Elfalore
Kira,
Kirk, Anakin, the brownies and the fairies travelled to Elfalore for several
days. They traveled over hills, through farm villages and towns, taking great
care not to be caught by Queen Morticia’s guards. Kira paid close attention to
her surroundings while travelling; she had never seen the world outside the
dwarf village and now she had seen so much. “My mother used to tell me stories
about what our world was like when she was alive,” Kira said to Kirk “and it’s
more wonderful than she said it was”. “That’s what I said when I first left
Elfalore to see the world,” chuckled Kirk “and I do agree that our world is
magnificent, although of course it would be better if Queen Morticia wasn’t spreading
her evil reign around and terrorizing everyone”. “I agree with that” said Kira.
Just then
they came to a big long wooden bridge, and on the other side there was a big stone
wall and a big metal gate door. “That is the entrance gate to Elfalore” said
Benny. “That’s right,” said Kirk “we have made it to Elfalore safe and sound
and we didn’t run into any of Queen Morticia’s guards”. “I’m glad that we’ve
made it,” said Kira “but what will the elves say and do once they see me, since
I am a half-witch?” Kira feared that the elves would probably say and do
something unkind to her once they saw her. “Oh don’t you worry,” said Kirk “us
elves have this ability that can tell us if someone is good or bad. You are a
good person Kira so they won’t give you any trouble, but if they do I will deal
with them”. “Thank you Kirk” smiled Kira, who felt a little better now.
Kirk
drove the unicorn and cart over the bridge and up to the gate. Next he took out
a shofar horn, made from a
ram’s horn, from his bag and blew into it. “What was that for?” asked Kira.
Kirk explained that the gate was protected by a gate keeper and that a shofar
horn was the only way to let him know that someone was outside the gate. The
gate opened up a bit and then an old man elf came out. “Who is it?” he asked.
“I have returned gatekeeper” said Kirk. “Why, Kirk this is a surprise” said the
gatekeeper. He noticed Kira and the baby in her arms, and the brownies and
fairies revealed themselves. “Ah I see that you have brought quite a few
interesting friends with you,” he said “what brings you all here?” Kira told
the gatekeeper that she had come to see the king of Elfalore. “It’s very
important that I see him” she said. “Since you say it’s important you better
come in at once” said the gate keeper, and he let the group enter Elfalore.
Beyond
the gate was the village of Elfalore. It looked magnificent in Kira’s eyes.
There were hundreds of houses, shops and stalls. “Wow Kirk, your home looks
magnificent” said Kira. “Wait till you see the castle of Elfalore” said Kirk. The
elves noticed Kira and stared at her for a moment and then went back to what they
were doing. “Do you elves always do that when strangers visit Elfalore?” Kira
asked Kirk. “Sorry Kira, but we elves always take great care with strangers in
case they do something bad,” said Kirk “and we always take care with each other
in case an elf does something bad”. “Goodness, did someone do something bad
here before?” said Kira. Kirk explained to Kira, the brownies and the fairies
that an elf named Ethan nearly betrayed Elfalore a few years ago. “What did he
do?” asked Skylar. “He tried to dethrone the royal family and make himself king
of Elfalore by using magic,” answered Kirk “but he failed; the king saw right
through him, had his magic powers plundered into darkness and banished him from
Elfalore”. “Wow, he sounds as bad as Queen Morticia, even though she’s worse”
said Flora. “Yeah he was, and that’s why we elves always take precautions with
strangers, or each other, just in case the same thing happens again” said Kirk.
Kira understood everything now.
By
then they had arrived at the castle of Elfalore. The castle was beautiful; it
was made out of pure white stone and it sparkled in the sun as if it had been
painted with glitter. There were two elf guards guarding the entrance of the
castle and they asked Kirk and Kira what business they had. Kira said to the
guards that the fairy queen Faylinn sent her here to ask the elf king for help.
The brownies and fairies revealed themselves to the guards to tell them that
Kira was speaking the truth. “Very well, I shall take you to the king” said one
of the guards. Kirk, Kira, with Anakin in her arms, the fairies and the
brownies got off the cart, as they had to leave the cart and unicorn outside.
The brownies rode on Kirk’s shoulders and the fairies flew. Then the guard led
the group inside the castle. The inside of the castle was beautiful as it was
outside, all made of white stone.
The
guard led the group to the throne room, where the elf king would be. “What’s
the elf king like?” Kira asked Kirk, in a whisper. She had never met the royal
family of Elfalore before, so she wanted to know what the king was like before
she met him. Kirk explained that the elf king was a serious man, but he was
wise and understanding. “His majesty knows how evil Queen Morticia is and he
might know what to do”. “I do hope so, we’ll need all the help we can get since
we are protecting Anakin from Queen Morticia” whispered Kira.
Now
they were in the throne room and the guard presented the group to the elf king
and his wife the elf queen. The elf king, King Finwë,
was an elderly elf and he looked very wise. The elf queen, Queen Galadriel,
was elderly and wise just like her husband. Kirk bowed to the elf king and
queen and Kira curtsied. “It is good to know that you have returned to Elfalore
safely Kirk,” said King Finwë “and I welcome you young witch, brownies and
fairies to Elfalore”. Kira introduced herself to the elf king and queen and
then she showed Anakin to them. “So the child, who is said to defeat Queen
Morticia, has been born” said King Finwë. Kirk had been right about the elves
knowing about the prophecy. “Yes, but Queen Morticia is after him” said Kira.
