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Blade the Dragon Warrior

Note that i know that my other one was closed, i had asked that to be done on my other one, and that was not the fault of Rex, I gave poor instructions to where my story really was. It was on the second page, but i had told Rex that it was on the first page. well, due to lack of thinking skills, i am making another thread for my story. sorry for another thread on my story.

--------Due to some extreme screw ups on my part, i will be starting over Blade the Dragon Warrior, and I will be changing the point of view, and it shall be a lot different than the first version that some people may or may not have read. I shall have the first entry end by the end of tomorrow. Extreme editing is being done in the mean while. And I would like to apologize to MerMorgan02 for taking so long to post.-------

War as it was, was a big concern to everyone. It wasn't indeed not healthy to those that live during this time. They lose family members to the war that goes on at hand. It was tiresome, gruesome, and irritable. They were doing their best to save the land of Quar, but they were failing greatly. Their defenses were weakening.

This war was due to the fact that the Quarathians wanted freedom from the Dark Lord, Geogon. He had ruled over all of Quar for years, nothing was done about it either. Until a rebellion was formed to rally Quar's defenses against the Imperial Order, and the men of Iron Guard. They fought vigorously for years, trying to weaken the Dark Lord's men, but they kept on coming.

The Rebellion sought the aid of the Dragon Warriors from Mrae Ludar. They were truly, and honestly Quar's last chances of becoming free. They whole heartedly joined the Dark War head on without any tactics. Led by Don, they flew to Mt. Thuundar where the last battle of the Dark War took place. Five of the greatest Dragon Warriors met on top of the mountain, facing the Dark Lord himself. He in his hand held the blade of anger, Gurnuth the most feared weapon anyone ever saw.

The five had very well made swords from the dwarves and the elves. They held them at the Dark Lord, surrounding him. The Dark Lord lunged at the five of them, fighting all five at once. He had not only skill with his sword, but grace as well. He evaded their attacks, and was able to counter with his own moves. With two swift swings of his sword, he killed two of the Dragon Warriors.

Three Dragon Warriors were left, and they weren't doing as well as they had hoped for. The Dark Lord had great advantage after killing two of the Dragon Warriors. He was able to focus more on his dark magic, which created havoc for them. One of the Dragon Warriors was thrown off the mountain, not standing any chances of survival.

The battle then took place in the air, dragon against dragon, man on man. The battle lasted for hours, neither getting weaker. Only two Dragon Warriors remained fighting against him. One was Don of Mrae Fortifur, and the other was Master Valthor of the Rebellion of Quar. It grew more tense as the battle raged on. Tension was high between Don and Valthor, creating an opening for the Dark Lord to strike.

Don was knocked off his dragon, plunging down to the ground, or so the Dark Lord thought. His dragon raced towards the ground, catching Don in time. Don's head was throbbing with pain as he hung on to the reigns of his dragon. He flew back up, striking the underbelly of the Dark Lord's dragon. The Dark Lord roared with vexation, bringing the final blow to Don, making him die almost instantaneously.

The Dark Lord flew off, while Master Valthor was trying to help Don, not realizing that he was dead. He headed back to Mrae Ludar with the news of the long and dreadful battle. The Council of Dragons listened with grave faces, hearing how they lost four of the best Dragon Warriors. The High King Quzar had announced that it was the end for Quar and all of its people. They had no hopes of surviving now. But that was not so...

The Dark Lord vanished, and the Imperial Order, and Iron Guard retreat back to the fortress of Gaudour. The Rebellion were called back to Mrae Quarathian to be given medals of honor, showing that they were brave in going into the war to fight for Quar. All seemed well to them. Ten years have passed since the Dark Lord was heard of.

People thought that he was dead after being gone for so long. They started to celebrate their freedom, and they started to rebuild their homes that was lost during the Dark War. All was well again for the people of Quar, but two people remained uneasy. High King Quzar, and Master Valthor were the only two people who didn't believe that the Dark Lord was dead. They tried to warn people of his return that he would make if the people of Quar let down their guard.

And return he did with a larger army, striking upon the villages of Quar, leaving none alive. And on all top of that, Don's body was missing. They could not explain what happened to it, and had more important things to worry about. The Dark Lord had attacked with a large army of drows, varders, and undead warriors. They swept through the villages like a wildfire destroying all that was it its path.

The horns were sound, and the Rebellion was to defend Quar once again. This time, they weren't as well prepared as they were ten years ago. They were about to enter another Dark War, and this time, the Rebellion won't be so lucky. They were being decreased quickly, and soon, the High King summoned the Grand Army of Quar to help aid the Rebellion, but again, they were fighting a losing battle.

