Emerald Islands: Elfdreams of Parallan Iv

By Benjamin Towe

Emerald Islands continues the Elfdreams series and chronicles events in worlds connected by threads of Magick. The Dream Master's plans are thwarted. He sends the Dreamraider to a blue world with a single sun where she seeks lost artifacts and conscripts exceptional inhabitants. Stone circles and gifts of the mysterious Sandman facilitate travel to the World of Three Suns, where the conscripts join forces with Drelves battling overwhelming odds. The Lost Spellweaver has not returned. Can another take his place? Are the Sandman and Dream Master folloming a collision course? worlds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496919724

Benjamin Towe

Benjamin Towe is a dedicated Whovian, crafty old Dungeon Master, and lover of all things magic and make believe. Ben is a graduate of Mt. Airy (NC) High School, Davidson College, and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Dr Towe served five years in the US Army Medical Corps and has practiced family medicine. Doctor “T” loves reading and writing science fiction and fantasy novels. The novels of the Donothor and Elfdreams series are Doctor T’s Rx for fantasy. Children of Magick joins his literary family of Justful Deception, the Queen’s Secret, Thirttene Friends, Dawn of Magick, Lost Spellweaver, First Wandmaker, Wandmaker’s Burden, Emerald Islands, Mender’s Tomb, Deathquest to Parallan, Orb of Chalar, Chalice of Mystery, Death of Magick, and Unwonted Spellweavers. Escape to an Elfdream! Happy reading!

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© 2014 Benjamin Towe. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   06/11/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-1970-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-1971-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-1972-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014910665

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CONTENTS

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Chapter 1 The Dream Master’s Quandary

Chapter 2 The Siren’s Tale

Chapter 3 The Sandman

Chapter 4 Twin Spellweavers

Chapter 5 Turrina

Chapter 6 Dee Tenet

Chapter 7 Young Yannuvia

Chapter 8 Kirrie’s Dream

Chapter 9 Morganne’s Dream

Chapter 10 Teacher Edkim’s Dream

Chapter 11 Three Stones

Chapter 12 The Dream Master’s Entreaty

Chapter 13 The Deceiver’s Journey

Chapter 14 Bardan Culhane

Chapter 15 Ersatz Cherub

Chapter 16 Old Friends

Chapter 17 Oilill The Shoemaker

Chapter 18 The Kelpie

Chapter 19 The Shoemaker Revisited

Chapter 20 Cherub- Pony- Octopus- Mermaid (Púca)

Chapter 21 Practice Run

Chapter 22 Biding Time

Chapter 23 World Of The Three Suns

Chapter 24 Treachery Revisited

Chapter 25 Lexie Glitch

Chapter 26 Nobody Home

Chapter 27 Battle

Chapter 28 Winged Combat

Chapter 29 Two Fronts

Chapter 30 Regrouping

Chapter 31 Big Red

Chapter 32 Through The Bluestone

Chapter 33 Reinforcements

Chapter 34 Tactics

Chapter 35 Behind The Waterfall

Chapter 36 Hospitality

Chapter 37 Fire Spell

Chapter 38 The Old Orange Spruce

Chapter 39 Observers

Chapter 40 Teachers

Chapter 41 Prickly Reunion

Chapter 42 Red Bolt

Chapter 43 Amica’s Debt

Chapter 44 Telepathetic

Chapter 45 Xorn

Chapter 46 Critical Condition

Chapter 47 Sand

Chapter 48 Back In The Thick

Chapter 49 Dee‘s Dilemma

Chapter 50 Anticipation

Chapter 51 Fire Wizards

Chapter 52 Four Stones

Chapter 53 Return To Alluring Falls

Chapter 54 Travelers

Wisps…

Threads…

Threads of Magick…

Threads of fate…

Threads of time…

Threads connecting worlds …

Dreams connecting worlds …

Dreams of Magick…

The Magick of Dreams…

Magick connecting dreams…

Magick connecting worlds…

Dream raiders…

Elf pressure…

Albtraum…

Albträume, elf dreams, nightmares…

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Albträume

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CHAPTER 1

THE DREAM MASTER’S QUANDARY

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The formidable outer curtain of his fortress-like mind intercepted a potent probing attempt.

The Master of Fire Lake grumpily muttered, I’m not sleeping.

A beautiful matronly woman with smooth, lovely snowy skin and deep blue eyes stepped out of the shadows. Soft blonde hair fell gently down the length of her back and teasingly fell across her full chest. She wore a short white dress made of cottony fabric, which stopped alluringly several inches above her knees and exposed her smooth long legs. Her silky hands ended in long fingers with well-groomed nails. She purred, Are you sure you aren’t dreaming, Dream Master?

The Dream Master quipped, "Nice! I appreciate your Good Witch guise, but I prefer your natural visage."

