Witches Snared

The Sun forced its way through the lush tree canopy to shine brightly upon the forest floor. A colorful bird screeched excitedly overhead as a group of curious monkeys looked down upon the two strange figures lying on the woodland flora that covered Rinii forest. Raj and Dan were motionless deep within a slumber unaware of the sounds and sights of the forest realm. The Sun’s strong rays moved across Dan’s face as he squinted his eyes trying to adjust them to their new world. The intense warmth helped him wake as he shook his head, sat upright, and began to survey the incredible surroundings that stretched out before him. Beautiful mature trees, large green ferns, colorful flowers, exotic parrots and small busy monkeys racing through the limbs of the trees, surrounded him. The forest was alive, beautiful, and peaceful. Dan reached over gently to shake Raj’s shoulder in an attempt to wake him from his peaceful slumber. Dan hesitated at the sight that greeted him. A strange creature lay beside him, tall and slender dressed in a loose fitting royal blue tunic trimmed with a white border. The creature had a green skin color with veins of blue running all over his body and face. He had a long neck and a wide face with large eyes either side of a small nose. Dan’s attention was drawn to the long pointed ears resembling a Halloween costume or the character Spock from his favorite StarTrek TV show. He hesitated to wake the strange creature, unsure if it was really Raj. Dan glanced at his outstretch hand with unusually long green fingers patterned heavily in blue veins. It had to be Raj but his doubts were soon eradicated.

  The creature flicked open its large eyes: groggy and confused its brilliant yellow eyes housed slender black pupils shaped like a reptile, “Are you OK Dan?”

  Dan understood the words perfectly but it wasn't English that the creature spoke, “Raj?”

  “Yes it’s me, you look pretty different yourself.” Raj got to his feet quickly and started to gather the belongings that surrounded them, a trick he’d learned from previous adventures. Each had a large bag that looked like a backpack made from tough woven ferns. The sack contained various items but Raj was more concerned about the dangers that could be lurking. He knew they needed to move to a safe place and not remain out in the open, exposed, as they were now. He asked Dan to assess his weapons, “What weapons have you got?”

  “A large knife and this,” he said holding up a longbow that was beautifully crafted from one piece of carved wood, the bow was very large and immensely strong. He also had arrows that were sharp, long and true, “What weapons do you have?”

  “The same,” said Raj pointing to a long knife attached to his leather belt and nodding his head towards the longbow and quiver of arrows, “Grab your belongings, we’ll see what’s in the sacks when we get to a more secure location, we’re out in the open here and too exposed. We need to move right now, then we’ll know what we’re dealing with.”

  “Quiet!” said Dan raising his long slender finger towards his small blue lips. They both froze and instinctively pointed their large ears towards a small rustling noise emanating from the brush ahead of them. There ears were amazingly sensitive picking up any noise with amazing precision. Dan grabbed the quiver while still holding onto the longbow. Raj gently exposed his knife from its sheath with the blade glinting in the strong sunlight. The bushes ahead started to shake as the dark shape of a large animal emerged.

  The animal started to charge but it happened so quickly they were caught off guard and woefully unprepared. The beast was quickly upon them about to inflict serious and fatal damage. This large animal had crept up silently stalking its prey in an effort to surprise them, lying on its belly to get closer and disguised by the thick forest underbrush. Now within striking range it had decided to charge. Rising quickly and springing from its muscular hind legs it leapt towards the hapless pair. The beast was about the size of a Great Dane dog but considerably more muscular, bulky and covered in thick course dark brown hair. Its wide bulbous head resembled a Pitbull dog with powerful snapping jaws. It was quick, much faster than either of them had anticipated, and they were now clearly in trouble. Raj couldn't raise his knife in time, Dan had no time to load an arrow and both were defenseless. The beast flew through the air with its front paws lifted exposing its deadly claws ready to inflict maximum pain. The beast’s eyes narrowed and it let out a fearsome noise.

  Memories of the sound that the Karcon made came flooding back as Dan raised his arms in a defensive gesture. The beast crashed into Dan knocking him to the ground with the force of a powerful blow. He fell onto his back with the ravaging beast’s weight upon him pinning him to the ground, but something didn't seem right.

