Click here to read The Creation of Ildathore.
The Creator called Man “Dahn” saying: “As you were first, so you shall be called,” and he named Woman saying: “Ila, for, as she is graceful; so shall she be called.” And he said to them both, “Be free to weave light, Dahn, Ila, exploring. But should you use it for anything but that, your gifted hands will be taken away.” So Dahn and Ila created all living creatures, except for Bethoch and his kindred, who had been interspersed across Ildathore. And all creatures, from the smallest ant to the largest lion, turned to Dahn and loved him, being content. All but one. One creature who looked on him with envy: Bethoch, first of beasts, created by the Creator. The sapphire in his belly turned red, dark. His eyes looked on with envy. And he looked at his claws, so clumsy, so… so… A smile crept upon his face. Deadly. Ila had a son, and she called him Ilahn. And when Ilahn was young, only four passings of age, Bethoch espied the young boy playing in the night, sewing with shimmering threads. His anger doubled, and rage ‘oer took him, so that he flew down, and took Ilahn in his claws, flying off before the eyes of the boy’s mother, Ila. Silver green eyes shone with tears as she watched her child be taken away. Nothing could she do but cry for her husband. But she needed not, for as her lips parted and she took in breath, Dahn swept past in all his fury, running faster than any had ever run before. In his eyes a fire burned… a vengeance. The Creator be cursed for creating such a beast! Dahn’s thoughts ran faster than his legs. The moon’s overhead shone their light, which glinted off the emerald plates of Bethoch. Such beauty gone to waste! His toes pushed down through the soft grass, digging holes in in the spongy turf. And my son… his blood will be on your hands “Oh Maker.” In his anger Dahn pulled from the light, he drew about himself a cloak of reflection, turning away any color. He then extended his left hand letting a silver strand become sharp. As the dragon’s claws do take my son, so will this… dagger take your life, Bethoch, and the life of your offspring. He watched as the beast flew up to a mountain, alighting on the edge of a cave. There he saw it throw down his son, letting the frail head crack. Bethoch landed in front of his mate, dropping the limp form in front of her. He flexed his shining claws, now streaked red. I found the reason for my gift from the Creator… Bethochess stepped back, shielding her two children from the great beast. Her beautiful eyes had never beheld him in such a state. Gelidor, green like his father, and larger of the two young bethochs, stepped from beneath his mother’s wing, sniffing the dead body. Father? he asked, eyes sparkling as emeralds. Did you bring it to eat? The great Bethoch smiled, lowering his head to the level of the young beast. If you wish, but I get his- You monster! Bethochess stood tall, holding her neck high, in strength and confidence. Your sinews were woven from light, and you turn to darkness. You spit on the very Creator, your Lord- I am my Lord! As am I yours! spouted the emerald creature. His silver blue love only swallowed… but held firm. You have killed a child of Dahn… you have broken the creation… that means your name is- “Dragon!” They both turned to see a dark figure striding forth. His cloak falling to the ground in a pool. As he passed through the entrance the all moonlight was blocked out, only the glowing eyes of those around shone light, until the cloak fell away revealing the wrath of man. “You took my son, you took his light.” A dagger of shining silver lit in his hand. The brilliance so piercing you could only stare at it. Lifting a hand Dahn took strands of light from the stone and reformed it, closing it in on the beats… all but one. The little bethochess had been hidden under her mother’s wing… she’d trusted, and stayed back, fearing evil. She had been revolted by the dead body. And now she was helpless. Pulled from the grasp of the great Bethochess. The dragon roared, and his wife shrieked. The Emerald Prince, Gelidor, set every strength against the light… but to no use. Such a lovely little creature, shimmering in silver blue in the light of the moon, wept in the presence of such dark hatred. Her eyes pierced the night, but her voice was not heard. She watched the dagger slide forth, parting her scales, but made no sound, staring up into the face of man. May my death be to your healing. The cold edge touched her heart, scattering the light, and the blue touch of fiery life blew out. For the second time that night, a mother mourned for the life of her child. And as the moon reached its highest point, every creature stopped at the sound of Bethoch screaming, before his final breath. And Ila grieved. When Dahn walked back with the dead in his hands, she rushed forward taking him to her breast. More tears fell that night than the drops of the sea… then the Creator came down. Dahn… what has been done this day? The death of Bethoch and his daughter? Feeling dark, and draped in death, before such a