“Many of our people looked to King Arman for guidance, and he did the very best he could to provide that to them. It was his responsibility as King of Greenhaven to protect them.
With one hand, he held them to his bosom and provided them the love that they craved from their king. With the other, he grasped his sword vigilantly to defend them at any cost, even against his own son.
He gave his life in an attempt to rid Marithia of any threat that would harm them and we will forever remember him as the king of the people, a protector of Marithians.”
The precise location of Veldrenn, deep in the Elven Woods, was a well-kept secret. It was hidden far from the gaze of any prying eyes, and not even the alliance with Greenhaven permitted its location to be revealed. The elves believed that remaining hidden was their first and best line of defence. While Kassina’s forces now searched aimlessly through the many lands between them, Andrielle knew that they had plenty of time before they might possibly be found.
Although they succeeded in keeping their home a secret, they took no chances. Veldrenn was extremely well-protected and it was this protection that had kept its location unknown to outsiders. It was inevitable that they could be accidentally found at any time, and so lookout faeries resided in the surrounding trees for great distances, and would signal an intruder’s presence; in return, the elves provided protection from wild predators that threatened the survival of faeriekind. The great oak trees were also enchanted by elven magic to create a dark canopy that served to confuse even the best trackers. If anyone were to somehow find their way through the great maze of trees, they would then have to face the elven guards, who were permanently stationed around the outskirts of Veldrenn. Each guard was trained to the level of Master in magic, and all were expert swordsmen.
The city itself was surrounded by menacing walls of closely placed oak trees that were under the control of the elven queen, and could be shifted as desired by the elves. Within those walls, the elves had built their homes in gigantic trees that were enchanted to grow swiftly into whatever shape the elves required. Queen Andrielle’s home was well-placed in the centre of the great city, and was the largest of them all. The elves had carved extraordinarily detailed images of animals into its surface. Sapphires, diamonds and rubies were used to enhance the carvings and decorated the animal's eyes. Long swatches of red silk were hung from the branches, which swayed in the wind when the canopy was opened.
Princess Helenia wiped the built-up tears from her eyes as she bit into the soft honey bread. Its sweet taste and soft texture only worsened the longing in her heart. Queen Andrielle and the remaining knights also joined her at the table. The Elven Queen took a deep breath to cut through the silence and prepared herself to address the table.
"We have already spent too many days in mourning, and it is important that we discuss the difficult matters which I know we would all prefer to avoid. We must accept that we cannot change events that have already passed, and I know that my words will not make the pain of our losses any easier, but we are all safe here, aren't we? We have no choice but to stay here and work together. Brave men, you are all welcome to reside with us in Veldrenn. I understand that you may wish to seek your own vengeance or seek out your families, and I would not stop you if you chose to leave our city to pursue those desires.”
The knights stopped eating and slowly turned to look at each other, before they all nodded in agreement. They all knew that only one choice would be made. One of them rose to his feet and spoke for them all, bowing to Andrielle. “My Queen, you knew our bravest knight, Vartan. All here will agree that he was the strongest of all of us, and we do hope he finds us here; the gods know that we could use his help. However, I gladly accept the responsibility of leading the knights in his absence. My name is Dryden, my Queen. We served you in Greenhaven and will serve you with our lives wherever you may take us."
Andrielle smiled at them warmly. “Then let it be so, Sir Dryden. Greenhaven may be lost, but chivalry and honour can never be taken from us. Former Knights of Greenhaven, stand and give your oaths to become Knights of the Elves. You may induct yourselves as you would have in Greenhaven.”
The knights stood as one and drew swords, connecting the tips of their shiny blades in the centre of the table.
“We swear never to use violence without purpose; never to submit to murder or treason. We swear on our honour as knights to give mercy when asked, and to protect all innocents and enforce their rights. We promise never to fight in any unjust cause, or to fight for personal gain. This oath we take upon our Knighthood of the Elves.”
Andrielle nodded gently for them to sit. “Be seated, Knights of the Elves! Welcome to your new home. Allow me to introduce you to our finest elven warrior, General Faowind. He will work with you to establish a new army — a combined army — that will be strengthened by both the skills and training of your knights, and the magic and enchantments of the elves.”
The knights all watched in amazement as an empty chair was engulfed by a thick puff of white smoke. As it cleared, the elven general was revealed. Faowind was a tall elf, visibly battle-hardened, with numerous scars of combat marking his otherwise smooth skin. He had long, silver hair, tied back tightly in a ponytail. Faowind smiled as he looked over the knights, his pearly white teeth glistening. “Welcome, brave knights. The pleasure of our meeting is all mine. Our people cannot thank you enough for bringing our queen and princess home safely and unharmed, and we will be forever in your debt for doing so.” His gaze swept around the new Knights of the Elves. “I will do my best to teach you everything I know, given that undisturbed time is of an uncertain nature. Be prepared, as there will be challenges ahead. We need to work together to build an army capable not only of defending our city, but ultimately of reclaiming Greenhaven and returning it to its former glory. Know that Arman’s death will not go unavenged. For the king!”
