• 1
    Unfinished Business


    No one dared argue that Grunny was a peaceful town. The farmers
    plowed their fields slow, for there was no need to rush. The farmer's
    wives sitting contentedly on a chair by the fire, darning the socks
    for her children who would run in the fields and fishing on the lake
    by Mr.McRaemen's tobacco field. By night however, the town was
    something entirely different. The farmers sat gulping down pints of
    Mead, their wives sharing some short- lived gossip by the fire, and
    their children would be out snitching the occasional apple from
    Mr. Elgrotto's orchard. Even so, no one dared argue that Grunny was a
    peaceful town. That was until, it happened.
    One evening when the townspeople had been celebrating the first
    full moon of winter Mr.Tamrae was holding a party for the celebration.
    He was a trader so most everyone in the town had come to see his
    vast collection. As he stumbled up onto the stage, no one bothered to
    pay attention to the sounds of hooves approaching from the east. As
    the clatter of hooves drew nearer and grew louder few people had
    noticed. "Everyone," Mr. Tamrae announced pausing to clear his breath,
    "Everyone, tonight is an important night, the night we remember the
    watchfulness of the moon." By now a good number of people had
    overheard the clamber of spears and the thunder of horses racing into
    the town.
    "What is that?" The townspeople whispered to each other as they stared out of the windows.
    "Better not be the Holson guild, they're more trouble than they're
    worth, an insultment to any thief if you ask me."
    “That’s a weird symbol on their saddlebags; it looks like a fancy goblet.”
    “The Holsons don’t have spears either.”
    “Goblet? Spear? That’s not the Holsens for sure, that’s some riders from Varamir.” Almost immediately after Mr. Tamrae had finished his sentences there were many coughs from the crowd.
    “Excuse me, but didn’t the elves sign a peace treaty with Varamir last month?” Said an old man who looked as if he had met a wizard. At the time wizards were the least trusted and the most hated group in the far and close lands.
    “Well, yes.” Said Mr.Tamrae unassuringly, “But that was with the elves, we on the other hand don’t have any actual order so-” Just then Mr.Tamrae was interrupted as a large, bulky rider smashed down the door with a small hammer.
    “Oi!” Said one townsman who certainly looked like he had one pint to many. “Whatcha doin ‘ere, knockin’ down the door an burstin in ‘ere like an ‘ouple of barbarians?” The man was given a quizzical by even Mr.Tamrae who had heard people speak all over the close lands.
    “We sir,” Said the bulky rider with a grin of pride, “have been given orders to retrieve the item, capture a Mr.Tamrae, execute any resistors and burn down the town.”
    “Well resist this!” said the townsman trying to punch the rider without falling down and making a fool of himself, but that was exactly what happened. There were a few scattered laughs among the crowd as a thin, cloaked figure appeared from the shadows and whispered something to the bulky rider.
    “Well, orders are orders.” said the rider in a low, disappointed voice. “Lebra, grab Tamrae while I get my tinderbox, no need to be late. Lebra sighed as if he had been waiting for Lord Elliot to accept his job as a rider, which he took a little too seriously. Lebra lunged at the man with, what he called his lucky dagger. Mr.Tamrae looked glad to see Lebra diving for him.
    “Lebra!” Said Mr.Tamrae as though he hadn’t heard a word the bulky rider said, “You remember me!” Lebra looked at Mr.Tamrae in midair and landed on Persian carpet with a loud thud and a particular crack.
    As Lebra arose from the bloodstained carpet with a broken nose, he yelled at Mr. Tamrae, “Who are you?”
    “I am a trader.” said Mr.Tamrae in a contented voice, “Remember me? You gave me a pair of Lord Elliot’s boots for thirty groats.” Lebra looked around somewhat cautiously and struck Mr.Tamrae down then tying him up to a horse in no time. Two nervous-looking riders guarding the door made way as the bulky rider returned; many of the townspeople had figured out that this was the leader.
    “Brable, I want you to lock all the window and doors then break the lock, got it?” Boomed the leader sounding more confident.
