The Dieing Breath
Traveling alone for many weeks had driven Lifia almost to exhaustion. Traveling in the autumn was hard. Freezing cold at night, and drizzling rain all day long. It wasn’t a normal rain, this rain penetrated the thickest cloak, leaving you freezing to the bone. Every night the rain mercilessly stopped. At the end of every day, she had just enough energy to cast a spell of drying on her clothes for the next day. She had glistening red hair that hung down her back like a trophy. But whilst traveling, it was in a tight bun incase some one tried to use it against her to gain an upper hand. She was wearing a cloak she had received from her father the day she left. It was made of the softest cotton she had ever felt. Supposedly it had magical runes embedded in the cotton to protect the wearer from minor spells. She was usually seen in the library pouring over books, giving her a slouched look, that strangely suited her.. A magnificent city, government buildings made of marble, glistening in the sun. shops lining nearly every street. Streets lined polished wood. The largest port in all of Krynn producing wares from all over the continent, as well as strange people from other continents in the world. An ocean stretching as far at the human eye can see. She wasn’t going there for all of that. She was seeking apprenticeship with one of the ex-High mages. She had been let in after a bit of negotiating. He said, “You will be the very last I’ll take in, I am no longer going to be able to handle the fuss of an over active mage. So you had better be willing to be put to the test!”
Elated at this news, she hastened to pack, and leave the very next day. Upon leaving she was held back by her best friend, not wanting her to leave, trying all she knew to keep her near. “I’ll tell you what. If you let go of me, and allow me out of my front door. I’ll send for you to come visit me in say one month. That way I can be settled into my new place.” thinking this over Saelonu gave her friend a hug and let her go. “Alright, fine, just be careful.” said Saelonu. Giving her friend one last hug she set off.
Her backpack was full of provisions, a blue steel short sword in a leather scabbard belted to her waist. She wasn’t skilled in the use of a sword, but had bought it before leaving just in case. Heading down the road singing a song her mother had taught her when she was still a child she didn’t notice some one fallowing her stealthily. It was only a weeks walk from her joyful town of Kalisti. The town bordered the land of elves. She was a Half-Elf. frail built, and average height around 5’7”. Her robes were the color of molten lava and usually had the hood pulled over her face.
The first few days were warm and slightly over cast. By the third day, she could see masses of clouds, deep gray clouds. In the distance she hears the crackling of thunder.
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Seeing her frightened by the thunder he took his chance at ambushing her. He was standing behind a tree waiting for her to pass him. After waiting several moments, of waiting, thinking to himself that she should have passed him by now, looked out to see nothing but an empty road. He felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck. And a commanding voice boom out. “What is this? An assassin?” with evil laughter “Who sent you to kill me? Take off all your weapons slowly, and throw them to the right side!” He was thinking wildly at how this innocent girl caught him off guard, and how he could change the standing of things. In his soft whisper of a voice “Ma’am, if you’d take your sword from my neck, I’ll be able to put more of a distance between the weapons and myself.”
“This will not be allowed. Un-belt them, and put them to the side. Now!” He felt the blade’s pressure increase and thought he’d better do it soon. Taking the small sword, the dagger, and the small poisoned dagger from inside his tunic he tossed them aside as instructed.
The voice rang out again unnaturally loud “Who put you up to this?”
“I will not tell you any thing, I’d rather die than give you the name of my master!”
“Would you rather lie here in agony as a grain of sand slowly burns it’s way through your body? I’d so much like to sit here and watch that.”
“You are senseless!”
“Oh, am I? I’d think it’s you who is being senseless! I’ll give you one more chance to tell me who paid you to attempt to kill me. Who was it!”