The Dark Lord sat upon his throne, from miles and miles away, pleased at what was going on. He loved the power, and no one could take it away from him. He ruled everyone from every part of Quar, but their was one person he feared.

He obeyed only one other person, one person who had more power than he, but was in no position to use it. He was trapped inside a dark tainted orb that was a prison for him, keeping his powers in check. Only one thing could release him from his prison, and that would be the eight shards of Quar, and with its aid, the Book of Counted Shadows, which was sealed away in a chamber, many of miles away guarded well by the Wizards of Emmar.

"The Dark Lord shall rise again through the fiery hell that he came from." said a cloaked figure with a low muffled voice. "He shall rise again, and rule all of the land that was once his. All shall be helpless to the power of the Dark Lord, as he rises from the fiery hell that he came from."
The figure burst into flames as he said this. He had a menacing look, even though he had a hood over his face. In his left hand he gripped a sword that had ancient markings on it. He took a step closer, walking slowly and carefully. He was slowly breathing, making a hissing sound each time he exhaled. He slowly wrapped his right hand around the hilt of his sword, raising it high into the air. He swung the blade down.

Trotting at a fast pace racing through the dense forest, five varders were ontop of black mare horses. They each wielded swords, gripping them tightly preparing to fight. They were racing to get to Mrae Fortifur, a small city that had someone they were looking for. They had to be careful by not getting seen at all, for no one can know what they were up up to. The Dark Lord wanted no one to notice that he had taken someone of great importance.

The varders came to a sudden stop as they came to a great wall. They couldn't go through the main gate, so they had to find another way around. The leader of the varders climbed off his horse, walking slowly to the wall before him. He sheathed his sword, extending his hand to feel the wall. Nothing was unusual about the wall, or so it appeared. He was searching for a weak point in the wall, making another way to get in.

The other four watched what he was doing silently, not daring to ask a question to him. He was their leader, and they would do what ever he asked of them. The leader motioned for one of the other varders to come by his side. The varder got off his horse, making his way to his master. He bowed deeply to him, and then stood back up again. He too sheathed his sword.

"What do you see here?" he hissed at the varder.

"Only a wall." he hissed back.

"Not just a wall. See right here." he pointed to a particular section of the wall. "This here is a weak spot.."

The varder took out a knife, and jabbed it into a crack in the wall. He began to try to pry out a loose brick, trying to get to the other side of the wall. The other four varders watched what he was doing with great interest. The leader did this until he got enough bricks out for them to fit through. They left their horses where they were. Each of the five varders unsheathed their swords as they walked through the market.

Passerby ran in terror as they saw the varders stepping into the market. People who ran the shops closed up, and ran through back doors. Guards of Mrae Fortifur walked up to them with swords drawn in hand. The varders stopped in front of them, lunging at the guards with their swords. The guards didn't stand a chance against the minions of the Dark Lord. Within a few minutes, the five of them killed twenty guards.

They kept on walking through the village, trying to find where the person they were looking for lived. They burned the houses they walked past, seeing that the houses had either women and kids, or they were just empty. More guards of Mrae Fortifur tried to stop them, but they weren't having any luck. Everyone that came up to them either gut fatally injured, or died.

"You got to get out of here." said an old man to his grandson. "The varders are here to get you."

"I am going to stay here and help fight the varders off." he said grabbing his sword from the wall. "I will not see Mrae Fortifur be taken by five varders."

"Seth listen to me." said his grandfather sternly. "These varders are after you."

Seth looked awestrucken by what he had just said. The scabbard dropped from his hands, and made a loud clunk on the floor. Fear was in Seth's eyes as he stared at his grandfather in disbelief. He could not see why the varders wanted him. And how did his grandfather know this? Too many things needed to be answered, and only had so little time. He felt nauseous all over, as he tried to pick up the scabbard he dropped.

"Why are the varders after me?" asked Seth confused. "I mean, they could be after dozens of other people."

"It is such a long story to tell you Seth, but I have not the time to tell you." he said gravely to him. "You must leave now."

Seth grabbed the scabbard, bowing to his grandfather showing that he respects his wishes. He grabbed some of the things he would need to bring with him, and ran out the back door of their house. Outside was his horse, Gwer, a white stallion, tied to a tree, grazing in the grass. He walked over to him, stroking him lightly. He untied Gwer, and mounted him, riding out of the yard.

The varders saw him race out of the yard, and started to chase him.. They had stolen horses from a near by stable, and were now using it to get to Seth. The leader's sword began to glow a reddish colour, which made them go even faster than they were before. They couldn't let him out of their sight for a second. They were slowly gaining on him, and Seth did not even realize that they were after him.

"It's him." whispered the leader hoarsely. "Get him!" he shouted.