    “Yes sir.” Said Brable, shuffling up the stairs.
    A few minutes later when Brable was finished sealing the doors and windows while suffering a number of attacks from the townspeople the group of tired riders left the house, locked the door behind them and waited for the leader’s word so they could be on to “The fun part.” as Wenra called it.
    What the riders didn’t know however was that Mr.Tamrae had built a large cellar for some of his more valuable items. As the lead rider gave the order to torch the house, the townspeople were pouring through the trapdoor to the cellar at a mile a minute. Some were hesitant to go, as they feared losing their homes and barns. Nevertheless, fear as they did eventully everyone was packed into the cellar staring in awe at the giant chests of treasure and in particular, Mr.Tamrae’s gem collection.
    While the seven riders were watching the town burn to ashes, the cloaked stranger appeared from what seemed like thin air. As he and the lead rider whispered to each other, the leader had an abrupt look of surprise on his face. Instantly, he had all his men quickly galloping twords the Split Mountains, there were preperations to be made and Mr.Tamrae was going to help them.



    2
    Preperations

    Lord Elliot was not happy upon the rider’s arrival. They had failed twice now and for him, a single failure was one to many. After a long and boring meeting with the lead rider and Mr.Tamrae Elliot had, a list of preperations that he had decided must be done to retrieve the item. He had decided that he would go with the riders this time, and had made sure that the lead rider understood that, he made him understand very well. It was also an exuse to use his battle armor that he had never worn before. It had just been repaired by a very skilled apprentice blacksmith and Elliot did not intend to leave his armor out again so his wizard could nag him around to get a new set because of dust staining.
    Elliot never relied on his wizard much and now was no exception. He had been glued to Elliot all day complaining about this vision he’d had the previous day. Once his wizard thought that he could travel through time but Elliot had gotten too hopeful and tried it out for himself only to end up in a huge building made completely of marble, the downside was that it was full of big, stinky warlocks. Elliot hated warlocks more than he hated his wizard, but he had to stay there until it was raided by the Holson guild, a good friend of his. Now though this confounded buffon thought he could predict the future?
    As a child, Elliot had spent a month’s salary of working as a messenger on a fortuneteller. He had been told that he would be happy his whole life, only the next day the town was raided and he had later lost his right eye. Alas, Elliot was superficial. He did not bother much about not stepping on cracks because his mother had gone missing when his village was raided as a boy.
    Elliot went back to thinking about the preperations. He had begun heading down to the Lord’s stables earlier that day in high hopes that his horse Zuffa who he had only rode twice as a child was still there. It had not walked a step for the past twenty years and he had never thought about it until now. The only reason he had not yet bought a new horse was that his wizard said it was bad luck to go through more than one horse in a lifetime. Elliot had not cared much for this but he hoped maybe, just maybe that his wizard was right for once.
    In a few minutes, Elliot had reached the stables. He was confused; it often took him an hour just to get past the blacksmith’s shop because all of the castles inhabitants would crowd around him hoping for as much as a half-crown. Today however, the townspeople had become very well aware of the lead rider’s funeral.
    As soon as Elliot stepped into the stables, there was the distinct sound of a tired horse being waken. Simultaneously, four workers covered in straw came running from the back room; this made Elliot pleased, for he knew that Zuffa was the only horse kept in the Lord’s stables. “Ello Elli-I mean Lord um, sir.” said one of the stable workers whom of which had just tripped over Elliot’s oversized leather boots.
    “So who are you?” Answered Elliot not seeming to notice the worker’s extremely slurred speech.
    “I am John and this is Roland, Jak and my wife, Mona. I do suspect you are here to see Zuffa?”
    “Why yes I am. So, what kind of shape is she in?”
    “Take a look for yourself.” Interrupted Jak with a large grin of pride on his face. “I’ve been riding her every day since she came here!” All the other workers looked very embarrassed at the time.
    “Um, Jak, yeah about what you just said, that isn’t your horse, that’s Elliot’s” Whispered Roland.