All he did was laugh. It was a hideous laughter, it was a weird, shrill mocking laughter. Her sword went slack just a bit. As the laughter died away, it left a ringing silence, he spun around extremely fast, and tried to grab the sword. Mustering all the strength she could, she pulled it away from his hands cutting deeply into his skin. The assassin, lurched at her, his bleeding hands grasping her neck, trying as hard as he could to suffocate her. The flesh down his palms parting on her neck as blood seeped freely from the wound. Gasping for air, she fumbled with a dagger she had hidden in her cloak for emergencies. Finally able to pull it out, she thrust it as hard as she could. It sank deeply into his body. Gasping in pain “y-you…bitch!” Her sword in her hand, she swung it at his torso, wanting him to lie there and bleed to death. She wanted to make sure he couldn’t do anything if he were to live. she searched his body and stole anything of importance. She found a vial of green liquid that she would have sworn was a remedy to the poison on the dagger that still lay on the ground to their right. In his pants pocket she found a note. It was in a language she had never before seen. Lightning struck the tree she, and the assassin was leaning next to, an extremely loud crackle and the dieing screams of the assassin. And she decided she had better gather the weapons and keep going on her journey. Before she was next to get struck by lightning.
She was very tired after the attack on the assassin, and she was now carrying an extra sword, along with the assassins poisoned dagger. She had used hers to weaken him. Wearily rubbing her neck, grateful for the rain, she pulled off her hood to allow it to wash off the blood he had left on her. Thinking aloud “who did send him? Or the more important thing, why? I was lucky enough to see him behind me, and see his trying to get in front of me.” In deep thought, she pulled her hood back on and kept walking. That night she didn’t sleep, she sat next to a tree and ate a meager portion of bread and a slice of dried meat.
The next weeks passed dully, rain in the day, cold at night. There were some small fires started by lightning, however they were doused fairly quickly by the steady down pore of rain. The thunder crackled the hole night. Jolting her out of her sleep. Her clothes were soaking and she only knew one spell that could help her, and that was to heat the clothes until they were very worm and dry. To cast a spell, you have to be concentrated enough on what your about to do, saying the words 3 times in your head to make sure it’s right, believing it’s possible, And letting your mind slip into it’s peaceful state. If the mage’s concentration is broken, the spell will not be cast and lost to the pages of her spell book. If done correctly the magic will course through your body, and be directed at what you are thinking of. Once you use magic, depending on how strong you are, and how complex the spell is, will leave you tired. You have to constantly re-memorize a spell after you use it once. You must always keep your spell book near. Every night, she had to re-memorize that one spell. The last leg of the trip was the fastest. The excitement edging onto her face she began to walk faster as she saw the Cities outer walls.
Now that she was closer to the city there was a growing population walking the streets. In the long journey from Kalisti to Khuram, all she saw was the assassin. That was the last person she had seen. It had driven her to talk to her self in Elvin. It was soothing speaking her mothers language. It brought back old memories of her mother bending over her in bed, and telling her tales of her family in the Elvin lands. All family member that had been mages were all murdered in the towers of high sorcery. These stories had taunted Lifia when she was a child. Her mother told her about how they were murdered and who had committed the crime. I was the one who was going to thwart
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Upon gaining entrance into the town she was awed at the beauty of the city. She had never imagined it would look as pretty as this. Walking up to a guard she asked
“Where would I find the mages section of town?”
“Five streets up, take a left, walk another five streets take a right then on the seventh street you come to there will be a courtyard with two statues male and female. Walk to the door on the wall to the right of the female and knock on the door. Hopefully you have an invitation.”
“Why, what happens if I don’t?” She did of course have one, she just wanted to know how it was protected.
“The statues come alive and kill you on the spot.”
“Isn’t that illegal?”
Laughing he said “Why yes it is, however you can’t fine a statue can you?”
“No, I suppose not… well, thanks for the information. I’ll be going now.”
“Nice to talk with you.” he said bowing. All guards had to bow. It was the knights policy.
Following the guards directions, she found it within fifteen minuets. She knocked on the door to right of the female statue that was at least 25 feet high, it not bigger. Within 2 minuets her knock was answered by an older looking woman with deep gray hair a wrinkled face, and a kind smile. “Hello, how may I help thee?” she said in a weak faltering voice.
