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So this story takes place in this made up universe bla bla bla. I'm actually a 6th grader so I'm not too good.
Legends of Iforagith
Castle
Forts
Prologue
Iforagith-Age 1, Age of Lycans-Year 1499. Fall of the werewolves and vampires- Palace of Velor.
The mighty King Darin stood upon a balcony of his palace. The peasants below screamed and cheered. Flower petals flew from the heavens, a gift from the gods, some said, for today was a glorious day. The king stood tall, his dark blue cape billowing behind him. He spoke in a loud, deafening voice that filled the castle courtyard.
“People of Velor,” he began, “We are gathered today to celebrate the fall of the werewolves and vampires. Their vicious war has created tension among humans. Many innocent people have died being mistaken for one of these vile…” he paused, “…beasts.” He looked around at the many people. “But now, it is over. We stand here today, victorious! The Age of Lycans is over! It is now the Age of Man. We have succeeded the vampires and wolves! We, the people of Velor, will live on.”
Chapter 1: The Beginning
Iforagith- Age 2, Age of man-Year 2003. Palace of Velor, Realm of Velor, a captain’s quarters.
Crispin Flare, captain of the elemental knights, element fire, sat on his bed. He pondered the next mission, if they were to have a mission at all. He glanced at his armor, shining in a sunbeam, his sword glistening at him. He rang a bell to call his squire, who rushed in and helped him dress.
“Thank you Fredrick,” He said, as he dropped a few gold coins into the young boy’s hand. Crispin was thirty-one years old and stood at about five-foot-nine. He had dark brown hair, brown eyes, a little stubble, and a hard face. Crispin opened his door and entered the lounge. He greeted his fellow elemental knights: Cedric the Earth Knight, Davy the Water Knight, and Sky the Air Knight. He then glanced at another man sitting at the table. “Who’s this?” He asked. Davy stood up.
“This ‘un be Gareth, my captain sir. He be a new recruit, a Lightning Knight, or better known as a Speed Knight.” Davy spoke with his usual accent. Gareth nodded at him. Crispin blinked, and Gareth was standing in front of him, studying his face. He couldn’t believe it. The recruit had moved about fifteen feet in a fraction of a second. Crispin stared at the boy.
“Where are you from?” He asked.
“I’m from Berthengard, a city in the east,” he replied. Gareth was about twenty-three and had raven black hair swept to the side. He stood at about five-foot-five.
“Berthengard,” Crispin repeated, “Big city, no?”
“Yes it’s quite large, many merchants there.” At that moment, the door of the lounge swung open and a knight clad in gold emerged. The knights bowed as the figure stepped in.
“Hello my friends,” he said, beckoning them to rise. “I see that we have a new knight. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Henry the Gold, also known as the Golden Knight of Velor. The king has a new mission for you. Come with me.” The knights picked up their helmets and followed the Golden Knight out the door. He went past a few doors and down several flights of stairs. They were soon in the depths of the castle. Torches burned and rats scurried away as they passed. Their footsteps echoed off the stonewalls as they walked down the corridor. The Golden Knight stopped at a wooden door. He beckoned the guards away and opened the door.
Chapter 2: The Mission
A ray of glistening sunlight from a large, stained-glass window fell across their faces as they stepped in. There was red carpeting and banners everywhere. This ain’t the throne room, Crispin thought. Indeed he was right, this was the treasure room. Glass cases displayed shining swords and beautiful jewels. At every ten feet there was an armor with Velor’s symbol, the crown. The knights marveled at the ornate treasures. They continued up the room and kneeled down before the king, who sitting on a throne.
“Rise, my noble knights,” He said. This was King William the Prosperous. “Elemental Knights, I have a mission for you.” An advisor next to the king pulled out a map. He placed it onto a table a showed them it.
“Fort Charlie, Alpha, Bravo, Epsilon, Apache, Delta. Gone.” He said, pointing at the names and stabbing at them. “Without a trace.” He paused.
“Gone?” Gareth asked, “How can that be?” His voice quavered as he spoke.
“We don’t know,” the advisor said, “it’s a mystery, that’s why we are sending you in.” Crispin spoke up.
“Us? But we don’t have any leads! We have no idea what it is!”
“Calm down, calm down. We have leads.” The advisor said, “He pulled out an orb, which displayed images. “Every fort has been left with a mark burned into the soil.” The orb showed a skull burned into the ground.
“This still doesn’t help,” Crispin muttered, “Anything else?”
“Yes,” the advisor replied, “This.” The orb showed the footage of another orb.
Fort Bravo 3/2/03
A blur flashed in the orb. Voices were heard. What the heck is that? Dunno, Jim, looks like-GRAAAAAAH the orb went fuzzy and out of focus, then died off.
End Footage
“So it is obviously something fast,” Sky said.
“I agree,” Crispin said, “but does anyone have an idea what it is?”
“We think the Triten, the dark lord of Deathwood,” the king said. Everyone’s spines tingled when they heard the name. Deathwood was the realm of the dark, and the source of evilness. Triten was the master of Deathwood, and had always troubled the three other realms.
“What’s this about Deathwood and Triten?” Gareth asked. The king looked surprised.
“By golly, you uneducated boy! Listen hear, and I will tell you about the kingdoms…
“Iforagith is composed of five realms on one continent. Four of the realms, Velor, Dragonic, Fallion, and Deathwood, are the names of the kingdoms within them. Velor’s symbol is the crown, Dragonic’s the dragon, Fallion’s the Falcon, and Deathwood’s a bat. The fifth is the realm of Storn. Storn is composed of a many kingdoms. Deathwood is the biggest troublemaker in Iforagith, and generated more problems since all the other nations were at war. We think Deathwood because it is the place of dark magic, which no other kingdom is capable of”
“So Deathwood, eh?” Cedric said, “But that could be anyone, Triten has thousands of minions!”
“But not many fast ones mate,” Davy replied. There was a silence. Finally, Crispin spoke up.
“Were’d you learn you skills, Gareth?”
“Treleth Academy, in Treleth City. Sir Dreyson Vau,” he replied.
“Well I guess you should pay him a visit, now remember, this is a complete secret. This is Operation Forts, as the forts are gone” the king said, “dismissed!” The knights walked out the treasure room. Crispin ordered a guard to get the horses ready.
“I’m better on foot!” Gareth exclaimed.
“Aye! But it looks bettar when ye’d be on horse!” Davy replied. Gareth stayed silent until they were getting on their horses.
“When we get to Treleth,” he said, “Let me do the talking, okay?” He stroked his white horse and jumped on. The doors of the stable opened and the horses cantered out. There were no people waiting for them, cheering or throwing flowers. It was quiet. Of course. Crispin thought. This is secret. The castle’s doors opened and the drawbridge lowered. They exited the castle and into the plains. Their horses speed to a gallop as they traveled to the city of Treleth.