The interloper’s form changed in an instant to a horrific and vaguely female creature with fiery red eyes, unsightly wings, and long muscular arms ending in long curved talons. Try as she might, the mischievous she-demon had never penetrated the veil of the Demonlord’s sleep. Fiery redness ever cloaked the Dream Master’s mind. Again she failed.

The Demonlord approvingly said, "That’s the Deceiver I know and love. Now… don’t you have tasks before you?"

The sultry she-beast shamefacedly replied, Yes, Master. She reassumed her Good Witch persona. Blueness surrounded her and she vanished, leaving the Dream Master alone in his favorite nook near Fire Lake.

Projecting his mind…

Traversing immeasurable expanses of space and time in the span of a heartbeat…

Translocation…

Invading the dreams of others worlds away…

Using innate powers exacted a toll. The hulking fire demon sought respite. Slowly he released his mind… from undertakings in several worlds. His body shimmered in the dull red light and changed to formless red mist. The mist slowly and sinuously transformed to the Demonlord’s favorite visage, a bipedal form with four arms and a long barbed tail. Two great horns rose from its large head. Rows of dagger like teeth filled its maw. Flames encircled his entire demonic body. The roaring inferno comforted him. His massive frame eased into the gravelly fire pit that was his resting place.

Slumber…

Nature’s gentle nurse…

So many times the Dream Master had violated others’ dreams, but this time…

Turnabout…

Familiar comforting redness faded…

Replaced by…

Grayness… a rare sense of uncertainty…

Wisps…

Threads…

Threads of Magick…

Threads of fate…

Threads of time…

Threads connecting worlds …

Dreams connecting worlds …

Dreams of Magick…

The Magick of Dreams…

Magick connecting dreams…

Magick connecting worlds…

Dream raiders…

Elf pressure…

Albtraum…

Albträume, elf dreams, nightmares…

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Albträume…

Thoughts entered the depths of the slumbering Dream Master’s complex mind. Disconcerting thoughts… about the continuation of his line.

The Fire Demonlord awakened and abruptly sat up in his bed of coals. His thoughts went to the World of the Three Suns. Magick clouded his vision of the night less world.

He needed help.

He required the Elemental Stones (SSF, SSW, SSE, and SSA).

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The Dream Master concentrated and sent forth commands. Redness flashed around the already maroon grotto. The Good Witch returned.

The Dream Master commanded, I’ve new tasks for you.

CHAPTER 2

THE SIREN’S TALE

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Another time…

Nestled amongst the garnetberry bushes at Cragmore, young Boton Klarje nervously rubbed the cherry-red heart-shaped birthmark on his chin, stared mesmerized into the Siren’s fathomless eyes, and bade, Will you tell me of the Old Ones and my ancestor?

In her most soothing voice, the Siren Maranna began, "The Old Ones existed long before the dawn of Magick and emergence of sorcerers. Encounters with the elusive creatures likened to a disturbing dream. The Old Ones numbered winged and horned creatures, beings fleet and silent such as Pegasi, Sirens, Dragons, Rocs, Dryads, Gnomes, Elementals, Xorn, Windwalkers, Night Hags, Devils, Djinn, Efreet, Manticores, and… just say there were many of us.

"Before the Great Fire in the Sky and subsequent Time of Darkness, the Three Sisters reigned supreme. Beyond the reproach of men and other Old Ones, the Spinner, Allotter, and Unturning manipulated the lives of the peoples of the world. Only a flicker of Magick existed. The Fire in the Sky gradually changed everything. The flicker grew to a roaring flame. For the most part the new powers concentrated around the small community Thynna. Sorcerers grew more powerful and lived longer, but they could not unite and developed greed, jealousy, covetousness, and maliciousness. Still the Three Sisters remained unchallenged for uncounted generations.

"The leaders and people of Thynna misunderstood and shunned Old Ones. Sorcerers studied and developed powerful arcane spells capable of contacting other planes. Few recognized the risk of casting such spells, but one young sorcerer warned of using those dweomers. Over time this young sorcerer, your ancestor Rhiann Klarje challenged and opposed the powers of Thynna, his family, and the community of sorcerers. In turn, his family, the elders of Thynna, and most sorcerers rejected Rhiann. Young Rhiann respected Old Ones, eschewed his given name, and preferred the title, Nameless Enchanter of Thynna. He allowed his closest associates to call him ‘NET.’ Some called him Merlin. Of his many monikers, I think he liked NET most.

