The Knight, The Wizard, The Elf, and The Thief

Four nations send their greatest warriors to investigate a mysterious and powerful menace.

Once upon a time, in the land of Aldaria, a world governed by cold steel and magic, a foreign evil began to fester. The evil seeped into the realm where the four major Lands met, equally distributing its pestilence, monsters, and contagious wicked intent to each kingdom. The four Lands ignored it and bickered amongst themselves as the dark infection plagued Aldaria. Sadly, the evil grew so real and palpable that it could no longer be ignored.

 

It was the Land of Men that first discovered it. One of their patrols along Cross Paths Valley, where the four Lands bordered, they reported seeing a dark portal or doorway set in midair with thick smog bellowing out. As Vahn, the king of men, sent more forces to inspect the anomaly, they noticed a large density of monsters and beasts in the area. Men falling deathly ill or going completely mad also became common with over exposure to the doorway. King Vahn dispatched wave after wave of knights into the black void to no avail. No one ever returned from its dark depths.

 

King Vahn flew his fastest messenger hawks to the other Lands demanding their involvement in the matter, but his birds came back with no response. It was not until the Land of Elves claimed forces from the dark portal abducted their princess, Aldaron, did anyone else take it seriously. Shortly after the abduction, the leaders of the four Lands agreed to meet and discuss what should be done with the growing darkness.

 

They held the meeting in the Forest of Abrahm, which was nestled in the Land of Outlaws. The leaders settled on the Land of Outlaws only because all the other Lands were allowed to exile their most despicable of criminals there to be detained, so in that regard, it appeared to be the most neutral.

 

Having left there horses tethered to a tree a while back, King Vahn and two of his most trusted knights trudged through the forest. He was escorted by Kail and Volt; two fellow knights whom towered over even the mighty king. They wore extravagant helms and full body armor. The kingdom of men's strongest iron was expertly crafted into conforming plates around their chest, shins, thighs, shoulders, and forearms, and were attached by an iron chain-link cloth enabling adequate mobility. Their hands were wrapped around big shields, and their leather belts brandished long swords. King Vahn shared in the attire, but he was also draped in lavish robes bearing his family crest, and his armor was slightly more refined.

 

King Vahn's white shaggy beard shined in the evening sun as the men came to a break in the trees. The opening in the forest was only about fifty yards long, yet two guards holding black flagged spears stood vigilantly in the center. It was clear the guards hailed from the Land of Outlaws, evident by their armor's more customized and home crafted appearance. Also, their flags depicted the crest of King Warden Wolly Fisk. King Vahn and his two knights confidently approached the guards.

 

"King Vahn!" One of the guards respectfully called out to the king of men.

 

"Yes, it is I." King Vahn replied as he neared the guards.

 

"Greetings your majesty. You must hurry. The others have patiently been waiting." The guard announced. He then clanked the bottom of his spear to the ground twice real hard as some kind of signal.

 

Suddenly, a portion of the grass about four feet wide slid away into a hidden compartment revealing an aged stone staircase heading down into darkness. King Vahn, Kail, and Volt bravely headed down the steps, and soon after they entered, the grassy panel disguised as soil slid back into place behind them. They blindly descended into the ground with only the sound of their footsteps ringing in the dark. After a few minutes, a faint orange glow could be seen at the bottom of the stairs. It was the light of some sort of fire being cast through an open doorway that the men didn't hesitate to head into. Through the doorway was a small cavernous room like a catacomb. It was like the tomb of a king with a large circular stone table in the middle that no single man could dare move without magical intervention.

 

Set on opposite sides of the of the table was Shalindria, the Queen of the Land of Elves, and Warden Wolly Fisk, the King of the Land of Outlaws. Shalindria's shining silky golden hair came straight down and hung as low as the small of her back. Her hair was like a beautiful sheet that only broke to allow the sharp points of her ears to poke out. Her mythril white gown flowed freely from its long drooping sleeves to its extended tail that hid her petite feet. The mythril was smooth and sparkled as if diamond grains were weaved throughout the fabric. Her golden tiara rested on her forehead and disappeared behind her hair. It was made to look like gold leaves commemorating elvish concern for nature.

