The Key

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction based solely on the thoughts in my own head. All characters are Copyright Cain Orta All Right Reserved.



I stood there, watching my father speak to the people. His people. One day, I would say they were my people. I didn't know just how soon that day would come. Today was a very happy day. A murderer was to be put to death. Warrick had been a worker in the mages' library. He was supposed to replace the books on the shelves after Mages had left. But everyday when the last mage left, he'd steal a book and study it. This is forbidden. Only the few elves born with the sacred mark of the Eripem could learn the art of mysticysm. Warrick had no such mark. He was just an ordinary librarian. An ordinary librarian who acquired power. Power much too strong for him to bear. Power to which he should never have had access. I suppose, one night he uttered the wrong spell, or the right one, thus "blessing" him with his current power. Power that drove him mad. Made this young, quiet boy, no older than I, into a malevolent disease which would have spread to the four corners of the Earth. Would have. However, my fathers skill as a swordsman and wizard stopped him before he rained destruction. And so today, he dies. " ..... a horrible man. May the Gods have mercy on his soul." And with my father's signal the axe dropped. All was silent until everyone, including myself gave a gasp of disbelief. We could only look on in horror as the axe shattered against Warrick's neck.


With a "Ha!", he broke free of his bonds and stood before my father's court in defiance. "I am just a messenger, your majesty. My lord, Apoc, sends his wishes.", taunted the demon. I can still remember the horror on my father's face as the name was spoken and the pain as the bolt of pure darkness, pure shadow, ripped through his chest.


I ran to his side and dropped to my knees. My mother fell beside me, she fainted. "Son ..... Aran ...... take my sword.", my father's voice was weak and mine was gone, "Son, protect .... protect the keep. ...... He mustn't ....." My father drew in his last breath and closed his eyes. I removed the Macil Ainoreva from his cooling hands. Like all dead, slowly he faded into the afterlife, leaving no body. I stood and ran from the balcony. I had to get to the keep.


As I exited the castle I could see our men pouring from the barracks, ready to fend off the swarms of monsters that approached the castle. I couldn't watch, but I could hear the screams. The horrified shrieks of my people. But my hopes lifted as I saw a new wave of knights and archers appear from within the keep. About one hundred and fifty of them, if memory serves right. The captain halted them and ran for me. "You highness, why do you flee?", he asked.


I paused in thought while I still ran. "My father is dead. He said to protect the keep.", I replied. My eyes watered but I suppressed the urge to cry.


The captain could see this. "Everyone, surround the keep! They're going to attack the keep! Archers ready yourselves!" he barked. I ran inside to take my place at the main gate beside the knights. I could hear the shrieks and cries of the enemy become more intense, closer.


Finally, the archers above yelled. "They're exiting the city, more are heading from the forest! We're out-numbered! We're surrounded!" I gripped my father's sword tighter. A bead of sweat ran down my forehead. I was scared. More so than I have ever been. My sheltered childhood left me ill-equiped for this. Yes, I can use a sword. Yes, I can use magic. But never in my wildest dreams have I ever thought I'd have to use them like this.


The fear pooled in my soul as the hordes rose over the city walls and appeared from the darkness of the woods. A familiar voice broke through the roar of the enemy. "Aran. Aran, you must not do this.", said the regent. Regent Cirth was my mother's brother, my father's best friend and my teacher of the arcane arts. He was a wise man, everyone knew to follow his advice but at this time, I knew I couldn't.


"I can not betray my father's last command." I replied, calmly. He didn't know how much I wished to join him inside the keep.


"Aran, quickly, you must flee -- with the gauntlet."


"Gauntlet?"


"Yes. The G ---" He was interrupted by the screaming horde as they finally went over the last hill. They stopped and turned away from us and the knights and I held our breath. Then we heard the yell from admist their pack.


I saw the massive axe blade raise high above the crowd and crash down, killing a half dozen monsters. It mowed through the field of demonic creatures toward us. A trail of blood and fading demons led to the massive, nine foot tall figure to whom the axe belonged. Tirion, my guardian. "My liege!", he called as he stood up. I could not move. Nor could any of my knights. We stood in awe of his strength, the sheer force with which his axe moved. I have known him since I was little but never have I seen him in battle. Before I could reply, the knights pushed me inside the doorway to the keep. They knew that if Tirion had even the slightest idea that they put me in a vulnerable position, they'd be very sorry. And sore.


Suddenly, Tirion charged toward us and without another word, swept me and regent Cirth up, flung us over his shoulders, and closed the keeps' gates. He carried us like we were nothing through the long hall of the keep. I weigh around 235 pounds, and I'm wearing about one hundred pounds of armor, and the regent weighs almost 190 pounds. Tirion dropped us in the center of the storage room, which was in the middle of the keep. He placed his axe, the Adulcrist, onto his back as he pressed against the door, bracing himself for the inevitable attack. "The gauntlet is what you need to protect. It's the key to the prison the king, your father, made for Apoc.", explained regent Cirth, "You have to leave with it. To the other continent... In Jarré, there is a sage, my older brother, he can tell you more." The slam of the main entrance alerted us to the fleeting time. "Quickly. Both of you stand together, I will transport you to the docks. Take a ship across the Quasian sea to Jarré. Be careful" And with a wave of his hand, Tirion and I were gone, weaving our way through time and space.


