CHAPTER SEVEN

The great city of the elves was the only city-sized settlement in the surface world. The gods had created the world and life thereon only to fall into a deep slumber. The beasts dominated the world. Humanoids fought to stay alive. Species dwindled to near extinction. It was the Season of Beasts and Vermin according to the history of the elves. The elves defended their city but left all other species alone to fend for themselves. Their leader, King Solaris Laventha felt that it was a part of natural order to allow the stronger species to wipe out the weaker ones. Not all elves agreed with their king. The king sat upon a decorated throne made of silver and precious gems. His throne room was called the Great Chamber because historically species visited the king asking for aid. Now the king denied access to the city by anyone or anything not elf or livestock. Eleanor Laventha stood humbly before her king and father to plead for his aid. Her pet dog sat nearby sniffing the air. Eleanor was lovely as were most female elves. Her royalty did not keep her from the lifestyle she desired. She was a part of the druid order and lived to protect all things of nature.

"Father, the animals that we use as cattle to eat and to ride as mounts are being slain because the vermin-kind is growing in numbers. If we do nothing, then we will run out of food." Eleanor pleaded.

"I know that you are adamant about aiding animals my dear. I cannot spare any soldiers. We need them all to defend our walls." King Solaris replied.

"I can go with my friends," Eleanor offered.

"I could not in good conscience allow my own daughter to leave the safety of the walls. There are dragons and other horrible monsters outside those walls. Let the dwarves handle these threats." King Solaris said.

"Father, the dwarves barricade themselves in their underground fortresses." Eleanor retorted.

"They will have to defend themselves eventually. The dragons break into their fortresses to steal their valuables and sometimes nest. If not then they do not deserve to live!" King Solaris noted.

"FATHER! All species are equal to elves. We are not better than any other form of life. We must show diversity and accept all life and defend their existence. I'm not asking anymore. If we do nothing then we will eventually die out as well." Eleanor yelled.

"If you leave the walls… If anyone leaves the safety of our city walls without my permission they-including you will be exiled forever." King Solaris threatened.

"So be it! Come on Dog." Eleanor said as she turned her back to her father and strolled out of the Great Chamber. King Solaris hoped his daughter would have not called his bluff. He feared for her life because of the dangers outside the walls of their fortified city. She had a pure heart and he could see it. She would become a great leader one day. He hoped she would live to be his heir. King Solaris watched his daughter leave. As the door closed behind her, the king shed fearful tears.

Eleanor did not slow her pace. Her friends waited for her outside the Great Chamber of the elven palace. She did not have an army. In fact, no other druid was as devote as she was in the calling. They all obeyed their king's wishes. Eleanor defied her father because she could not ignore the code of the druid as her peers and masters did.

"I can see by your face that things did not go well," Annalisa Letharon said as Eleanor came into view.

"I know that you all share my passion to aid those in need. Annalisa, I'm sorry but my father is arrogant and blind to the possible future devastation we face." Eleanor said to her friends.

"Is it because he knows about our relationship?" Annalisa asked.

"I don't think so, nor do I care. That should not matter. I don't believe that my father is that ghastly to damn me because of my choice of lovers." Eleanor stated evenly before hugging the female ranger publicly. The two female elves embraced in a passionate kiss.

"I on the other hand may not be against your choices but I do not care to see it." Sendrick Slenifferrin said flatly.

"It's okay, my brother's Paladin code of conduct just prohibits such things." Valenor Slenifferrin offered. He coughed after speaking. His health was not always fair.

"What of your code of conduct as a monk, Valenor?" Annalisa asked playfully as she clung tightly to Eleanor. Valenor was shy and looked to the floor.

"My code shows diversity for all things that do not cause harm to self or others." Valenor replied.

"Do not tease my brother. You know he is brittle. His health could fade at any time according to our family physician." Sendrick barked.

"Tease me all you like," Rustan Gillean interjected.

