Dance of Light and Shadows: The paladin and the elf. (Full story)

To the Mods:


This is the full story of my contest entry, but this one wont be counted for the contest since it is 6,000 words long. But I wanted to share anyways Here
To users:
Please refrain from posting until it's all posted

Dance of Light and Shadows: The paladin and the elf
by: J.n.v (me)

Act 1 of 3

A humanoid shadow edged along the red-tiled rooftop of a marbled-made tavern inside the moonlit kingdom of Savannah. There it stood still, hidden behind the leaves of a tall Manchurian tree, and observed the nearby guards while they drank their share of Dwarven-Brewed Ale. The light of the moon revealed a masked rogue, wearing dual blades on its back and a tight, black-leathered outfit.

With a firm grip unto the swords diamond-braided handle, the stranger surveyed the city in all its glory; searching for signs of incoming guards.

The kingdom was large, dimly lit by various lampposts and sumptuously decorated with the statues of fallen heroes. Near the palace’s arched entrance, stood the courtyard, displaying a large fountain with two golden dolphins interrelated to each other in the shape of a heart. The previous king, was well-known for using stone monuments to display the kingdoms history, and only contracted the finest sculptors and architects when the city was first built.

A chill wind carried with it the scent of drunken breath, and the strangers face twisted into a sneer of disgust; drawing his attention back towards the chain mail armored men. He then silently unsheathed his blades and prepared for decent, only to halt as Knight-Captain Jonathan Scrier turned the corner.

“Attention!” he yelled, as the men stumbled to their feet and greeted him with respect. The young, bold captain paced himself towards the guardsmen dressed in silver plated armor that covered his neck down to his feet, and a short sword on his back.

“At ease gentlemen.” he said in a lowered voice.

The guardsmen abandoned their salute. “Our apologies captain,” said the taller of the two,” we were just on our way to the lookout.”

Jonathan’s eyes moderated the situation. “That’s fine,” he said, “Just be on guard. The Eldorei have declared war on us and on top of that, there have been sightings of Kalycot in the villages of the north.”

The guardsmen eyes widened at the sound of the name.”Ka…kalycot?” said the shorter of the guardsmen and continued, “The black dragon? “

Jonathan glanced at the tavern and back at the guardsmen. “Precisely.” he said as he walked past them, “Finish drinking your ale and head to your posts after you’re done, and make sure the marshal does not catch you as I have.”

Both guardsmen saluted in acknowledgement. “Yes sir!” They exclaimed as Jonathan made his way into the tavern, disappearing from the rogues view.

Inside the local, the smell of roasted hog’s meat prompted a familiar grumble inside Jonathan’s gut. He had been busy with his tasks during the day, that the thought of a hot meal had escaped him. Ignoring his desire to comfort the hunger, however, he scanned through the crowd of drunken nobles until he spotted a pair of isolated dwarves sitting at a rounded, wooden table near a fireplace.

With a smile, he made his way through the heated crowd as sweat drizzled down his face, while he struggled for fresh air. Finally, as he reached the dwarves, Jonathan released a sigh of relief and observed the dozens of empty mugs, and a pair of broad swords laid flat on the table.

Jonathan cleared his throat as his shadow hovered over the pair. “Well, well, well; Hidte Bravehand and Karror Boltbreaker,” he said and continued with a smile, “I see you two haven’t changed one bit.”

The dwarfs turned simultaneously and looked upon him with surprise.

“Oi, if it ain’t Jonathan! Come! Join us lad!” said Hidte, who wore a long red-braided beard that hurled around his neck and over his shoulders.

“My apologies brothers; I am not here for long.” said Jonathan.

Karror took notice of Jonathan’s white-colored tabard, which embedded the image of a sword in between two wings. “I see you became a grand master in the paladin order.” said Karror, “Congrats lad! To accomplish such a feat, and at such a young age!”

Jonathan smiled. “Well,” he said in a humble tone, “I had great teachers.”

Hidte shook his head. “We only, taught you what we could young lad, the rest was yer own wits.” he said, “But what brings yeh here to these parts?”

Jonathan brushed aside a few droplets of sweat, along with a few strains of his black hair from his forehead and continued addressing the dwarfs. “I was informed that you have recently discovered the possible whereabouts of Kalycot.” he said, “The king has tasked me to handle the situation.”

