My 8 E-books written over the years by Alina Udrea - HTML preview

Chapter 10: The Fire Necklace

Our heroes set out again towards Shale Mountain and the

mysterious cave. The climb was a difficult one even on a nice weather and the snow only made things worse. They were all slipping on the snow, then getting up again. The wind was blowing in their faces making it almost impossible to distinguish anything through it. After about four hours of ascending the mountain they got to a narrow portion, a narrow path with the craggy mountain on their left and the deathly abyss on their right. They had nothing to hold on to so they grabbed the craggy rocks on their left and hoped and prayed they wouldn’t fall to their death. They were going so slow that one could have thought they were standing still. Then Harry slipped and fell towards the precipice but he had such a presence of mind that he pulled his axe and thrust it in the rocks on the rim of the precipice. Adi was first to see what happened and he immediately bent and grabbed Harry’ s left hand as Harry was sustaining himself with the right hand in which he had his axe. Then he gathered all his strength

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and before the others could react in any way he had pulled Harry back up, saving his life again.

- Thank you Adi, my friend. I owe you my life again. Whenever you need help I will be there for you Adi for as long as we shall live, thank you.

- No problem, I am sure you would have done the same for me.- Yes, we are all for one and one for all, added Mongo. I am sure any of us would risk his life for the others.

- Not me, joked Ulo, I treasure mine. No, Mongo is right, I was just kidding, we’ve been through so much together that we are like a family. I feel like I’ve known you all my life. But now let’s move and make it to the cave before nightfall or we may all end up on the bottom of the precipice below. And I am sure you value your lives too not to want that. So let’s get going!- Ulo is right, said Alyss, the cave shouldn’t be far now. It should be at the end of this narrow path.

They all went the rest of the way silently, saving their strength. Two hours later just when Adi was about to ask if they thought it would take much longer, they all saw it: the cave opening. It was a large opening and it was pitch dark inside. But they had come prepared, they all had torches which they lit lighting up the interior of the cave. By the look of it no one had been there for a long time, if anyone had ever been there at all. But the Fire Necklace was supposed to be inside there somewhere so it meant that someone must have been inside to put it there. Now all that remained was to find this ancient artefact, control the dragon and save Donn, save their king and queen, save the people and their families.

The first room of the cave was huge but as they got farther

away it became smaller and smaller until it forked into several tunnels. It was a maze but they decided to stick together no matter what. If they split, they would probably find the necklace faster but how were they supposed to call for the others? So they

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decided to do as always and go together. They would have to search all the tunnels until they would find what they had come for.

- So which way should we go first? Asked Ulo.- I say we try this tunnel, said Alyss pointing towards a tunnel to their left. I have a gut feeling that this is the right one.- I guess it is as good as any other! Laughed Mongo. But if you say so, we will try this first.

- Just keep your eyes peeled and your weapons close! Uttered Harry, always cautious. Remember your weapon is your closest friend now if I may say so.

- You may say whatever you like Harry old friend! Said Mongo. Any last words in case we don’t make it back?

- That is not an option! Alyss said with her jaw clenched at the thought. No way, we all have at least one reason to make it out of this alive. We all have loved ones to come back to. And if not, well we have each other…

- Alyss is right, no last words because they won’t be our last words, said Ulo. We will find the necklace and get back to Lir in time. (Lir was the name of the town where Scar and Miiah' s castle was situated, one of the many towns in Donn.)

They walked at a steady pace for about one hour when the tunnel forked in two other tunnels.

- Left or right? Asked Adi looking at Alyss as she had chosen this tunnel in the first place.

- Let’s go left again. I will also scribble something at the entrance so if we go in circles we will know we have been here before.- Good idea Alyss. And Mongo liked her even more because she was pretty smart and not forget she was pretty too. After half a day of wandering through the maze of tunnels they finally found the necklace. It was on a pedestal at the end of a huge room in the cave. It wasn’t protected by anything visible but Ulo wanted to make sure there were no hidden traps so he took

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the lead.