Chapter 3: Treleth
The knights arrived one hour later at Treleth. A few town guards, who let them in instantly, greeted them at the gates of the city. Treleth was bustling with people, and the knights made their way down the stone streets. The arrived at a very fancy place, with cobalt banners hanging everywhere. None of the stones on the walls were cracked or chipped. Gareth opened the door and turned left. He went up a flight of stairs and knocked on a door with a sign that read Prof. Vau. The door swung open and a gruffy looking man with a long beard frowned. His frown was quickly replaced with a bright smile and the man exclaimed,
“Gareth! What a surprise! How yer doing? Come on in!” he beckoned the knights into his house and said, “I see you brought friends! Some very special friends! The Elemental Knights of Velor!” He went around shaking everyone’s hand joyfully. Crispin looked around the room. The carpeting was red, with nice, big armchairs and a crackling fire. It was very spacious, and there were many plaques above the mantelpiece. After a long talk about how Prof. Vau and Gareth, Crispin finally got down to business.
“Mr. Vau,” he began, and Vau new Crispin was serious, because he had told Crispin to call him Dreyson, “There have been a series of attacks against Velor. Forts, many of them destroyed, and we have no idea what, or who. All we have is this footage.” Crispin showed him the skull mark, and the blur seen in Fort Bravo.
“And why did you come here?” Vau asked.
“Because you taught people how to become speed demons, like Gareth here. Who else have you taught?”
“Loads of people, but I doubt none of them did this, no one could be this fast.” Crispin decided he was telling the truth. The old man’s voice seemed to quaver a bit, and his expression was a thoughtful one.
“Anyone you think that might have been peculiar?” The man’s expression changed. He glanced behind Crispin, but Crispin just kept staring at the man.
“Yes,” he finally replied, “one person I knew went to Deathwood.”
“Do you know his name?”
“No, he never told me. We called him skull.”
“Just like those markings…” Gareth said. Crispin got up.
“Thank you for your time. Do not tell anyone about this meeting. Do you understand?”
“I do,” Vau said. The knights exited one by one out the door. Outside, Gareth looked at Vau’s window. An eagle flew out of it. A carrier eagle. He thought. A messenger. Vau was writing to someone. Right after they left. Now, there were two possibilities. Either he was interrupted by them knocking on the door, or he was sending someone a message, about their meeting.
Chapter 4: Travis Rowen
“Looks like we’re going to Deathwood,” Gareth said. He mounted his horse with the others.
“Darned, I wish we were going to Storn, way less dangerous,” Cedric said.
“Not as fun,” Crispin replied. They said goodbye to Treleth, and hello to Deathwood, Realm of the Dark.
After nights of sleeping on hard ground, riding for hours and defending themselves against bands of orcs, they finally reached the outskirts of Deathwood. Old, rotten, wooden barricades still remained from the Great War, and in the distance the knights could see the Dead Forest of Deathwood. The area was very hilly, and the horses couldn’t keep their footing. They dismounted them and guided them by the reins over the hills. They soon heard an orc battle cry.
“Lok-Tar!” They drew their weapons and looked around. There were no orcs to be seen. Crispin climbed up the hill and saw a squad of orc raiders, orcs on wolves, running toward one of the old barricades. Then out popped a figure. The figure was a man, with a brown cloak on. He drew his bow and fired two arrows at a time, really, really fast. Many arrows smote into the orcs, and some scared the wolves, who reared their riders off. Crispin thought of charging in, but was afraid of getting hit with arrows. He waited until the figure drew his curved sword before he charged in.
“Let’s go!” He yelled to his brethren. The knights yelled “For the Crown!” as they charged into the mists of the battle. Gareth was the most effective, speeding around, stabbing the orcs. When all the orcs were gone, the figure walked towards.
“You’re the elemental knights,” he said. The figure took off his hood, “I’m Travis Rowen, royal archer of Velor. I was stationed at Fort Charlie before it was attacked. Is that why you are here?” Travis had white hair, and hazel eyes. He was about 21, and stood around five feet four. Travis seemed to catch what was going on very quickly. Crispin was first to speak,
“Fort Charlie, that was gone, a few days ago?”
“Yes, I fled the fort. Fort Charlie was attacked in the middle of the night; I was so scared I had no idea where I was going. Found myself here. I was too tired to move, so I stayed. Endless squads of orcs kept me pinned down here.” He looked at the knights, “Do you have any idea who?”
“I could have asked the same thing,” Crispin said, “and it wasn’t just Fort Charlie that was attacked, many, many forts have. They’ve all disappeared. Every one of them has been left with the same mark, a skull. We’ve gone to a teacher, who tught someone nicknamed ‘skull’.”
“Forts, many of them destroyed without a trace. Skull,” Travis repeated, “This is some crap we’re in.” Crispin silently agreed. The sun was setting and the sky turned purple.
“We’ll camp out here. Tomorrow we’ll go to Fort Black Hawk, replenish our rations. Shift guards, one per hour,” he ordered. The knights began to set up tents. Travis went up to Crispin and asked,
“Who is the new guy?”
“Gareth, he’s the speed knight,” he replied.
“Speed isn’t an element.”
“Neither is air. Now go get your tent up. Don’t lie, I see it in your bag.” Crispin put on a stern face. “Who volunteers for starting shift?”
“I will,” Gareth said, raising his hand.
“Okay, now Travis is last, he needs some sleep.”
“Yes sir!” The knights chorused. They finished setting up the tents, tied the horses to a post, and settled down for the night.
Chapter 5: ‘Black Hawk Down’
Crispin woke up to the sun shining through his tent. He opened the flap and was greeted by the smell of frying eggs. There was a fire going, the wood from the old barricade. Davy was tending to it. Crispin found that a bit ironic, because Davy, a water knight, was tending a fire. Travis was wolfing down his eggs with some bread. Sky was hovering in the air, on the look out for orcs. Cedric was drinking from his canteen, while Gareth was staring off into the distance.
“C’mon Crispin, sit down,” Davy said, “I made yer’ eggs extra crispy, like ye’ love ‘em!” He laughed jovially and his mustache twitched. Crispin obliged and grabbed a plate.
“We should get going after this. The sooner the better.”
“Why would we want to travel into Deathwood with such haste?” Travis asked, “I mean, why should we run into the shadow of death?” No one answered. Everyone just stared. They were all thinking the same thing: For the Crown. They finished their breakfasts and packed up. They mounted their horses and rode to Fort Black Hawk. Nothing greeted them there, except the same skull mark.
“Black Hawk is down,” Travis muttered.