    “Oh.” Said Jak realizing what Roland had just said. Elliot had not looked so normal either, for he had a sudden look of disbelief then an expression of anger on his face. Seeing Elliot’s face whiten, Mona stepped in.
    “It’s fine me Lord, Zuffa is in better shape than she ever was, good thing too, she hadn’t taken a step until three years after you left her her. That was when Jak here aplied for a job as a stable cleaner. If it wasn’t for him Zuffa would be no more then a pile of bones now.”
    “Very well,” said Elliot who was now somewhat exhausted, “let’s have a look.” As John lead Elliot and the rest of the workers down to the main section of the stable Elliot’s servant crashed through the rare mahogany door, crushing it to splinters.
    Panting, the servant spoke, “Sir! Sir! T-the c-c-castle wall has b-been attacked, the m-men of the west have e-every farmer, peasant, and gypsy have g-gathered at Bowers field and-”
    “Oh please no, why gypsies? Why not a riot of hobbits? Why gypsies?”
    “Well remember when you ordered us to attack the trader’s port? Well when you signed the peace treaty with the elves that meant peace with everyone from Sliver Island to the seven sister’s mountains. I told you to read it; those elves may be honorable but also clever.” Said the servant who was much less exhausted.
    Elliot made no comment. He scanned his servant, she was thin and wore a thick leather jerkin that had seen many battles and was stained with blood. “Very well, why don’t you send for a messanger to get my battle armor and your axe? You need proper equimpment.”
    “An axe! Why thank you sir! Thank you very much! However, don’t you want to wear your new jerkin? The leather was boiled only yesterday.”
    “Okay, send for that instead, that wizard is annoying, get the dungeon watcher to bring him down there, I’ve been meaning to do that.” Said Elliot smiling, which was of the rarest things he had done in his life.
    “Very well, sir” Said the servant as she walked out blushing.



    3
    The Bridge


    In an hour, an army of castle guards was standing at the castle gate, waiting for it to fall. The gate was small, but Elliot had no problem with that. He said, “No giant could fit through this gate, let alone notice it with their miniscule brain.” What Elliot said was true; for a giant could not see anything, smaller than its intimidating spiked clubbed which it would drag behind itself all day and swung around instinctively when the occasional stuck up warrior would try to bring it down. Even the guard of the crossroads, protector of the caves to the fabled mountain neck temple would not face a giant. This was where Elliot was planning to go. He wanted to drink the elixir of life and put an end to the rule of the Men of the West.
    At the time, Elliot was in the vast banquet room that was overlooking the castle. He was planning very slowly. Gypsies were mind readers and Elliot knew that they got bored easily so boring thinking, which he often did, was easy to do. After a few minutes he could feel less tense and knew the mind effect was beginning to wear off, he got to work immediately.
    Elliot discussed the plans with the new lead rider, his generals and his servant. They disagreed with his idea. “We can’t just sit here,” Objected Lebra, Elliot’s new lead rider, “eventually the elves will figure this out.”
    “They have,” Replied Elliot, “Where do you think the gypsies came from?”
    “Well then where are the elves, shouldn’t they have had their archers out here already?” Asked the servant.
    “Yes, but they don’t have any armor, they’ve been trading with the dwarves to help fund the war so they can’t pay their own craftsmen.”
    “Well in that case,” Elliot said reluctantly, “we should get that minotaur that the riders caught under control, so then when the gate is battered to the ground we’ll have a replacement, a very dangerous replacement.”
    “How do you suggest we get the Minotaur under control, the only thing that might hold it back is a warg but I wasn’t told of the riders capturing that?” said one of Elliot’s generals chuckling.
    “Stop it or you’ll end up like the last lead rider, who did capture a warg, four in fact.” Replied Elliot.
    “Four?” Said Lebra gasping.
    “Yes four, they were captured along with the Minotaur.”
    “But where would someone keep four wargs?”
    “That raid was at one of the colonies which had been taken by the men of the west, is that a good enough explanation?”
    “Yes lord.” Replied Lebra quietly as he slowly took a step back.