"I followed NET. We made many treks into the Veldt and discovered wondrous things. He grew powerful but never disclosed his greatest secrets even to those of us closest to him. He warned the Three Sisters of unrest and growing power of the sorcerers in Thynna and urged the trio to deal more equitably with people. The Three Sisters paid no heed to NET’s warnings, and the sorcerers of Thynna grew ever more powerful. NET focused on other interests, discovered a means to travel across space and time, and created a chamber of Magick to carry others on his journeys. Such travel required rare exotic materials, including shypoke eggshells. On one occasion my sisters Lorelei and Syrena and I accompanied the sorcerer. I spent time in a beautiful wood in a land of snow and water and particularly enjoyed places called fjords. Untrue stories were told of us. Lorelei stayed at a place on a roaring river, which the people of the land named for her. Also misunderstood, Syrena remained in a place called Thermopile, where she sang to sailors. NET could not persuade Lorelei and Syrena to return, but I returned with him to Sagain. This was my home. I am the last of my ilk. Sagain risked losing all influence of the Old Ones. NET considered us an important part of our world’s heritage. When I returned with him, we found many generations of men had lived out their lives in what seemed to us our brief journey. Powerful sorcerers cast arcane dweomers and called upon so-called allies from the Abyss to bring greater power to Thynna. Disastrous spells destroyed their casters. Unwary spell casters brought unparalleled darkness to Sagain. The leaders of Thynna recruited or conscripted legions of despicable minions. Kingdoms of the north, east, and west along with Giants from Hinderburgh allied with Thynna.

"Giants are not Old Ones. Giants are merely chaotic big men that usually neither ally nor follow any leader. The sorcerers of Thynna had great powers of persuasion and promised prodigious bounty. The Alliance of Thynna challenged the Three Sisters and their allies at the Hanging Gardens in the Veldt in the great battle of ancient times. The Sisters and their allies resisted the effects of Magick, but the physical power of the giants, ferocity of the wild men, and sheer numbers of the armies the Alliance of Thynna ultimately overwhelmed the trio’s force. Just when the Three Sisters faced their doom, NET used his powerful spell and whisked them and certain of their allies away. Translocation was much more powerful than simple Teleportation that we had witnessed so many times. The Three Sisters committed to continue NET’s work and not interfere in the affairs of their new world. They carried with them the Old Language and schematics of the Seven Wonders. NET wanted the ancient culture of Sagain to live on. I am neither sorcerer nor philosopher and merely report what the unnamed sorcerer relayed to me.

When he returned, Net only said he had taken them to another place. We inferred it was a place to which he had traveled many times. NET continued to explore the Veldt and Seven Wonders. But he didn’t share all his knowledge, and even had he done so, Magick was beyond me and his apprentice Iyaca Vassi, who wrote of the Nameless Enchanter’s travels. At the time Iyaca Vassi had seen only sixteen seasons.

Tears filled the Siren’s eyes when she spoke of the unnamed ancient sorcerer of Thynna. Maranna regained control of her emotions, jerked her pretty head to the left, sniffed, and slowly resumed her story, NET traveled alone and stayed away longer. He told stories of the Seven Wonders of the Great Veldt, talked of sharing cultures, and tried to explain the flow of time. Time does not flow like a river… flows differently… flows faster and slower… oh, this is really beyond me. NET talked of a fellow named Albert who lived in another world and had some theories about time and space, but the discussions always just made my head spin.

"The victory over the Three Sisters solidified Thynna as the center of power and culture. Although this lasted for many generations, the prosperity did not endure. Rivalries ensued and sorcerers arbitrarily began to differentiate into groups called Light and Dark Sorcerers. The sorcerers of Thynna ultimately suffered the fate of the Three Sisters, when hordes of barbarians overran the city. Thynna’s fall plunged the area into Darkness. Individually, people grew stronger and became more powerful sorcerers. The distinction between Dark and Light Sorcerers became more defined.

"I’ve been given eons of life. My sisters and I walked with the architects of Thynna and traveled with the creator of the Stone Circles. We did some good things, some kind things. But we…we did some very bad things in our travels. We were given many names. My sisters and I were called huldra. Huldrefolk they called us. We appeared as stunningly beautiful women with long hair; though from behind legend held we were hollow like an old tree trunk, and bore an animal’s tail. I’m rambling… You share the redness of his locks."

Boton commented, What became of him?

Maranna sighed and answered, NET chose exile.

Young Boton persisted, Where did he go?

The Siren evasively returned, I’m not sure. If I hazard a guess, I’d say the blue planet. He was quite fond of it.

Boton gently stroked the soft feathers on her left wing and kindly said, You are sad.

Maranna softly replied, I regret having never kissed Rhiann Klarje.

Had Rhiann Klarje had received the Siren’s kiss and listened to her song, he would have never left her side.

Rhiann Klarje’s travels did not go unnoticed.

Wisps…

Threads…

Threads of Magick…

Threads of fate…

Threads of time…

Threads connecting worlds …

Dreams connecting worlds …

Dreams of Magick…

The Magick of Dreams…

Magick connecting dreams…

Magick connecting worlds…

Dream raiders…

Elf pressure…

Albtraum…

Albträume, elf dreams, nightmares…

CHAPTER 3

THE SANDMAN

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The wayfarer stood on the hillock and gazed over the dark waters of the lake below. Differing runes from the old language of Sagain on their hand holds differentiated three otherwise identical staves that hovered near the robed figure. The staffs aligned to the north, south, and east. Each of the three staves bore four sets of runes about their circumferences at their midpoints.

