Jonah stood at the doorway that had appeared in the Blót-tré. He looked into the cave-like room that was inside the tree. He stepped forward and tiny lights began to flicker like fireflies inside of the tree. He slowly walked to the center of the tree and found a set of stairs that spiraled downward into a dark nothingness.
Kara and Pamela cautiously came in behind him. The voice that was calling to Jonah seemed to come from down in the darkness. They inched their way to the top of the stairs as Jonah boldly stepped onto the stairs. With each step he took, more tiny lights glowed further down into the tree. Step after step, they made their way towards the bottom.
After stepping on what seemed like hundreds or thousands of stairs he reached the final step, and he found himself surrounded by nothing. The lights shined above him, but cast no light into the bottom where he stood. The voice seemed to be closer to him, like he could reach out and touch where it was coming from. He reached his hands out, but felt nothing.
The voice sounded of an echoing whisper, but it came from everywhere around him. Kara and Pamela crept to the base of the stairs and asked, "Where are you?" "I'm right here," replied Jonah. He spun around and saw nothing. They felt for each other in the darkness. His hand brushed hers and they found that they were standing in front of each other, unable to see the other, while Pamela held on to Kara.
"Dags-ljós," said Kara, but nothing happened. She tried it again, and then again. Nothing happened. "What are you doing?" asked Jonah. "I tried summoning daylight so we could see," replied Kara. The whispering voice began to change. Instead of calling out for Jonah, it said, "The magic around us and in us does not flow through here." The voice sounded crisper and more distinct and less of a whisper.
"Follow," said the voice. It began to move away; the sound "Follow!" repeated over and over as it echoed away from them in the darkness. It began to fade further and further away. Kara held Jonah's hand as he began to blindly follow the voice as it commanded. The three of them walked, following the sound until they saw a small light in the distance. As they drew closer to the light, it began to grow larger.
Their eyes burned as they entered a room filled completely with light. It was a much smaller room with a lone hooded figure seated in the center. "Come no further, Jonah, son of John. Kara, daughter of Forel. Pamela, daughter of Renthar." "Where are we?" asked Jonah. "You are standing in Hvelfing búear-sund heimra," said the hooded figure, "It is a place in between the world's." "Why have you called me here?" asked Jonah.
The figure stood and removed his hood. He was an elf with long white hair and he looked ancient. Jonah thought that he was older than time itself. "You will find that time flows differently in Hvelfing búear-sund heimra. My name is Viskarn. Long ago an evil wizard threatened our borders. My kindred and myself left the lands of Tenroha for lands far to the east that we came to call átt-hagi. It means our native land," said the hooded elf.
"We spent over a century building a new home for ourselves in the land of our ancestors. When we left this land, we took with us many rare and powerful items that have been with us for eons. One such item was a bow that is known by many names. We call it Lítil-l?ti, for one must know its power before one can wield it," he said, continuing on.
"In the ancient tongue, it is known as Hamingju-mikill, and in the more common tongue it means Very Lucky. This name is atrocious to my kind because you all are too blind and arrogant to comprehend its true nature. The name of this sacred bow comes from what you learn from the trials needed to prove your worthiness," said Viskarn.
"I do not understand," began Jonah, "Why have you called me here?" "In the span of a millennia and a half, no one has proven their worthiness to wield such a powerful item. Many have been chosen and all have failed to learn the lessons needed to understand the power of this weapon. While in átt-hagi, I had many visions over the centuries of the ones destined to hold Lítil-l?ti in their grasp," Viskarn began his response.
"Each one that was chosen held the potential within them to succeed, but during the trials, they learned lessons of pain, grief, longing, and many others; but none succeeded in learning the one lesson that Lítil-l?ti requires. This search has led me here, to this place, in search of you. You are the next to be tested by the bow itself, and if it finds you worthy, you can claim it for yourself."
"What lesson must I learn in order to succeed?" asked Jonah. The eldest elf folded his arms together and said, "You must figure that out on your own." "I am honored for the privilege, but I have to find my brother and sister," said Jonah hesitantly. "Jemot is waging war on the lands and we, I do not have time for this. My brother and sister are in danger from themselves, and I must find them before it is too late "
"Your siblings are in good hands, young Jonah. They are traveling with A'shálla. She can no longer cause harm to anyone, even if she regained her memories. The magic within her is drawn to those in need of saving and she is forced to aid however she can. It is her punishment for the years of torture she inflicted upon my kind and yours. She is also destined for another purpose if she so chooses," replied Viskarn before continuing again.
"Your fate is destined for the trials, but you must choose your own path. The trials can be dangerous, but the reward is greater than any danger that you may face. You are free to leave whenever you desire, but you will lose your one chance to reach your full potential," stated Viskarn, with the kindness and warmth of a father." "How long must I endure the trials?" asked Jonah.
