A Story Of River (18 page)

Yori waited in the palace foyer with the newly
crafted armor. He stood patiently as a servant ran down the long stone corridor
to fetch River. There seemed to be a chill inside the palace that day despite
the summer weather outside. An anxious mood permeated throughout the structure
as the kingdom prepared for war.

River appeared in the foyer and offered a
hand to Yori. “It is most kind of you to bring this here. I could have easily
come to you. I know you are terribly busy.”

“It was no trouble, my lord,” Yori
replied. “I like to personally perform the final fitting. It's the only way to
ensure it's done properly.”

“Very well then,” River said.

The pair headed toward River's chambers
where Yori began laying out the various pieces of armor. He sat each piece
carefully on the bed for River to inspect. Each piece had been tinted sapphire
blue in color. It had a radiance unlike any other armor Yori had created. He
had spent many years working for the king and had created some very special
pieces on his behalf. This work, however, was something entirely different.
This piece was suitable only for an elven lord of great power. Yori had taken
immense pride in crafting it.

“This is exquisite,” River remarked. “This
must have taken a vast amount of work.”

“It was a pleasure,” Yori replied. “It's
not often that I get to craft armor for a member of my own race, especially one
of your standing.”

“It must have been difficult being a child
of two worlds,” River said. “Have you spent much time among your elven kin?”

“They are the ones who taught me the
runes,” he replied, “but most of my life has been spent among humans. My father
was a member of the Sycamore Clan, but he was killed when I was very young.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” River said. “You
seem to have done very well for yourself here in Na'zora.”

“Yes,” he replied. “The king and I are
friends. I'm not sure where I'd be without him.” He began buckling the armor
onto River. The fit was perfect, and the color suited him well.

“It's lighter than I expected,” River
observed.

“Yes, my lord. You did not ask for any
enchantment, but I always etch runes that reduce the weight of my pieces. It
keeps the wearer moving freely and reduces fatigue.”

“I am most grateful for it,” River
replied. “I am not used to wearing such things as this.”

“It suits you,” Yori said.

“You should visit the Vale someday. You
could exchange knowledge with our smiths. I'm sure they would enjoy your
visit.”

“I would love to,” Yori replied.

Just then, a rapid knock came from the
door. A young page stuck his head inside and said, “I'm sorry to disturb you,
my lord. The king has asked for you to come straight away. The ships are
approaching.”

“We can speak more later, Yori. Thank
you.”

River followed the servant to meet Aelryk.
He was standing on the balcony just outside of his council chambers, his eyes
fixated on the sea.

“They've arrived,” he said without turning
around. “The battle is about to begin.” He turned to River, who was looking
solemnly at the ocean. “I see Yori has already prepared you. May that armor
serve you well.”

Together they proceeded to the palace
courtyard where the army was assembling. Isandra and her elven comrades were
already prepared for battle and awaiting further orders. “Father,” she said, as
she saw him entering the courtyard. He approached her and gave her a kiss on
the cheek. “The enemy is almost upon us,” she said.

“I will lead the first attack myself,”
Aelryk said. “General Morek, your company will follow mine as we discussed. We
must stop as many of them as we can before they reach the palace.”

“I'd sell my own mother for a dozen
archers right now,” Morek replied.

“I guess that means I'm just in time,
then,” Mel said.

Stunned, Aelryk and Morek watched as Mel
approached followed by forty archers from Viera. Behind them were fifty sword
maidens. All were clad in leather armor and ready to do battle.

A broad smile spread across the king's
face. “I am most grateful you've come,” he said. “Lieutenant,” he called to a
tall, skinny man standing nearby. “Show these archers to the palace roof and
find a company for the sword maidens to join.”

“Right away, sire,” the man replied.

“My lord River,” the king said. “I would
have you stay behind to defend my people should our attack fail. Whatever
happens to me, I know you will keep my citizens safe.”

“I will do everything I can to protect
them, your majesty,” River replied.

The ships had already reached the shore,
and the troops could be seen gathering on the deck. They were forming ranks and
preparing to disembark. Aelryk and his men mounted their horses and dashed to
the beach. They drew their swords in preparation for the charge.

