Chapter 1
Moonglade is the third-largest city in Aghram with all dwellings built among the trees. Unless someone knew where to look, they would never find the city, cleverly camouflaged. They were built high up because they believed they were closer to the gods, the revered gods of light. The favored elves became warriors of the light, defending the realm from all that is evil. Moonglade is ruled by the magister, Ariyanna. Instructor Yunari aided Ariyanna when she could after lessons to the warrior candidates.
Mistress Elannah and Commander Jaxion were given the responsibility to raise Volhara. They promised to raise and train her as they would their own daughter. For eight years, they would give her chores and make her practice to hone her skills and be ready for training. Each child starts their training depending on their abilities during tryouts.
Eight is the youngest any child can enter, but they must be the highest-disciplined and mature enough to undergo and withstand the rigorous learning of battle. Volhara started at eight years of age, with her friend Loren starting at nine. He was held back a year due to immaturity, which was quickly corrected by his parents.
The buildings are erected twenty-five feet above the ground and spreads for hundreds of meters in every direction. The largest building is the training room for the future Aghram warriors. Smaller domiciles surrounded the second-largest constructed building where the magister resides.
Volhara is the pride and joy but was also scrutinized for being blond. They quickly shut up when they realized just how powerful her spirit had become. Volhara picked up a wooden sword. At thirteen years of age, she was learning fast what it meant to be a true warrior of the gods. Every minute of every day was conducted in a fashion to enhance her skills. Today, she was play-fighting with her friend Loren. All children start their training at five years of age with their parents to ensure they are selected. When they turn eighteen, they undergo rigorous testing to prove their worthiness. Those who pass become a paladin of the light.
“You cannot possibly defeat the mighty Loresaur. The mightiest dragon in all the lands,” Loren commented, taunting Volhara to attack.
Volhara giggled. “You are too funny,” she stated. “But that is okay, looks aren’t everything.”
Loren looked confused. “What do you mean funny?” “Everyone knows dragons do not exist. Or are you uneducated?” she taunted back.
Loren’s face turned a dark red. The vein in the middle of his forehead throbbed and his jaw clenched. “I am too educated,” he declared then threw his play sword to the ground. “It is just a stupid game anyways, what do you care?” he asked.
Volhara smiled; she had won the battle. “Looks like I defeated the mighty Loresaur with words,” then laughed, accidentally dropping the sword as she grabbed her stomach and fell to the ground, rolling in laughter.
Loren was angry. He hated Volhara for being so vindictive but dared not ruin their friendship. They were always there for each other no matter what happened.
One year ago, Volhara smacked a large tree in the hopes of chopping it down with her practice sword. The sword broke in half and was being punished when Loren came in and told them the practice went out of control and he hit her sword too hard which broke it in half. A month later, Loren went to the ground and was attacked by a boar. No one under the age of eighteen was allowed on the ground unless strictly supervised. Volhara claimed to be wrestling, and he slipped off the edge.
Though the lies were small, they leave an everlasting mark in the soul. Children were told that for every lie, their soul is darkened, and they separate further from the god’s protection. Life is extinguished quicker. But their friendship was much more important in their eyes and has an unspoken agreement to always be there for each other during bad times.
The practice horn sounded. A long blast of the horn signified that every trainee enters the pavilion for the day’s lessons. Dozens of light elves entered the pavilion. Every year, a few participants that meet the criteria are tested to prove their prowess. They are taken into a different building off-limits to those that are not yet ready. The testing is kept highly secret to prevent the other trainees from gaining an advantage.
“Today, we are going to learn how to ask the gods for their aid,” Yunari started.
Yunari is a female elf, best in class, and most regarded paladin in Moonglade. She had short curly brown hair and brown eyes with a narrow ramp-shaped nose. She fancied the looser clothing for freedom of movement. Her speed was unmatched in combat. It was clear why she was chosen to teach the methods. “First, we must start every day in prayer. Do not just talk to the gods, give them your feelings. Express your gratitude for being in their service. The gods love flattery. And most of all, they need to feel how serious you are in your prayers. The deeper the connection, the most likely they will be to help you,” she instructed.
