It was a cool, summer afternoon in E’lolin. The townsfolk went about their day, children ran through the streets, everything seemed normal. Up in the castle, however, the knights began to grow uneasy.
“I cannot let you go, Cora, it’s far too dangerous.” Tobias said. He blocked the only entrance to the armory.
“That is not your decision. He’s out there, I know it.” Cora pushed Tobias out of the way, not because she was strong enough to, but because he let her.
“It was a dream! You cannot live your life on such things, you’ll go mad.” He followed her inside.
“I’ve been mad, this is not it. Once I find him, I shall return.” She grabbed a sword off the wall and attached it to her belt. She then attached a shield to her back.
“Is there really no way I can stop you?”
“No, he must come back.”
“Than take my horse, he’s faster and stronger anyways.” Tobias walked up and wrapped his arms around Cora. “I love you, sis, stay safe.”
“This entire journey is unsafe, but I shall try.”
“This will be the biggest fight of your life, are you sure you want to go alone?”
“Yes, I can’t risk your safety for someone you say you hate.”
“That’s not what I said. His actions are his own, but the battles we have fought have forged us into brothers.” They finally reached the stables, Tobias’s brown horse, Cocoa, stood ready.
“Even still, this is my battle.”
“If you change your mind, send your raven, and I will be there.”
“Thank you. I shall return by the next full moon, if I am not, come and find me.”
The two embraced one last time, before Cora mounted Cocoa and rode away. Tobias stood and watched his best friend ride away. He would pray to the gods daily for her safety, she would need it.
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The wind blew through Cora’s long, brown hair. She kept thinking through the plan, it was rather simple: rush through the dark valley, find the lone tree, travel one mile east to the cottage that Jaxson stayed in. Few had ever even entered the dark valley, and it was obvious why: it’s placement in the far north caused the sun to never peak above the mountains that surrounded it, it lay in eternal darkness. It was said nothing lived there, but this was not true. The very ground was cursed, allowing various monstrosities to survive on the power of the dark alone.
Within the day, she should make it to the edge of the valley. She would spend the night outside, and venture through in the morning. It was no more than half a days travel, so she could rest on the other side. It was the trip back that worried her most, Jaxson was a fighter, but she still was concerned for his safety.
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Night drew close, mountains loomed ahead. Cora lay down for the night. Within the dark valley, the beasts could sense the approach of fresh blood. They gathered together, plotting.
“We should fight for who has claim over her.” One said in a cold, raspy voice.
“You suggest this because you would win.” Said a small one in a high pitched squeal.
“I say first to her has the right over her blood.” Another spoke up.
“Alas, I see a better way.” Said Ruxon, the only one to wear clothes. His dark cloak covered his face. “She does not seek to kill any of us, she wants to pass through. She will be back, however, back with a man. The two of them are enough to sustain all of us.”
A murmur swept through them, it could work.
“Very well.” Said the first again, “But I shall watch her nonetheless.”
“We have a plan.” Ruxon said. “Let us leave, and rejoice in our good fortune.”
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Cora arose early the next morning, and set off through the dark valley. She kept her eye out for an ambush, but none came. The day went quick, and she was fast enough to find the lone tree on the other side of the valley. She chose to sleep under the tree, and see her love at dawn.
She barely slept that night, filled with excitement to see him once more. She heart died the day he did not return from war, but he lived still. Why he hadn’t come back to her, she did not know, so she came to him.
When Cora awoke the next morning, she wasted no time to begin her short travel east. The sun peaked over the mountains just as she knocked on the beautiful wooden door that stood as the entrance to the cabin. A moment passed before the door slid open.
There he stood: tall, strong, handsome. The moment dragged on for eternity. Jaxson didn’t speak, a stone cold expression lay on his face.
“Do-Do you remember me?” Cora asked.
“I do, why have you come here?” Jaxson responded.
“Because you never came back for me, because I love you.”
“Have you really held on to that all this time?! It’s been five months!”
“Jaxson, I-”
A voice came from inside the house, female, “Who is it darling?”
Jaxson pulled his head back, so both could hear as he spoke, “An old friend, and a fool.”
A woman approached Jaxson and leaned her head on his shoulder, and hugged his arm. She looked to be about Cora’s age. Her long, blond hair flowed to her waist. She wore a beautiful necklace, several bracelets, and a diamond ring on her left hand.