“I am Lifia, Half-Elf, I am here for an apprenticeship with .”
“Oh, you must be the one he has been talking about. Yes, please come in. He’ll be out to see you in a few moments, he is in his study. Please sit where you like. If’ you’ll excuse me, I’ll go get him.”
Sitting in a large winged arm chair with her hands in her lap, her legs crossed in a professional manner. She was waiting for her new master to come out.
After a few moments a door handle turned a lock unbolted and the sound of a door swinging open and shut in a matter of seconds. A flustered older man with thin balding gray hair. in a whispering voice he said. “Hmm, not what I was expecting out of her.” In a stronger voice he said “You are Lifia?”
Giving a slight bow, Tinen said “Nice to meet such a fine young lady. Has Mosery shown you to your quarters yet?”
“No, she hasn’t.” she replied.
“I’ll do that now, please fallow me Lifia. And bring any thing you own with you.” Following her, she noticed that now she looked to be about in her twenties, far younger than she had been when she first meet me at the door. They exited the main room into yet another courtyard much larger than the one holding the giant statues. This one she noticed as they walked fairly fast through it. It had a rather large pond in a far corner, a few tables and chairs and some sort of hedge growing in the perimeter of the court yard. Walking around the tables and into a separate building from the one she had first entered. This one was much smaller and led into a foyer with 4 doors entering into what she guessed would be the quarters of other mages. “The second one on the left on the inside will be yours. There is only one other mage living in these, and that’s me, my room on the far right. You are expected to live here as long as you are apprenticed with one of the heads. I like you are apprenticing with Tinen.” As she finished she turned to go. Throwing out her hand and grasping her shoulder. “wait a second” said Lifia.
“Yes?” she replied coldly.
“Your younger than we first met…how?”
Laughing she replied. “It is advanced illusion magic. I appear old and feeble and act like this is my cottage That I have lived in for years and years. That usually works. If not, the statues sort them out.”
Watching her walk out of the room she heard the sing song words of magic and she was slowly turning old once again. “Oh,” she said turning her head slightly indicating she was talking to her. “You’ll need to report back to Tinen as soon as you’re settled in.”
Her room did not consist of much. A bed rather smaller than the one she use to have at home, a pair of identical dressers on both sides of the bed, and a very small candelabrum consisting of 5 candles, and one extremely large desk with an almost uncountable amount of drawers. After unpacking her possessions and putting them in their respected places, she left her room to go back to Tinen for her next assignment.
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“Sir, I have unpacked and am ready for my first task.”
“Very well.” he replied with a hint of sarcasm. “Your first task will be to tell me how many red, blue, and green tiles there are in the south wing of this building. Once you’re done with that, you have to memorize how they are placed and in your room draw me a sketch of the mosaic in equal color. Oh, and no magic.”
“Y-yes sir. I’m on my way now.”
“Good luck.” mumbling under his breath “you’ll need it!”
It took her 30 minuets to even find where he wanted her to start. Taking a piece of paper, a quill and an ink bottle out, and placing them on the floor she started counting. It was nearly impossible. The pieces were so small and so many she lost count many times. Often wondering aloud “why is this so important? I mean, who cares how many colors are in this piece of mosaic!” Surprised a young man’s brisk voice answered. “Because, it helps you memorize spells. This is an exercise for the mind. Finish this, and you’ll be given better tasks than kneeling down on a dirty floor counting tiles.” At that, he walked out of the door way and back to where he came. At that she slammed her fist into the mosaic and started again.
At the end of the week she knew she had it. She had recounted the entire thing 10 times to be absolutely positive. Going to her quarters and drew it on a piece of paper, and went back to the spot. Making sure it was perfect. Tinen who was in his study off of the great room where everyone gathered to talk and eat. She knocked once and was told to enter. “Good evening sir.” She slightly bowed. “ I think I’ve got it. I think I finished it.” “Ah, splendid! What did you come up with?” he asked excitedly. “Well, there are one thousand two hundred and fifty red tiles. Six thousand four hundred and eighty-three blue, and one thousand nine hundred and twelve green tiles.” “Well, I am impressed. You only went over by one on the green tiles. Lets see your drawing… very good, you’ve passed your first task. Now on to the fun things!”