Volhara raised her hand. A look of confusion crossed her face.
“Yes, Volhara?” Yunari asked.
“So we pray normal like you taught us. How do we know if the gods hear us, or even regard us? You said to show our feelings, but how do we know if the prayer succeeded?” she asked.
“A very good question. The feelings you feel when projecting your energy to the gods will be determined by the strength of will you feel while praying. The stronger the feeling, the deeper the bond. However, you will never know if they ever truly hear you, or even feel your emotions until the time comes. It will feel empty. All you can do is pray to the best of your ability and hope they will be there for you,” Yunari answered.
Volhara now had twenty more questions but decided to keep them to herself. Yunari saw the look of confusion on her face. “Allow me to demonstrate. I already did my prayers this morning, as I do every morning because you never know what will happen. Let us see if it worked. Lights please,” Yunari stated, and the torches were extinguished.
Lumenara!
A bright light emanated from her blade, giving off a blinding light into the room.
Disepo!
The light extinguished, and it was darker in the room now than before. The children were blinded by the emanation. The torches were relit so they could see.
Volhara raised her hand again.
“Yes, Volhara?” Yunari said.
“Magic has been around for centuries. I have heard of it being wielded without prayer. That actually proved nothing,” she accused.
Yunari smiled a fake smile. “Where do you think the power comes from? Not everyone can wield magic. Those who do not pray cannot wield. That is why we pray every morning and night. That is why we have an excellent relationship with the gods. Not only do we show and prove our desire to serve them, but they also help us so we can eradicate this world of evil. Keep practicing your prayers, everyone. For each prayer, try to get a stronger feeling. A whorl in your stomach is sufficient at this level. I will be right back,” Yunari finished. Yunari walked out of the room and into the next room. She confronted the magister.
The magister, Ariyanna, had golden blond hair, much like Volhara, and bright blue eyes. Rumor was the brighter the blue, the purer your soul.
“Volhara is getting too smart for her age. She has advanced reasoning,” Yunari stated.
“Yes, they should not be thinking like that until they are almost ready for testing,” Ariyanna answered. “She is going to be a handful if she ever figures it out.”
Yunari gazed upon the students. Volhara had a much brighter golden aura than the others. While it was discerning to have mastered the aura, she was also proud of her. Volhara is her top student; no other student even comes close to her advanced mentality and physical prowess. Not to mention her acuity and connection to the gods. Yunari smiled, then entered the room.
Yunari halted the prayer practice. “Tomorrow we will practice this again and work on our combat techniques. Instead of large swords, we will learn the art of the smaller sword and shield. Dismissed.”
The students departed the room moaning their displeasure with sword and board tactics. Every year, they practice a different weapon to become masters. The current and past weapon combos are also kept at proficient levels.
“We spend an awful long time on one weapon each year. Then revert to what we learned earlier, plus a new combo. I am getting tired of the repeat training. It is boring. I really need an adventure,” Volhara said to Loren. They often walked home together.
Loren looked down at the ground; he kicked a small leaf out of the way. “Yeah, and why do we have to learn shields? Those are for the weak fighters. I am not a weak fighter. I prefer to destroy my enemies in a single swipe, not dance around like a fool.”
Volhara smirked but looked away. She did not know what to think anymore, only that the training is becoming more and more boring. She wished she were just starting so the instructors would back off. She felt scrutinized for everything she does, she felt like she was being pushed harder than all the other students and did not find that fair at all.
Volhara sighed when she entered her home. Her parents were never around when she needed them. Her mom, Mistress Elannah, was always working with the magister to run the kingdom. Her father, Jaxion, was always out on missions. Being the warrior commander had its downfalls, especially when it comes to family.
