Chronicles of Alaria
Book One: Echoes of the Past
Chapter I - The Start of a Legend
Springs warmth had finally come to the village of Ariko, though it was already well into the month of LasaMir. Filtered sunlight reached through to the ground, sneaking past a thin layer of clouds making their slow march across the sky. The gentle rustling of leaves filled the air with their dull noise, as a light breeze drifted between the trees. Melodies from the birds flying about rose above the leavesErustle, as they called to one another in celebration of the long winters end. As if to add a percussive beat to the birdsEmelodies, the rhythmic thumping of a sword against a training dummy rang through the air.
There, in the outskirts of Ariko, a young swordsman by the name of Talin Katari worked on his skills alone. With a solid blow at the dummy he sent a fluff of cotton adrift into the air, slowly falling to the ground below. Gripping his sword tight, Talin let loose a flurry of strikes on the stuffed target, giving the fallen cotton a few companions on the ground. He brought the sword back to his side with a glimmer in his eyes, dreaming for a moment of adventure, and the potential for heroic combat. His sword gleamed as well, catching a stray ray of sunlight that had fought past the clouds above. In the moment of pause, he wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his wrist, brushing back his hair. He took a deep breath and continued, striking and practicing his swings for a long while. When he was finally finished, he stepped back, and let out a small sigh, closing his eyes for a moment.
Talin was just a month past his twentieth birthday, of average height for a human of his age. He had fairly short black hair atop his head, contrasting with his light blue eyes. Those eyes and his typical confident smile greeted the world for Talin, though his look while training was a little more focused. His armor glistened in the sun, a polished deep green almost matching the leaves that would soon fill the trees above. He wore black boots, his shinguards bearing the crest of the fallen city of Cedra, and white arm and leg guards. His hands rested atop the hilt of his sword, also forest green. Opening his eyes, he drew the sword once more into the air to return it to the sheath at his side.
A girls voice called from behind him, startling him slightly. "Dummy too much for you, Talin?"
Talin spun around to face his antagonizer. "Very funny Ash," he said as he saw her. "What are you doing all the way out here?"
"I just came to taunt you," she said, sticking her tongue out with a little smirk. "Well, and to tell you dinners nearly ready. Moms cooking up a storm in there!"
Ashira paused for a moment, smiling back at Talin. She treated him as though he were her older brother, though her true heritage was of the Elves from Cedra. Her pointed ears poked through her shoulder-length brown hair, the only real distinguishing feature that would cause a passerby to not mistake her for a human child. And though she tried her best to protest that she was a child, in reality only ten months younger than Talin, her elvish blood said differently. The Elves aged slower than humans, only starting to mature into adulthood late in their teenage years, leaving Ashira looking like a human girl of about fourteen or fifteen.
She gazed upon the world with green eyes, sparkling with the smile that she nearly always wore. Across her forehead lay a white headband, tucked behind her pointed ears. A beautiful cape flowed from her shoulders behind her, its silky white material contrasting sharply with the deep blue elvish runes that lined its edges. Three more prominent runes were written across the section of the cape that draped in front of her neck, also written in deep blue. Her tunic matched the shade of the runes, and she wore a set of white leggings underneath, leading all the way down to the black boots that completed her ensemble. Finally with her last growth spurt over the past winter, the cape no longer touched the ground behind her as she walked, and her tunic looked like it actually fit.
"Im going back home now," she said, starting to turn away. "Dont be late for dinner again, or Mom will..."
A scream from the distance cut her off, quickly followed by the fluttering of wings as startled birds scattered from their perches on the trees above.
"That didnt sound good," Talin said, drawing his sword from its sheath and starting to run toward the screams source. "I think it came from the main road!"
Ashira sprinted off in pursuit, catching up in a few moments to Talin, who was weighed down a little by his armor. They ran together, wind whistling by their ears, and Ashiras cape flapping behind her as the air caught it. The area was lightly forested, but not enough to slow them down much. While they didnt lose much time, enough twigs lay scattered about the forest floor to make their approach quite loud. When they finally reached the main road Talin spotted two figures fleeing, but they had already ran a good distance away.
Sprawled on the roads side lay a clearly injured girl, looking about Talins age. Her clothing was torn and slashed, stained red across her shoulder and stomach where she had been cut. Blood leaked from the gashes still, as the girls breathing weakened with each struggling rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes remained closed, unconscious and unaware to the arrival of help. Ashira knelt down on the ground next to her, checking her wounds carefully.