“Cora,” She had never heard his voice so cold when speaking to her, “this is my wife, Violet. Violet, this is” he paused, trying to figure out what Cora was to him, “the sister of one of my old companions, Cora.”
“Thats all I am to you? The sister of an old friend?” Tears began to form in her eyes. “Did the time we spent mean nothing to you? The dances we went to, the fireworks we watched, the cold nights when you gave me your coat. Nothing?”
“Darling, what is she talking about?” Violet asked.
“I have no idea.” Jaxson responded, eyes dead set on Cora.
“DID THE LOVE WE HAD MEAN NOTHING?”
“THAT IS IN THE PAST, LEAVE ME TO MY LIFE!”
Cora took a step back, surprised. She reached for her sword, and began to draw it.
“Could you really do it?” Jaxson asked “Go ahead, slay me.” He stepped out from the door frame and held out his arms.
Cora pulled her sword from its sheath, and walked towards Jaxson. She turned the sword around, and placed it against her chest. Jaxson stood still, unfazed. Tears streamed down Cora’s face. She tossed her sword to the ground and began walking away.
“What a stupid little girl.” Violet said as she left.
Cora wiped the tears from her face and mounted Cocoa again. She began riding, hoping he would know the way.
A raven landed on her shoulder “Shall I send word to Tobias?” he asked.
“No, I shall return alone.”
The raven flew away, in the direction of E’lolin.
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Within the hour, she was back into the dark valley. Just beyond her eyesight lurked a dozen inhabitants of the valley.
“Shall we attack? She is but one?” Said one of the voices.
Ruxon stood, contemplating, “Yes, she shall not be back.”
Cocoa stopped, Cora looked up to see why, wiping more tears from her face. She looked around, seeing a few figures approaching.
“Halt!” She called out, “I am a royal guard of King Finn, strike me down and all the forces of E’lolin shall come for vengeance.” She barely managed to speak with convenience. The figures continued walking forward. Cora reached to grab her sword, but stopped, she left it in front of Jaxson. “O, gods, help me now” she whispered to herself.
Cora grabbed the shield off her back and kicked into a gallop, hoping to outrun the beasts. One reached out to strike her before she could pass, but she deflected with the shield. She kept moving, hearing the beat of the monsters running behind her.
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A few caught up and made lunges at her, several times she managed to push them back, but she missed one, and she tumbled to the ground. Cocoa kept running, leaving his rider behind.
“Oh guard of the king, where is your sword,” Said a cold voice from above her.
Two of them grabbed her feet and began to drag her away. The curse seeped into her through her contact with the ground, she became weary, and slipped into unconsciousness.
When she awoke she lay in a cage, cold bars on every side. She was dressed in rags, barley enough to cover her. She looked around and saw the cave around her, purple tendrils reached up from cracks in the stone, providing light. Cora was finally able to see the faces of the creatures, they were hideous and dis-formed, looking closer to beast than anything else.
The creatures gathered around a fire that burned purple, talking amongst themselves. One noticed her waking. “She has arisen!” He called out
They all hobbled over to surround her. They began to chant their rituals. When they finally stopped, one wearing a cloak looked her at her. “I am Rurax, leader of the cursed. I know who you are, you are the lying, proud, cheating beast the king calls his knight. You should be ashamed of who you are. Did you really believe that there was love for you? Did you think that Jaxson would love you? You are a fool.” He began to pace around the cage “The king is a fool too, to think he can stop us. Look, he can’t even save his own, how can he expect to save himself. Once we kill you, and it will be a terrible death, we shall drink your blood and become more powerful. Once we are powerful enough, we shall put an end to E’lolin.”
“The king will send his entire army after you.” Cora said, through a face of tears.
“That is what you think, you are wrong. He will send no one after you.”
A beast entered the room, hopping like a frog, “Master,” he croaked “A man entered the valley, he is of E’lolin”
Rurax turned to Cora, “Perhaps I was wrong. Bring him to me.” He paused for a moment “Let us wait, if it is just one, we have all we could need. Prepare the other cage.” He barked to the beasts.
Within no time, a second cage was set up. Several minutes later a man waked in, sword in hand, he tossed the body of the frog-like beast into the midst of them.
“Let Cora go.” Came his voice, it was not Tobias like Cora thought.
“Why should I? There are yet eleven of us and one of you.”
