Table of contents

Chapter 1 – A Voyage Unknown…………………...……………………..………6
Chapter 2 – The Desert……………………………………………….……...18
Chapter 3 – The Stranger……………………………..…...................................28
Chapter 4 – The Voice…………………..…………………………….……..38
Chapter 5 – The Girl………………………..……………………….….……48
Chapter 6 – The Beast………………………………….……….…….…….58
Chapter 7 – The Hunger………………..……………………………………66
Chapter 8 – The Cave……………………………………………..…....…..75
Chapter 9 – The Creature………………..………………………...…………85
Chapter X – The Pain…………………………………...….….………..…….90
Chapter X1– Eldon’s Fate………………………………...……..………......…95
Chapter X2 - The Doctor……………………………………………………103
Chapter X3 – A Broken Heart…..…….………….…………………...……..111
Chapter X4– The Mystery Man….………………..……………….….……121
Chapter X5– A Mystery Solved…………………...…………………...…….131
Chapter X6 – The Secret………………………………………….…..……141
Chapter X7 – The Letter…………………………….…………….…..…..152
Chapter X8 – Getting Away from the Castle………….…………..……….…..162
Chapter X9 – The Book of Spells………………………………....……….…172
Chapter X0 – The Captain………………………..………………………….185
Chapter XX1 – The Argument………………………………….…………….195
Chapter XX2 – Leaving Once Again…………………………….……….…....202
Chapter XX3 – The Ship and Crew……...……………………….…….....…..211
Chapter XX4 – Setting Sail………………………………...………...……216
Chapter XX5 – Lara’s Dream Guy……………………….…..……............….220
Chapter XX6 – Land!..............................................................................................223
Chapter XX7 – The Plank…………………………….…………….….….226
Chapter XX8 – The Dive……………………………….…………….….233
Chapter XX9 – The Snoop…………………………………………………238
Chapter XX0 – The Pirates Son……………………………………….…….244
Chapter XXX1 – The Life Changing Question……………………………….…248
Chapter XXX2 -- Getting Ready…..……………………….………………253

Chapter 1

A Voyage Unknown

It is a dark and eerie night on the thirteenth of May 1358. The first quarter’s moon cast a mysterious glow across the treetops, surrounding the castle in which I live. Shadows dance across my floor as the breeze gently teases the immature leaves that have sprung from their buds but days ago, and the sweet aroma of the freshly blooming flowers lingers through the cool night’s air.
I awake to my beloved brother, Eldon, shaking my arm and whispering my name softly into my ear. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Once fully awake I quietly got dressed. I have been waiting for this day for what seemed like an eternity and maybe even longer.
On this particular day my brother and I are going to set out to hopefully find our eldest brother, Galen. My parents, whom we can hardly get to talk about him at all, say that he was taken when he was only a child, not quiet old enough to take the crown. I was only a baby and Eldon could not remember that far back. He was but a toddler when Galen mysteriously vanished. Now that we are both old enough we are going to find the person that wrecked our family almost two and a half decades ago.
I had written our mother and father something the previous night. Before we left I remembered to place it on the pillow on which I lay my head each night. I am sure that my mother will find it when she came up to greet the new day, as she has done since I was four.

It read:

To our Dear Parents,

You have raised us and gave us protection from the wind and the rain. I love you more then you will ever know. You may never see us again, but know that you will always be on our minds.
Contrary to what you may think, Eldon did not push me into this, as he has done many times before. I am the one that thought of going. We need to go and avenge our brother’s death. This has been the tragedy that has made us grow so much apart, and we must take the problem into our own hands to fix it.
Do not blame this upon thyself. You were great parents. You gave us more then we ever needed.
You will never find us, so do not try to look, you will have no success. We know not where we are going ourselves.
You have taught me well so do not worry thyself to death over this. It is only a mountain that we have to cross on our own.
I want you to have another child so that the baby may take over the kingdom some day when it is old enough. As we know not if we will ever return to the home that we both love with all of our hearts. It hurts me to do it this way, but this was only way, sorry. Keep your face to the sun and you shall never see the darkness that surrounds you in this painful time.”

