Lost

    After leaving the village, Lost’s anger slowly deflated. He had been on the road for a couple days now. The map was pretty poor quality. But it was good enough that it showed the border between elven and human lands.

  Lost had headed back into the alley on a thought and taken the cutthroats’ purses. They were filled with small copper coins with a square hole in the middle. One of the purses even had a red iron coin that looked exactly like the copper ones.

  He had also bought a small brown pouch at the shop. He had asked the shopkeeper for some dried meat and fruits. The keeper had happily given him enough food for a five day trip.

  Lost had asked the shopkeeper how currency worked. After giving him a weird look, the shopkeeper told him.

  Supposedly copper coins were worth one dollar, or piece as they called it. Then the red iron coins were worth 100 copper pieces. After that it was gold, that was 100 red iron pieces. Then silver, which apparently was a rare metal, was worth 100 gold pieces.

  That meant that Lost’s small chunks of silver, that which bulged from his coin pouch, were worth a couple more gold coins than the usual. He was quite pleased with himself, he was rich.

  He had finally made it to the border of Hessa. It had been four days of constant walking, without many stops for rest and chewing on flavorless dried food. The forest was long gone now, just one massive plain of grass in all directions.

  Now ahead of Lost, maybe half a mile away, was a massive, ancient stone wall. It was simple, just plain stone that went about 60 meters in the sky. It spanned from one edge of the horizon to the other.

  “That's new,” he mumbled to himself and continued walking.

  Lost was ecstatic. He needed the help of the elves to stop the plague of magic that was most certainly spreading even though the elves he knew back before he died would be dead. He hoped these elves were willing to help. One thing was certain about them, they most definitely lost their magic when Lost sealed the world's magic away.

  Lost eventually made it to the end of the road. It stopped at a small stone keep built into the wall. It had a small gate and had two towers at the edges. The walls hid everything else inside from view, with elves patrolling the walls of the keep.

  “Halt human! Who dares to approach the elven borders?” Shouted a armored guard from off the wall.

  Lost looked up at him, the elves were dressed in chainmail. Two elves had loaded bows and were pointing them at him.

  Lost held up his hands, “I am but a humble Swordsman bearing ill news. I must go to your capital and speak with your country’s leader.”

  The elf in the middle snorted, he was more heavily armored than the others. He was most likely a captain.

  “Turn back, human! No one of your kin shall enter the elven lands, ill news or none,” the captain shouted down at Lost.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “It is most urgent, if you would only speak with me, you would see,” Lost said calmly, he really needed this to work. The captain looked down at him with disdain, like he was a bug. It irked Lost, but he let it pass.

  “Tell me you're ill news, I will then consider whether it worthy to be brought to the capital.”

  ‘This might be a problem,’ Lost thought.

  “Fine! My ill news must make it to your capital. A chaotic magic plague has been released upon the land. It spreads everyday, if it goes unchecked then it will consume this world,” Lost said, taking a few steps back and lowering his hands.

  The elfs were now staring at him confused, with a little anger. The captain spoke after a few moments, “Magic plague, huh? Bahahah! That's probably the most crazy thing I have ever heard. Go back to whatever hole you crawled from, rat.”

  Now Lost was angry. Had the elves forgotten the past? That their world was nearly destroyed? If the elves had forgotten, then what of the rest of the world?

  “You will let me pass, or I will have to do it by force,” Lost warned, shifting one of his hands up to the hilt of his sword.

  “Don’t kid yourself, you could never get past us,” the captain said, now he and the other elves were laughing.

  “I warned you,” Lost said in a deadpan and cold voice. He drew his sword from his back, holding it out to the side in one hand. It was pitch black, made of magical iron. The runes that ran from the hilt up to the tip of the blade had turned it pitch black when they were etched in, so long ago. Now they glowed an amber color.

  “What are you gonna do? Hack a hole in the gate? Bahaha!” Said one of the elves, he still pointed a bow at Lost.

  “Well, that's not a bad idea,” said Lost with a smile that couldn't be seen beneath his hood.

  He swung his arm quickly, a resounding crack could be heard. Splinters of the gate flew everywhere within the small keep, raining down upon everyone. His magic pool plummeting with the swing.  Lost moved his arm again, channeling his magic, he blew the rest of a hole in the gate. It wasn't that big, but big enough to let two people walk shoulder to shoulder.

  The guards were now shouting, yelling that they were under attack. Lost sheathed his sword on his back and took a few steps into the keep. Inside elves ran back and forth, between wood buildings and the stone wall.

  Soldiers quickly surrounded Lost in a half circle. They had blocked him from entering any farther, some of them had swords while others were armed with bows and crossbows. All of them were looking at him with fear. Lost couldn't possibly fight all the elves in the keep, but they didn't know that.

  “I request the aid of your country's leader, I must deliver news of destruction that will come,” Lost calmly said, looking at the elves.

  They each wore helmets, but had holes in the side of it. Two long oblong ears ending in a point stuck up out both side of the helmets. The elven captain approached cautiously now, no longer smug.

  “What exactly are you? Friend or foe?” He said now, sweating. He clutched an iron sword in his leather gloved hand.

  “I am but a humble Swordsman and am a friend to the elves,” Lost said, looking the captain in the eyes.

  The captain nodded, “What did you just use?”

  “I used magic, a simple destruction spell. There will be plenty more people who can use it soon, too, and they won't be as friendly as me. I request transport to your capital, as soon as possible.”

  By now the elves had relaxed some, but still pointed their weapons at Lost.

  “Alright, you have proven, that at least, some of your claims are true. I will get you transport to the capital,” said the captain, he motioned for his guards to stand down.

  Lost nodded his head, now he would just have to wait. He regretted his display of power, but it was necessary to convince them. He hoped that the elves still had their vault. It may be the only thing that could save this world.