    “Okay then. Here is the new plan, Lebra; your riders will ride the wargs. Gamu, I need you to assemble your archers on the bridge going from each lookout tower. Oh and my servant will stay here to oversee you all, once the gate has fallen I want instant notice, got it?”
    “Yes sir” Replied everyone with the urge to once again disagree, but were held back by there current boredom. As soon as Elliot’s generals left, the peasants had battered down the castle gate. Soon there were hundreds of people in the castle square fighting. Most of them smelled of manure and wore tattered clothing. The castle guards had an advantage; their chain mail was made of mithril and was plated with iron. Elliot had no shortage of dwarves in the castle, nor was there a shortage in an old mine on the east mountainside of the castle. The dwarves had nothing to do besides mine for everything they could, it was their life. The mines were exactly where Elliot was headed. Elliot had never been to the mines before but he had overheard that the mines were better protection than the best stronghold. There was only one thing stopping them; the castle square was right next to the mine entrance.
    “Ow, my feet feel like the porridge I ate for my breakfast today,” Complained one of two guards Elliot had following him.
    “To bad, and we only have six more banquet rooms to go through” Answered Elliot.”
    “Why must we come with you Lord?” Asked a guard.
    “Must I remind you of the lead rider? Because I could make my description much clearer.” Answered Elliot with a small grin. The guard made no reply. “Okay might as well tell you then.”
    “Tell us what?”
    “That you’ll be a decoy for me while I go over the gatehouse bridge and to the mines. You,” Said Elliot, pointing to the other guard, “will get dwarves to block the mine entrance. Tell them to let no one through except me, got it?”
    “Yes sir, but-”
    “No questions, okay? You will do as you’re told or must I mention once again the lead rider?”
    “No sir.” Answered the guard not knowing that he would never have to answer again.
    The only thing Elliot carried with him was his sword. His sword was thin and curved; it originated from the works of Elf crafters which all of Elliot’s swords were based on. He liked this both because it was swift and easy to use but also because his mother was an Elf. Though Elliot had betrayed the elves when he had taken over the castle that was now his from a hobbit colony he still liked to follow eleven traditions.
    Elliot made haste as he scrambled up the brick steps in the west gatehouse to get to the bridge that would take him to the mine entrance. Once Elliot finished the grueling climb up the gatehouse stairs, he briefly overlooked the battle below him. It was horrible great heaps of men were lying on the ground where they had taken their last breath. Elliot had only one problem; the men that were lying on the ground covered in blood were his men. Elliot panicked, how could this be he thought? He quickly glanced back at the bridge. Instinctively he set of across it.
    About halfway through the walk across the long and never ending walk on the bridge, Elliot tripped on a misplaced plank. He heaved himself up but failed, he looked down at his ankle and he could see his foot dangling through a hole in the bridge. He was gaping at horror at his leg, suddenly remembering his fear of heights. Elliot twisted sideways, pulled up his leg, and stood up. He was back of across the bridge, but he was limping severely slowly.
    By the time Elliot had reached the other side of the bridge he was out of breath. A small trickle of blood flowed over his worn leather boot from his leg. It was apparently broken; his bone was menacingly poking out of his calf. Not wanting to repeat his fearful journey across the bridge, he stumbled down the steps of the east gatehouse to the small Infirmary nearby.


    4
    Hurt

    Elliot was in no state to travel through the rocky tunnels of the mines. There was now a substantial puddle of blood next to the bed that a doctor’s apprentice had laid Elliot on. He was feeling lightheaded and could not speak without stumbling on his words. He told the doctor to “Fix it up a bit” but the doctor saw no way to do this. Elliot had continually slipped in and out of consciousness and was only woken when the doctor attempted to force the bone back to its place. Less and less were Elliot’s movements as he continued to lose blood and the horrific puddle grew.
    The doctor went to get a large roll of bandages, carefully wrapped them over Elliot’s leg loosely and hammered on the bone with a plank that he kept in a last resort closest. Elliot gave a scream of pain and blacked out.
