The Kingdom of Dawn

Chapter 23: A Happy Renunion

Tarvill brushed off his clothes for the fiftieth time, his fingers drumming on the hilt of his sword as he did so.

"Pull yourself together, it will be fine."
Reuben said. "I mean, she's only thought you were dead for about three months. She'll probably be too excited to find out that you're actually alive to be angry at you or anything like that."

"It's not Estrella that I'm worried about. It's the other elves. Some of them really hold the fact that I'm not fully elf against me, but the fact is, I'm not fully Human either. I have a foot in both worlds, but only one of them accepts me. I'm worried about getting back out of there alive. I don't want my heritage to endanger Estrella. I'm wondering if I'm doing the right thing by coming here, or if it will cause more trouble than good.

"Well, I wouldn't consider myself good at strategy or problem solving, but I think that you coming here could definitely be a good thing. You seem to know the elves better than anyone else here. Your knowledge of the elven people and culture would be quite useful if we should have to ask them for military or other forms of assistance."

"I have spent over half of my life with the Elves," Tarvill replied. "My father is Glendil Warwind."

Just the mention of the legendary warrior and general made Reuben wince in surprise. "Then you can most assuredly help us with negotiations if we need military help from him?"

"I could assist with that endeavor. As long as no one kills me first that is. I know my father will do everything in his power to protect me, however, he has enemies because of his status, and I have enemies because of my heritage. My father's enemies also would get rid of me if they got the chance to--.

Tarvill never got the chance to finish his sentence. As soon as they were in eyeshot of the forest, Estrella shot up into the air to meet him.

"Tarvill? But you were... How?" Her wings suddenly stopped flapping as she went limp and dropped like a stone. Zephyr dropped after her, catching her in his claws before she could hit the ground. She snapped awake as Zephyr gently placed her on the ground. "What happened?"

"You got a big surprise at just the wrong time." Tarvill jumped down and lightly landed next to Estrella. "But you seem fine now, which is a good thing.

" Tarvill? But it can't be. You died in the fire. So who are you?"

Tarvill opened his mouth to respond, but just then Glendil came running up and wrapped Tarvill in his arms. "He's my son. But more importantly, he's alive. We shall feast tonight to celebrate the grace of Urimal in returning my son to me."

"How is it that you are still alive?" Estrella turned to Tarvill.

"The fire was all around me, and I felt certain that I was not going to survive. It started when I was in my room. Every moment was hotter than the last, and every breath burned the inside of my lungs. My only goal was to reach the dragons and tell them to deliver the sun blade before I went the way of men and elves."

Tarvill shudders as the memory comes to life in his head.

He pulls himself up the last tunnel, feeling like he has nothing left to give. He lays on the stone ground gasping for air to fill his burning lungs. Seconds drag on into eternity as he waits for a dragon to notice him. Finally, he spots Zephyr's wide blue eyes staring down at him.

"Go," he whispers, straining to make the sounds. "Find Estrella, and bring her the sun blade. Tell her..." his voice cracks and he coughs before continuing. "Tell her that I loved her."

"The only thing I saw after that was blackness. I felt a sense of perfect peace and tranquility, and I thought I must be dead. But then a blinding light filled my view. It was the last thing I ever saw. I heard a voice say 'I'm not done with you yet son of peace. You still have work to do.' Urimal had sent me back to the realm of the living. Your face flashed into my mind, fading into darkness. The next thing I knew, I was waking up to a man yelling that he's going to kill me."

Reuben's cheeks were as red and hot as the flames in the fortress had been. "That was me, I'm afraid." He leaped from Zephyr's back and walked away.

"I don't know the words to express how glad I am that you're not actually dead right now." Estrella stood up as Tarvill and Glendil began to walk off. "I'd have no chance of regaining my kingdom if you were actually dead." She ran up to them, then began walking beside them. "But that's matters for another time. I'm hungry, and didn't someone say something about a feast?" Everyone laughed as they walked off into the woods.