Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 06

He nodded. Serius pointed to a spot on the map, "Where I found you."

He looked at Serius, "How did you find us?"

Serius smiled, "Gods gifted me with certain senses. I could hear everyone's hearts beating. I tracked in on that. There is a head to a large elk downstairs. A former champion shot it in the dark at 120 feet into the woods by tracking its heartbeat. He heard the bear on a different trip looking for poachers. He killed a 1,200-pound grizzly.

He shot it in the mouth and then the side. The arrows from that bow turned into lava. Two arrows were all it took. Not good for hunting rabbit but it was for taking down giants and such ilk. It was designed for the battlefield and dragons."

He nodded, "Thank you for bringing me here." Two more clerics showed up. One yelled over, "Need more healing wands."

Serius picked up a dozen and handed them six each. He looked at Serius, "How do you have so many?"

Serius smiled, "Been crafting them for over 50 years. Just for something like this."

He nodded. He left with his friend. Serius looked at him and waved him back to see the falls. He nodded, as he saw it. Serius went and tended to a few lying about.

Serius looked at him, "There are another 200+ still walking in. I only had so much magic today."

He nodded, "I appreciate your effort on my behalf and that of my people."

Serius nodded, "I will pass that along to the Elven Queen. She is helping to coordinate things right now. With the Dragon Queen and Dwarven King."

He nodded, "Dragons I do not trust."

Serius smiled, "I have dragon blood in my veins. My sword has an ability called dragon sight. A very powerful true seeing. I can see illusions."

He nodded. Serius pulled his ring off and he looked into his eyes in shock. Serius smiled, "The sword made the change when I claimed it."

Serius drew Varus'Nor. He thought, "Moon Fire on"

He watched it light up. Serius put his sword away. He walked out and pushed him back, "Wait here."

Serius walked forward toward the dragon who entered, "Ready to die dragon?"

He chuckled, "You got an army with you?"

Serius looked out and saw some looking to come in, "Seal portal."

Serius looked at him, "You are in my layer now. I rule here bitch!"

The dragon popped his ring off. Serius grabbed a kid who went running out and turned his back while shielding the kid, "Activate briefing room security!" The spikes shot up as the acid hit him. Serius used a wand and started healing himself. He walked forward and pulled out his sword and cut his fucking head off. "Deactivate security, open portal."

The group outside looked spooked. Serius waved them back, "If you are in a room, remain there for the next hour. The shelter will make repairs and start to clean this place up. Serius looked at the mage, "Can you disintegrate this corpse if not get someone who can and find Duke Strong Oak!"

He ran off. Serius pointed, "Rooms out there on either side. Find an empty room and wait. Please, while we get this garbage cleaned up. Serius took the boy out to the fall in the back. He healed up his feet that got burned by the acid. Serius looked at him, "This is what happens when you do not wash your feet; a dragon tries to do it for you."

He chuckled at Serius. The Elder looked at Serius, "You killed it by yourself."

Serius nodded, "With the help of the security built into this home by my ancestors."

Serius looked at the boy who went to reach for his sword, "Please warn everyone. This is a Moon Blade. Any attempt to handle it will result in the death of the person doing so. The blade will kill them. It will kill any unworthy wielder."

He nodded and spread the word. The boy looked scared.

Serius nodded, "Trying to keep you safe." Serius healed himself up some more. He jumped into the water to rinse off any excess acid. He got up and walked toward the door and the elder looked at Serius, "That is my great-grandson. Thank you for protecting him. My son here saw you turn your back to the dragon to shield the boy."

Serius nodded, "I do work as a healer."

He nodded and patted his arm. Serius walked out and past the dragon. The floor was getting cleaned.

Serius activated the crystal, "Your Majesty I have around 500 wild elves in my secure shelter on the fourth floor as well as one black dragon corpse. My security system took care of him." He heard a voice he did not recognize. "She is in the shelter with the Dragon Queen. I will relay your message. Who are you?"

Serius smiled, "Serius Silvertree only two injured by the dragon myself being one of them. I am a cleric so I took care of that with a wand."

Duke Strong Oak came up and Serius looked at him, "You got a real pest problem here. The first one I stepped on! But you know as soon as the lights go out, they will be like cockroaches."