    An hour later Elliot had awoken and confused. He gave a quick glimpse at his leg and stared in terror at it, it was wrapped in bloodstained bandages and on it was a crude wooden splint. The only thing that stopped Elliot from having his last breath right then was the sight of his servant lying on a bed on the other side of the infirmary. She too was hurt, there was a great slash across her arm and it was outlined on the bandage with blood. Elliot flopped of the bed and landed in the blood with a splat. He looked up and wiped his face clean then slowly crept over to his servant.
    He hoisted himself up to the bed next to his servant. He was panting heavily but did not rest. He tried to get her awake but she did not move. Elliot continued to attempt to awaken her but failed. The doctor strode over to him and Said, “She is hurt badly, and only rest will awaken her.”
    Right then the servant had woken and whispered to Elliot, “Where am I?” As she sat upright and rubbed her eyes.
    “You are safe. We are in the infirmary.” Replied Elliot.
    “Why are you here?” Asked the servant, looking around.
    “I was hurt while I was crossing over the bridge.”
    “Elliot, when I was attacked in the banquet room the man who attacked me had a scar under his eye just like your own.”
    Elliot had a brief glance of shock but inconvincibly answered, “That doesn’t matter, um.”
    His servant interrupted Elliot, “Elizabeth, my name is Elizabeth.”
    “Okay then, Elizabeth, duties relieved.”
    “What? Duties relieved? Why?”
    “There is nothing else for you here. When your parents left you on my doorstep when I lived with the elves they told me to do only what is right for you. You have done your share here and now you must go and do something with your life.”
    “But I am your servant, I have cared for you as you have cared for me, it would be too much of a burden to know that someone like you is gone. I want to stay here, in the castle, with you.” At these words, Elliot’s face lit up slightly.
    “Well Elizabeth, then you may stay with me, for I have liked your company here too. I loathed the long nights you were away from me and I would anticipate your return, I can understand why you want to stay I will do nothing other than to honor your decision, you may stay.”
    “Thank you Elliot for what you have done for me, I shall not forget today.” Elizabeth looked into Elliot’s eyes and just then one of the dwarves miners came in.
    “There you are lord.” Said the dwarf in a scruffy voice, “You must leave now, the peasants have nearly killed all the guards. Elliot felt a heavy feeling in his stomach.
    Still feeling lightheaded he said, “Get a mule ready into the mine for me and Elizabeth.”
    “Elizabeth sir?” Said the dwarf as he looked around the musty infirmary. “Oh yes, but a mule can’t see in the caves sir.”
    “Fine pull up a mine cart and but one of these quilts in there, I’m afraid I can’t walk so well.” Said Elliot as he tossed a bloodstained cloth to the dwarf.
    “You sound like you’re going into the portal sir, you need to calm down.”
    “Wait, the portal? The portal to where?”
    “Mountain neck temple of course, that’s where all ancient portals lead, I can bring you to it, if I can find it that is.”
    “So you’re telling me that I sent out sixteen entire raids for the Elixir when the portal was right inside the caves? Why wasn’t I told this?”
    “Because we knew that if we didn’t actually find it we’d end up like the lead rider.”
    “Don’t you have a map of some sort?” Questioned Elliot.
    “Oh yes let me see,” Replied the dwarf, rummaging through his pockets. “Here we are.” Said the dwarf, handing the map to Elliot.
    “Well somehow you will end up like the lead rider for being so stubborn.” The rider gulped and replied, “Yes sir.” with a dead white face.

    5
    The portal

    Elliot and Elizabeth were uncomfortably sitting in the shaking mine cart. A group of dwarves had instantly accepted the opening to leave their posts that they had been at for two hours.
    The mine was deep and eerie with the distinctive smell of smoke. As they got farther into the cave, the flame from the torches on the wall made the tunnel feel welcoming with embers swimming in the air beside them.
    At last, the deafening silence was broken. “Elliot, where are we going?” Elliot was slow to answer but finally did after a moment.
    “I am, not well, as you know.” At that time, Elliot was rethinking the use for the Elixir. “We are going to the mountain neck temple. I do not wish to die when my castle needs me nor in the need of anyone else”
    “But you don’t mean the,”
    “Yes I do, it is my only chance, for I am dying.”