A young female was running the streets with a bow in hand. She had heard the commotion and decided that she had to help the people of Mrae Fortifur escape safely. She saw Seth race past her, riding his horse Gwer, and noticed that five figures were closely behind him. She took an arrow out of her quiver, aiming it at the leader of the varder. She released the arrow, watching it go towards its mark.

The leader of the varders noticed that the arrow was coming towards him. He raised his sword, and knocked the arrow away from him. He gazed at the young woman with anger in his eyes. He halted the other varders, and he climbed off of his horse. He wore heavy black armour, and was heavily equipped with weapons. At his side he had two swords, one of them was already in his hand. He wrapped his hand around the other sword unsheathing it.

The varder walked slowly towards the young woman, having both swords in hand. The woman looked petrified as the varder came closer to her. She quickly took another arrow out, shooting it at the varder. The arrow hit him in the arm, but that didn't stop him. He pulled the arrow out of his arm, as he kept on walking towards her. The varder bled what looked like blood the colour of black. He didn't seem to notice that he was bleeding, but he just kept on walking.

She gave up on the attempt of trying to shoot him. She started to go for her sword when she realized that the varder was upon her. She tried to pull out her sword, but it wouldn't come out of its scabbard. The varder lifted his sword into the air, getting ready to kill her. He swiftly swung it, but it didn't hit her. A man had blocked the blow from the varder. The man had brown hair, and brown eyes. He did not wear any protective armour or any type of special gear.

"You dare try to stop me human?" hissed the varder angrily. "Do you know who I am?"

"Leave now." he said, his voice was dangerously low.

"I am Lord Basar, lord of the varders." he hissed at him. "Servant to the Dark Lord."

"Why does your lordship come to our city?" he asked Basar.

"I do not answer to a human." he said lunging at the man.

The man held up his sword to block the varder's assault. He quickly spun around, taking the hilt of his sword, and hitting the varder in the gut with it. He then took his leg, swung it around in a quick motion, tripping him. He held his sword to the varder's throat. He put one foot on his chest. The other varders lept off their horses, unsheathing their swords.

The woman was able to unsheathe her sword, preparing to help the man out. Two of the varders went after her, and the other two went after the man. The woman was a nave at sword fighitng, barely able to defend herself. The man had to let Basar up, since the other varders were upon him. He was having a better time with the two then the woman was.

Lord Basar got up from the ground, picking up both of his swords. He ignored the man and the woman, as he went over to his horse. He mounted him, and rode off to try to catch up with Seth. He had lost a great deal of time stopping to try to get revenge on that woman. That was probably just luck too. She could not fight well with a sword, so she probably just got lucky with the bow. He glanced at his wound, noticing that it had healed.

please note that the name of the chapter has changed from Busidion to The Egg of the Forgotten

Would have been a bit more enjoyable if you posted less at a time. Anywhos, very interesting, though a bit confusing with the change of tense and person. I like it though!

lovely!!! I accept the apology, & srry 4 it taking ME so long to post!
please continue... I WANT MORE!!!!

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The woman and the man continued to fight off the varders, making little progress as they noted that the leader of the varders escaped. The woman vigorously tried to help the man as best as she could, but her efforts were of little or no use at all. She sheathed her sword with frustration, quickly thinking of what to do next. It dawned to her that she might be able to hold them off if she was to use some magic on them. She quickly racked her memory for some spell that would be sufficient enough to get rid of the four varders.

"Alu." she muttered lowly drawing water from the air. "Fainista." she muttered releasing the water that she summoned, hitting the varders, and knocking them to the ground.

The man looked at her, impressed with the skills she had with magic. He nodded to her as he jabbed his sword into one of the varder's hearts. The varder emitted a horrible scream, making it so that all around them fell to the ground with agony. The other three varder's were unaffected by the dying varder's screams. The man dropped his sword and he fell to his knees. The woman too fell, but she wasn't going to give up without a fight. She racked her memory once more trying to remember a spell that would help them.

"Dina." she muttered, blocking the sound that created such pain to the people of the village.

The man got up to his feet again, picking up his blade, noticing that the other three varders fled. He did not know if he should chase after them or not, but what ever he was going to do had to be quick, for they were getting distance on them. Moments past before he sheathed his sword out of frustration. What would he do if he confronted the three by himself? He would be good as dead if he did. He threw the scabbard to the ground angrily, looking up at the woman for answers.

"Gorga il." she told the man soothingly. "Do not despair. They shall not see the light of day."

The man looked about the village, seeing people walking past him giving him worried looks. He nodded to the woman before walking away, leaving his blade behind. He knew why the varders were here, as well as the woman did. They were here for Seth, and they could not let that happen. He had to find out where Seth went to, before it was too late. He could be in grave danger, and he would be of no use to him.

