Chapter 1
Ever since she was a youngster, her grandmother had told her the story over and over. The older she got the less she believed in it. The story sounded like something her grandmother had brewed up to make her feel better about being born a half-elf.
Eloquim could recite the story by heart now. How her grandmother couldn’t bear children, and prayed by the river to the gods to be able to have a baby someday. The angel helping her grandmother get pregnant with a magical feather just seemed silly, when she was a troubled teenager in a world full of elves her own age still wearing diapers. The part where the angel came back to speak to her grandmother of Eloquim’s birth was even more strange. A child, of human and elf saving the world. Like that would ever happen!
It didn’t seem fair, the ones that were mentally her age were much older than she was. Eloquim, compared to the lovely elven maidens didn’t have a chance with any man.
It was all because her mother had to have an affair with a human!
Gaiyle, her mother was told to be a difficult child, and as she got older her romps around with many sorts of men became famous. Not a good thing for a prominent family.
So Eloquim’s grandmother set up a marriage with another elf in the villa, but still Gaiyle bounced around like a free spirit...
Gaiyle snuck off one night to her old favorite watering hole one night. It was a bar that sat on the edge of a human village. Her mother and every member of the elven encampment didn’t like the idea of Gaiyle visiting that place. To them humans were dirty beasts that were inferior to elves.
Well, some didn’t mind them and sort of liked them but never admitted this to anyone else. Gaiyle, however was more bold. She didn’t care what race you were as long as it was a male who still had certain parts still intact she liked them, very much.
She took a seat, watching the crowd. It had been so long that she could get away from her mother that the regular crowd seemed to had been replaced. Gaiyle sighed as she glanced around trying to find someone interesting to flirt with.
She tossed her head watching a man in white robes nervously enter, he looked straight at her as he slid into a seat quietly. “Must be a first timer, I should make him feel more comfortable.” Gaiyle thought.
She rose from her seat casaully slipping by him, little did she know that was the start of destiny....
I think your the one..” The man looked over Gaiyle, with a smile on his lips. She laughed staring into his eyes. This guy was going to be so easy. What would one last romp before her marriage to Eli Bitterberri hurt?
“The one that what?” She giggled fluttering her eyelashes. The coy act always bowled them over every time. The man coughed straightening his robes.
“It’s a long story. I’m a cleric and we usually don’t do things like this. But...I am sure your the one the angel has sent to me, Maybe, we could share a room together tonight?” She leaned over kissing his cheek. How cute he was cheating, she was cheating. How could she say no?
“Why certianly!” She took his hand before he could have any second thoughts, tossing a coin to the innkeeper. This was going to be a memorable night she thought to herself. How wrong this is will just make it all the more exciting.
When she woke up in the morning, the man leaned over and stroked the top of her head. “Tomorrow, if you feel a fluttering in your heart and see the doves diving towards you in the morning light come see me. I must know if..the prophecy has been called out.” Gaiyle smiled. How cute he must of had some fun that night. Well she enjoyed herself and when it came to men she hardly ever said no.
“If you insist. So long!”
The next morning what he described had happened. She shivered as she headed back to the tavern wondering just what this prophecy was all about...
She entered the tavern, noticing the cleric there waiting for her. His eyes traveled to her stomach. She nervously leaned on the table. “Well what you said happened, what’s up?”
He straighted his robes, shaking. He looked terrified and surprised all rolled in to one. “Well dear, you are pregnant.”
Gaiyle’s jaw dropped. “How...how could you know that? It has only been one night since we..How could you know? I refuse to believe it!”
She ran away from the place, tears trickling from her face. The man was a cleric. This was a prophecy. For her to have a child of half-human blood? Her mother would never forgive her for this. Nor would the villa or her husband to be.
Gaiyle sat on the couch of her home, hoping he was wrong. This had to be a mistake. As the months passed her form gave away the truth. She couldn’t hide it anymore. She told her mother but she wasn’t angry, or seemed to be surprised at all. She arranged for Gaiyle to be married right away. How would Eli react to knowing his wife was pregnant with a another mans child. A man she hardly even knew...
Before the wedding Gaiyle knew she had to talk to Eli. She didn’t care about the tradition that the groom wasn’t supposed to see the bride before the wedding. She had to speak to him. She threw a few stones at his window until Eli peeked out, chuckling.
“Well hello, isn’t it the man usually doing something like this. You were always an odd one Gaiyle.”