“Skull striked again,” Cedric said grimly.
“And this time so close to us,” Davy said gravely.
“Thrud him,” Gareth swore. Crispin remained silent.
“Was that the last of the eggs?” He asked Davy.
“I’m afraid so,” he replied. He looked down at his feet, “Sorry.” Crispin decided on a plan.
“We’ll spend today hunting food. There is a forest just outside Deathwood I know that is not infested with horrible creatures. Travis can shoot some deer or elk, Gareth can run around attacking them. I could create a controlled fire to drive them out, and Davy could put it out. Cedric could also summon animals to hunt for us. Sky can also watch for them, and any orcs too.” They all agreed it was a good plan. They spent the day gathering food, and slept that night, having nightmares about Deathwood, and the horrors that lurked there.
Chapter 6: Summit
They knights awoke that morning and had their breakfast in silence. There was a grim tone in the air, and the sky was gray. They mounted their horses and rode into the depths of the forests. They arrived at one of the mountains, and continued up its gray walls. The day was spent in silence, and after an uneasy sleep, they finally talked in the morning.
“We’re almost near the summit, there is a path downhill, into Triten’s valley. There, we must fight our way into the castle and found out what is going on.” Crispin paused. “Anyone who would like to leave, can.” Crispin seemed to be talking particularly at Travis, as if he didn’t want him involved in this. Travis didn’t budge. He stood there his innocent eyes looking of the dark valley. “Okay,” Crispin said, “let’s move. We’ll have to walk from here. Look, the horses are petrified.” They took the last of the rations and strapped whatever they didn’t need back onto the horses. Crispin started down the mountain. He could see the fear in everyone’s eyes. Even though his helmet was on, everyone could see his fear. As Travis said, they were running into the shadow of death.
Chapter 7: Triten’s Valley
The knights made their way into the forest. Owls hooted and leaves shuffled. They camped out, but sleep evaded them. Triten’s Valley could pierce even the strongest of hearts. Travis was partially shaking, but his posture was confident and strong. They all sat in a circle, in front of a dim fire. They weren’t hungry, nor were full. All of them only got about an hour of uneasy sleep each. And by the morning they were splashing water on their faces to keep them awake. The knights spent the day navigating through the thick underbrush, and finally, they arrived at the Stony Plains, the plains made entirely out of stone. Overgrown vines climbed up stone pillars. Each one of the knights was tedious, and took slow steps. A rock moved. They quickly drew their swords in time to block an attack from a giant troll. Travis was shooting three arrows to the head very quickly, which smote into the troll’s skull. It collapsed, and it fell backwards, revealing a platoon of skeletons behind it. Platoons consisted of at least a hundred skeletons, and this one definitely had more then that. Gareth was going to run in, but Cedric held him back.
“Let me do this,” he said in his rough voice. He beckoned them back, and he raised his mighty war hammer. He jumped high in the sky, and shouted, “Ground… POUND!” He slammed the war hammer into the stone, which crushed it and sent stones flying. Skeletons were either thrown up into the air and were crushed on impact with the ground, or boulders crushed them. When the boulders went flying, Sky jumped into the air and hurled them at the skeletons. Travis drew his sword, as arrows wouldn’t be very effective. He charged into the group, his curved, light sword shining in the sunlight. Crispin followed promptly, then Davy. Gareth ran to the back, quickly skimming around, ripping of a skeletons legs or arms. Cedric, summoned a golem, and started crushing the bony enemies with his war hammer. The platoon was gone, but Travis, being a keen-eyed archer, pointed in the distance.
“Crispin!” he said, “More of them, a lot more! Give me a fire. I have a plan”
The fire was lit, and Travis was mixing an odd substance. Cedric’s golem was holding off the skeletons, but these had heavy armor, and were harder to kill.
“Gareth, go up there, and put down this pouch on that ledge!” ordered Travis. Gareth sped off, and Travis lit an arrow with the fire. He drew the string back to his ear, the blue fletching brushing his cheek. He aimed at the cliff, and fired. Twang! Went the bowstring, and the arrow whistled into the air. The arrow went off into the distance. There was a moment of silence as they watched the skeletons march underneath the cliff that the pouch was on. There was an explosion. The cliff fell, and the skeletons were crushed. “We have to go,” Travis said turning to Crispin, “They know we are here.”
“What was that?!” Crispin questioned.
“Black powder, let’s go.” The group turned to the path down to Black Shadow, the fortress of Triten.
Chapter 8: Black Shadow
They made their way to the gates of Black Shadow. They went right of the gate, to a secret cave that lead into the fortress. One-by-one, the slowly entered, crouching and trying to avoid hitting lose pebbles. They emerged in one of the corridors, made of black stone. They scuttled down the hall on peeked into the keyhole of a door. There were two orc guards clad in red sitting at a table eating. Travis handed Gareth a poisoned dagger. Gareth opened the door, knocked the guards out, stabbed them, and beckoned them in, all in one motion. They closed the door and peered through another keyhole. No one.
“Gareth,” Crispin breathed, “scout ahead, and come back in five minutes, okay? If you don’t your dead.” Gareth nodded and opened a series of doors. They waited.
Three minutes.
Four minutes.
Five.
Seven.
Nine.
No Gareth. Crispin stood silently. “Let’s go.” They were all thinking the same thing. Thrud. They went past several doors, and paused at a door with an ornate doorknob. There were gold studs on the door, and a large keyhole. They saw Gareth lying on the ground, a dagger in his back. Standing over him was Triten and his guards.
Chapter 9: Traitor
The door was locked, Crispin could tell. He beckoned Cedric. The door went down with a bang as the war hammer hit the door. The knights burst into the room, their weapons drawn. The orc guards ran to cover Triten, but he waved them away.
“Well, well, well, now isn’t it the elemental knights of Velor,” Triten said, with his cockily voice. He stood over Gareth’s body. “Now isn’t it a shame that he had to die. Oh he had such skill, such speed.” He pulled the dagger out of his corpse and twirled it in his hand. “Now, I must say, it was very impressive of you, to find Vau and find me.”
“Wait a second,” Crispin interrupted, “you knew we visited Vau?” Triten cackled.
“Oh, of course I knew,” he paused, “He is one of my informants.” Crispin was hot with anger. He set his sword aflame and charged at Triten. A troll took the blast for him, and he was thrown back by a blur. No. He thought. No. It was Gareth.
“Traitor!” The knights yelled. Travis drew an arrow and fired. Gareth was away in a blur. All the knights launched toward him, and he barely dodged it.
“Take them off,” Triten said, “They will overpower you without them.” Gareth reached for his belt. Weights. Crispin thought.
“Wait, Gareth,” Crispin said, “can we talk first?” Gareth left the weights on and dropped his weapons.