"lle hyanda!" the woman shouted running after him with his sword in her hands. "Your blade!"

"Meghan, I do not need it to where I am going." he told her, talking calm and serious.

"Where are you going then?" Meghan asked curious to why he was making such haste after the varders had left.

"Asking Lord Rozonious for his leave." he responded to her, continuing to walk forward.

"I shall come." Meghan told him. "I shall ride with you to kill the varders."

"Nay." responded the man to her. "Your place is with Seth, not with me little sister."

"But..." she started slowly.

Meghan did not want her brother to venture out into the woods to hunt the varders down on his own. It was a dangerous task that was before him. He was indeed a good swordsmen, but it takes more than that to beat the varders. She let out a very reluctant sigh as he allowed her brother to continue. She remembered that she still had his sword in her hands, she ran up to him once more, handing him his sword. They bid their final farewells before departing. Before they left her brother told her:

"Ride to the east, follow the road until it becomes worn out and a set of trees block the path. From there go due north towards Mrae Sudar. There you should meet one of my friends and they will tell you what to do from there. You cannot travel off course, for Seth is now wanted, and you are to bring him safely out of the realm of men. Do you understand Meghan?"

"Aye." she whispered to her brother.

She had already gathered her possessions the day before, so she was ready to ride out of Mrae Fortifur. Her horse was Summer, a tan mare that had an elegant look, different from most other horses. Her grace was stunningly fast, able to go faster than anyone in the realm of men. This was Meghan's closest companion when she traveled alone on the road. She mounted Summer, starting off with an excellent speed.

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The varder was still following closely behind Seth as their chase continued restlessly. Seth was getting anxious as he noticed how closely it got to him. He tried to push his horse to go faster, without hurting him. No matter how hard Seth tried he couldn't get distance from the varder. He wondered still why the varder was chasing after him.

The sun was slowly setting as the chase continued throughout the day. Seth could not manage the time to rest, and the varder showed no sign of giving up. Seth was surprised that his horse was still going. He wondered to himself if Meghan would be able to catch up with him soon. He did not know where to go, since he did not travel much on his own.

A loud shrill scream filled the night sky as Seth continued on with the chase. He grew worried as he heard more movement coming from his left and right. He glanced frantically around him, but he could not see much, since it was too dark for him to see. He heard three or so swords unsheathe from their scabbards. Seth brought his hand to the hilt of his sword, unsheathing his own, readying himself for an attack.

Seth rode on quietly, straining his ear for any sign of a sword swinging at him. When he did hear it, it was too late. The sword hit him in the back, and he fell from his horse. He felt a pool of blood underneath him as he tried to drag his body away from the varders who were now encircling him. He felt for his sword, feeling that it was far from his grasp. He then heard a loud voice saying clearly:

"Naur." a faint glow of fire was all Seth could see. "Fainista."
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"Seth?" asked a female voice whom he recognized as Meghan. "Seth?"

Seth weakly sat up from the ground that he was lying on. He looked up to see his best friend, Meghan, looking over him. She had her long brown hair tied up in the back, and her clear blue eyes were looking into his. She smiled warmly as she saw him open his eyes. She was wearing her simple clothing, nothing too fancy like she usually wore on most days when the weather permitted it.

Meghan sighed with relief before speaking once more to Seth. "I am so glad that you are all right. I had feared that I had lost you."

"It was you?" he asked her in awe. "Your the one who drove the varders away last night?"

WHHHA!

what was the point of that? this is a story, not something where you can randomly post pictures

I think think shes saying she thinks the story was beautiful...not sure.

i was more or less talking about the picture.

Well maybe she considers the picture as beautiful as your story, in a good way.

yeah, you could be right. never thought of that.

CONTINUE!!!! Jumpy I can't wait for more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol. more is coming in a little while. and morgan you will love the news i have to tell you.

"Seth, that wasn't me." she said to him. "I assure you, I was no where near here. Though it is interesting, how the varders left like that. Come, you need rest though."

Seth looked at her, with disbelief. It had to be her who had saved him. Who else could it have been? No one else would have saved him, he was sure. Something was wrong, and Seth had to figure out what was going on, before things got too serious. Starting to get up from the ground, his sides soon began to scream with pain.

"Lay down, and relax." she said, in a soothing voice. "I'll look after you, I'll make sure nothing goes wrong at all."

'Look after her." spoke the voice of Meghan's brother. He had spoken to him, like he knew something was going to happen. "I know I can trust you Seth. It is obvious that you two are meant to be together."