“Sir, before you give me another task, I need to ask you a few things that happened to me in the past month. Are you free to hear the story right now?”
“Yes, I am please go ahead.” he responded curiously
She told him about how she thinks that the Console of High Mages is trying to kill her and about that assassin that unskillfully tracked her and attempted to ambush her. How she had killed him and what she found on his body. “You say he had a note? Do you still have it on you?” he asked. “Well, yes I do. One second.” Digging in her pocket she produced a little folded note and handed it to him. “I wasn’t able to read it. It’s not common and definitely not Elvin.” “I would have been thoroughly surprised if you had been able to read it. This note was written in the most ancient of magic. It more or less says ‘kill her dark brethren!’ I’m not positive that you’re right at the Console of High Mages, but this is disturbing news… I have to give you a few strict rules. One, your never to leave after sundown, and be back at that same time. Two don’t talk to any one besides shop owners guards and fellow mages. And three, never, I repeat Never kill an assassin! Always bring them back here. We’ll be able to get answers out of them.”
After many months of apprenticeship with Tinen Lifia was told to do one more task and then her apprenticeship would be over. It would be the hardest yet. Hardly anyone had ever survived it, but it was a test of everything you have been taught. To finish it is to have glory over all other mages who have failed. “You are to gain access to the Console of High Mages and stay alive while they test your every skill. Good luck, Please take this with you, and hopefully it will aid you well.” his hand stretched out, curled around some thing small. Reaching out her hand he dropped a silver necklace into her open palm. “It was my mothers” he explained. “She told me to keep it safe…I want you to have it. You have more use of it than I.” “What do you mean, I have more use of it?” Lifia responded. “well, it is said that this silver will protect the user from instant death magic. I am old, and have no use for such trinkets. Please take it and hopefully it helps you accomplish you hearts desire.”
“What should I do if one of the console does turn on me?”
“Do what you think is right. If worse comes to worse don’t hesitate to kill who ever it is. When you are taking your last test, make sure to use the smallest spells you can, conserves your energy for bigger matters” he said winking. At that he ushered me out of his study and gave me a briefing on where I am supposed to go to find the Tower of High Sorcery and abruptly turned around and shut the door to his study.
Gathering all the things she had acquired during her 16 month stay at “Tinen’s Mage Apprentice Workshop” as the other mages said. It was harder to pack tham unpack from this place. She had grown to love this place. She thought that if she survived she would come back and possibly live here. The huge desk that spanned one wall was full of her belongings. Her backpack was already to the bursting point with all of her spell books stuffed in it. She had a lot to do before leaving this great town, it just wouldn’t fit into the time frame. Saelonu was apprenticed under another mage in a different town unable to see her friend when she had called. Everything seemed to be moving too fast. An un-natural speed seemed to have been placed over the world. “A corruption in the main.” It was described in one of the magic history books she had read in her small town of Kalisti. She planned on going home before she attempted to gain entrance to the Towers of High Sorcery. Planning on seeing her family one last time; that is if they still lived.
Entering the main gate of her small town comparatively to the city she had lived for so long. She had not been use to being greeted by people she passed. In the town of Kalisti every one knew everyone else, and everyone was intertwined in the others business. It is a different village, different from what she had been accustomed to living for the 16 months sheltered in Tinen’s care. Feeling uncomfortable in her home...like (something) had happened, (something) bad. People were still polite, but looked drawn, sad. People weren’t gossiping in the streets like they used to. The men traveled in groups carrying weapons. Not following her gut feeling to leave the town as soon as possible she followed her curiosity and went to the home she used to know.
Knocking at the wooden door at the side of the house she said, “Mother, are you home?”
A faint reply came from the depth of the house and within a few moments her mother opened the door and gasped at her daughter that she hadn’t seen in months. “Dear, you look wonderful! Don’t stand on the door step, not very safe…even in the best of times.”