"There are five trials that you must face before your fate is sealed. Each trial you face will test your worth in a different way. You will learn many things about yourself and each lesson that you learn will lead you to your final goal. There are many lessons to be learned, but one lesson alone binds them all together. That lesson, young Jonah, is the most important lesson of all."
Jonah thought for a long time, trying to figure out what he should do. He spoke with Kara and Pamela about his choices and what it would mean to him if his siblings were lost to him. They spoke for what seemed like hours before Jonah stepped away from the others to think on his own. He weighed every option that he had before making up his mind. He returned to the others and asked, "What must I do?"
The old elf smiled and clapped his hands together. The light that filled the room seemed to turn in circles. He covered his eyes as the source of the light came closer to him. The light faded as an enormous horse landed on the ground in front of him followed by another equally massive horse. The fur on their backs glowed like a forge. There were hues of red, orange, and white. Their manes looked as if it were a fire burning in a hearth and their tails flickered with blue and white flames that were the color of lightning.
The horses had enormous eagle-like wings that shone brighter than the sun. They folded their wings and walked towards Jonah and the others. "Alsvidr stands in front of you Jonah, and Arvakr, his brother, stands in front of Kara. They hail from the land of átt-hagi. There is a change coming and they along with other creatures that you cannot fathom have felt this disturbance and have agreed to assist you in your trials," explained Viskarn.
"Climb on," said the elf. "I cannot go with you on your journey. You must face your trials before we meet again." "How will I know if I have succeeded?" asked Jonah. "I cannot tell you the answers to the questions that you ask. All I can say is that you will know. You can take whomever you want with you on this journey as long as there are no more than four. You have with you two young elves, do you have a fourth member, for your group, in mind?" Jonah thought for only a short moment before he said, "There is only one person that I can think of."
*****
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Jessie and Joel swam the rest of the way to a beach of the island that Tor-kenna had brought them. They had lost their shoes in the storm before she rescued them. They traveled for several days before they arrived at the island. The sand was warm on their feet as they made their way to the shore. Tor-kenna had taken the form of an otter to be able to reach the beach and began playing when she reached the sand.
They hadn't eaten anything since they were thrown from the ship. They were starving and ravaged with thirst. Jessie found a small pool of water sitting in the shade of a tree that she had never seen. Jessie tasted it and found that it wasn't salty. She cupped her hand and began scooping the cool water into her dry mouth. She called the others over and they drank as well.
She looked at the island, the trees and other foliage was unlike anything that she had ever seen. There were tall trees that had branches at the top with large green leaves that looked like giant feathers. There were other odd looking trees as well. Tor-kenna brought some fruit that looked funny, but tasted amazing. They ate what they could before nightfall.
The night was warm and clear. The stars in the sky shone brighter than she had ever seen. Tor-kenna in her raven form kept watch over the twins as they slept. It was peaceful for the first time since they left the elven village. They awoke to the rising sun and after a quick breakfast of the fruit that Tor-kenna had found, they began to explore the island.
"Dragons live in high places," said Joel. "I know that, stupid," said Jessie. The trees along the beach made it hard for them to see further inland so they made their way through the thick vegetation to a meadow with grass taller than them. Tor-kenna changed into a dire wolf and the twins climbed on her back. From their new vantage point, they saw a lone mountain towards the center of the island.
The mountain had smoke billowing from the top like a chimney. "Is that a volcano?" asked Joel, who had heard of them but never seen one. "I think so," replied Jessie. Tor-kenna made a sound that was similar to a dog's bark and began slowly nodding her head. "That is the highest spot on the island, so if there is a dragon here, that is where we will find it," said Jessie.
They wandered the island meadow trying to get to the base of the volcano. There were creeks and streams that meandered through the valley. There were large rocks that blocked their path and forced them to change directions several times. They wandered for hours before they found the remains of an animal. There was not much that remained of it, so they couldn't tell what it had been. They moved away quickly for fear of what had eaten it.
They stopped to rest by one of the streams to drink and rest. As they sat there talking amongst themselves, they began to hear what sounded like pigs, sheep, and goats nearby. They began to search for where the sounds were coming from. They heard a loud roar coming from the mountain. They looked towards the volcano. It was much closer than before and now they could see something moving across it.
They watched as a dark object crawled across the side of the mountain and then it leapt into the sky. Another loud roar soared through the air. "A dragon," gasped Jessie. They tried to hide behind a boulder as the dark figure began to circle them like a vulture. The dark figure swooped down and landed in the meadow.
It stood tall and folded its wings along its back. "You cannot hide from me," said the dragon, "I have been searching for you, the span of many moons, and at last I have found you." "What do you mean, we only arrived last night," said Joel. The dragon chuckled with a dragon laugh and said, "There is no need for lies, tiny human. The treaty is clear about what happens to humans on these islands."
"Honestly," began Jessie, " We were thrown off of a ship that was delivering animals to the islands and we washed up on shore yesterday just before sunset." "LIES!" roared the dragon. "You have been slaughtering and eating the animals of this island for too long and now you must pay," said the dragon. The dragon raised its head and began to take a long deep breath. The twins saw the throat of the dragon begin to glow as if a raging fire dwelled within.
