Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 02 Pt. 01

Silvertree Chronicles Book Two, Part 1. Storm on the Horizon (Enhanced Edition)

Synopsis: The son of Eldar Silvertree and Astria Crescent Moon. Sir Brannar'Lortan 'Storm Wraith' Silvertree is sent to the Knights. What happens next challenges the Knights, the alliance, and the family while changing the face of the world. The Lich is at it again and now the stakes are even higher.

***Inspired by multiple fantasy environments. Not endorsed by any of them. © EmotionalStorm May 2020. This story cannot be transferred to any other site besides Literotica.com without the prior authorizations in writing from the author and EmotionalStorm must be credited for this work.

Authors Note: For those who have not read my bio, please note I write as a form of therapy for a Traumatic Brain Injury. I know the English majors will probably encounter issues that annoy them. If these are your focus, instead of the story itself, then this is not the story for you. I am not and will never be a professional writer.

I do it to tell the story, for those who wish to read them. I originally submitted this story back in May of 2018. I have worked to try and improve my writing style while struggling with this issue. I have added some editing software and written a few other stories. Now I am revising and editing this earlier work to try and bring it up to a higher standard from what I have managed to learn over the last few years.

Prologue

On Juna 8th 7025 an unnatural storm seemed to spring out of nowhere. Halfway between the Elven Capital and the town of Quatarsia. Eldar Silvertree tried to get his pregnant wives to safety by getting them together to cast a teleportation circle. This storm did not feel right to him.

They were extras traveling with his local protection forces escorting a caravan out of the city. His apprentices were pulling up the rear of the column with his wife Staria at Eldar's direction They were spread out. Staria rode forward toward him to gather. Before she could arrive, tragedy struck. One minute he was directing everyone to gather and then next he was knocked from his horse.

The flash of light and the deafening crack of the bolt coursed through Eldar. His wife Staria rode forward and jumped from her horse and kneeled over the lifeless body of her sister who took the brunt of the lightning strike. A young elf-blooded mage named Will Yellow Leaf came bolting from the back of the formation with Sharlo "Doc" Stormcloud right behind him and Eldar's 2 apprentices.

Will had cast a tiny shelter and they quickly helped to move the two bodies inside as the storm worsened. Made more difficult because of the two dead horses both riders were pinned under. Doc found no pulse on Astria, while Eldar still lived. Her silver hair soaked but singed, and her fingertips blackened and covered with the burnt flesh from her dead horse. He moved his hands to her stomach as she was not far from giving birth and he felt movement.

He worked quickly; he extracted the children from their mother's corpse. The one son was nothing but a fried husk of an infant. The other son looked small but healthy. The irises of his eyes were strange as they were a swirl of light and dark gray with a hint of blue every few seconds. Like a sky filled with storm clouds. Staria cried over the loss of her sister.

Eldar came to and got up on unsteady knees. He was badly injured and looked over at Doc. He looked at what he had done. The loss of his first wife and that of one of her children. He held his new son with trembling arms as he slumped to the ground and wept over the child. His other wife Staria hugged him tightly.

Staria looked at Eldar, "I don't know why she had to die! She would be happy that at least one of her children survived. I will help raise him. He is my nephew. I am the best one to let him know all about his mother."

Eldar looked at her, "The strike was not meant for her. It was meant for me. The Lich returned. He meant to kill me! Instead, he has made me suffer yet again after killing my father he extracted another pound of flesh from me. He has had his taste of revenge and now he has moved well out of my reach. He wants me to try and pursue him but I have been given direction from the gods not to pursue him. Killing him is not my destiny, it belongs to him now.

To Brannar'Lortan Silvertree. Astria's son. I beg everyone. Do not tell him of this. Let it come when the time is right and he is powerful enough. Knowing too much about his destiny could cause him to seek it out before he is ready."

Staria cried, "Did you know Astria was going to die?!"

Eldar shook his head, "No, these visions do not always come to me in advance. Some visions like this are after the fact. To let me know I could not change it from happening. Our son will be a powerful Battle Mage. Frighteningly powerful. He will be with us for a while, and then he will decide it is time to move onto his own path. We have to let him. Help him in whatever way he asks. We cannot interfere in letting him bring this evil to an end as it needs to be stopped."