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He had learned bits of the old language from his mother by the hearth fire and recognized the runes of N, S, and E on ends of the artifacts. The triumvirates of runes at the staffs’ midpoints were alien. The traveler sighed and murmured, The Staves of the Four Winds.

The wayfarer found Lough Neagh’s dark waters soothing. The small sun was setting in the west. Soon the single moon would take over guardianship of the now red-tinged blue skies. His thoughts returned to the people and places… Bermuda Triangle, Croatan, Easter Island, and an orchard in Virginia, where a kindred spirit named Garnet introduced the tall wanderer to delicious fruits called apples. Garnet donated an apple tree that now sat in the circle of Thirttene Friends in Green Vale in the World of the Three Suns. The Virginian gave the traveler many pointers in horticulture and lay emphasis on the love of the land. The traveler used this knowledge in gathering the Thirttene Friends. The Nameless Enchanter of Thynna found and lost love. The wayfaring sorcerer immersed his being in his tasks and considered the establishment of the Thirttene Friends in Green Vale on the World of the Three Suns of equal import to the reproduction of the Seven Wonders on the blue cloud-covered world, the construction of the Stone Circles outside Thynna, salvaging and securing artifacts of Magick, and protection of the Source of Magick.

The cool damp breeze off the lake tickled his face and brought the traveler’s mind back…

Light flickered in the distance from the tavern on the lake shore. The pub called Kilkenny Tavern was the sole social gathering place in the rustic community. On occasion the tall stranger donned a cloak, entered the pub, mingled amongst the citizenry, and enjoyed a foot of the tavern keeper’s delicious ale, but for the most part he had stuck to his decision to avoid interacting with the lake folk. He didn’t apply the same standards to the cantankerous cobbler, mischievous púca, and particularly the insalubrious denizen of the murky lake. The sojourner respected every creature’s need for sustenance and right to life, but he disdained the shadowy feminine lake dweller’s predilection to young women and children and interrupted her predation at every opportunity. Of course the lake folk protected their youth for the most part, but the hearty lot spent much of their time scratching out their living. Children and youths pitched in from an early age.

Laughter from the narrow lane that bordered the lake interrupted his thoughts. Three maidens ambled along the path and kicked pebbles before them. The out-of-place traveler tensed and scanned the waters. Waves lapped against the lakeshore but the water’s surface remained undisturbed otherwise. The three girls passed below him and turned away from the lake. The nameless watcher breathed a sigh of relief. He really preferred not to intervene, but felt responsible that such a beast existed in this simple land? Fallout of good intentions gone wrong long ago…

The sun’s last rays filtered through the scant clouds and darkness settled in. Soon he’d return to the seclusion of Uragh Wood where he spent most his days. The stranger relished the seclusion, but at quiet times like these he missed the siren’s sweet voice and the quick humor of young Iyaca Vassi. Was Iyaca yet young? Did he last look upon his friends long ago or yesterday? Distant raucous laughter interrupted the wanderer’s musing about the passage of time, and he turned his vision toward the tavern. Two obviously inebriated blokes had exited the establishment and staggered toward the path leading to the lake. After several guffaws and pats on the back the men parted ways. One trekked away from the lake up a path that went up the hill overlooking the tavern and the other stumbled toward the lake. The latter’s voice broke into song. The watcher’s ears suffered the bloke’s poor attempt at melody.

You take the high road, and I’ll take the low road…

The drunken tavern patron slipped and fell. His fall landed him in the shallows and interrupted his gravelly song. Persistent light stubbornly refused to yield to darkness and enabled the watcher on the hillock to observe the struggling tavern patron. The bloke managed to stand and made his way back to the path.

Uh-oh…

The Sandman detected movement in the water. She had allowed the threesome to pass but now she menacingly approached the hapless blighter as he stumbled along the path. Most of the Kelpie’s victims were those down in their luck or burdened by too much poteen. The victims were presumed to drown or were simply never missed. This was to be another.

Not tonight…

As the water horse swept silently toward the reeling man, the traveler sent a mauve ray from the three staffs. The ray struck the Kelpie in the eyes, and she turned cursing back into the water. The drunkard made his way on home, unaware of his brush with death. The Sandman sighed and in a blink was away to Uragh Wood. The Kelpie now hunted freely.

CHAPTER 4

TWIN SPELLWEAVERS

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Three very different suns gave light to Parallan, the world of the Drelves. Total darkness never covered the land. The little yellow sun Meries traversed the sky in sixteen hours. When Meries drew high in the sky, the little star bathed the World of the Three Suns with amber light, warmed the world, and imparted beautiful yellow and orange hues to the skies of Parallan. Rather than a round bright spot, the dark sun Orpheus was akin to a large black unmoving spiraling defect in the sky. Giant Orpheus gave little light but controlled the movement of Meries. Andreas, the Gray Wanderer, appeared in the sky irregularly. Oft times Andreas came into view as a gray speck on the horizon. From time to time the wanderer left the skies altogether. Every now and then the gray sun wobbled a bit closer to the World of the Three Suns.

