Chapter One
Aeryl drew his sword, crouching behind the pale yellow trunk of a sourbristle tree. He had snuck up on a wild hog eating a small fern. Aeryl was about to strike when he heard a shout behind him, followed by the muffled footsteps of a peryton.
“Aeryl!” the voice snapped. “What are you doing?” Aeryl whirled around to face the elf standing behind him. He quickly realized that the elf was the leader of the Stone Elves, Taegen, on his mount, Breeze.
Aeryl was quick to bow. “I’m out to hunt, sir.”
“Good,” Taegen nodded. Breeze flicked her ears. “I need to talk to you.” Taegen got off Breeze and fastened her reins to a sourbristle branch.
“Yes, sir?” Aeryl asked, fidgeting with a leaf.
“You’ve always been… behind in things, like your hunting skills, and such…” Taegen spoke carefully. “I need you to go on a quest to prove your worth within the other Stone Elves.” He said plainly.
Aeryl was stunned. Him? Go on a quest? “Sir, I don’t understand. If I’m behind, why would you send me, of all elves, to go on this quest?”
Taegen tensed, looking down at Aeryl. “You do not question your leader, Aeryl. You know better.” He snapped. “Come to my Ledge later. I will explain. All I can tell you now is that you will have a companion.” Taegen revealed. “Zentha.” He hopped onto Breeze and galloped away before Aeryl could ask anything else.
Zentha! Aeryl thought with giddy. Zentha had been his best friend since their Training. Now he was to go on a quest with her?
Aeryl followed the path back to Stone Cove, thinking about what kind of quest Taegen could possibly be sending him and Zentha on.
As he walked through the yellow and green forest of sourbristles, Aeryl finally heard the rushing waterfall of the Stone Cove mountain, and before long, he pushed open the green curtain of sourbristle leaves blocking off Stone Cove from the forest.
There were indentations in the mountain with overhangs poking out and leaves lining the insides. Some elves were relaxing in their Ledges, but others were down on the ground, walking in and out of the vine curtain, and doing chores like hunting, gathering fruit, or tending to the perytons, jackalopes, and cranes.
Aeryl saw Taegen’s Ledge: it was the biggest, with an elaborate vine of flowers drooping off of the overhang. There were rock stepping stones like all the other Ledges, but they were complete with moss padding.
Aeryl blew the Horn of Respect, which was a hollowed out peryton horn used to request access to the Leader’s Ledge.
“Welcome,” Taegen replied, signaling to Aeryl that he was allowed to come up. “I see that you obeyed my orders.”
“Yes, sir,” Aeryl replied, bowing, when he made it up to Taegen’s Ledge. It was very big inside, with moss covering the entire Ledge. Both Aeryl and Taegen were able to stand up completely inside, which was not usually the case with normal Ledges. There was a large stone throne towards the back, with pink, white, and yellow vine flowers twirling it.
“So, you came to know what your quest is?” Taegen asked, petting a small white crane chick on the armrest of his throne.
“That is correct, sir,” Aeryl confirmed with a respectful nod.
Taegen looked worried. “To prove your worth…” he paused, uncomfortable. “You need to journey across the land…and slay the most powerful dragon of them all.” Taegen took a deep breath. “Chil’aar.”