"Rustan, don't be crude." Sendrick scolded the wizard.

"What did he say then? Will he allow us to go?" Fauna Elliester asked. Eleanor pulled away from her lover to face all her friends.

"If we leave the city, we can never return." Eleanor warned. Her friends all gasped in disbelief.

"Surely he would not exile his own daughter!" Sendrick scoffed.

"Those were his idle threats. Though I do not think he will uphold them, they were spoken." Eleanor offered.

"So, who is still up for this?" Annalisa asked.

"It is against my code to allow any harm to fall upon my friends. I'm in." Sendrick stated evenly.

"I'm just rotting away here. I want my life to have meaning not just end in frailty." Valenor managed to say before he coughed again.

"I've been itching to explore this world. What good is the knowledge I've learned in the libraries if I cannot use it?" Fauna asked rhetorically.

"So, we are all in agreement then! We will need to acquire some travel gear. How much coin do we have between the lot of us?" Eleanor asked. Everyone offered up their coin purses to her and she began counting.

"How much do we have?" Rustan asked curiously.

"It will be enough," Eleanor stated. The elven friends left the palace and wandered through the streets. They walked past the stables and towards a general store.

"Are we not getting any horses?" Sendrick asked.

"We do not have enough to get us all horses. We will go on foot." Eleanor replied.

"I do not do well with long journeys. Can we not get a single horse and take turns?" Rustan asked.

"If anyone needed horses it should be the women and my brother. He gets winded easily." Sendrick barked at Rustan.

"No one is riding! We don't have enough coin for that. We need supplies and then we will leave the city." Eleanor interjected.

"Okay, supplies it is!" Rustan said submissively as he through his hands in the air defeated. The six elves purchased and packed their gear. Some bore heavier loads than others carrying extra supplies for their group. Three of them carried two-man tents which added nearly twenty pounds to the backpack. Eleanor looked to her friends.

"This is it! After we leave the gate, cannot come back." Eleanor reminded her friends.

"Let's get to it then!" Sendrick barked before turning to lead the way. Eleanor paid for their gear and followed her friends. The city was vast. It had a main gate every mile of wall. The six elves did not wish to wander aimlessly through the city. They wanted to exit the nearest gate and be on their way. They could see archers firing down from above at unseen foes.

"Open the gate so we can pass," Eleanor demanded. The captain of the gate guard turned to face Eleanor.

"Your heinous, your father has left us with strict instruction snot to allow anyone outside the walls. Even without those orders I could not open the gate until all threats have been neutralized." The captain of the gate guard replied.

"What's out there?" Sendrick asked.

"There are an infinite number of monstrous spiders as big as a man outside the gate. They just keep coming and we have run out of arrows." The captain of the gate guard gasped.

"I can help hold them off with my friends. Send a runner for more arrows from the local Fletcher." Sendrick took charge of the situation and he unsheathed his bastard sword. The captain of the gate guard nodded his approval.

"You," the captain called to a young boy nearby. "Run to the fletcher and tell him that Captain Fellis of the Gate Guard needs more arrows fast and as many as he can supply. Run boy, run!" Captain Fellis barked. The young elf-boy obeyed and ran as fast as his legs would carry him up the street to the Fletcher.

"My friends get up on the wall and relieve the archers of their posts. I will vanquish the lot of them myself. Open the gate." Sendrick ordered the captain of the gate guard.

"Who am I to argue with a paladin? OPEN THE GATE!" Captain Fellis shouted. The gate was opened and Sendrick charged out. At the sight of the vermin species, Annalisa snarled and followed Sendrick. The others ran up the stairs of the wall notching arrows in their bows. Dog stayed beside Eleanor always to keep her safe. Valenor thought about joining his friends upon the wall and using his heavy crossbow but he wanted to fight beside his brother. He charged out the front gate. The spiders were as large as the elves and met them at the entrance as the charged out the gate.

