The Adventures of the dashing Prince Elithmar

[Aicanor]

Nice. How did she manage to shrink Elithmar and put him in a paperweight? Meanwhile the sun... -->

[Elithmar]

With magic. ^_^

[Aicanor]

With magic. ^_^

Who would have guessed!
I just love your writing, you know?

[Elessehta of Yvresse]

Good to see the culprit exposed and sent packing.

[Elithmar]

Thanks, Aicanor! I'm not happy with it, but it's good to hear someone is.

Ele, it is. She deserved it.

[Aicanor]

Your stories always make me laugh. I need that.

[Elithmar]

Aethis was technically a commander in Elithmar's army, but he had been away in others parts of Ulthuan for some time. In fact, he had been away since before Elithmar had even inherited his father's title and command, when Arnarion was still alive. Aethis had left to go and find promising new officers for Arnarion's army. It seemed that he had found just that, as he had finally returned to Eataine and Lothern.

It was Aldris who first sighted him. Aldris, having served under Arnarion too, recognised him immediately. He greeted him and his companion, speaking of battles past and jokes old whilst he took them to see the prince. After a few minutes of walking through a maze of corridors, they arrived at the doors to Elithmar's private rooms. Aldris knocked on the fine, oaken door and a few moments later they opened to reveal Elithmar.

"Yes?" he didn't sound happy to be disturbed.

"This is Captain Aethis, sir. He was a commander in your father's army," said Aldris.

"Where has he been all these years then?"

Aethis answered this question. "Well, sir, Prince Arnarion sent me to find promising commanders in other realms."

"Are you sure it wasn't that he just didn't like you?"

Aldris cleared his throat, and changed the subject swiftly. "It seems that he has found once such commander."

"Yes, I found the wizard Kaldrah here in Cothique, though he is from Caledor. He's a wonderfully skilled mage and has shown some aptitude for command too," Aethis said.

Elithmar leaned over to whisper in Aldris' ear. "He's from Caledor? Are you sure he'd fit in? I don't get on well with Caledorians."

"It's quite possible he has been away from Caledor for so long that he is not as bad as the others. He certainly seems alright to me."

"I don't like pyromancers either, though! Have you ever wondered why my hair is so short? The rest was singed off by a fire mage!"

Aldris declined to comment about how long Elithmar's hair actually was (it was very long. It made him look extremely attractive. At least that was what Elithmar thought), instead saying, "He doesn't actually use fire magic like the other Caledorians. I believe he practises life magic."

"Very well then," he turned back to Aethis and Kaldrah. "Welcome back Aethis, and welcome Kaldrah. I was just thinking, I am due to have another of these training battles, this time with some fellow from Caledra, wherever that is. Why don't you two participate in that so you can get in some practice, and I can see what you're both made of? Aldris can lead the army."

"That sounds like a brilliant idea!" Aethis agreed.

***

Well, that was what he had thought. Now, in the pouring rain and freezing cold, he was having second thoughts. He didn't know where the Caledorian wizard had got to. He didn't like Caledorians as a rule but he had grown to quite like Kaldrah over the time he'd known him. He was probably with the archers - he would need to stay at a safe distance to use his magic.

He stamped his feet in a vain attempt to coax some feeling back into them. It was no good. The battle standard was a bit awkward to hold too.

What was that though? Were there shapes in the distance, through the pelting rain? Yes, the Caledrians had been sighted! Ordering his troops forward, Aethis was quietly pleased at the thought of some action at last.

Sorry for the delay.

[Elithmar]

"You idiots! How could you lose? He was only a Caledorian. Now you've caused me to be publicly humiliated!" Elithmar raged.

"Well it was your fault for not commanding the army yourself! That was why Prince Malossar was angry," Kaldrah retorted.

Kaldrah clearly didn't know Elithmar. He was new, and I didn't think he was going to have time to gain much experience.

"OUT!" the prince screamed. The mage didn't run fast enough though, and had to dodge a number of fast-moving projectiles.

Once he had gone, Elithmar turned on me. "What were you thinking, charging right into that trap? Didn't you hear me shouting at you to stop?"

I declined to remind him that he had actually been encouraging us onward. I value my life, and so I instead said, "I am sorry, sir. I thought we could chase him off."

"Well you were clearly wrong," said Elithmar. He sighed. "Now I'm going to go to the arena; I've ordered for a small, defenceless animal to fight against some savage Chracian lions. I've placed a bet on the small animal winning - do you think I made the right choice?"

How to tell him? "Umm, I think it would be wise to withdraw that bet, sir. You know, just in case."