    “But you surely have read the legend of the crossroads?”
    “Yes I have but I want a chance to finish the rest of my life.”
    Neither of them spoke again until the dwarf pushing the rickety mine cart said “Almost there. The portal you wish to see is just around this bend my lord.” Elliot had a quizzical look on his face. “Why have we stopped moving?”
    “Well you see no dwarf except the father has ever set their eyes on that portal and there would be no honor for the dwarf father of this quarry if anyone looked at the portal.”
    “Fine you win this time, just give me your axe.” Looking puzzled, the dwarf gave Elliot the axe. Elliot squirmed out of the mine cart, moaning and he propped himself up on the axe. Elizabeth stood up and assisted Elliot, he was dangerously unbalanced and for some reason more lightheaded than he had been earlier.
    As the dwarves rolled the mine cart back out of the tunnel Elliot could see a faint orange glow from the portal shining on the wall. The tunnel was different without the dwarves there; their presence had a comfortable feeling. Suddenly, there was a low moan coming from down the tunnel and a gentle beat of approaching footsteps followed. Elizabeth gave Elliot a hasty nudge as they slowly progressed down the bend.
    Seeing the portal was probably the most beautiful thing Elliot or Elizabeth ever saw. The base was made of worn iron ore but there was still elegance about it and the edge of the iron portal looked like a frozen fire. As they approached it, Elliot could feel the heat blow towards him in a strange breeze coming from inside the portal. “I’ll go first” Muttered Elliot, “If anything were to happen on the other side, it might as well be me, I’m nearly finished as it is.” Elizabeth gave a quizzical glance at Elliot’s voice, there was no emotion in him, and even so, she made no objection.
    Elizabeth reluctantly let go of Elliot’s left arm that she had been holding throughout their entire journey into the quarry. “What shall I do if you do not return through the portal?”
    “Shall I not return you ride to sliver island and tell the elves that they can have their castle back, and ask for the Elf queen. When you meet her, mention me but don’t say my name aloud, give her this too.” Elliot pulled a grubby parchment envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Elizabeth.
    “Bye”, said Elliot as he pulled himself up and slowly shuffled into the water like depths of the portal.
    “Wait!” Yelled Elizabeth as she jumped in after Elliot.
    Elizabeth was solid as rock while she floated through the ice-cold portal depths. She had never been in a portal before, let alone seen one but for it to happen now, all so fast she was in shock from the fiery heat when she stepped in to the cold abyss now. She yelled, “Hello?” hoping an answer would come from the massive undersea tunnel she was in. However, there was a faint moan, not in Elliot’s voice though, the voice she heard had a higher pitch, it probably came from someone much younger than Elliot. Elizabeth could just make out a dim light at the end of the tunnel. A ray of hope crossed her mind and she tried to paddle towards it.
    Elizabeth had been swimming for a while now but the light got no larger she looked behind her and saw something, two people, one of them was cloaked but the other seemed familiar. Then she remembered, it was the man who had attacked her in the banquet room, the one with the cut under his eye, or what she thought was his eye because right above the scar was a long clump of hair that he had pushed over to the side. Immediately, she made haste as she continued towards the light. Five minutes later she still saw no progress, except for that of the to people behind her. She took one more glide and next to her, in an indentation in the wall she saw what she hoped to be the other side of the portal. Quickly, she dove through the burning exit and landed on a hard marble floor where she lay, passed out.


    6
    Crossroads


    When Elizabeth woke, she knew for sure that she was not in the same room as when she arrived. Next to her sat the man that had attacked her, next to him was a strangely familiar cloaked figure. “Who-who are you?” Elizabeth had been initially frightened but there was a sense of curiosity in her.
    “Oh yes me, well I don‘t have a name, if I did it is now lost to time. I was the one who gave you that tracking scar on your arm, you are who I am using to get to Elliot. Oh right, now that we have you won’t be needing that anymore”, the man said, pointing to her arm. “Heal her.” He demanded to the cloaked figure.
    “Who is we?” said Elizabeth as though she had become accustomed to the stranger.
