These are the first four chapters of For Warriors!, I how you like them.

CHAPTER 1

Pain and Then Love

“Aaahhh, damnation to hell! Orra, get out of here,” Calixta shouted from her bed. She had been in labor for fifteen hours. For the last hour, she had sent a fireball shooting to the fireplace with almost every contraction. And now the woman could barely move her arms. Her sunken eyes and pale face were almost devoid of color when she shouted. Exhaustion had taken root in her body, and the child wasn’t crowning.

Orra, the child’s guardian angel, flew through the wall to get out of the room. When Orra was outside the hut, Calixta could hear the men asking Orra if everything was all right.

Dreyden and his group had stayed in the Desert Dweller’s village of Elijah for the last two months of Calixta’s pregnancy. Lala—Elijah’s wife, and Miomi—Calixta’s best friend, helped Calixta as she labored in their hut, and everyone else waited outside. Elijah, the Desert Dweller chieftain of his people, had given them a place to stay, food, some men, and minokawas. They still had to travel from Elijah’s Desert Dweller village to the Fort of Marr. But Calixta only cared about getting the child out of her.

“Sissy, take a deep breath and exhale with the next contraction, but don’t push; your body is still not ready. The child will come when your body has prepared itself for her birth,” said Miomi. Her tanned skin and sweaty body shined in the light from working with Calixta.

“Please, Miomi, do something! You have healing magic; please make this pain go away … aaahhh.” A massive contraction made her entire body twist.

“I am sorry, love. I can’t take your pain away. The only way we can tell when a contraction is coming is by watching your pain,” said Miomi.

“M’lady, you’ll be getting yer little one in yer hands soon. Jani, bring more water,” said Lala. Young Jani left the hut in a hurry, and Miomi kept her hand on Calixta’s knees with her hand glowing green.

“What ya doing with yer green magic?” asked Lala.

“I am making sure the little one will not get hurt in this process,” said Miomi.

“Miomi, please, listen to me. I need to push. This is not right. I’ve been trying for hours,” moaned Calixta. A contraction left Calixta breathing fast and hard; as soon as it was over, she turned onto one side and stretched her back. The pain in her hips came in waves. Her hip bones cracked, then her hip moved up and away from her. She felt relieved, then turned and sat back on her bed.

“I feel better,” said Calixta with her eyes closed.

“M’lady, I think yer hips finally unlocked to let yer little one be born,” said Lala.

“Sissy, please try to relax and let me check you,” said Miomi. She checked Calixta then smiled.

“I think you are ready,” said Miomi.

“I feel another contraction coming. Ooohhh, it hurts—so much!” Calixta frowned, and she had to shut her eyes. “Aaahhh!” Her scream came in a loud and long wail.

“Calixta, do not push. I can feel her head, but you are not there yet,” said Miomi, but Calixta didn’t care; she pushed with her contraction anyway.

“I told you not to push,” said Miomi.

“But I am hurting.” Calixta’s light-brown hair was in a braid swept to one side of her body, which was covered in sweat. Her hazel eyes looked at Miomi and, pleading, she said, “My arms feel numb.”

“I know, mi amor, but you need to take deep breaths when the contractions start and try to relax between them. Corazón, ya prontito tendrás a tu nena. Your little girl will be here soon. Just wait to push when I tell you. Yes?” said Miomi.

“Aaahhh!” Calixta shouted with the pain that ensued. The door slammed open, and Dreyden entered the hut brandish his sword.

“Oh, Lord in heaven! Ashton, I am not done here. Aaahhh, Get out!” Calixta shouted at her husband, Ashton Dreyden, as another contraction came over her.

“Calixta, don’t push yet. Dreyden, get out of here, now!” shouted Miomi.

“My Lord, this is no place for a man,” said Lala, placing a cold rag over Calixta’s forehead.

“I want to help. I can’t bear to hear her scream,” said Dreyden.

“Alright, fine, you want to help, then come and sit by her side and help by rubbing her back between contractions. And later, you can help her by holding the back of her thigh toward the side of her body when it’s time to push,” said Miomi.

Dreyden dropped his sword to one side and went to sit by Calixta.

“She looks exhausted. Miomi, do something now!” said Dreyden.

“That’s part of labor. If yer going to be in the way, ye need to leave,” said Lala with her hands on her hips. Her gray hair was loose around her face, and her imposing persona revealed precisely who she was—the chieftain’s wife.

“No, no, I’ll stay quiet,” said Dreyden.

“Good, then rub her back, she’s hurting,” said Lala. Jani ran into the hut with a bucket of clean water, and Lala kept wetting the rag to keep it cold before dabbing Calixta’s sweaty brow.

After a few more minutes of contractions and pain, Miomi smiled and said, “Calixta, your daughter is crowning. I can see the top of her head. On the next contraction, you must push hard.”

Calixta leaned her head back against Dreyden’s chest. “Dreyden, I am so tired. This child has taken all my energy.”

“I can see you are tired, my love, but now you must breathe and push when Miomi tells you.” Dreyden kissed Calixta’s temple.

“Miomi, I don’t want to do this anymore. Oh no, another contraction!” said Calixta. Calixta held the back of her knees up to her sides. She closed her eyes and pushed with every contraction for about five minutes. During one contraction, Miomi’s eyes opened wide.

“Push, do it now. Push hard! Her head is almost out.” Calixta pushed with all her might, and the child’s head emerged.

Miomi moved the head a little to the left and then to the right.

“What are you doing with her head?” asked Dreyden.

“Just making sure the cord isn’t around her neck,” said Miomi.

Calixta pushed with the next contraction one more time, and the child’s body came out. She cried loudly, and her mother smiled.

“It’s a girl,” said Lala, passing a clean piece of cloth to Miomi. She cleaned the little girl’s face, mouth, and nose.

“Calixta, here is your daughter,” said Miomi, placing the baby on Calixta’s naked chest so she could cut the umbilical cord. Calixta counted two dimples, ten fingers, and ten toes. She had brown hair like her father. Her eyes were glazed and watery, so Calixta could not tell what color they were. They could be brown like her father’s or hazel like hers. Only time would tell, but one thing was for sure—this was her child. The same little girl she had seen at the Box Exchange Train Station all those months ago. And Calixta felt all the love of the world. It was as if Lord Love had given her an extra measure of his gift. She felt so strongly about this one little person she had just seen for the second time.

Miomi cleaned her hands while Dreyden cried over Calixta’s head. Tears dripped down the side of his face and touched Calixta’s face.

Orra flew in through a wall, hovered near the bed, and eagerly craned his head. “I can hear her cry from outside. She has good lungs,” said Orra. His enormous white wings opened out, surrounding everyone in the room.

“Are you both fine? Is she hurt? Why is she crying so loud?” Dreyden asked, then looked up at Miomi.

“Newborns cry when they’re born, silly man. Meet your daughter. And Orra, you can stay but step away; this is a mommy and father moment,” said Miomi.

“Lord Ashton Dreyden, meet our daughter, Lady Erika Miomi Natalie Harlow Dreyden,” said Calixta in a tired voice with the child laid over her chest. She cleaned her little treasure with a cloth, kissed her, and held her precious gift close to her breasts.