As soon as Seth's eyes began to close, an arrow was released, whizzing toward the two of them. Upon intstinct, Seth picked up the sword, and swung, which surprised him. It felt like he had no control over the blade, it was something natural that had happened. It had sliced the arrow, saving him from what could have been a fatal blow. Darting, his eyes wandered, looking for the shooter, but realized that it was a difficult task, because they were in a dark part of the forest. Looking at Meghan, he tried to gesture to her, to get down low, and to stay hidden. Whatever it was...whoever it was...was someone who knew what he was doing. Getting up from the ground, ignoring the pain, Seth walked catiously over to where the arrow came from. Head raised in the air, he glanced around, yet he saw nothing. Another arrow came at him, this time from another direction. If Meghan failed to summon a shiled around him, then he would probably be seriously injured.

Sweat rolled down his face, panic was running through him. Someone wanted to kill him. The two arrows were only directed toward him, and not toward Meghan, and he knew that whatever it was, must have saw her already. Turning in every direction, Seth prepared himself for another arrow. None came, which made him more nervous.

"Who are you, and who is your lord?" rang the voice of the archer.

"That is my buisness alone fair stranger." called Seth, his voice becoming shaky. "Why is it that you shoot upon me?"

"Answer the question my friend, or my arrow will pierce your heart." said he, in a threatening voice.

"You do not frighten me." lied Seth. "My courage is as strong, and pure as my heart."

"Then why does this brave fellow sweat as much as he does?" inquired the man, as he drew the drawstring back on his bow.

"Why do you hide from me?" asked Seth, hoping to stall long enough. "You can shoot with a bow, that is evident, but how well can you fight with a sword, my good friend?"

Then, without much warning, another arrow came at him, as well as a man who weilded a sword. They both came at him at the same time, which gave Seth a choice. Block the man's attack, or dodge the on coming arrow. The question was, which one would damage him more?

"You are nothing but a boy." barked the man, as he swung his sword at him.

As soon as he swung, Seth's blade glowed a reddish colour, and as Seth swung his sword at him, the man's sword shattered. Both were thunderstrucken by what had just happened. Neither of them thought that would happen at all. Meghan's facial expression was unnoticable to the two, since they both were glaring at each other, with hatred in their eyes. Honestly, Seth did not feel the need to fight, so he sheathed his sword, walking away. This was not like him, so why did it feel like he had to kill this man.

"A boy with such a blade as your own should not be backing down from a fight like that." said the stranger, not liking the fact that he sheathed his sword. "I shall give you one more chance to tell me your name, and who your king is."

"I do not answer to one who has threaten the life of me and my kin." responded Seth, not looking back at all.

"Face me when you speak to me." said the man getting angered. "I am a lord of Theinien, and I shall be shown the respect that I so rightly deserve."

"Theinien bears no king." spoke Seth, turning around. "It has never bore a king since the grandest king of Theinien died."

"That has changed. Theinien has now a king." while he spoke, he threw off the cloak that he was wearing, which had the crest of Theinien. "This is a new era, and it is time for change. Theinien has been without a king for too long."

"You may be wearing the crest of the house of Elznor, but that does not make you the true king."

"I beg your pardon." said Meghan, as she walked up to the two of them. "I hear something coming."

Standing where he was, Seth listened for something that sounded that it was coming closer, but he had heard nothing. Apparently the man and Meghan had heard something though, because both had a frightened expression on them.

"It is him." spoke the man quietly.

"Who?" asked Seth, looking about.

"The Hunter of Death." replied Meghan.

"The Dark Lord's servant, Sorgon is known as the Hunter of Death."

"And why is that?" asked Seth.

Hmmm.. quite nice. I like it a lot!

thanks. it's my first story ever

What about those others? Werent those yours too?

yep, they are all mine. This is my first "novel" though.

Ahh, that explains it. Those other ones were pretty good too.

thanks.

I now ask that all comments go here, please and thank you:

http://www.killermovies.com/forums/f53/t396406.html

"He is known as the Hunter of Death for several reasons. But I beg you, not to discuss it here, for the Hunter comes this way as we speak. And I am afraid that he rides with not four or five varders, but a small army of them. We must flee now, we cannot risk a battle, and be killed in these woods. They shall provide some cover for use, yes, but we must flee now." spoke the king of Theinien quickly, and with haste. Something was making him nervous, both of them could tell, and for some reason to Seth, it was not the varders or the Hunter that scared him, it was something else.

Another black arrow shot from the wood. It had missed them barely, for the man summoned a shield to protect the three of them. "Flee my friends. Follow me as fast as you can, afterwards we shall talk."

