The Guardian Chronicles: The Shadow Alliance

Rifgras and Ochrina

Rifgras

    Eamonn, Adara, and Rifte all found themselves in a clearing surrounded by thick trees. In front of them they saw a small path that had been choked by the encroaching woods. Before they could ask Eamonn said, “This is where he lives. We must wait until he summons us before we can go further.”

    Adara got a worried look, “How will he summon us?”

    “You will see…” Eamonn said.

    They waited for a long while before anything happened, but then, from out of nowhere two enormous black wolves with growing red eyes approached them. Eamonn looked at the two wolves and smiled.

    “We have been summoned.” Eamonn said.

    “What? By two wolves?” Adara said.

    Rifte shushed her, “Don’t you feel it? These are no ordinary wolves.”

    Suddenly, in front of them, the trees slowly parted and revealed a trail that ended a few hundred feet away at another wall of tangled trees. Eamonn beckoned for Rifte and Adara to follow him. The three of them began to walk down the trail and they did not notice that it closed behind them as they went. They reached the other wall and watched in amazement as a doorway slowly appeared. Sunlight poured through the doorway and onto the three of them.

    “We now enter the home of Rifgras, First Brother of Lore. Step lightly here, he knows many things and cares not for lies.” Then Eamonn stepped into the doorway and disappeared. Rifte and Adara exchanged cautious glances and then she went through the door followed by Rifte. On the other side was a sight that took their breath away.

    They found themselves in a round meadow with tall tangled trees all around it. The floor of the meadow was grass greener than either of them had ever seen before. Small blue, white, and yellow flowers grew in small patches all over the meadow. The sky above the meadow was different than it should have been. Something was odd about it. But neither of them knew what.

    Then they saw him, standing there in the middle of the meadow was a wizened old Asvorian man with a long brown beard leaning on a black staff that was almost as tall as he was. The man’s head was covered by the hood of his dark brown robe but his face was visible. He had piercing gray eyes that had seen more days than even the oldest beings on Veru had. Behind him was a white stone pedestal that had green vines, with red flowers growing on it, twisting up the pedestal.

    On the pedestal was a very large book that was bound in black leather. The book was open and the pages were white with black letters. The pages were written in a strange language that few had ever seen. Behind the pedestal was a large round boulder with a blue door carved into the middle of it. He looked at his guests with a smile.

    He said, “Welcome, Eamonn Tannenbar, Adara Telfore, Rifte…”

    “Thank you for allowing us here.” Eamonn said.

    “I have told you Tannenbar, anyone is welcome here who follows a noble path!” Rifgras sighed and then he looked at Rifte, “Ah…a noble Lukavar and a righteous thief! Intriguing I must say. Tell me…who were your parents?”

    “I…don’t know. My mother was a…slave…but I do not know who my father was.” Rifte said, pained by the memory.

    “Your mother was a slave, a breeding slave. A poor women who’s only joy in her brief life was you. She loved you with a passion that bordered on madness. But…her death was…well, there are some secrets better left for others to tell.” Rifgras said with a sympathetic look in his eyes.