“What?” he asked. He looked different. His face was paler, his eyes bloodshot and red. He grinned an evil grin.
“You-you are Skull?”
“Oh, of course I am. And I’m guessing you’d like to know some things,” he laughed a cold and evil laugh, as chilling as the icy draft that flows into your open window night. “Vau, he sent an eagle after we left. I destroyed Fort Blackhawk on my first shift. I faked my death. ” he grinned, “You guys are fools.” He took his weapons and jumped onto a statue. He dropped his weights. The stone cracked and flew into the air. Dang that’s heavy. Crispin thought.
Chapter 10: The End
Crispin drew his sword. Cedric gripped his warhammer. Davy grabbed staff. Sky was floating in the air. Travis had his bowstring to his ear, three arrows loaded.
“Let’s go,” Travis said. He fired the arrows and the knights charged. Into nothing. Gareth was gone.
“Over here boys…” a voice called. Gareth was on the other side of the throne room, teetering on the head of a statue. He was laughing a crazy laugh, like a hyena having a feast. They charged again, and he was away. They repeated this for ten minutes, and then gathered into a huddle.
“Thrud he’s fast,” Crispin said.
“He’s dumb,” Travis said, “Trust me. We’ll have to outsmart him.”
“And yeh have a plan fo’ this ‘mate?” Davy said.
“Just the thing.” Travis’ plan consisted of this: He noted that wherever the knights charged, he ran across from where they were. There were four corners of the room, and four statues in the corners of those, which Gareth stood on. There were five men, Crispin, Davy, Cedric, Sky, and Travis. Travis would stand at the center at shoot arrows at Gareth, while the others were in the four corners. They scrambled out, and Travis shot an arrow at Gareth. Gareth fled to the bottom left, where Cedric was waiting for him. He ran away, and went to Davy, who had made the statue wet. He slipped and fled to Sky, who was in the air, and hit him with the blunt end of his sword.
“Ow!” Gareth cried, and ran to Crispin, who had set a controlled fire on the stone shield. Gareth stepped into it. He cried out in agony, his bloodshot eyes popping out, and received a slash from Crispin’s flame sword.
“Flame…CRESCENT!” he shouted he swung his sword in an arc. Travis shot arrows at Gareth, quickly, as though if he were wielding a battle crossbow. Gareth ran to Travis, who drew his sword in time to make a strike. His sword crossed with Gareth’s and Davy threw Travis another sword. They clashed, the swords dancing, shining in the sunlight. Travis’ swords fell, and he drew his bow, and fired an arrow at Gareth.
The arrow smote into Gareth’s armor, and Gareth pulled it out. His sneer was menacing and vicious. Gareth, frankly, was a monster. He cackled his icy laugh and took his sword. He thrust his blade at Travis, who moved just in time to dodge it. Gareth sped around him, and disarmed Travis. Things looked grim for the young archer. Crispin started running, but the other knights were frozen in fear. Travis looked up at Gareth. In one swift motion, he grabbed the emerald-hilted poisoned dagger and stabbed Gareth in the foot.
“AUUUUURRGGHH!!!” It was the first real cry of pain that Gareth had emitted. It was high, shrill, raucous, and sounded both of agony, horror, and anger. He screamed and lunged at Travis, but Travis was quicker. He grabbed the dagger and plunged it into the slit of Gareth’s helmet. Gareth screamed, and was dead. Travis was panting, his sweat running down his cheeks. He turned to Triten, and drew an arrow. An orc ran in front of Triten, and another ran to Travis. The arrow was shot, and flew into the orc’s face. The other raised his axe, but was cut off by Crispin’s fire sword. The knights regrouped, standing around Triten’s personal guard.
“Let’s take him,” said Crispin.
“No, its not the mission,” Davy said, “We have to get to the castle.”
“I’m with Crispin on this one Davy,” Travis said, “Let’s take him.” At that time, a deafening screech was heard, and a mutilated creature knocked down a door at the end of the room. It was about ten feet tall, and had many limbs and skin tones, as if patched up from different creatures. It had a giant cleaver in its hand, and behind him emerged a mountain troll, with a spiked club. Several heavily armed warriors also manifested from the shadows.
“Kriff ,” Cedric swore. They were quickly surrounded, and they grouped close together. They drew their weapons, and Crispin said,
“Let’s do this.” The orcs charged, and Travis shot an arrow at the monster, and Sky jumped up and dived at the monster too. Crispin took out several orcs with his fire sword, and Davy smashed some with his water strike. Several golems emerged from the stone, attacking the troll. More trolls and orcs poured out of the doors, and their efforts seemed futile. The orcs cornered them to the large, stained-glass window.
“Give up now,” Triten said.
“NEVER!” Crispin refused. He glanced at his fellow knights. “Standfast, my brethren, for today, we die a warriors death. They drew their swords and held them out.
“FOR VELOR, AND FOR THE CROWN!” they chanted. Their weapons clashed with the orc’s as they battled. Things looked dire for the knights as they were overpowered. There was the sound of glass shattering, as a battalion of eagles soared through the open windows, grabbing them in their talons. That was the last thing Crispin remembered, then he blacked out.
Epilogue
Crispin awoke, lying on his bed. Now, the thought of facing Triten was like a dream, but the scars on his arm told him otherwise. He remembered the conversation he had with the golden knight.
‘You were lucky we came to save you, if we had not come, you might’ve been killed.’
‘I am well aware of that, sir.’ Crispin replied.
‘And so the mystery of the missing forts is solved, and our new recruit is the culprit? Who was the one that killed Gareth?
‘Travis Rowen, he’s a royal archer that was stationed at Fort Charlie. He fled when it was attacked. Gareth was killed by a poisoned dagger.’
‘I see.’ The golden knight got up. ‘There is to be an awards ceremony tomorrow at nine o’ clock. Be tactful.’
Crispin dressed himself in his ceremonial uniform and walked out of his room into the lounge. The same voices greeted him like every other day. Crispin noticed a different voice though, one higher and innocent. Crispin knew that voice.
“Travis?!” he exclaimed, “why are you here? This is the elemental knight’s lounge!”
“I’m a new recruit,” he replied smugly.
“The Hunting Knight,” Sky said, emphasizing some of the words.
“Hunting is not a element,” Travis said. The knights burst out laughing and Travis said, “I’m more of just you’re guys’ archer before I learn some magic.” He flicked his spoon like an imaginary wand. “Can’t wait to like, summon those eagles that grabbed us, a real life saver.”
“Crispy, sit down and have some of these crispy eggs ‘eh,” Davy said. Crispin sat down and started eating his eggs. All was well in the land of Velor. At least for now.