“Hello, little lady, I’m your father.” The baby hiccupped in reply. Dreyden smiled. He kissed Calixta and stared at the two ladies in his life.

“Let her be the first of many,” said Calixta, giving a kiss on Erika’s head.

Miomi turned to face Dreyden. “I need to clean mother and child and deal with the afterbirth, so Dreyden, you must leave. I’ll tell you when you can return to your family. Orra, it will be best if you leave the room.”

“I’ll stay out of your way. I’ll make myself small and invisible, so you can work easily,” said Orra.

“Fine, just stay out of our way,” said Miomi.

“How long will it take?” asked Dreyden.

“It’ll take about an hour. Now go. When m’lady Calixta and her child are cleaner, ye can be together again,” said Lala, then she took some linen and held the little one.

Dreyden left, but Orra stayed and hovered in a corner. He closed his wings and made himself appear small, around the size of a human.

“Lala and Miomi, thank you for everything. I could not have survived this without you both,” Calixta said, while Lala made silly faces at the newborn child.

“You are welcome, cariño. I think you are the first woman who has left an undesirable Exotic trade behind. You are now a Vanquisher, a mage, the wife of a marquis, and now you are a mother. Sissy, you are a blessed woman indeed,” said Miomi, taking the baby from Lala and holding her close to her heart.

“M’lady, yer most welcome. Ye must rest. Come, Jani, take these dirty linens out of here,” said Lala.

Under Lala’s watchful gaze, Jani left the hut with the linens, and Miomi placed little Erika back in Calixta’s arms.

Calixta wanted to sleep, but she wanted her child by her side even more. Her body felt as if she had battled hundreds of demons. Her legs were numb, and her back ached. All her training as an Exotic had not prepared her for giving birth. She wanted her child in her arms from the moment she saw her. Miomi then helped her push the placenta out. Afterward, Lala called three other women to help clean Calixta, take out the bloodied bed, and bring in a clean one.

Finally, Calixta was in a clean bed with her child, but then the little girl screamed bloody murder. Calixta looked at Lala blankly. “What is wrong with her? Why is she crying so much?” Calixta rocked her child and kept glancing fearfully over at Lala and Miomi.

“M’lady, she’s hungry,” said Lala.

“Sissy, you must nurse her,” said Miomi in a tired voice, with bags under her eyes. Calixta took one of her breasts and offered it to the little girl. It took mother and child a little while to figure it out, but they managed.

“I need sleep, love. I am tired,” said Miomi.

“Go rest, healer Miomi; I’ll have Jani come and help m’lady Calixta through the afternoon. I’ll come in the evening and will stay with her for an hour or two,” said Lala.

“Dreyden said he will be here all night. Erika will wake every few hours to feed. I’ll let Dreyden know to place Erika on your breast for feeding and to let you sleep,” said Miomi, rubbing down her hand with clean linen.

“Thank you, my dear friend. Go rest. I will be fine with Jani.” Miomi left the room and Calixta stayed, feeding her child. Lala called Jani, and she entered the room and helped Calixta with Erika. Dreyden entered the room and sat next to his wife. The little girl fed some more, and soon she fell asleep, as did Calixta in Dreyden’s arms.

eee

Twenty-five days after Erika was born, Dreyden and the others sat around Calixta’s bed talking about their next move.

“We must leave in two days,” said Calixta, nursing her child.

“You are not going anywhere. You just gave birth to Erika not four weeks ago,” said Dreyden, rubbing Calixta’s foot.

“Ashton Dreyden, we have talked about this already. I am not staying behind. Orra will protect Erika, and I feel fine. I am a Vanquisher, just like you. We must go to the Fort of Marr. This trip has taken us ages. What now?” Calixta said, looking at Miomi.

“It’s been over seven months since we left Barshaw Manor,” said Miomi.

“The minokawas are ready to travel. Chieftain Elijah has given us all the supplies we need to take us to the Fort of Marr. Joppa says we are packed and ready to go. We could leave at any moment,” said Erasmo, drinking his tea.

“I said we must wait. It’s too soon for Calixta to travel,” said Dreyden.

“Ashton, you made us stay in Elijah’s village for two months before Erika was born because of me and the baby. Fine, I went along with it. I was feeling awful. But now she has been born, and we are doing well. She has her protector in Orra, and I will let nothing happen to her. I will fight with her shield if need be.”

“You two are all I have, and I will not lose either of you,” said Dreyden.

“Stop it,” Calixta said. “Love, I don’t need you to fight my battles. You want to protect us, but I am not something small to keep hidden. I am a Vanquisher, a woman of power and strength. I need you to fight with me, not for me. We move and fight together as a family. Are you ready to travel?

“Things are getting worse in this kingdom, and we can’t let this happen because you are afraid of losing us. I will leave in two days’ time, and Erika will come with me. You want to care for us. You better be ready to fly, or I will leave without you. Gálida must awaken, and Joseph needs our help.”

“You are a pain in the ass, Calixta. How can I love such a woman?” Dreyden paused briefly. “Fine, you win; we leave in two days.”

“Finally, someone hit some senses in his brain,” said Erasmo.

“Ha! You are welcome, Erasmo. Now, can all of you leave my hut? I want to change my daughter’s swaddling cloth, and that is a smelly job,” said Calixta. They all left except Dreyden. As Calixta changed the little girl’s cloth, Dreyden looked at his wife.

“Why do you love contradicting me?” said the man.

“You know I will do anything for you, but you also know we have a big job ahead of us. Listen, there is one thing I didn’t tell you, and you need to know. The last time I went to the Box Exchange Train Station, the virtues were going to take Erika from me. But I made a promise. If they let me have Erika, I wouldn’t let her get in the way of my task as a Vanquisher.

“They returned her to us, and I will keep my promise. I trust Orra will protect her. I will do all I can to keep her from harm, and I suggest you do the same. You must place her in the arms of our g-d and let Orra be her guardian. Or else I am afraid they might take her away from us for good the next time.” Calixta placed her daughter in her bed. Then she stood up, walked over to Dreyden, and kissed him. He took Calixta in his arms and hugged her tight.

“What you are asking is a hard thing for a man to do. It’s even harder for me to do. You two are my life,” said Dreyden.

“Yes, but you are not an ordinary man.”

“What type of man am I then?”

“You are my man, a Vanquisher. You’re a man who helped an Exotic woman leave her trade, who got her with child, and who taught her how to love and forgive,” said Calixta. Erika cried, and Dreyden moved to her side and picked her up. Calixta walked toward them and the three of them joined up in a family embrace.

eee

Two days later, Joppa, Olag, Jani, and Vikas, four of Elijah’s best warriors, stood in waiting outside the village boundary. Elijah had given Dreyden and Calixta four warriors and enough supplies to last them for about three months on the road. Erasmo arrived with enough ammunition for a war with another Nartago. They had planned the next part of their travels for weeks. Mario and Wally collected all the supplies, and Erasmo helped them saddle the animals. Lala helped Calixta prepare a special chest harness for her baby. Lala helped Calixta pack her minokawa, and Elijah stood with his two sons.