"Yeah, I'm really going to take your advice after you ran straight into that trap," he said sarcastically. "Oh alright then, I'll take your advice. But if the small animal wins, you're going to pay me back for how much I would've got!"

I was fairly sure my money was safe. As Elithmar left, I set about trying to find a new army mage.

***

It wasn’t my fault! Elithmar had told me beforehand to engage the enemy phoenix guard as soon as possible. I knew it would be a close fight, and when I saw that they were supported by spearelves and dragon princes I knew we would lose unsupported, but I didn’t know Elithmar. I presumed he was like his father, and that he would have some clever reason. I was wrong though – he is nothing like Arnarion.

Aldris is a brilliant commander; I know it. Why then did he lead that ill-advised charge? Elithmar! Aldris was not going to fall into that trap, until Elithmar called for him to charge. He is turning even the most intelligent of us into idiots! Something must be done about him. Unfortunately, he might have to be...removed. I do not look forward to it, but it may be necessary.

***

“Aldris!” Lamyth’il called softly across the hall. He turned to the source of the call, and bowed deeply in respect.

“I’m worried about Elithmar. He always seems to be getting himself into trouble. Yesterday he almost cut his head off whilst practising with his sword – he wasn’t even practising against anyone else! I can’t keep up with him to stop him though,” she patted the bump that was Elithmar’s heir.

“Hmm,” Aldris looked thoughtful. “To be honest, the prince isn’t exactly renowned for his common sense.”

“I’d gathered that much. I was just wondering if you could keep an eye on him – just to make sure he doesn’t damage himself too much.”

The captain nodded and saluted. Then he went off to try to find Elithmar. It wasn’t too difficult, as he just had to follow the crashes and general sounds of mayhem.

[Aicanor]

Something funny (or not so funny) is going on here.

[Elithmar]

What makes you say that? Elithmar has always been clumsy. ^_^

[Elessehta of Yvresse]

Coup d'État going on here?

[Elithmar]

Coup d'État going on here?

Oh yeah, I forgot I wrote that bit.

That must have been what Aicanor was talking about.

[Elessehta of Yvresse]

Yea, she didn't mean HaHa funny, more like what's that funny smell....

[Malossar]

I'll have to edit my prophecy about Elithmar. Maybe dieing in disgrace but his sire leading the house back to ancient glories?

[dangit]

I'll have to edit my prophecy about Elithmar. Maybe dieing in disgrace but his sire leading the house back to ancient glories?

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of prophecy though?

[Elithmar]

I'll have to edit my prophecy about Elithmar. Maybe dieing in disgrace but his sire leading the house back to ancient glories?

Who said Aethis is going to succeed?

[Malossar]

Ah i meant his son.

[Elithmar]

Yeah, I meant who said Aethis is going to succeed in killing him.

[Malossar]

Just have Malossar do it, i'm sure he wouldn't mind...

He's already executed one of Elessetha's captains this month!

[Elessehta of Yvresse]

An assassination attempt, nice. I've seen Eli's blade work, he's no slouch.

[Aicanor]

He'll probably swing a sword over his shoulder, knock over a vase behind which the wannabe assassin is hiding or something. Of course Malossar would never hide like that...

[Elithmar]

He'll probably swing a sword over his shoulder, knock over a vase behind which the wannabe assassin is hiding or something. Of course Malossar would never hide like that...

Haha, I was thinking of something like this! 16 ton weights falling down and him just stepping out of the way in time, poisoned darts flying everywhere and hitting servants by accident...

Ele, you're right. He's not much of a general, but he's a fairly good fighter.

[Elithmar]

"Now come on, Elessehta; you're no fool, so stop acting like one. Elithmar is, on the other hand. Anyway, I'm sure you'd make a much better prince," Aethis said. He winked deviously.

The last comment caught the admiral's interest. It was an attractive idea...

"What would Finubar do, though? To overthrow a prince..." The sentence didn't require finishing.

"The Phoenix King? He hates him more than I do! You know how arrogant Elithmar is; he thinks himself a god, and looks down on Finubar like he was mere dirt on the ground, unfit even to be trodden on."

Elessehta nodded. "You're right there." He couldn't dislodge the idea of being a prince from his head, now it was there. No one really did like Elithmar, did they?

A sly thought crossed Aethis' mind. "I suppose if you don't want to be, I'll have to be prince. Such a shame..."

"Fine, fine! Just don't blame me when it all goes wrong," Elessehta finally agreed.

"Let's get down to business then."