Love
Always
Alana LaCombe

My name is Alana Faye LaCombe. I am twenty-five. I stand at 5’7”. I am a dark elf but look nothing of it. I have long blond hair, with blue eyes which have little specs in them to make them appear to be purple, and a fair complexion. My form or image is very rare as well. Dark elves are said to be extremely hideous or ghastly. But that describes none of my outward appearance, or so I have been told by many. Although, I can be very crewel minded.
I am an unusual elf, not just in appearance, but I am full of mischief and wonder. I like to get into things. When I am around the people that I know and love I am very talkative. I am very out spoken, which the only problem with speaking your mind as some of you may or may not know is that it can sometimes get you into trouble. I am able to speak many languages and often use this to my advantage.
I am hardly seen at the balls that my parents like to throw. Although, I will dress up to surprise my parents occasionally, I hardly dance. This is because I really don’t like being in a huge crowd. I never have, which makes it kind of hard to be a princess.
I like to just take off on horseback. To me this is soothing and somewhat relaxing. The day’s angers and worries seem to be swept away with the wind. I go as far as the wind takes me; and it leads me a little further each time.
Eldon on the other hand, is more the royal type, but he is quiet and tends to bite his tongue, even when he has something very important that he would like to say, but he also has his times when he goes out into the town and lingers with our people, which doesn’t help him stay on Father’s good list.
He looks more like a dark elf. I don’t mean that he is hideous, in fact I hear from many people as we ride through town that he is quite handsome, and I myself if I were not of his blood I may think the same. He looks more like an elf; he has dark brown hair which is cut short and curls up at the ends, his copper color eyes have gold specs in them that can make you forget all the problems that you have when you look into them. His height is 5’11”. He is twenty-eight. But still acts very boyish at times.
He has on a black tunic, paints and boots; he also has on chain mail gloves. Very few women are aloud to wear chain mail. The clothing that one would wear was based on his/her class.
As I look out the window I see three horses. Two of which are black, the other is brown. I plan to ride one of the black ones.
I slip into a deep green dress with a silver band around the middle. It was one of my favorites. It was more suitable.
But Eldon thought Are you dumb in the head, that dress will defiantly give us away. He signed then went on You knew that we were going as peasants. We have been planning this voyage for how long? So I had to change into a burgundy peasant dress, which showed my figure well. I already have my bags packed as did Eldon.
We left; it was still very dark only the moons light to lead our way. The dirt road away from the castle was a very smooth ride. The trees cast unnatural shadows on the road sides.
I was on my horse. I have had her since she was a colt. I named her Jadis. Eldon rode Rosac. Rosac was also a black horse. I call him Fulteen. We put our baggage on Fulteen before we had left.
Let me let you in on a bit of a secret, Eldon and I are sorcerers, well I’m a sorceress but they do basically the same thing. We do more than just mix potions. We command the power of all things, but we are the best at nature. We can do just about anything. We are applied to agents of both good and evil. But we have never told a soul of our amazing power. Not even our parents. We fear of what will happen to us if word gets out. (Hence the telepathic talking near the beginning of the story)
We have ridden for almost a good days worth. The sun is now more in the west as we came upon two beings that resembled humans. They walked on foot, with no horses to carry them.
As far as we could tell by looking around we are approximately…in the middle of no where. So we thought that they were looking for a place to stay. There is a town two days riding time up ahead. I have been there but once when I was very little.
“Good day stranger or rather Good-night.” Eldon said in a sly yet mocking tone.
“Yes and also to you. My name is Torin. This is my friend Quentin. We are traveling together. What might we be able to call you?” said the taller of the two.
“My name is Eldon…and this is my sister Alana. We too are traveling together. You are welcome to join us if it would please you.” Eldon said and I thought that he didn’t have a brain in his head.
What are you thinking…you have no idea who those people are, only but their names. Who are we to know if they are trustworthy? For all we know they could turn us in. You know as well as I that Mother and Father will come looking for us and will do everything in their power to find us. I don not see why you would risk that?
No you do not see sister… they have been in front of us this whole time and must have pasted through our town days ago. There is no way the Mother and Father would have known then what we were planning to do unless of course you told them?
“We would enjoy that very much. I believe that we need someone else to talk to besides each other.” Torin said excepting the offer.
You know I would do nothing of the sort. I have been waiting just as you have and I would not jeopardize that by telling. You, being me brother, should know better than that.
Then it seems to me that you should trust my judgment. I would not do anything to jeopardize this as well, and you should also know that. Eldon thought.
Who put you in charge of all this?
Well since I am the man on this trip, whither you like it or not, it is only my duty to take the lead.
Alright, very well, I will just have to live with it. I thought giving in, to drained to argue anymore.
I am glad that we have come to an agreement.
As am I. I thought. It was then that I started to observe the new people that have joined our group. This conversation between my brother and I had taken but a moment.