Awww I had these awesome images but they didn't copy over. Whatever.
Legends of Iforagith
Castle
Forts
Prologue
Iforagith-Age 1, Age of Lycans-Year 1499. Fall of the werewolves and vampires- Palace of Velor.
The mighty King Darin stood upon a balcony of his palace. The peasants below screamed and cheered. Flower petals flew from the heavens, a gift from the gods, some said, for today was a glorious day. The king stood tall, his dark blue cape billowing behind him. He spoke in a loud, deafening voice that filled the castle courtyard.
“People of Velor,” he began, “We are gathered today to celebrate the fall of the werewolves and vampires. Their vicious war has created tension among humans. Many innocent people have died being mistaken for one of these vile…” he paused, “…beasts.” He looked around at the many people. “But now, it is over. We stand here today, victorious! The Age of Lycans is over! It is now the Age of Man. We have succeeded the vampires and wolves! We, the people of Velor, will live on.”
Chapter 1: The Beginning
Iforagith- Age 2, Age of man-Year 2003. Palace of Velor, Realm of Velor, a captain’s quarters.
Crispin Flare, captain of the elemental knights, element fire, sat on his bed. He pondered the next mission, if they were to have a mission at all. He glanced at his armor, shining in a sunbeam, his sword glistening at him. He rang a bell to call his squire, who rushed in and helped him dress.
“Thank you Fredrick,” He said, as he dropped a few gold coins into the young boy’s hand. Crispin was thirty-one years old and stood at about five-foot-nine. He had dark brown hair, brown eyes, a little stubble, and a hard face. Crispin opened his door and entered the lounge. He greeted his fellow elemental knights: Cedric the Earth Knight, Davy the Water Knight, and Sky the Air Knight. He then glanced at another man sitting at the table. “Who’s this?” He asked. Davy stood up.
“This ‘un be Gareth, my captain sir. He be a new recruit, a Lightning Knight, or better known as a Speed Knight.” Davy spoke with his usual accent. Gareth nodded at him. Crispin blinked, and Gareth was standing in front of him, studying his face. He couldn’t believe it. The recruit had moved about fifteen feet in a fraction of a second. Crispin stared at the boy.
“Where are you from?” He asked.
“I’m from Berthengard, a city in the east,” he replied. Gareth was about twenty-three and had raven black hair swept to the side. He stood at about five-foot-five.
“Berthengard,” Crispin repeated, “Big city, no?”
“Yes it’s quite large, many merchants there.” At that moment, the door of the lounge swung open and a knight clad in gold emerged. The knights bowed as the figure stepped in.
“Hello my friends,” he said, beckoning them to rise. “I see that we have a new knight. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Henry the Gold, also known as the Golden Knight of Velor. The king has a new mission for you. Come with me.” The knights picked up their helmets and followed the Golden Knight out the door. He went past a few doors and down several flights of stairs. They were soon in the depths of the castle. Torches burned and rats scurried away as they passed. Their footsteps echoed off the stonewalls as they walked down the corridor. The Golden Knight stopped at a wooden door. He beckoned the guards away and opened the door.
Chapter 2: The Mission
A ray of glistening sunlight from a large, stained-glass window fell across their faces as they stepped in. There was red carpeting and banners everywhere. This ain’t the throne room, Crispin thought. Indeed he was right, this was the treasure room. Glass cases displayed shining swords and beautiful jewels. At every ten feet there was an armor with Velor’s symbol, the crown. The knights marveled at the ornate treasures. They continued up the room and kneeled down before the king, who sitting on a throne.
“Rise, my noble knights,” He said. This was King William the Prosperous. “Elemental Knights, I have a mission for you.” An advisor next to the king pulled out a map. He placed it onto a table a showed them it.
“Fort Charlie, Alpha, Bravo, Epsilon, Apache, Delta. Gone.” He said, pointing at the names and stabbing at them. “Without a trace.” He paused.
“Gone?” Gareth asked, “How can that be?” His voice quavered as he spoke.
“We don’t know,” the advisor said, “it’s a mystery, that’s why we are sending you in.” Crispin spoke up.
“Us? But we don’t have any leads! We have no idea what it is!”
“Calm down, calm down. We have leads.” The advisor said, “He pulled out an orb, which displayed images. “Every fort has been left with a mark burned into the soil.” The orb showed a skull burned into the ground.
“This still doesn’t help,” Crispin muttered, “Anything else?”
“Yes,” the advisor replied, “This.” The orb showed the footage of another orb.
Fort Bravo 3/2/03
A blur flashed in the orb. Voices were heard. What the heck is that? Dunno, Jim, looks like-GRAAAAAAH the orb went fuzzy and out of focus, then died off.
End Footage
“So it is obviously something fast,” Sky said.
“I agree,” Crispin said, “but does anyone have an idea what it is?”
“We think the Triten, the dark lord of Deathwood,” the king said. Everyone’s spines tingled when they heard the name. Deathwood was the realm of the dark, and the source of evilness. Triten was the master of Deathwood, and had always troubled the three other realms.
“What’s this about Deathwood and Triten?” Gareth asked. The king looked surprised.
“By golly, you uneducated boy! Listen hear, and I will tell you about the kingdoms…
“Iforagith is composed of five realms on one continent. Four of the realms, Velor, Dragonic, Fallion, and Deathwood, are the names of the kingdoms within them. Velor’s symbol is the crown, Dragonic’s the dragon, Fallion’s the Falcon, and Deathwood’s a bat. The fifth is the realm of Storn. Storn is composed of a many kingdoms. Deathwood is the biggest troublemaker in Iforagith, and generated more problems since all the other nations were at war. We think Deathwood because it is the place of dark magic, which no other kingdom is capable of”
“So Deathwood, eh?” Cedric said, “But that could be anyone, Triten has thousands of minions!”
“But not many fast ones mate,” Davy replied. There was a silence. Finally, Crispin spoke up.
“Were’d you learn you skills, Gareth?”
“Treleth Academy, in Treleth City. Sir Dreyson Vau,” he replied.
“Well I guess you should pay him a visit, now remember, this is a complete secret. This is Operation Forts, as the forts are gone” the king said, “dismissed!” The knights walked out the treasure room. Crispin ordered a guard to get the horses ready.
“I’m better on foot!” Gareth exclaimed.
“Aye! But it looks bettar when ye’d be on horse!” Davy replied. Gareth stayed silent until they were getting on their horses.
“When we get to Treleth,” he said, “Let me do the talking, okay?” He stroked his white horse and jumped on. The doors of the stable opened and the horses cantered out. There were no people waiting for them, cheering or throwing flowers. It was quiet. Of course. Crispin thought. This is secret. The castle’s doors opened and the drawbridge lowered. They exited the castle and into the plains. Their horses speed to a gallop as they traveled to the city of Treleth.
