CHAPTER TWELVEONE TO THREE

  Rising just as the sun had started to glide into the sky, Cerelene Lightshower sat up in bed and, as with almost every morning, began to braid her long red hair. The light had been getting brighter outside, but it was actually the sound of a falcon screeching in the distance that roused her from her slumber.

  After finishing with her hair, she looked out the window of her room on the lower level of The Temple of Unfaltering Devotion and looked for Azure. Though she was allowed to keep Azure with her in her room, the elf maiden knew the falcon loved staying in the courtyard. There, Azure could spread her wings and hunt any mice or small rabbits that crept into her vision.

  As she put on her green shirt and skirt, Cerelene yawned. Then she stretched and grabbed her bow and arrows. Whether because she was finally fully awake or because she was looking out toward the courtyard again, the beautiful elf maiden stopped for a moment, remembering the event from the st time she was there.

  Garrick, the man who was in the Great Hall, had not only been talking to the High Priest, but when she had met him and his mystic wolf, had said that he was going to find the legendary Scepter Sword for him. Their conversation, a little contentious, moved her to scoff at him and leave, while his reaction was to say nothing and watch her go. The human was sincere in his jest, she would give him that.

  However, that was st night, ughed Cerelene. Morning was the time to drill her skills with her bow. Already a fine archer, being trained by her aunt, Leti Lightshower, captain of The Royal Archer Brigade, Cerelene did not want her skills to suffer. Her road to The Holy City had put her and Azure in more than a few battles and life or death situations, but here, now, she would stay inside The Holy City. Not just to keep herself hidden during her exile; if her parents knew she was here, they would not only send someone for her, but the High Priest who had stuck his neck out for her, would be bombarded with controversy.

  Upon reaching the courtyard, Cerelene pulled her bow from her shoulder and started to lift an arrow from her quiver, when she stopped. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a big bck wolf. There was a screech in the air and she looked up from the wolf to Azure, who was descending from the sky. Not just to greet her, but to retrieve any errant arrows that missed their mark. When no arrow was let go, Azure gently nded on Cerelene’s shoulder. Then the elf maiden rubbed her pointy ear against her companion’s brown wing and watched the wolf. The mystic wolf that belonged to Garrick.

  So the warrior was still here, she thought. Cerelene watched as the mystic wolf id down, studying her from a short ways away. If his size didn’t give him away as a mystic, his intelligent eyes did. And he had bonded with Garrick. Perhaps there was more to the human than being quick with words and tall tales. Then a noise from behind snapped her from her thoughts.

  Turning, Cerelene saw a man in armor walking in her direction. A second ter she recognized him as the man that had accompanied the captain of The Knights of Providence with Garrick before she had spoken to him. Cerelene turned back and watched as the mystic wolf trotted toward the knight. Upon reaching him, the knight bent down and pet Garrick’s companion. Then he stood up and looked toward the elf maiden near him.

  “Miss Cerelene Lightshower, my name is Stephen Dunsmuir, vice captain of The Knights of Providence.” Then he bowed, slightly and gestured with his right arm across the courtyard to the temple. “You have been summoned by the High Priest. Please come with me.”

  Garrick, again standing aside Elias in the Great Hall, looked over at the elf maiden he’d met yesterday, who was now walking toward them. Could he be in trouble, having told Cerelene Lightshower that he pnned on going to retrieve the Scepter Sword?

  Elias nodded with a smile at Cerelene, after she stood next to him, though he was a bit worried. Unlike yesterday, the captain of The Knights of Providence was not here for moral support, or to pass to the High Priest the ancient scroll Braelind had found. He had been summoned, as Garrick had, and now Cerelene, whom he had come in contact with in the temple from time to time, but had never really spoken to.

  “Miss Lightshower. Greetings,” said Elias. Then he leaned closer to her and lowered his voice. “If I may be so bold, as the High Priest is on his way, do you know why you, or we have been summoned together?”

  “I told her I was going for the Sword,” replied Garrick shaking his head with his eyes closed.

  “You what!?“ said Elias in what he thought was a loud whisper, though Stephen looked up from the entryway and all The Brethren in the front row clearly heard him.

  Garrick continued. “Perhaps you are here because you are responsible for me. I should not have let that slip out. Elias, I am sorry. I was caught up in the moment, and she was...“

  “I was what!? I was making small talk,” said Cerelene, though she knew their conversation was more than that. “It was you who...”

  Crestfallen, Elias looked at both Garrick and Cerelene, not just because of their argument, but because of the whole situation. Then he breathed in sharply, centering himself.

  “I do not care. It is my fault,” interjected Elias. Then the knight looked over at Garrick and continued, “Stephen and I should have escorted you the whole time. All that matters now is that we are all in front of the High Priest. I will be reprimanded for sure. As for you two, I do not know. The Holy City is not your home, but you both know so much.”