She following her mother into the kitchen and sat down at the table adjacent to it.
“What has happened to the town to make every one so…well, so scared. No news has traveled to Khuram…”
“well” she sighed. “The town guards saw a dead body with a grievous wound. He seemed to have been attacked and then stripped of all possessions.”
Not knowing if her mother knew that was her that had killed the assassin, she thought a few moments watching her mother cleaning some dirty dishes in the wooden barrel next to the small range. “Mom…I can tell you about that male…i-if you want.”
“He didn’t assault you did he?” she said worried.
“No, nothing like that. I-I just…well mom, he was going to kill me, so…I beat him to it. I had no choice. I swear if I had the choice of keeping him alive I would have done so, but… he was an assassin, that’s all I could get out of him before he tried to choke me. I at least got his weapons away from him before he could react and kill me. I am grateful for one thing… He was sent by the Mage Console. I found a note on his body and took it to my master, Tinen.”
Saying nothing to her daughter she turned and walked out of the room. She was a full blooded Elf. A proud race, the oldest on Krynn, and they detested killing. But she had married a Human at the age of one hundred and forty-five. The age of upper thirties. One year later she had Lifia. Her Elvin name was Lifia Tinúviel Ringëril. Hard for humans to pronounce she was just called by her first name by all humans alike. Her mother had given her the improved sight, long lividness and, beauty of the elves. Her father gave her human blood, the rather crude trait of facial hair, lager build, and muscular traits. Her father had died many years ago, and her mother fallowing her Elvin heritage never remarried and became the head of the house. Finding her mother in her room sitting on her bed weeping silently. She said “mom…I never meant to kill him, he tried to kill me, and my life is far more important. I am a Magi now.” Her mother had only told Lifia her name once, but told her to never call her by it from that point on. It was rather long and complicated and she hastened to forget it for fear of what her mother might do. “You must forgive me Lifia…I don’t mean to be like this, it’s just, I never wanted you to be a killer. You’re so beautiful. You shouldn’t be subjected to the sight of blood. And definitely not hot by your hands…” Still weeping she flung her arms around her only child. She was surprised at the outburst of emotion rarely seen in Elves. “Mom, is every thing ok? Was it just that assassin that has caused this town to go upside down like this?” Sighing and releasing her daughter and wiping the tears from her face, there she regained dignity and started speaking feverishly. “Daughter, you must go, that is nothing you can do, it is the towns problem not yours. You must leave. Tonight or sooner. War is upon the world! You must leave. There is nothing you can do! Leave tonight or you will die an untimely death!” she finished with a whisper standing up and stalking out of the room.
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Getting out of town was easier said than done. With the recent accidents of people getting nearly decapitated and left to bleed to death on the road the town watch had intensified one hundred fold. At every entrance and exit of the city stood 10 guards. Newly hired and not entirely sure of what to do, they sat around talking and playing cards, laughing at the stories they have. Only the veterans have stories that don’t involve womanizing.
As she walks closer to the gate she sees this happening and quickly slides into an alley just behind her. Thinking back for a spell, she remembers one that will make her invisible. Preparing for the spell, she mutters, “Merenwen:” She disappears along with all of her belongings and silently moves toward the gate. It was cracked just enough so she could slip through and escape the city unseen. She was heading toward the city of Chanast. It was north of the Elvin border by about 15 by about leagues. There was another 10 leagues to the Tower of High Sorcery to the west of that. It was approximately a one day walk to Chanast and there she would stop and sleep for a few days to gain her strength and then the day after that Would be the assault on the Towers.
