The Journal

The Journal
Chapter 1
Life from Death

A man lay sprawled across the ground lying in a pool of blood, three Grugs (Orcs) sat nearby talking in Grugish, the Grug language
“Grak glaru blurg” one said
“Nak aru kalag” the second replied
Little did they know that they were being watched by three elves, two male and one female
“Ugh, gross creatures that lot” Felnorn the leader of the trio said
“Yeah well we don't have a choice, now keep your voice down or else they will hear us” Ornaith the oldest and wisest of the group replied “Get ready Fel, it won't be an easy fight”
As he said those words three streams of green light flew from the females outstretched fingers
“What was that you were saying Orn?” she asked
“You and your magic Arica, we'll never have anything to do at this rate” Ornaith said sheathing his sword. The trio walked over to the man, he was still alive but just barely
“Anything we can do?” Arica asked
“Not really unless you have some healing spells tuck up somewhere” Ornaith said bending over the man, as the words came out of his mouth the man pulled himself upright
“Who are you? And where am I?” he demanded
“Calm down, you've lost a lot of blood, me and my friends can help you” Ornaith said
“No, I don't need your help, and I haven't lost any blood” the man shot back
“What? Haven't lost any blood? My dear man, look at the pool of blood your sitting in” Felnorn said trying not to lose his temper
“It's not mine, but you haven't answered my questions, who are you and were am I?” the man said
“I'm Felnorn Rastain, this is Ornaith Cornith and this here is Arica Melthian” Felnorn said
“And we're not far from the Cliffs of Raiol” Ornaith said
“Ah, a half-demon half-elf mage, a elven warrior and a guard of Tornial, just my luck, and I need to be five hundred miles north of here” the man said
“Listen, I'm about to lose my temper, now tell us who you are and why you think you know who we are” Felnorn said, he wasn't to happy about this whole thing
“Me? Your joking right? No? Oh well, I'm Cras-The Dark Warden, and trust me 'Felnorn' I know exactly who you are, she is a half-demon half-elf sorceress, the old man is a guard of Tornial and your an elven warrior, the girls parents were killed when she was thirty four and then she went to the old man to learn magic, he knew nothing of magic at the time and sent her away, she then went to a magical school and became a very powerful sorceress and know one knows why except for me, the old man became a guard of Tornial when his parents were burned at the stake for treason and now he follow you every where in hopes that you will bring about the Dark Lords end, and you have a very clouded past” Crassian replied
“How did you know that? I've never told anyone” Arica asked
“Trust me, you don't want to know how I know that, oh and you can call me Warden” Crassian said “However, your going to come with me to the Gate of Hell”
“What in the name of the high Gods are you thinking?” Ornaith shouted
“You will see old man, now get moving, we don't have all day” Crassian said
Reluctently the trio followed Crassian as he marched northward, it had taken Crassian threatening to tell everyone what he knew about them to make them go with him

*****
Journal Entry Two Seven One
Day of Thorian, The Month of the Feral, The Eight Year of the rule of the Dark Lord

I saw the gate open and the creature step out, it will not be a good year for Eleseria, the Dark Lord was there, he must have opened the Gate of Hell, and unless it is shut more creatures of the ancient days will return and wreak havoc upon the country side, I overheard three of his Generals talking, he plans on using the creatures to destroy The Order, The Guards of Tornial and anyone else who defies him

Chapter 2
What if all your wishes could come true?

The quartet moved through the bushes, it was a week after their meeting and they were nearing a Gate of Hell, on the way they were having a conversation about the Gates of Hell

“So how many are there again?” Felnorn asked

“Fifteen, and when they are all opened all of the Hellspawn will be able to walk upon this world and everywhere they step more evil creatures will rise, there will be no peace in Eleseria” Crassian replied

“So we need to stop the Dark Lord from opening them all?” Arica asked

“No little girl, you three will watch as the Wardens do their duty, we will be the ones stopping the Dark Lord from opening the gates, you three have other duties, that's why I am protecting you” Crassian said

“Why do you and your kind have to stop him from opening the gates?”

“It is what we were made for, it's our destiny to slay Demons and other creatures of Hell”

“Like me?”

“No, not you, you are a very special person Arica, you have all of the strengths of a Demon but you also have the pure heart of an Elf, the Demon half of you is where you get your magical abilities, the Elf half of you is where your wisdom and good deeds come from, do you understand?”

“Yes I think so”

“Good, because I'm done telling you young ones stories, goodnight I'm getting some sleep”

The company went to sleep, all except for Arica, she was still going over what Crassian had said in her mind, she began to understand but still didn't know what her part in all this was, she decided to ask Crassian when he woke the next morning.

