Legends of Dorconia Book 1- Elisif

Chapter 5 A New Companion

I awoke to the smell of something burning. Where was I. This wasn't my queen sized bed back in the palace. Oh right I was in a forest. I thought that was all a dream but no. My home and family were still lost. I sat up in my sleeping bag. It was just large enough for me to fit. The sleeping bag was just made of simple cow leather. Wait there was only one sleeping bag and tent did that mean. I looked down to my right and left. He wasn't there. Then I looked outside the tent on the grass was the man I had only met last night. Ronin the mysterious fighter. It was of the highest treachery to kill one of your kinsmen and this man had killed five other humans. What did that make him? A rouge. I kept analyzing him when his eyes snapped open. I bounced back in surprise. "AAaaaaa" I screamed and fell back on the ground. Ronin sprinted around the tent to me. "Hey are you okay my lady"? I stared at him. "I'm fine... and don't call me that" I protested but on the inside I was slightly happy that he called me by my official title. I got to my feet. I had slept in my armour and my weapons were at the burned up campfire. The scepter on the other hand was in the sleeping bag with me. I couldn't let it out of my sight. Ronin strode back over to the spot were the burning smell was coming from. There was a rusty old iron pot with bubbling contents stirring inside it. "So... what's for breakfast"? I asked. Ronin looked up at me and smirked. "A little surprise for a majestic Elven princess". I didn't really trust him but when he passed me a wooden bowl with dark yellow bubbling liquid in it I took it politely. Next he gave me a wooden spoon. I scooped up my unusual breakfast and poured into my mouth. Instantly my mouth started to burn. "AH AH AH". My mouth was on fire. I was running around trying to find something to cool my mouth. I ran to a rusty old iron pot and raised it to my lips. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH". That was the bowl full of the spicy liquid. While I was running around trying to find somewhere to help me Ronin was just laughing all over the place. There at the bottom of the hill was a stream. I ran like a chicken with it's bum on fire. I gulped as much water as I could and then walked back to Ronin. He was still laughing. "WHAT THE HELL. THAT WAS NOT COOL"! Ronin stopped laughing "I'm sorry. HA. I didn't mean to have it end up like that. I'm immune to spice". I sat down on a tree stump sulking while Ronin started to make me a proper dish. After we ate Ronin said "Elisif if what you say is wrapped in that cloth, did your father tell you about all of its story". "No. Why.. did he miss something important? He nodded. "Sorry to say but there is a curse on that scepter". I gasped. "What do you mean curse"? Ronin started to talk. "Whenever someone takes this item on a quest they must face three trials to test there worth. Elisif you are not the first to take this item into your hands. Many have tried to do it before you. Of course they were not seen in the great prophecy but none of them made it past the second trial. For each person every trial is different but they are incredibly dangerous. I listened to every word. Was it true. Was I just a pawn of the Gods. Was I just the next person in their game and even the way Ronin said it. It was as if he had suffered from this curse himself. Ronin... When I spoke to you last night. You tensed up when you heard the name Charivari. Do you know him? Ronin looked up at me his smile gone. "I do" he replied. "How"? I asked. "I met him a long time ago. You see. Charivari used to be a good man. He was blessed by our war god Torgan which meant he couldn't lose any fight, battle or war. He protected people for a few years but soon after that the power went to his head. He wanted to never lose at all. He wanted to become immortal but you know that humans can't do magic but it's not because we are weak. It was because we die to quickly. You Elves live for hundreds of years. Your father is what now. I'd say over six hundred. It takes years upon years to learn magic but not for you. We humans only live about eighty to ninety years. That's why we can't learn magic. We die to quickly. Anyway Charivari knew this so he formulated the most vile, disgusting, hateful plan ever devised. He kidnapped a hundred Elven children, a hundred Orcish children and a hundred Dwarven children. Then he strapped each of them to wall and used every last ounce of his power from his blessing to steal their magical power. He became immortal but because he was human he was only half immortal. He couldn't age or get infected from disease. He could die from damaging his body but because of his blessing that was impossible unless he killed himself. The children on the other hand were striped of their magic and do you know what he did then. He killed each and every last one of the one by one. After that I tried to stop him but ended up accidentally killing an innocent bystander and was classified a Rouge. I was banished Elisif.  After that I wandered place to place slaughtering every last on of Charivari's supporters. I let none of them live Elisif. That's who I am". I stared at him. The man who was laughing and playing pranks just a few minutes ago had turned stone cold. I looked at him "Hey its okay. I don't resent you or anything. Actually Ronin if I am to face three trials. Would you come with me"? He smiled again. "Do you really want me along Elisif"? "Yeah why wouldn't I". He laughed again. "Okay here we go. Ronin and Elisif on a quest to save the world". This time it was my turn to laugh. "Well we better get moving then".