Everyone nodded to Eldar as they waited for the storm to pass.

Twelve years later and Brannar started manifesting powers. Still a toddler by human standards but for everyone's safety, he was raised at the new Academy in Quatarsia but visited frequently by his family, at least initially. Family member visits became less frequent except for Staria who tried to visit him at least once or twice a week when work permitted it.

He graduated from the Academy by the time he was 40 but was not considered an adult. He was not allowed to participate in the war that his Elder sister was fighting in. Older by mere days, yet she was considered an adult in that conflict. That drove another wedge between him and his father.

He had no place to go so he stayed on to help teach. He took over teaching classes that had been done by Silver Moon previously as she entered the war full time with some of her own elf-blooded children and Tiger.

The war lasted less than 4 years, but the toll had been high. Silver Moon, his closest friend had visited him one last time before departing the area to return to the Far East, a year after the war ended. Branar continued to teach for the next 30 years until he reached adulthood at the age of 75.

He immediately joined the Gray Blades to get some field experience under his belt. Due to his name, and the way the officers looked over him, he felt more like a prisoner at Fort Ash than he did at the Academy. His time at Fort Ash was relatively quiet that first year. While at Fort Ash on Feba 7th 7101 one of the last of two mothers he really knew died, Charlemagne passed away in her sleep back at the Keep.

He saw her just a few days before she died, the only mother who traveled to Fort Ash on occasion had hugged him before she left. The Silvertree home felt fractured. It had for years in Brannar's eyes. His father married 2 wives and then 4 more. Since then Eldar had watched them die off one after the other. Three, including his own mother, died in the first 5 years of marriage.

Now only Staria remained. On Septa 14th 7101 He felt like he escaped from the prison of Fort Ash. He was on the verge of quitting the Gray Blades and had voiced his thoughts to General Goldeagle a few days before that he felt underutilized. Word of this caused Eldar to loosen the restraints he had placed on his son. He did not want him running headlong into battle but he could only shield him so much.

Brannar was finally allowed to pick up patrols outside of the fort. He got assigned to do a couple of 'routine' caravan patrols. The second patrol, on Septa 24th 7101, a patrol that they had an extra 24 dwarven 'guards' headed to the Elven Capital who were not Gray Blades. He rode on the northern point forward scout when the attack hit the caravan behind him. They were exactly midway between 2 towers.

64 black armored orcs armed with crossbows opened fire from the edge of the tree line into the nearest group of riders. The attack killed 2 of 6 wagon drivers that worked on the 3 24-foot wagons. 6 of the 12 draft horses used on the wagons fell. That brought all 3 wagons to a grinding halt.

5 dwarves, 5 Elven War Horses, and 3 Gray Blades fell in the first volley Including his units Captain, Captain Wicker a human. Two gray Blade soldiers were pinned by their dead horses. The attack was precise and devastating.

Brannar wheeled his horse Zea'Trans and headed into the fray when he saw the second row of archers lit flaming arrows deeper in the trees. Just as the front orcs pulled back trying to draw fighters away from the cover of the wagons.

He extended his staff and let loose chain lightning into the distant archers. The woods exploded with electricity. A few secondary explosions caused by small barrels of oil and trees exploded within the area. An action most elves would not take into a wooded area but they were heavily outnumbered as there were well over 150 troops in the attacking force that he could make out from his vantage point.

He quickly followed up with a quickened fireball into the devastation. Laying waste to everything another ten feet deeper into the woods. Seeing the remaining forces regrouping he launched another chain lightning.

He destroyed several more rows of trees which exploded. Some traveled almost 100 feet in the air. Several bolts came flying at him between each spell he threw. All bolts and arrows were deflected by the magical saddle all Silvertree siblings had that blocked normal missile attacks. He yelled, "Everyone! Take cover on the far side of the wagons!" He launched in yet another fireball.