The dwarf’s faces twisted with concern. “That sounds more of a job for them dragon slayers.” said Hidte, “Why hasn’t the king dispatched them for the task?”

Jonathan sighed. “The King is low on funds. It was decided that we should handle this one without their aid.” he said.

Karror brushed his black beard for a moment while being lost in thought. He gave a brief nod towards Hidte who then turned to address Jonathan.

“Aye, lad.” he said, “ Here’s what yeh need to know: from amongst the whispers of the villagers of the north, Kalycot was seen heading towards the forest of the webs, but I warn yeh, the forest is crawling with ogre sized eight leggers, no man has dared enter the forest and lived to tell the tale.”

“I think I can handle a few arachnids,” said Jonathan

With a faint smile, the dwarf got off his chair and patted Jonathan on his back. “Your father would be proud of yeh young Scrier, a fine lad you turned out to be, however, I must also report that there has been sightings of the Eldorei in the area, be on the lookout for them aswell.”

“Noted,” said Jonathan in a nod of acknowledgement. He then signaled the barkeep and left a few gold coins as a token of gratitude. The barkeep brought a few mugs filled with fresh ale, which ignited a string of excitement across the dwarf’s faces. “Enjoy, the night brothers,” he said as he turned and made his way towards the exit.

Outside of the tavern, Jonathan strolled past the door and in dismay; caught the sight of the masked rogue, retrieving his blade from one of the fallen guardsmen. The rogue looked upon him with surprise exposing his emerald eyes that sparkled through the moonlight.

Jonathans rage fostered up. The sight of his men lying face down on the concrete-floor, in a pool of their own plasma caused his own blood to boil. His mind raced for a moment, as the rogue turned away to flee from him. With all his will, he was finally able to muster up the words past his shock. “Hey!” he thundered. “Stop right there!”

Temptations to pursue the stranger halted as Jonathan heard the grumble of one of the fallen guards. Abandoning the thought of pursuit, he attended to the men instead. He knelt down, and to his surprise, he found that they were both still alive. “Man down!” he yelled as the words echoed on through the night.

Act 2


At first light the next day, Jonathan departed Savannah and rode his stead along the northern, murky road. With him, he carried provisions and a two-foot tank filled with water loaded to the right side of his mount. The kingdom shrunk from view as he pressed forward throughout dawn, while a heavy mist blanketed the land for miles. To his left he observed the twin suns emerging as two fiery balls blurred out across the western horizon.

Along the way, his mind wandered towards the rogue that struck his men the night before. A wide search conducted by the royal guards during the night revealed no trace of the fugitive. The thought occurred to him that the eyes he had witnessed were similar to those belonging to the Eldorei elves. From what he read in the ancient scrolls, the Eldorei were skilled in the art of stealth, as they used the light of the moon to charge them with an unknown magic; granting them the ability to camouflage themselves during the night.

“So that’s how they infiltrate our camps,” he thought to himself, navigating through the mist along the route. Normally he would not have left Savannah alone. The world of Gaen, was too dangerous for solo treks, even for a powerful young paladin. This day was different though, Jonathan had to be certain that enemy eyes would not mark his passage.

It would take almost a full day for him to arrive at the village of the north. Amongst the villagers, the women and children hurried to their cottages as they prepared for the coming nightfall.

The village itself was in poor shape, most of the dwellings were made out of stocks of deadwood, gathered from the nearby forest. Only a few structures created from bolstered resin stood within the village; which was directly paid for by the king to aid his soldiers during eras of war.

Steering the reigns of his stead, Jonathan directed the horse towards an old inn where he dismounted and allowed the charger to rest near a reservoir of water. He briefly moderated the nearly empty streets before he entered the inn shortly after.

Inside the inn, Jonathan gave a quick glance at the innkeeper as he pressed forward, and ignored his surroundings. The old woman stared back at him with beady eyes, as her hair blended in with a worn-out white gown.

Jonathan bowed slightly. “Greetings,” he said in a gentle tone.

“How… how may I help you?” she asked while avoiding direct contact with his eyes.

Jonathan took notice of the woman’s behavior, and with a frown, he continued to address her. “I am looking for information with regards to the sightings of the Eldorei, along with the whereabouts of Kalycot.”