  “What do I know? Surely what this wanderer said st night was in jest,” excimed Cerelene, looking at Garrick first and then Elias.

  “All bow. The High Priest Liam Jarstinian graces our presence,” called out Balcon.

  Garrick, Elias, and Cerelene, startled, ceased talking, moved a step away from each other, and stood up straight.

  Elias looked over at Balcon, whose face was sour as he gazed at them on his way to join the other Brethren. The knight quickly bowed at the High Priest, who moments ter sat down. Garrick and Cerelene followed his lead.

  The High Priest looked out at the Brethren and Stephen, before ending with the trio before him. “Miss Cerelene Lightshower. You may be wondering why you are here. And maybe even more so why you are here with these two men.”

  Cerelene thought for a second. She really did not know, but she would answer anyway. “High Priest of The Human Kingdom Lands, you have been kind to me,” began the elf maiden with a bow. “You allowed me to stay within the walls of The Holy City, in The Temple of Unfaltering Devotion itself, for many days of my exile from my people. I can only assume that you and your Brethren have decided my time here has ended. If this is so, I am thankful for your hospitality and please know that you have my thanks and admiration.”

  “It is time for you to leave The Holy City, Cerelene Lightshower,” replied the High Priest, with a smile. “But it is not by my decree. It is Elion’s will.”

  As the Brethren whispered in discussion behind them, Elias and Garrick looked at each other and then back at the High Priest.

  “Cerelene, I believe your being here is more than because of your exile. Your journey to The Holy City and your time here has prepared you for something greater.” Then the High Priest looked over the whole audience again.

  “Elion has given me a sign.”

  “Praise the god of all creation! Praise the god of all!” yelled the Brethren in unison.

  “The scroll Braelind gave to Garrick is legitimate?” asked Elias, as he took a step forward.

  “Yes Elias. The legend of the King Priest and the Scepter Sword is true. All of it,” replied the High Priest. “However, I did not tell you all that you would have to do to retrieve it. True, we know where the Scepter Sword is, but we also need all three of the Holy Stones for its hilt.”

  “High Priest, if I may be so bold,” spoke Garrick, stepping up next. “I have been told by close friends that, indeed, you have one of the Holy Stones, and that both the elven and dwarven kingdoms have one as well. Is this true?”

  Both Elias and Cerelene looked at Garrick in astonishment. Then the High Priest stood up and pulled his amulet out from behind his robes, the stone shining brightly.

  “That is true, Garrick,” answered the High Priest, as the Brethren behind the trio gasped in shock and awe. “I have one of the Scepter Stones. All we need now are the ones that were given to the elves and dwarves,” announced the High Priest, sitting down, his face nonchant as the Brethren started to discuss the amazing revetion between each other. Then he continued. “The question now is where are the Stones that were given to them?”

  As Elias and Garrick before her, Cerelene stepped forward and spoke, “We do not have a Holy Stone anymore. It has been missing for many years. As for the dwarves...”

  The High Priest raised his hand and Cerelene stopped. “I assume you know the story of the Elven Divinity Bracelet?” asked the High Priest.

  “I do,” replied Cerelene. “The queens of The Elven Forest wore the Holy Bracelet in honor of Elion. It had many different rings that were connected together with a csp. It was lost to us, hundreds of years ago. Last I heard it was rumored to be in the hands of the Shadowmage.”

  After looking down at her wrist, the elf maiden continued. “The jewel that adorned the middle ring of the bracelet was beautiful...”

  Suddenly Cerelene stopped and her eyes widened.

  “One of the Holy Stones...” whispered the elf maiden loudly to herself.

  “You are right, Cerelene, and the Shadowmage has that Holy Bracelet. It is with him in The Tower of Mystics and Magic. His dark elf apprentice wears it. A gift to her for becoming his follower.”

  Elias gnced over at Cerelene, who was looking down now and shaking her head, reacting to the news that one of her own people had joined the sinister Shadowmage. Then the knight looked up at the High Priest again.

  “What of the dwarves?“ asked Elias, the knight’s mind was already thinking about the quest.

  “The Stone is in The Cloud Shroud Mountain,” answered the High Priest.

  “In the clutches of the dragon Firebaugh, said Garrick, in an ominous voice.

  “Yes mercenary,” continued the High Priest. “Since making the ancient mountain kingdom of the dwarves his ir, the Stone has become his. Hundreds of years ago, before the dragon took the mountain from the dwarves, the dwarf king had his craftsmen fashion a holy ring for him that the Stone was set in. The Ring of Dedication is said to be pced near the dragon, along with all his treasure. And that leads us to the most interesting part of our discussion. There is no dwarf standing here with you today.”