 

Her face was a work of art only to be envisioned by the most gifted sculptor from beyond the realm. Her age was far more than any man could reach, but she was more flawless than the youngest and fairest maidens. Her sustained youth was due to the incredible longevity of elves. The normal life span of an elf proved to be about a hundred times that of a man, but they have the potential to live indefinitely. Elves were partially magical beings so physical effects like age and time take much longer to set in. A small portion in every part of their structure was connected to a foreign realm of mysticism some would believe to be the afterlife. Magical enchantments and artifacts were utilized in their advanced forging practices, but they rarely used high ranking spells.

 

Behind her stood Eldwill the Storm-Hammer, and the expert archer Trayton. Their armor was smaller and more maneuverable than the knights' and was made entirely from the mystic mythrite. Elves fought with speed and finesse, at most times, taking down their foes from afar with arrows to avoid close altercations. Elves regularly carried short blades and bows.

 

Warden Wolly Fisk shot a glance at King Vahn. The Land of Outlaws was a land founded by both men and elves as a sort of jail to incarcerate the most dangerous of criminals. They built inescapable fortresses to contain the threats, but something unexpected happened. The criminal's loved ones chose family over social status and public acceptance and moved to the Land of Outlaws to be closer to them. The areas around the prison began to industrialize until it became a true Land of its own. King Warden Wolly Fisk was acting warden of the largest prison in the Land of Outlaws, so therefore was seen as the king of the Land. The Land of Outlaws was a mess. The people placed there to govern solely governed the prison, so the surrounding communities were steeped in anarchy. Horrible atrocities, double-dealings, and the dark arts ran ramped in its streets.

 

With his fiery-red hair and beard that shot out in every direction his face resembled an explosion. He was suited in a faded and worn out black armor. It was the famed  Dorn's Armor that was once owned by the great warrior, Dorn. Dorn was also one of the Land of Outlaw's most notorious criminals and was stripped of the armor once incarcerated.  After he died, it was said the armor was haunted by his spirit gracing any new wearer with the might of the incredible Dorn.

 

Seeing as the meeting was being held in his Land, Wolly Fisk was allowed three guards. One of them was obviously the infamous Hassan the Pirate with a giant butcher blade resting on his shoulder. The next person was Wolly Fisk's second in command, the legendary fencer Ash of the Blackwind. The third guard was a mystery. Dark cloth was wrapped around his head including his eyes. His right arm was artificial, like chunks of hefty black rock that crudely formed an arm. The arm was moving freely like a real limb, and all in that lair was sure some dark enchantment had been placed upon it to make it animated.

 

"You are late." King Warden Wolly Fisk growled at the other king.

 

"My apologies," King Vahn said as he sat at the table. "My tardiness could not be helped. The trek here is a rather treacherous one. Though it appears I am still not the last to arrive." He gestured to the empty seat across from him.

 

The seat was allotted for the king of the Land of Wizards, but it remained vacant. The Land of Wizards was as large as any of the other Lands , but only had thirty-five inhabitants. Wizards were interesting characters indeed, for they were infact elves who had lived so long that time had made their mark upon their faces. With such longevity comes a deepening knowledge of the planet and all its creatures. Every once in a few centuries an elf will reach such a level of enlightenment and travel to the Land of Wizards to seek inclusion. Inside, The wizards studied for a deeper wisdom behind the forces of creation and committed themselves to researching magical manipulation. Their understanding of magical properties beyond living realms made them the only people capable of conjuring powerful spells, but that kept them at an arms length of the matters of humans and elves. They were reclusive and detached from the rest of the world and found the major issues of the other Lands as trivial. It was rather rude that the king of wizards was not there, but not surprising.

 

"Shall we wait for King Eldrin?" King Vahn asked.

 

"No," Queen Shalindria protested. "We'll be waiting for an eternity in vain. I believe we can get underway."

 

"Agreed," King Warden Wolly Fisk said. He slammed a wooden gavel to the table signifying the meeting of the Lands had begun. "So tell us of this impending threat on the Lands."

 

"Allow me to start." King Vahn volunteered. "I have been monitoring this thing for quite some time. It is like a dark doorway ripped straight into our realm from a foreign one. Sinister powers of every kind imaginable are spilling out. Since it is in Cross Paths Valley, it is leaking into all the Lands."