He paused as if he wanted to say more, then slipped out jumping to the ground. Gaiyle sighed reaching for his hand grasping it tightly between her fingers. It was large and strong, not like her.
“This is a serious matter Eli. I need to talk to you. If...you want to back out of the marriage I will understand. It must be strange to be having to marry a pregnant woman who isn’t even carrying your child...”
He hushed her before she could go on and kneeled in the dirt on one knee. He leaned his other hand on her growing belly as he spoke.
“Gaiyle, I have always loved you. I dreamed of being able to live with you forever as your husband. I know you like to roam. I will love you no matter what you do. All I hope is that once we are wed your desire to roam will have disapeared.”
Gaiyle gulped, blinking away tears. He was so noble and patient. Too good for someone like her. She shook her head.
“But what about the child, Eli?”
“I shall raise it as my own.”
“It will be obvious it isn’t yours.”
“I will love it anyway.”
“Your too good for me Eli. I feel lucky my mother picked out someone like you. I will try to be a good wife but I can’t give you any promises.”
“I understand Gaiyle.”
They kissed in the moonlight. Now she was ready for the marriage knowing he was understanding and would care for the child like it was his...
Not long after her marriage little Eloquim was born. She grew quickly, well faster than elven children did. As much as Gaiyle wanted to hide the fact her daughter was half human it was impossible. She was walking and talking at six when the other babies had so far to go. Her little ears hardly even pointed! Gaiyle kept sending her off to her mothers like that was going to hide the shameful secret from the rest of the villa.
Eloquim had a pretty unhappy childhood. Most of the others kept giving her dirty looks and her own mother didn’t want her around. When Gaiyle was off she was stuck at home by herself. Her father Eli was busy with...well she wasn’t sure what most of the time. So she decided to stop fiddling around around the house to see what it was.
She toddled outside, seeing an archery range set up and her father was drawing back a bow aiming at one of the targets. Eloquim was fasinated by this and moved up closer. Her father spotted her out of the corner of his eye.
“Ah Eloquim, your lucky your dad has a sharp eye or you might have an arrow sticking from your arm. You might want to be more careful here my child.”
Eloquim looked up and touched the bow gently.
“Sorry dad, it is just so boring in the house all by myself. I can’t play with the other kids. They are all babies.”
He smirked trying to keep himself from laughing.
“Yes, well how would you like to learn how to do this? Your a big girl and I think that you can handle it. Here, take this crossbow. My father taught me how to shoot with it. Maybe someday when you have children you can teach them too.”
Taking the crossbow she rubbed her fingers on it.
“Really, this is mine? Thanks dad! Children, I don’t think that will ever happen. Nobody here likes me. They say nasty things about mom, and my ears. Stupid human, if it wasn’t for him I would be a normal elf and be your real daughter.”
He shook his head, helping her aim the crossbow.
“You might be surprised someday. As for me, I think if you were just like the others you wouldn’t be my special little Eloquim.”
Eloquim smiled pulling the trigger on the crossbow watching the arrow sail towards the target.
“I guess your right. I just wish that the others here would like me, instead of teasing about my mom and how my ears look.”
He gently hugged her shoulders, blinking in amazement as it hit.
“Wow, you hit it! I didn’t even come close when I first learned how to shoot arrows. I think you have something good awaiting you in the future. Perhaps that story your grandmother likes to tell is true?”
Eloquim shrugged.
“Maybe but it would be easier if I had a marriage set up like you and mommy.”
He laughed, and she started laughing too...
The seasons in the villas turned, young Eloquim learning archery well. But still her heart yearned for a man who would love her the way she was. Hopefully an elven man. Her hatred for humans grew every time some elf pointed to her ears and whispered. She didn’t understand why a human would seduce an elf and just leave.
Eloquim wondered what her real father was like. He must of been
insensitive to just leave her mother without even seeing what she looked like.
She plugged an arrow into the target muttering to herself. “If I ever meet him, I’m going to kill him.”
After a while the target was getting full of bull’s eyes. Eloquim was bored. She decided to go down by the lake to watch birds. If only she could fly and get away. Far where someone would...see her as a person instead of a half-elf. Eloquim closed her eyes sighing deeply when behind her she heard music playing. She blinked twirling around to look behind her.
There was a handsome red headed elf carrying a lute. He smiled brightly and Eloquim just melted. She blushed leaning her hand on her cheek trying to hide her interest in him.