Standing there, Seth did not know what to do. Should he trust the man and what he was saying? Or should they take their chances on their own? He thrusted the sword back into its scabbard, looking back up at the lord. Something told him that he should not take the risk in trusting him, but something else told him that this man was their only key to survival. Neither of them had ever left Mrae Fortifur before, and it troubled them so that they did not know where they were going. They really did not have anywhere in particular to go, but something told them that Mrae Ludar was a safe place to go, for it housed the Council of Dragons, and they both knew a lot about the council. Mrae Ludar was a vast city, in which it layed in the country of Kelnin, ruled over by three kings of old. They were of the oldest people in Quar, and these three were the most respected people. They live within the walls of the Stronghold of Elna, protected from all harm that comes there way. Also, this is where people are taught to become Dragon Warriors. Seth's father was once a Dragon Warrior before he had disappeared. What had happened to him, no one knows.

"Why should we trust you?" ask Seth in an inquisitive tone. "What makes you believe that we shall trust you so easily, since you have tried to harm me and my kin."

"This is not the matter of trust." spoke he, like a wise sage. "It is a matter on if you want to live, or to die by the Hunter and his varders. It is up to you."

"We shall go your way for the time being my friend, but after we shall finish what we have started."

"I shall do nothing of the sort. As long as your following me, you shall do everything I saw. I am the one saving you, I shall be showed some respect."

"Very well. Let us go to wherever it is you are taking us." said Seth with a slight hint of irritation.

After a few minutes of preparation, they set off toward the north, or so that was what Seth thought. He knew little of these woods, and of what he knew, did not bring any good news. It is said that whoever went into these woods, going to the north, wound up getting lost, or something unfaithful like that, and they were never heard from again. Of course, he was only a little lad at the time, and he knew not if it was true or not. Figuring that it was just some scare tactic, he had gotten rid of that thought from his mind, but something troubled him greatly. What if the rumors were true? Were they going somewhere where they were to never been heard from again? It troubled them both greatly. Seth tried to steal a glance at Meghan, to see how she was holding, but he could not do so, since the man kept looking at the two of them in a queer way.

Not sure if they were following or not, the lord had said that it would be best if they pressed onward, until at least midday, where they could relax. Where they were going, Meghan and Seth still did not know. They were both becoming anxious to where they were going. Meghan had checked the map countless times, and she still was not able to figure out where they were. They must have been three days from Mrae Fortifur, maybe more, by the way they had traveled. Something was wrong. The map shows out to be that they should be in the ocean by now, but they both knew they were not. Seth had questioned the lord about where they were, but he did not answer at all, which gave Seth an uneasy feeling.

Midday came, and still their was no sign from the Hunter, or the varders at all. Finally they were able to relax, but they had to be careful of what they did. It was still very dangerous for them. Reaching into his pack, Seth took out some meat that was wrapped. He had hunted it before they had met up with the man. Taking his knife from his pack, he began to skin the rabbit he had caught. Normally he wouldn't eat rabbit, but they really had no choice. Meghan went to look for edible roots and fruits, while the man gathered some wood for a fire. They had reckoned as long as they had kept the fire low, then they would be safe for the night.

After the fire was started, Seth began to cook the rabbit. Though the problem was that Seth had never cooked rabbit before, nor had the man or Meghan. It took a while for it to cook, in which during that time, they took turns getting water for their skins, and standing guard over the camp. He had hoped that they were not caught off guard by anything at all. At last the rabbit was done, and taking his knife, he began to cut the rabbit into even strips, handing it to them once it had cooled. Meghan had created some sort of stew to go with the rabbit, which was quite good for having to eat roots. They ate until the food was gone, (which turned out to be not enough to fill the two guys) and soon, they went to their horses and began to groom them.

Not far from where they had camped, was a small cliff that was about three or four miles from where they were. A lone man stood on the cliff, looking in the direction to where he saw the fire. Smiling, he realized that he had found his prey at last. They were hunting for the three all day, and this man was getting frustrated from the chase that covered over thirty miles that day, which had left his varders and men exhausted, but he would not tolerate his army slacking at all. They were to do as his Master asked, and he would do it without failing.

"At last I have found you." he said in a low whisper.

On his shoulder was a sleek black raven, in which he stroked gently. This raven that sat upon his shoulder was the key to his successful hunts. It may appear to someone to be just an ordinary raven., but this raven was something more. It possessed magic,which allowed it to do remarkable things. It was a hard creature to beat, and it had never failed him before. The problem at hand was the wizard that accompanied them. How was he to rid himself of the wizard that knew of his presence? His master, the Dark Lord, never mentioned once about dealing with a wizard. He had said to him that all he wanted was the two kids that were coming his way, and the sword that he had with him.

"Varders," spoke the man quietly. "It is time to complete the hunt."