“I am going to miss you, Lala. Thank you for all you have done for me. Giving birth to Erika was an ordeal only made bearable because of your help,” said Calixta.

“Ye take care of your little bairn, yer hear me. I feel like a grandmamma to little Erika now,” said Lala.

Calixta chuckled then said, “I think you are going to be the only Grandma Erika will ever have.”

Lala took Erika in her arms, gave her a motherly kiss, and hugged her. She then hugged Calixta, kissed her, and recited a prayer over her.

“May the Lord of the Sky, Moon, Sun, and Land guard you and shelter you always. May you have good health and prosperity every day of your life. I cast away all evil and call happiness upon you forever.” After this prayer, Lala kissed the baby’s forehead again and passed Erika to her mother. Calixta placed the baby in her harness.

“I gave her me blessing. Go and mount the minokawa, and hold on tight. Here miss Miomi, I made this scarf for ye,” said Lala, handing Miomi a royal blue scarf with a blue-and-red minokawa embroidered in it.

“Thank you, Lala, it’s beautiful,” said Miomi.

“It will keep you warm on the cool prairie nights,” said Lala. Miomi went to mount her minokawa and Lala went to stand next to her sons while Dreyden talked with Elijah.

“My dear friend Elijah, I must thank you for all your help. I will do all in my power to wake the Second Vanquisher and then go find Joseph,” said Dreyden.

“I hope ye get to the Fort of Marr in good health and with good winds. These minokawas are strong, and I trained these warriors meself. They will serve ye and obey yer orders.” Elijah’s eyes shone bright. The old man stood with his hands behind his back.

“I will never forget what you have done for my family and me,” said Dreyden.

“Ye must know. We will stand with ye in the coming war, but ye must be ready to make sacrifices,” said Elijah.

“What do you mean?” asked Dreyden.

“Ye are the First Vanquisher. As a leader, ye must be willing to make the best decisions. Sometimes the hardest decisions are the best and not the easiest. Remember me words when yer in battle,” said Elijah.

“I will,” said Dreyden.

Elijah turned to face Vikas and nodded. “Vikas, ye must make sure Lord Dreyden has all he needs for his fight. Ye know how to contact us.”

“Yes sir, I’ll do all I can to follow yer orders,” said the redheaded Vikas.

Elijah walked back, and he stood next to his sons and Lala. Calixta and Miomi had already mounted their minokawas and were waiting for the others to finish packing. They had said their goodbyes to Lala and Elijah. Living with Elijah and his Desert Dwellers had been a great experience.

“Hop, hop,” said Dreyden to his minokawa. And the feathered dragon took to the sky. Calixta had flown only once before, when they had arrived at the village almost three months ago. Calixta felt a little scared at being so high in the sky, but Orra’s wings almost touched her. Calixta could not understand how the feathered dragons were not scared of Orra. Maybe the minokawas could not see the angel, but she knew Orra would protect her and Erika. Dreyden’s group left Elijah’s village early in the morning, heading toward the Fort of Marr. Calixta couldn’t wait to finally reach the fort.

CHAPTER 2

Alexander the Thief and Gálida the Elf

I am going to have Johannes cleaved to the brisket. That muter flunken, dropped our lantern on this wet floor and now, what do ye think happened? What? It had a splendid chance of being extinguished, and it did. It was me great luck to work with such a bunch of coward scallywags. Me employer wanted me to go inside the Fort of Marr and pillage the Hawayst sword and all what we could carry. The sword belongs to the Queen of the elves, and me dastardly skipper Theobald Zeehold wants it badly.

I’m a mage, the son of a pirate, a thief, and some people call me a seer. Me magic is a pain on me neck. Ye have no clue what it is to wake every morning to the loud chatter of all the thoughts of everyone around ye. Yes, me friend, I can hear everyone as if I was in a cave and all these muter flunken people sound like echoes. I can’t make out what they are saying. Which is the good and the bad part.

And the only way to mute the sound of all these voices is with a strong cup of a liquid brew out of a bean I found in the Kingdom of Tsestelago called coffee. I buy it by the bucketful. Me skipper makes sure I have the beans. It tastes as good as the lips of a young wench from Tsestelago.

I hope you had tasted coffee yerself. Anyway, me father, who is also me skipper, knows what it is to be a mage. Me father is a mage also, but he controls water. His magic is a very valuable and useful for a pirate. Oh, by the way, me name is Alexander Zeehold, but all call me Alex.

Me magic is more useful for thieving. I can move things around, I can tell when people are around, and I can place thoughts in people’s minds. I can’t read minds. Ye’ll be crazy if ye think I want that power. Hell no, I don’t want such a nightmare. However, this story is more of a pain in me butt than it is crazy. Yup! Let me tell ye more.

I was in this fortress with one of me father’s men, yeah Johannes! He had dropped the lantern ways back, ran away, and now, I had no idea where I was, so great. I couldn’t see a drop of water if it was an inch from me face. It was darker than a dragon’s arse. Not that I have ever been up a dragon’s arse, heavens no. But anyway, I wasn’t having a good feeling. My father specifically said, “If ye go down the dungeons where the elves gone sleeping, ye will fall asleep and never wake up.”

Damn, I am twenty-eight years old and still a virgin. I don’t want to die a virgin. There is this girl, Jory, I like and her sister Wanda. I like them both, but me conscience says I can only have one. I haven’t made up me mind yet. So, I’m still a virgin. Momma says I am an indecisive man. If only she knew. I am a pirate who has kissed many women but has bedded none. I must be a man and make a choice. But I can’t. I like them both. Do not judge me, I am sure ye had those moments. And I can’t see meself bedding a girl and then leaving her. Oh no, if I bed a girl, I’ll be keeping her forever.

Anyway, the sword—I was walking in the dark, I was cold and hungry. The hallway kept going down forever. And then, and without any warning, there was a gust of wind, a screech, and a door slammed. I thought it was the muter flunken scallywag of a man Johannes slamming doors and making noise as he scurried away like a rat.

“Damn ye Johannes!”

I was still trying to remember if I’d made a left or a right the last time I turned.

Ye know that feeling when a man who works for ye does something stupid. Yeah, all I could think of was, I hope the flunken Johannes falls down a hole and breaks his neck. I hate cowards, but as luck happens, I was the one who fell down a set of stairs that went on forever. But no, I didn’t trip. I felt when someone pushed me, which is scary. Anyway, down I went and those damn stairs went on for an eternity. I stopped, hitting a wall, with me legs in the air and me arms under me body. It was so undignifying. Then, I said, “That’s bound to leave a mark, and it will take forever to go away. I sure ended in the lowest pit of hell for all me years of thieving.”

“Ouch! All me body hurt, including me butt.” I said out loud. It took me a while to stand up, but I got up rubbing me elbows and me butt. I took a few more steps in the dark, wishing I was a fire mage. Suddenly and without any warning, something new happened. There was a light, the likes of which I have never seen, because I’m not that old.

Anyway, the light was orange, then it turned red, then it was orange.

“Oh, shiver me timbers! The seas, the land, and the stars above, I am a dead man … Oh, the fall cracked me arse and me head. But … I am in this dungeon full of orange and red light, and I did not fall asleep. This place is beautiful. Ooh, but look at all them elves!” Alex said out loud to no one.