Making camp that night was easy. After being apprenticed with Tinen she had learned a lot about using magic to move and do things yourself without it using much of your strength, and using smaller spells to do big jobs accomplished a lot. “Sundistala” she murmured and a small red flash leaped from her hand to a pile of wood she had found that was chosen to not be burnt from another traveler. A fire roared to life in a matter of seconds. Sitting by the fire she started to open her spell book she had just pulled from her backpack when she heard a rustling in the trees behind her. Thinking back to a spell that could help her, she remembered a spell that would shoot icicles into an area piercing through the thickest armor. The rustling started again, but this time it was behind her, only louder, A deep mocking voice shouted out, “It isn’t your time to die, go on your journey and be at peace, leave the path, or death will come. Fallow me and all will be clear! Douse the fire and death will swallow you, keep it alive and death will drown you. Follow the path of ancestors and become the most powerful. No man can kill you with my aid. Accept my offer? I have a price. Follow me, and all will be clear!” Just as sudden as the rustling noise started, it died away. As had the deep voice. She had to figure out what the voice had meant. “douse the fire and death will swallow you. Keep it alive and death will drown you.” “It must mean that if I douse the fire I will die by whatever has been killing travelers. and if I keep it alive they won’t come, but something will find me and kill me anyway. What do I choose?” As she sat in thought she remembered something. Grabbing all of her belongings and forgetting about the fire, she ran as fast as she could from that spot on the road where she was about to die. Tinen said that necromancers animate the dead, and they will project their voice out of that corpse to lure you into indecision and keep you from seeing the sometimes multiple dead beings walking quietly behind you ready to kill you. Elves are capable of running for many leagues and that’s just what she did. Aided by her magic, she reached Chanast by morning.
Breathing heavily, she asked entrance into the City. The guards were about to kill her last night as they saw her running as fast as she was but willing to let her live until they questioned her. Grabbing her at the city’s outskirts, they held her captive and brought her into the equivalent of a jail, however it was slightly different. It didn’t feel like a prison should. In Elvin lands one rarely ever was put in jail. It was usually reserved for prisoners of war and Meant for use of questioning. Which she was.
That morning she awoke to some one slamming her cell door. Realizing she had been given some food, she smelled it wondering if it was poisoned and at the thought, nothing seemed editable from that point forward. The next few hours passed without notice. Finally after 6 hours she was taken out of her cell and into a small grove of trees by two guards. A rather important looking Elf with gold bordered robes fluttering behind him in the slight breeze said “Please state your full name.” Responding in in a slight drone she said “Lifia Tinúviel Ringëril.”
“Interesting name. I believe it is translated roughly into The Dieing Breath?” he said with curiosity. “Well, yes, it truly means I will have the last breath.”
“Where are you from, how old are you and what were you doing running into our lands in the dead of night?”
“Well, I am from Kalisti. I am ninety-five years old.” Similar to twenty-five in human years. “And I was running for my life.” telling him of the events that happened last night, he was regarding her with an expression reserved for a mad person. “Well, I can’t believe what you’ve just said. You must understand that we can’t have a renegade running aloft in our town. We have to put you into solitary confinement.”
“Well, you’ll have to forgive me, but I won’t be visiting your jail again. I have a mission to finish.” With that she turned on the spot leaving him gaping after her. Within a few seconds he regained his sensibility and called out, “Guards, seize her! Don’t let her escape!” But by that time they were slumbering peacefully in a magical sleep snoring open mouthed. Heading out of this city more conspicuously than last night she headed for the Towers of High Sorcery. Cloaked and sneaking out of her motherland to her new beginning.
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It took her two days to get the Towers of High Sorcery instead of just one like she was hoping. But sneaking out of a town full of guards that could detect life wasn’t an easy task. She was waiting for changes in the shift for guard duty to get out. The Towers of High Sorcery was the most magnificent buildings in the world of Krynn. It was crafted in white marble soaring to the meet the clouds, all hand build by dwarves. A small marble fence surrounded the Towers.