He bowed kissing her hand. “Ah what is such a lovely young maiden as yourself doing sitting all alone. Do you mind if I join you in bird watching and sing a few songs?”
“Of course not.” She peered at him from the corner of her eye, heart fluttering. He liked her? She had never seen this man in the villa before. He must be a traveler, Eloquim thought.
He sat down nearby, strumming his lute. “What is your name? This river is stirring up in me a song. In such a beautiful setting alone with a maiden such as yourself it is only polite to ask your name. My name is Rayhan and it is my honor to meet you.”
“Um...my name is Eloquim.” She said softly almost feeling her cheeks burning. She had never met an elven male so polite and one who thought she..Eloqium was pretty before.
He nodded, strumming his lute and sung. “Eloquim the roses grow for you. Up on the hillside, they cry with morning dew. Waiting for a lovely girl to pick one of the blooms. Please, won’t you Eloquim come and pick me soon.”
Her eyes were wide as she leaned up to eat every word he sung to store them in her heart. Eloquim shivered swaying back and forth wishing the moment would never end. Not noticing the music was dying out. She opened her eyes after the playing was over. He was gone.
She leaped up to her feet skipping back home humming softly. She was in love...
“Whoo hoo, Earth to Eloquim. Is anybody home in there?”
Eloquim blinked coming out of her daze before running smack dab into Raya, one of her few friends in the villa. Raya is an elder, and rather plain looking in elven standards.
“Opps sorry about that. I was just too busy thinking of my latest encounter. There was an elf at the lake and he was so sweet to me. He sung me a song and everything. I think I am in love!”
Raya raised an eyebrow.
“I hate to burst your bubble Eloquim, but I think I know who you are talking about. Is he a red headed elf named Rayhan?”
Eloquim frowned, not wanting to hear any bad news.
“Yes, but who knows how many red-headed elves in the world are named Rayhan.”
Raya sighed shaking her head.
“I think there is just one like him. His song didn’t have the words..‘Eloquim the roses grow for you. Up on the hillside, they cry with morning dew. Waiting for a lovely girl to pick one of the blooms. Please, won’t you Eloquim come and pick me soon.’, did they?”
Eloquims jaw dropped wide open, and she started to shake with rage.
“Why, yes but how did you know this?”
Raya laughed, though she tried hard not to.
“Sorry, but he sings that song to every single elven maiden in the villa. But he sings their name in place of yours of course.”
Eloquim turned bright red, never was she so embarrassed...
Eloquim ran the rest of the way home, tears fogging her vision. It had to be true that the red-headed elf of her dreams sang the same song to everyone or Raya wouldn’t of known the exact words unless she was listening in. If that was the case, why would Raya tell her story like that? Perhaps she had a crush on Rayhan too. The whole thing didn’t make any sense.
All Eloquim knew is she had to get out of the villa. She couldn’t stand living in this terrible place anymore. She quickly stuffed some clothes in a knapsack and ran towards the woods vowing to never come back to the villa and become a protector of the forest. Eloquim took her crossbow in her arms pausing in the front of her home whispering to the walls.
“Goodbye Eli. I know you can’t hear my words but you were just like a father to me. More than a father. I shall use my crossbow and become the hero you have always believed me to be.”
She left entering the forest, moving deeper and deeper in the thick branches. After who knows how many hours or running she finally stopped to catch her breath as she sat on a fallen log. Eloquim looked up at the sky tears falling down her face.
“If I wasn’t just a half-elf. I would have more than just a wandering flirting minstrel say such sweet things to me. Why did a religious man come up with a false prophecy. I am no hero. I am just half of a girl. The stories my grandmother told was just to make me feel better. The cleric just wanted a quick fun time. I am just a half-elf. No angel blood is in my veins.”
Eloquim poked her skin with an arrow as to prove her words. She felt like nobody in the world cared about her. She blotted her wound with a leaf her shoulders shaking, listening to the sounds of the forest.
Her ears pricked hearing the sound of a hawk nearby, that made her smile. One thing in the planet that she could count on was animals. Eloquim made a little screeching noise which attracted it closer. The bird was a lovely female hawk. It looked a little sad. Eloquim reached her hand out and clucked.
“Don’t be afraid Brighteyes...”
The hawk circled, then landed on her finger. Eloquim gasped in awe. She wasn’t expecting for that to happen. She felt a close bond to her, as if this hawk was a piece of her soul that had been missing. ..