“I…I don’t know anything.” she said, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, that will be all.” he said, as his eyes followed a single droplet of sweat that drizzled down the innkeepers face. With curiosity, he addressed her once more, “Are you sure?” he insisted, “I am here on the kings orders you know.”

The innkeeper’s face turned pale as a pair of daggers struck the wall behind her. Jonathan turned with haste and to his surprise, he saw the same rogue from the night before, standing about twenty feet away from him. “You!” he exclaimed as he watched the fugitive turn and bolt away from him. In an angry frenzy, Jonathan trailed on after him as the woman ducked safely behind the counter.

He stormed past the inns exit as his eyes caught the glimpse of his target heading out of the village. The young paladin retrieved his mount and sped off down the now empty corridors. The rogue moved abnormally fast on foot, which made the horse a very nice blessing. Jonathan knew of the Eldorei’s many skills, but this was the first time he had ever encountered one face to face. He clamped tight unto his saddle, and kicked his charger for greater speeds, as they both headed out of the village and into a forest ahead.

The rogue leapt with superb agility unto the branch of one of the dead wooded trees near the opening of the forest. From there he soared from branch to branch, as Jonathan galloped his charger not far below.

The forest kept getting darker and darker the deeper they went. Around them, the deadwood trees took the shape of unnerving faces entrenched near their trunks. The rogue turned into a halt to face Jonathan, and shot a couple of daggers with such precision; that it stuck through the ground right in front of the chargers hooves. The action caused the steed to stumble over; as it sent Jonathan head first towards the ground.

The rogue seized the moment, and pounced towards Jonathan from the high branch. He unsheathed his dual blades in midair with the intent to finish Jonathan off during his free-fall; but he did not properly calculate the timing of the attack as Jonathan twisted his body slightly and the rogue’s blade missed him by mere inches; tearing through his blue cape instead.

(continued...)

Jonathan rolled on the ground, unsheathed his sword and readied himself for incoming strikes. He then caught a glimpse of the rogue’s image through the side of the blade, and in a swift turn, he swung his lighted blade around and unleashed a stream of light from within, repelling his opponents attack.

The shockwave caused the rogue to skim backward across the ground, away from Jonathan as his feet disturbed the ground beneath him, sending a cloud of dust spiraling upward during the hours of twilight. There they stood, in a brief standoff as they observed each other for any signs of movement.

Jonathan gazed at his adversary with curiosity.

“Who are you?” he asked in a serious tone.

The rogue did not elaborate. Instead, he shifted his gaze slightly towards the rising moon and then back at Jonathan. With a mocking wave of his hand, he faded into the shadows, leaving Jonathan in wonder.

“Damnit.” Jonathan thought to himself, “Where is he?”

He tuned in to the sounds around him until he picked up the whipping blare of a blade cutting through the air. He then twirled around and parried the blow from the invisible stranger who ghosted his way around Jonathan in an attempt to backstab him through the shadow dance. Jonathan’s face twisted into sudden frustration as he analyzed the situation. ‘This is like fighting a damn ghost,” he thought as he continued to parry the ghostly strikes. His paladin skills allowed him to tap into a divine power, but his training did not prepare him for such an opponent. For a moment, he thought he was outclassed, but he knew his mind was playing tricks on him.

He had to think fast, while he parried blow by blow, he examined his surroundings until he noticed the tank filled with water, which was loaded up to the right side of his stead. With a swing of his blade, he cut through the ground and purposely lifted enough dust upward in an attempt to blind the rogue and buy him more time against his opponent’s deadly strikes and made his way to his charger.

Jonathan reached the steed in time as he sensed the rogue near him. He then proceeded on piercing through the container with the tip of his blade, and hurled it upward with all his might as he targeted a deadwood branch directly above him. The impact caused the tank to burst open, sending streams of water that showered everything below.

The gamble worked as the water caused a chain reaction in the rogue, exposing him in the process. The rogue cleared his eyes from the dust Jonathan had lifted before and looked back at him with disgust.

Jonathan stared back with a sigh of relief. “I guess your stealth abilities don’t work when you’re wet,” he said with a smile. “Let’s dance, you and I.”

The rogue dashed forward as both his blades collided with Jonathans in such intensity and speed that it sent a flare-up of sparks throughout the vicinity.

