Chapter 6 ( Sorrow Infinite)

Three days later, while sitting at the table in his mother’s home because he could not bear to enter the home he had shared with his wife for over four thousand years. The had sat silent for days unable to discuss or even speak . The food infront of him was delicious as he finished chewing the last bite o eggs and crust bread on the plate infront off him. He he got up and shifted forms and  quickly bounded up the stairs  o the nearby tree in his Tiger form and shifted into Elven form as he neared Andronus’s doorway and bowed with fluidic grace as he entered.

 “Please excuse my unannounced visit Arch druid, my brother,  there is a dire emergency, Ishellia and my Daz were killed by Lucifer and his plague of zombies sweeps across the whole of the world and he is currently destroying Lorthramar and the surrounding countryside.” He took a deep breath as Andronus looked at him with complete sorrow. His brother’s pain was deeply hurting his heart. Ishellia and Valudaz’s loss hit the community very hard. Holding up his hand, he motioned for Valudus to stop.”I know this is a hard thing but Where are their bodies, so we may prepare them for Gaia my brother? Have you told our mother what has happened yet?”

 Big tears welled up in his eyes and he took a deep breath and responded H-He took them into this large green portal that stunk of death and decay. I do not know where they are, I can only think that he has taken them to some other realm.Ishellia is indeed deceased I heard the bones in her neck break. " He said through sobs that choked his throat tightly." Daz always carried Excalibur so I do not think he is dead but he is really damn close to it. Those spells mother twined in the scabbard are the only think giving me hope for him right now. But I still do not even know where he was taken to even attempt a rescue. I- I think we need to release Drow , we need more help than just us Elves , We need the support of all races on Earth if we are to outsmart this evil that is spreading across our world. Lucifer is cunning and his reach is far. That damned angel has been around as long or if not longer than we have brother. He just pissed off father and got banished from our homelands.” Andronus looked at him and sneered," Brother, what do you call this? This is clearly not pardise." Valudus turned to his brother and spoke," We chose to stay here and guide humanity out of the chaos they were enduring. That was our choice. Now, Now we have to bring them out of more darkness worse than that of the dark ages."

Andronus took a breath and spoke with much thought clasping his fingers together in front of him and pacing lightly back and forth across the room.” You must speak with Rehnquist first, then find Janice and have her go release Drow, Only after she speaks to him and gets him to agree to help. If he doesn’t, let him rot to death for all I care.” Valudus Bowed to his brother and turned to leave just as the arch druid spoke.” I am deeply sorry for your loss Valudus I shall light some candles in the fountain for them so Gaia can guide their way home. Valudus spoke softly,' Drow will be heartbroken,Ishellia was his best friend, he is currently living in our dungeon.

Andronus spoke in return as he was nodding his head,"When you have the time we will go fishing and have some ale and just hang out like we do near the solstice every year.” Nodding quietly, tears threatening to spill again Val left the room and began his decent down the tree and out to the eagle master to catch the boat to Rage Gale. As he landed in Misty Isles, many of his friends said hello as he passed by but all were faded in the background of his swirling thoughts. Memories of Ishellia flooded his mind as well as Valudaz on the day he was born. He smiled and waved by rote action and moved to a quiet spot where he could forget he was alive. His daughters didn’t even know their mother and possibly brother were deceased. He decided he needed to rest for a  few weeks to get his thoughts in the right place and compose himself enough to speak to King Renquist.

 He found his bunk and settled down for the Northern Trans- Atlantic crossing then closed his eyes and began to sleep a sleep filled with the horrid things he saw. Screaming loudly, he awoke in a sweat and looked through his bag for a bottle of sleeping potion, pulled out the stopper and tilted his head back as he swallowed the noxious potion.” Ugh! I’m going to have to tell the Melwreths they should not make these potions so nasty. Put something to mask the flavor in there because it really tastes like the backside of a forward moving rhino.”He thought as he tried to clear his mind from all the memories as he shifted into tiger form.Kerari and he had been friends since she was a kit, her twin sister was a druid like he was, Their father and Daz had their manhood ceremonies at the same time. Keraris potions were the finest in the land none comapred to her precise nature. They did what they were suposed to do but damn, the taste was knoxious.