***

It was a beautiful day! The birds were screeching tunelessly outside, whilst rain pelted down to turn the meticulously tended gardens into a writhing brown creature. Elithmar was wearing his best robes (they were very expensive, made of silk brought all the way from Cathay), and didn’t fancy changing them into a fashionable mud-colour. That was why he was taking a stroll inside, down corridors lined with ancient statues that depicted his ancestors.

He swung at great-uncle Melthor with his sword, smashing his stone head into a thousand pieces. “Take that, Melthor! You may have bested the warlord of the Bigg Nose orc tribe, but Elithmar was too good for you!”

“Ha!” grandfather Gaethar and Aunt Ethelli joined Melthor in the graveyard on the floor. Elithmar was just about to desecrate another of his ancestors’ effigies when he saw the stern face of his father looking down on him.

“Sorry, dad,” the prince lowered his sword, and bowed respectfully to the image of Arnarion. Then he left the hall, searching for something else to break.

Quieter than silence, a pair of black-clad figures darted after him.

He was walking to the training dojo when he stopped to admire his reflection in a window. The assassins took up positions on either side of him. They raised their blowpipes, poisoned darts already inserted into them. They couldn’t miss at this range.

Deciding that he looked suitably amazing, Elithmar moved on. Two darts, one from either side, whizzed through the space he had occupied moments before. They carried on, each dart hitting the assassin on the opposite side of the corridor. The two bodies slumped to the floor.

A servant rushed up to Elithmar as he traversed yet another corridor, carrying a message. An assassin in the shadows at the corridor’s edge prepared to release the rope he was hanging on to. Just another step forward...

Elithmar took a step forward, and the 16 ton weight came plummeting down from the ceiling. In fact, he took two steps forward, so the servant was crushed instead.

The prince shrugged. “The message probably wasn’t that important,” he said, and resumed walking. The assassin cursed.

The final assassin was determined to succeed where his counterparts had failed. Drawing his twin blades, he crouched behind a sculpture and waited for the prince to pass. As he was waiting, Elithmar bumped into Aldris.

“Ah, there you are. Come with me to the dojo.” There was no invitation, just a command.

As they passed the sculpture (Elithmar was itching to grab his sword and smash it to bits), the figure in black leapt. Aldris felt the rush of air, turning just in time to see him.

“Duck!” Aldris cried out.

“Where?” Elithmar didn’t duck as Aldris had intended, but he did turn enough in his search for the illusive bird that the would-be killer was shoved away mid-jump, landing heavily on the floor.

The elf lay there, still holding his knives out at arm’s length. Elithmar, thinking he was being offered a gift, took them from his hands.

“Thank you – it’s just what I always wanted,” he said.

Then the pair carried on towards the dojo, leaving the stunned assassin lying on the floor.

***

“The assassins have failed, Elessehta. However, I have managed to convert enough of the troops. Where subtlety has failed us, brute force will win. Prepare the soldiers!”

[Aicanor]

Priceless. Where did they get the assassins by the way?

[Elithmar]

Priceless. Where did they get the assassins by the way?

Does it matter?

School was closed because of snow today, incase you're wondering how on Earth you got two parts in one day.

The cold night air made Aldris shiver, not for the first time. The inky-black sea stretched out forever, smothering all light. Some managed to peep out from under the blanket, but most were asleep; even the stars had gone to bed, tucked in by the thick layers of cloud. A crisp frost was forming.

None of this interested Aldris – his eyes were locked on the warm glow spilling out of the window opposite his balcony. Spider-like figures threw out spindly shadows on to the roofs and courtyards below. They pranced about gracefully, ever changing. Then suddenly the light disappeared, plunging the world into perfect darkness.

It was the window of Prince Elithmar’s room that he was watching. His was the largest, most lavishly decorated and most envied room in the whole of the palace. Aldris had only been allowed in once – once was enough for a soldier like him, but a connoisseur of fine art could spend many years marvelling at the rich displays therein. Grand sculptures, intricate paintings and sumptuous ornaments, all were there.

This room was he watching, squatting like a gargoyle on the balcony, because it was his task to guard the occupants within.

Something was wrong though – was there something moving down there in the courtyard? Yes, it was only a slight movement, as if the perpetrator wanted to remain invisible, but a movement nonetheless. Now he could make out a figure. There was a face too, impossible to recognise at that distance unless you knew it. Aldris did know it though – Aethis! What could he want?

He dropped down to the ground (for his balcony was only on the first floor) and approached his friend. Laying a hand on his shoulder, he greeted him.