Eloquim and Brighteyes traveled the forest together, making a great team. Brighteyes would squawk when she saw an animal that was good to eat and Eloquim would sneak up to shoot it. They would share the food keeping watch for any danger. They lived that way for ten years living off the land protecting the forest.
The problem was that Eloquim was starting to long for human..err elven companionship. Brighteyes could feel it, she knew somehow she had to help her friend Eloquim find the company she was longing for. So one day while they were patroling the edge of the forest, the hawk spotted a man out of the corner of her eye. She squawked and began circling around him.
Of course Eloquim thought that meant an animal was there, and she aimed her crossbow in that direction. Brighteyes started to dive at the man, who got really confused and tried to shoo the bird away.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Eloquim heard the voice, and lowered her bow heading towards the voice. It seemed to be a human male, why was Brighteyes diving at him like he was prey? She blinked angry.
“What are you doing in my forest?”
He turned red, Eloquim wasn’t sure if it was with embarrassment or what. He took a deep breath.
“I’m just sort of..lost. I was looking for food when that bird came up and attacked me. I’m sorry lady. I will go to some other forest. Maybe I will starve to death before then!”
Eloquim frowned, she might be grumpy but she wasn’t mean enough even to let a human starve himself to death. He wasn’t too bad looking. Not very bright..but the more she thought of having someone to travel with the better she liked the idea.
“No, I am the one who should be apologising. Stay and eat. I have some deer meat left over from a previous hunt. I can’t let you starve. It would sit on my shoulders forever.”
He grunts a bit, seeming to be weighing the choices of trying to act like a macho man or just give in.
“Well, I guess it can’t hurt. By the way my name is Calvin.”
She holds out her hand, not really sure why she wanted to team up with a human. It was better than talking to herself all the time.
“I’m Eloquim. Welcome to my forest.”
Some days Eloquim wishes she could go back in time to the day she met Calvin and say something tottally different like: “Human keep out of my forest. The likes of you aren’t welcome here.”
The man was annoying! He kept figiting around while he widdled his little wooden toys, hinting loudly of how he would like to explore beyond the forest. Eloquim couldn’t take it anymore . She broke down with a deep sigh. “Allright, I will explore beyond the forest. Just stop whining about it. And Calvin, can you please try not to make such a mess with all of your wood chips?”
He looked a little sad while he cleaned up the mess. Though he really got on her nerves she sort of liked him. Beyond that burly figure and not so-bright brain was a man with a past that was...mysterious yet she had a feeling that he had something there he really didn’t want to tell her. Eloquim couldn’t blame him since she kept grumping at him half the time. She wondered if he liked her despite the way she always acted towards him.
Calvin looked up at her opening his mouth as if wanting to say something after finishing up, but just grunts putting his pack over his shoulder. Eloquim smiled at him softly. She didn’t hate him really, just every time she looked into his eyes she kept thinking of how her father left her without even seeing her once when she was trying to live a life in a snobby elven villa being the unwanted half-elf. “Thanks. Um..let’s head out to the town. I much rather stay here in the forest but..I guess I will give other humans a chance.”
He nodded not responding to what she said. They traveled to the human town in silence. Eloquim wondered what he was thinking. Thoughts ran around in her mind. She was so confused of her feelings. Calvin seemed to care for her at least he stuck around. She wasn’t too sure why. Maybe something in his past told him that hanging around with a grumpy half-elf wasn’t so bad. It was kind of sad but..in a way she was glad.
They stood near the town, she watched as a big broad goofy grin spead over Calvin’s face. “Ah look at this place! I bet I will sell lots of toys here!”
She shook her head holding back a laugh. That guy was so much like a little kid sometimes. Eloquim felt free almost..like she could play with him with those toys he made. “Well good luck. I don’t know about you but I could use something to eat.”
Calvin blinks then nods scanning around. “I heard that place is good.”
He motions to an inn called ‘The Phoenix Feather’.” Eloquim shrugs not knowing one place from the other. They walked inside Calvin ordering food chatting with others.
Eloquim wasn’t as comfortable, so many humans. And eating off a plate you buy instead of foraging? The food on others plates seemed much more appealing. She got up and walked around snitching food from other people. They were too drunk to really care...
Eloquim had grabbed a drumstick ready to get out of this place. Being inside was making her nervous especially with the drunken louts staring at her and drooling. She spotted Calvin chatting with another human. She slowly walked up to them.