  The High Priest stopped as the Brethren discussed loudly, until Balcon eventually quieted them. Then he continued. “I believe he or she will be found along the way. That has been made pin to me. However, even more important, you not only need all three Stones to give the Sword its power, but what most do not realize, is that you need a representative of each race with their Stone to enter the Temple Ruins.”

  “The Spell of Rasmus,” uttered Garrick, rubbing his beard.

  “Indeed Garrick. Your mother taught you the old legends well,” replied the High Priest with a smile. “When the King Priest recimed the Holy Stone that was pulled from the Scepter Sword, after he at st triumphed over the goblin invasion, and added it to the other two Stones still in his possession, he then asked the sage Rasmus to cast a spell over the destroyed Temple and its nds, so that no one could get in to retrieve the Sword. Making sure that no one evil could again attempt to take it. As you know even to this day, many have been to the isnd where the Temple Ruins sit, but none have entered through The Holy Gates.”

  The High Priest grabbed the Holy Stone from around his neck and continued. “However, even though the Holy Stones were to be separated, Rasmus’ spell could be broken if all three Stones were brought back together. Sadly, over time with the human, elven, and dwarven realms separating from each other completely, the odds that three representatives with the Stones would ever break the spell became slimmer and slimmer. Until now.”

  The room became completely silent. Garrick, Elias, and Cerelene watched as the High Priest rose from his seat and grabbed his staff. Then, after he walked toward them, he stopped in front of the trio.

  “Elias Romwell. You have served me and The Holy City with honor and bravery. For that I am grateful,” began the High Priest. “However, since childhood it has been Elion you have served above all else, and because of that I now ask. Will you go on the quest to recim the Scepter Sword?”

  Elias’ face beamed with pride. There was no hesitation. “Yes my High Priest. I accept. For you. For The Human Kingdom Lands and for all of Danaria.“ Then the captain of The Knights of Providence looked over at Stephen, who pced his forearm over his chest and smiled back.

  The High Priest stepped in front of Cerelene. “Cerelene Lightshower, niece to the queen of The Elven Forest. Will you join with Elias Romwell, captain of The Knights of Providence, on the quest to recim the Scepter Sword?”

  Cerelene looked at the ground for a moment and closed her eyes. When she looked up, the High Priest’s gaze had not left her. Then after a moment, the elf maiden found her voice.

  “Today you told me that my coming here was more than because of my exile,” spoke Cerelene. Then she looked behind her and back at the High Priest. “As you and the Brethren know, I am here for speaking out against my queen in front of both the human and dwarven dignitaries, who asked for our help in King Brock’s fight against the treasonous Landon Rosser, just one year ago.”

  Cerelene stopped for a moment, as she remembered being back in The Elven Forest. “My opposition to Queen Lightshower’s isotionist ways still stand. I am proud to be an elf. The Elven Forest is my home.” Then Cerelene’s face filled with resolve. “But if I was willing to stand up to my queen for the good of Danaria, then how could I not go now?” Then she nodded in acceptance.

  After the High Priest nodded back at Cerelene, he stepped in front of Garrick. However, before speaking, he was silent for a few seconds. The High Priest stroked his beard as he looked at the mercenary. Then he spoke.

  “Garrick Landow. The knowledge of the hiding pce of the King Priest’s Scepter Sword was passed to you. You are not a cleric. Nor a Knight of Providence or even a knight of Aubrelon. However, as promised to Braelind, you delivered the scroll with that knowledge to me.”

  As Garrick listened to the High Priest, his hands began to sweat. The mercenary was pretty sure what was coming next, but Elias was chosen as well, and he was the captain of The Knights of Providence. Though the mercenary had more knowledge of Danaria, Elias was still a leader.

  “Yesterday, after you kept that promise, I asked you, if I were to ask you to lead a quest to find the Scepter Sword and its Stones the next day, would you do it?”

  Then The High priest smiled at the mercenary and continued. “Elion has given me a sign. Now I ask you formally. Garrick Landow. Will you lead the quest to find the King Priest’s Scepter Sword, and help save Danaria from the dark times that are coming?”

  Garrick could hear the sounds of the Brethren whispering behind him, as his eyes darted around the room. He was within The Holy City, inside The Temple of Unfaltering Devotion, standing in front of Liam Jarstinian, the High Priest of The Human Kingdom Lands. A man that some considered equal to King Brock.

  Garrick gazed at the Holy Amulet hanging around the High Priest’s neck and took a breath. The stories his mother had told him, the knowledge Pawps and Mawmoo had imparted, being given the scroll by Braelind, meeting Elias and then Cerelene, who had both agreed to go on this quest. Garrick finally felt the nervousness leave him. He had thought the night before that he would go on this quest if asked. Now he knew without a doubt.

  “I will lead the quest to find the Scepter Sword and the Holy Stones...” answered Garrick. Then, after looking over at Elias and Cerelene, he nodded at the High Priest.

  “And we three are only the beginning.”