presence, the man had no reply, bowing his head. But Ila, in rage, did stand, her face stained with grief and anger. “You took my child! I lost my boy to your creation! What right have you to question us so?!” The world flashed, indescribably so. Light filled their very minds of so that neither had the will to stand. Both trembled and fell to their faces. I am The Shaper, You are my clay. Unto you did this I not say? And also to Ila my daughter, That anything other than weaving, Would bring this gift to its leaving? Now I do take it, No longer it’s yours. Away from you this power pours. All dimmed once again, falling from a light it ever held. Dahn’s hands lost their golden hue, as did Ila’s their silver glow. Both wept, and Ila spoke. “On this land was my heart split in two. Because of such I shall call it Vanya.” And so happened The Downfall of Man, though not without hope. For as each held the other in their arms, and tears fell together, a tree grew to the side. A tree with a fruit. A tree from the Creator. Written by Bethel and Buddy J. Edited by The Flabbits Copyright © 2018 by The Flabbit Room
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Click here to read Part One, here to read Part Two, here to read Part Three, here to read Part Four, here to read Part Five, and here to read Part Six.
The beast roared again, and the ground seemed to shake. The commander of the black army took a step backward, adopting a defensive stance. Just as he did, the icedrake reared its head back and shot a stream of liquid straight at him. As soon as it touched the commander’s sword, it froze solid, creating a wall of ice in front of him. The icedrake continued to shoot, the wall growing larger and larger, pushing against the commander’s sword. His feet began to slip as the impact drove him backward, towards the two children. Just as he looked as if he was going to fall over, the icedrake’s stream of liquid diminished and then stopped altogether, as it paused to regain power. The man stepped back and knelt down for a moment to regain his breath, then he stood and raised his sword. He struck the wall of ice and it exploded, pieces flying everywhere. When the fog cleared, the icedrake shot again, and the children watched in grim fascination as the entire process was repeated several times. It was clear that it would be quite some time before either opponent was worn out. “What’s the plan?” the boy asked the girl, trusting the noise of the battle to cover the sound of his voice, and hoping he didn't sound as worried as he looked. “I don't know,” she answered. “Just give me a minute to think.” She stared at the icedrake, unable to stop herself from admiring the pale blue scales, the sleek wings, and sapphire eyes. I wish I knew where it was from… To her horror, the icedrake stopped, mid attack, and turned towards her, looking her straight in the eyes. The boy took a step backwards, and tried to pull the girl with him, but she shook him off. There was something about that gaze… Who are you? She reached back and grabbed the boy’s hand, suddenly feeling dizzy, but she couldn't shift her eyes away. What…? How…? she thought, panicking. She'd never heard of anything like this ever happening before. Did that voice come from you? she thought at the icedrake. Yes, it answered. How can hear me? My master said that he alone has the power to speak to drakes. I don't know, the girl thought. Who is your master? The Ice King, came the answer. The thought came with a sensation of cold, almost as if the words themselves were frozen. The girl felt her eyes being directed downward, and for the first time, she noticed a man standing behind the icedrake. On his head was a crown of ice. The boy saw him too, but his gaze was quickly distracted by the Black Commander, who had spotted the children and was walking towards them with his sword raised. The girl was still trapped in the icedrake’s gaze, so he looked around for a weapon. The boy spotted a sword — belonging to the ice army from the looks of it — several paces paces away. There was no time to consider. He dropped the girl’s hand and took off at a sprint, snatched up the sword, skidding as he spun around, and retraced his steps as quickly as he could. He was only halfway there, though, when he saw the Black Commander raise his sword, and remembered that he didn't have to be touching an object to turn it to ice. No! The mental scream tore through his mind. I can’t lose her! The commander’s sword was pointed to the sky, and it was beginning to drop. The boy pushed himself forward, running faster than he’d ever run before. Still staring at the icedrake, the girl didn't seem to see anything else that was going on. The sword was nearly even with its target. I have to make it, he thought, searching for any reserves of energy that he hadn't already spent. He held the sword out, ready to try and block whatever the Black Commander shot towards the girl. The boy had one moment of pure relief. He was only a few paces away from her, and he knew that she was safe. Or, he thought she was. Until he ran into