    “We would be me and Ulric here.” The man said, gesturing towards the cloaked man. “Show her.” The man turned his head towards Elizabeth and jerked his head up as he slowly raised the lamb hide hood from his head. The cloaked mass that Elizabeth was so unsure about was a wizard, Elliot’s wizard. She gasped. “Scared? Don’t blame you,” The man droned on for another ten minutes or so before the wizard cast a time spell. He showed it to the man and the group got up and set off down the huge hall.
    The walk was long and tiring. Just as in the portal, there seemed to be no end to the magnificent hall. Eventually all of them had been sweating and Ulric was only slowly trudging behind. “Okay, let’s stop again. I can’t take this. Where are we Ulric?”
    “Oh the map,” He paused as he though what to say “I um, lost-”
    “What! Are you telling me that we’re stuck here?”
    “Not unless you can find a way out yourself.”
    “How did you lose that map? It was bolted right to your mage belt!” The stranger had become as frustrated as Elliot was. Then, Elliot took a deep sigh, well in that case how do you suppose we get out?” The wizard gave no answer and pulled his cloak back up over his head then set back off through the maze of halls. The man buried his face in his hands and strangely, he got up and followed Ulric. No one spoke a word even though their legs continued to feel unbearably numb.
    “Ahhhh!” Suddenly, Elliot jumped out from behind a corner with his sword unsheathed “You!” He jumped at the stranger’s presence “You’re dead!”
    “As much as you are.” Said the stranger exposing the amulet that had been hidden around his neck.
    “So, you actually listened this time.” Said Elliot, also showing off a small sword amulet.
    “You know him?” Said Elizabeth, astonished.
    “Oh yes.” Answered Elliot “But we must go now, the guard is following me everywhere.” Elizabeth was dazed, there was so much to take in and she was used to going slow. She got sick in one of the thousands of empty vases, lining the halls but Elliot hastily encouraged her to keep going as an old guard, looking to be about sixty rounded the corner.
    “Go, go, go!” shouted Elliot as the motley group ran through the massive hallways.
    When Elizabeth came to her senses again she was definitely out of the maze of halls. The room that she was in now was much wider but not as tall. There were great long tables with set plates of food lined up perfectly on each side. Elizabeth lifted her head up and saw Elliot and the stranger clashing their swords and the old man was on the ground, leaning against one of the carved wooden chairs with a silver dagger stuck into his chest, just below his shoulder. Instantly, she ran towards the two, grasping her axe so tightly that her knuckles went white. Then she stopped in her tracks. Elliot was not limping anymore, and his splint had been removed. Though there was still the intriguing bloodstain on his leg he seemed perfectly normal.
    “Elliot!” She shouted. Elliot looked over at her but as soon as he looked back, the stranger gave him a shove with his leg and sent Elliot crashing to the ground. When Elliot hit the ground, the stranger gave a scream of pain and his shoulder unusually started tearing open. Then Elizabeth knew. She had thought it was just a tale but this, this was real. Elliot and the stranger had a cross hex, the cruelest spell in the far and close lands. She couldn’t imagine who would have done this, let alone have the power.
    She kept running and soon got to Elliot. The gash in his shoulder was bleeding badly but she didn’t reach for her own amulet, for she knew that if she healed Elliot the stranger would be well too, and she could not kill him either, then Elliot would pass as well. The only way would be an anti-hex heal curse but a wizard is the only one who can cast that she thought. Then she looked around, where was the Ulric? Behind there was a soft hum, and Elliot arose. “No!” She but it was too late, the stranger was back up and the Wizard was standing beside him. The stranger dove for Elliot and Elizabeth aimed her axe ate the wizard. She was not a Dwarf but she wasn’t blind either, the axe struck down the Ulric by his leg and Elizabeth ran up to him.
    She tore the axe out of his calf but the and the wizard gave a strong jolt into a table leg. “Ah!” He shouted.
    “Where did the hex come from?” Elizabeth exclaimed.
    “You, you created it.” He said sighing. He reached for his amulet but Elizabeth tore it off.