That incinerated anything that might have survived the first three shots of magic, though a few might have escaped the area. The dwarves who had been charging forward turned when they saw the first set of trees explode from his chain lightning. The spells caught the attention of both watchtowers which sent up the alerts. Squads were deployed from both locations and from the fort toward the site of the battle.

Brannar rallied the men to the far side of the wagons as friend and foe moved away from the destruction he laid down. He ensured the protection of the surviving men and women from any more ranged fire. He helped to free the 2 trapped riders but had them crawl to the wagons and stay down as he used telekinesis from his staff to move dead horses off of them.

He then waited for the reinforcements to arrive. It took several hours to ensure the scene was secured and the scouts were satisfied that the area was, in fact, devoid of other hostiles. The forest along this edge of the border had grown closer to Gray Blade territory for years.

In large part due to the Silvertree seeds that spread over the area from Silvertree Woods. It took most of the afternoon to get the wagons moving again. More workhorses were brought in from the fort to replace the ones killed. The wagons could not be moved without the additional horses due to the nature of the cargo.

A wagon filled with adamantine ore and two filled with mithril ore was bound to the smiths in the Elven Capital. The dwarves were in awe of the caster that saved them from a well planned and executed ambush that killed 108 orcs and 74 ogres. The largest 'peacetime' combat in years. Years away from the next predicted war.

The pattern of wars in the area showed that another was not due for another 60-90 years. The enemy units were not piece mailed but all of the armor and weapons had them pegged as some sort of elite unit. Designed to scout, assassinate, and ambush. They obviously did not know what the cargo being escorted contained. They should have tried to seize the materials instead of stranding the wagons.

His sister arrived and did an assessment for her father who was in the Capital at the Palace. Being a General in training she could have ordered her brother off the caravan escort, there were down to 5 out of the 7 man unit with their leader and cleric having died. Given the trust, the dwarves had voiced in this caster they did not pull him from the field. He might have been Lieutenant Silvertree, the dwarves just called him Lieutenant Storm Wraith. The name stuck even among the Gray Blades.

He was ordered to escort the shipment to the Capital. To report to the Palace and give a report in person to the Queen upon his arrival. Commander Goldeagle asked what it was he had cast. Brannar listed out the spells he had cast and in what order, no spells were heightened. The commander simply shook his head. He looked at young Brannar, "I have cast twice as many spells into such a small area and never cause as much damage."

Seven days later he arrived at the Capital and with 3 of the dwarven 'guards' they were escorted to the Palace. He reported on his actions and spells used. He gave them the body count. The Queen would have fallen off her throne if not for the fact she had already been given these numbers by Zaria. Little did Brannar know, one of the fallen was a Dwarven noble.

The 3 other dwarves that went to the Palace with him were dwarven noble gem merchants. The extra dwarven guards were there to protect these nobles. They had been saved by his quick and decisive action in the protection of the convoy and unaware of their status. The shipment was vital for ongoing efforts on the battlefield with the drow to the northwest end of the kingdom.

For his efforts on that day he was awarded two medals for heroism, one from the Dwarven Kingdom. He was knighted as his father had been many years ago. Another Medal for heroism was awarded to the Gray Blade Mercenary unit for its continued dedication and service in support of the Kingdom and passed to the unit thru his father. That was the seventh time the unit award was given.

His father had insisted on a unit award for the actions that occurred the first time the Queen bestowed the award. His father could not deny his son this small bit of personal glory. Not with the destruction of so many enemy troops single-handedly. His papers identifying him as a Knight called him out as Brannar'Lortan 'Storm Wraith' Silvertree, Knight Protector of the Elven People.

One of three of Eldar Silvertree's children knighted out of 31 offspring. His 'elder' sister being one of them for her tour in the war.

Staria, his step-mother, and aunt died on Mia 26th 7106. She was killed in the family Keep by poisoned food. The food was destined for Eldar but he was not the only target. All of the food in the Keep was poisoned. 6 guards and several townspeople were killed when hit by poisoned blades and crossbow bolts. Doc identified the poison as a necrotic poison. Designed to destroy flesh. Utilized by orc and ogre assassins. The assassin(s) escaped the Keep but those who saw them from a distance had spoken of the black studded leather armor used by the previous unit he destroyed.