"Can you help her, Ash?" Talin asked, looking down for a moment but quickly relocating the fleeing figures in the distance.
"I think so," Ashira replied, a look of concern on her face. "Youre going after them, arent you?"
Talin nodded. "I have to...we cant let them get away with something like this, can we?"
"Right, right..." Ashira said, with a sigh. "Be careful, Talin. Now go, before they get too far away!"
"Ill be fine," Talin said, as he started running off toward the fleeing figures. "Just worry about that girl!"
Ashira watched for a moment as he sped away. "Dont be late for dinner!" she yelled, trying to convince herself the matter at hand was trivial. Talin smiled slightly, off in the distance.
"Dont you worry," Ashira whispered, turning her attention back to the injured girl. "Ill keep you safe."
She closed her eyes, with her expression relaxed for a moment, in concentration. From her mouth flowed the beautiful language of the Elves, in a chant that seemed more like a short lullaby than anything else. As she finished, she brought her hands out in front of her in a slow sweeping motion, and a bright globe of light appeared between them. It descended to the injured girl below, expanding as it touched her into a shimmering aura of blue that encompassed her entire body for a moment, before fading away. When the light began to fade, a rush of air came forth from between her hands, causing Ashiras white cape to flutter behind her. A moment later, the wind faded, and Ashira opened her eyes once more. The bleeding had stopped for the time being, but the fallen girl still had deep wounds that required more talented aid to help heal. Ashira put her hand to the girls forehead, feeling for warmth.
"Youll be okay," she whispered, as much to reassure herself as anything else.
With a sigh, she sat down, taking the fallen girls hand into her own. With any luck, she hoped, a guardsman would come by soon. Mounted guards frequently patrolled the main outer road of Ariko during the day, providing security and aid to any in need. Her thoughts turned to Talin and his pursuit, wondering how he was faring...
*****
Talin and Ashiras little sprint to the road was not the only disturbance in the typically quiet outskirts of Ariko that afternoon. Off in the more heavily forested area near the outer main road, a girl by the name of Elora was strolling between the trees. She glanced around, a little unsure of her path, as her boots crunched through the twigs beneath her feet. With a little sigh she looked up to the sun above, realizing the morning had passed and she still hadnt reached Ariko. How much further can it be?Eshe wondered, to herself.
Elora stopped, scrunching her nose. "Where are you hiding, Talin?"
Before she had too much time to ponder, she heard a loud yell and the clashing of metal. After looking around for a moment she ran toward the source of the battle cry, stopping atop a hill as she saw the battle ensuing below. She drew her bow, surveying the scene in the clearing at the hills base. A dark haired man stood fighting against an unknown foe clad in rusted iron armor. A second armored figure lay slain a short distance away, its helmet partially torn aside. Elora looked at the fallen warrior, quickly recognizing the pale green skin of the creature as a member of the savage Raaka race.
"Filthy Raks..." she said under her breath, with a scowl. From her quiver, she drew forth an arrow.
The swordsman and the second Raaka matched each other blow for blow, swords clashing loudly in the otherwise serene forest. The green skinned foe was clearly fighting a losing battle, overmatched by the skill of his opponent. With strike after strike the swordsman increased his momentum, driving the creature into a fully defensive posture. Elora kept her distance, readying her bow to shoot if the opportunity arose. Just as the Raaka fell on its back, dropping its sword in the process, the chance came. A third Raaka warrior charged from behind, unseen by the warrior about to deliver a finishing strike to his fallen opponent. It raised its axe high, aiming for the head of the unwary young man, but then crumpled to the ground suddenly. Eloras arrow had pierced through its skull, the feathered end of the shaft still protruding from its temple. With a loud crack, the swordsman cut through the armor of the remaining foe, dispatching it.
Elora smiled to herself in accomplishment and returned her bow to the strap on her back, watching in mild amusement as the young man looked around the area, confused.
"Hey!" he called out, waving in her direction. Startled, she ducked behind a tree for a brief moment, as he began jogging up the hill toward her.
"Wait..." she whispered to herself. "Youre looking for him..."
"Come back!" he yelled, halfway up the hill. "Who are you?"