We arrived on the pier in a bright explosion of light and energy. The ground was scorched and those passing by were knocked away. As the light faded and my visage became clear, the crowd dropped to their knees. I could hear the whisper travel among them. "The prince." A few miles away I could here the battle that waged at me home. "I need a ship to the eastern continent." Several captains waved from their decks. The one with the best ship seemed to not care. The large Corsair ship at the end of the second pier.


Before I could take a step, Tirion rushed to the man who stood by the bridge to his ship. "You dare to not offer your vessels to his majesty. The new king!!", he yelled. It had just hit me. I was king. I am the heir to the throne. The throne which may not even exist right now.


As the millions of thoughts of self doubt flooded my mind, the captain responded. "Get out of my face, ogre."


Tirion snorted in anger, he was about to yell back when his expression suddenly changed to that of recognition, then back to anger. "You! I remember you! The former knight, Kal Vilya. You are a disgrace. A disgrace to your family name, your country and your ship. I spit on you.", snapped Tirion just before he gathered some saliva in his mouth and launched it at Kal. I could see the hatred burning in both of their eyes. Kal quickly grasped the lanced that leaned beside him, just as Tirion reached for his axe.


"STOP!", I interjected, "Tirion, now is not the time for this. Kind sir, I beg you to grant us use of you ship. Please." He looked deep into my eyes, considering my plea. The echoes of the battle raged on in the background. Spells being casted, catapaults being launched, structures being razed. "Please, sir. I am the prince of the land. I can make you richer that you have ever thought.", I said.


His eyebrows raised and a smirk came to his lips. "Get on, kid.", he said. I nodded in gratitude and quickly ran on board. Tirion stared in disgust at Kal who in turn, gripped his spear tighter and sneered at Tirion. "You best point your eyes away from me or I shall be forced to cut them out.", he declared.


Tirion, who dwarves all other elvens in size, leaned forward and put his face uncomfortably close to Kal's. The size difference between the two could be not ignored. Tirion was over nine feet and Kal was around seven feet four inches, a little taller than myself back then. "You have helped my liege. And for this, I will not tear your limbs off . . . . .", he replied coldly. The hatred in each of their voices was easily heard and recognizable. Tirion turned to the bridge that lead to the ship. With his back to Kal, he turned his head slightly and added something to his last sentence. " . . . . . Yet." His massive form made it's way up to the deck. The bridge buckled under his weight but held out long enough.


The battle at my home grew louder, closer. My people moved about the docks in a more panicked manner. Several of them approached Kal. I could not hear them but he shook his head and pointed at me. I couldn't leave them. Unprotected and without a leader. "Kal!! Please, let them aboard." He sighed, annoyed with my presence. "I promise you anything you want to let some of these people on!" He chuckled as he waved them onboard before he used his lance to vault himself on deck, then drew in the bridge. It was the beginning of a sad, silent trip.


The boat rocked gently, a welcomed calm after the carnage I'd just seen. Tirion was quiet, sitting a feet away from me. Eyes shut tight and teeth clenched, I could see the anger in him. It scared me. Kal was up in the crow's nest. I'm not sure how he sails this ship but he manages. There were a few families huddled around the ship, I could hear them speak my name. I wanted so much to tell them they'd be okay. That everything would be better soon. But I knew I'd be wrong. With the dawn of war upon, the end was nowhere in sight. As I leaned over the starboard side of the ship, watching the water, I saw something in the depths. At first, it seemed like a sunken ship. But I realized, these waters were far more deep than where that thing laid. My eyes widened with fear as I watched it move, watching it slither along side the ship, below the waves. I couldn't scream for help. I couldn't grab my sword. I could only stare as a demonic head rose above the water. Two more rose as I felt myself losing balance and four more had risen as I fell to the floor, struggling to scream. Luckily, one of my people did it for me. "DRAGONS!" Tirion and Kal immediately took up arms and rushed over to starboard. The monster leapt out of the water, revealing each of the seven heads to be attached to one body. A few of the head roared, others just blew the water out there nostrils, but one, the one in the middle, was calm and focused. The middle head glared at me, light gray smoke escaping through his nose. It's scales were black, where the the other heads were dark green. It's eyes, red, the others' yellow. I could feel it's piercing gaze burning my soul. Literally. Tirion looked on in confusion as I writhed in pain. A few of the fathers from the families I'd had helped scooped me up and rushed me below deck.


As I left the view of the horrible creature, I could feel my pain ease and I immediately drew my sword but, the 2 men blocked my way. "You dare block my exit! I am the prince Aran Ainu! Get out of my way!", I barked, trying to add power to my soft voice. The men looked at each other then back at me. The one on the left gulped and opened his mouth. ". . . . . You are not prince Aran Ainu . . . .", he started as I tried to control my anger, " . . . . You are King Aran Ainu. And we refuse to lose the entire royal family in one day."


"No! My mother is queen!" I snapped.


They hesitated before answering me, taking a breath before the one on the right spoke. "I'm sorry, my lord, but her majesty..."


"How can that be? I--"


"After you left for the keep... we recieved word just before we boarded." I could not believe my ears. I fell to against the wall and slid down to my butt. My mother was dead.




Author: If you read it all, review it. Yes, I know that the characters have the same names as in Dysfunction... shut uppa you face. And review. Witha you fingers.