When he was sure there was nothing out of the ordinary, Ulo

asked them who wanted to be the first to try and pick the Fire Necklace as he remembered that if the wrong person picked it then the necklace was said to summon imps to defend itself.- It looks like none of you is in a hurry to try his hand, said Ulo in a trembling voice, so I guess I can try first…

- Yes, yes, go ahead, Harry encouraged him. We will be right here if the imps show up….

- Ok, get ready for anything, I am going to take it now, said Ulo and went straight for the necklace imagining himself riding a dragon. The moment he touched the necklace the whole cave trembled as if it was an earthquake and then a whole small army of imps appeared out of nowhere ready to kill the intruders.- Damn, said Ulo disappointed, and I thought for a moment that I could be the one taming the dragon. It would have been nice to have a dragon as a pet, he said still dreaming of what it might have been like.

- Yes, laughed Mongo, you would have swept the ladies off their feet if you went on a date with a dragon accompanying you.- Ha- ha, very funny Mongo. Let's kill these devilish creatures and then maybe you want to try next?

- Nah, Harry can try or Alyss or Adi. I will try last, I can’t imagine myself riding a dragon!

- Ok, kill these little bastards, yelled Alyss to stop their rambling and make them focus on the fight.

- Yes mam, said Mongo.

Then the battle began. Although they were small in stature, the imps were very numerous and very tricky and agile. Our heroes began slashing right and left. Harry started chopping off their heads with his trusty axe while Alyss was rapidly shooting them one after the other with her bows. Soon their numbers started to swindle considerably but they didn’t give up till the last imp was

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dead.

- Ok, how about we take a break before someone else tries his luck again? Asked Alyss who was tired just as the rest, although they wouldn’t admit it. If next who tries is not the one meant to handle the dragon then we are in for another fight so a little break before should be good to refresh our strength.

- Ok, one hour then we try again. Who wants to be next?- Me, said Adi. So what if I was a cook? I am a warrior now, maybe I am the one the dragon has been waiting for.

They all laughed but nobody had anything against Adi trying his

luck next. One hour later Adi was in front of the Fire Necklace praying he would be the one. Then he touched it and…..unfortunately for him he wasn’t the one. But this time the necklace had summoned a stone golem, not the imps they had been expecting.

- What in the name of god is that? Asked Adi puzzled and he withdrew towards his friends.

- That, answered Ulo, is a stone golem, my friend. It is as nasty as it gets. It will be difficult to destroy, we can’t really say kill as it is not alive in the first place.

The stone golem was a humongous thing, not alive nor dead, made entirely of stone. It had no soul, no brain or blood, only stones, rocks.

- Nobody said anything about golems! Complained Adi afraid of the thing. You said imps Alyss!

- Sorry, that is what Mean told me. He didn’t know more about it I guess.

- Yes, probably because if anyone else has ever tried to get the necklace must have been killed by the imps, said Mongo thinking out loud. This is probably why Mean's books never said anything about the second trial the necklace would put us through. Probably nobody before us has ever made it past the first trial!- Which makes me ask the next reasonable question: if, and I really

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mean if, we manage to destroy this ugly thing, then what will the necklace summon next? Said Alyss.

- Perhaps it is time to pray that next one who tries will be the chosen or if not who knows what we will have to face, said Ulo already preparing his daggers.

- I didn’t know you were a religious man Ulo! Said Harry.- I wasn’t but I think it is time we all became religious! Ha-ha! And he started laughing nervously.

- Any bright idea how to destroy this thing? At least we have the advantage that it moves slowly. We can at least outrun it. And Alyss fired a few arrows at it but they didn’t even scratch the golem.

- This looks bad, said Mongo who was getting worried. Hey, Harry, maybe you should try to smash it to rubble? I’ve heard stories about your axe to know it is not just an ordinary one. You never go to battle without it and you never wanted or needed another weapon. Please tell me the stories were right and that you can destroy this thing before it crushes us.