  The roar of the beast seemed wrong for it wasn't the satisfied noise of a predator about to gorge upon his prey; Dan knew only too well what that sounded like. A sound of fear and pain had pierced the air. The beast’s considerable weight had Dan pinned but it remained still, its powerful jaws and sharp teeth remained motionless, its claws, feet, and front legs were limp. The attack happened in an instance but Dan remembered the screeching sounds of the concerned monkeys high above content within the safety of the trees. Raj grabbed at the beast rolling his considerable frame to one side and releasing Dan from his pinned state. Dan sprung to his feet confused, relieved and unharmed. The beast was still alive dripping saliva from the edge of its mouth with its chest rising and falling under its labored breath. Suddenly it exhaled loudly and its chest stopped moving as it slipped from consciousness and expired. Dan studied the dead beast; he noticed two small wooden spikes protruding from its chest and more imbedded within the side of its body. He reached in to remove one of the spikes, “No don't! Leave them well alone, they could be dipped in poison,” blurted Raj still concerned that they could likely be the next targets. Raj and Dan turned as they directed their attention to the noises emanating from the brushes behind them. Four small figures cautiously emerged carrying blowpipes, swords and other assorted weapons. Raj recognized them as Elfen; they approached forming a semi-circle around Dan and Raj. They were smaller in stature and their appearance was markedly different from the forms that Dan and Raj had assumed. The men before them had deep rich chestnut colored eyes, pointed ears and pale skin. They each wore green and brown colored clothing to blend into the forest and their surroundings.

  “Forgive us for intruding,” said their leader stepping forward, “I’m sure mighty Ricars such as yourselves had this situation well under control,” the men snickered at their leader’s sarcasm. He stepped forward again where he could examine their tall frame, sunken yellow eyes and pale blue skin. Something caught his attention as the light glinted upon a silver necklace hanging from Raj’s neck. The Elfen’s smug smile was immediately replaced with a look of concern as the situation suddenly became clear to the impertinent leader. He shook his head in disbelief at his own stupidity with the sight of the blue and white tunics; the long bows and the silver necklace shaped like a Brion Fern leaf. The Elfen stopped gloating immediately and fell to one knee bowing his head, “Please excuse me my lord, for we did not recognize you.” The Elfen men behind him followed his lead immediately, dropping to one knee and bowing their heads respectfully.

  Raj and Dan glanced at each other with quizzical looks. Many years ago this land had fallen into dark times, evil had taken a strong grip upon the forest in the form of witches. It took the coalition of three brave families to rise up and fight the dark forces summoned by these evil women. Many good men were lost but a united forest force consisting of Ricars, Elfen, Wood Sprites and animals would eventually subdue the rampaging devlins. The devlins were beasts unleashed from the underworld sworn to assist the witches but the united force of the forest would capture the witches eventually breaking their evil hold upon this land. In their pivotal battle the three prominent Ricar families fought bravely to defeat the hardiest and most ferocious of beasts and reclaim the power of the forest from evils dark grip. These families suffered heavy loses and fought bravely. From that day the forest was forever in their debt and they were afforded the highest honor and respect. They wore blue and white
tunics coupled with the silver Brion Fern leaf, which signified that they were direct descendants from these coveted families. The final battlefield, where sinister devlins outnumbered the remaining Ricars three to one, was covered in wild Brion Ferns. The blood soaked leafs would always be a symbolic reminder of this epic encounter.

  On that fateful day the Ricars were highly organized using their long bows to devastating effect. Once their arrows had been exhausted they relied upon their individual bravery and their skills with long swords. This epic battle would become legendary, an example of never giving up and never giving in despite slim odds and clearly outnumbered by their approaching foe. They fought bravely wielding their long swords with adept skill. Their brilliant blue tunics would soon be soaked in red blood as the devlins were slaughtered with no mercy. Brave Ricars fell in battle amid a scene of carnage and heroism. This scene has been painted, illustrated, sang about and immortalized in the years that followed. It was the pivotal point on the war on evil; the day the momentum shifted towards the forces of good. When it was finally only a few good men survived, but the majority of the three families from the Revercan village in Ivany had been killed. The village was renown for its men, their ferocity and warrior like training and mentality. This battle elevated the three families that founded the village to cult status affording the respect of all the inhabitants across the land as a mark of gratitude for their bravery and sacrifice. The Brion Fern was now a red carpet across the fields of death that day and the necklace proudly hangs around each warrior that has graduated from the Revercan academy.

  “Rise Elfen and state your business,” said Raj in a confident commanding voice.

  Dan shot a confused look at Raj, ‘What’s an Elfen?’ he thought and ‘How did he know that this funny looking creature was an Elfen?’ The questions raced through Dan’s head but he was soon snapped back to reality when the men stood, obeying Raj without hesitation.

  “My Lord, we beg your forgiveness, we didn’t mean to sound impertinent but we saw the devlin had the advantage. My name is Ryan, I’m an Elfen Ranger accompanied by my guards,” he turned to point at each Elfen, “Drake, Benjamin and Oliver.” Each guard bowed their head in a respectful manner when the Ranger pointed to them. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be in the company of two Revercan Ricars, please accept our apologies and our hospitality; our village is not far from here and darkness will soon be closing in. We would be honored to have you as our guests.”