Glistening in the sun windows circled up to the very top where she was told there were even windows up there. It had three towers and an antechamber in between the other three Towers. She sits in the antechamber waiting to be seen by Rakusia, the leader of the Neutral Order of Mages. There are three groups of mages. The Good led by Avaren they wear White robes. Rakusia leads the Neutral Order and they wear red robes. The Evil Order of Mages is led by Sharadur and they wear Black robes. She was here to see Rakusia. Tinen had been under the Neutral Order of Mages and she liked his style of spell casting. She had been told that if you pass under a certain mage they give you some powerful magical item. She had on her lap her spell books reading the text repeatedly engraving it into her memory. Writing some of them down on her palm in case she needed to use them more than once. In the small circular room sat three others. Two of them look like twins. One was a very muscular and tall young man who looked to be in his twenties. Next to him sat his brother in a cloak of brilliant hooded green reading his spell books as well. His brother seemed to be overly protective of him. He glowered at anyone who dared to look at his brother. She could feel an immense power emanating from him. The other sat near her. She was a slender Elf that couldn’t be more than 50 years old still having her childish looks. She felt sad at the prospect of seeing her come out of the towers in a bloody heap of robes. “Will Raistalin please come forth to Rakusia’s tower?” said a cool female voice. In a whisper, the twins got up and walked to the door and vanished behind it. “He didn’t look fit to go in there.” said the Elf.
“I agree…” Lifia responded. Lapsing back into her spell books she read until sleep overcame her.
What seemed to be minutes, her name was being called out and she awoke with a start. Cramming her books back into her bag, she slowly got up and walked into the room in front of her. “Welcome to the Towers of High Sorcery. You were told about the order of neutrality correct?”
“Yes I was” Lifia responded hesitantly. Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach.
“Well, ok then. In just a few moments you will be making your future. If all goes well, I will gladly accept you into my order. Good Luck!”
As the last word was said, she felt something cold grab her neck and throw her against the wall. But instead of hitting it she flew through it and fell to the ground on the other side. Thinking to herself “I must say, that was a weird sensation…”
The room looked like a ruin of an old forgotten town. Drawing her sword from its scabbard she walked forward towards the town. After a few moments of looking around not knowing what to do, she heard a faint shattering of glass and screams. Walking toward the sound, she found a doorway with shattered glass. Opening the half broken door, it screeched with agony from rare use. Stepping over the glass and down the hall she saw what looked like a lizard man turning a corner and the screams of pain were heard. Hurrying after it she tried to be as quite as she could. Stopping at the corner, she looked around and saw three of them cornering the young female Elf that had been sitting with her in the Antechamber. The three lizard men stepped closer to the girl, their swords drawn, about to kill her. Standing in the entrance she spoke “Sundistala!” A fire ball shot at one of them killing it as it melted it’s scales. As it fell to the ground screeching, she spoke again. “Skel'ther!”
As the other two lizard men dropped to the ground, their hearts pierced with a magic arrow. “Are you ok?” Lifia asked her.
“Y-yes, I just got over my head. They ran after me. I got in here, but they followed, I don’t understand why I couldn’t do any magic. It happened so fast, I thought I was going to die. It’s jus-”
“I’m sorry, I don’t have time for this. Either follow me and we can do this together, or don’t try and take on so many at once. Use simple spells only. Conserve energy. Are we going together, or not?”
“N-no thanks. I’d rather do it alone.” she said, hesitantly.
Walking over to her, she knelt down giving her, her hand saying, “I’m Lifia Tinúviel Ringëril.”
The young Elf wasn’t sure what to do. Taking her hand she pulled her feet. “Thank you… I am sorry I can’t accept your offer for aid. I must do this by myself.” she was much more composed than she was when she was sitting in the corner of the room. “I am sorry I can’t give you my name.”
Lifia gave her a small hug and started to say “good luck” but was interrupted by the sounds of many armored feet.
“Break the window now, get out!” she said gesturing to the window right behind the Elf. Turning to face the new horror that faced her was an Elf. Her mother! she Brandished a staff in full plate armor. ”You won’t stand in my way of this. I will kill you if I have to!” shouted Lifia. “Then it’s my time to die!” And with that, her mother ran at her. Lifia prepared herself again for a spell shouted “Skel'ther!” An arrow pierced her leg pinning her to a desk she was passing. “I’m sorry, but you will have to stay here.” And with that, turned around and climbed through the window where the Elf had just retreated.