They had appeared, like a thick whisp of smoke. Each varder wielded a mace, in which they prefer over swords. Varders were a race of warriors that were sworn to do as the Dark Lord bided. They were to do whatever was asked upon them. They wore black cloaks, and dragon shaped helmets that protected their most vulnerable spot. No one has been able to see the true identity of varders. They are quick, moving faster at times than lightning. They equip themselves with a number of weapons, ranging from bows, to throwing knives. Their stealth is incredible. They can be in one spot for one second, as with what had just happened, to where they are now. Varders made the best assailants, which made the Hunter happy. Also with him he had drows, but they did not matter to him as much as the varders did.

"Be off my hungry warriors. Feast on the bodies of the girl and the wizard, but not with the one who wields the sword."

While the Hunter had spot their encampment, they had already begun their journey northward, still not aware of where they were going. This time, Meghan and Seth rode side by side, while the man led them onward. After a few minutes, Seth thought that he had heard something move off to his left. He drew his sword a few inches, preparing himself to defend himself, as well as Meghan. Anxiety filled him as they moved onward. What was making the noise that only he could hear? Why was he the only one aware of the fact that they could be being followed by the Hunter? Soon he stopped his horse Gwer, and got off, landing on the ground softly. Meghan nor the man noticed that he had stopped, and he did not really care. As long as Meghan was safe, then he was happy.

"Come forth whoever lurks in the wood." said Seth with confidence. "Show yourself now."

Something darted out from the wood, trying to swing a mace at him, but never got his chance, for the lord sent a spell at the creature, and sent the mace flying from its hand. Whatever it was vanished, and Seth was on the ground panting. Seth knew what that was. It was a varder, going after him. But why? Why not the other two? This varder was faster than the rest he ever encountered. Who had sent it after him?

"Fool." said he, offering his hand to help Seth up. "Do you think it was wise for you to call the beast foward? By the good gods, I never seen something as foolish as what you had just done. You should be grateful that I was here to save you."

"I would have managed." muttered Seth darkly.

"Tell me how then." said the man, glaring at Seth. "You hardly know how to wield a sword, let alone fight with one. What makes you think you can fight off a varder, which excells in all kinds of weapons?"

Ignoring what the man has said, he sheathed his sword, mounting Gwer once more. Kicking the horse's side gently, Gwer trotted forward trying to catch up to Summer and Meghan. Undoubtedly his vision was not of use to him, since he was only mortal. Elves vision were at least ten times greater than his own. From what Seth knew Meghan did not see the fight that just happened. The lord of Theinien came trotting up next to the two of them, leading the way once more.

Something told Seth that this man should not be trusted so easily, that he was a greater threat than they knew at the moment. The day wore on with no signs of varders, which made Seth uneasy.

On the seventh day since the varder tried swinging a mace at Seth, they still had not seen any sign of the varders nor the Hunter of Death, which made them relax a bit more. The three of them were still traveling in the Forest, though it was not a problem to him, it made Seth wonder why they were in the woods for so long. Meghan rarely spoke anymore, too worried that something might happen to them in their sleep.

Midday they had stopped at a cave which was sealed off. The man had taken great interest in this as he got off of his horse and made his way to the wall that sealed the cave off. Slowly he waved his hand over the wall, revealing symbols that shone in the colour of blue.

"Whatever is behind that cave must have been sealed off for certian reasons." Seth had thought to himself.

Next the man had pointed at various symbols, and after a few moments of doing that, the wall opened, revealing the enterance to the cave. Unsheathing his sword, Seth walked forward, leaving Gwer behind, knowing that this was not going to be something that the horses would be able to go through. It was hard enough that they had to give up the sun's warmth to go into the heart of a cave, let alone part with their beloved horses.

"No need for that." said the man, grabbing the dull side of the blade, pusing it downward. "This cave is the cave of the Dalgnorians, a group of dwarves which secluded themselves from Quar. This dwarfven nation is protected by the cave that we are standing right in front of. If one did not know the way, then they could get lost for days on end, and before anyone could find you, you'd be dead.

"If that doesn't kill you, the Galiards will."

"Galiards?" questioned Meghan who now stood beside Seth.

"Savage beast that once were mortals like ourselves. Punished by a wizard for an eternity as crused beasts, they wander around the cave from time to time trying to kill anything it could find. Galiards tend not to eat dwarves as much as it eats mortals."

"Then I would like to be able to have my blade in hand in case I come face to face with a Galiard." spoke Seth in a fair voice. "I shall not take the risk of walking in there with my drawn in its scabbard."

^ ^ ^ ^ ^
disregard that

Instead of answering the question, Seth mounted his horse, and rode off ahead of the other two. This was not the time to lose control of his emotions. Right now Seth was woriried about getting as far from the varders as he could without difficulty, though he knew it was going to be almost impossible for that to happen. Seth did not know where he was going, and he did not want to find out either, for the man had been leading them in many different directions. The map that he had brought with him was useless to him, which he had thrown out a few days before.