Torin had shoulder length blond hair and forest green eyes, which are as enchanting as a forest. He stood a little taller than I did but shorter than Eldon. We were right in our guessing they were in fact humans. Quentin was a little shorter than Torin. Not by much only an inch or two. His blond hair a little bit shorter than Torin’s as well. But the eyes were almost identical, Quentin’s were more of a washed out green. They looked like they had seen their share of the world and there was almost no life in them. I honestly thought they were brothers.
“Where is it that you are headed?” Eldon asked them quickly
“We are looking for a far off land unknown to all.” Torin told us.
I quietly got off my horse so that they could have a rest from walking. Eldon pulled me up onto the back of Rosac.
Quentin has still yet to day a single word. They put their baggage on Fulteen and jumped onto my horse. We could only ride for a short time when all of a sudden almost out of no where it got dark. So we were forced to set up camp. It was barely light enough to see what we were doing when Eldon said that we were to stop. We slept until the sun came up over the treetops, well they did, but I on the other hand couldn’t sleep.
The next few days past without much of anything important. Torin talked with Eldon, and Quentin and I just sat there listening. A little bit after we started on the trail the third day we came to the town. It seems like a small town from the look of it. We came to a sign that read Cordial town of Aaron. We went into the town not intending to stay.
The men went off on their own. So I went to the nearest stable to buy horses for Torin and Quentin. I found a brown horse with a black mane and a black tail; I decided that one was for Torin. Then I found one that was light brown with a dark brown mane and a dark brown tail for Quentin.
I went looking for them, but couldn’t find them, so, I went and did a little shopping of my own. I bought some more dresses and Eldon a new tunic and pants. The dresses that I bought were not something that would give us away. Although there is this one dress that I looked at that is very much to my liking. I also bought a new bag to put it all in.
As I walked out onto the street it hit me. If I knew Eldon as well as I thought I did then he would be in the tavern.
I was right. As I walk up I can see Jadis and Fulteen. I walk in, not really knowing what to expect, and there they were. I have to push my way up to the table and in doing so sat down. I knew Eldon would not be mad that I bought the horses, for he is the one that told me to do so. I told Torin and Quentin that I had something for them. We all get up and go outside the tavern, were I show them the horses that I have just bought. They are so overwhelmed that they really don’t know what to say. They thanked me a hundred times and more. Torin pulled me aside before we went back into the tavern.
“I will pay you back whatever you spent for these horses.” As he said this he is pulling out a sac.
“No you will not, the only payment I want from you is your word that you will stay with us till the end. Along the way I am sure that you find little things to do for this payment of yours, but I will take no money from you or Quentin. Do you hear me?” I am firm and stand my ground. He finally agrees but I can tell that he is displeased that I am not letting him pay for the horses.
Eldon said that that’s what we were going to say in this kind of situation. We didn’t want anyone to know that we had to money because we were rich. Although we did save most of it from whatever money we got from our parents.
Eldon and I have been planning this voyage for a long time. We have saved a lot of silver and gold. We are not sure how much we would need.
We go back into the tavern and sit down at the table. I keep seeing Torin and Quentin; mostly Torin looking at me through the corner of my eye. We must have sat there and talked for a long time. We learned some interesting facts about them. Like when Torin was very little a robber killed his parents. From then up till now he has spent his time with Quentin. Quentin lived with his grandfather. We didn’t know why. He didn’t get into it. I don’t blame him. They left because his grandfather suddenly died. Quentin was given everything that his grandfather owned. So they had enough to make the journey.
We said very little about ourselves. We figured we would tell them when the time was right. If there ever was a time. But we did not lie about what we said.
Quentin still had not said much and I was starting to worry about him. So I asked Torin, he said not to worry about it, Quentin was always that way, but I still worried a little.
We must have lost track of time because when we left the tavern it was black, so we found the nearest inn until morning.
I was the last one to get up in the morning, but still got very little sleep. I told Eldon that I wasn’t wearing the peasant dresses any more. He just shrugged and left. So I got dressed, it wasn’t silk or anything fancy. It was a deep green color, much like the other dress, but plainer, it was also one of my favorite dresses.
We went and ate at the tavern. We all got fried eggs. After we were done we left town once again on the road. We rode for a long time in the deep thick woods of Hugyu. It was hard to see through all the thick branches.
Torin and I talked most of the way, mostly because we were on the same horse. Torin’s horse got its leg caught, and twisted it, but it was not very bad. Still it could barely hold its own weight let alone Torin’s. So I lifted Torin up onto my horse. We just tied his horse to Fulteen. Fulteen was tied to Eldon’s saddle. Eldon was in front of Quentin who was in front of us.
Torin and I talked about almost everything. Like where we wanted to go, what we wanted to see, things like that. Torin and I became really close on that ride. Not only because we were really close being on the same horse, but in a friendly way that I had never had before.
When we finally got into a clearing we saw nothing but sand and dirt. No trees, or wildlife, well, not yet. If only we knew then what was to come upon us in the near future.