    “What do you mean I created it? I can‘t even cast a simple curse”
    “I mean that when Elliot was left to take care of you when you were young, your parents were sent by the elf king. They knew Elliot was scouting fellow Hobbit colonies and this was against the king’s beliefs. When Elliot picked you up to set you down You cursed him with the curse given to you by your parents, that is why he always uses a handshield curse. If it weren’t for me he’d be in an urn now.”
    At first, Elizabeth was alarmed but the puzzle was slowly coming together. “How do you know all this?”
    “If only I had an alibi for that.” Ulric chuckled, “When the hex didn’t work I was sent as an assassin. I sensed that you were in the curse and could not kill someone as young as you, so I offered to serve Elliot to protect you. That was the only reason I stayed.”
    “So I’m just the bait?” Elizabeth said, staring at the ground.
    “Now you understand.” Said Ulric, now in a hoarse voice.
    “You’re leg, can you heal it? All I can do is a small cut then I’m done.”
    “No, I can’t. My energy is draining. Go, get the Elixir!” Elizabeth hesitated to leave Ulric, but she obeyed. Behind her Elliot and the stranger were fist fighting, there swords lay on the ground. Elliot landed a punch and Elizabeth shouted:
    “Ow!”
    “Sorry!” Elliot replied to here, there was a bruise on his face too. Elizabeth looked around and expected to see a huge pedestal with the Elixir on it. However, there wasn’t, what she did see however, was a huge pedestal surrounded by razor sharp copper spikes. Just my luck she thought. She looked around for a ladder but there was not a thing in sight. Except, Elizabeth thought.
    She took the halberd that the guard was holding and swept it across one of the tables. Then she tried to push it up over the spikes but they were too high. Elizabeth racked her head for something, anything until she remembered a technique that she had taught herself when she had to reach the torches in the armory.
    She wiped the sweat of her head and began clearing the other tables, one by one. Then, with her last ounce of energy, she pushed them up on top of one another, in a stack. She stood back for a while, and gave herself the gratitude for her crude effort. Her head was throbbing and nose bleeding and just then, she took a jab to her stomach. She fell on the ground, winded.
    When Elizabeth recovered, she quickly ascended the tables, trying to absorb the punches that were invisible to her eyes. When she reached the summit of the massive pile, she realized her last and greatest problem-the jump. The great gap between her and the pedestal was not to be ignored easily. She gathered up her courage, and then ran. At the end of the short platform, Elizabeth took a daring leap.
    At first, she didn’t know if she had made it or not. Her eyes were shut and all was silent. When Elizabeth decided to see the result, she was almost positive that it was an illusion; it looked as if she was standing on the spikes. Then she looked back up, she was just holding on to the edge of the pedestal by two fingers-and they were slipping. She thrust her other hand and barely caught on. Elizabeth pulled herself up and took hold of the huge vase-like goblet in the middle of the platform. It was empty. She tried an anti-invisible charm but still nothing. She turned it over and there was still no result. Elizabeth looked over at Elliot to say something but both of them were staring at something else, she looked over and saw slightly visible apparitions coming out of the goblet and swirling around the wizard who was chanting some sort of charm and lifted him up into the air until he was levitating five feet of the ground. Then, without warning, Ulric exploded in an inferno of light. Elizabeth as knocked clear of the pedestal and landed hard on the marble floor. Elliot and the stranger were blasted across the room.
    When the light cleared, Elizabeth could feel her neck on fire! She tried to slap it out but realized there was no flame, in front of her there was her amulet, sizzling and in pieces. Elizabeth ran over to Elliot and propped him up against a charred table. “Elliot?” She whispered. There was no response but she continued, “I have the map.” She took out a small wooden canister and shook it in front of his face.
    “Elizabeth, I, I need you to get us out of here.” Elliot muttered. “Him too” Elliot glanced over at the stranger. “I can’t leave him here. He’s my, son.” This time Elizabeth made no hesitation. She supported the two on her shoulders and walked back to the castle.

    If you dont get

    Please comment so i know how bad it is. or good.