Volhara sat in her room. She pulled out her schoolbooks and began reading. It was going to be a long night, as it always was.
The next morning, Volhara and Loren went to the play area. It was a large open square with climbing rocks and bars. The bars and rocks did nothing for them; they were always play fighting each other. The practice had made them quicker, stronger, and more agile than any other fighter their age.
“So am I to defeat the great Loresaur again?” Volhara asked.
“No, you will just cheat. Today, you are an evil villain, and I am the warrior of light. I am here to defeat you,” Loren said.
Both kids went into a dance of attack and parry. The sound of wood clanked throughout the area and caught the attention of other kids that watched. Some thought it was an actual fight. A blur of motion ensued, each one trying to outdo the other. Volhara improvised the next attack by dodging the blow, spinning to the left and swung her sword using her momentum to hit harder. The impact of the weapon collision sent Loren’s wooden sword to the other side of the square.
“Looks like I defeated the mighty Loresaur, commander of light,” Volhara stated, pointing the sword at Loren with a mocking smile.
“You were not supposed to do that. That move was not taught by the instructors, so it was illegal,” Loren countered.
“Come on, seriously! Don’t you think the objective of combat is to win? You think evil will use combat rules? You are daft, Loren,” Volhara teased.
“I guess you’re right. After all, the evil Volhara defeated me this time. By the way, stop calling me Loresaur. That was yesterday,” Loren countered with hurt emotions.
“Oh my god, Loren. You’re seriously going to accuse me of cheating every time you lose? Are you that much of a sore loser?” Volhara asked.
Loren went to pick up his sword and left the area. Volhara watched and let him go. He needed to cool off and see that he was in the wrong.
“Volhara,” Kolin called. “That really was a bogus move you did. It was not fair,” he accused and left. The rest of the kids walked away.
“Have you never thought of improvisation? That is how you win!” Volhara yelled after them.
The next day was another off day. She loved having two days off as it gave her a chance to relax just a little bit. She went to Loren’s house to play, but he did not want to talk to her anymore. His mom said he did not want to play anymore because she cheats in their practice. Volhara was hurt and headed home.
Elannah came home early to find Volhara crying in her room. She ran over to her and cradled her. “What is the matter, my child?” she asked.
“All the kids think I am a cheater! I do not want to see them ever again. I want to be on my own from now on. I hate them!” she cried.
“Oh dear, what happened?” Elannah asked.
Volhara explained the play fighting and how she was accused of cheating because she made her own move to win. Loren and the other students called her a cheater and refused to talk to her now.
Elannah held Volhara tight, rocking her back and forth. “Everything will be fine, dear, you will see. I will talk to your instructor about this, and I promise you will have nothing to be ashamed of. I believe they fear you because you are a threat. You are better than they are, and that scares them. I promise you, everything will be fine. I will talk to Yunari tonight when I meet her and the magister for dinner.”
Volhara sniffed. “Yeah, but if you talk to them, I will be thrown out for using moves that were not taught,” Volhara sadly stated.
“They won’t throw you out for that, honey. They know your potential and will make everyone see to reason. Besides, you just might be a better warrior than I am. But I have not fought in many years. I stopped to make sure you were taken care of,” Elannah said.
Volhara felt guilty. She felt as if her reason of being here has caused her mom to stop from being the best. She ruined her life because she existed. She cried some more; Elannah tried to make her feel better.
The next morning, Volhara went to the play area. She climbed the rocks and traversed the bars. Her strength had increased over time, and she was becoming faster with the obstacles. She sat down and looked. Loren was nowhere to be found. Her face saddened when the horn sounded. She was torn inside. Not sure if she should attend her training or leave the kingdom. She felt as if she had caused nothing but dismay. Remembering how the boar showed up and nearly killed her friend, she departed for the school.