Eight-hour periods of waxing and waning amber light made up one cycle of Meries. The little yellow sun never left the horizon, but every sixty cycles Meries slunk down in the amber sky and lingered at its zenith for a time of fifteen cycles, or 240 hours. These nadirs of Meries’s light were called dark periods. During the dark period the scant light that reached the World of the Three Suns derived mostly from great Orpheus with variable contribution from the Gray Wanderer. Thus the times of greatest light were called light periods, the lesser light were amber periods, and the cyclic extended periods of least illumination were called dark periods.

Some peoples used the arbitrary term day to describe one eight hour cycle of bright light and the term night to describe the eight hour amber periods. The terms day and night had little meaning during the 240 hour-long time of decreased illumination of the dark period. Most folk simply used the term dark period. But the time from the beginning of one dark period to the beginning of the next was consistently the equivalent of 75 cycles of Meries, or 1200 hours.

On the odd occasion the Gray Wanderer drew near Parallan. Approximations of Andreas gave wondrous gifts to the fauna, flora, and folk of the World of the Three Suns. During these unpredictable Approximations, the Gray Wanderer filled the sky, bathed the land with its deep gray light, and augmented forces of Magick in the world.

Many peoples of Parallan celebrated the significant rituals of their given ilk during dark periods. For instance the Drelves harvested the tubers of the enhancing plant only during the dark period. Vital to the Drelves, the enhancing plant’s tubers matured in eight dark periods. Thus, a season of the harvest encompassed eight dark periods, and equaled the time of 600 cycles of Meries; 480 cycles of light and amber periods and the equivalent of 120 cycles of relative darkness. Drelves called the time between harvests a season of the harvest or a year.

Drelves usually matured in fifteen to thirty years and chose life-mates when they found love. If blessed by good health and bountiful harvests of the disease fighting enhancing root, the forest folk lived to see hundreds of harvests. Teachers oft lived longer, and the ultra-rare Spellweavers had uncommonly long lives.

The Teacher Edkim had presided at the ceremony of lifetime commitment that united young Drelves Carinne and Glinne several harvesting seasons earlier. Now he was present at Carinne’s time of confinement. The light of the gray sun had concentrated on the great tree where the young couple resided. In times past, the dense cone of gray light had indicated the most blessed of occurrences for the Drelves, the birth of a Spellweaver.

The grayness of the Approximation of Andreas produced the darkest times on the lands, but also awakened forces of Magick. Other than the times of Approximations, Magick was limited to Drelvish Spellweavers and less powerful shamans of the goblin-like Kiennites.

Spellweavers were always born during the times of Approximation, but most Approximations passed without the birth of a Spellweaver. On the other hand, every Kiennish offspring born during the time of the gray light had the limited powers of a shaman.

Young for a Teacher, Edkim had seen a hundred harvests of the enhancing root. Some Teachers lived their entire lives without witnessing the gray light. Ten generations of Teachers might pass between births of Spellweavers.

Drelvish matrons with exceptional midwifery skills brought newborn Drelves or sprouts into the World of the Three Suns. Two new voices rang through the great red oak home of Glinne and Carinne. Gray light concentrated on the two sprouts. Auras danced upon every item within the dwelling, and all within sensed a great wave on the usually tranquil sea of Magick. Though most Drelves were unable to cast spells, Magick touched the forest people, and they usually detected its presence.

Carinne and Glinne anticipated one child and chose the name Gaelyss. The appearance of the gray light, the arrival of Edkim, three midwives, and a contingent of elders of Alms Glen made the long awaited arrival of their first born even more of an affair to remember. Then two babes arrived. The second son was given the name Yannuvia. Both sprouts were robust and healthy. Edkim joined the elders and the gathered community in the common area of Alms Glen.

The Teacher began, The long wait is over. We are given Spellweavers.

The elder Blanchard queried, "You…you said Spellweavers. What…?" the elder Blanchard queried.

Edkim replied, "Yes, Spellweavers. Carinne and Glinne have two sons. The gray light is strong upon both. Two copies of the ancient spell book appeared… the Gifts of Andreas to the People of the Forest!"

When a Spellweaver reached seven years, the Teacher provided the new sorcerer with a copy of the ancient text, The Gifts of Andreas to the People of the Forest.