On Feba 27th 7107, Six of his siblings Branus, Dolus, Helia, Milas, Violoa, and Zandem Silvertree formed the Spirit of Silver Adventuring Group. In honor of the common biological mothers and the grandfather they never knew. They departed with little fanfare and no notice. Growing up in the Academy, Storm Wraith did not form the same emotional attachment to most of his siblings. He was an instructor to some of them when he taught there.

Most of the siblings saw him as the child 'who survived' and 'an extreme danger.' They did not even tell him goodbye. On Serita 3rd 7107, In a whirlwind arrangement, Eldar Silvertree remarried 6 new wives. Brannar'Lortan had never met the new brides and was traveling at the time. Thankful to know the consorts would be gone by the time he got back to the Keep.

He was in the dwarven lands acting as an ambassador for the Gray Blades. He attempted to increase dwarven recruitment given his reputation with them. Two days later he was contacted to teleport home immediately by his sister. His father was dead. An assault team of Ogres dressed in all black leather armor led by an Ogre General who appeared to have been a champion to an opposing deity died in the exchange.

He was home within minutes and to the scene of the carnage in less than an hour. His father and armor all but destroyed in the attack. The explosion left a gaping hole that once was his father's chest. His body was identified by the gear he wore as it was badly burned and mutilated in the attack. Hundreds of bodies, enemy and allied, lied strung across the ground as they sorted through the dead.

Commander Tranosa arrived at the battle just as the final blows were struck and splinters of wood took out his right eye and had knocked him unconscious and killed his horse. The next 3 days were spent combing through the debris trying to locate the family blade and to set up a burial site for his father. Brannar started having visions that caused him to leave the area.

They led him to the base of a large Silvertree. The visions told him it was time to seize his destiny. Even that was vague. It did not tell him to take the sword, it only showed him the location. His life was not with the Gray Blades. That much was made clear. Brannar flew up and found the sword buried hilt deep into the side of the tree, 30 feet in the air.

His father had talked about visions and to have faith when they came. He told all of his children about this. He was not sure if it was a responsibility he wanted to carry, especially if his destiny was to leave. He finally made a decision.

Brannar Silvertree's Saga

Brannar returned to Zea'Trans and left the sword embedded in the tree. He sighed and spoke to himself, "I cannot go based on faith alone. How do I know these visions are true? Father had a Lich in his mind as well. He spoke of it to me more than once. If my fate is with the blade and I refuse it what happens?"

He needed to talk with the only family member who might understand the issues. He rode back to the destruction and thought to himself. "If it is meant to be then she will know it as she should get a vision to confirm it. Else the blade could stay in place until someone decides they were worthy."

He headed back to the destruction and found his sister. The New Commanding General of the Gray Blades with their father's passing.

"I need your help. You are the only one I can talk to about this. It deals with destiny. Something you know more about than I do."

She turned her horse, "Nobody can tell you your destiny."

He sneered at her, "Not even a god directing Father or you? Who allowed you into battle but kept a fully trained battle Mage sidelined in the last war, we were the same age. But you were destined to be in the war, while I was held back."

She sat back and thought about that statement, "What do you want to talk about?"

He waved for her to follow him and he led her to the tree. He looked at her, "I found father's sword. It is 30 feet above us. A vision led me here. Told me it was my destiny. To find it or wield it, it did not say."

She looked up and saw the hilt sticking out of the tree. She looked at Brannar, "What do you want me to do?"

He looked at her, "I always assumed the sword would end up in your hands. I am not a Blade Singer. I am a caster, unlike any that came before me that I know of. I know spells and can cast them without studying them while I can still prepare spells.

Father ensured I trained in long swords and staves. With you no less. Do you know why he did that? I have to know who or what I am before I can even consider making a commitment to that blade."

She looked at Brannar, "You may not like the answer."

He shrugged, "Ignorance is not always bliss. You are way better with a sword than I will ever be. It should be yours to claim."

She sighed, "Wait here and I will get Doc. He can help with divination. I know what I have been told when you joined our ranks. But it would be better to get it straight from the source."