what felt like a brick wall. Someone was laughing. The boy, shaking his head to clear the black spots from his eyes, turned to find the source of the noise. The commander was walking towards him, smiling and looking almost amused. “Did you really think I would just hand you one of the most powerful spells in the world? Of course I had to take precautions. There are those who would be most displeased if commoners began meddling in such things.” Suddenly the boy felt something like chains wrapping around his arms and legs, and he was jerked upwards into the air. “This restraint is rather rudimentary; I couldn't do anything too complex last night without you becoming suspicious. But as you have no real skill, I don't have to worry about you breaking out,” the Black Commander said. “Thanks to your completely unfounded trust in me, you’ll have a good view of your friend’s death.” The boy struggled desperately, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even open his mouth. Hoping for a miracle, he watched as the commander lowered his sword again. Just as he thought all was lost, the icedrake looked away from the girl, and she turned quickly towards the commander. As she did, something blue and transparent shot out of the end of the commander’s sword. She quickly raised her hands, and out of them came a string of golden light. The two collided with a blinding flash. When the afterimage faded from the boy’s eyes, he saw the commander and girl facing each other, both blinking and looking slightly dazed. The commander recovered quickly and tried again; the girl stopped it again. He cursed and slammed his sword into the ground, which gave her a moment to check on the icedrake. It was cowering before the Ice King, who was glaring and, she guessed, speaking to it. Seeing that the Black Commander had raised his sword again, the girl prepared herself. This time, though, a steady stream of blue emanated from the weapon; the girl did the same with her light. The blinding light this time was constant, not just a flash. She found that by squinting she could see vaguely the meeting point between the opposing forces. To her amazement, she found that it was much closer to the commander than it was to her. She wasn't sure what would happen when it reached him, but she knew it would be to her advantage. She put all of her energy behind the line of gold, and it inched closer to the Black Commander. He was pushing back now, but it wasn't enough to stop the girl’s barrage. All she could see now was a tiny line of blue many paces away. Almost there! she thought, giving one last big burst of energy. Then, to her shock, the line of blue moved. It stopped almost immediately, as the golden light found its target, but a small bit shot forward and hit something to her left. The girl turned to see what it was. Her heart stopped and her vision started to blur. The world around her started spinning as she rushed forward to where the boy lay, completely frozen. She dropped to her knees and put her ear against his chest. Nothing. There was no heartbeat. She felt a sob rising in her throat, and tears were slipping out onto her cheeks. She wept into the boy’s cold chest, having no strength to move or even think. How long she stayed there she never knew, but after some time she heard a voice behind her. “What a pity you had to see that. If you'd both gone at the same time it would've been much less painful.” The girl’s sorrow was quickly replaced by anger. She stood and spun around, hands raised, ready to destroy whoever had just spoken. The Ice King stood in front of her, no more than five paces away. “What do you want?” the girl asked, glaring at him. “You're systematically decimating this entire island. What's the point of ruling an iceberg?” “I'm not after the island,” the Ice King answered. “All I'm doing here is experimenting. I have much bigger plans, plans which will come to fruition when my icedrake is full grown.” The girl opened her mouth to speak, but the king interrupted her. “The reason I didn't kill you while you were distracted is that I have an offer to make you. The icedrake tells me you can speak to it. You must either be the child of a sorcerer, or you must have something new… something that's never been heard of. To win the battles I have planned, I need more strength.” He paused for a moment, apparently lost in thought, then looked her in the eyes. “I want you to join me.” The girl didn't hesitate for a moment. She gathered her anger and shot a huge burst of energy through her hands and towards the Ice King. He quickly raised his own hands to ward off the light, and to the girl’s shock, they did. Only then did she notice that his skin was the same pale shade of blue that hers had been when she’d touched the ice arrow. “Don't be difficult,” the Ice King said. “I'm offering you a chance only a few in history have ever had. You can rule the world alongside me… or you can die here.” “I would much rather die than join a scheming, murdering—” “That's quite enough,” he interrupted, then turned to the icedrake. A moment later