  Raj took the lead once again, “We accept your apology and extend our gratitude for your assistance. I am Robin and this is my friend and fellow in arms, Daniel. We’ve travelled a little too far today and I fear the exhaustion has dulled our senses allowing this cunning devlin to take advantage of us. We were indeed fortunate that our Elfen friends were here to help us. The darkness is closing in and I have to admit a warm meal and a safe place to rest does sound appealing.”

  “Then it’s settled,” said Ryan, “Men, help them with their bags for we’ll head back to the village.” As the Elfen retrieved their poisoned darts and assisted with carrying the bags Dan moved closer to Raj.

  “What’s going on?” he whispered.

  “I’ve been to this realm before, back when I was a kid, I recognize these creatures,” Raj stopped abruptly as Ryan approached.

  “Let’s go, you can follow us to our village, it’s called Cressmore and it’s a large Elfen village located on the edge of Rinii forest.” Ryan looked at Dan who had not uttered a word up until this point.

  “Let’s go then, lead the way,” said Dan trying to sound confident.

  The Elfen knew the area well and steered the Ricars onto a well-worn path away from the thick brush of the forest. The path led through a maze of connected routes as they navigated expertly through valleys, across hills and eventually to a wide river with a large wooden bridge.

  Crossing the bridge revealed the first site of the village of Cressmore. Wispy smoke plumes rose into the darkening thick air like dancing specters. Stars filled the blackening sky as the Sun faded behind the horizon. The Elfen hastened their pace as darkness would soon rule and the night creatures would emerge to bask in their freedom. At night a tall sturdy wooden wall fortified the occupants within the village. The wall was ablaze with bright torches dipped in flammable tar. The vague outline of armed sentries could be seen walking along the top of the gantries while keeping a vigilant eye on anyone approaching or leaving the fortified village. The sentries gathered at the sight of four Elfen approaching - escorting two large Ricars dressed in glorious blue and white tunics. Ryan approached the gatehouse confidently, he was proud to be seen walking with Revercan Ricars. “Open the gates and ready the ale house, for tonight our village has the honor of receiving two Ricars from Revercan,” he shouted.

  An Elfen sentry leaned over the barricade and waved a flaming torch. The darkness was creeping in and he could barely make out the figures before him. He recognized Ryan’s voice but was still suspicious at the unusual circumstances presented, “Ryan is that you?”

  “Yes Thomas; open the gate.”

  “Are you entering of your own free will?”

  “Yes, we are not under duress, we have important visitors and the Sun’s protective glow has long gone. Are you going to leave us here for the devlins and the predators of the night?”

  Immediately the large wooden gates swung open as a small crowd of Elfen guards gathered excitedly to welcome their exotic visitors.

  Dan and Raj could hear shouting and the frenetic activity within the village as more Elfen streamed out onto the main road through the village to see the visiting Ricars. The village was simple in its design. A high wall concealed a long straight road leading to a central square with buildings either side. The design was easy to navigate and easy to defend. The buildings were all detached and of different designs. Each house or building was made of wood, some leaned and some were worse for wear, all were weathered. Windows opened and light streamed from each residence as the noise and activity woke the slumbering occupants. They leaned out of windows and huddled in door wells to catch a glimpse of the famed Ricars. “Has Cressmore had Ricar visitors before?” inquired Dan.

  Ryan answered dutifully, “We’ve seen Ricars and we’ve received Ricars but never a Revercan in recent memory. During the dark days Revercan Ricars used Cressmore as a military base but it was very different back then. Cressmore was an open village, not fortified as it is today.”

  As they walked the Elfen people bowed their heads in a mark of respect; they pointed and whispered to their children. A few of the elders clapped and a few sunk to their knees. Ryan and his guard came to an abrupt stop when they saw an elderly Elfen dressed in expensive robes standing in the middle of the main street. Ryan turned to Dan and whispered, “Chancellor Neves, our leader and our most respected official.”

  Dan knew Raj could not hear Ryan with all of the cheering and clapping surrounding them. Dan also knew he would have to take the lead in this situation. He walked closer to the stately looking gentlemen and spoke loudly, “Chancellor Neves, it is our pleasure to be invited into your village. I am Daniel and this is my friend Robin. We were hoping to spend the night here if you’re gracious enough to condone our presence?”

  ‘Nice,’ thought Raj marveling at Dan’s flexibility and his growing sense of humility coupled with his improving ability to improvise.