Jonathan hounded in a succession of low thrusts. The rogue tried to rear away swiftly and return to equal footing, but the relentless assault forced him against a neighboring deadwood tree, to which he curved to tackle, and with great agility from his feet, strolled up, hard-pressed against the trunk, tumbled backward and landed slightly crouched behind Jonathan. With arms open, and a tight grip unto his blades, he dashed towards Jonathan’s exposed back for a final assault.

A crescent grin extended across Jonathan’s face. His body emitted a strange faint yet visible glow. “Divine light,” he slurred under his breath. The sudden chant released a flash of light that temporarily blinded the rogue in mid dash. With great haste, Jonathan stepped aside, and allowed his rival to sprint past him. The move caused the rogue to slam head first into the tree and fall unconsciously on his back.

Jonathan sighed with relief. “Well that worked,” he said with a smirk of satisfaction. He took a couple of steps towards the unconscious stranger, kicking away his blades in the process with his plated boots. He then stooped down and examined the rogue. “Now, we see what lies behind the mask,” he thought as he pulled the mask off and revealed the face of a female elf with straw-colored hair.

Surprised by the turn of events, Jonathan pondered a moment and then decided to tie her up and take her back to the Savannah. A loud shriek that came from the trenches of the forest caused him to abandon the thought as he carefully surveyed his surroundings in an attempt to pinpoint his location. Above him, through the remaining visible light, the webs dangled around the towering trees spreading throughout his location. “He must have ridden his stead through the forest of webs without realizing it,” he thought.

(continued...)

Jonathan decided it was best to wait out the night. He did not know much about the actual species, but one thing he knew about the arachnids, was that they were night hunters, and extremely sensitive to moving targets. The webs themselves were treacherous, as the slightest of touch would ring a dinner bell for any surrounding crawlers.

He tied the elf to a nearby tree and prepared a campfire.

During the evening hours, Jonathan roasted a couple of large sized birds he had previously shot down with his hunting bow. With so many webs around, he was surprised any had made it this far into the forest. As his teeth sank into the tender meat, he tuned in to a faint whimper and turned to face the elf as she awakened from her slumber. The elf took notice of Jonathan who sat comfortably a couple of feet away from her.

“Grànnda daonna!” she hissed as she wrangled between the ropes.

Jonathan watched in slight amusement as she gazed angrily at him.

“I don’t know what that means,” he said in a mock, “But I think you are cute too.”

Her lips curled in revulsion at the sound of his words. “It means filthy human!” she growled.

Jonathan smiled. “Ah, so you do speak our language.” he said.

Realizing her predicament, she addressed him again.

“Kill me,” she said.

Jonathan’s amusement wiped away from his face. He could not understand why the elf requested this from him. He studied the elf before breaking the awkward silence. “Why should I do that?” he asked.

“I’d rather die than to be in the clutches of you humans.” she replied in an uncaring tone.

Jonathan pondered a moment. “Ah, I see…”he paused and then gave her a smile. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not that kind of guy, especially since you are…all tied up.”

“Heh,” she said with a grin, “Then release me and we shall fight to the death!”

“Thank you for the offer, but no thanks. Nice try though. Very cunning,” he said as he monitored the elf further. “It is such a shame though, for a beautiful female; to have hatred in her heart. I thought you elves loved life.”

The elf gave him a piercing look. “There are… exceptions,” she said.

“You almost killed two of my men, you almost took a life. Isn’t taking a life something you elves stand against?” he asked.

“Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater good,” she said.

Jonathan nodded in disapproval. “Then you are no better than those you stand against,” he said.

Seconds of silence blended into minutes, while Jonathan took another series of bites from his meal. He then noticed the eyes of the elf stack upon him with a revolting look on her face.

“Ugh, disgusting” she said

“Are you hungry?” Jonathan asked, offering the second cooked bird.

“Get that away from me!” she said. “Unlike you humans, we do not feel the need to devour the flesh of the living or the dead.”
“Suit yourself.” he said as the sound of a faint grumble caught his ear emanating from the elf’s direction. His mind wandered for a moment, and proceeded to open a black leathered pouch, which rested to his side. He then reached in, retrieved an apple, and sliced it evenly with one of rogue’s daggers. He took one of the halves and offered it to the elf. The elf looked at him with her emerald eyes and then looked away in contempt. Jonathan could see her struggle in temptation as her eyes became mellow.