The knights raised their glasses in unison and shouted, “For the king!” They drank heartily, pounding their glasses on the table and wiping their mouths.
Andrielle raised her hand to settle them down as she addressed them once again. “Our good spirits are returning, but we can never forget the lives that we lost in Greenhaven. Dryden, I am sure that Arman’s instructions would have included saving our most sacred scrolls. One of them is partly damaged. What I am about to say stays within this room, as the last thing we need right now is panic and hysteria among us. It’s about time that we openly discuss Talonsphere.”
The knights stared at each other silently in astonishment until Dryden found the courage to speak up. He spoke cautiously, “My Queen, with all due respect… Talonsphere only exists in legends and fables. We cannot put our faith in ancient stories to save us."
Andrielle reached under the table to produce a dirty old scroll that at first appeared unremarkable. Half of it had been hastily torn away, but their eyes lit up with curiosity when she opened what was left of it. As the dust fell off the scroll, it appeared at first glance to be blank.
“Not everything is as it appears,” said the queen with a knowing smile. She took a deep breath and blew warm air down the scroll. The dust cloud made them cough as they waved it away.
“ Redivivet, ” she whispered.
The scroll glowed with a white light as a layer fell away from its surface to reveal a shining golden map. They all gazed in awe and disbelief at what was now before their eyes.
Andrielle spoke firmly. “We should assume that Kassina holds the other half of this scroll. However, Derian was never entrusted with the secrets of the scrolls, which proved a wise move under the circumstances. The portion they hold is only an illusion, ink magically formed to mislead the wielder. We alone hold Talonsphere’s true location. They may find it by absolute chance, but that is a risk we will have to accept.”
The queen quickly rolled up the scroll and carefully returned it to its leather binding. Placing her hands on the table and leaning forward, she continued. “We must reclaim Greenhaven and protect Talonsphere at all costs. There is something else about Talonsphere that is crucial to our success in this war, and that we are still missing; we don’t know where to find the key, the prophecy, to activate this weapon."
Dryden paled at the revelation. “By the gods, are all the songstresses in Greenhaven singing of the truth? Talonsphere? The tale of the boy born of dragon blood?”
“I speak the truth, Dryden. The best way to keep such a secret hidden is to display it in plain sight. Nobody believes in something unbelievable that is given to them on a silver platter, especially if it’s sung to them by a songstress. We lived in the hope that eventually the boy would seek us out, visit the royal chambers to reveal himself, and unlock Talonsphere to rid Marithia of the tyranny of darkness for eternity. This is all that I know. All we can do now is hope for a sign.” She sighed, and returned to her seat.
The entire company returned to eating quietly, deep in their own thoughts.
Helenia!
The princess was so shocked by his voice filling her mind that she dropped her food on the floor.
Did I imagine that? she thought, her eyes widening.
Helenia, it’s me-Vartan!
“Vartan!” she cried out in delight, her voice startling everyone at the table.
Andrielle gently placed a hand on her wrist and whispered, “Helenia, are you all right?”
The princess leapt from her chair anxiously. “It’s Vartan-he’s alive! He says he’s flying, with dragons. They are circling above us and ask if we can open the trees to let them in.”
Everyone else at the table burst out of their seats with excitement at the thought of Vartan’s return. Andrielle quickly regained her composure. “Wait-did you say dragons? This may be Kassina’s trickery. If it really is Vartan, and he is in the company of dragons, ask him to name any of the dragons he accompanies.” Andrielle’s eyes revealed her confidence that Helenia was wrong.
Helenia's eyes glazed over momentarily; then she smiled as she turned her beaming face to her mother.
“He is with Karven and Nymira, King and Queen of the Dragons.”
Andrielle was frozen still for a moment as the realisation sank in. Suddenly she rose from her chair, equally full of disbelief and hope. “I truly can’t believe it. Dragons still live among us, after all this time? Of course, we will open the tree canopy immediately. Ineant omnes.”
Sounds of wood creaking and groaning heavily filled the city, as the giant trees began to move. In the centre of Veldrenn, beams of bright daylight broke through the trees as the sky opened up.
They all looked to the sky with anticipation, which quickly turned to disappointment. Dryden drew his sword and the other knights followed, surrounding Andrielle. "I don't see dragons-I see nothing but open air. This may indeed be Kassina's trickery! Protect the queen!"