“Calvin, can we get out of this place? These people are making me nervous. Places like this are more of my mother’s scene than mine.”
Calvin stood up, the other human rising with him. The man seemed even bigger than Calvin and was giving her a dirty look, Eloquim blinked wondering just what he had told this man about her.
“Well I was just going to try to find you. This is Carlos. He is going to be adventuring with us. He told me of something going on that this town could use some help with.”
Eloquim frowned, oh gee just say this person is joining us whether you like it or not. The way this Carlos was looking at her she could tell Calvin must of told him how grumpy she was. She sighed...well she better not fight about it. She didn’t want them to think even worse of her.
“Fine, so what’s going on Carlos?”
The new addition licked his lips.
“Well you see this area is having a big problem with goblins. It’s making a big mess. It seems most people around this place are too scared or weak to try to do battle with them. I saw how good of a fighter Calvin looked. I hope that your..abilities are as good as he said they were.”
Eloquim turned a bright red, how dare that man talk to her like that? She felt like smacking him but just took a deep breath.
“I will help. You will see how good I am with my arrows.”
How lucky...at least Calvin tried to be nice. This Carlos seemed like a jerk. She hoped no more humans would join them. But how Calvin just picked up that man without asking her, just telling her as a fact this man was joining them she had a feeling this wasn’t the first of them...
The small adventuring party had been fighting goblins, moving back into the forest on a tip of where they had set up home in an abandoned fort. Eloquim was glad to be back in the forest. Even Carlos seemed like less of a jerk.
“Too bad the forest creatures aren’t interested in your toys, Calvin.”
He laughed, it sounded forced. Widdling something in his hands quickly shaping another one of his toys. Then he tossed it in Eloquim’s direction.
“What’s this?”
Eloquim looked at what seemed to be an elf doll, then Calvin grabbed it from her hands.
“Oops, I forgot something”
He widdles off some of the ear, and tosses it back.
“It’s a half elf!”
She frowned and threw it at his head.
“Not funny Calvin.”
He ducked, trying hard not to laugh. Calvin really got on Eloquims nerves. She wished that she could have a break from Carlos the jerk and Calvin the boy trapped in a man’s body. Just as she was thinking that a wolf ran up and started barking at them.
They readied weapons, but paused as druid rushed out towards them. “Sorry about that. My wolf tends to get excited when vistors are around. Please don’t kill him. He is my friend. I don’t want to be forced to fight a group such as yours. I don’t think even my druid powers could beat three people at once!”
They looked at each other, each thinking the same thing..boy does that guy talk a lot..
They approached near where the goblins had set up, in a fort that had been abandoned a long time ago. A army of villagers were standing nearby talking in hushed whispers until Carlos approached them. Eloquim blinked.
“Hey! I thought you said that nobody was brave enough to try to defeat these goblins. What is this army doing here?”
Carlos shrugged sheepishly, then he went over to go over the plans for the big fight. Eloquim was pretty ticked off. These humans where so confusing. If one more joined the party she thought she would explode!
A strange creepy looking fellow made his way towards the group, coughing as he held his hand out to her.
“Hello I am Fearotic. I see you are traveling in a party together. Think I could help you out in this fight and possibly join you?”
Eloquim looked around for Calvin, hey what did she need his opinion for. She stared at this guy, he certainly didn’t look human. Must be another half-human. Right away she felt a click inside.
“Sure. Join the troops. Introduce yourself to the party.”
She motioned to the others. This was quite an interesting traveling group, she thought to herself. I just hope we won’t end up killing each other...
They snuck into the goblin encampment, and the war was on. Goblins and villagers all fighting bravely! Eloquim plugged them with arrows as she watched the other party members. They all where thrashing the enemy like they where just pulling up weeds. It wasn’t an easy win but they triumphed in the end. The group gathered up spoils, waving to the army as they left happy back into the town.
Nobody was expecting to see what they saw when they came back. The whole village was blazing with little fires, trashed by a dragon. Was the whole goblin thing a ruse to keep them away? The party wasn’t strong enough to deal with so many of the beasts but somehow the sadness they felt made them wonder if they could of done anything to stop it.
They all helped to put out fires. A flash in the sky hailed the apperance of a rouge dragon flying straight to the party. They readied actions. Carlos glared at the dragon speaking to it in Draconic.
“What are you doing..”