The Gifts of Andreas to the People of the Forest

LARLS

A&W

When a Spellweaver was born during an Approximation of Andreas, Magick duplicated the Drelves’ spell book. Each Spellweaver’s priceless spell book recorded his life experiences and new spells he learned. This made each spell book unique. Spellweavers learned new enchantments when the gray sun drew near. Magick engrained new spells in the Spellweaver’s mind. The recipients recorded new dweomers in the ancient spell book. Once a Spellweaver mastered and entered a new spell in the tome, the spell remained forever etched on the tome’s pages. Not all Spellweavers mastered difficult dweomers. Magick was finicky and like a great sea. Individual spells caused either tiny ripples or great waves. The level of the Magick and the power of the spell caster determined the size of the wave. In worlds of Magick spells were classified by their level, oft times between one and nine. The most important facet of spell casting was the innate ability of the spell caster. Most spells required verbal, somatic, and material components. The spell caster must unerringly mutter the verbal or spoken component, painstakingly perform the somatic gestures, and utilize the proper material components. Verbal components might be protracted orations or a single phrase; gestures might be intricate or as simple as pointing; material components might be unique, readily attainable, or rarely unnecessary. Gathering some materials might take several lifetimes.

It was Magick. At the time of a Spellweaver’s death, his spell book became part of the legacy of the Drelves. Teachers archived old spell books, but only passed the spell book of the most recent Spellweaver to new Spellweavers. Teachers were not Spellweavers and never understood Magick. The secret of the ancient tome’s duplication eluded even the greatest Spellweavers.

The Teachers taught all Drelvlings the legend of the spell book during their earliest lessons. The legendary spell book was part of Drelvish life.

The twins thrived. At maturity Yannuvia stood almost a foot taller than most of his ilk. His muscular frame towered at least five feet tall. His integument was typical, pleasant shades of amber and orange. By the campfire, his long locks were the typical silver-gray of youth. The Drelve’s hair and skin changed to blend into the forest. Like all his kind, Yannuvia blended well into the red and orange flora of the central forests. When bathed by the amber light of the three suns, the Drelves’ coloration camouflaged them in the tall red grasses on the Lone Oak Meadow.

Copies appeared for both Gaelyss and Yannuvia. Yannuvia and Gaelyss received their spell books in their seventh seasons. Young Yannuvia preferred exploring the forests and playing with older Drelves and only grudgingly completed his tasks and read from the ancient spell book.

CHAPTER 5

TURRINA

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Exposure over time to their ancestral enemies Kiennish shamans’ weak illusory spells and mischievous tree sprites, water sprites, Dryads, and other spirits of the forest had imparted Drelves innate resistance to charming spells and illusory Magick. Their symbiotic relationship with the forest furthered their ability to resist interlopers.

Turrina hailed from the hamlet Fox Vale, which set on the fringe of Drelvish domain near the unforgiving West Wood. Turrina shared Drelves’ love of the forest and the adventuresome spirit of Drelvish Rangers. The young she-Drelve oft wandered into the friendly confines of the deep woods to gather herbs and spices and simply commune with her many friends among the fauna and flora. During her fourteenth year the elders of Fox Vale chose Turrina to accompany the spiritual leader of the Drelvish people, the Teacher Edkim to Meadowsweet and Green Vale to gather enhancing root. Drelves making their first trip to Green Vale were called Neophytes. Few Neophytes came from small and isolated Fox Vale, but Turrina’s exceptional abilities earned her the honor. She enthusiastically gathered her supplies and prepared from the trek to Alms Glen to join the Teacher’s party. She usually traveled alone through the friendly forests. The plants welcomed Drelves and made the way easy for the forest folk. Turrina bade her family and friends farewell and made for the center of Drelvedom. However, she never arrived in Alms Glen. She met him along the way, but she had seen him before… in her dreams.

Wisps…

Threads…

Threads of Magick…

Threads of fate…

Threads of time…

Threads connecting worlds …

Dreams connecting worlds …

Dreams of Magick…

The Magick of Dreams…

Magick connecting dreams…

Magick connecting worlds…

Dream raiders…

Elf pressure…

Albtraum…

Albträume, elf dreams, nightmares

Now the beautiful she-Drelve encountered the charismatic stranger from her dreams on the trail leading to Alms Glen. He was a tall red-haired remarkably handsome male with a heart shaped birthmark on his left cheek. The fellow was as tall as a Droll, but his physique was more like a Drelve. His light colored skin didn’t approach Mender’s paleness but lacked the orange-yellow hues common to Drelves. Orange-red hair flowed behind his dark robe. He carried no weapon and rubbed his heart shaped birthmark. He gaged Turrina’s long flowing gray hair. He looked into her mesmerized eyes and enticingly extended his left hand. When Turrina took his hand, he swept her away in a flash of blueness.

Blueness surrounded her. She was vaguely aware of his hand caressing hers as she floated beside him. It was as though her slight orange-skinned body and young mind ripped through the fabric of space and time. Then…

Absolute darkness…

Cold…

Void…

Followed by colors, and energies…

Her thoughts were spinning violently out of control. She passed through vortex after vortex of hue and energy. Pain coursed through every nerve ending. She felt the air sucked from her lungs. The only relief came from the inexplicable comforting touch of his strong hand.

Then, grayness…

Alas!

Had she died and entered the abyss?

Was there nothing more?

Her feelings of hopelessness ended when she unceremoniously hit firm ground. Her lungs hungrily engulfed warm dry air. She stood with her new companion in a stone grotto with eerie red walls. The tall male gently stroked her hair and gripped her small yet strong hand.