it stepped forward and opened its mouth. The girl thought back to what the icedrake had said to her earlier, just before the Black Commander had attacked. It said it couldn't disobey its master’s command, but maybe…. She looked into the icedrake’s eyes. Does your master love you? The icedrake hesitated. What do you mean? Does he care for you? Would he risk his life for you? she asked. Of course not, the icedrake answered. I am his servant. Exactly, the girl thought. This boy behind me, he loved me. He… she bit her lip, barely able to even think the words, he died because he was trying to protect me. Your master knows nothing of love, he only knows hate. If you serve him, you will be miserable all your life. But, but… the icedrake started, knowing that the girl must be wrong, but unsure why. Or maybe she wasn't. I don't know what to believe. The Ice King was shouting something and hitting the icedrake, but neither of them paid any attention to him. Then go, the girl told him. Explore. Learn. Grow. If you ever want to return to you master, you're free to do so. If you don't, you're free to stay where you are. The icedrake considered for several moments. The advice you have given is good. He spread his wings, knocking the Ice King away as if he was a piece of grass. Holding his gaze just a little longer, the girl thought, You will always be welcome in my kingdom. The icedrake bowed his head in thanks and then launched himself into the air with a powerful stroke of his wings. The girl watched as he disappeared behind a row of buildings. Just as she was starting to turn around, something smashed into her face and sent her sprawling on the ground. “What did you do?” the Ice King screamed, standing over her. “Where did you send my icedrake?” The girl had a few dark spots in her vision, but she noticed that his hands were in the air, exposing his head and torso. She raised her own hands and shot a strong blast into his stomach. He fell over, screaming with pain. The girl closed her eyes and tried to block out the sound. She wanted to go to sleep… so tired… sleep… But something wouldn't let her rest. Slowly the fog in her mind faded, and she remembered: the boy. I have to see if I can do anything for him. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up. The ground around her was strewn with ice and broken cobblestones, and it was nearly dark now. A few stars were showing themselves in the heavens, and it looked as if one of the moons was about to rise. The Ice King lay on the ground next to her, motionless. She didn't have to check for a heartbeat, she knew he was dead; his skin had turned a sickening shade of black. She glanced over to where the duel between her and the Black Commander had taken place and saw him, too. His skin had retained its color, but he wasn't breathing. Perhaps the Ice King was affected more by her gift because of his ice power. With a sigh, she walked over to where the boy lay. She was so completely exhausted, both physically and emotionally, that no tears would come. She sat and mourned silently, trying not to let herself think about what might have been. But it was impossible. Images flashed before her mind: riding together in the forest, reading in the library, hunting, even one that looked suspiciously like a wedding. She brushed her hand gently against his cheek, pouring all of her trust, all of her hope, all of her love into that touch. And then something happened. The spot where she had placed her fingers changed. The cold, blue tinge of his skin started to fade. It looked… normal. The effect slowly started spreading across his face, and then to the rest of his body. The girl's eyes widened and she drew a quick breath. Do I dare hope…? The boy coughed, and his eyes slowly opened. The girl threw her arms around him, all the tears that she hadn't been able to shed pouring down her cheeks. “You're alive!” She was too overwhelmed to think of anything else to say. “Not for much longer if you keep squeezing me like that,” the boy said, sitting up. “Sorry,” the girl answered with a laugh. She wiped her cheeks and smiled as he returned her embrace. “What did I miss?” he asked. An hour later, the two children started back towards where they had left the King of Cliffhaven and his army. They both had an arm around the other; they were taking no chances of being separated again. As they were getting close, the girl turned her gaze towards the boy. “There's one more thing I need to tell you,” she said. “What's that?” the boy asked, keeping an eye on the path to make sure they didn't trip. “My father was supposed to be King of Cliffhaven,” she told him. “The current ‘king’ stole his throne and sent him to your kingdom.” “Then you’re the rightful ruler,” he said. “For now,” the girl answered. “If I can revive everyone the way I did you, my father will be.” “But we should get rid of him either way,” the boy said, nodding towards the king, who had just appeared as they rounded the corner of a building. “Exactly.” The girl let go of the boy and raised both her hands towards the king. He froze and