I could never believe me eyes; it was so amazing. There were rows and rows of elves in these strange-looking cozy, rounded cots. They were like transparent spider cocoons. They all looked so skinny, and their face and hands were so thin and delicate. As I walked through the rows, I kept wondering where all the light was coming from and thinking if I was going to fall asleep at any moment. The elves were all dressed in scantly clothed, with only a tunic to their knees. And then I saw this one elf who didn’t look like an elf, but she was an elf.

She was different, gorgeous, and curvy. She had curly long black hair. I could see she was as delicate as a flower, and ye know what? I’ll tell ye a secret. Black hair is what I love the most in a woman. I hoped she had hazel eyes like me one left eye. Ye know, like me left eye is yellow, the other one is green. Ye know, the people of Tsestelago call me a seer, but I think I’m just weird.

Then I said out loud, “I must touch her.”

You have no idea how much I wanted to touch her hand. And then I said, “I am going to touch her.” And in the end, I touched her hand, and she was so soft, just like I expected. And then—POW!—an explosion of light.

“Shiver me timbers, I’m blind. That’s all I need.” And me story gets screwed up from here.

eee

And Jadro’s curse was fulfilled, only a virgin, thief, and master mage with differently colored eyes can bring the elves out of slumber when touching the hand of the one Vanquisher.

eee

Gálida opened her eyes. She had spent so many years in slumber that she could feel her life slipping away but could do nothing about it. She could feel the haze of life and her spirit leaving her body little by little, but in an instant, a bolt of lightning energized her body, and everything ran through her mind. All her training, all her might, and all her conviction made her want to take a deep breath and scream.

In all those years she had spent comatose, she had sensed an evil taking over Alhambra; now this sensation hit her chest and made her gasp. She could feel all the malice and everything taking men away from the path of the good. There were the Desert Dwellers and the Morai, but their numbers were few. The fairies were disappearing, and people were forgetting there was a g-d who loves them. There was no justice anymore. They had little love among them. The wisdom of the old had died a slow death, while moderation and balance had almost completely disappeared from the lives of most in the land. The dragons had gone into hiding, and she could sense there were no more dwarfs in the entire Kingdom of Alhambra.

Gálida blinked twice, looked around, and then she saw him. The virgin who had woken them. The elves woke little by little. First the warriors, then the leaders, then the workers, and finally the children. Gálida stepped out of her cocoon. She took one hesitant step at a time, slowly walking around with shaking legs. She had not used her legs in many years. The elves had been in slumber for almost ten years, but now they were awake thanks to this young man who looked very surprised.

“I am Gálida. What is your name? Let me formally thank you for waking us,” said Gálida in a soft voice.

“Oh hello, I’m Alexander Zeehold, but me father calls me Alex. Ye can call me Alex.”

“Thank you, Master Mage Alex,” said Gálida.

“Wait, how ye know I’m a master of mages? And I’m just Alex. Wait!”

But Gálida had to keep walking as Alex was talking. She walked away from the area of her cocoon and up the long hallway to a row of children’s cocoons.

“Woah, oh! No! Lady, wait I need to get out of here. Hey lady, for having been asleep for years, yer faster than a clipper,” said Alex. Gálida turned and looked at Alex.

“I need to get to the upper levels. I need to see the sun,” said Gálida, losing her footing.

“What do ye mean, see the sun? See lassie, I fell and hurt me head and now I see things.” As Alex talked to Gálida and looked at the cocoons, she fell to the ground. Alex caught the woman in his arms.

“Ye are a full-grown woman elf, but ye weigh very little,” said Alex. The other elves were falling around trhem, and Gálida could feel Alex’s hands trembling. He carried Gálida over to the nearest elf, still awake.

“What happened? She collapsed in me arms,” said Alex, looking down at Gálida. She was awake, but barely. He wiped his brow and drops of sweat fell over Gálida’s head.

“You must take her up the stairs at the end of the hall and let her get some sun. Then you must feed her and give her water. She must live. If she lives, we all have a chance at life.” And then the elf man collapsed.

eee

Alex didn’t think twice. He carried the pretty lady in his arms, but he tired quickly and nearly collapsed near the top of the stairs. There were simply too many for him. She wasn’t heavy; he carried her over his shoulder, huffing and puffing up the last few steps. Alex wasn’t a man built for heavy lifting, brute force, or war. He was a man trained for stealth and agility.

“Shiver me timbers, going down the stairs was so much easier. Whoof, I’m tired,” said Alex between breaths. He walked with Gálida up to a great hall. There was no sun; dawn hadn’t arrived yet.

“Where could the kitchen be?” said Alex. The royal family came to the fort once per year, so there had to be food. A staff and a few soldiers cared for the fort and prevented intruders from entering, so they had to have a working kitchen. But they couldn’t have been great at their task as he had entered with ease.

He hid the black-headed beauty behind some curtains.

“Ye stay here and try not to make any noise,” said Alex, and he ran to a nearby window and used his magic. He tried to sense where people were in the fort. Looking out the window, he saw a torchlit garden in an inner courtyard. At the other end of this courtyard garden, a man walked out a door carrying wood. Covered by the early-morning darkness, Alex jumped out of the window onto the garden. There were bushes under the window, and he hid behind them. Alex followed the man after he passed by him. The servant carried the wood through a door at the other end of the courtyard, leaving a few pieces of wood by the door.

Alex followed stealthily, moving from a bush to a statue to a pillar. His years as a thief helped him in this little endeavor. His father had sent him thieving ever since he had found out about his magic. Also, his seven years at the mage’s academy in Pailo, the capital city of Tsestelago, also helped him figure out where the servants lived and where the kitchen was in big castles; he liked to steal midnight snacks.

Alex picked up the pieces of wood the servant had left by the door. Then he reached for the doorknob. He was in luck; the door was unlocked. He entered and gazed around. There was a large dining room with many tables and benches. He walked in, carrying the few logs over his shoulder. When a soldier entered through a door at the opposite end of the room, Alex acted as if he belonged in this place.

He took the logs, raised them higher up onto his shoulders, and kept walking to the open doorway at the opposite end of the dining room to where the soldier had entered. The soldier ignored him, and Alex walked by calmly. Once he had passed through the door, he walked slowly down a long hallway with many doors on the left and right. Alex used his magic to feel through the doors. Behind the doors, people were sleeping. Some rooms were empty. He kept walking until he reached the kitchen.

When he arrived, he stayed by the door in the corner. The cook and the morning staff were making the morning bread and stoking the oven’s fire. The enormous kitchen had four ovens, but only one was active. Alex used his projection and illusion magic to compel the three servants to move away and all go to the cellar. He also made the cook go and get sugar from a large pantry. All had left the table, giving him a chance to take what he needed.

Alex placed the wood near the oven alongside the rest of the stacked wood. He then took some bread, ham, and cheese. He found mead, and he spied some pastries that apparently the cook had made the night before. Alex grabbed a few and placed them in a bag he had found near the table. Next, he filled a skin with water and left the kitchen through the same door he had entered. He ran through the hall, evading the few servants by entering through the doors into the hallway.