Closing his eyes again, he tried to sleep as the boat began to pull away from the dock. He slipped into a deep sleep; neither eating or moving, two weeks passed by and someone ruffled his fur and told him they had arrived in Rage Gale Harbor. The druid opened his sleepy eyes and yawned with his large canine teeth jutting out of his mouth and jumped down from the crate and off the boat onto the dock. He walked slowly looking around not sure where to go and then saw a city guard and thought to himself,” Surely, this man will know where the king is at.” Shifting to Elvin form he spoke in clear common tongue( a mixture of  Spanish,English,German and Chinese) with a hint of Elfish accent. “Kind sir, could you show me the way to King Rehnquist’s Castle?” The guard stood shocked, unable to speak, not quite sure he had just seen what he was indeed seeing. “Y-you’re a- a druid! Wait! Aren’t Elves all dead?!” Valudus chuckled and spoke softly,” Clearly my boy as you can see, I am an elf and I am surely NOT dead.”

 Smiling nervously he pointed the way to the castle, “ Just go along the canals and turn your second right over the bridge then turn left by the Little People’s district. It’ll be the only doorway at the end of the street. It’s big and tall, can’t miss it sir. But word of advice the king’s a bit of a blow hard if ya catch my meaning’” Nodding quickly to the young guard he spoke,” I’m sure he will be fine, good day and thank you.” With that he shifted into tiger form and slinked his way around in translucency so as to not shock anymore people until he had spoken to the king. This was a nity gift given to them by Father to watch the errant humans as they moved about their lives never knowing of their existence.Several people felt his tail brush their legs as he moved through the crowded streets to the door of the castle.

He made his way up the large corridor right up to the king,past the guard at his side and swiftly shifted to Elvin form and bowed with the grace of a cat. Shocked looks and glances followed by a small outburst of hysteria by the guards having been circumvented , he smiled widely his canine teeth slightly protruding from beneath his lips.” I am Lord Valudus Stormyst Arch druid of the Sacred Circle, Prince of Avalon, Son of Madeline the Great and Regent of Lorthramar. I come to you today to seek your Aid as Lucifer, Has murdered his adopted father and become a terrible plague upon the world as we know it. 

We elves need your help.” He stood up to his full height of 8 foot 9 inches and stepped back slightly a bit for Rehnquist to get the full view of whom he was speaking to. The king took a deep breath, still deeply disturbed by the unannounced visit from an elf of all people. “I think we need to adjourn in the conference room there to the right as you leave this room, and an elf? I thought your people had died out long, long ago with the destruction of Atlantis.” Valudus smiled and spoke softly, “We are elves, surely one little island destruction would not kill our race. There is but another island with a huge tree half the size of this city around, and the ones you were thinking about dear king are the high elves. And as far as even we know they have been embraced by Gaia’s Loving breast.” With a flourish he turned and went to the room he had been told to wait. He sat down at the nearby table and looked out the doorway at the people who passed by. Paladins, warlocks, mages, midgets, gnomes and some strange almost goat looking race he had never seen before passed by. 

Then suddenly! He sensed her nearby as she neared the room he knew her scent from Avalon even though she had never really been in the village just on the outskirts at Ambrosius’s hut. As she neared the doorway he telepathically thought,” Look this way.” She felt his thought and the woman turned her head and saw the druid sitting at the table with his long tapered ears and white hair that fell almost to his elbows. She stopped and turned and looked at him with shock then looked down slightly her red hair falling forward over her shoulder. Rushing into the room she spoke quickly, Lord Valudus! Why are you here? Where is Shellia? Why is she not with you?I haven’t seen her for two weeks and we were supposed to meet for tea.And why are you not camouflaged? Oh no! Something’s wrong or you’d still be in the Big Easy.”

 Holding up his hand, he silenced her as Rehnquist came into the room behind her. “Rahnyah! What? Am I the only human left out of the loop here?” Rahnyah turned and looked at the king and smiled and spoke.” I am from Lorthramar, He is Lorthramarian as well and Ishellia his wife is my best friend, and they reside in The Big Easy currently, a MAGE city. So obviously, a warrior as wonderful as you are, good king and all, would not know.” 

At that moment, Janice walked into the room,” Ahh, Rahnyah, so good to see you and Lord Valudus?? Why are you here?” Exasperated, Rehnquist huffed his indignance once more and suffered in silence as they conversed obviously all friends.

Valudus looked at Janice sternly, “Your Lover has gone bonkers. New Los Angeles was only the beginning Child. He plundered the Chapel of Light and killed so many people there. It seems he is not who he claimed he was all those years. He never indicated to you there was evil incarnate in him? He murdered his father and Ishellia and very possibly Daz,The only thing that might even save him was he carrid Excalibur. Lucifer took them through a green portal that stunk of death and decay.” Choking up, with huge tears falling down his face,” He drug Ishellia through by her throat, after he broke her neck.”Great sobs choked his throat again and he could not not speak for a few moments. Rahnyah gasped loudly and sat down with a thud in the chair nearest to her. Tears fell down her face and she made no attempt to wipe them away.