In this ’town’ there wasn’t much. The only other living person was the Elf. Her mother would die soon enough from poisoning. But there seemed to be something missing, and she couldn’t place it. Just then she herd a roar and felt the whole ground shake viciously. A sickening feeling crept over Lifia as she turned around to see a huge dragon landing on the other side of the town square where she had just been moments before.
Dragons are powerful enough just looking at them, but they have hidden skills. They are the most accomplished at Sorcery. Lifia knew this and feared what it might do. “You are destined to die here. No way of escaping me. I will destroy you in a matter of seconds. Just like your dear Elvin friend here.” the dragon said in a coolly intimidating voice. She started walking toward her open position. Thinking wildly, she felt a blinding pain in her left arm. Looking down she saw that there was an arrow imbedded there. Cursing, she looked at her right hand and started chanting wildly. The dragon laughing hurled another arrow into her body. Falling to the ground, she nearly passed out from the pain. She heard a clear crisp voice in her head. “It is not your time to die. Accept my offer, and I will grant you power and strength. I just need one thing. Accept my offer?”
“Y-yes…” As she said it, she felt a power that had never lived in her before. Standing on her feet once again she heard the voice saying,
“To kill it, send a bolt into its eyes, into its heart and into it’s brain. Then it will die.” it said.
“Skel'ther!” As the four bolts shot at the dragon, it started laughing.
“You won’t kill me that way!” Only one sank into the dragons thick hide.
At that instant the pain came back. She had been shot again by the dragon, blood dripping from her arms. She fell to the ground as the poison entered her blood flow and slowly killed her. The pain was excruciating, she felt a strong hand pulling her to her feet and drug her backwards. Glancing up, she saw one of the twins.
The dragon roared at the sight of her prey being drug off and she leapt into the air. It started circling them waiting for her chance. They had reached the other side of the town square stopping breathing hard, Lifia struggled to stay alive. Grappling for her sword she asked in common language, “can you cut the shafts…” The man reached down and pulled the shaft out slowly to keep it from making a bigger hole than there already was. Just then the dragon landed in front of the building they were in breathing her fire upon the two in the building so that no one could escape. Satisfied at her kill, she started to fly off when another mage appeared yelling out, “ Orm'cer'aim U'shydra Elm'ser Arep'o!” As this was said, the dragon fell to the ground with a lance forced through it’s heart. Running over to the two that he had seen being hit with the dragons fire, sure they were dead, knelt by them. The elf had not been killed. It looked as though she had been shielded by the cloak she was wearing which was slightly singed. The man had been caught off guard no time to shield himself from the inferno. Lifia started stirring and moaning then jolted up, seeming to have been having a bad dream. “I am sorry, you will have to sleep eternally.” He spoke one word and she fell back to the ground.
Jolting up out of bed she screamed. Hearing her door open with a bang “ Are you ok?” light flared and the apprentice two doors down from her was running into her room. “Yeah…I just dreamt that Wharith just killed me! I was in the Neutral tower in the Tower of High Sorcery. There was nothing I could do…It must have been a terrible dream…”
Spells and what they do;
Merenwen: invisibility
Sundistala: small spark/ fire ball/ flare.
Orm'cer'aim: summons a lance
U'shydra: speed on target.
Elm'ser: Easy penetration.
Arep'o: A Poison that will kill even the largest animal.
Skel'ther: A magic bolt. Like an arrow but faster.
Names Given by a generator on the Website
http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/ magic words were from the same site. Other Items and The Towers Of High Sorcery are from the book series “The Dragon Lance” Story line was original as were all characters and spells and every town. Khuram was modeled after Newport in the “Dragon Lance Books” but is my own creation. Raistalin was also takes from “Dragon Lance Books”
Thanks for reading my short story.
feel free to post this on what ever you want as long as I'm given full credit. Thanks! :drunk: :woo: :thanks: jay I had alot of fun writing this, so i hope you enjoyed it!