Being a seasoned thief gave him an excellent advantage. He could open locks easily and quickly as he found his way back. The hall had many doors. As he departed, a soldier came and almost caught him, but he slipped through one of the closed doors where he encountered a pair of servants making love. They ignored him entering the room, and Alex’s surprise gave way to wonder.

Alex had no time to waste admiring others doing what he had never done. He left the room, despite wanting to stay behind. This elf woman needed to be fed fast. He couldn’t remember her name. The poor slim thing was going to die if he did not help her. Alex found his way back to the gardens, to the bushes, to the window, and then he jumped back inside the great hall, hauling his bounty of food with him.

But by the time he arrived in the hall, a man had already found his elf woman and was about to sound the alarm. Alex then did something he had never done before. Weapons adorned the wall near Alex. Without thinking, he took an ax and threw it at the man. The ax struck the man’s head, killing him in an instant.

Alex stood in shock for a few seconds. Blood oozed out of the man’s head. The man turned and looked at Alex, surprise in his eyes, and Alex stared at the guard. Then the man fell to his knees and crashed to the floor. Alex had killed his first man without thinking, as a reflex. Why had he killed a man? He was a pirate’s son, but he had never killed anyone. However, something compelled him to protect his beautiful black-haired elf. Aged twenty-eight and still living with his parents, Alex started to shake. He had killed his first man.

Alex’s mother called him a pacifist man, and told him he was not good enough to be called a pirate. His refusal to be aggressive like his father made him a pariah with his father’s men. Alex’s philosophy was to live and let live, but here he wanted his elf beauty to live at whatever cost. He ran to the elf woman’s side. He pulled her to a better hiding place behind a statue, then returned to where the man had bled. Alex removed the ax from the man’s head and dragged him to a hiding place behind another statue. He ran back to where he had left the elf woman. He took the skin of water and splashed a few drops on her face.

“Lady, ye must wake and eat. I have some bread, ham, and cheese. I brought ye some mead and I have some sweet pastries here. These will give ye energy. Ye must eat and drink it all,” said Alex.

The elf woman opened her eyes and there was Alex. She picked at her food and drank her mead. Alex watched his elf beauty eat, and there was a shine to her skin that increased with every bite. She looked frail and in need of much more nourishing, but Alex could see her life coming back to her.

“Thank you, Alex,” said the elf as she ate her pastries.

“Dawn is approaching. The elf in the dungeon said ye need to see the sun. Can ye walk?” asked Alex.

“I don’t know, but I will try.” And she stood up looking like a newly born fawn standing for the first time. Alex looked out from behind the statue and again used his magic to move the servants and soldiers out of the way. He wanted a clear path along which they could walk fast.

“Listen, pretty lassie, I don’t know where anything is. This place is a maze to me. This is yer fort. Where’s the roof?”

“There is a tower if we follow the corner hallway to the end. We will find a set of stairs. They go up to this tower where we used to stand and watch for intruder vessels that might try and enter the cove.” The elf woman spoke, standing on shaking knees.

“What’s yer name again?” asked Alex.

“Gálida,” she said with a smile.

“Yer smile is as beautiful as yer name,” said Alex.

Alex then placed his arms around Gálida’s waist and helped her walk down the hallway and up the stairs to the tower with his newly acquired weapon, the short ax. They saw a soldier standing watch there. Dawn was close.

“Alex, we need to get rid of the soldier. There is a half-moon shining and a torch lighting up the tower. We must get the soldier out of the way,” said Gálida in a hushed tone.

The soldier yawned several times and stood watching out to sea. Alex waited for dawn, for the sunrise soon approaching. The soldier turned and walked toward where Alex and Gálida were hiding. Alex grabbed his ax, let it swing, and when the soldier reached the entrance where Alex was hiding, he let the ax swing high and he decapitated the soldier without hesitation as the man approached him. He had already killed one man and this was his second. The man fell to Alex’s feet. Blood poured out of the man’s neck.

Alex gagged, but then he helped the black-headed beauty out to the tower, and they welcomed the sunrise together.

eee

There at the top of the castle, Gálida saw the sun for the first time in a decade with her new friend and partner Alex. As Gálida absorbed the sun’s rays, the fort’s magic returned to her, to the fort, and to her people. The site’s magic returned slowly and as it did so, an aura of light emerged from Gálida and Alex, which engulfed them both. This shining sunlight was a life-giving energy. And it reached down to the dungeons and the lower bowels of the fort, where it woke the elves and children once again.

 

CHAPTER 3

The Fort of Marr

From the top of the tower, Alex looked down at the elves walking like sheep toward the soulless wolves guarding the fort. One by one, the warrior elves awoke, and they walked out into the outer halls and the inner gardens of the Fort of Marr. Dawn had broken and a few soldiers and guards had woken up. However, after a guard saw elves walk out to the gardens and the fort’s outer courts, the guards took up arms and they sound the alarm. They ran to the elves, but none of the elves raised their hands to fight. They did not have the strength. Like newborn colts, they could barely hold on to anything, and they could hardly walk. Elves emerged from every door that led into the fort’s depths, which were filled with sleeping chambers. They looked ashen.

A few of the servants ran back to the buildings. Others stared at the elves. The guards had their weapons at the ready, but nothing happened. The elves looked dazed, and the guards shouted at them, telling them to lie on the ground. They aimed their weapons at the dazed elves. The sun had not hit the gardens yet, and the elves had not seen the sun. Not a single ray of light had touched their skin, and they had not eaten anything.

hhh

Gálida left Alex’s side and ran down the tower as fast as her legs could carry her, but she had just awoken from a ten-year slumber and her legs got in the way of her run. Gálida stumbled and fell three steps down the stairs.

“Alex, I need to protect my people,” shouted Gálida from the stairs.

In that moment, Alex ran out to the top of the tower and shouted, “Stop, Ní fheicfidh tú!” His voice sounded like thunder, and the soldiers froze. Alex cast a spell on them to make them think they were blind. Alex, surprised by his own magic, gazed down at his glowing hands. He knew the spells. Alex had been to the one of the best academies in all Tsestelago, but he never imagined having the power to cast a spell of such magnitude. He had graduated as a mage of the ninth degree, a master mage, but he had never used his magic in its pure capacity. Here he was doing things he had never done before outside the Academy walls. His own father said his magic was useless for anything but thieving. However, in this fort, he was warring and mighty. His magic was powerful here. Alex ran down the three steps to find Gálida still collapsed and reclining against the wall.

“What’s going on?” asked Alex.

“You are our hero, our champion. Your actions connect you to us. We can’t help it. When Jadro placed the curse on the fort, he linked the cure to the one who would break it,” said Gálida.

“What is this curse? No, tell me later. This is already giving me a headache,” said Alex, scratching his head.

“Fine, I’ll tell you all about it later.” And she closed her eyes, trying to stand.

“Gálida, I am a mage in several different areas of magic. But I’m a master mage in telekinesis alone, and I never knew I had this much power. This is all new to me,” said Alex, helping her stand.

“You are a strong master mage,” she said with a smile, and then they walked down the tower.