Two heavy objects landed on elven soil together, shaking the ground slightly with their graceful entrance. Rumbles were heard around the city and all inhabitants of the city stared in wonder as nothing but fresh giant footprints could be seen in the grass. The knights held their ground around Queen Andrielle, hands gripping their swords tightly.
“What now, my Queen?” asked Dryden.
“Stay your weapons and remain by my side. If these really are dragons, they mean us no harm,” she replied. The knights followed her order and sheathed their swords, a firm grip remaining on their hilts. As the dragons slowly revealed themselves, there was a collective sharp intake of breath when their forms came into view. Both Karven and Nymira were suited from head to claws in their complete magical dragon armour and stood side by side. Their scales provided them with protection against hand-held weaponry, but they were taking no chances travelling into Marithia with Kassina roaming free, as she was likely to empower her armies with weapons powerful enough to dispatch dragons.
Andrielle spoke loudly and clearly. “People of Veldrenn, let us pay our respects to the King and Queen of the Dragons.”
The entire city fell to one knee and bowed their heads as the dragons slowly retracted their giant wings. There was an overwhelming silence; the only sounds were those of the trees as they slowly bent back into their protective positions.
“Welcome, Karven and Nymira. We are humbled by your presence. I hope that you feel at home in our city. I must say, it truly is an honour to have you here with us. After all, dragons were thought to be extinct-thank the gods that it isn't the case. May I ask, is Vartan really with you?”
“Of course I am here, my Queen,” Vartan replied. The dragons moved aside to reveal Vartan standing behind them, clutching a large wooden chest. Princess Helenia wept with joy as she ran to Vartan, who dropped the chest to the ground as they threw their arms around each other in a loving embrace. Andrielle and the knights stared wide-eyed as Helenia placed a soft kiss on Vartan’s lips. Queen Andrielle smiled uneasily as she saw true love in her daughter’s eyes for the first time, but was torn with the parental instinct of protecting her daughter.
Andrielle spoke with a wavering voice. “Vartan, I can’t believe you’re alive. I thought you were…”
“ Dead, my queen? I thought the same fate had befallen yourself and Helenia.”
Karven turned his great head to Andrielle, sensing the mixed emotions in her body. “Thank you for the warm welcome. Our kind has not always been treated with such respect, and we are aware of the general Marithian belief of our demise, but as you can see, we are far from extinct. It is also a pleasure to meet you in the flesh, Elven Queen Andrielle. I believe we have the same interests and a common enemy, and so we cannot afford to waste any time.”
“Dragons are always welcome here, Karven. Did you have something urgent you wished to discuss with me? To what do we owe the pleasure of this audience?” asked Andrielle.
“We seek an alliance with the elves, whom we respect as we do our own kind. We know of the vicious attack on Greenhaven by the dark sorceress Kassina, and what the consequences of such a bold move are likely to be. We must join forces if we are to have a chance of turning the tide of this war. We are indeed powerful creatures, but are not enough in number to do this alone.”
Andrielle smiled warmly in disbelief, the colour returning to her face. “Dragons seek the help of the elves? Karven, you bring the answers to our hopes and prayers, as we would like nothing more than an alliance with the great dragons. We offer all that we have, along with the promise that our alliance shall never be broken."
Nymira turned to speak. “Then let it be done and we shall speak the words of the ancients to forge our alliance, as witnessed by the gods.”
Andrielle nodded, slowly making her way to the dragons, who had bowed their heads down to her level. She placed the palms of her hands on Nymira and Karven’s heads and breathed deeply. The dragons spoke in unison, “ Speramus amicitiae nostrae memoriam sempiternam fore. ”
The city’s inhabitants were thrown back as a burst of green radiating energy erupted between the royals. A shiny ball of luminescence now hovered above them as the people of the city staggered back to their feet. Within the sphere was the glittery outline of a dragon, an elf astride it with a sword drawn high. Before anyone could speak, it launched itself through the trees and up into the sky at lightning speed. Karven took a deep breath and raised his head. “Elves of the city, you should know that your trust is well-placed in our alliance. To prepare ourselves for war, we will require a large quantity of the best weapons and armour. I present to you a token gift of our newfound alliance which should buy us all the goods we need."
Nymira craned her neck down and gently nudged open the box with her nose to reveal thousands of diamonds and gemstones that sparkled within. She pushed the heavy chest forward toward the elven queen.
Andrielle smiled as she was filled with new hope. “People of our great city, tonight we dine and celebrate the start of a new era-the age of elves and dragons united and working together as one!”
The people of the city cheered and the roar of their applause was almost drowned out by the dragons blowing jets of fire into the air.