Aethis spun ‘round in a flash, a furious look on his face. “Quiet, you fool!” he hissed.

Concern crept across Aldris’ visage. “What is wrong, friend?”

“I am no friend of you, unless you are no friend of Elithmar. He is an idiot, Aldris – a disgrace to all elves! That is why he must be removed and replaced with someone with at least some sense.”

The mask of amazement turned to determination. “So be it,” he said. “Guards! Guards! There is a traitor in the courtyard!”

“They will not help you, high helm; the only thing they now guard is Elithmar’s doom!” Aethis smirked.

Determination now turned to shock and despair, but only briefly, after which it returned to determination. As traitor-elves flooded into the yard, Aldris drew his sword. It was a good sword, enchanted by the light mages of Saphery long ago. He was sure it would taste the blood of a good few traitors before the night had bled to day.

Aethis raised his sabre to block the first of Aldris’ lunges, then the second, then the third. They faced each other for a few moments, then resumed. Strike and parry. Strike and parry. The dance of death could have continued for all eternity. They paused again though, and Aldris muttered the words of magic. Even though he barely opened his mouth, the syllables rang out clear and loud. All of a sudden, his blade shone a brilliant white. The light sliced through the still air, forcing back the legions of darkness. The image burnt itself into the eye, forcing everyone to cower away. Aethis stumbled and dropped his sword.

It was all over before another grain of sand had fallen. When everyone’s vision was clear again, Aldris was stood over the rebel leader with his sword outstretched towards his throat. Aethis whimpered and tried to crawl away, but an insistent foot was placed on his chest.

“Justice is served, slave.”

However, as the very tip of the blade pricked Aethis’ neck and drew forth a sluggish drop of crimson, Aethis’ head was wrenched back and Aldris sent flying by some metaphysical force. He recovered quickly, propping himself up on his elbows as he watched with growing horror the events which then unfolded.

A stream of billowing smoke poured from Aethis’ mouth, disappearing into the charcoal sky. The smoke formed a figure, suspended above the convulsing elf. It was ten feet tall, brutishly muscular, and crowned with jagged horns and fire. It reared up, howling with earth-shaking volume at the sky. Then it turned its head to glare with hellish eyes at the assembled elves.

All fled except Aldris and the now still Aethis. Aldris pushed all fear from his mind, focussing solely on the task in hand. He grabbed his sword, leapt to his feet and ran at the monstrosity with a cry of “Khaine!” that somehow dwarfed the bellow of the creature.

Time seemed to slow as he approached. He was keenly aware of every minute detail, from the steady thump of his boots on the ground to the rancid stench of the beast’s breath. Finally the moment arrived when he threw all of his weight behind the critical thrust into the creature’s chest. The infernos that were its eyes widened in surprise as the enchanted blade ripped through its layers of muscle to whatever corrupted semblance of a heart there was contained within. Spears of pure, white light ripped through its body, bursting it asunder in an explosion of white.

As the last tatters of flesh drifted to the ground, Aldris heard weeping. Looking down, he saw Aethis lying there, tears cascading down his handsome features. Aldris dropped to the floor, cradling Aethis’ head.

“I am sorry, friend!” he wailed. “I am so sorry!”

Aldris shushed him. “How?” he said simply.

“It must have been when I was on an expedition in the North a few months ago. Strange things happen there, where Daemons walk amongst mortals. Somehow it inhabited my body. I didn’t realise at the time, but it began to grow in power. It magnified my anger, channelling it into hatred. These last couple of days, I have had hardly any control over my own actions.”

Aldris nodded. “It was not your fault,” he consoled him.

As the sobbing died away, a new noise found the elf’s ear; footsteps rang out as someone entered the courtyard. Admiral Elessehta sprinted past.

Aethis’ eyes widened. “Stop him – he means to kill the prince!”

The captain shot up and ran in hot pursuit. It was no good though; Elessehta was too far ahead and Aldris was already tired from the battle.

Elessehta was going to murder Elithmar, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.

[Aicanor]

These demons, they lack subtlety. They should just make that coup and not tell Elithmar. I am sure he wouldn't notice.

[Elithmar]

It wasn't really the Demon's fault. Light magic and daemons don't really mix.

[Aicanor]

Poor daemon?

[Malossar]

Wait...

So Elessehta isn't a prince?

I'm confused.

[Elithmar]

Wait...

So Elessehta isn't a prince?

I'm confused.

There is an Yvressi prince called Elessehta, but the admiral of Elithmar's personal navy is also called Elessehta.