After they reached the inner garden, Alex walked among the men to make it clear to them that they had to lower their weapons.

“Are the children waking?” Gálida asked an elf.

“Yes, they are waking and we will make them drink in the sun as soon as they step outside,” said one of the old elf men standing with his arms wide-open trying to catch the rays of sunlight as soon as it reached the tip of his fingers.

The servants all stared at the elves standing in the inner garden. The elves, dressed in their long tunics, were absorbing the sunlight. Other elves emerged in the outer courtyards between the fort’s walls and the castle. A group of child elves walked with a wobble, while adult elves carried then littlest with them. They were all skin and bones. Their faces were sunken and their eyes clouded, hinting that they were close to death. A tall slim old man with a bandanna covering his hair and a flour-dusted apron stood out from the group of servants; he approached Alex and Gálida, who were the only ones standing strong.

“I am the fort’s cook,” said the man. “Look at these children. We were told we would die if we entered the lower levels. We didn’t know there were children among the elves.”

He turned to face Gálida, who was standing next to him. “I’ll bring all the bread and food I’ve cooked today out for the children and the elves. A hardy soup will be ready in minutes. The adults and the children will need to eat something soft or they will vomit,” said the old cook.

The man then turned and shouted instructions at his servants. “Bring all the bread, cheese, and ham you can carry for the adults. Bring hot chocolate, soft bread, and jam for the children,” said the cook out loud.

“They need to eat outside in the sun,” said Gálida.

The cook nodded. “Get a marrow soup going. Start all four ovens; we have many mouths to feed. I want this done now. I need wood and coal to fire all the ovens. Move people, let’s go. We have sick men, women, and children to feed.” The old man turned and ran out of the courtyard toward the castle, and his kitchen hands and six other servants ran after him.

Alex went to help an elf with a child, and he made sure the little one could get enough sun. But then he saw a woman elf as beautiful as Gálida walking out of one of the side doors. Like all the other elves, her clothing was scanty, but she was pure magic. Her skin absorbed light like a sponge absorbs water. Her hair was black and straight and she had a thin gold-and-silver crown.

She had to be the Queen! Behind her, a male elf a head taller than her and just as handsome walked out. His hair was as black as the Queen’s and the way his tunic hung on him suggested he would have been all muscle before entering slumber. He, too, had a golden and silver crown—he had to be the King.

“Gálida dear, is this the master to whom we owe our lives?” asked the woman standing next to Gálida under the sunlight with her eyes closed. Gálida curtsied at the woman and man and kept her head low. Alex gave an exaggerated bow. His face went red, as he had never encountered royalty before and had no idea how to behave in this situation.

“Yes, My Queen. His name is Alexander, but he prefers to be called Alex.”

“Welcome Alex, I am Queen Kesarin. We thank you for saving us from this slumber curse.” The Queen smiled, and she opened her arms to embrace the sunlight.

“So, Alex, I am King Leopold Jar’al’bahad. You look like a young man. Are you a King, a duke, a lord, an archimage? Where is your army?” said the King, turning to embrace the sunlight too.

Alex choked. “Yer Majesty, I have no army. I’m just a man, a mage, the son of a pirate and a former prostitute. This is all I am. I helped ye and I’ll be going home in a few hours. Me skipper must be missing me by now,” said Alex.

“Gálida, haven’t you told him already? He is our hero, our champion. He can’t leave,” said King Leopold, closing his eyes.

“What’s up with this? I’m no hero. I’m a thief, a nobody. I work for a pirate, and I am going now,” said Alex, turning to leave.

“Alex, wait!” said Gálida. She stopped him, holding his arm.

“You don’t understand,” said Gálida.

“Well, explain,” said Alex.

“Alex, have you heard of the Vanquishers?” asked the Queen in s serene voice.

“Yes, Yer Highness, I have,” said Alex.

The King lowered his arms and walked over to Alex. “Gálida is the Second Vanquisher of Alhambra. Since you are here with us, Gálida can now leave us and do her job as Vanquisher. Do you understand, Alex?”

“What?” asked Alex.

“You broke our curse. This makes you our hero warrior and our archimage,” said the Queen.

Alex choked with air. He coughed until his face turned as red as the morning sun.

“Don’t worry, Alex. we will help you learn to fight as a warrior. You will be ready for anything,” said the Queen.

“And what if I don’t want to fight? If I don’t want to be an archimage,” said Alex.

“Then we will have no champion and no archimage,” said Gálida.

“Excuse me?” Alex turned and glared at Gálida.

“Only you can be our archimage,” said the Queen.

“This can’t be.” Alex looked from one to the other and turned around to see all the sickly elves around him. “Shiver me timbers, I’m in big trouble!” Alex placed his hands on his head and shivered.

eee

A dirty-as-sin man stepped out of a skiff onto the dock in the Cove of Rehn. This man was no ordinary man. He was clearly an important pirate. His beard reached his chest, and he had proudly tied it in braids with colorful ribbons representing the color of his magic. His dirty hat had once been maroon, but now it looked like dirt, and his striped shirt had lost most of its buttons, leaving his hairy chest on show. He had many chains with charms and medallions on him, each with a story of how he came to own it. These stories always ended with him narrowly losing his life.

“Ahoy, me hearties! Anyone there? Alex, where are ye lad? I can’t send ye to do nothing without ye messing shit up, huh, boy? There was a change in the flags. I know ye there. What have ye done?” Theobald Zeehold shouted as he entered the fort beach grounds from the pier. The old pirate had seen the soldiers at the piers collapse before a bunch of skinny elves arrived and took their weapons away. A group of ten elves came to greet him and old Theobald raised his hands.

“I’m just looking for me lad, me son, Alex.” The old pirate’s loose pants, stained shirt and scruffy boots didn’t make him look like the captain of a frigate ship, and he knew it, but he didn’t care. A brown-haired woman dressed in black, wearing a leather jacket over a bustier and loose pants, came behind the man.

“Alex! Where are ye son?” shouted the woman as she walked toward the elves.

“Ahoy, I see ya woke from slumber. Have any of yous seen a blond-haired young man with a goatee? He has one green eye and the other yellow,” said the woman, and she looked from one elf to the other. “Darling, I think they are deaf,” she continued. Alex ran from the fort waving hello to his parents. The young man reached them a little out of breath.

“Hello, Skipper, hello, Ma, as ye can see the elves woke up,” said Alex.

“I can see ye didn’t do what I asked ye to do, boy,” said Theobald.

“Did ye have anything to do with the elves waking?” asked Feina.

“Ma, I—it’s a long story …” Alex’s voice faltered.

“I don’t want no excuses, boy. I want results. What the hell did ye do?” shouted Theobald.

“Alexander, we sent ye on a mission and ye come to us empty handed,” shouted Feina.

“Ma, I don’t really know what happened. One moment I was with Johannes and the next I was in the dungeon. Then all I did was touch an elf’s hand and—pow! They all woke up.” Alex told his account of what happened while his parents paced up and down. Gálida came walking quickly toward Alex. She had changed into a pair of black pants and a blue blouse with a warm coat. She carried no weapons, but she had two elves towering over her. When she arrived where Alex was standing, she smiled.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Zeehold. I am the Second Vanquisher of Alhambra, Gálida La Delve. I welcome you to the Elven Fort of Marr.”