Chapter 3: Treleth
The knights arrived one hour later at Treleth. A few town guards, who let them in instantly, greeted them at the gates of the city. Treleth was bustling with people, and the knights made their way down the stone streets. The arrived at a very fancy place, with cobalt banners hanging everywhere. None of the stones on the walls were cracked or chipped. Gareth opened the door and turned left. He went up a flight of stairs and knocked on a door with a sign that read Prof. Vau. The door swung open and a gruffy looking man with a long beard frowned. His frown was quickly replaced with a bright smile and the man exclaimed,
“Gareth! What a surprise! How yer doing? Come on in!” he beckoned the knights into his house and said, “I see you brought friends! Some very special friends! The Elemental Knights of Velor!” He went around shaking everyone’s hand joyfully. Crispin looked around the room. The carpeting was red, with nice, big armchairs and a crackling fire. It was very spacious, and there were many plaques above the mantelpiece. After a long talk about how Prof. Vau and Gareth, Crispin finally got down to business.
“Mr. Vau,” he began, and Vau new Crispin was serious, because he had told Crispin to call him Dreyson, “There have been a series of attacks against Velor. Forts, many of them destroyed, and we have no idea what, or who. All we have is this footage.” Crispin showed him the skull mark, and the blur seen in Fort Bravo.
“And why did you come here?” Vau asked.
“Because you taught people how to become speed demons, like Gareth here. Who else have you taught?”
“Loads of people, but I doubt none of them did this, no one could be this fast.” Crispin decided he was telling the truth. The old man’s voice seemed to quaver a bit, and his expression was a thoughtful one.
“Anyone you think that might have been peculiar?” The man’s expression changed. He glanced behind Crispin, but Crispin just kept staring at the man.
“Yes,” he finally replied, “one person I knew went to Deathwood.”
“Do you know his name?”
“No, he never told me. We called him skull.”
“Just like those markings…” Gareth said. Crispin got up.
“Thank you for your time. Do not tell anyone about this meeting. Do you understand?”
“I do,” Vau said. The knights exited one by one out the door. Outside, Gareth looked at Vau’s window. An eagle flew out of it. A carrier eagle. He thought. A messenger. Vau was writing to someone. Right after they left. Now, there were two possibilities. Either he was interrupted by them knocking on the door, or he was sending someone a message, about their meeting.
Chapter 4: Travis Rowen
“Looks like we’re going to Deathwood,” Gareth said. He mounted his horse with the others.
“Darned, I wish we were going to Storn, way less dangerous,” Cedric said.
“Not as fun,” Crispin replied. They said goodbye to Treleth, and hello to Deathwood, Realm of the Dark.
After nights of sleeping on hard ground, riding for hours and defending themselves against bands of orcs, they finally reached the outskirts of Deathwood. Old, rotten, wooden barricades still remained from the Great War, and in the distance the knights could see the Dead Forest of Deathwood. The area was very hilly, and the horses couldn’t keep their footing. They dismounted them and guided them by the reins over the hills. They soon heard an orc battle cry.
“Lok-Tar!” They drew their weapons and looked around. There were no orcs to be seen. Crispin climbed up the hill and saw a squad of orc raiders, orcs on wolves, running toward one of the old barricades. Then out popped a figure. The figure was a man, with a brown cloak on. He drew his bow and fired two arrows at a time, really, really fast. Many arrows smote into the orcs, and some scared the wolves, who reared their riders off. Crispin thought of charging in, but was afraid of getting hit with arrows. He waited until the figure drew his curved sword before he charged in.
“Let’s go!” He yelled to his brethren. The knights yelled “For the Crown!” as they charged into the mists of the battle. Gareth was the most effective, speeding around, stabbing the orcs. When all the orcs were gone, the figure walked towards.
“You’re the elemental knights,” he said. The figure took off his hood, “I’m Travis Rowen, royal archer of Velor. I was stationed at Fort Charlie before it was attacked. Is that why you are here?” Travis had white hair, and hazel eyes. He was about 21, and stood around five feet four. Travis seemed to catch what was going on very quickly. Crispin was first to speak,
“Fort Charlie, that was gone, a few days ago?”
“Yes, I fled the fort. Fort Charlie was attacked in the middle of the night; I was so scared I had no idea where I was going. Found myself here. I was too tired to move, so I stayed. Endless squads of orcs kept me pinned down here.” He looked at the knights, “Do you have any idea who?”
“I could have asked the same thing,” Crispin said, “and it wasn’t just Fort Charlie that was attacked, many, many forts have. They’ve all disappeared. Every one of them has been left with the same mark, a skull. We’ve gone to a teacher, who tught someone nicknamed ‘skull’.”
“Forts, many of them destroyed without a trace. Skull,” Travis repeated, “This is some crap we’re in.” Crispin silently agreed. The sun was setting and the sky turned purple.
“We’ll camp out here. Tomorrow we’ll go to Fort Black Hawk, replenish our rations. Shift guards, one per hour,” he ordered. The knights began to set up tents. Travis went up to Crispin and asked,
“Who is the new guy?”
“Gareth, he’s the speed knight,” he replied.
“Speed isn’t an element.”
“Neither is air. Now go get your tent up. Don’t lie, I see it in your bag.” Crispin put on a stern face. “Who volunteers for starting shift?”
“I will,” Gareth said, raising his hand.
“Okay, now Travis is last, he needs some sleep.”
“Yes sir!” The knights chorused. They finished setting up the tents, tied the horses to a post, and settled down for the night.
Chapter 5: ‘Black Hawk Down’
Crispin woke up to the sun shining through his tent. He opened the flap and was greeted by the smell of frying eggs. There was a fire going, the wood from the old barricade. Davy was tending to it. Crispin found that a bit ironic, because Davy, a water knight, was tending a fire. Travis was wolfing down his eggs with some bread. Sky was hovering in the air, on the look out for orcs. Cedric was drinking from his canteen, while Gareth was staring off into the distance.
“C’mon Crispin, sit down,” Davy said, “I made yer’ eggs extra crispy, like ye’ love ‘em!” He laughed jovially and his mustache twitched. Crispin obliged and grabbed a plate.
“We should get going after this. The sooner the better.”
“Why would we want to travel into Deathwood with such haste?” Travis asked, “I mean, why should we run into the shadow of death?” No one answered. Everyone just stared. They were all thinking the same thing: For the Crown. They finished their breakfasts and packed up. They mounted their horses and rode to Fort Black Hawk. Nothing greeted them there, except the same skull mark.
“Black Hawk is down,” Travis muttered.
“Skull striked again,” Cedric said grimly.