 Silently, she reached her hand out and gently touched his arm without a word and gently moved one finger up and down in comfort.. Renquist looked at the scene and felt completely left out so he spoke roughly, with a touch of irritation,” Why don’t you mages make use of yourselves and go fetch me the kings.” The arch druid turned to him with a stern look but didn’t speak a word, except to Janice. He had not moved from Rahnyah, her hand still on his arm. In a hoarse voice, he spoke,” Janice, y- you have to speak to Drow and get him to agree to get the Blackwell’s assistance and please let him go. We cannot hope to beat Lucifer with just what we have here the Blackwell will be attacked as well, their people slaughtered in droves just as Lorthramar was.” With a nod, Janice agreed. “Oh yeah, Janice? you might want to bring him some food everyone at Dragon Keep, Everyone but him is dead. Lucifer killed them all when they ran out to defend my keep. Obviously, Apparently, Drow was not let out before they ran off .He’s been without food for about two weeks.” Smiling, Janice spoke,” Well, it’s a good thing I’m a mage isn’t it?” With a chuckle she teleported to a small spot just outside of Dragon Keep, Impressed with herself, she, it seemed could teleport wherever she wanted.

 Looking about she saw three dragons struggling to free themselves of their bonds that some dark thing had placed them in so they could not move, The beautiful young woman hurriedly went to assist them. Briesef, Pong and Arabethia all thanked her before they flew away. “ We shall repay this kindness fair human.” Arabethia said as the young woman hurridly moved towards the keep. The doors hung off the hinges and it looked as if the curtains were torn and the chandelirs were broken and lay on the floor in shattered dissaray.

Back in rage Gale….

Turning to Rahnyah, Valudus spoke, if there is anything left of Ishellia’s things inside the keep you are welcome to take what you wish. Though I have not seen the keep in two weeks there may not be much of anything left. The penthouse in the Big Easy would probably have more of her things.” Nodding silently, with tears in her eyes she opened a portal to the south region of Germany to retrieve the prophet Vilhelm.” I’ll be back in a flash.We will talk more later Val. She reached up as he leaned down to wrap his arms around her small frame. She clung to his neck for what seemed forever then released him tears running down both of their faces.” Then she stepped through the portal and Valudus sat down at the table.

Looking at the king he nodded curtly his long slender ears slightly moving with his head as he did so.

Meanwhile, in Dragon Keep’s dungeon jail cell….

Leader of the Blackwell tribes, Drow, sitting on his bed bouncing something off the ceiling of his cell feeling dismayed and torturously bored. Looked to his comfortable over stuffed wing back chair where stacks upon stacks of Lord Robelaire’s books lay neatly beside the wall.He had read all of them three times over some of them maybe more. The long table had three stacks of manna cakes, looking rather peeked and hinting of green around the edges. Suddenly! He hopped up and threw his right hand into the air and tossed down four elemental totems and began dancing around to a tune in his head then turned and shook his hips then began to pound out a beat.

Nodding his head to his own beat he began to sing and ancient hip hop song that had lasted through the ages,” Y’all gonna make me lose my mind up in here, up in here. Y’all gonna make me act a fool up in here, up in here.” He bounced around for a bit singing more words and then turned around towards the bars of his cell just as he said,” I’mm’a slap my dick in your face!” Janice’s portal opened and she stepped through to this Orc king talking about dick’s slapping faces and winced visibly. Drow swallowed a few times and blushed a deeper shade of green. He was the only orc she had ever seen with aqua blue eyes and raggedy shaggy graying black and gray hair. “Um, Um, HI there pretty lady, I – I was so bored, I – I had to do something, nobody been around for at least three weeks and Ishellia and I used to talk every day. Now nothing’. With a pop of his fingers the totems faded into the floor and he smiled sheepishly up at the mage before him. “So what reason do I have the pleasure of your company pretty little lady?”

Taking a deep breath, she stepped towards the bars and grasped one tightly and leaned her face against the closest one to her.” I have some awful news, no sense in drawing it out further.” Audibly gulping and still not believing it herself. “Lady Ishellia and possibly young Lord Stormyst were killed two weeks ago by Lucifer.“ Choking back a sob,” H-he drug her through this awful green portal by her throat after he broke her neck and wounded Lord Valudus so badly it took a week and a half for them to heal him in Avalon before he took a ship to Rage Gale.”