The old pirate and his wife stopped talking when Gálida introduced herself.

“Oh hello, when did ye wake up from yer nap?” asked Theobald.

“You can hardly call it a nap,” snapped one of the elf guards.

“Calm down, Luca. We woke up this morning. I hear you are Alex’s parents. You must be proud of your master mage son. He placed his life on the line to save mine and he woke us from slumber,” said Gálida.

“Ye did what?” shouted Theobald. Feina placed a hand over Theobald’s arm and said, “We are proud of Alex. It cost us a small fortune to send this one to the best mages academy at Tsestelago.”

“So, ye woke the elves from slumber!” said Theobald. He looked at Alex with eyes like he wanted to hit the young man, and Gálida stood next to him.

“Yes, Alex broke our curse. He has a place of honor among our people,” said Gálida.

“Oh, our son is a brave man. He takes after his mother,” said Feina.

“We are so proud of him,” said Theobald, scratching his bearded face.

“His heroism deserves compensation. Let’s say gold or a valuable item,” said Theobald. Alex glanced at his mother and then at his father as they talked.

“It’s unbelievable. Ye want gold for me helping them?” asked Alex in the Tsestelac language.

“Shut yer trap, boy. Ye didn’t do what I told ye to do? Ain’t that right, Alex?” said Theobald in Tsestelac.

“He can have the gold and silver he wants; almost anything is at his disposal,” said Gálida in Catalagac, the language of Alhambra.

“Oh, that’s fantastic to hear,” said old Theobald.

“We want the Hawayst sword then,” said Feina with a glint in her eye.

“I can’t give you the Hawayst sword,” said Gálida.

“Why not? Ye said he could have anything he wanted,” said Feina.

“Yes, but he has to be the one doing the asking, and the sword is not mine to give,” said Gálida with a serious expression.

“That’s not fair. We are his parents, and—”

“I am not asking for anything, I don’t want them to give me a thing, father,” said Alex.

“What?” shouted Theobald.

“Ye heard me, I’m not asking for anything, Skipper,” said Alex.

“And now ye’ve grown a spine? Because ye woke the elves, ye think ye are so high and mighty,” said Theobald, switching back to Tsestelac.

“Alex, yer father only wants the best for ye,” said Feina.

“Skipper, I’ve had enough. Please talk to Gálida with more respect,” said Alex.

“Ye are a soft-hearted boy. You always need a back-up man to help protect ye. Ye don’t like to fight, Alex,” said Theobald.

“Ye don’t know what happened when I woke them, I became—”

“Enough, I don’t want to hear ye,” said Theobald.

“I don’t want to get in the way of a family conversation, but in two days, we will have a celebration to honor Alex. Why don’t you come and join us? As Alex’s parents, you will be welcome,” Gálida said in the Alhambra language.

Alex turned around and left for the fort.

“I don’t know, I will think about it,” said Theobald, then he boarded his skiff and returned to his boat.

CHAPTER 4

The Archimage

“Please forget what me parents asked of ye. I don’t want no sword. Me father can ask for whatever, but I don’t want the Haywaist,” said Alex.

“And what is it you want?” asked Gálida.

“I don’t know. All I know is that I wanted to be a good thief so me father would be proud of me, but now I don’t know what I want,” said Alex.

“What’s changed?” asked Gálida.

“It all changed when I woke ye. It all feels weird,” said Alex. They walked back to the fort after having had the conversation with Theobald. Alex walked with his head low. He didn’t want to look at Gálida. His father always embarrassed him. He wanted to have a different parent. He loved Theobald and his mother, but not what they did for a living.

Deep down in his heart, Alex didn’t want to be a pirate. He was a mage who always got the highest marks in his class, but he never worked hard to achieve anything. Alex never studied and rarely did any of his homework. He just forgot nothing he heard or read. All he needed to do was to pay attention in class.

However, here he was in a fort with this beautiful woman by his side, and he didn’t know what to do next. Yes, he wanted to help; he truly did, but what about his parents? He would have to cut ties with them to help Gálida, and they were the only family he had. At the academy, he had only had one friend, Aaron Fardeen. A friend he still had to this day, but since yesterday, he had a community attached to him.

“Gálida, we need to get a few things straight. I don’t know how this being your resident master mage thing works. What am I supposed to do with ye all? I don’t know what will happen next. At the academy, I made master mage, but I am lost here. Savvy! I’m a thief not a hero, or an archimage. Who will help me? I can’t do this by meself. Me bucko Aaron or me father and mother always helped me,” said Alex.

“I understand; come with me, Alex. It is time I give you a lesson on what is at stake here,” said Gálida, and they walked up the fort stairs, leaving the beach behind. The stairs took them to the fort exit on the beach. Along the stairs there were several checkpoints. They reached the back courtyard. Then they walked through a side door into the castle. Gálida continued down a long hallway, and they eventually reached a door. Gálida opened the door to reveal a set of stairs going down. They descended and found themselves back in the dungeons by the elves’ cocoons.

When Gálida entered, a flash of orange light illuminated the room, and Alex could see everything there. Rows of cocoons spanned the length of the dungeon, and there was a second, third, and fourth floor all full of cocoons. There were other levels beneath them too. Gálida took Alex by the hand, and she took him through a door at the far end of the hallway.

Inside the room was a library. There were shelves and shelves of books. This room was larger than the room with the cocoons. Alex saw so many books upon books, while in one corner stood a massive long table and many chairs. A map of the entire continent of Bastia and the five seas surrounding the land was pinned to the wall by the entrance door.

Alex wondered what mysteries this elf woman was about to divulge. When they walked further into the room, an old elf woman appeared from between the shelves of books. She had a book in her hands and her long white hair brushed against round glasses that hid her eyes.

“Gálida, dear, what are you doing in the archives?” said the woman.

“I came looking for you,” said Gálida.

“And what can an old elf woman do for you?” said the woman.

“I need you to tell my friend Alex why he is so important to our people.” Gálida stood aside so the elf woman could see Alex.

“Oh, he doesn’t know his worth,” said the woman.

“He needs to know his importance for our people,” said Gálida.

“Hello, Master Alex; I am Blye, the keeper of knowledge and master of all the incantation arts for my people. I was the only one kept awake while the others slept. I almost lost all hope of my people ever awakening until I saw you enter the fort,” said Blye.

“What do ye mean when ye say ye saw me enter the fort?” asked Alex.

“I saw you when you entered the fort with your scary cat friend. I have my magic, just like you have yours,” said Blye, and she sat on one of the chairs in front of the long table.

“Oh, so ye saw me when I fell down those blasted stairs and almost broke me ar… I mean me head?” said Alex, sitting in front of Blye.

“Who do you think pushed you down the stairs?” said Blye with a wicked smile.

“Wait, ye pushed me? So, I have this bruise on me butt to thank ye for? Not funny. Lady, that really hurt.” Alex looked across from Gálida to Blye. He could not believe the woman.

“I saw your eyes, and I felt your magic. I knew you were the one to break our curse, and you had the power to wake my people,” said Blye.