“Because I am Kane, son of King Finn, and in the name of my father you will set her free.”
A look of recognition came across Cora’s face, she knew the prince. Why was he here though?
Rurax pondered for a moment, “Bow down, worship me, and I shall set her free.”
“You are in no place to make demands. You shall set her free, and send her back to E’lolin, and I shall take her place.”
“You wish to fuel us with your blood? Very well, I accept.”
Kane tossed his sword to the side, as several beasts cautiously approached, and began to bind him. Kane was stripped of his armor, and was tossed into the second cage.
“I shall set her on her way once you are dead, then she shall be free.” Rurax told Kane.
“You shall free her now.” He demanded.
“You are in no place to make demands.” Rurax said, tauntingly. “Start the flame.”
Within a moment, a purple fire was started beneath Kane’s cage. Over the course of several minutes, Kane’s body began to melt away, dripping into a prepared bowl. As his torso began to melt, he called out “Father, why have you betrayed me!” And with that, the rest of his body vanished.
Rurax approached Cora’s cage, “I lied, by the way, I have no intentions of freeing you. We shall do the same to you soon. Our law forbids us from doing this twice in one day.” He turned to his minions “Tomorrow, we drink the blood of the prince, and soon after, the kings slave.”
A cheer erupted among them, they celebrated long into the night. Cora watched, shocked in the day’s events. Eventually her mind found rest, and she slept.
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Once the beasts had finally slept, Kane opened Cora’s cage, and carried her out of the cave. He walked to the edge of the dark valley, before waking her.
“Wake, child, for you are safe.”
Cora’s eyes slid open, she shot up when she found she wasn’t in the cave. “What happened?”
“Relax, I took your place, you are safe to return home.”
Cora turned to Kane, “How are you- but- I saw you die.”
“The gods created a prophecy long ago that the dark valley would be destroyed. The death of their enemy- me- would raise him to new life, where he would conquer them.”
“So what now?”
“You will return to E’lolin, and I shall abolish this cursed land and slay the cursed beasts”
Kane helped Cora to her feet, Cora only now noticed his armor, it shone like no other. Cora took a moment to admire it.
“Beautiful, is it not?” Kane asked. “Look at yours.”
“Wha-” Cora looked down to find herself dressed in similar armor.
“You are one of my chosen warriors, never shall you dress in the rags they put you in again.” Kane embraced Cora, “Go, Tobias waits for you.” Kane kissed Cora on her forehead, and walked into the dark valley.
Cora took a moment to wrap her mind around what happened. She turned to see a horse riding towards her, it was Tobias.
“Are you okay?! I came as soon as I got the raven.” He asked.
“I’m fantastic.”
“Where is Jaxson?”
“He found peace in a new life, it is not our concern.”
“I thought you loved him?”
“I thought I did too.”
“Is that the end of this conversion?”
“Yep.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand you, sis, but I’m okay with that. Come, back to E’lolin.”
Tobias helped Cora onto his horse, she sat in front of him, and they rode home.
Several hours later they were eating dinner when Rex called them to the top of his tower. They looked out the window to see a brilliant red glow on the horizon north of them.
“What is it?” Tobias asked.
“Based on my calculation, that glow comes from directly over the dark valley. Prepare your arms, I think they’ve escaped.” Rex responded.
“No.” Cora said, “They’re being destroyed, Kane is putting an end to their miserable existence.”
“How can you be so sure?” Tobias asked.
“He told me he would, and Kane takes after his father,” She turned from looking out the window “He never lies.”
A voice came from the door “Than let us rejoice, death has been put to death, life has triumphed!” They all turned to seek King Finn in the doorway. “My son gave me something before he left to save you, Cora. He wanted you to be there when I read it.” He opened a letter and began to read aloud.
“Father whom I love, I shall return to be with you once death is dead. Though we shall never die, I have right to the throne. And what is a king, without a queen? I have chosen Cora, who I go to rescue to rule by my side. May we find favor in your sight that you shall bless our marriage.”
He folded the letter and placed it in his pocket. “What say you, Queen Cora?”
The entire room went quiet, Cora turned to look back out the window, a lone figure raced across the field between the valley and E’lolin. “He gave his life for me, what more can I woman ask of a man? I am joyed to be the Queen.”
“Than let this celebration be of the bride for my son! Come, there is a people who must rejoice with us.”