Door to the Mist

Chapter 7

    As soon as he touched the stone, Jay’s world changed. The sky seemed to ripple; the ground swirled beneath his feet. The effect was discomforting to say the least, but after a few moments, the world solidified once more.

    Gone was the frozen mountaintop and snowy peaks, replaced by a dim forest clearing. A small spring bubbled up from the roots of a tree at the clearing’s center, running down the rocks, then off into the the shadows of the surrounding forest.

    Jay stood up and glanced around in confusion.

    “Welcome, traveler,” said a soft voice behind him.

    He whirled around to confront the speaker. It was an elf woman, clad in a shimmering robe of pale green. Her dark brown hair flowed from beneath a circlet of silver, that had shimmering tendrils branching off and surrounding her eyes like glasses. Her piercing green eyes glittered from behind the silver frame, somehow looking ancient and sad, yet with a distinct glint of humor.

    “Who are you?” Jay asked.

    “I am Numen Lithial,” she replied, “one of the three elven magic wielders who bound their spirits into this staff.”

    “What do you want with me?”

    “I will be your guide. You have come far, but you have even farther to go before your journey’s end.”

    “Where are my friends? What have you done to them?”

    “Nothing. Your friends are with my companions. They are safe.”

    Jay fell silent.

    “We have much to discuss,” she said, and sat beside the spring. “Come and sit,” she patted the roots beside her. “There are many things we must speak of, and your legs will grow weary.”

    Jay begrudgingly came and sat beside her. He was surprised to realize that he was taller than her, although she carried herself as though she were of great stature.

    “You already know most of our tale,” she said, “but there is another tale that you must learn. In my time, I was a captain of the elven magicians. I watched as the Dark Elf and his legions destroyed our fortress, but I also witnessed something much more important.”

    “Many centuries ago,” she began, “the Dark Elf invaded the stronghold and sabotaged the portal. When he did, he scattered The Heart of Man and its counterparts.”

    “The Heart of Man?” Jay asked suddenly. “I have The Heart of Man.”

    “You do?” she asked in amazement. “How did you manage that?”

    “I found it in the remains of the Bolkrath after it had been destroyed.

   “So, our ancient foe has been defeated at last,” she said. “How did it happen?”

    Jay explained how he had defeated the Bolkrath with the jammed shield.

    “That should not have worked,” she said, after he finished his tale. “The Bolkrath is highly resistant to magic. That is why we failed to completely destroy it all those years ago.”

    “Perhaps the stone had something to do with it?” Jay suggested.

    “It is possible,” she said. “One of its properties is that it can enhance and magnify magical effects. It may have increased the power of the exploding shield to where it surpassed the Bolkrath’s resistance.”

    “You said that was one of its properties. What were the others?”

    “The stone has many properties,” she said, “but one is more secret, more important, than all the rest. You came through the entrance cave, I assume?”