“So, is that why I’m here?” asked Alex.

“Listen, young man, we all have a part to play in this dance, and you are an important piece in this gigantic puzzle. You were born to lead. You must stand next to our King and Queen and protect those who need protecting. Alex, you woke us. Only you have the power to send us back to sleep,” said Blye.

“But if you do, I will kill you first,” said Gálida.

“Oh, that’s nice to know,” said Alex.

Blye stood up and went to one of the shelves, and she picked up one book. The woman walked slowly back, and Alex wondered what she would do next. She opened the book, and images slipped off the pages. Their reflections shifted onto the room’s ceiling.

“Ten years ago, King Blaise forced us into slumber. We placed our trust in him, and he betrayed us. One by one, we entered our cocoons. We made them to help us regain our strength when injured, not to keep us for long periods of time. The King died soon after he encased us, and I had to watch his son destroy the Kingdom of Alhambra. We had no choice but to obey. Here, touch the book,” said Blye.

Alex touched the book, and it levitated then glowed red.

“From now on, you will be able to either see the action or read any book you get from these shelves,” said Blye.

“This is incredible,” said Alex.

“The book you have in your hands is the history of the elves of Alhambra. We had been at peace with all the races of Alhambra for decades. We had kept the peace and stood behind the King of Alhambra in many wars. But now we will not stand with Victor. We are a people on the verge of dying. We must fight for our right to live now. Ten years of slumber have left us weak,” said Blye.

“When Jadro cursed us, he made the cure impossible,” said Gálida.

“What was this cure?” asked Alex.

“It was impossible. Only a virgin, thief, and master mage with differently colored eyes could bring the elves out of slumber by touching the hand of the Vanquisher. What were the odds that you could fulfill all we needed to break our curse?” said Blye.

“Oh great, and now you all know I’m a virgin? This is embarrassing and highly upsetting,” said Alex.

“It is something we appreciate. It broke our curse,” said Gálida.

“May I take this book?” asked Alex.

“No, all the books must remain here, but you can come and read, whenever you want,” said Blye.

“Thank you, Master Blye,” said Gálida. Alex stood up and gently tipped his head in the old elven woman’s direction. They left the room, and Alex understood his role in this new dynamic a little better.

“Come, my friend; I must show you around. You need to know all there is to know about the fort,” said Gálida. They left the same route they came, but in one corner next to the cocoons belonging to the King and Queen, Alex noticed a cocoon with a man in it.

“Gálida, wait. One of the elves hasn’t awoken yet. Look, there’s a man in that cocoon over in the corner,” said Alex.

“No! Don’t go near him,” snapped Gálida.

“Why?” asked Alex, surprised at Gálida’s reaction. He approached the cocoon and saw it wasn’t an elf but a human man.

“That man came here over one hundred and fifty years ago. He tried to kidnap our princess and steal the Hawayst sword. In the process, he almost killed the daughter of our King and Queen of the time. The man was powerful, and our mages had a hard time containing him. They had to encase him in a cocoon,” said Gálida.

“Shiver me timbers; he should be dead. He’s not an elf. If he has been in this cocoon for over one hundred and fifty years, then he should not look the way he looks. He is young and doesn’t seem to have lost any weight,” said Alex.

“That man is dangerous. There was no way of killing him, so we had to encase him for all eternity. No one is to touch his cocoon. That’s why Blye could not enter our ten-year slumber. She had to stay out and watch us die. This is her cocoon,” said Gálida.

“So, there is no way for me father to get the Hawayst sword if this man ended encased in this place for trying to steal it,” said Alex.

“He is there mainly for trying to kidnap our present Queen. We protect our princesses and Queen with our lives,” said Gálida.

“Shemini crystals! This is more than I can take for now. Listen, Gálida, can we get out of this place? I don’t want to think of what could happen if that man gets out of his cocoon,” said Alex.

“Yes, let’s go upstairs.” And they left the dungeons behind. When they reached the top floor, Alex looked out the windows to the courtyard, and he could see the cook had moved the tables from the great hall outside. The children were sitting down eating, and the adults were feeding them and eating along with them. The King and Queen were in a corner feeding a pair of children who appeared to be alone. Human servants kept bringing plates and mugs with drinks out.

The children had short thin arms. Alex wanted to go down and feed them so their bodies would fill out faster, but he knew better than that. Gálida and he continued their castle tour. They walked through the hall until they found two massive doors. Gálida made a movement with her hands and the doors opened by themselves. When they entered Alex mouth opened.

“WOW, I have never seen anything like this,” said Alex. Gálida smiled and she let Alex walk in front of her.

Modest braziers attached to each of the eight sandstone columns lit up instantly when the door opened, and the light coated everything in an orange glimmer. When Alex and Gálida walked further in the room Alex didn’t want to touch anything. He marveled at the stonework on the rounded ceiling. Rays of light danced in the flickering light while stone images and marble icons adorned the walls above the lavish hall’s oak floor.

A red and royal blue rug ran down from the throne to the main door. A pair of golden leopards marked the closest spot where people could stand when they addressed the Queen or King. Alex noticed matching banners with embellished trimmings swinging gently from the walls, and between each banner stood several taper candles of various sizes. Statues of male and female elves lined the walls.

“Gálida, who is on these statues?” asked Alex.

“They are our heroes and leaders from the last six hundred years.”

Immense, multicolor glass windows let light from outside enter the throne room, but what amazed Alex most of all were the towering dual thrones sitting below a grand golden chandelier. A similar but smaller chandelier hung by the left side of the tallest throne.

Symbolic engravings covered the backs of the two largest thrones. The faces of water dragons were chiseled and gilded on each of the front legs. The royal blue pillows on the thrones had symbols matching those on the walls. Alex walked across the room and touched the extravagant iron benches that all faced the throne.

“This is an impressive room,” said Alex.

“Alex, you will sit there, on the back of the King’s throne. You are the King’s archimage now. You are our champion. When he requires magical counsel, he will ask you,” said Gálida.

“Oh no, why? Who used to be the archimage before?” asked Alex.

“It was me,” said Gálida.

“Shemini crystals, and are ye not upset that a human is taking the role?” asked Alex.

“No, why should I? You saved us. Besides, I am the Second Vanquisher. I must leave this place to join the other three and travel the land. Vanquishers protect mages. We are supposed to train the master mages. I am not even supposed to be here. So you are doing me a favor,” said Gálida.

Alex looked around, scratched his head, and looked at Gálida with fear.

“I don’t want any of this, ya know,” said Alex.

“I know,” said Gálida, giving Alex a reassuring look. Alex didn’t want to think what his life would be like now that he was the elves’ archimage. He had always been the last one chosen for all the challenge games at the academy, and he only had one good friend, Aaron.

Now, here he was in a fort playing the leader. How could he be an archimage? These people wanted more from him than he could give. He was a coward who never did anything for himself.

His mother was right; he was a weak man. He needed to get away, but how? He was committed. He had given his back to his father and that set him in a path where he had to take matters in his own hands.

For once he was acting like a real man. These elves needed help, but Alex was full of self-doubt. Maybe he only needed a little courage to start—just a little.