Yunari had the kids sit in a wide circle around her. She paced as she looked at each student intently. Then she spoke. “Today, I want to see how you have progressed. I want everyone to see each other fight, you may learn something. Volhara, Kolin, front and center!” she spoke. Both students did as they were told. She gave them wooden swords to melee with. “Ready, fight!” she yelled.
Kolin went in to strike. Volhara easily dodged the attack and counterattacked with ferocity. She hit him in the ribs then came back to the ready. Kolin twirled his sword around and attacked her with precise, fast attacks. Volhara countered and parried each attack, but barely. She ducked, jabbed her sword into his stomach, then jumped up with a reverse twist and came down on his shoulder. She was careful not to hurt him.
Kolin yelled out, “She is cheating like she always does! We were never taught those moves so she is going against her teaching! How is she still in this school?” Kolin was enraged.
“Did she cheat? Anyone! Did she cheat?” Yunari asked. All the students agreed that Volhara cheated. “Who is the one that has not been hit? Who is the one that was defeated?” Yunari asked.
“I would have won if she fought fair!” he accused.
“Both of you, sit!” she commanded. “The moves we teach you are the basics only. They are the foundation to use in battle but never the only way to fight. If that were the case, we would lose every battle. You think the enemy uses the same technique? Volhara won her match fair and square. She used the basics and improvised attacks to ensure victory. Every single one of you should be doing the same thing. Always improvise to win,” Yunari scolded.
Each student was given a wooden shield with their swords. Yunari stood before the students. “Now, we are going to learn how to use a shield. A shield is your saving grace,” Yunari started.
Loren raised his hand. “Why carry a shield? It is heavy and awkward. Large sharp swords will kill the enemy. Shields are for the weaker fighters.”
Yunari smiled. Every year a student asks the same question. “Loren, come up here. Drop your shield. Attack me and do not stop until you hit me. I want you to give it your all.”
Loren smiled. “Finally.” He went through a torrent of attacks that were dodged or blocked by the shield. After a short burst, he began to tire out. Yunari made a multitude of attacks that were not defended. Loren was too tired to block with his sword. Yunari never came into contact but came very close with controlled attacks. “You may sit now. As you could see, the adversary was too tired to attack. The shield block saves your energy so you could attack when the moment is right. The moment is right when you can attack with a hit. For example, immediately after Mister Loren attacked, he left himself open. I could have hit him in the side, and the battle would have been over immediately. Start thinking strategically,” Yunari explained.
She had all the students stand up and went through the basic attack and block sequence. Volhara immediately got the hang of it and loved the sword-and-shield combo. She thought of all sorts of ways this would come in handy. This was her calling.
The next day, Volhara sat in the play area on the bench at the border of the square. She was feeling sad. Loren walked up to her. She did not realize he was there until she saw his shadow. When Volhara looked up, she saw Loren with his hand extended.
“I am sorry, Vol. Please forgive me. I did not understand until yesterday’s practice. You are right, I need to think outside the imaginative box,” Loren said.
Volhara smiled. She grabbed his hand and stood up, then gave him a huge hug. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. “I never meant to hurt your feelings, nor will I ever do so on purpose. You are my friend, and I cannot bear to lose your friendship. I am so sorry,” she said, crying.
Loren hugged her back. “It is not your fault, Vol. I was the hasty one with a narrow vision. I promise to think why things are happening before entering a rage again. I missed my best friend.”
Volhara smiled with tears still flowing. She backed away with her hands on his shoulders. “I missed you too. Can we get back to being best friends?”
“Of course, but first, we must battle,” he said as he threw a sword toward Volhara. She caught it in the air and almost dropped it. They went into their daily practice.
In the practice room, Yunari paired each student. Facing each other, one side will attack, the other side will shield block. She had them attack from different angles. “Remember to watch the shoulders for where the attack is going. Watch the hips to see when the attack is coming. The proper way is to see the hips move, avert the eyes to the shoulders, and get a quick assessment of where the blow is going to land. Raise or lower the shield as appropriate to block the attack. Also, remember to keep the shield level. If it is bent up or down, the sword will slide and hit you. You do not want that,” she instructed.