- No idea what you heard but indeed my axe is a very powerful weapon. Never leave home without it! Ha- ha! It has been forged by my ancestors long time ago before Donn was even a kingdom. And it has been passed on from generation to generation serving his owner truthfully as long as his owner fought for the right side, to serve and protect the innocent. If it would ever get to someone else’ s hands it would be just an ordinary axe, nothing special about it. And if someone who has a rotten heart would try to pick it up, he wouldn’t be able to lift it. So I guess you can say my axe is special, just like Alyss' magic quiver which never empties.- Oh, I could kiss you right now Harry! Said Mongo.- Oh, no thanks, I'm married. And they all laughed.- Then the golem is all yours Harry! Said Mongo. Do your thing and smash it!

Harry took his axe with both hands and then he called upon the

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might of all the ancestors who had ever wielded it to bestow their blessing upon him and give him the strength he needed to destroy the golem. He felt a sudden rush of adrenaline go through his veins and he leaped high enough in the air, something which was really amazing for a dwarf, and he smashed the stone golem's head into smithereens.

The golem was reduced to a pile of rubble at their feet. They had passed the second trial and they were all unscathed. They were afraid of what the Fire Necklace might summon next but they had to succeed in the end.

- Wow Harry! That was awesome! Said Alyss very impressed with Harry as she had never seen him like this before.- Yes, wicked! Laughed Ulo. Who is going to try next?- I think I might give it a shot! Said Harry who was a little carried away with all the praises he got from his friends.- Hmm, a dwarf riding a dragon, that would be quite a sight! Said Alyss.

- Why not? Answered Harry and he touched the necklace. The moment he touched it a loud thunder was heard inside the cave making their hearts shrink with fear.

The fact that they were afraid didn’t mean they weren’t

brave, it just meant that they were human beings, like everyone else. And this is exactly what made them heroes, above everyone else, the fact that in spite of their natural fear they kept trying and fighting for what was right. They had to save Donn. After the thunder died out they were waiting for the next enemy to show its face. It appeared in the form of a cyclops, a one-eyed giant creature that looked like a deformed man. Its head almost touched the ceiling of the cave. It started to roar and went for our heroes. But without a moment to lose, Alyss got her bow and arrows and took aim for the cyclops' only eye. Then she let go of the arrow which flew like the wind, hitting its target and blinding the cyclops. Blood started oozing from its eye. Then the

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cyclops knelt in pain. When his knees touched the ground, so did his head. Adi had cut the cyclops's head with his sword in one swift move.

- This is what I call team work! Good job everyone! Said Mongo and patted Adi on his shoulder then went towards Alyss. He wanted to shake her hand but instead he hugged her happy they were all alive and proud of the beautiful elf.

- We really make a good team! Said Alyss so glad that she had been accepted by these brave men. She was sure they all considered her as part of the “family”.

- I will try next, said Mongo. Be ready for just about anything. Mongo started to walk slowly towards the pedestal on which the Fire Necklace lay. When he got close to it he could feel a sudden urge to pick it up, as if the necklace was calling him. He thought that maybe he was imagining it but then as he put his hand on the necklace he was sure of it. It was him, he was the chosen one, the one meant to tame the dragon.

The necklace shone in his hands and then it lifted itself in the

air and got around Mongo's neck where it kept shining with a dim red light.

They were all mesmerized by the moment. They felt relief

and happiness at the same time. So it was all over, now all they had to do was to go back to Lir and save everyone. And of course get the dragon. But how would they make it back in time? And the bridge had collapsed, they would have to find another way. Alyss was the first to go and congratulate Mongo but when she got near him she saw that his eyes had a blank stare. He wasn’t responding to anyone, he just sat and stared. They all gathered around him but nobody knew what was wrong with him. Alyss pinched him but in vain. Still no response. She started to weep while the others had no clue how to help Mongo either.

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