Soon he became tired and got off of his horse, sitting on the ground waiting to see if the other two were coming or not. Thinking to himself, Seth thought that the spot where he was at would make a good shelter for them for a few days or so, so they could regain their stanima. Riding hard for a few days was not good for the horses, and they all could use the break. The area seemed to be well covered, and with a little work he wa ssure that they could not see them if he had done everything right.

Trees covered the area thoroughly, making it hard for him to see ahead of him, which was good for the varders would have that same difficulty. The rocks were plentiful, making it so that he could move some of the rocks hopefully to make a small little hole that he could hide in. That was the first thing he started to do was to create a small cave for the three of them. These rocks were not like regular rocks. The rocks that Seth found were massive, really more like boulders than anything. It took a lot of energy from him to move some of the boulders out of place. It took him a good two hours to complete the hole, which turned out to be a small cave. Honestly Seth was surprised at his work, and how the other two had not found him yet.

Next he had gotten an idea. Pikes would be useful for them if the varders were to spot them with sheer luck. Raviging about, Seth began to look for sticks that would make good pikes. After he had found a dozen or so, he began to carve tips with a rock that he found on the ground, which proved to be tedious work. This took him about an hour and still no sign of the other two. Once he was done doing that, he began to place them around the enterance of the cave.

The sun was setting slowly, showing many colours of pink. The sun glowed a distince orange, sharing little warmth from its rays. The wind blew gently, making the leaves dance around. Reaching into his pack he pulled out the left over rabbit, and made a fire. As soon as he was ready he started to cook the rabbit. That was when he had heard the whispering. It sounded like the voice was saying his name, which had made him reach over to pick up his sword. Walking out of the cave, he walked a little ways to where he thought the whispering was coming from.

"Who is lurking about the woods, who says my name so freely and losely?" questioned Seth putting a mask over the fear that crept over his body. "Kinsman or foe. Show yourself to me now."

"Be at peace Son of Tagalsa." spoke a female voice that rang out through the forest.

With that Seth began looking around for the source of the female voice. It was near impossible for the voice echoed throughout the forest, making it hard for him to figure out where she was. The grip on his sword did not relax, but tighten as she said for him to be at peace. Her words had a soothing lulling effect that won him over, but something made him keep his sanity. This could easily be some magic caster that created some sort of spell on him.

"I have come upon you to ask you a request." spoke she once more.

"More or less a decision, but a request nevertheless."

"I speak not so freely to one that I know not. Show yourself to me and answer my question of being kinsman or foe." he questioned the reverberated female."Swear to me you mean no harm and I shall hear about your request."

"Be at peace." she repeated. "You speak freely around the man you travel with do you not? Trust him like a brother, but keep him close like you would do to an enemy."

Trust him like a brother, but keep him close like an enemy. That somehow made him think a little at her words. Lately he had been treating him like an enemy, but all the man had been doing was helping them out from the start. Other than their first encounter with each other, the man had not tried to harm them at all. The thing was he feared of trusting him too much, for then the man might betray them which did not make him feel better at all.

"Speak with haste my fair friend, for my kin are missing in this part of the woods." said Seth ready to hear what she had to say.

"The kin that you speak of are safe in these forest." she started in a soothing voice hoping ot make him relax. "Now is not the time to speek of such things of that matter. I have sought you for many days in hopes of making a simple request to you. Here with me is an egg that you could easily claim as your own. If so you would have to take it to Mrae Ludar, the Council of Dragons. If that not be your wish then you can head to Mrae Quarathian where a battle is about to break there. Either way you are the key to this war. You are the cause of it, and you shall be the end of it. I shall leave you be to decide. But haste you must take in deciding for varders are coming this way as we speak."

"This egg was does it contain?" inquired Seth, fearing that he knew the answer the question.

It was silent for a few moments where neither spoke. Something moved to his left making him spin around quickly. Was it possible for it to be the woman that was speaking to him, or was it a varder? This time Seth did not want to take any chances. His eyes focused on the spot where the movement came from. Then without warning a mace was being swung at him. An elf lunged out of the woods, swinging a staff at the varder, knocking it to the ground. The elf had remarkable speed. Whether this was the one who spoke to him or not, that was debatable.

"Mortal do not stand there like you have no clue what is going on." spoke the elf through gritted teeth swinging her staff around. "The blade of yours, use it now."

Arrows came flying at them, a few of them were going toward the elf that had just saved him. He pushed her out of the line of fire, covering her so she would not get hit. One of them grazed his shoulder, but he ignored the pain. Only one thing was possible for them. Flee.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!