Marcona rode fast through the Rolling Plains. He glanced back at the dark gloomy mountains as they were leaving view. They had been haunting him for days. They were darker than usual and had been getting darker all week. At first he dismissed the darkening mountains as just his imagination, then as just a change in the weather, but he soon realized it was real and dangerous. He knew that the evil in Malgon had been woken from it’s long sleep and he also knew that it was time to reveal the one thing that he had kept from Arietta, the leaf of fire.
He didn’t want to believe that Malgon’s evil, that had been harnessed for so long, had been set loose. He knew only a war could come out of it. But would it be a war like the Dark War? Could it be that horrible, that ruinous, again? Could all of this just be an illusion? Malgon’s army had been destroyed. Its leader, Morgar, had been doomed, never to return. Or was he? Was Morgar really gone? In many of the old tales the dark ruler that had seemed to be destroyed came back. Was that the case? Marcona knew this wasn’t a story, but could that actually happen? These questions plagued his mind as he sped off into the night.
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All was quiet in the Elven City of Hastana. It was a beautiful crisp spring morning and Cayll was on watch in the high tower enjoying a small breakfast and the soft pink sunrise.
He spotted something heading very fast towards the city. So he got out his elf-eye to see what it was. Once he saw that it was only Marcona, Arietta’s friend from the north, he ran down a small flight of steps and pulled the lever to release the gate.
The gate opened and Marcona rode in fast. Cayll ran down the rest of the stairs to greet him, but Marcona did not stop to say hello. He kept on riding through the city on his brown mare, Sheba. In only a matter of minutes he came to the mansion of the king. He dismounted Sheba and tied her to a post outside King Gean’s mansion. Then he sped up the stone steps to the grand wooden door at the front of the mansion where he was stopped by one of the king’s most trusted guards. He was tall and dark with messy curly hair that covered his forehead.
“You can not enter for the king and his family have not woken from their slumber,” Celleo said firmly.
“I need to talk to Arietta. It’s of the utmost urgency,” Marcona answered in haste.
“I’m sure it is, but you will have to wait until they wake up,” Celleo said again.
“What if I told you that my news is of great peril concerning most all the races of this land, then would you let me pass?”
“Fine! I do not believe you, but I can tell that your motives are true, Prince Marcona,” Celleo said smiling.
He opened the door and Marcona walked in. Hanging from the ceiling was the wood and iron chandelier that he had broken more than once as a child playing with Arietta. He walked off a step and turned left into a quiet hallway, barely lit by three small candles. The only sound heard was the constant creak of the wooden floor beneath him. He soon stopped at a door on the right. He hesitated a moment and then gradually turned the handle.
The first thing he saw when he walked in was Arietta still sleeping peacefully. He walked over to her slowly forgetting the darkness of his troubles as he was quickly captured by her infinite beauty. He kneeled down beside her and gently stroked her cheek. Then she stirred.
She rubbed her eyes and then looked at Marcona in amazement. “Marc?” she said softly sitting up in her bed.
“Do you still have that necklace you found at Lomé Lake?”
“What are you…”
“Show me the necklace you found at Lomé Lake.”
She felt for it around her neck while giving him a puzzled look. “It’s gone! I thought I wore it to bed. Oh! I must have lost it. I’m sorry. Did you come all the way here for the necklace?”
“Not only for the necklace, but that’s part of it.”
Arietta studied his face. “I am sorry I lost it, but it’s only a necklace.”
“No, it’s not only a necklace. I…never told you. Now is the time. It was made by the Elven kings of old as a weapon and a protection device for battle. It was called the Elven Leaf of Fire. The kings made it back when they were magical.”
“What are you talking about? Why are you here? What’s going on?”