He commented, Foolish of me! Translocation profoundly effects those not of my ilk. We’ll use blue stone for the return journey.

Turrina managed to ask, Why am I here? Who are you?

He answered, I’m just a traveler enthralled by your beauty. My plans require… your visiting my…uh, home. You must taste the waters of Fire Lake in order to…

His voice trailed away as he steadily pulled on her hand and led her along a trail. The air warmed further as they walked. Eerie red glows flickered on the stone ceiling of the irregular cavern. The pathway widened and they entered a large grotto dominated by a body of liquid. Multitudes of tiny flames flickered mischievously on the surface of the odd lake.

The male pulled a beautiful gem-laced cup from his long cloak, bent downward, and filled the ornate chalice with some of the bizarre fluid, and extended the vessel toward the she-Drelve and commanded, Drink this.

Turrina reluctantly took the ornate twelve inch tall cup. Its base was six inches in diameter and stem six inches long. Its bowl held little more than half an average tankard of ale. A faint mauve glow surrounded the chalice. A large upward pointing triangle dominated the bowl. Flowing runes covered most of the bowl of the deep red cup. Pristine stones of all colors lined the rim and also adorned the sides of the cup. The lightweight chalice contained clear liquid. Smoky steam rose from the cup.

The young she-Drelve marveled, It’s beautiful, but at the same time it frightens me. Still… I can’t stop looking at it. The water is smoking!

His voice firmly continued, Go ahead. It will not harm you. Drinking the waters of Fire Lake will strengthen you.

There was nothing for it.

Turrina eased the ornate chalice to her pale orange lips and gently sipped the smoky warm water. Goose bumps covered her light carroty skin and she felt chilled to the bone. She tipped the cup and quaffed the remainder of the liquid. Then she found the strength to ask, What now?

He replied, "Now we go home."

The fair skinned stranger used a deep purple water tight vessel and drew liquid from the lake’s fiery surface. He then placed a shiny blue tile on the stone floor. The blue tile molded to the stone floor and covered every nook and cranny. Turrina’s companion again took her hand and bade her stand on the blue tile. She pulled back her flowing silver hair, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the tile. Blueness surrounded her. In a moment blue gave way to a flash of red. She and her companion arrived at an unassuming cabin tucked into a mountainside. Once inside Turrina noted odd blue and red inlays in the stone floor. Through a smoky window Turrina recognized peaks of the Doombringer Mountains and the familiar amber skies of the World of the Three Suns. The she-Drelve glanced into an old looking glass on the wall and saw her reflection. To her surprise brown locks covered her head and she looked the age of her grandmother Nyssa, forty years her senior. The stranger with the heart-shaped birthmark had not changed.

After an awkward silence, his intoxicating voice murmured, My name is… Klarje. I’m a lonely traveler and seek companionship.

Turrina’s head was spinning. Was it the odd smoky water she drank from the pretty cup? The fellow who called himself Klarje could have chosen most any name and visage. He had taken his first breath during an Approximation of the Gray Wanderer Andreas long ago, but he was not born on the World of the Three Suns. His life began within Andreas. Over time he oft visited the night-less world and established the modest residence in the Doombringer Mountains. He fondly mimicked his adversaries and the name and appearance of a Dark Sorcerer from a faraway world suited his needs well. Now the tall man stood by a large table made of bluewood that was new to Turrina’s eyes. Blue and green were unusual colors in the World of the Three Suns. The deep blue wood actually once grew far away, but no such trees remained standing. Her companion waved his smooth hands, and several blocks of exceptional stone and small capped phials filled with clear, yellow, red, and green liquid appeared on the table. He placed the container of smoky water he had taken from Fire Lake and the small lovely Chalice on the table. The blue and red stones were the bluest blues and almost the reddest reds Turrina had seen.

Dark gray light filled the room briefly. When the brighter light of Meries returned, a large gray sphere about three feet in diameter hovered by the table. The eerie stone slowly rotated and bathed the room with gray and deep mauve auras. The tall stranger tenderly touched the stone and muttered phrases that the young she-Drelve did not understand.

Turrina sat in a small chair and watched intently. Her companion went about his tasks with purposefulness and wasted no motion. Finally he glanced out the window and spoke, The dark period commences and with it begins our time together. The beginning of every eighth Dark Period will mark the anniversary of your journeying to the flaming waters and drinking from the Cup of Dark Knowledge. At those times you must revalidate your commitment to Grayness. I won’t always be here to guide you. The esyuphee hide sack contains the smoking water of Fire Lake. When the yellow sun Meries reaches its nadir and the dark period begins, the chalice will appear on the table. When the chalice appears on the table, pour some of the water into it.

Turrina reflexively asked, How much?