She told the elf king and queen what Queen Faylinn told her about Queen
Morticia’s desire to kill Anakin. “That Queen Morticia has done many evil
deeds, but this is worse” said Queen Galadriel. “Indeed,” said King Finwë “which is why we have to protect this
child by all means. But we cannot do it alone as even the strength of all the
elves in Elfalore is no match for Queen Morticia and her dark power”. “Do
excuse me your majesty,” said Kira “I know that Queen Morticia is very powerful,
but isn’t there anyway that Queen Morticia can be defeated?” “There might be a
way” said a voice.
The voice
belonged to an elderly elf named Erestor,
also known as the wisest elf in Elfalore. “Please excuse me for intruding, but
there is someone who may know how to defeat Queen Morticia”. “What is it that
you suggest Erestor?” asked King Finwë. “Well you see the previous king and
queen of Ranbaraz had a friend named Shaula, who was a sorceress” said Erestor.
“I’ve heard of her,” said Kira “she’s said to be the most powerful and wisest
sorceress in all of Ranbaraz. But they say that she disappeared after Morticia
became queen, and she’s thought to be dead”. “It is true that Shaula
disappeared, but she is not dead,” said Erestor “I have information that says
that it was Queen Morticia herself that made Shaula vanish but she is still
alive”. “Do you know where Shaula can be found Erestor?” asked King Finwë. “Yes
your majesty, Shaula has been in hiding at the Ogreme Swamp, where the ogres live,”
answered Erestor “and she has been hiding there ever since Queen Morticia took
the throne”. “Very well” said King Finwë. He got out of his throne. “We must
start searching for Shaula at once, Erestor and Kirk I am leaving you two the
task to go to Ogreme Swamp, find Shaula and ask her for help”. “You can count
on me your majesty” said Kirk. “I will do whatever I can to help your majesty”
said Erestor. “Please excuse me your majesty but I wish to join the search for
Shaula too” Kira spoke up. Everyone stared at Kira and admired her courage.
“Yes Kira should come with us” said Kirk. “I agree,” said Erestor “as she is
also a witch; I can tell that Kira will be great help to us your majesty”. So
King Finwë agreed to let Kira join Kirk and Erestor. Then he told them that
they had to get an early night for he wanted them to set out at dawn.
Kira,
Benny, Klunk, Skylar and Flora were shown to a room where they would sleep
tonight. It was a big room and it looked very fancy like a princess room. Kira
placed Anakin into a crib that had also been placed in the room for him to
sleep in and rocked him to sleep. “Since you are going to Ogreme Swam with Kirk
and Erestor tomorrow, are you going to leave Anakin here?” said Benny. “Of
course; I would never take a baby to a swamp, far too dangerous,” said Kira
“and I want you four to stay here too to help look after him”. “We will gladly
do so” said Benny. The truth is the fairies and Brownies didn’t fancy the idea
of going to the swamp too, so they were happy that Kira was ordering them to
stay behind. “What do you suppose that Queen Morticia did to make Shaula
disappear?” asked Klunk, who remembered what Erestor said. “I don’t know, but
it must have been something terrible” said Benny. “It wouldn’t surprise me if
she did,” said Flora “after all Queen Morticia has done many terrible things to
people in the past”. “You’re right” said Skylar.
Just then
there was a knock on the door. “Come in” said Kira. A beautiful female elf, wearing
a long white gown and a silver tiara on her head entered the room. “Greetings,”
said the elf “I am Princess Elasha of Elfalore”. “I am honoured
to meet you your highness” said Kira, curtsying to her. Benny and Klunk bowed
to her and Skylar and Flora curtsied to her. “You can just call me Elasha,”
said Princess Elasha “I never thought I would get an opportunity to ever meet a
witch, two brownies and two fairies. That fiancée of mine really knows how to
run into different people”. “You mean Kirk is your fiancée?” asked Flora “And
you don’t mind him being a half-elf?” “I love Kirk the way he is,” answered
Princess Elasha “and my parents accept him for who he is”. “Then you two will
be happy together in the future if you are truly in love” said Kira. “Do you
have anyone that you love Kira?” asked Princess Elasha. “No I haven’t yet,”
answered Kira “but I do hope that I will find my true love one day and start a
family”.
Princess Elasha and Kira spent the
evening together, talking and learning about each other, mainly their pasts. As
Kira told Princess Elasha about her troubled life in the dwarf village ever
since her mother died, Princess Elasha told her that her life had been a bit
difficult too. Since she was a princess and to be the next ruler of Elfalore,
she had been stuck with lessons about manners and studies she hadn’t had that
much time to be like other girls; having fun and all. “Being a princess can be
no fun sometimes” said Princess Elasha. Talking with Princess Elasha was
something new to Kira; she never had any friends to talk to in the past, but
now she had Benny, Klunk, Skylar, Flora and Princess Elasha to talk to. “I have
to say Kira, I admire your courage to wanting to go to the Ogreme Swamp to find
the sorceress Shaula,” said Princess Elasha “I was told one time that the
Ogreme Swamp is a very scary place, and I am not brave enough to go there
myself”. “I just hope that
Erestor is right about Shaula still being alive,” said Kira “I mean if she
isn’t then we won’t know what to do about Queen Morticia”. “Don’t you worry
Kira,” said Princess Elasha “Erestor has never been wrong before, and he would
never let us down”.
Just then
there was a knock on the door. An elf maid came in and she told Princess Elasha
that it was time for her to go to bed. Princess Elasha wanted to speak with
Kira more, but she couldn’t disobey so she said goodnight to Kira and left the
room. Then Kira and the two brownies and fairies went to sleep too.
