As the storm raged on, three bodies drifted up to the beach, with a whole lot of broken timber and severed ropes. Not one of the bodies moved. So it was, for hours, until the storm faded. The water was a clear turquoise color and you could see meters into the water. The sun shone, drying off the wood and the clothes of the three prone bodies. A mild wind stirred, blowing the hair around, and rustling the trees that stood at the edge of the beach. The sand was a pale yellow, the color of a snow bear. The trees stood many meters in height and the close gathering of the trees resembled a jungle. A shadow flitted from beneath one tree to behind another. Then a shrill whistle pierced the tranquil silence. Two figures edged nearer to the bodies.
"Sylune have mercy! It is Dethemina's child! She will grieve to hear of this." The first figure spoke. He had slanted, almond shaped eyes and unnatural, otherworldly beauty. His fine blonde hair was cut short, and from beneath his hair, two pointed ears stood out. He was dressed in Battle armor, and carried a large sword in a scabbard behind his back.
"I will bear him, as honor dictates. Carry the girl, Fien." Another elf, this time female, joined Fien on the beach.
"As honor dictates? Ah. Of course. You are his cousin, yes?" Fien glanced at her before bending and easily picking up the girl, as if she weighed nothing. The female, Eryna, gave a piercing whistle and an Ignu bird trotted out of the forest. Fien grabbed the other body, which had limp golden hair. He then leapt onto the Ignu bird, grabbing the mane of hair that grew along its spine. The bird shot off into the undergrowth, its four legs moving furiously. Fien had slung the two bodies that he carried on his shoulders, and now sat behind the mighty wings that grew near the shoulders of the bird. The bird carried no saddle, for no elf would dare violate the laws of their Lord. Eryna sprinted alongside Fien, easily keeping pace with the rider, despite carrying her cousin with utmost respect. All elves honored and revered the dead, due to their extended lives.
Soon, a settlement showed through the thick forest. Eryna and Fien halted at a steep cliff drop. Indeed, a massive city sprawled below. Bone white towers glittered in the afternoon sunlight and massive gardens and houses were built inside the silvery walls. The silvery walls surrounded the whole city, connected by many of those towers. Lush forests surrounded the city and palace, straight outside the city. The palace was a sight to behold. It was so breathtaking that both elves stopped, just to take in the view. Few humans had seen such beauty and even fewer had lived to tell of it.
Fien dismounted and, adjusting the bodies that he had tied tightly to his body, strode right off the cliff. He then appeared a moment later holding tightly to a vine. It was impressively shaped like a platform and Eryna grabbed on too, her arm wrapped tightly around Jon's waist. Her cousin's head lolled limply on her shoulder as she held onto the vine firmly and closed her eyes, envisioning the vine's spirit. She jolted some of her magic into the vine, making the spirit sparkle. The vine blossomed and green vines sprouted from the bottom, rocketing up to lift their platform up. They were lifted all the way up to the treetops, where there was another platform, this time situated at the top of one of the tallest trees in the forest. This was the great forest of Silvardor. The elves who reside in Saelvor called this forest, their pride, and joy, Illvyn. The two elves alighted the climbing vine and Eryna extinguished the spark again, making the plant crumble. She and Fien gazed out at the sunset. It painted the sky in vibrant red hues, making it a mixture of colors that every painter dreamed of capturing, but none managed. Eyes shining, Eryna smiled out at the setting sun. She let her magic touch every spirit of life around her and reveled in the sheer feeling of life. Then she frowned. There was a different life that she sensed. She touched the spirit and lit the flame of life, making it burn brightly. Then she opened her eyes, blinking. Something was moving very slightly in her arm. She looked down and gasped. It was her cousin. He was alive, after all!
"Fien! He is alive!" Eryna grabbed his shoulder, from where he was facing the sunset, enjoying the beauty of their world. He spun and stared at her, at her touch.
"Wait, what? Who?" He asked, confused.
"My cousin!" She shrieked, eyes shining. He blinked before a smile slowly spread across his face.
"Eryna. I am happy for you. Let us return and celebrate the return of Taryn!" Fien inclined his head towards her and then took her hand, gently guiding her to the city.
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Arriving at the city, Eryna and Fien immediately headed to Dethemina's residence. Servants greeted them as they walked into the house.
"Lady Dethemina will be with you in a moment. Please, take a seat." A servant showed to a room with soft cushions lining the floor and a small table in the center with goblets of elven wine. Eryna gently set her cousin down on one of the cushions, brushing his white hair out of his face. She studied his face, the color of frost. His high cheekbones were very pronounced and his lips a light pink colour. Then his eyes fluttered open. They were a startling electric blue. His eyes widened as he took in his surroundings, then he started coughing. Water sprayed out of his mouth, causing him to choke as he tried to take a breath. Eryna grabbed his shoulders, pounding his back while sending her magic into his body, trying to see what was wrong. What she saw chilled her blood, very literally, because his body was frozen on the inside. He was choking because the water in the body was melting. She had to get it out of his body quickly, or he might die.
"Fien! Call the Fire mage! My cousin will die if we do not help him."
He gave a tense nod, placing the bodies on the floor before sprinting out into Saelvor.
Eryna sent her magic to tickle her cousin's throat on the inside, to induce vomiting. Anyway to quickly rid his body of a few liters of fast melting water.
It worked, making him spew water everywhere. Eryna grabbed his mouth, shutting it while telling him to breathe through his nose. He gave a faint nod and his breathing steadied as he calmed down.
Then he collapsed.
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Dedicated to @AuthorJMColes for spotting all of those mistakes that I missed. Thank you! :)
Finally, Silvardor...
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Shadow Kingdoms | Book 1 ✔ (REWRITTEN AS 'THE EXILED KING')
FantasíaBook 1 - Completed *FIRST DRAFT* It's never easy when you find yourself inheriting magical powers you thought were only legends. 'Guardians' are gifted with special powers to protect their world, and when demons invaded, they were the ones to fight...