Realizing, Jonathan would not go away, she turned and faced him once again.

“You sure that won’t go to waste?” she asked in a sarcastic tone.

“Even enemies, can have compassion for one another,” he said

The elf chuckled. “Hard to believe, coming from a human,” she said and continued with another hiss, “Your actions prove otherwise.”

Jonathan pondered at her words a moment before he replied. “Some of us do care, sure there may be bad apples, but you can’t judge us all for the sake of a few,” he paused as he held the slices of apple near her mouth, “Now, are you going to eat? Or should I give this to my steed instead?”

The elf gave a grin. “What makes you think I won’t bite off your hand in your attempt to feed me?” she asked.

“With the way you reacted to the bird earlier, I think I’m safe.”

“Ugh!” she scolded, as she caved in and relentlessly took a large bite out of the sliced apple.

(Continued...)

Jonathan waited patiently until she took in the last chunk. Satisfied with his deed, he walked over to where he had sat before, with his back against a laid out log; facing the campfire. “So,” he said, shifting his gaze back towards her, “Does the elf have a name?”

The elf swallowed the last chunk before she answered.

“Why should I tell you?”

“Well, it is fine with me, I can always just call you Elfie,” he said with a charming smile.

Her eyes widened, while her teeth grinded in protest. “My name is Arianne!” she yelled.

Jonathan smiled. “I think that’s a nice name.”

Arianne stared at him with curious eyes.

“Those abilities of yours, what were they?” she asked.

Jonathan stared on with surprise as he prepared to answer, “The first was called: Divinity of protection, it is where I use my emotions and channel it into an energetic field to expel incoming attacks. The other was Divine light, which my soul becomes reflected unto the blade causing a shine that would blind the enemy.”

Arianne spat to her side. “Clever…” she said with frowned look on her face. “Those attacks have their own weaknesses, I won’t be fooled again.”

“Why do you hate humans so much?” he asked.

“Is it not obvious by now paladin? You have brought nothing but death and destruction, tell me, what have you done to help the world? What do you try to do to bring peace back to these lands?” she asked and awaited his response.

“I just try to do the right thing,” he said.

“The right thing?” she asked, “The mere Irony of your words spells hypocrisy. You follow a king that leads these lands into ruin.”

“It is only hypocritical if one denies it,” said Jonathan.

“Then why do you press on if you know this?” she asked.

Jonathan thought for a moment as he blankly stared at the fire with an unexpected troubled look on his face. “I am aware we humans make mistakes, but that is part of life. We learn as we grow, we achieve perfection through our own imperfections.”

“That is not logical!” she yelled.

“Of course not,” he said, “Not everything can be understood through logic. Sometimes; faith, patience, understanding and acceptance are all we really need.”

“Overcrowded faith clouds the eyes,” she said.

“Perhaps…” he responded in a far kinder tone, “but… if we can’t trust our own hearts, what can we trust?”

“And you think I don’t follow my heart?” she said while squinting her eyes, “who is lying to themselves, you or I, paladin?”

A silence fell in between them as Arianne awaited his response.

Jonathan stared blankly at her before he responded in words that would leave her in surprise.
“We both are,”

Act 3



Arianne’s eyes widened and her ears twitched in a manner that caused Jonathan to watch with curiosity as the young elf shifted her gaze into every direction; still stationed between her ropes. Jonathan pondered at her motives, and before he could even bring out words, she spoke in a sunken voice.

“We are surrounded,” she said, “Humanoids, eight total.”

“How do you know?” he asked as he looked around the encampment.

Arianne glared. “You aren’t the only one with special skills you know,” she said as she stared past Jonathans shoulders, “Behind you!”

A flight of arrows whistled through the air. Jonathan detected the sound, stood up and whirled his blade around in a sudden blur, deflecting each one. He picked up one of the sliced arrows and examined the engraved, elvish symbols.

“I see,” said Jonathan, “I guess races stick together.”

“You fool!” she said interrupting his thoughts, “These elves are traitors of the Eldorei, look closely at the cross symbol below, they belong to an underground clan of your precious kings personal assassin’s. I was investigating their whereabouts when you showed up.”