instinctively raised his hands. “Don't move,” she called, hurrying towards him. “What happened? Has the ice army been—?” “Be quiet,” the girl said as she reached him. She walked around him slowly. What's she doing? the boy wondered. Then she pulled a dagger out of the king’s belt. Ah. She walked back around to face him. “You,” she said, pointing the dagger at his face, “are hereby charged with treason and attempted murder, by the true queen of Cliffhaven, Uncle. And don’t try telling me that’s not what the dagger was for.” The impostor’s eyes widened and he seemed to be unable to speak for several moments. Finally he got out, “Prove it. Prove you're my brother’s daughter.” “I don't have any way to do that,” she answered. “But if you don't proclaim it in front of the entire city tomorrow morning, you'll be dead.” The boy doubted that she would actually carry through with that threat, but it had the desired effect. The impostor nodded quickly. “Now get out of here,” the girl said, giving him a push. “And if you or any of you soldiers even think about trying to harm either of us, I'll kill you.” He nodded again and hurried away. “That went well,” the boy said. “You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that,” the girl answered, a contented smile on her lips. The next evening, the two sat on a grassy hill on the edge of town, watching the sunset. Everything had gone as planned that morning, and the people had accepted the girl as their temporary ruler. She had begun repairing the city, starting, of course, with the people. Most of them had fled when the ice armies approached, but there were a few hundred who hadn't been able to get away quickly enough. The girl had healed them all, and restored a few of the largest fallen buildings. “Do you think we should stay another day?” she asked the boy, not taking her eyes off the orange clouds in the distance. “No,” he answered. “They can make the small repairs easily enough themselves, and our kingdom is still frozen solid.” The girl nodded. “What do you say? Shall we leave at dawn?” “Sounds good to me,” the boy said, laying down on the soft grass. Then he sat back up, remembering something. “You said you would tell me about the Creator.” “He can tell you Himself,” she answered. “He said He’d speak to us after the battle.” The boy laid back down. “Well then, I guess there's nothing to do except wait.” “That doesn't sound too bad, actually,” the girl said, laying down beside him.“Just as long as I'm waiting with you.” He took her hand in his, and they watched the sun slowly sink below the horizon, the diminishing light doing nothing to dampen the joy and hope filling their hearts. They didn't have to wait long. Written by Elia Tyson Edited by The Flabbits Copyright © 2018 by The Flabbit Room Based on the Happenings of Middle Earth After the War of the Ring
The dwarf and the elf From on the bookshelf Is a story that still goes on And though not from those pages For ages and ages They traveled like a gander and swan The dwarf quite hot headed Would fight till he sweated And then he would flex just for show But the elf was much wiser And like a geyser Was bursting to share what he’d know As unlikely as it seems The two shared their dreams And conversed late into each night And surprising moreover Once the war was over Stayed allies long after the fight During the war The two said for sure We shall visit the others best place But now both alive Neither did strive To do it in very much haste The Elf got his will And went under no hill But to ent wood to visit the trees The Dwarf filled with fright Thanks to the tree’s spite He panicked until he would weeze Finally when free Of the “evil old tree” The Dwarf led the Elf to the caves But Elves in tight places With slow frightful paces Feel more and more like slaves As the years went by Like the blink of an eye All the mortals were getting quite old But the Elf’s love of the sea That would fill him with glee Was indeed getting quite bold So the Elf set his will To making (with Mithril!) A ship that would take him abroad But as the days went by Not knowing why He began to feel rather odd “Something is terrible And quite unbearable” Worrying he’d say to himself “I now know indeed I can’t yet be freed I’m missing the Dwarf, silly Elf!” So he jumped on his horse And went to (of course) A kingdom in an underground cave He was quite pleased to find The Dwarf, not in his prime But as joyous as he was grave Together they walked And together they talked Of little things such as the weather Then the Elf took his hand And made him understand “I want us to sail out together” The dwarf’s eyes grew wide Through wonder and surprize And slowly he boasted a smile “I knew this day would come And good grief what fun My dear Elf you took quite a while” And so did they go With a heave and a ho And they sailed away to the west And without heed They both soon agreed That they found the land that was best Written by Sabina B. Edited by The Flabbits Copyright © 2018 by The Flabbit Room |
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