Chapter 1

 

The Depressed

 

                The elf leaned back on his chair and drifted into a daze about his love.  Mixtures of love and pain rushed through his veins all at once.  Pondering all the time about why she didn’t want to come so long ago.  He had missed her love, her touch, and her smile.  All of which kept him going all day long, and looking forward to the next day, even though he was only 80 he was considerably young in elven years.  Looking at his mug of crude ale he pondered.  What would his life be like if he had not run away, or what would it of been like if she came with him.  “Nasa, where are you..” came whispers from him not meaning to say they at ear level.  Fortunately none had heard, how many years had he been bar hopping and inn hopping.  Doing occasional jobs to raise funds, looking into.  It had been a year or so since he left, often he wondered if his father was out there somewhere wanting to drag him back, back to his fathers life being what his father wanted him to be.  Being someone he was not, oh so he missed the touch of his mother, making all that seemed evil in the world disappear and making life easier to cope with.  He felt pitiful and pathetic a hopeless drunk traveling from inn to bar to inn.

 

                Through the windows all he saw was darkness, the night had fallen in his daze and he became more depressed darkness always did that for some reason.  The local wenches were about looking for a gold coin or two.  The quiet elf quickly ducked his head; he was in no mood to argument with another tavern wench.  He heard someone sit down in front of him and he gave a low sigh.  When he looked up though he saw a strange looking elf, one with holy symbols and one that gave an honorable feel one that was to be trusted and liked.  He had a serious look on his face and he stared into the eyes of the young elf.

 

                “Is your name Ray?”

 

                With a confused look, he was shocked no one had called his name in what seemed to be forever, the last he heard someone say it was at the gates of his home when he Nasa cried out to him “Ray don’t go!”   He adjusted in his seat and looked the warrior straight in his eyes, not being a warrior himself he knew he would die if a fight broke out, he was no match for this large elf that stood before him.  “What is it to you?” was the only thing he could think to say after a few minutes of the initial shock.

 

                “I seek the boy, now answer me yes or no please I do not wish to waste anymore time, are you or are you not Raymond K. Goldentree, son of Krecino Goldentree.  High elven knight of the queens general’s, mother Kristina Goldentree, high elven mage and scholar in the mages tower?”  He stared into the eyes of Ray Goldentree not letting a single blink stop him from starring into his green eyes.

 

                Ray was shocked even more by this person, he at first thought he was an assassin but thinking again he realized an assassin would know what he looked like and he would of killed him by now.  “I am Ray Goldentree, why do you wish to know, and who are you?”

 

                “I am Hisame Uyko, samurai of the olden code I served with your father in the last war, anyway lass I came looking for you because I heard you ran away and my code says a young warrior shall free this land from the clutches of evil.  I am a scholar also and I know that this island was not always cursed and doomed and plagued I know about 100 thousand years ago a paladin killed a lich who stalked this land and he cursed the island and the paladin.  I know he is out there for he killed my father.  What was written on his armor was the symbol Goldentree.  Now there is and always have been only one family Goldentree and that is yours.”  Ray tried to interfere and say he didn’t know anything what he was talking about but Hisame hushed him.  It is written by the gods a young warrior shall release this island from its cursed state, I am here to train that warrior.”  Hisame paused hoping he had the right boy, he wasn’t sure at the begging but after his glimpse of him back several towns back he knew in his gut that this boy had to be the one.

 

                “I think you are mistaken I am not a warrior and I know no magic, I just simply wander and go form inn to inn exploring this world.”

 

                “No Sir Goldentree you run, from yourself and your life, you run form everything, trying to escape your pain.  The burning sensation of that drink will not wash away the fear and pain, nothing will it’s a fact of life”.  Hisame leaned to the side and interlocked his dark eyes with the green eyes of which he thought was the holy savior of the island.

 

“Look here how dare you come in here and preach false rumors and other things to me, I am no hero I am only a drunk.  Only a fool would think what you think now please leave me alone to the drinking.  I do not like company”.  Ray turned his head back to its original position and then went to continue thoughts of his love, her red bright hair shinny in the wind, her beautiful smile warming his soul and making him want to love her even more.

 

                Hisame grumbled under his breath and turned to get Ray’s attention.  “Well Mr. Goldentree, I shall not leave your side so get used to a companion now.  Smiling to himself for knowing he had won this conversation he sat back and signaled the bartender for a drink.

 

                “Do as you wish then, but that doesn’t mean I will talk to you or become your friend” Ray again turned away from the samurai and began to think of a lost love.

 

* * * *

 

                The night was cold and young, shadows stretch over it in all directions.  The giant moon lumbered above the planet, emitting its glowing mystical energy all over the lands.  A stealthy figure moved from shadow to shadow unnoticed, not a single noise was made or heard.  His long knife was strapped to his side and his hood was raised hiding the elven face underneath it.   He was on a mission, his first real job since he joined the guild of thieves.  This however, was beginning to get ridiculous.   He had been tracking this hit for about a year now, he had no choice if he didn’t kill this elf and bring his head back he would be dead.  A large grumble came from the shadowy figure; he hated the rain even more then this job.  He quickly took shelter and took out his note of instructions.