Jonathan fell in awe; he knew there was corruption in Savannah, but to what extent? Realizing he would not handle the guests alone, with haste, he grabbed one of Arianne’s daggers and proceeded to cut through the rope that held her in place.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Showing you what faith looks like,” he said.

Once released, Arianne grabbed her dual blades from the ground as Jonathan turned his back and readied himself for the newly arrivals. In that instant, Arianne had sprinted forward and grabbed hold of Jonathan from behind. With her sharpened blades hard pressed against Jonathan’s neck, she whispered in his right ear.

“You should have killed me when you had the chance.” she said, “Your blood should be spilt on the very land you humans have ruined.”

Jonathan lowered his blade in a disappointed surrender. “If this should be your will, then do as you must.”

Jonathan’s words shocked the elf to her core. She released the hold she had on him as she curled around and blocked the attack of one of the corrupted elves who ghosted his way around them, the same way she did to Jonathan hours before.

Jonathan parried one of the assassin’s attacks through a grin. “Damn,” he said as he parried another, “I could sure use some water right now.”

Arianne glanced at him with an equal grin, while she reached into a pouch embedded to her belt. She then retrieved a couple of abnormally colored spheres and continued to smash them against the floor; sending a painted spray that covered both them and the invisible strangers.

Jonathan stared back at Arianne with a nod of approval. “Well done!” he said, shifting his gaze back at the now exposed elves who wore a similar outfit to that of Arianne’s. They released themselves from their confusion, and sprinted all at once towards them.

A series of frenzied parries followed, as the blurs of many blades smashed against each other through the dance of flashes and sparks. Arianne navigated a whirl of attacks in between four of the masked assassin’s. She shot up, as one of elves gave a thrust forward with blades in hand. She landed square on his shoulder, and with her legs tightly wrapped around his neck, she twisted to her rear, and hurdled the attacker against another who was in the process of a charge, sending both against a large web.

The forest ignited into a succession of unbearable shrieks and hisses. The sound of sword clashes all but seized as all parties surveyed the glowing globes that sequently appeared one after another as they embedded in the darkness.

Jonathan and Arianne backed against each other as they both held a tight grip unto their weapons; and watched as the events unfolded.

One of the masked assassins glanced up in dismay as a large shadow came down and hauled him upwards towards the top of the trees. The rest of the elves pondered in their confusion as another shadow swept by; grabbing hold of another. One by one, they got picked out and hauled into the darkness above; where the screams of the already taken elves, echoed in agony throughout the forest.

(continued...)

“This isn’t good,” said Jonathan worry etched in his boots.

“Keep your guard up human, this isn’t over,” she said, “Watch my back and I shall watch yours.”

The band of elves, were all, but taken by the time Jonathan looked at where they once stood. Sword in hand, and ready for any incoming shadows, he stared blankly into the darkness. The campfire would then reveal dozens of legs that made their way slowly towards them.

“There must be hundreds of them!” he yelled, realizing that their chances of survival had all, but nearly vanished.

Arianne, however, amused; did not express fear of the unknown as she readied her blades for one final standoff. She was prepared to die a true warrior, and she would not allow the thought of fear to disable her from her resolve. A bright light drew her attention towards the sky as a stream of fire ignited around them, burning the crawling beasts below. The ones that survived the blazing inferno fled the scene as a colossal shadow flew overhead.

“Kalycot!” yelled Jonathan, as the massive beast landed, and caused the ground to tremble below its weight.

“The spider’s unrest must have caused Kalycot to come out in curiosity,” he thought.

Kalycot twisted its black-scaled body and faced their direction. Its tail bulldozed some of the burning ember around them as it whipped across at the transition. Its majestic maw widened as fire escaped through its nostrils, and in a deep breath, it let out a thundering roar that shook Jonathan in his place.

Losing patience, Arianne charged at Kalycot. With swift agility, she dodged its descending claw as it buried deep where she once stood, sending debris of rocks across the camp. She then ran up its back, hacking and slashing, digging the points of her blades home and flicking off pieces of the beasts hardened skin. Arianne then rolled off to the side and found herself facing the now exposed chest. In a dash, she managed to pierce through enough before Kalycot’s whirling tail battered her against a nearby tree.