He shook his head. A couple of casters removed the body. Serius waved Yellow Leaf forward and looked at Strong Oak, "Pulled around 500+ from wild-elf lands. Had to get your asses on the edge of the border to stop firing arrows at the wild elves. You will have some issues."

Serius pointed at a wall, "Cast the shelter there.put up a second after you rest next to it, to feed everyone." He looked around, "It will not be like this."

Serius nodded, "Do what you can. Show our new arrivals around, how to get food, and let them know that one will have to be recast tomorrow with the second one."

He nodded. Serius looked at Duke Strong Oak and waved him forward, "Consider letting him relocate over toward this side away from the wood elves. They have to get along with the centaurs and other fey creatures."

He nodded, "How long?"

Serius sighed, "Could be years. That forest will need time to recover. A good rain would help speed things along. Even more so if we can get it started soon. Do you have any storm sorceress about?"

He shook his head, "They are rare."

Serius sighed, "They know who I am. How I got them to stop shooting at me."

He chuckled, "Alright. You are a pain in the ass to catch."

Serius nodded, "Corellon Larethian caught the Queen and my mother and brought them to me. He set them straight. I even pissed off the dragons sent after me to bring me back. I had to regenerate a limb on one of them."

He looked at Serius, "You cut it off?"

Serius shook his head, "He was here when the wall breached. Taken off by lava. Regeneration I keep on hand because your guards keep losing fingers playing that stupid knife game."

He nodded, "I will talk with them about that. I will contact the centaurs about the wild elves." Serius waved him back and introduced him to the chieftain.

Serius pointed at him, "Another Moon Blade holder. A distant cousin of mine as well. He is the Duke over this area and he will try and work to relocate your people for a while. We have to see how bad the damage is from the ash."

He nodded, "Your help and rescue we appreciated champion."

Serius nodded to him, "We have all of your people we could find in these two shelters."

He walked over and showed him the other. "This arcane will study up the spell to renew that one tomorrow.

It should feed most of you. If you need more food get with me and I will take care of it myself. Are you returning to my room?"

He shook his head, "No champion. I like your grassy area better."

Serius nodded, "This design was used when previous champions traveled. They could cast it and spend the night in here and bring the horses in as well. He looked at Strong Oak, "The herd?" He smiled, "Regin got them out of the area. Nice work. Also, nice name. Renegade."

Serius smiled, "It was fitting after you told them not to give me a horse and he was the only one who went with me."

He sighed, "Was told you would likely come for a horse so we alerted the herd. I heard you told the herd. Word is spreading."

Serius nodded, "I will deal with it. I will let you get back to your area. Set entry to only Moon Blade holders. I will seal us in for the night. Let me know if I am needed."

He nodded, "Thanks for all the wands."

Serius smiled, "My night-time hobby for the last 50 years was creating those things."

He nodded, "They came in handy today." He walked out. Serius looked over, "Seal portal. To only Moon Blade holders."

Serius walked down and spoke to the elder, "I have sealed us in for our protection. Your people and one arcane wood elf and I are inside."

He nodded, "Get some rest. I will figure out who we are missing."

Serius went back to his room. He sealed it from teleport as well and grabbed some sleep. He awoke thankful he was not getting an earful from the Gods. He prayed and recovered his spells. He checked for any unusual abilities and found none. He prepared his spells for the day and unsealed the room.

He looked around and people were lying about everywhere. He walked down and found Yellow Leaf.

Serius smiled, "An ancestor of yours worked with one of the previous champions. The Knight Paladin."

He nodded, "My great, several times over grandfather. The story was he went to the Deep Sea with him."

Serius nodded, "It is true I have seen the journal entry. He saved a girl from a drow assassin and the Knight Paladin picked him up on the spot."

The young mage smiled at that bit of news. He opened the shelter and stepped out. He activated the crystal, "Hello, Your Majesty."

He heard her sigh, "I have had only a few hours of sleep."

Serius nodded, "I was just checking in as we tend to the wild elves here. Also ensuring you got the message concerning the black dragon."

She sighed, "What black dragon?"

He smiled, "The one I killed after it entered my shelter here. That is where I have all the wild elves right now. Has the problem stabilized?"