  Chancellor Neves bowed his head respectfully and stretched his arms out wide pointing his palms to the sky and raising his voice, “It’s my pleasure to welcome our esteemed guests to our humble village. I invite you to stay as long as you wish.” He moved forward and lowered his voice, “We’ll prepare rooms at our local tavern and I’m sure you’ll be comfortable. Perhaps after you have settled in you can join me for a refreshing drink of our finest ale and you can tell me what brings you to our part of the forest?”

  Amid cheers and excitement the group made their way to the tavern where the innkeeper and his wife greeted them like royal
ty. They were each shown to their rooms as the Elfen carried their bags. Raj was shown to his room on the second floor at the far end of a short hallway. The floors and walls were all made from wood with embroidered tapestries covering the walls. Drake and Benjamin carried Raj’s bags to his room. Oliver and Ryan carried Dan’s bags to his room. Oliver went in first and set the heavy bag onto a woven rug spread across the floor. He exited the room quickly as if nervous and excited. Dan entered the spacious room followed by Ryan holding a smaller, lighter, bag. “I trust you’ll be comfortable here, if you need anything, it will be my honor to assist you or your friend.”

  The room was spacious with a large bed covered in a colorful hand stitched quilt. It had a small window with open wooden shutters allowing the noise, excitement and fresh air to enter. Wooden walls were adorned with elaborate tapestries depicting scenes of great battles. Dan peered into one of the woven scenes that fascinated him. The battle depicted fierce devlins, forest creatures, Elfen and burning fires.

  “That's the battle of Tremimore shown in the early dark days before the Ricar had managed to forge their way through to Rinii forest. Elfen were no match to the hoards of devlin back then and they say those devlins were larger and more ferocious. The Elfen managed to win this battle using fire as a strategic weapon but soon the devlins adapted their plans and we were overrun. They say we were one day away from extinction; I’m not sure if that’s correct, but your kind will always be welcomed in these parts. You saved us and in the process, it cost you dearly; we’ll always have respect for your families. That’s why none of my men will ever mention what we saw and did back there in the forest - ever.” Ryan bowed his head and set the bag down gently upon the thick woven rug.

  The bag’s flap fell awkwardly opening the access to the top of the bag. A heavy object rolled from the bag spilling onto the thick rug. It was a solid gold flagon, an old decorative flask housing precious contents. The base was wide and round decorated with an engraving of intertwined vines found on the forest floor. The base supported a bulbous plinth inset with a ring of precious stones clear in color like uncut diamonds. Decorative vines danced around the stones raised and set into the gold. Above the plinth was a circular bowl cupping a tear shaped glass ampoule. It was protected by an intricate web of gold forming a carved net of gold skin formed in an exquisite design that rivaled any carving in wood. The makers of this flagon were master craftsmen - the best. Above the vial was a decorated gold collar rising into the neck of the flagon. Inserted into the neck was a heavy solid stopper made from intricately engraved gold finished with a reversed teardrop to cap off a magnificent piece of craftsmanship.

  As beautiful as the flagon was it wasn't the stunning detail that caught Ryan’s attention, it was the contents of the flagon that caused him to draw a sharp intake of breath. He bit his lip as he stared at the glowing liquid that filled the flagon. Even in the fading light it glowed magnificently, streaming through the gaps in the intricate gold sheath that protected the glass. The liquid shone an intense lemon color, a glow that illuminated the room. Recognizing the shock on Ryan’s face Dan stooped quickly to shove the golden flask back into his open bag.

  Ryan stood motionless stunned at what he had just seen, “Is that …”

  “A wise thing to do - to ask a Revercan Ricar about his personal belongings,” blurted Dan finishing the terrified Elfen’s sentence. “I need some time to settle in, I’ll talk with you some more downstairs; I will call for you if I need anything.”

  “Yes, my apologies” stammered Ryan still shocked from what he’d seen.

  Once Ryan had left the room Dan examined the other bag. Some clothes, blankets and a knife were bundled into the bag. Dan grabbed the small bag and entered the hallway leading to Raj’s room. He startled Raj with his abrupt entry, “What’s going on? We need to have our stories straight before we go downstairs,” Dan’s voice crackled with stress and anxiety.

  “Calm down - we’ll figure out why we’re here, we always do. The Dream Cane always leaves clues; you just have to find them. It soon becomes apparent why we were sent here - even if you have to fish a little first.”

  Dan moved closer placing the small heavy bag upon the bed, “What’s in your bags have you looked?”

  Raj gave him an inquisitive glance, not yet - I was checking out the room to see if I could place where we are.”

  Dan opened the bag and pulled out the glowing flagon, “Take a look at this! It fell out of my bag, Ryan saw it - his eyes grew wide and he nearly had a heart attack. Do you know what it is?”