 

"Have you seen any creatures emerging from the rip?" Shalindria asked.

 

"We have not actually witnessed anything coming out, but the valley is seeing an increase in beasts the likes of which we have never seen."

 

"I still fail to see how this poses any immediate danger to my Land." Said Wolly Fisk.

 

"Ten nights ago, my daughter, Princess Aldaron, was abducted in the middle of the night. We believe it was something from beyond the mysterious doorway." Queen Shalindria illustrated.

 

"How are we to know this?" King Warden Wolly Fisk questioned. "How do we know this is not some elvish attempt for the crown from the inside."

 

"Though the kidnapping was during the night and certainly unexpected, it was not subtle or silent." Queen Shalindria explained. "Many of my greatest guards confronted the kidnapper and even lost their lives facing the brute. It was described as a giant ogre unlike any other. It was last seen heading toward Cross Paths Valley with the princess in tow."

 

"Now you expect all the Lands to get her back for you." Wolly Fisk shot back at the queen.

 

King Vahn then defended Shalindria. "It's not a matter of simply retrieving Princess Aldaron, but on how this doorway will soon be effecting all of us. You will wish you had done something now when some unknown creature punches a hole straight through your fortified institution."

 

"Nonsense!" Wolly Fisk roared. "That is utterly impossible."

 

"I also thought such things until my dear Aldaron was taken from me from inside my fortress."

 

"Still," The stubborn king of the Land of Outlaws insisted. "You can take your own forces into the void to claim your princess."

 

"That may not be very wise." King Vahn stated. "I have sent numerous fleets into the doorway and none have ever returned."

 

Seeming a tad intrigued by this, King Warden Wolly Fisk concluded. "Perhaps this is a task that can be solved by quality and not quantity."

 

King Vahn exploded from his seat offended by his fellow king's last statement. "Trust me when I say that if it were your guards instead of my knights to enter that doorway, they would fair no better."

 

"Calm yourself Vahn. That was meant not to insult the strength of your forces, but I believe I may have a solution."

 

Trying to regain his composure, King Vahn sat down again. "Go on,"

 

"If we were to take your bravest knight, Shalindria's greatest warrior, and my most notorious criminal, they may be able to succeed. Our Lands differ vastly and excel in a different assortment of skills. They may come over this obstacle, and without losing a major portion of our forces." Wolly Fisk proposed.

 

"Three people, no matter how skilled, does not seem to be enough." Shalindria honestly evaluated. "The aid of a wizard may be a valuable asset."

 

"But, King Eldrin can not agree to a proposal he is not here to listen to." Said King Vahn.

 

"Simple," Wolly Fisk addressed. "After assembling our team, we send them to the Land of Wizards with a letter bearing all our crests requesting they offer a wizard to aid them. They can not ignore us if the entire world demands action."

 

"What do you think?" King Vahn inquired to the elvish queen.

 

"It is better than doing nothing." She replied.

 

"Then it is settled." King Warden Wolly Fisk announced. "We shall assemble our best fighters to venture into the dark doorway. I declare this meeting adjourned." He slammed the gavel to the table once more and their business was done.

Author's Note

This is the beginning of the first chapter of a book I've decided to finish writing quite some time later from now. I wrote it as a possible candidate for a collaborative writing project through my writing group, but was not selected due to the fact that it starts out with many outlandish characters and doesn't leave much room for the other authors to create. It's all good because it means I get this story all to myself. IT'S LONG!

Reviews

[AliciaB]

Very interesting! I am intrigued by the direction this story is taking. All of the Lands are very cool - I especially like the idea of the Land of Outlaws and the fact that it became its own (albeit rather sketchy) society. The elves are awesome - I love elves way too much. :) You have set the stage for a highly engaging story. Keep it up!

[Dynafox]

Thank you so much. I put it up for a collaborative starter chapter that myself and other authors would work off of, but it didn't make it pretty much because I jammed in so much information, that it would limit other writers when it was there turn to write. which I guess is a good point, it's pretty far down on my projects rung, but now I get to write it all out myself. :) thanks again.

[AliciaB]

Haha yes. :) Well, you know your characters the best, and now you get to control the action. Have fun!

[Dynafox]

I will, thank you