Fantasy Farewell to Kings: Elide’s Tale

[A Play On Words]

It roared and lunged towards Leona, it's teeth barred and ready to kill. That's when it was being drug back to Elide. It clawed the ground as it tried to stay out. Her body twitched as she absorbed the beast. It hissed and fought, it's claws cutting Eli's arm before it sunk and dissipated. Elide shot up with a gasp, holding her bleeding arm. She took a hesitant step back from her friends and glanced at her arm. It had tried to kill them.

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess was relieved. Winter was dizzy. Leona’s knees gave out, and she collapsed beside Eli. She was sobbing and weakly holding the azure sword.

“Well... I’m soaking wet, I don’t know about you all.” Winter said to break the tension. Tess snickered once and tried helping Elide to her feet.

“You okay, little monkey?” Tess asked. “That demon didn’t possess you, did it?”

 

[A Play On Words]

She gulped and scampered away from Tess. "I-I s-shouldn't be here. I-I lost control. T-This i-is dangerous." She said quietly, taking the azure blade from Leona, fear gathering in her chest. It was getting stronger. It's never been able to make a decision on it's own like that before.

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess looked at her oddly. “Wait, wait. Just take a deep breath ok? You’re in control now, right? Calm down.”

Winter nodded and pulled out his castinettes. He played a fun little clacking song that would cast a calm spell on Elide. Even if the demon wanted to escape, the power of his calm spell would not give it ample ferocity to do such.

Leona wiped her face and sloshed through the water to reach a patch of raised earth where the horse was sitting, and the path ahead lead.

 

[A Play On Words]

She took a few deep breaths and wrapped her arms around herself, the demon hissing all manner of awful things in her head. She stumbled a bit before completely collapsing.

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess groaned. “Winter help me before she drowns.”

The two of them picked her up and carried her over to the patch of land. Leona noticed that Tess was bleeding from her battle with the lizardman.

“It was all so strange. The sword came to life and put itself in my hand, like it was protecting her.” Leona tried making sense of it all but it was beyond her.

 

[A Play On Words]

Gerald, the sword, had done it's duty. It had protected Elide as it's wielder. Gerald was quite proud of itself.

 

[Jodyguru]

When Elide came to, she was laying over Winter’s horse. It was dusk, and the group had made it onto hard ground again. They were coming through the eastern pass and were entering a new region of Paladina. The old country, many called it.

“Set sails to yonder stars, fortune smiles on thee. Farewell to kings, and good day to treasures falling at the feet of thieves”
Winter was singing. He believed the noise would keep bears away and maybe keep the demon inside Eli from coming forth.

“I hate this song. Can you sing An Event of Glory again?” Tess asked. Winter obliged and started singing again.

 

[A Play On Words]

Elide's head raised slightly, a pounding smacking her skull. She felt hungover, even though she hadn't had an ounce to drink.

 

[Jodyguru]

Leona was walking beside the horse with her staff lit up with holy light. She noticed Eli lifting her head and groaning. She gasped lightly.
“Elide, you’re awake!” She sounded happy. “Are you okay?”

 

[A Play On Words]

"I feel like shit." She muttered with a sigh.

 

[Jodyguru]

“Leo, get a potion from my backpack. It’ll help her.” Winter said.
“Ok... and don’t call me that please.” Leona replied and fetched a potion for Elide.
“Fu no ah de na... Wo ni fu la te.” Winter sang. It was strikingly similar to an old folk song Elide remembered one of the elders in her village sang. Of course he butchered the nuances of her Gypsy language, but the melody was on point.

“Here. Drink this” Leona offered a bottle of blue liquid. It smelled like fruit.

 

[A Play On Words]

She drunk the liquid before chuckling at Winter's song. "Your Gypsy is not great."

 

[Jodyguru]

Winter looked over his shoulder. “Huh? What’s that mean?” He asked with genuine confusion. “If you don’t like my singing feel free to pass out again.”

“She’s talking about gypsies. Those are her people.” Tess pointed out.

“Oh, well I don’t know any gypsies. I’m just singing an old lullaby. I don’t know where I heard it.”

 

[A Play On Words]

"It's a gypsy lullaby." She answered quietly. "My mother used to sing it to me."

 

[Jodyguru]

Winter shrugged and kept walking. They reached the edges of the forest and made it into the eastern side of the country. A great rocky hill would be their next step down.

“Well, we made it. Now we just need to find somewhere we can hide from Dominion.” Tess said.

“Look, up there. Recognize that?” Winter pointed up at a nearby mountain where a mighty castle with black stonework was resting.

“Is that... the old castle? I thought the paladins would’ve torn it down by now.”

“They probably forgot all about it, or are too busy to bother. I bet we could lie low there a long time, possibly even years!”

Leona chimed in. “Uh-uhm, isn’t that the castle that Dracula lived during the Blight?”

“Yeah, and? He’s dead. That means it’s empty” Winter said.

 

[A Play On Words]

Elide didn't care if there was something lurking within. She just wanted to sleep. She immediately started walking towards it

 

[Jodyguru]

“You okay to walk?” Tess asked. “You know you scared all of us back there. I thought you were a goner.”

 

[A Play On Words]

"Y-Yeah I'm fine. I can walk. It's fine." She said quietly

 

[Jodyguru]

Leona watched her carefully. Seeing what was inside of her, and it’s intention of eating her, made the healing maiden very anxious. She watched Eli the whole time she had been unconscious.

“Alright. Well if we’re all in agreement...” Winter started going down the slope of gravel.

“I-I don’t like this!” Leona forced out of her mouth, almost too afraid to speak.
“That castle is abandoned for a reason. I think there could be evil spirits in there.”

“There’s evil spirits everywhere, Leona. Just look at your little friend.” Winter called as he moved forward faster. Tess hopped down the hill as well.

Leona forced a smile and looked at Elide. “It’s not evil, it’s just ill tempered.” She laughed anxiously.

 

[A Play On Words]

Elide looked horrified. She shook her head violently. "D-Don't call it anything"

 

[Jodyguru]

Leona frowned. “I’m sorry! It’s just... well you haven’t really explained yourself yet, so I don’t know what else to think.”
Leona pulled the horse over and started down the slope as well, making sure the beast of burden did well going down this way.

 

[A Play On Words]

"It really doesn't have a name.... At least one it's cared to tell me." She sighed, "But then again there's lots it doesn't tell me. It enjoys scaring me."

 

[Jodyguru]

“You know, in that moment I wondered if I killed it with that sword, if it would’ve killed you or severed your connection to the ether. I felt great power when I held it. The energy felt... familiar.”

 

[A Play On Words]

"It is quite powerful," She murmured softly, resting a hand against the hilt of her azure blade.