  Raj took the heavy flagon from Dan and held it close to his face examining every perfect detail of the beautiful object. “Well I know it’s gold from the weight. The craftsmanship is outstanding - meaning it was made for someone or something very important. There’s some sort of liquid inside but I’ve never seen liquid glow like that before. I have no idea what it is but it’s obviously something very precious perhaps very valuable. We have to keep it safe. I suspect others may try to steal it before we can figure out how this may help us with our adventure. The Dream Cane always gives us what we need and this was given to us for a reason. Let’s go through the other bags and see what we can find.” They searched the bags thoroughly but were disappointed with their contents. Clothing, boots, blankets and other assorted items were stuffed into the bag. At the bottom of one of the bags was a leather pouch and a rolled up leather container. The container was long; its rolled shape resembled a long sausage. Dan untied the leather pouch first to find small nuggets of gold, which he held in the palm of his hand. “Good,” said Raj, “we now have some currency.”

  Raj fiddled with the leather strap that held the rolled leather binding together. Finally the tension in the straps gave and the roll uncoiled to reveal a map. The map was elegantly drawn, decorated in the finest inks and inlaid with rare colors and gold leaf. It showed mountain ranges, forests and tar pits, caves and a rocky barren land. Lush forests were portrayed with illustrations of Ricar, Elfen, Wood Sprites, majestic trees and finally a flowing river leading to an ocean with sea creatures frolicking.

  Raj spread the map out onto the bed so that Dan could see it. “Wow,” said Dan in amazement reacting to the quality and intricacy of the artwork. A brilliant blue ocean with horned sea creatures enveloped the top of the map with the word ‘Bardonia’ hand scribed in fancy gold italics.

  The ocean was labeled Laylilia and showed fish tailed creatures with human torsos carrying spears and large shells. The men had dark beards and were posed in scenes where they were hunting. The women were holding shells, brushing their long blonde hair. Raj pointed to the sea dwellers, “Warlocks and Laylocks” he said, nodding at Dan. Below the ocean lay an area labeled Bellwood Snare and a village called Ivany. The illustration appeared to show trees but the roots were intertwined to form a wall or thick blanket covering the ground. Perfectly drawn figures chopped wood and hunted using longbows. It was clear that this was the land of the Ricars.

  Dan acknowledged this by tapping his slender finger next to a perfectly illustrated miniature look-a-like. Sweeping across from the right side was a thick band of rocks, cliffs and caves shown perfectly in richly colored shades of brown and black. Scattered between the illustrations were fearsome devlins similar to the beast that had attacked them on the border of Rinii forest. This rocky inhabitable area was known as Barden. Below the caves was a brightly decorated area known as Belladonia Forests depicted in vibrant green inks showing trees, plants, birds and a stream. To the northeast of Belladonia Forests was a large settlement or city. It appeared to be the capital of Belladonia called Caister. Elegant drawings of Wood Sprites filled the forest and Caister.

  Below the forests was a large dark band that cut across the map in a severe way. The map had been folded previously in its history and a large crease wound its way through the black ink. Raj and Dan settled their eyes upon the dark section at the same time. Dan ran a finger lightly across the crease as if to soothe the damage the cre
ase had inflicted upon the map cracking the delicate ink illustrations. Gold leaf contrasted against the blackened parchment with the words ‘Tar Pits of Noire’ delicately scribed across the uninviting scene. The blackened area had pools of steaming tar and large columns that looked like termite hills that you see in documentaries on television.

  At the bottom of the map illustrated in shades of green and blue was Rinii forest. A small dot located close to the border of the tar pits of Noire was labeled Cressmore. Raj pointed at the dot but the observant Dan had already taken note of their location. Other smaller villages were marked and the larger city of Elfenden was identified in the southwest. The forest was illustrated with colorful birds, monkeys, fruit and Elfen. From the quality of the map and the fancy italic writing it was obvious to anyone that the map was old. The leather bound protection looked worn and weathered but it had served its purpose well and the map had emerged from the passage of time relatively unscathed. Raj paused to look at Dan, “Well at least we know where we are now.”

  Dan nodded in agreement; scanning the images that were so skillfully portrayed before him, “Does this all look familiar to you having been here before?”

  Raj was caught off guard by the question, “Yes, somewhat. It was a long time ago when I last visited these lands.”

  For the first time Dan felt that Raj was holding something back, he couldn't quite put his finger on it but he definitely had that nagging feeling that Raj wasn't being totally honest with him. Dan moved his attention to the small bag and quickly tucked the glowing flagon back inside. “Do you want me to put the map in here?”