After a while, they would switch with the other side attacking. This went on for weeks. Each student was getting much more fluent with the sword and board combo. The class went from hatred of the shield to loving it. That happens every year and is good since the sword and board is the normal combination used by many paladins. Some use great swords, great axes, or even mauls. They were also the strongest of the paladins.
“I feel like I can take on a boar,” Volhara said to Loren. He gave her a scrutinizing look.
“Really, a boar? Couldn’t you have said something else, like chicken? You had to bring up the past, didn’t you?” Loren said.
Volhara laughed. “You still sore about that? It was your fault you left the compound without adult supervision.”
“Yeah, but you could have at least mentioned another animal so I wouldn’t have that thought run through my head again,” he stated.
“I guess I could have. But a chicken? Seriously?” she asked.
It was Loren’s turn to laugh. “I can see it now. Volhara, the great chicken hunter,” he said and laughed.
Volhara sighed, but she was too tired to argue today. Her arms were sore, and she just wanted to get into a hot bath.
Thirteen years old, and they treat me like a child, she thought as she submerged into the hot water.
Volhara and Loren were play-fighting in the square. Loren came across the platform, spinning. She ducked the attack and went on the offensive. She attacked his legs with her wooden sword. Loren had an angry look on his face.
“I will kill you for cheating!” he exclaimed as his sharpened sword of steel came down to slice her in half lengthwise. She rolled, and the sword barely missed her. It impacted the wooden decks and shattered a small area.
What the hell? she thought. “Why are you doing this? I was not cheating! I am trying to teach you to be better!” she yelled.
He faced her with anger in his eyes. Face red as fire. He lunged toward her. The sunlight glinted off the polished sheen of the sword, almost blinding her. She closed her eyes and instinctively rolled to get out of the way. His anger consumed him. He charged her with the shield facing forward. He yelled to gain more strength and hit her in the chest. She felt herself lifting from the ground and flying backward. The impact knocked the wind from her lungs.
She saw the anger in his face as she went flying. Her vision started flipping upward to the treetops. Her body cleared the railing, and she fell twenty-five feet to the ground, landing in the middle of the river.
Volhara screamed and flailed in the bathtub. She sat up and realized it was just a dream. Whew, she thought, thank goodness for that! The water drained, and she quickly got dressed. Her arms were feeling a little better now that hot water soaked into them. She felt refreshed. She also felt lost; why would she have a nightmare like that? She decided to pray extra hard tonight. Volhara went to her bedside. Her parents were still gone. She knelt and brought her hands together in front of her face.
Oh, mighty gods of the realm.
Hear my prayer and free me from this controversy.
I fall asleep this night to rest so I can have the energy
To do my duty and protect your world from evil.
I swear unto this call
I will be forever bound to your duties as protector.
Protect me so I may complete my duty.
I so swear it.
This was not the normal prayer. Volhara spoke from the heart and felt a tingling feeling in her chest. Her stomach felt like it was twirling. She felt like she may have made a connection. Smiling, she stood up then lay in bed looking upward. Volhara covered herself and fell fast asleep. The next morning came quickly.
Loren met with Volhara in the square. He felt sore and out of sorts. Confusion was setting in until he remembered he did not pray this morning. A common occurrence but this time felt different. He did not believe in the power of prayer but is now starting to see the light. He is young, and unless whatever he is doing pleases him, he forgets or just does not care. He knelt in the middle of the grounds and began praying, hoping it was not too late. Immediately, his mood changed and felt a soothing, reassuring feeling that everything was fine. Volhara stopped next to him and smiled. “Sometimes I forget to pray too. I just wanted you to know that you are not the only one. How you correct it, well, that is up to you. However, as long as you appease the gods, you will live on, and they will protect you,” Volhara said, looking into his eyes. “You are my best forever friend. We need to get through this training together. We need to show everyone what we are capable of. We will be the best!”