*****

They awoke the next morning and prepared breakfast, Felnorn had returned with some rabbits and Ornaith was working on cooking them, Arica woke up after the others and rubbed her eyes

“What time is it?” she asked

“A little after eight I think” Ornaith replied

Arica saw Crassian sitting by himself whittling and she walked over to him

“If you know so much then...” she began but Crassian cut her off

“I don't know what your part is, I'm not the Gods above, I am just their servant” he said “And trust me, the last thing you want to know is what the Gods have in store for you”

“Oh, I was hoping you would know” Arica said with disappointment

“Ask the old one, he might know”

“He doesn't, I've already asked him”

“Ah, so you came to me for help, well I'm sorry I have nothing to give you”

“Well thanks anyways, I'm getting dressed”

“What? Out here in the middle of the camp?” Felnorn asked bewildered

“What's wrong? Haven't you seen a girl get changed before?” Arica asked as she began to strip

All Crassian could do was turn around and continue whittling, Ornaith ignored her and continued with the stew, and Felnorn just sat there bewildered not knowing what to do. It took them another fifteen minutes to eat breakfast and pack camp

“Let's hurry up already, if we don't move faster then they might get another Demon out of hell” Crassian said to Felnorn and Ornaith who were busy packing up a tent

“Well you know you could help us” Felnorn said

“Yeah I know that but I packed up my tent already”

“Yeah yeah, whatever you say, how about you two go ahead and scout out the Gate for us?” Felnorn said

“Alright, you heard the boy Arica, let's go ahead and scout out the Gate”

“Sure thing”

and the two of them set off, they climbed to the top of a hill and looked down, below them was a great clearing with a cliff at one end, and on the cliff there was a set of doors bigger then a large building, the gate was wide open

“So that's it then?” Arica asked

“Unfortunately yes, that is the Gate” Crassian replied

“So how do we shut it?”

“I am expecting the Dark Warden to have some way of doing that” Felnorn said from behind them

“I do, but I need you three to deal with the guards” Crassian said

“Us three? Why do we have to do that?”

“Because you don't have the proper things to shut the gate and I do”

“As do I Dark Warden” a new voice growled

“Ah, a werewolf, what can I do for you good friend?”

“Good friend? It's a lumawering werewolf!” Felnorn said very loudly

“Mind your language around me boy and keep your voice down, this is my friend Warden Tolnir, unfortunately he has become one of the very evils we seek out and destroy, but he has mastered his curse and uses it for the greater good”

“Aye that I have, I can also transform at will” Tolnir said “Now, how are we going to shut the gate?”

“You and the others will deal with the guards and I will shut the gate, oh by the way the girls a Half-Demon Half-Elf, she has extraordinary powers”

“Her? But she doesn't look it”

“Trust me, she is very powerful, goodbye and good luck, may we meet again”

Crassian went off towards the Gate and the four others slowly descended into the clearing, Tolnir moved with lightning speed and slew three Milthorn (a Milthorn is a human that has been turned into living metal and can only be killed by cutting off their head), the other three ran down the rest of the slope and entered combat, Felnorn drew his sword Gwisgren and cleaved an orc in half

“This is so easy!” he shouted

“You wouldn't be saying that if you turned around!” Arica shouted back and returned to cast spells

Felnorn turned around only to face a cyclops

“Hey there big guy, you ready to die?”

The cyclops ignored what he said and began to swing it's club at his head, with one quick thrust Felnorn slew the cyclops and then turned to face some orcs that were coming towards him, however his legs began to feel weak and he collapsed on the ground, he thought he heard voices shouting his name but all he could see was a armored boot

“Your friends aren't coming with us Felnorn, their all dead” the boot's owner said “You may not have heard of me but I have heard of you, oh forgive my rudeness, I am Aldalerd, the Dark Lord and you are my brother”

“Can't... be... true... I... don't... have a... brother” Felnorn said weakly

“Yes I know your mother told you that, but she wasn't my mother so she wouldn't know, you two grab him, we're going to my castle Felnorn, do you want to come?”

“N...” was all he could say because the two people Aldalerd spoke to knocked him out, he was put into a cart and then brought to the castle. Felnorn awoke in the dungeons only to fin himself facing Aldalerd again

“Felnorn, you're my brother, just pledge your allegiance to me and I can give you all you wish for, so how about it then?” Aldalerd said

“All I want is you dead” Felnorn said spitting at the Dark Lord

“Oh tsk tsk, none of that now, we're brothers Fel, together we can rule all of Eleseria and destroy the pathetic Wardens, Order and Guards of Tornial”

*****

Journal Entry Two Seven Two
Day of Marian, The Month of Tornial, The Eight Year of the rule of the Dark Lord

Felnorn, the one destined to slay the Dark Lord has been captured, and I believe the others have been slain, probably by the great red light I saw in the clearing, it was most likely the Dark Lords magic that caused it, I now camp upon the hill where we watched just the day before, I am very sad to see my friends die, I however did get the Gate of Hell shut, no more will it be used to build an army for the Dark Lord

Chapter 3
Sacrifice is Overrated

Crassian watched as the red light appeared only seconds after the Dark Lord had Felnorn dragged into the portal, he didn't know who did it but it left no survivors, he moved through the brush on the hill and watched as more minions arrived at the clearing, they began to pick up his companions and that was exactly why he was still there, to stop them from taking their bodies to wherever the portal went, he moved down the hill side towards the portal, he got to it with out being seen and began to prepare a spell