  “No,” said Raj not taking any time to think about it, “It appears that we have two useful things….”

  “Three,” interrupted Dan, holding the pouch of gold nuggets aloft within the palm of his hand.

  “I’ll keep the map and the gold, you take the small bag and don't let that bottle out of your sight.” Raj tied the straps of the map to his belt and placed the heavy pouch into a pocket. Come on Dan, we’d better go downstairs and meet our hosts. I think this will be our chance to find out why we were sent here.”

  Dan snatched at the small bag and looped the strap over his shoulder tucking the bag under his arm and safely pinning it to his body with his elbow. They walked towards the door and proceeded down the hallway to a wide set of wooden stairs. Ryan waited at the foot of the stairs his eyes tracking the bag pinned to Dan’s body, “Come with me, Chancellor Neves and his assembly are waiting to receive you.”

  Ryan spun around quickly and headed off in the direction of the tavern. They followed dutifully as the Elfen weaved his way through narrow corridors leading to a large room full of Elfen men containing a large wooden bar stocked with barrels of ale. The room was round in shape with impressive wooden beams vaulting the ceiling that towered high above. The walls were made of mud stucco adorned with stones, weapons and robes from famous triumphs. The gray stones formed alcoves creating separate seating areas and an arch of fitted rock slabs led to a private room off to the side. Ryan led them through the stone arch to a small, secluded area, where several high-ranking officials surrounded the Chancellor waiting to speak to the visiting Ricars. “Welcome to Cressmore, please sit and have a drink with us,” Ryan pointed to two empty stools pre-arranged at the head table. Two large pewter pitchers had been filled with frothy ale awaiting the visitors. A younger Elfen leaned in and poured two goblets of ale before pushing them forward in front of Raj and Dan. Raj was worried that the inexperienced Dan would succumb to the ale’s effects and say something he shouldn’t. He shot a warning look of caution towards Dan who caught his worried look from the corner of his eye and ignored it.

  “Welcome,” said the Chancellor holding his ample goblet aloft. Raj and Dan lifted their goblets and toasted the assembly together. Dan managed to gulp a mouthful of the frothy liquid that seemed sweet and tasted of honey, “Some introductions before we start,” said the Chancellor waving his hand at the man who poured the ale.

  The young Elfen stood to display his taut physique clearly visible under his dark green robe cinched at his waist by a thick leather belt. He wore a large sword whose silver handle pushed its way to the front clearly visible as he stood. His chest was broad and strong, concealed by a large colorful design of a parrot with its glorious feathered head pointing to the right. Raj recognized it as the Kukumic parrot, the symbol of Rinii forest and the Elfen Rangers. “My name is Eian, I’m the head of the Elfen Rangers here at Cressmore and I’m at your service during your stay,” Eian sat taking his place at the table.

  The Elfen next to Eian rose. He was heavier and older with his gray hair thinning and his long beard covering his elegant but plain clothes. “My name is Aderos, I am not a military man but I welcome you also. My function here is to ensure that Cressmore runs in an orderly manner and that we have enough commerce to survive. I’m the chief beaurocrat and politician, my service is to its inhabitants and I will extend my service to you for as long as you need it.” Aderos deferred to the Chancellor.

  The Chancellor did not stand, “I am Chancellor Neves, elected leader of Cressmore and the northern part of Rinii forest. I’m curious as to your mission and anxious to assist you in your quest. Perhaps you can introduce yourselves and your reason for being in these parts as it is indeed a great honor for our humble little village to receive two Revercan Ricars.”

  Raj placed his large hands upon the table and addressed the Elfen men. “Gentlemen - thank you for your most hospitable welcome.” Raj noticed that Ryan, the Elfen who saved them in the forest was loitering nearby close enough to hear their conversation. “My name is Robin and this is my fellow traveller Daniel, we are indeed Ricar from the village of Revercan. We’re on a quest, sanctioned by our commander yet we are sworn to secrecy.”

  ‘Good one,’ thought Dan as he held on to the heavy goblet.

  “We seek something precious, something that was ours and something that we need to secure. I can’t tell you why or what, I’m sorry we’re following orders, as military men and politicians I’m sure you understand.” Raj was a convincing liar. He paused at the right moment to show concern and empathy as he told his lie in a most sincere way possible - It was Eian that reacted first.

  “We understand orders, but tonight you must eat, drink and rest, for the village of Cressmore is always in your debt.”

  Chancellor Neves turned to Dan, smiled, and rubbing his tired face with his cultured hand, “Forgive me for saying this but you look too young to have bloodied your hands in the Dark War.” He then turned to face Raj, “But you - you look a little older, hard to tell with Ricar, but you look like you would’ve fought with your brethren?”