“Arianne!” Jonathan yelled, as he ran towards her in full concern. Kalycot turned towards her with its maw fully charged for a deadly breath.

Jonathan arrived between the beast and the elf as the flames ejected from its maw. “Divine intervention!” he yelled in time as the dragon’s fiery breath collided with an invisible barrier that Jonathan had created, shielding both him and the elf from the hellfire.

Arianne stared at Jonathan’s shadowy back in utter amazement while the young paladin became blanketed by light.

Jonathan began to sweat from the heat as he swung his blade once more, and reflected the breath back towards Kalycot’s face. The impact caused the great beast to howl in pain as it spread its wings in preparation for a retreat.

Jonathan then seized the opportunity and charged towards Kalycot, sword in hand, he sliced upward on Kalycot chest and hammered with his boots at the sword that Arianne had left earlier, piercing through its heart, and finished up what Arianne had started. Kalycot then spread his wings wide and began to flap. The sheer power caused the neighboring trees to sway violently as Kalycot took off to the sky, and in one attempt to breathe fire, the dragon imploded from within, sending it to a free-fall behind the burning embers.

Sweat poured down Jonathan’s cheeks, as he took in a series of deep breaths. He may have come out unscathed this night, but the task was still a tough one. He surveyed the aftermath of the battle. Around them, the fires kept spreading throughout the forest.

He then walked towards Arianne who struggled to get up. Only a few minor cuts were visible from his point of view, as he reached out his hand, grabbed hold of her arm and wrapped it around his shoulders.

She looked at him with her body slightly slouched. “You were holding back during our fight,” she said.

A smile formed across his face. “Well…to tell you the truth,” he paused and acknowledged with a wink. “It’s one thing to fight a big dragon, it is another to fight a ghost, and besides, I don’t like fighting.”

“Then why do you fight?” she asked

He thought a moment before he gestured to answer. “To be able to protect the ones you love, we must become strong.”

She gazed at him with a surprised look on her face. “Such great power and such gentleness… a rare attribute not many possess,” she whispered to herself. The thought came to her that they were equals, one held an advantage in the dark, while the other held the advantage in the light. The enlightenment caused her to smile. “I never asked for your name,” she said.

Jonathan stared at her with surprise “It’s Jonathan.”

(Continued...)

She paused a moment, as she released herself from him. She then turned and surprised Jonathan with a kiss. Arianne’s memories poured into his mind like a gushing river. Intimate memories shifted between scenes of the elf’s private life while he surrendered to her will. Caught off guard, he experienced an impact to the back of his head. He struggled to gasp for air and remain conscious, but his legs gave out on him as his body weakened. His blurred-vision shifted from Arianne’s eyes, to the floor, and into darkness.

During mid-day, Jonathan awoke with a concussion on his head. He explored his surroundings and became surprised when he caught sight of Savannah in the Horizon. To his left, his steed rested next to a Manchurian tree with a large weave bag dangling to the side of the saddle. He walked over and pulled it off from the saddle, and un-wrapped the tight rope. Inside the bag, was a two-foot long, razor sharp tooth belonging to Kalycot. He gave a bright smile as he looked around and then towards the sky. “Perhaps, one day…peace will indeed come to these lands,” he said as he grabbed the reigns of his steed and walked towards the Kingdom of Savannah.

From a distance, a shadow hides behind the leaves of a tall Manchurian tree. Emerald eyes gazing, observing, and smiling.

End of story.

Comment away and let me know what you all think.

SnF. I don't have time now to give you a full opinion, but I PROMISE to read it all the way through.

I simply don't have the time at the moment to give you a fair read. It looks very interesting. When I read, I like to have the time, undisturbed, focusing completely on the story and not having all sorts of distractions.

However, I want to thank you for posting it all up for perusal. I appreciate that.

reply to post by Druid42



Aye man, I appreciate it too. I posted it also on absolutewrite forums, in the share your work section (which is password protected).

The place is where alot of authors hang out with amateurs and help. Ive been on there almost 2 years, they were brutal on their criticism, But gave me some huge pointers on how to fix it. I highly recommend that site if you're a writer and want to learn more. Its kinda like a mini school there.

I have long ways to go before I get to the level I want to be, but if you compare this story with my last story that I entered awhile back. There has been some improvements