She sighed, "Yes and we had a group coming over the land bridge and our forces turned them back with a few gentle breath weapons from our dragon forces. I want to see you at the palace, be here in six hours. Let me get some sleep first."

Serius smiled, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Serius went back inside and looked over the map. The lava looked like it still flowed into the open hole. Serius waved the wizard over, "When this place was enchanted it was set up to update the world map as the world changed."

He flipped it across and found Pegasus Island. "The last champion this was all volcanic. That was when the Magma hellfire dragon was spotted. They planned for it. Right to the location they wanted to kill it when it came. It formed the new mountain that the dwarves mine."

He chuckled, "From a dragon."

Serius nodded, "Body had metal ores, gems, and any dragon or magic item it could consume. Any flesh would become ash. When it died from the cold, they hit it with it slammed down. It died because they had a shield over the volcano that cut off its escape. They lured it out and then turned on the shield so it could not get back to heal."

He nodded, "I was riding a dragon during that. It was a beautiful strategy. Your father was a good strategist. You are great with all of the people. They all love your skills healing. This only reinforced that. Everyone was surprised the Queen wanted you captured alive and preferably unharmed."

Serius nodded, "Dead I would explode like my father. Please be sure to clear that one out before you put up another. I know they only last so many hours."

He nodded. "You going somewhere?"

Serius sighed, "To the capital after I check with the Chieftain of the Wild Elves."

He walked to the back and saw him on the backside of the falls with his warrior. He yelled over, "I hope this is comfortable for you. I have to leave you for several hours. For your safety, I am leaving the portal closed in case another evil dragon shows. I have to go to the Elven Capital. The Queen wants to see me in 6 hours. Did you wish to go?"

He shook his head, "No. We appreciate the assistance. We will be happy when we can go home."

Serius nodded, "I am going to try and help with that as well."

He nodded. He went outside. "Seal access to all but Mage Yellow Leaf and Moon Blade wielders only."

He went downstairs. Another fifty wild elf bodies were lying around. He called out, "Did you wish to see your chieftain?"

They looked up and one asked, "He lives!?"

Serius nodded, "Yes I helped to save them."

He grunted, "He should have died."

Serius laughed, "Blame me I brought him back here and tended to him and the 500+ others. They are on the fourth floor. As I can see there is animosity between you, I will keep you separated for now."

Serius walked out and he followed and ranted, "What right do you have in interfering with his death?"

Serius looked at him, "I am a cleric and champion for Corellon Larethian. By what right do you wish him dead?"

Serius saw one of the horses, "I need my horse Regin, please. I have to see the Queen."

The man chuckled, "Talking to a horse."

Serius laughed back at him, "You do not know they are intelligent war horses who can fly?!"

He did not like being teased back. Regin came strolling in and He thought, "Fly up to the tower of the church and watch this moron for a moment Regin."

He heard him chuckle and he flew up on top of the tower and the guy stared wide-eyed as the horse stared down at him. Serius smiled and walked to the tack shop.

"I need a set of tack with a soft blanket. I left my other tack with the dragons while saving Wild elves."

He heard in his head, "He is coming toward you."

He thought, "Join me."

The moron went to draw a weapon and he heard from Varus'Nor, "Danger with this one."

He thought, "Varus'Nor Left hand Moon Fire on." The man stopped and Serius turned off his ring so he could see his dragon eyes. He backed away. Serius sheathed his sword. He paid for the tack and put it on Regin.

Serius sighed, "This will have to do for the moment. Until I go back to the dragon lands and get it back for you." Serius rode him out toward the pit and cast up control weather over it and changed the angle of the wind to blow between dragon lands and the Wild Elf forest. He went down aways and did it again. He teleported up to the edge of the shield. Serius went and cast one over the next section of the sky. He moved up the road aways and cast another.

Serius set it slightly over the edge of the road. He had it blowing at a steeper angle as the rain started on this section of the woods. The Wood Elves observed from the trees. Serius teleported them back to the dragon lands. He walked inside the shelter unmolested and found his uncle, "Came to check on my patient."

He chuckled, "It is almost completed. You saved my life according to my brother. Jumping in and having lava hit you in the back."

He nodded, "I am immune to fire. I did not do that for long, it gets heavy and I broke a rib or two in the process."