  Raj took a slow deliberate sip of his ale as Dan felt the panic swell up inside him; he knew Raj’s next words needed to be thoughtful and confident, as their charade would surely be found out. “I don't like to talk about it - but yes, I’ve been to these parts before.” Raj took another drink of ale for dramatic effect carefully placing the goblet back onto the table before him. He raised his eyes and stared at the overweight inquisitive Chancellor, “I fought at the battle of Walmorden. We lost many good men that day and even more that night. The pouring rain didn't help us and the devlins were relentless, large and mean. We’d exhausted our arrows and our long bows were useless. We were reduced to our long swords and the battle was brutal and bloody. We organized ourselves into fighting groups, enclosed circles of three men deep. We rotated the outer ring when fatigue kicked in and never broke our formations. Eventually the devlins tired and we were able to strike out. It was my uncle who killed the infamous scarred nose, the largest devlin ever seen. As I said, I’ve been here before and I never want to see those terrible things again, it changes a man, destroys his soul.” The table fell silent; Raj had done a good job; Dan secretly smiled but couldn’t help wonder if Raj was actually telling the truth.

  Chancellor Neves and Aderos drank copious amounts of ale becoming more jovial as the evening p
rogressed. The food was good with the table stocked with local fruits, vegetables and meat that tasted like beef. Raj and Dan sipped at the ale trying their best to limit their consumption but not appear rude and offend their gracious hosts. Eian also drank sparingly observing the Ricars closely throughout the evening. As the pair felt more relaxed they learned about life in Cressmore, the resurgence of the menacing devlins and how they’d started to encroach upon the traditional safer areas of the forest; it appeared they were not confined to the damp dark caves of Barden anymore. Nervous people were whispering in the shadows as they talked about the sudden rise in their numbers signaling an ominous return to the dark times. Some thought the sight of Ricars confirmed their ominous fears. Many were welcoming of the Ricars as they felt they would quell any uprising.

  The evening’s conversation was jovial but with the skilled art of a politician the Chancellor poked at their mission a couple of times to see if the ale and the relaxed atmosphere would loosen their resolve and encourage them to talk about their quest. It was easy for the Ricar for they would state politely their oath to secrecy and they knew little as to the reason for their quest, an answer not far from the truth.

  As with most evenings the conversation inevitably would always turn for the briefest of moments to the fairer sex. Eian was being teased by Aderos as his eyes dwelled upon a beautiful Elfen woman bringing more ale to the table. “Eian my friend, you should just tell her of your attraction. It’s obvious to the blind inhabitants of our village that she’s smitten with you as well.”

  Dan turned his body to look at the object of Eian’s admiring affection and as he did he pushed out his leg to brace his weight. All evening he’d felt the heavy solid gold flagon contained within the bag laying at his feet but this time it was different. He kicked the bag but didn't feel it’s hardy resistance. The difference was obvious and he immediately stooped to feel the bag. It was empty, lying on the floor with the flap wide open and the flagon gone. He knew Raj would be annoyed for he hadn’t paid attention - he was easily distracted by the food, the conversation and the new creatures that inhabited this realm. Someone had stolen the flagon from right under his nose and he’d not seen it. Dan glanced around and knew immediately who the thief was. All night Ryan had loitered and waited, listening to their conversation and waiting for just the right moment. Dan had felt his presence and thought he was merely curious hoping to be part of the action but denied by his lack of rank. His motives turned out to be more sinister, waiting for the opportune moment to steal the flagon.

  “I’ll tell her when I’m good and ready Aderos, I don't need that kind of distraction right now.”

  Dan moved his hand to his left grabbing the Raj’s muscular forearm, “The flask, it’s gone - someone’s took it.”

  Raj knew immediately what to do, “Chancellor Neves we’ve enjoyed your hospitality and you’ve been a most gracious host, but I fear not everyone in Cressmore is as gracious as you.”

  The Chancellors smile corrected in an instant, “What ever do you mean kind Sir?” the Chancellor barked.

  “As we fine men of honor were sitting introducing ourselves our common trust has been violated. It appears a thief has snuck into our midst and stolen something from my bag, from right under our noses. The bag was lying here at my feet and is now empty. I’m assuming the head of your Rangers must have some idea as to who this thief is?” Dan looked at Eian; “You have the best view at this table to see everyone approaching, or at the very least you must know how to return this object back to us. It’s a golden flask containing something very precious to us.”

