the Dark Magicians had attacked the plains of the kingdom, Rovinien. Elmonrona and the army of Light had marched through the kingdom freeing villages from the Dark Magicians’ control. Just as the victory of the army of Light seemed assured, Drazil lured the leaders of the army of Light into this ambush in a quarry near the Holman Forest.
Four soldiers stepped toward Elmonrona but Drazil waved them back. He lifted his quarterstaff, holding it in a ready position in front of himself and waited. Elmonrona charged. Drazil brought up the edge of his staff and caught the Silver Sword on one of the spikes. Knocking the blade aside he jabbed at her but Elmonrona sliced downward, successfully blocking him. They circled the edge of the quarry trading blows for several minutes. Elmonrona knocked aside one end of Drazil’s stick and slid the Silver Sword under his guard, nicking his right arm with the tip of her blade. Drazil brought up the other side of the staff and succeeded in slamming her against the cliff before she could block the blow. She gasped and flinched at the pain which shot up her spine from the force of the blow. Drazil pulled back his staff and she fell at his feet. He kicked the Silver Sword out of her hand and nodded to two of the soldiers who pulled her to her feet, tied her hands in front of her and shoved her to the center of the quarry. There they pushed her to her knees beside the other Warriors of Light who already knelt there.
“I’m afraid this is where our fight comes to an end,” said Drazil. “Swear an oath never to oppose the use of magical powers by humans I will let you live.”
Elmonrona felt cold with sweat and could now hear the fast drumbeat of her own heart. She balled her clammy palms into fists to keep her hands from shaking and forced herself to appear calm.
She raised her eyes to meet Drazil and said in a steady voice, “I’ve already made vows to others in power. Such a promise would force me to break my other oaths and that is something I cannot do. I will remain your enemy to my last breath.”
Drazil sighed and turned to the soldiers saying, “You have your orders.”
Then he turned and made his way up a thin trail leading out of the great stone pit. The soldiers produced several chains which they locked around the warriors’ legs. Once this task was finished, the soldiers hurried up the path out of the quarry.
A minute after the soldiers reached the top, Drazil appeared directly above Elmonrona and her companions where he raised his staff and brought it down with a mighty spell which split the rocks. They slid downward with and earsplitting booming, cracking noise. Elmonrona watched with horror as the rockslide tumbled toward her, sealing victory for Drazil and the Dark Magicians.
The Treaty of Algamar
Cool, fresh mountain air bathed Elmonrona’s face as she made her way passed a large collection of canvas tents now dotting the Algamise plains. The half-wild country, Algamar had become a safe haven for all who still resisted the Dark Magicians’ rule. After surviving the rock slide by cramming inside a crack in the quarry wall, Elmonrona had reached Algamar through the help of a fairy warrior secretly helping the cause of Light from a position near Drazil’s new headquarters. This warrior also succeeded in rescuing the Silver Sword from the magicians’ treasuries and restoring it to Elmonrona.
Drazil himself had marched on Algamar shortly after Elmonrona’s arrival in hope of crushing the resistance. Elmonrona had been kept busy for weeks hunting down a new monster Drazil created called the werewolf when for it was discovered that these beasts were allergic to silver.
The tide had turned when a number of magicians met with the leaders of the army of Light to negotiate the terms of a treaty to end the war. Today the leaders would read the treaty they had recently finished writing.
Elmonrona could feel the heightened excitement of soldiers crowded around small fires as she passed them. She stopped near the center of the camp which was dominated by a huge pavilion one side of which was rolled up. A thick wooden table holding a quill pen and bottle of ink sat in the open space. A wizard stood in front of the table holding a long scroll of parchment. All eyes turned toward him as he unrolled his scroll and read it aloud in a voice amplified with magic so the entire camp could hear him.
“Understanding that the use of magic is a blessing and magic used simply for selfish gain is a misuse of power, the magicians of Irowasa swear to uphold the promises here made: Magic shall be used for the purposes of enhancing the world and assisting those less powerful. Magic shall not be used to intentionally harm or kill another person, especially someone without magic.
“Magicians shall find a gathering place in every country where they shall hold council to discuss all important matters of magic. They shall choose for themselves council leaders based on the strength of their power and their wisdom in leading others. They must defer to the decisions of their council leaders in matters of magic. In all other matters they must abide by the laws of the countries in which they reside. Magicians shall be responsible for training future generations of magic users in the proper uses of magic.
“The councils shall teach control of the elements but shall not promote the use of demon control magic. Magicians practicing darker forms of magic shall be left to their own devises and not condemned for their powers unless these powers cause them to break the terms of this treaty or violate the laws of the countries in which they live as citizens. All other magicians will be considered members of the council representing the country in which they reside. By these regulations and those of our future councils we promise to practice a healthy form of magic.”
Once he finished reading, the wizard placed the scroll on the table, picked up the quill and signed his name as one of the charter’s writers. Next he held the pen out to Elmonrona. She took it, gave him a small nod and added her name. Sixteen magicians chosen as representatives extracted themselves from the crowd.
Before they reached the table, Drazil stepped forward to block their path and cried, “Are you all deaf? This charter is very friendly to wizards but to those of us who use demon control magic such as witches, warlocks and sorcerers, not so much. Also, why should we have to answer to the laws of the rulers of Irowasa? Isn’t it enough that we be ruled by our own council leaders? At least they would be magicians like us. You never know when there may be a king with a prejudice against magicians. Such a king might make laws limiting the uses of magic and according to this charter you would be forced to obey such laws.”
“This is the best opportunity magicians have ever had,” said one of the representatives. “I believe this is the future of magic and so I will sign the charter.”
The others agreed.
Drazil replied in a low threatening voice, “Sign away, it will do you no good. I promise you this treaty will never reach the other kingdoms. In fact it will never make it over the mountains. It will remain in the wilds of Algamar where it will soon be forgotten. Meanwhile the loyal members of the real magicians’ army will regain their control of the kingdoms of Rovinien, Caramyth and Windola.”
Elmonrona stepped forward to lean her hands against the edge of the table catching Drazil’s attention with the action.
“No matter how many times you attack them,” she said matching his low threatening tone, “I swear I will always be there to stop you.”
Drazil shook his head with a half smile. He then turned to the crowd of magicians and yelled, “If you are displeased with the terms of this charter come away from here with me.”
A handful of other magicians joined him.
“The treaty will be delivered to the other kingdoms,” said Elmonrona once Drazil’s followers were out of earshot. “I will go after Drazil and the last of his followers with a spell of banishment from the fairy queen. They stand no chance against it. Drazil has lost.”
The Silver Sword Saga is continued in Coronation of the Second Fairy Queen.
No comments:
Post a Comment