“Fes de ler gorta dalmir!” He shouted once it was prepared (“Close ye gate of shadow”)


The minions noticed him and charged at him screaming war cries, he positioned his arms as if he was going to fire a bow, a spark of red energy appeared on his finger tips and transformed into bow and arrow, he fired a magical arrow at each approaching foe, slaying them in one shot, it was then that he noticed the swirling black cloud of smoke that had appeared, he knew what it hid from the sun and it wasn't pretty, he quickly prepared another spell

“Iden de lar gorta Verandir!” he called as he cast the spell (“Open ye gate to Verandir”)

He grabbed Arica, Ornaith and Tolnir and stepped into the portal and then closed it.

*****

Crassian looked around the city they had entered, it was in the afternoon and the streets were full of merchants and towns people, he put his friends into a nearby cart and payed the driver to take them to a wizard named Gerancilo, they arrived at Gerancilo's shop fifteen minutes later, he thanked the cart driver and brought the bodies into the shop, a man with a beard that parted into three and wearing bright green robes entered the room

“Good day, I'm Gerancilo the wizard, how can I help you?” he asked Crassian

“I need three revive spells” Crassian said

“For them?” Gerancilo asked gesturing towards the bodies

“Yes, for them” Crassian replied

“Well revive only works on dead people so you'll need one spell” Geran stated

“Wait, two of them are still alive?” Cras asked surprised

“Yes my friend, the werewolf and the old man are still alive, the half-demon however is dead” Geran replied

“Ah, true sight, I should have used that myself” Cras said as he realized how the wizard knew these things

“However I can resurrect your half-demon, for this I will require eight hundred thousand coins and ten hours” Geran said

“That's and awful lot of money for one resurrection don't you think?” Cras asked darkly

“Well it's a half-demon, it won't be easy” Geran said

“Fine, I will return in ten hours with your money” Cras said giving in

“It's great doing business with you” Geran said and then took Arica's body into a back room

Crassian walked over to Tolnir's body and cast awaken and then did the same with Ornaith, they all headed over to the nearest inn The Backstabber, once there they headed towards the counter

“I would like three Berkin Beers please” Crassian ordered

“Three Berkin's, coming right up” the barkeep said and walked off to get their drinks

He returned a moment later with their order and went to help another customer, the trio sat down at a table in the corner and began to discuss the recent events

“So, what happened?” Crassian asked the other two

“Well first she began to cast a spell, we didn't know what it was and just continued to fight, the next thing I knew you were waking us up” Tolnir said

“I however felt her second spell wash over us, it completely obliterated the enemies but left us unharmed, she was also killed in the effect” Ornaith said

“So she cast some big time spell huh? Well now she knows her limit” Crassian said

“Well, I am gonna go out and catch some air” Tolnir yawned

“You do that then, and control your self, I don't want you killing innocent bystanders while catching some air” Crassian said to him sternly

“Yeah whatever” Tolnir muttered as he got up

“Well, while he's out I am going to get some sleep” Ornaith said as he headed towards the stairs

“Goodnight” Crassian called and then went to Gerancilo's shop and waited.

*****

Crassian looked up when Gerancilo entered the room, he handed the wizard the bag of money he was holding and then went into the back room, it was set up for resurrection spells to be cast in, that was probably it's main use, and in the center was a table on which Arica lay alive and well

“The return to life usually takes a couple hours to get used to” Crassian said as he sat down in a chair “And welcome back”

“Thanks, now where am I?” Arica asked him

“The back room of Gerancilo's wizard shop, he just resurrected you” Cras replied

“Where are the others?” Arica asked him sleepily

“At the Backstabber, at least Ornaith is, I haven't seen Tolnir since last night” Crassian said and sounded a little unhappy about the last part

“Okay, well then let's get going” Arica said and got up

The two of them entered the Backstabber and found Ornaith sitting at the same table they had sat the other night

“Good morning and welcome back” he said as they sat down “Tolnir just got back, he looks dead tired”

“He probably is” Crassian commented

They ate breakfast and then went upstairs where the prepared for the journey, the four of them left Verandir at noon and headed south, after about an hours walk Arica couldn't wait any longer

“Where are we going?” she asked Crassian

“South my dear” he replied

“But where in the south?” Arica asked with determination

“Another gate if you must know, and don't bother asking about Felnorn, I haven't the foggiest where he is” Crassian replied wearily

Their journey continued on in silence.

*****

Journal Entry Two Seven Three
Day of Casor, The Month of Tornial, The Eight Year of the rule of the Dark Lord

I have successfully had Arica resurrected so now she can play her part in this war, Gerancilo however won't be telling the Dark Lord about this due to the fact he had an overdue appointment with the gallows and I hated the fact he had missed it, the four of us have continued our journey to the gate in silence, however we all have much we wish to say, we ran into a dragon today, he wasn't pleased with the things happening at the foot of Torl Mountain, we have now started off in that direction.