Taken aback slightly, Drow stumbled backwards to his chair and numbly fell into it. Big fat tears rolled from his eyes unashamed and not caring if the woman saw his pain. Reaching up he tugged at a raptor feather braided into the topknot of his hair and cleared his throat as he wiped his eyes. “So, are you here to let me out so I can kick some ass? And what the heck is your name??” Janice stepped back a second and smiled at his candor,” My name is Lady Janice Pridewell of Transylvania. I was once in love with Lucifer before he became w-what he has become. He fooled us all, I’m so ashamed. I- I didn’t know who or what he was. The Allied forces of the humans cannot do this alone, his scourge spreads across the whole of Earth we need your help Drow and Yes, I am here to let you out.” Stepping back she pulled out her wand and flicked it quickly to the right, “You might want to shield yourself Shaman. I don’t want to hit you by accident.”

Taking a breath and aiming at the lock wondering why Valudus had not remembered to give her the damn key and fired. A bolt of shadow blasted from the end and bounced off the lock. Drow laughed and smartly responded;” Don’t ya think I already tried that?” Smirking, she began flicking her fingers rhythmically, as they began to glow an electric blue a frost bolt jolted the lock and shattered the steel into a few hundred pieces. “There, that’s all better, now come out.” Looking past him she noticed the stacks of books beside the chair and smiled a knowing smile. Ishellia had borrowed Robeliare’s books for Drow to read, he was probably the most well-read Blackwell orc of all Earth now. " Usually, Ishellia left the cell door open, but during all that fuss to tell you the truth, I locked myself in the cell so nothing could get at me. I am a King after all. You know miss Janice I bet you one gold bar, That my brother is sitting on my throne when we arrive." Janice grinned and nodded probably. Drow if I took that bet I would loose so Ill just nodd." she said.

Stepping from his cell he looked at her and asked,” Y-you wouldn’t be able to port me to Buenos Aries would you by any chance?” Smiling she replied,” But of course fair shaman, I am The Mage of all mage’s; Rahnyah might be a close second, but me? I’m the cat’s meow.” Flicking her fingers and then reaching into her pocket for a rune she tossed it out and spoke the words  Shemanch Rhi Rhom,Buenos Aries throne room.” A purple portal opened wide and she bid Drow to enter. She quickly entered after him and they spun round and round and landed in the throne room with a jolt. At least this time she hadn’t landed on her rump like the last time ten years ago. Guards rushed at her as the thinned down Drow roared for attention.” Leave her alone! She is here at my request. SHe was the one that let me loose. Did any of you rats try to come find me. NO! There you sit brother.. ON my throne!” Drow said as he gestured for Janice to see he was right.

Goareth looked down at Drow and Janice as he shifted on Drow’s throne. “This is my throne now! I’ve been ruling for three years Drow! While you been doin’. God knows what, God knows where.” Drow, a bit enraged, he stepped towards his brother clenching his mace and tossed down some totems.” Don’t make me slap a dick in yo face you little whelp get the frack off my throne!” Laughing hysterically, Janice grabbed her ribs while the indignant Goareth stepped off the throne.” Raising her hand to speak as Drow seated himself on his throne once again. Looking at Janice he spoke with a bit of amusement in his voice,” Yes?” Choking back more laughter she asked, “W- What is it about you and slappin’ dicks in faces Drow?? I think you need a woman.” Looking at her he chuckled, “It’s a shaman thing, and yeah.. I need my woman, where the HELL is my Pussy? Goareth!! Get me my wench!”

Hearing the commotion from her rooms, his lovely orcish wife gathered up their young twins and made her way to the throne room. Looking up as she entered and gasped with relief that her husband was alive, she set the little ones down and told them to go to their father that he was a great hero and they ran to him and crawled on his lap. Looking at his wife, he realized she must have been with child when he left. Smiling at her, he motioned her to his side and moved the children to his other knee and pulled her into his lap.” Woman, I have missed you so much, and am lost without you.” Pulling her down he kissed her in front of the whole room not caring who saw his tender side. Yes he was an orc king but he truly loved his bride. 

Looking down at Janice he bid her to tell her story to everyone there. She recounted the tale and asked the council for their assistance in calling a truce to the faction wars. Everyone nodded politely and she stepped back.. Suddenly! Drow yelled out,” Hey! What’s a war lord around here gotta do for a damned rare steak?” Two of his guards on either side of the throne were Minotaurs, the one Minotaur stared him down with a sly smile. The sub- warlord of head council waved his hooves and shifted nervously on his hind legs, tail swaying to and fro. “Um, No you don’t want me. M-my meat is too tough.” Drow laughed and bid him goodbye with his wife still on his lap while someone went to fetch him some meat. Janice smiled and opened her portal back to Rage Gale Keep and stepped through waving goodbye to Drow before she stepped back through and into the king’s keep.