He answered matter-of-factly, "The cup will let you know when you’ve added enough. Then you must pour four potions into the chalice and mix them with the water. The order of the potions must be Uncolored, Yellow, Red, and Green. The Cup of Dark Knowledge always demands an item of Magick. The waters of Fire Lake will suffice. You must perform this ritual without fail!"

He then gave Turrina a small Dryad’s crossbow and four red bolts with dark black fletching. The tall stranger cautioned Turrina to use the weapon only in extremis and use great caution when touching the tip and fletching of the bolts. The fletching came from a bird called a Tuscon. The dark feather imparted the bolt with unerring accuracy and Death Magick, which did not differentiate friend and foe. Turrina’s consort placed the crossbow, the bolts, and an odd gray rock within a little chest made of the unusual bluewood. The little gray stone served as a means for him to find her. Turrina thought the Locating Stone merely a pretty rock, but he reiterated its import.

The pseudo-Klarje then continued, You will be safe in and near the cottage. I have marked the boundaries in the forest by etching these symbols into the trees.

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The pale Dark Sorcerer persona continued, Neither plant nor animal predator will trespass my borders. Many flesh eating plants enjoy mobility. Within the 1597 Yardley pace radius of the cabin you will find fruits of the forest and friendly flora. You must not pass beyond the border I’ve established. My Protection and Hallucinatory Terrain dweomers won’t protect you. Keep the Locating Stone with you at all times. I’ll be able to find you. My work requires that I be away, but my roots lie deep in the World of the Three Suns and my strength comes from the Gray Wanderer Andreas. Over time you will become a sister of grayness. It’s imperative that you perform the task as I’ve directed when the chalice appears, whether I am here or not.

True to his word, the tall pale skinned visitor to the World of Three Suns was oft away. During his absence various and sundry folks predictably brought food and essentials to Turrina. She supplemented with fruits of the forest. Infallibly the ornate chalice appeared on the table on the anniversary of Turrina’s journey in the blueness. At the beginning of every eighth dark period Turrina obediently prepared the mixture of smoky water and potions. Like her consort the three foot diameter gray sphere appeared irregularly and bathed the room with grayness. Turrina spent her days first attending the home. Thrice her consort’s visits left Turrina laden with child. She gave birth to two sons and then a daughter. Caring for three children filled her days. Klarje’s visits became less frequent. Two changes of seasons passed between his visits and Turrina promptly followed instructions when the chalice appeared at the onset of the eighth Dark period. Turrina stared into the mirror. The brownness that found its way into her hair after her journey in the blueness did not progress. The misplaced she-Drelve maintained her age and beauty whilst the children grew. Over time memories of Drelvedom left Turrina’s mind. However, her consort’s absence also dulled his influence on her cognizance. The forest right outside the door seemed far away. Fading light heralded the arrival of the third change of seasons since he last appeared. The chalice predictably appeared on the table. Turrina stared at the pretty cup, but instead of pouring the smoky water and four potions into the cup, she gathered her three children and exited the cozy mountain cottage and paraded her brood into the brushy forest. They played in the colorful forest till they tired and returned to the cottage. Within the chalice obediently waited but Turrina procrastinated. Time equivalent to 832040 minute minuteman heartbeats passed and the eighth dark period ended without Turrina performing the prescribed ritual. Gray light filled the room and the ornate cup disappeared. Over the next eight Dark Periods Turrina’s hair grew darker and hints of age appeared on her lovely face. The she-Drelve’s consort remained away. When the eighth dark period began the chalice reappeared. Distraught Turrina angrily tossed the gray stone into the cup and poured the four potions into the cup. Black smoke poured from the chalice. Turrina imagined she had created a noxious beverage. Hoping to end their lives the aging she-Drelve poured four aliquots into mundane drinking vessels which she and her children then imbibed. Turrina knew nothing of Magick and its artifacts. She didn’t know that destroying a locating stone bore consequences. She and the children suffered no discernible consequences from the potent potable created by the Cup of Dark Knowledge.

Her absent consort’s vision was forever blinded to her and the three children’s location.

Turrina did not know these things. She feared her consort would be angered and left the cottage’s relatively friendly confines and fled toward the nearby mountains. She passed the well-marked boundaries defined by her absent consort. Once she left the propinquity of the cottage Turrina exposed her family to the wilds. It was a fatal mistake. Heavy wings beat over her head. The she-Drelve never saw the wyvern. Its sting ended her life instantly. Before the beast turned on the frightened children, strong hands pulled the boys and their toddler sister to safety. The wyvern rider Ess Tenet took the three siblings to his hidden abode and the capable hands of his life-mate Helen. Ess and Helen were childless and welcomed the motherless kids.

Ess Tenet was a master of his trade. His mother gave him the name Alexander. His propensity to play in creek bottoms earned him the nickname Sandy. His toughness and tenacity allowed him to choose the moniker Ess. No one challenged him.

CHAPTER 6

DEE TENET

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Ess and Helen Tenet gave the names Locum, Encompy, and Dioressa to the three children whose mother fell victim to the wyvern. The veteran wyvern rider