They started to run as the dragon opened its mouth and fire began to spew from it. They ran through the trees as fast as they could, dodging rocks, small trees, and the tall grass. Tor-kenna ran up behind Jessie and using her mouth, threw her on her back. She did the same with Joel, and then ran as fast as she could to the beach.
They looked for anything to hide from the dragon but found nothing. Tor-kenna flung the twins from her back and turned to face the dragon as the ground shook when it landed on the beach. She began to growl at the dragon and placed herself between the twins and the dragon. "You cannot win against me," said the dragon, as it prepared for another blast of fire.
"Wait," shouted Jessie, as she stepped in front of Tor-kenna. "We have no reason to lie to you or fight you. We were hoping to find a dragon on this island that could take us to see the dragon king." The dragon stopped and lowered its head. It was staring face to face with Jessie. Jessie stood proudly and did not move. The dragon began to sniff her. It then snorted and shook its head away from her. "You smell of the sea," said the dragon, disgusted.
"I am Jessie Kiltzka from Echo, and this is my brother, Joel," said Jessie, gesturing toward her brother. She placed her hand on Tor-kenna's head and introduced her as well. "We come here seeking an audience with the king of dragons, so we might wield the Dreka-galdra, the dragon amulets." The dragon raised to its full height, towering over the tall trees on the beach and said, "I am called Tanith."
The twins saw the dragon in his full form. He had deep gray scales that were trimmed with blue hues running across his sides. Unlike Wi?dwyr?, he had no spikes on his back, only a few on his tail. His wings were a nearly translucent shade of blue and gray. He was four or five times the size of Wi?dwyr?. "We are honored to meet you, Tanith," said Tor-kenna, who had returned to her human-like form and bowed her head.
She calmly sat down beside the large dragon and asked, "Something plagues your home, we can help you to find it." Tanith began to describe everything that he had noticed the past few months. The number of carcasses that he had come across during his hunts. "Whatever is doing this leaves no trace of scent behind when it leaves," said Tanith. Tanith could sense that she had lived longer than he had and he could sense the wisdom that she possessed.
"Lady," he began to ask, "What do you believe it to be?" She had already thought of a creature that could cause this, but she was uncertain. "I need to view some of the kills to be certain, but if it is what I am imagining, it would explain why you have been unable to sense it."
"What could it be Tor-kenna?" asked Jessie. "There is but one creature that I know that possessed no scent and no heat of its own that a dragon can see," said Tor-kenna. Jessie interrupted her, not understanding, "What do you mean by see?" "A dragon sees very differently than you or I," she began to explain. "Their eyes can see the tiniest of movements from a far distance, they can also see the heat that our bodies have in them, they can even follow the trail of heat left by the one they pursue."
"This is all true," said Tanith, "but what could it be?" "I suspect that a golem has reached your shores," said Tor-kenna. The dragon growled a deep snarling growl that caused the air around them to vibrate. "What is a golem?" ask Joel. "Golems are very rare creatures, and are produced using magic. They are mindless beings that do the bidding of their creator. But, if one is left without a master, they can begin to act on their own. They are emotionless creatures that take no regard for anything."
"Help me to find this golem, and I will take you to see my king," said Tanith. They went to the area of the most recent kill, and Tor-kenna became certain that they were looking for a golem. The kill appeared to be at least three days old, and she knew that the golem would be ready for another. She sent Tanith back to his lair while they remained close to the group of animals that had formed an unusual herd. A mixture of pigs, goats, sheep, and other livestock that were not native to the island.
The moon was high in the sky when they heard something large approaching the animals. The feet of the golem stomped loudly as it entered the meadow from a side that was away from the mountain. Tor-kenna let out a howl to signal Tanith to come. He flew down, silently from his perch on the mountain and soared over their heads. The golem roared when it saw the dragon and ran away.
The twins and Tor-kenna chased after it. It began to climb a large pile of volcanic rocks and disappeared inside them. Jessie and Joel went after it. They had none of their weapons with them when they arrived on the island, so they carried with them long sticks that they sharpened with rocks. It was dark near the pile of rocks and they had trouble seeing anything.
They climbed over rock after rock until one of the rocks stood up and threw Jessie off its back. Joel was positioned higher than the golem. It roared again when it saw him. He used his stick to pry a large rock loose and tumble it down upon the golem below him. The stone crashed into the golem and it began to roll back down to the valley.
Tanith flew over the golem and blew fire upon the creature until it had melted into lava and formed a glowing pool at the edge of the meadow. He then crashed down and roared in triumph. Joel and Tor-kenna ran to where Jessie had landed and found her unharmed, but for a few cuts and bruises. She stood and limped as they walked over to where Tanith stood. "Climb on my back," began Tanith, "We shall arrive with the sun."