He chuckled, "Still my arrogance nearly cost me my life. I have to come to terms with that."

Serius smiled, "Just remember you are my uncle. I am not easy prey to catch. As the black dragon found out last night."

He looked at Serius, "You had a black attack you?"

He nodded, "My secure shelter. I came back to get my tack. It is better than what I rode in with today. I left it behind to get dropped into the ash cloud and search for Wild elves. I found a couple hundred of them and got them to safety. Then a few hundred more on the trade road."

He shook his head, "Now what?"

Serius smiled, "I set a series of four storms over the area to try and bring the ash down and change the direction of the wind so the wild elves might be able to go home sooner rather than later."

He nodded, "Good idea. Something a druid might do."

Serius nodded, "Have not seen or heard anything of them in years."

He nodded, "They are still around. They had plenty to say about the Dragon War. This was shortly after the return. There were over 100 of them by then. They lost quite a few to wild elves, the non-elven ones."

Serius nodded and got up and grabbed his gear and switched it out. He put the new stuff into a bag of holding for now."

He looked at the guard, "Let Majisa know I set up the four storms to try and bring the ash down and redirect the wind."

He nodded. "I see you are pushing it around us."

Serius nodded, "Away from Wild Elf lands was the goal, but avoiding yours as well." He got up on his horse. "Should last for hours."

He nodded, "Now what?"

Serius smiled, "Going to see the Queen. After I see the Duke."

He nodded. Serius tried to teleport into the town and had to settle for going to the border. Serius teleported to the Keep, "Is the Duke here?"

He nodded, "I will let him know you are here."

Strong Oak showed up a few minutes later and Serius pointed to the skies and he nodded. Serius smiled, "I created them to try and get the Wild elves back home."

He smiled. Serius shook his head and glared, "There is at least one wild-elf agitator in the inn. There were 50 lyings around in the inn on the floor. My sword alerted to danger but once he saw my sword and then my eyes he turned back. I left you access so you can check on them.

I would prefer no infighting but thought you should check on them as it is your duchy and should figure out what is going on. Can I get the shields lowered? Here and the city. I have done a few this morning already from getting my tack from dragon lands to establishing those storms."

He nodded, "I will have a couple of wizards just take you up to the palace district and then return."

He nodded, "Thank you."

20 minutes later and they had the group assembled and they took them to the outskirts of the city. One took him to the entrance to the palace district. He teleported back. Serius rode inside and teleported to the front of the Palace. He got off his horse and walked inside. The Queen looked like he had kept her waiting. Serius walked up to the line. She looked at Serius, "You are late."

He bowed, "My apologies, I had to make a trip back to dragon lands to check on a patient and retrieve my tack. I also changed the weather over the area to relocate ash away from wild-elf lands while raining over the area to try and clean it up some. All of the teleporter blocks I had to get through delayed my arrival, Your Majesty."

She looked at Serius, "You pulled how many out of there?"

He sighed, "I organized a teleport rescue for 200+ and got the wood elves to stop shooting at another 300+ wild elves. I have them all in my shelter.

Except for 50 that the Duke is inquiring about because one of them wants their chieftain dead, Your Majesty."

She sighed, "They do not recognize my rule. How is that a problem?"

Serius smiled, "Not for you, Your Majesty. That instigator wanted to attack me for saving them. That was a different matter. Once he saw my sword and my eyes, which I had camouflaged up to that point, he backed away slowly. He is in the Duchy so it is the Duke's problem to deal with as they are in his lands. I just informed him. Now if he will listen to a 'child' is another matter, Your Majesty. I have had issues with that as you know."

She looked at Serius, "Word reached me you saved a dragon and regenerated a lost limb on him."

Serius nodded, "Yes, I warned him a wall was going to explode but he did not believe me. He was hellbent to teach me I was wrong. When it blew, I got him out but not before he lost an arm, Your Majesty."

She nodded, "How did you put that together, not the wall but what would happen?"

Serius smiled, "Silvertree library has some books from the dwarves on geology. Being locked away for a while I had plenty of time to read over the years, Your Majesty."

She shook her head, "You impressed King Fireaxe with your knowledge of the subject. I have not been very receptive to your concerns. I am working to change that."