"Don't let them in!" Captain Fellis shouted. He turned to watch for the runner and his arrows frantically. Rustan, Fauna, Eleanor and Dog to positions on the wall and watched as the spiders scurried towards their friends at the gate. Sendrick was surrounded in a blink of an eye by three of the man-sized spiders. They struck their venomous fangs at him from nearly every angle but he managed to swat them away with his bastard sword and cut a deep wound across the backside of one of his foes. Valenor ran up on his brother's flank to aid Sendrick. Sendrick saw the blinding speed of his brother's fists in the corner of his eye. Valenor pounded a spider into mush with a blinding flurry of punches. Sendrick smiled at his not so weak brother. Annalisa came up on Sendrick's left side to help. She hated vermin with a passion and was skilled in killing them, knowing their weak spots and picking her stabs and cuts carefully.

Arrows were fired by Eleanor and Fauna. Rustan chanted spells, sending bolts striking his targets. Spiders dropped one by one. Sendrick was wounded and overwhelmed by too many attackers at once. He struggled to keep his footing as he tried to defend himself. Valenor noticed that his brother was struggling to keep his guard up and blood ran down his armor. He feared for his brother's life and pummeled another spider into mush, hoping to create a pathway to his brother. Annalisa cut down a spider but before she could turn to help Sendrick, two more spiders blocked her path to him. Rustan was still learning magic and was limited with his spell abilities as an apprentice. He pulled out his bow to keep helping his friends in the fray. Fauna struck and killed a spider with her bow, trying to help Sendrick. Sendrick cut down a spider but left himself open for an attack by another. He fell to his knees and collapsed as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Sendrick!" Valenor called but his brother was unresponsive. Eleanor turned and began running down the stairs to try and get to Sendrick. Dog followed her. Valenor pounded another spider into lifeless mucus. Annalisa cut down her last foe before diving onto the ground near Sendrick and trying to save him. Annalisa could stem the bleeding and get him breathing again. The poison was running through his veins still. She had no means of stopping it. It would have to run its course. The Fletcher and the runner were returning with a wagon full of arrows. Captain Fellis was on the wall and saw more spiders scurrying out of the forest towards the wall.

"Get inside. Close the gate!" He shouted. Valenor picked his brother up with Rustan's help and carried him inside as the gate swung shut.

"Can't they climb over?" Valenor asked as they laid Sendrick down in the street.

"The walls have been enchanted. Nothing can climb their exterior." Rustan answered. The wagon stopped next to the stairs.

"I brought as many arrows as I had, Captain." The Fletcher yelled.

"Not a moment too soon. Men, load up and fire upon the enemies." Captain Fellis ordered. He looked at the limp paladin laying in the street. The archers were back at their posts firing arrows down at the spiders in moments. Captain Fellis strolled down the stairs and approached the six friends.

"Do you still want to leave the safety of the city your heinous?" Captain Fellis asked. Eleanor turned and shot a wicked stare at Captain Fellis.

"Yes!" She spat.

"Do your friends feel the same way?" He retorted.

"Yes," each of them answered abruptly.

"Healer, get over here. We have a man down." Captain Fellis shouted. A healer across the way came running over to inspect Sendrick's wounds. Sendrick was pale and covered in his own blood.

"This man looks to be dying. We need to get him to the clergy if we hope to save him. Do you have a fast horse?" The healer asked. The friends all shook their heads.

"Are you saying that you can't save him?" Valenor gasped. The healer shook his head.

"I don't know." He said reluctantly.

"I'll care for him then. Is there a bunkhouse here we can move him to?" Annalisa asked.

"Yes. Over there." Captain Fellis pointed to the door of the guardhouse. Rustan and Valenor picked him up again and carried him to the guardhouse. Captain Fellis watched as the young elves entered the guardhouse.

"The young always crave adventures and are blind to the death that comes with them." Captain Fellis muttered to himself.