The first ship unloaded a large portion of
Ulda's army onto the sand. Aelryk gave the order, and his men raced toward the
invaders, their swords held high in their hands. Behind them, Morek's men began
lining up their horses for the second charge. The second ship had unloaded
nearly half of its men, and the rest were quickly following. Holding up his
sword, he led the charge against the second wave of invaders. The rest of
Aelryk's army gathered on the beach ready to fight. Isandra and her elves led
the way, followed by the sword maidens from Viera.

The remaining two ships began unloading at
the same time. Isandra stared intently as the monsters gathered on the beach.
She had never expected so many. The thought of so many human and animal souls
being combined in forced servitude was appalling. She pitied the poor
creatures, but she knew they could only be released by death. With a loud cry,
she sounded the third charge and headed straight for the beasts.

Mel shouted to his archers, “Spiders! Aim
for their eyes!” He knew the swords of the men below were practically useless
against these beasts. There were hundreds of them, but they would not last long
against the skilled archers of Viera. One by one, the spiders began to fall.

Despite the efforts of Aelryk's army, the
enemy continued to advance. They vastly outnumbered the Na'zorans and were
showing no signs of hesitation. The Soulbinders launched fireballs into
Aelryk's ranks, destroying their formations and scattering the troops. Ulda's
army fought savagely and relentlessly.

Aelryk noticed a blinding flash from the
corner of his eye. Descending from one of the ships was a giant, golden,
man-like creature. It moved somewhat haltingly, but that did not hinder its
attack. Unwavering, Aelryk signaled his troops to advance on the golden
creature. It caught sight of the king and made its way to meet him. It swung
its massive arms, cutting down men and horses in its path.

Aelryk swung his sword at the giant,
striking it near the waste. His sword glanced off without causing any damage.
The golden form swiped at the king, knocking him from his horse. Morek, seeing
that his king was in danger, rushed to his side.

Morek arrived just in time to distract the
golden giant while Aelryk climbed back to his feet and onto his horse. From a
palace balcony, the court mages tried desperately to subdue the giant with
magic. Their efforts were in vain, and the creature continued to fight. It
swung its arms wildly and kicked at the groups of men as they advanced. The
archers fired at it, but the arrows refused to stick in its golden hide.

Mi'tal fought his way through a crowd of
wolfbeasts to make his way to the king. He swung his mighty hammer at the
giant's legs, knocking it off balance. As it staggered, he swung again, this
time hitting the back of its knee. It lurched forward and could not catch
itself. It hit the ground, landing hard upon its knees.

Mustering all of his strength, Aelryk drew
back his runed sword and charged at the giant. River's eyes flashed blue as he
concentrated his energy on the king's sword. In response, the runes etched into
the blade radiated with blue light. Aelryk forced the tip deep into the giant's
back. It fell backwards with a horrifying cry. As soon as it hit the ground,
Aelryk dismounted his horse and thrust his sword deep into the back of the
creature's neck. With a long metallic sigh, the giant let out its last breath.

The battle continued to rage all around
Aelryk. Turning his attention back to the ships, he could see that more of
Ulda's army had begun to disembark. Arrows whizzed wildly overhead in hopes of
eliminating the reinforcements. Some of them found their targets, but still the
enemy advanced. Aelryk's men were outnumbered nearly two to one and would soon
be overwhelmed.

River looked to the ocean and saw that
more troops were still departing the ships. As he looked around the
battlefield, he could tell the Na'zorans were facing certain defeat. Everywhere
he looked, the enemy continued to advance while the Na'zorans struggled to hold
them back.

He headed out amidst the battle to speak
with the king. As he walked, he was confronted by a wolfbeast who slashed
wildly at him. The blows rippled through his armor as if through water. River
remained completely unharmed, and the beast looked bewildered at its inability
to harm the elf. Giving up, it turned its attentions back to the Na'zoran army.

Halfway to the king, a swordsman attacked
River. Again, he was unharmed. Every swing of the sword splashed off of River's
armor as if it had slapped the surface of a lake. The invading army's weapons
were completely useless against him. He ignored the attacker and continued
until he reached the king.

“King Aelryk,” he called. “You must sound
the retreat.”

Aelryk looked at him sternly and said,
“No, we must continue to fight, or all will be lost.”