“I am here to tell you of the events that are soon to take place. You see long ago there was a king, King Elessiar…the first King of Hastana. When he was crowned King of Hastana, he first wanted to make sure that he was wise in all of his decisions. So he appointed three sorcerers to help him: Sadrien, Morgar, and Madrid. Sadrien was the king’s right hand; he had a say in every decision made. Madrid was the king’s secretary in war. He planned out war tactics and led the Eagle Corps into battle. Lastly, Morgar was sent to dwell in Malgon and see to it that the rest of the lands were kept safe and that no other kingdom would try to rise up against Hastana.
Things went well in the newly established Hastana for many years. The king became loved by everyone. What King Elessiar did not know was that Morgar was growing his own army in Malgon and plotting against the king himself. When the king found out he was furious, but it was too late for prevention. War was now inevitable. So for protection of his people, he commanded Sadrien and Madrid to create a device to protect the kingdom from destruction. They decided its form would be a necklace, a jewel of fire! Sadrien devised the potion for protection and Madrid the potion for destruction. Then they molded it and named it the Leaf of Fire. The leaf is the insignia of Hastana and the fire represents the swiftest weapon of all.
After a fortnight, both armies met to battle on the Rolling Plains and fought for many days. The casualties were enormous. In fact it was the bloodiest battle in history. Half way into the war King Elessiar still had not signaled to use the Leaf of Fire. Sadrien was worried that the king had forgot about it. So he reminded the king, but the king had not forgot about it. He was just waiting for the precise moment. He wanted to make Morgar think he was winning and then abruptly wipe out his entire army leaving him defenseless.
Then on the fog covered battlefield on the fiftieth day of battle Madrid was given the signal to use the Leaf of Fire. When he did the cool green of the stone suddenly turned red and hot and a sharp terrifying sound rang out. Then a stream of red smoke came out of the weapon sweeping through the enemy’s army swift and quick like the wind taking away the breath and life of everyone it passed. Soon Morgar’s whole army was destroyed leaving Morgar helpless. King Elessiar put a spell on Morgar that he may never have the strength to rise to power again. Then he let Morgar go and he fled.
Hastana lived peacefully after that and the king never found another use for the Leaf of Fire. So he had it destroyed because he found it dangerous if in the hands of the wrong person.”
“Then why do you think the necklace I found was the leaf of fire?”
“King Elessiar gave it to Sadrien to destroy. However he had become too attached to it, his own creation…his own genius. He couldn’t part with it. So he kept it, but kept it secret. He must have then lost it or hidden it and you found it. The leaf of Fire is a powerful thing and in the hands of the wrong person…” Marcona shook his head. “Madness…destruction…death that is what would happen.”
“You are crazy, Marcona. How could I have possibly found it?”
“It was meant to be. You were meant to…Oh! No! It can’t…I must have…” Marcona trailed off into thought.
“It can’t what? You must have what? Please, Marcona, what’s going on? Why do you need the necklace anyway?” Arietta’s eyes were wide with fear.
“Another war, I think. Malgon has regained its strength and now I have been proven right. They stole it from you!”
“How could they have regained strength? King Elessiar cursed them.”
“He cursed Morgar. Malgon must have gotten a new leader. Someone stronger. You must come with me to Malgon and confront this new leader.”
“Stop! Stop talking crazy! You’re scaring me.” She said beginning to cry.
“I’m not trying to scare you. I’m sorry. I’m jumping to conclusions.” Marcona touched her face gently with his hand.
“How do you know about the Leaf of Fire anyway?”
“Old scrolls. I read them every chance I can get a hold of. I like to dig deeper into the history of the Enwina Cemen. The prophecies interest me, too. Something inside me just…feeds on it, on the information. That’s why I believe this so much. I read a prophecy once…no, you wouldn’t be interested.”
“No, go on. I am interested.”
“I read…I read that a beautiful witch, Arsona, told the king not to overlook Morgar or Malgon, for that matter. She said that evil may be stopped for a while, but it would rise once again.”
“Yes, but everyone knows that evil will never rest.”
“Ah, but the King did not believe it.” Marcona said matter-of-factly.
“You’re serious. You don’t think that I might have just lost it.”
“No, I don’t.”