Elora poked her head out from behind the tree, offering a little smile. He reached her soon after, resting his hands on his thighs and breathing a little heavily after the combat. She looked at him curiously as he approached.
"Thank you for your help back there," he said. "But who are you? And why are you here?"
"Youre welcome," she said with a nod. "My names Elora. And Im here," she paused, nervously. "Well, Im here...Im out here looking for you."
"For...me?" The swordsman said, shaking his head. "I dont know you, do I?"
"Well no, you see, I was sent out here to," She said, her expression showing more uncertainty the longer she looked at him. "Your name is Talin, right?"
He looked puzzled. "No...my name is Grift. Who is Talin?"
Her eyes grew wide. "Youre not? But you look like..." She covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers, blushing in embarrassment.
Grift stood there, tilting his head to the side slightly with an increasingly curious look on his face.
"I...Im sorry!"
Before Grift could open his mouth, a cloud of blue dust replaced the space where Elora had stood a moment before. He blinked, and stood there, confused.
"That was odd..."
He shook his head, and walked back into the forest. Elora faded back into view a short distance away, frowning at her awkward display. She walked off toward a small trail, hoping it would lead her to Ariko.
"He probably thought Im crazy," she said to herself, trudging through the underbrush. "Calianad be in a fit of laughter if she were watching. He really did look like Talin should, though..."
Elora looked up at the sky as she reached the trail. Silence filled the air, as she glanced down both directions of the path. "Southeast...this should be the right way," she said to herself, as she started walking away.
*****
Talin huffed in frustration, as he walked through the trees toward Ariko. After a long chase hed lost the trail of the two fleeing culprits, and reluctantly gave up to return home. He lightly struck the trunk of one of the larger trees with the flat of his blade, annoyed with himself. "Maybe the town guards will get them," he said to himself, hardly believing it, as he re-sheathed his sword. Eventually he came upon one of the trails leading to the main road, traveled upon occasionally, but not too often.
He hadnt expected to cross paths with anyone along the small trail so late in the afternoon, but before hed walked very far he saw a girl sitting, leaning against a tree. Her eyes were closed, and she was motionless, though her hair swayed ever so slightly in the light breeze. It barely reached her shoulders, tied back with a red bow that matched most of her clothing. Her tunic was mostly white with the same red trim, almost a shade of crimson. Glimmering in the sunlight against it was a silver pendant, shaped like a crescent moon. It hung from a delicate strand of silver string, also shining in the late afternoon sun. A bow and small quiver rested against her back, three red-feathered arrows peeking out atop it. She wore a pair of long black leather boots, bearing a small crest Talin didnt recognize.
"Hello?" he said, walking over toward her. He assumed she was taking a nap.
Eloras left eye opened and she glanced up, followed by a quick look of surprise as both eyes opened wide. She jumped up, her head cutting through an overhead branch with a loud cracking noise. Talin winced slightly in response as she tumbled back to the ground, trying to stifle a little laugh at the same time.
"Are...you alright?" he asked, sympathetically, reaching down to help her up.
Her eyes were closed again as she held her hand over the spot on her head that had torn through the branch. "Im...Im fine." After a moment she looked up at Talin, whose hand was still extended.
"Youre..."she started, eyes growing wide again. "You are! Talin, right?" She sat up quickly, as surprised as Talin was at the fact that she knew his name.
"Well, yes, I am. Do I know you?" he said, as he helped her to her feet.
"Great!" Elora said happily, as she brushed the dirt off her tunic. "And no, you dont know me. Not yet," she continued, her smile turning into a little smirk. "I was sent out to find you, actually."
"To find...me? Sure youve found the right Talin?" he replied, with a little laugh. He couldnt imagine why anyone would be searching for him.
"Talin Katari...son of the swordsman Tristan Katari. Unless theres another one of you walking around?" she asked, raising her eyebrow slightly.
"No, thats me," he replied with a nod, looking down at the ground for a moment.
Elora looked over toward the horizon, and the soon to be setting sun. "Maybe we should get out of the woods before night falls. Where were you headed?"
"Home," he said, stepping back on the path. "I live here in Ariko...not too far away from where we are now."
Elora smiled. Shed found Ariko after all. "Do you mind if I come along?"
"Not at all," Talin said, with a smile. "Companys always welcome." He started down the path, beckoning for her to follow. He told the story of his little misadventure on the short walk home.
*****