“Please,” River said. “You must pull them
back, or you will all die here.” He stared at the king, his face serious.

“We will die if we must,” the king
replied.

“I cannot save you if you are dead,” River
said with an uncommon urgency to his voice.

Aelryk looked into River's eyes, and he
knew what he must do. “Sound the retreat!” he cried. The call echoed throughout
the ranks, and the men began to pull away from the fighting and back towards
the palace. The enemy pursued, but many of them were struck down by the
archers. The rest remained on the battlefield, awaiting orders from their
commanders.

“Yourself as well,” River said, laying a
hand on the king's shoulder.

Aelryk nodded, trusting fully in the elf.
He turned and joined the rest of his army in retreat.

Isandra paused in her retreat to take a
look back at her father. He stood calmly near the coastline and watched as Aelryk's
army departed. Once they were safely back to the palace, he walked slowly
toward the ocean, his arms outstretched. Closing his eyes, he began to speak
softly to the sapphire blue waters of the sea. He called upon all of the
spirits who dwelt there, issuing an urgent plea.

Aelryk watched in awe as the ocean shrank
away from the shore, capsizing the ships of his enemy. An enormous wall of blue
water materialized before his eyes. Driven by a strong roaring wind, the massive
tidal wave rushed forward. With a thunderous crash, it crushed Ulda's army
beneath it. In less than a minute the entire force was gone, swallowed by the
sea.

As the water began to recede, Aelryk saw
River still standing at the shoreline. All of a sudden, he fell to his knees
and then landed face down in the sand. Aelryk rushed forward to aid his friend,
followed closely by Isandra.

“Father!” she cried as she dismounted her
horse. She ran to him, rolled his body over, and placed her ear to his chest.
“He's still alive,” she said.

Aelryk helped Isandra lift River onto her
horse. She rode quickly back to the palace to get her father inside. She did
not know if he would survive, but she was determined to find all the help she
could. Every healer in Na'zora would attend him, or they would answer to her.
She would not let her father die.

*
* * * *

River awoke on a soft feather bed in
Aelryk's palace. Isandra, who had not left his side, grasped his hand as he sat
up.

“Father,” she said. “You're finally awake.”

“How long was I asleep?” he asked.

“Two days,” Aelryk replied. He had just
entered the room hoping to check on his friend. “It's good to have you with us
again.”

“What happened out there?” Isandra asked.

“I asked the spirits in the ocean to
release those whose souls had been bound by evil. We combined our strength to
form the wave, and it seems the wind itself lent its mighty hand. The sea did
not differentiate between those who served Ulda willingly and those who were
taken by force. They are all free now.”

“Why did you collapse?” she asked.

“Exhaustion,” he said. “This body has its
limits, and they are many. If I live another thousand years, I will never have
the strength to perform such a feat again.”

“I'm just glad you're alive,” she replied,
laying her head on her father's shoulder.

“You have saved us all,” Aelryk said. “I
am eternally indebted to you. Words cannot express my gratitude.”

“You asked me to keep your people safe. I
did the best that I could,” he replied. Getting up from the bed, he added, “I
must pay tribute to the sea.”

Isandra walked with him back to the coast
where he waded into the calm blue waters. As of yet, none of the bodies of the
invading army had washed ashore, and the beach showed no signs of a recent battle.
She watched as he conversed with the unseen spirits and walked back and forth
along the coastline. When he rejoined her, he said, “There is now a magical
barrier of protection at Na'zora's coastline. Never again will they be attacked
by sea.”

A glint in the sand caught Isandra's eye.
She moved toward the shiny object and began kicking away the sand with her
boot. The golden suit that had once housed a giant lay bent and twisted on the
beach. She pulled the gold out of the sand and carried it back inside to place
before the king in his council chambers.

“This gold will be used to aid those who
have been most affected by this war,” the king said. “It cannot replace those
who were lost, but it may help provide for their families.” Aelryk turned to
his councilors and said, “We must also do what we can to assist the citizens of
Al'marr in rebuilding their homeland. Much has been taken from them, and I
would help them in any way possible. Councilor Loren, you will travel to
Al'marr to assess the situation. Try to find any surviving member of their
royal house, no matter how distant. They are going to need true leadership to
repair their kingdom.”