“And this time so close to us,” Davy said gravely.
“Thrud him,” Gareth swore. Crispin remained silent.
“Was that the last of the eggs?” He asked Davy.
“I’m afraid so,” he replied. He looked down at his feet, “Sorry.” Crispin decided on a plan.
“We’ll spend today hunting food. There is a forest just outside Deathwood I know that is not infested with horrible creatures. Travis can shoot some deer or elk, Gareth can run around attacking them. I could create a controlled fire to drive them out, and Davy could put it out. Cedric could also summon animals to hunt for us. Sky can also watch for them, and any orcs too.” They all agreed it was a good plan. They spent the day gathering food, and slept that night, having nightmares about Deathwood, and the horrors that lurked there.
Chapter 6: Summit
They knights awoke that morning and had their breakfast in silence. There was a grim tone in the air, and the sky was gray. They mounted their horses and rode into the depths of the forests. They arrived at one of the mountains, and continued up its gray walls. The day was spent in silence, and after an uneasy sleep, they finally talked in the morning.
“We’re almost near the summit, there is a path downhill, into Triten’s valley. There, we must fight our way into the castle and found out what is going on.” Crispin paused. “Anyone who would like to leave, can.” Crispin seemed to be talking particularly at Travis, as if he didn’t want him involved in this. Travis didn’t budge. He stood there his innocent eyes looking of the dark valley. “Okay,” Crispin said, “let’s move. We’ll have to walk from here. Look, the horses are petrified.” They took the last of the rations and strapped whatever they didn’t need back onto the horses. Crispin started down the mountain. He could see the fear in everyone’s eyes. Even though his helmet was on, everyone could see his fear. As Travis said, they were running into the shadow of death.
Chapter 7: Triten’s Valley
The knights made their way into the forest. Owls hooted and leaves shuffled. They camped out, but sleep evaded them. Triten’s Valley could pierce even the strongest of hearts. Travis was partially shaking, but his posture was confident and strong. They all sat in a circle, in front of a dim fire. They weren’t hungry, nor were full. All of them only got about an hour of uneasy sleep each. And by the morning they were splashing water on their faces to keep them awake. The knights spent the day navigating through the thick underbrush, and finally, they arrived at the Stony Plains, the plains made entirely out of stone. Overgrown vines climbed up stone pillars. Each one of the knights was tedious, and took slow steps. A rock moved. They quickly drew their swords in time to block an attack from a giant troll. Travis was shooting three arrows to the head very quickly, which smote into the troll’s skull. It collapsed, and it fell backwards, revealing a platoon of skeletons behind it. Platoons consisted of at least a hundred skeletons, and this one definitely had more then that. Gareth was going to run in, but Cedric held him back.
“Let me do this,” he said in his rough voice. He beckoned them back, and he raised his mighty war hammer. He jumped high in the sky, and shouted, “Ground… POUND!” He slammed the war hammer into the stone, which crushed it and sent stones flying. Skeletons were either thrown up into the air and were crushed on impact with the ground, or boulders crushed them. When the boulders went flying, Sky jumped into the air and hurled them at the skeletons. Travis drew his sword, as arrows wouldn’t be very effective. He charged into the group, his curved, light sword shining in the sunlight. Crispin followed promptly, then Davy. Gareth ran to the back, quickly skimming around, ripping of a skeletons legs or arms. Cedric, summoned a golem, and started crushing the bony enemies with his war hammer. The platoon was gone, but Travis, being a keen-eyed archer, pointed in the distance.
“Crispin!” he said, “More of them, a lot more! Give me a fire. I have a plan”
The fire was lit, and Travis was mixing an odd substance. Cedric’s golem was holding off the skeletons, but these had heavy armor, and were harder to kill.
“Gareth, go up there, and put down this pouch on that ledge!” ordered Travis. Gareth sped off, and Travis lit an arrow with the fire. He drew the string back to his ear, the blue fletching brushing his cheek. He aimed at the cliff, and fired. Twang! Went the bowstring, and the arrow whistled into the air. The arrow went off into the distance. There was a moment of silence as they watched the skeletons march underneath the cliff that the pouch was on. There was an explosion. The cliff fell, and the skeletons were crushed. “We have to go,” Travis said turning to Crispin, “They know we are here.”
“What was that?!” Crispin questioned.
“Black powder, let’s go.” The group turned to the path down to Black Shadow, the fortress of Triten.
Chapter 8: Black Shadow
They made their way to the gates of Black Shadow. They went right of the gate, to a secret cave that lead into the fortress. One-by-one, the slowly entered, crouching and trying to avoid hitting lose pebbles. They emerged in one of the corridors, made of black stone. They scuttled down the hall on peeked into the keyhole of a door. There were two orc guards clad in red sitting at a table eating. Travis handed Gareth a poisoned dagger. Gareth opened the door, knocked the guards out, stabbed them, and beckoned them in, all in one motion. They closed the door and peered through another keyhole. No one.
“Gareth,” Crispin breathed, “scout ahead, and come back in five minutes, okay? If you don’t your dead.” Gareth nodded and opened a series of doors. They waited.
Three minutes.
Four minutes.
Five.
Seven.
Nine.
No Gareth. Crispin stood silently. “Let’s go.” They were all thinking the same thing. Thrud. They went past several doors, and paused at a door with an ornate doorknob. There were gold studs on the door, and a large keyhole. They saw Gareth lying on the ground, a dagger in his back. Standing over him was Triten and his guards.
Chapter 9: Traitor
The door was locked, Crispin could tell. He beckoned Cedric. The door went down with a bang as the war hammer hit the door. The knights burst into the room, their weapons drawn. The orc guards ran to cover Triten, but he waved them away.
“Well, well, well, now isn’t it the elemental knights of Velor,” Triten said, with his cockily voice. He stood over Gareth’s body. “Now isn’t it a shame that he had to die. Oh he had such skill, such speed.” He pulled the dagger out of his corpse and twirled it in his hand. “Now, I must say, it was very impressive of you, to find Vau and find me.”
“Wait a second,” Crispin interrupted, “you knew we visited Vau?” Triten cackled.
“Oh, of course I knew,” he paused, “He is one of my informants.” Crispin was hot with anger. He set his sword aflame and charged at Triten. A troll took the blast for him, and he was thrown back by a blur. No. He thought. No. It was Gareth.
“Traitor!” The knights yelled. Travis drew an arrow and fired. Gareth was away in a blur. All the knights launched toward him, and he barely dodged it.
“Take them off,” Triten said, “They will overpower you without them.” Gareth reached for his belt. Weights. Crispin thought.
“Wait, Gareth,” Crispin said, “can we talk first?” Gareth left the weights on and dropped his weapons.