  Eian stared at the Chancellor his eyes begging for permission to respond. It was granted by a solitary nod of the head from the worried looking Chancellor, “When Reverden Ricars visit our home we don’t like to insult their honor by exposing them to thieves, please accept our sincere apologies. When the Ricars originally came to our village to round up the witches, Ryan was a much younger boy; I was the same age as Ryan. Three of the witches were old ugly evil hags except for the fourth, the beautiful one, Wendy. Many said she had cast a beauty spell for her beauty was undeniable, it could charm the monkeys from the trees. This beauty made her the most dangerous of them all and Ryan fell under her spell. She made him promise that he would never abandon her. He promised to find her and release her from her confinement. Elfen are not a naïve race, we know that Ricars have a special gift where they can use the bounty offered by the forest and make wondrous things that we can only imagine. Earlier in the evening Ryan had rushed downstairs from your room, he was bragging to everyone that he’d seen a golden flagon filled with glowing Milkenweed. We’ve heard legends and tall tales from travellers that the Ricar took the Witches to Ivany and secured them in Bellwood Snare. In the Dark War we were told that the Ricars tried to eradicate Milkenweed from the forest, they knew its powers could resurrect a spellbound witch with one single drop of its powerful liquid. The Ricars were wary that Milkenweed could start this evil sequence all over again. We were instructed to burn the Milkenweed groves around here, it would never again be crushed to create the glowing sap.” Eian rubbed his face while pondering his next words, “We burned the innocent weed into extinction so you can imagine our surprise when two Ricars visit our village with a flagon full of the freshly pressed glorious glowing liquid - it made us question your motives.”

  “Our motives are none of your concern, you need to find our lost flagon quickly,” said Raj resting on his forearms in an aggressive way.

  “We don't want this flagon to fall into the wrong hands and we certainly don't want the Witches to be revived - you Ricars, of all people, can understand our concern. We’ve heard rumors that the Ricars had protected a small patch of Milkweed in Ivany but I’d always thought that was mischievous gossip. I’m beginning to think that there’s some truth to that rumor,” said Eian leaning back in his seat.

  Raj leaned forward even more, “The flagon?”

  Eian backed away, “You’re right, I will summon the Rangers and we’ll find Ryan. I suspect that crazy fool has the flagon and wants to be Wendy’s hero. He knows the Milkweed will revive her and he suspects that she’s lying in Bellwood Snare deep within Ivany. I wouldn't put it past him to try to find her. To this day he’s not convinced that Wendy was a Witch. It was obvious to me that she had him fooled; she has his heart captured deep within her big beautiful brown eyes. I’ve seen Wendy up close and she has a strong power over men, an evil power.”

  Eian rose to his feet quietly and left the table. He walked towards an attentive guard and whispered an instruction into the guard’s ear. The guard nodded, turned, and left immediately with some haste. Eian returned to the table, “Ryan won’t get far, the village gates are sealed and the guards don't let people in or out after the darkness curfew. I would know of any exceptions and we have none tonight, that means he’s still within the village walls and we’ll find him.” Eian stared at Dan with an assured air of confidence.

  “Let’s reconvene in the morning after a good night’s sleep,” said the Chancellor yawning. “Why don't you station a couple of Rangers at the door of each of our visitors rooms so that they can feel at ease from thieves tonight.” Eian nodded in agreement.

  Raj realized they were being guarded and was the first to react to this provocative request, “Thank you Chancellor that gives us great assurance and I suspect gives you additional comfort also.”

  The statement was polite but politically astute. Dan allowed a small smile for he knew that Raj was being clever with his words. The Chancellor knew the double meaning also, “Indeed,” said the Chancellor - too clever to engage.

  The men rose and went their separate ways with Eian and the Chancellor huddled in discussion. Raj ascended the stairs his heart heavy with an uneasy feeling. Dan followed and waited until he was far enough away where he couldn’t be heard. Raj turned his head, “Get some rest tonight, nothing will happen to us tonight they’ll make sure of that. We’ll deal with the missing flagon in
the morning.”

  Dan leaned in, “How’d you know all that stuff? Are you bluffing or have you been here before, you know, the battle of Walmorden and all?”

  Raj continued walking up the stairs, he glanced around to ensure his comments remained private, “I’ve been here before, when I was much younger, and I’ve seen things that will never leave me. I don't know why we’re here but I do know we need to get that flask back - the flagon - or whatever they’re calling it.”

  “Raj, look,” whispered Dan nodding in the direction of the hallway. Two small crimson winged butterflies were flapping their way furiously towards them. Raj turned to ensure they were both out of sight grabbing Dan’s forearm. In an instant they were gone, swallowed whole into a swirling vortex of matter, energy and nothingness.

  * * * * *

  The Fifth Realm - Earth

  Chapter 4: Paris Calls.

  Westtown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

  “The comfort of wealth is often fleeting.”