The others were trying to stop him from speaking, the dragon hissed as it floated nearby them thrashing its tail.
“You have wrecked the pronunciation of our language sir. I have came to tell you of the evil that has trapped us. I have freed myself of the power at the moment. There is a man who has somehow recreated the golden dragon orb, which can control all dragons. You may be our only hope to find the hammer which can destroy it. If you don’t..the world will never be the same.”
The party gasped watching as it struggled to fly away from them. They had to find a way to destroy that artifact somehow if it was the last thing they do...
Eloquim sat up all night. How where they going to find this hammer? There was so little time for them. She wasn’t even sure where they were supposed to find this wizard. She stepped out from her tent listening to the sounds of the night. Crack she heard a twig snapping. She pointed her bow into the darkness.
“Who is there?”
A woman steps from the darkness, a look of surprise over her face. She holds out her hand casually to Eloquim.
“I didn’t know anyone was awake yet. I’m Jenn, you must be Eloquim.”
Eloquims jaw dropped her hand flopping up to meet Jenns. It was hard to see what she looked like in the darkness. But she could tell that she wasn’t all human somehow.
“Jenn...how did you know my name?”
She smiled slowly stepping closer to the fire, looking over Eloquim closely.
“I been watching you for a while. See, I knew your father when he was alive. He was the one chosen to hold the hammer. But now he is dead and the only one who can lift the hammer now is you.” She paused smiling as she looked into her eyes. “You look somewhat like him you know!”
Any normal person might be happy to hear that the person they wanted revenge on was dead. Not Eloquim. There where so many questions that were never answered. So many years that she spent wondering just what sort of man would just walk out from his child. Her hands shook with anger.
“You knew him. What was he like?” She thought a minute, as much as she had thought of finding out about him she knew that detroying the artifact was more important. “We can talk about that later. Do you know where the hammer is now?”
Jen nods, not answering the question about her father as she gazed into a crystal ball.
“It lies in a clearing, he dropped it in fear of the c4reatures chasing him. Dragons controled by the wizard to stop him. Be careful once you find it for the one with the orb is a crafty sort who will not let his prize be shattered easily.”
A clearing, where thought Eloquim. Jenn showed her the ball and gave her the best directions she could before disappearing into the night. Eloquim sighed sitting by the fire waiting for dawn no way could she sleep now. The others woke and she told them of her encounter, they didn’t seem to believe her but really there were no other clues to go on...
After three days of traveling and defeating anything getting in the way of the party they found the area that Eloquim had told them about. The hammer didn’t seem to be in sight. Where was it? Eloquim kicked the ground feeling her toe kicking something hard.
“Ow! What the...”
A hammer was laying on the ground, glowing with an odd mightiness. Eloquim leaned over to pick it up but Calvin jumped in front of her.
“I bet I could pick this up!”
“Um...Calvin I am destined to be able to hold this hammer. If anybody could pick this up I doubt it would just be laying here on the ground.”
He still stubbornly grabbed it and began to tug with all his strength but the hammer wouldn’t budge. Carlos ambled over flexing his arm smiling.
“Ha Calvin you wimp! I know I can pick it up. It doesn’t look that hard!”
Carlos and Calvin tugged on the hammer but it still was stuck fast. Norvalt sighed shaking his head.
“You guys, let Eloquim try it. We don’t have time for this nonsense.”
She grabbed it and easily picked it up. A cosmic sigh of relief filled the area. Eloquim spun the hammer around in her hands and smiled before shoving it into her pack.
“Well all we have to do now is find the wizard.”
So the man without much of a brain, the brave warrior , the freaky necromancer and the druid with a heart all tromped merrily in the woods whistling a tune. They were glad Eloquim could pick up the hammer. They weren’t sure if the dragon orb could be shattered without it...
“So anybody have any idea how to find this wizard?”
Calvin asked as they still were traveling the road. Everyone else but Fearotic shrugged cluelessly. He brightened up at the mention of the word “wizard” since he was one himself. He tapped his fingers togather.
“Ahh, a place for this wizard and his little artifact toy. Most likely a cave would be the place for us to be looking at. A large cave since he can control dragons. Yes....”
Yeah thought Eloquim, but how many large caves where there in the world? She sighed wishing Jenn would come back. Looking inside every cave with the decription Fearotic gave would take years! A flash of a portal apeared near the party, and out she stepped. Thank goodness. The males in the party stared at her with a look of..well lust. She sighed wondering why men always had to act like idiots in front of beatiful females like that.