“What?” he asked. He looked different. His face was paler, his eyes bloodshot and red. He grinned an evil grin.
“You-you are Skull?”
“Oh, of course I am. And I’m guessing you’d like to know some things,” he laughed a cold and evil laugh, as chilling as the icy draft that flows into your open window night. “Vau, he sent an eagle after we left. I destroyed Fort Blackhawk on my first shift. I faked my death. ” he grinned, “You guys are fools.” He took his weapons and jumped onto a statue. He dropped his weights. The stone cracked and flew into the air. Dang that’s heavy. Crispin thought.
Chapter 10: The End
Crispin drew his sword. Cedric gripped his warhammer. Davy grabbed staff. Sky was floating in the air. Travis had his bowstring to his ear, three arrows loaded.
“Let’s go,” Travis said. He fired the arrows and the knights charged. Into nothing. Gareth was gone.
“Over here boys…” a voice called. Gareth was on the other side of the throne room, teetering on the head of a statue. He was laughing a crazy laugh, like a hyena having a feast. They charged again, and he was away. They repeated this for ten minutes, and then gathered into a huddle.
“Thrud he’s fast,” Crispin said.
“He’s dumb,” Travis said, “Trust me. We’ll have to outsmart him.”
“And yeh have a plan fo’ this ‘mate?” Davy said.
“Just the thing.” Travis’ plan consisted of this: He noted that wherever the knights charged, he ran across from where they were. There were four corners of the room, and four statues in the corners of those, which Gareth stood on. There were five men, Crispin, Davy, Cedric, Sky, and Travis. Travis would stand at the center at shoot arrows at Gareth, while the others were in the four corners. They scrambled out, and Travis shot an arrow at Gareth. Gareth fled to the bottom left, where Cedric was waiting for him. He ran away, and went to Davy, who had made the statue wet. He slipped and fled to Sky, who was in the air, and hit him with the blunt end of his sword.
“Ow!” Gareth cried, and ran to Crispin, who had set a controlled fire on the stone shield. Gareth stepped into it. He cried out in agony, his bloodshot eyes popping out, and received a slash from Crispin’s flame sword.
“Flame…CRESCENT!” he shouted he swung his sword in an arc. Travis shot arrows at Gareth, quickly, as though if he were wielding a battle crossbow. Gareth ran to Travis, who drew his sword in time to make a strike. His sword crossed with Gareth’s and Davy threw Travis another sword. They clashed, the swords dancing, shining in the sunlight. Travis’ swords fell, and he drew his bow, and fired an arrow at Gareth.
The arrow smote into Gareth’s armor, and Gareth pulled it out. His sneer was menacing and vicious. Gareth, frankly, was a monster. He cackled his icy laugh and took his sword. He thrust his blade at Travis, who moved just in time to dodge it. Gareth sped around him, and disarmed Travis. Things looked grim for the young archer. Crispin started running, but the other knights were frozen in fear. Travis looked up at Gareth. In one swift motion, he grabbed the emerald-hilted poisoned dagger and stabbed Gareth in the foot.
“AUUUUURRGGHH!!!” It was the first real cry of pain that Gareth had emitted. It was high, shrill, raucous, and sounded both of agony, horror, and anger. He screamed and lunged at Travis, but Travis was quicker. He grabbed the dagger and plunged it into the slit of Gareth’s helmet. Gareth screamed, and was dead. Travis was panting, his sweat running down his cheeks. He turned to Triten, and drew an arrow. An orc ran in front of Triten, and another ran to Travis. The arrow was shot, and flew into the orc’s face. The other raised his axe, but was cut off by Crispin’s fire sword. The knights regrouped, standing around Triten’s personal guard.
“Let’s take him,” said Crispin.
“No, its not the mission,” Davy said, “We have to get to the castle.”
“I’m with Crispin on this one Davy,” Travis said, “Let’s take him.” At that time, a deafening screech was heard, and a mutilated creature knocked down a door at the end of the room. It was about ten feet tall, and had many limbs and skin tones, as if patched up from different creatures. It had a giant cleaver in its hand, and behind him emerged a mountain troll, with a spiked club. Several heavily armed warriors also manifested from the shadows.
“Kriff ,” Cedric swore. They were quickly surrounded, and they grouped close together. They drew their weapons, and Crispin said,
“Let’s do this.” The orcs charged, and Travis shot an arrow at the monster, and Sky jumped up and dived at the monster too. Crispin took out several orcs with his fire sword, and Davy smashed some with his water strike. Several golems emerged from the stone, attacking the troll. More trolls and orcs poured out of the doors, and their efforts seemed futile. The orcs cornered them to the large, stained-glass window.
“Give up now,” Triten said.
“NEVER!” Crispin refused. He glanced at his fellow knights. “Standfast, my brethren, for today, we die a warriors death. They drew their swords and held them out.
“FOR VELOR, AND FOR THE CROWN!” they chanted. Their weapons clashed with the orc’s as they battled. Things looked dire for the knights as they were overpowered. There was the sound of glass shattering, as a battalion of eagles soared through the open windows, grabbing them in their talons. That was the last thing Crispin remembered, then he blacked out.
Epilogue
Crispin awoke, lying on his bed. Now, the thought of facing Triten was like a dream, but the scars on his arm told him otherwise. He remembered the conversation he had with the golden knight.
‘You were lucky we came to save you, if we had not come, you might’ve been killed.’
‘I am well aware of that, sir.’ Crispin replied.
‘And so the mystery of the missing forts is solved, and our new recruit is the culprit? Who was the one that killed Gareth?
‘Travis Rowen, he’s a royal archer that was stationed at Fort Charlie. He fled when it was attacked. Gareth was killed by a poisoned dagger.’
‘I see.’ The golden knight got up. ‘There is to be an awards ceremony tomorrow at nine o’ clock. Be tactful.’
Crispin dressed himself in his ceremonial uniform and walked out of his room into the lounge. The same voices greeted him like every other day. Crispin noticed a different voice though, one higher and innocent. Crispin knew that voice.
“Travis?!” he exclaimed, “why are you here? This is the elemental knight’s lounge!”
“I’m a new recruit,” he replied smugly.
“The Hunting Knight,” Sky said, emphasizing some of the words.
“Hunting is not a element,” Travis said. The knights burst out laughing and Travis said, “I’m more of just you’re guys’ archer before I learn some magic.” He flicked his spoon like an imaginary wand. “Can’t wait to like, summon those eagles that grabbed us, a real life saver.”
“Crispy, sit down and have some of these crispy eggs ‘eh,” Davy said. Crispin sat down and started eating his eggs. All was well in the land of Velor. At least for now.
Awww I had these awesome images but they didn't copy over. Whatever.
