A path of light shining above them, the crew started their journey to the mysterious land of Misty Mountains. Since Saayan and Haz'th could move without any physical fatigue, and Khoral and Nexus had rested well, so their journey forward was smoother than they could have hoped.After a few days journey, they came across a bend in the road that was enveloped with lush trees from all sides. The clearing was so thick that the base of the mountains was not visible until they had come close enough to climb them. The journey upward took a few more days, but their ration and energy still felt full.The Misty Mountains of the Dream Isles was unlike any other mountain they had ever seen. It was white, and the rocks on the mountains was entirely marble. It stood in contrast with the other mountains around it. After five days, they reached the capital city of Elgarest. It wasn't like the rest of the Dream Isles at all.A sprawling castle could be seen from about 2.5 km from outside the city itse
Pylaieus lead through a castle made entirely of blue ice, and Aelanor shuddered. She hated the cold winds in these high mountains, albeit it was considerably lesser than what one would expect at such height. There was some magic working in whole of the Dream Isles that kept the frozen water warm enough to walk even barefoot. The group made it to the Queen's chambers . The huge silver door opened to a ballroom, at the end of which were two giant claws of white ice, each two feet wide . And in between was a sparkling chandelier made of ice, with shards poking out every which way. Beneath the chandelier that was entirely made of icicles, was Queen Elektra. The Queen's azure eyes travelled over to the group, and her lips relaxed into a smile. She got up from her throne and approached the party. She was draped in a periwinkle dress; her silver hair flowing behind her and radiating an unearthly glow. Her pale skin looked translucent in the bright lights of the court. She held out a h
The adornments around the icy hall took away the breath of every creature that beheld it. Towering blue icicles running down from the ceiling to the floor giving off a bright golden glow constituted the numerous pillars inside. The hall didn't look anything like its name- it was essentially a cave. Silver, blue and white- uneven walls and passages made it eerily charming and almost too easy to get lost inside the giant hall. There were thousands of stalagmites and stalactites around the hall, and the guests had to keep a very sure feet to make sure they didn't stumble on any of them.It was a relief when the chief part of the hall came into view. It was a stretch of sparkling blue ice, with tables and chairs made of same. The dishes too were made of ice, but the food was not cold, nor were anything else. A wall of blue satin waterfall poured forth from the wall of a cave at the far end of the hall. The lights bouncing off it looked like silver silk threads embedded.Elektra was standi
Elektra was crouching beside the Shaman, trying to terminate the flow of his soul or something from his body with her fingers. Her face was turned away from the group, for whom the world had stopped moving. Their eyes were on the immobile form of the child, small in death. Somewhere, Nimuel was gasping for breathe, her voice struggling to find a scream that should eventually rise the dead. Saayan was whispering something, something in the language of the Shadow Realm, and Aelanor could not make out anything. There was some sort of cushion being pushed over the eardrums of her ear, and the world around her was trying to fade. However, her objective was clear: to clear out of the Nightmare's Isles without any further casualty. One look at Nimuel and Aelanor ran towards her. "You bitc-" Nimuel's words were muffled as Aelanor's palms covered her mouth and dragged her away. "Aelanor-" "Shh, Nimuel, listen-" "Aelanor, Haz'th-" Nimuel's eyes sparkled with tears and hatred for the witch,
Nimuel shrieked. Saayan went silent. And Aelanor moved faster than the speed of light. She reached behind Nimuel and broke off the head of an icicle and drew it against the intruder."Your endeavor is futile, Princess, for I cannot be harmed by a shard of ice."Pylaieus moved slowly towards them, blue lights falling on his bare skin like thousands of bioluminescent planktons in water at night. His gait was steady, and so was his piercing gaze, that held the trio in a dead lifelessness.""I am warning you, Centaur..." Aelanor took an unsteady step towards him."The name is Pylaieus, and you will do well to remember that.""Pylaieus, listen, it is not what you think," Nimuel said."It is precisely what I think, and understand, Lady Saeltheriel. There is no use trying to deceive me. You are trying to destroy the Kingdom, and take down Elektra with it. But you have no path forward, none at all, getting out of here." Pylaieus said."Then do what you must," Aelanor roared, "and we will figh
Her breathe fogged her vision to the yonder. She waited for it to dissipate, so that she would be able to enjoy her last days at this place. She would be sorry to go, but she had no choice. The green and orange rocks surrounding the Scottish Highlands looked exactly the same as they have been over the past fifteen years, but she could not get enough of them. The cold, winter sun reflecting on the seas beyond formed diamonds that glittered with every sway of the wind. Her eyes scanned the horizon that was getting tinted with brown and grey clouds, and she sighed. It was the same all over, but she felt sad for Applecross, the village that she had stayed for so many years, and had come to love. A pair of footsteps sounded behind her, and a younger looking girl came out, her face flushed. She was about a head shorter, and frail-looking. Her face was pale and soft as a petal, and seemed to radiate an unearthly glow. Her
"I never really appreciated how much I have changed in all these years of living in the mortal world," Aelanor huffed, "the distance to the base of the Highlands is staggering.""Don't tell me you're already tired," Nimuel smiled through her eyes. She didn't look perturbed at all."We have been walking for almost two days, Nimuel, and I have long since forgotten how it feels like to be an elf again," Aelanor tucked the curls that had come loose behind her sharp, pointed ear, "how I wish I had your feather tread, and that light structure!""It's more than that, I have been walking up and down the hills for the past few months," Nimuel replied, "but you are welcome to feel envious of my innate qualities.""I do not envy you," Aelanor pouted."Right," Nimuel smirked, "anyway, I sent Cugu to ask for help; Jamim will meet us shortly at the base of the hills."Half
The clearing shifted to invite the sparkling moonlight in the dark forest. There was some rustling, and gigantic oaks and cedars and others appeared in the clearing, mouths hanging open, unable to believe."Aelanor?" an old voice wheezed."Is that you, Eriobuild?""Yes, my child. You have come back!"Aelanor ran blindly through the trees and the ents, who moved away to let her pass, and hugged the great tree guardian. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as her other friends from childhood formed a circle around her, looking happier than they must have been in decades."Oh, how we have missed you, dear Aelanor!" one of them cried."We thought we'd lost you," sniffed an older one.Aelanor looked all around her, smiling through her tears. All of her childhood friends were there,Ashshell andProtus and Borassus. They looked wea