“Good timing Jenn, you know when I first told the others about you they didn’t believe me. So just where is this guy shacking up?”
Jenn flicked her scarf over her shoulder and smiled, indicating the portal.
“Just step this way it will save you a bunch of time. Sorry but I won’t be joining you in the combat. I have other things I need to do.”
They stepped through it, appearing inside some sort of stone room, with tapestries hanging on the walls. It seemed kind of fruity for a place a wizard stayed with a dragon orb all day...
After looking over the tapestry on the wall, it seemed much less fruity. It had pictures of all sorts of kinds of dragons, different colored orbs and the golden orb sitting in the middle. They spent hours studying the work of art just to find out what they already knew. They kept prodding it thinking some secret mechanism wouyld slide open to reveal the room. Eloquim made a face.
“You guys, we are just wasting time. Let’s get out of her and explore the rest of the place.”
They agreed, wandering the hallway. After a while they ran into a minotaur. Oh great looks like this wizard has a few friends here thought Eloquim. It turned out not be be much of a worry though. They moved on turning into a hallway where sat a Sphinx flicking her tail back and forth.
She smiled as she noticed the party coming towards her.
“Ah I am here to protect this corridor, I have a riddle for you to solve. If you can I shall let you pass.”
Oh boy, nobody there was really good with that sort of thing. Except for Norvalt. Eloquim wondered if the poor Sphinx’s ears would survive after Norvalt tried to answer it.
“How is a raven like a writing desk? Oh just kidding. The real riddle is. What has six legs, and travels silently through the forest. Able to speak with all of nature.”
Calvin tapped his head puzzling. Eloquim laughed watching swearing she could see the steam come from his head.
“I think you should leave this up to Norvalt, Calvin.”
Norvalt seemed to be stumped by it, but he raised his finger and started talking despite his obvious failure to figure it out.
“That is one tough one Sphinx. I would like to cut a deal with you. Do you like to live in this hallway with the wizard? If you let us by this area we will deal with your problem. You can live free without worry of anyone trying to take you over.”
She leaned her head on her massive paws, her tail flopping to the side as she pondered her options.
“I am surprised you couldn’t solve such a riddle, druid. But your offer appeals to me...Usaully people can’t admit my riddling skills are superior to their brains. I like that. So for now I shall let you pass.”
Norvalt bowed to her, as they made their way to the wizard’s lair....
Finally they reached the room where the wizard had holed up. His eyes glinted a bit leaning his fingers on the golden orb sitting on the table. He licked his lips staring at each of them in turn. His gaze rested on Eloquim and her hammer.
“So you came to destroy the golden orb? First you must deal with me!”
He glowed with a dark power surrounding his body. They could feel the static of evil hanging in the air. With a flurry of arrows, spells and a few whacks with a hammer the old wizard still stood using a spell to appear closer to the party. He laughed, then all of a sudden fell dead on the floor.
“Well that was anti-climatic.”
Eloquim watched the party loot the body. She then stepped over the golden orb, her hammer in the air she brought it down quickly smashing it with one blow. She dusted her hands off a strange feeling running through her body. Well it was over. Her destiny was met. She felt oddly empty.
“Good job Eloquim.”
She nodded sliding the hammer in her pack. One of the voices didn’t sound like one of her party. Was she meant to do more than just this? Surely her career wasn’t over now...
That night Eloquim couldn’t sleep. Her destiny had been called out. Did that mean the story of the angel’s feather was true? If so that meant that a small amount of angel flowed through her blood. Eloquim was no angel. More than her mother was she guessed.
Eloquim sighed, she had saved the dragons from being controlled but she didn’t have much thanks for it she thought. She closed her eyes a strange voice began to speak in her head.
“You have freed me from my prison. In all the days you live a little piece of me shall live with you. There are no words I can say to thank you. There is more to your life than just the prophecy. Return the hammer to the dwarves who had made it. You shall go on to many more adventures. I know you have what it takes to be the kind of hero that bards will sing about for years to come.”
Eloquim squinted as the tent was filled with a bright golden light. There in the darkness was a form of a golden dragon. It bowed before fading into the darkness. Eloquim blinked...the blood of an angel and a dragon was in her body now. There was no telling what she could do. She yawned slipping into sleep confident that someday she would be a hero of legends.