Loren looked down. She was right. Not many students are putting forth maximum effort to be the best. He wanted to be the greatest paladin of all time. He wanted to be famous, stories told of his bravery around the world. He wanted to be the ultimate protector.
She smiled at him. “We are going to be the best. I can promise you that. The others do not care, at least that is how it appears,” she spoke as if reading his mind. “I do not know about you, but we need to step it up before training starts.”
Loren smiled. “Then let’s dance,” he said as he stood up. Loren attacked from the side, Volhara dodged the attack and returned with a side swing which was easily evaded by Loren. A flash went through Volhara’s mind. A beautiful ghostly woman flashed in her mind. She smiled, and tears flowed down her cheeks. “My dear, sweet, beautiful girl. My, how you have grown,” the figure said. “Just know that I am watching over you, and I will not fail you like I did with another.” The figure disappeared, and Volhara’s vision switched back to focus just as Loren smacked her on the right arm with his sword.
Volhara fell to the ground grabbing her arm. A bruise and welt immediately surfaced. Loren dropped his sword. “Vol, are you okay? I did not mean to hurt you!” Tears were flowing down his cheeks. He felt awful.
Volhara smiled. “Where did that come from? It is about time you woke up. That is the Loren I will be glad to fight next to.”
Loren sat with her for a bit. “Well, at least I finally got a hit on you,” he said, laughing. “It is not often that happens.”
Ariyanna watched the two square off, as she does every day. She has seen remarkable talent in both students and smiled as she faded away from sight.
Training started. Volhara and Loren grabbed their sword and shields and headed to the line. The shield was laid on the left side, with the swords on the right pointing in front of them in a line. The swords are lined up parallel, and everything is equidistant from each other, uniform in appearance. All of them bowed and prayed from a sitting position. They prayed in unison. Only six of the eighteen had small golden auras showing they are with the gods. One, Volhara, was almost bright and pure, signifying her purity was tainted slightly, as usual, for a child but still in the graces of the gods.
Volhara could not get the image from her head. She was trying to make sense of it when practice started. They lined up and faced each other. First side attacked quickly and from different angles. The other side blocked with their shield. After a while, they swapped. Yunari halted the training on time. She stated that the next step is to conduct a mock fight with each other.
Volhara and Loren always paired up since the start of training. Yunari said to take it slow and learn to read the other’s attacks. Reading body movement was crucial to survival. Loren and Volhara smiled.
“Finally, some sort of actual training,” Loren stated. “Nothing we haven’t done before, this time with shields. Let’s practice,” she said with a smile.
Yunari and Ariyanna watched the practice. They were paying particular attention to Volhara and Loren. They watched Volhara instruct Loren on the proper foot positioning for parry and reattack. Body positioning was taught first before any fighting whatsoever. Loren had forgotten, but he changed his stance and looked more professional.
Yunari smiled, and Ariyanna whispered into her ear. The smile vanished, and her head dropped. Ariyanna turned and walked into the next room. Yunari walked toward the trainees. “Volhara, please stop and come with me. That’s an order,” Yunari commanded.
Volhara froze in place. Fear overcame her. No one has ever been called out unless they were being dropped from the course. She was frightened. She looked up valiantly, tears flowing but did her best to keep a straight face. She went to her sitting position and placed the sword and shield down then stood tall and straight. She turned to Loren who watched her go, sadness crossed his face.
She slowly walked straight trying not to cry but to be brave. Whatever it was she did, she was going to accept the consequences. She was flashing through her memory trying to find anything that could possibly cause her dismissal. Maybe it was the play-fighting outside the training room. She only knew something was amiss.
Yunari walked Volhara into the next room where the magister awaited them. The magister viewed Volhara and smiled. “Volhara, you have proven yourself time and again. I would like you to oversee a team on a very important mission.”
