Chapter 1

RUN

“Run!” the guard bellowed as he threw me over the side of the boat, careening into the frigid waters of the Lorien Sea.

I landed just shy of the assailing islanders clamoring to board the prisoner transport I had just been ever so tactfully removed from.  They screamed with a terrifying bloodlust, and death was in their eyes.  With one look at them, I knew they had each earned their place on this island of killers. That, or the Vine had strangled their humanity from them.

The island earned it’s name because it was said that the worst criminals of the lands were given the choice to hang from the rope or from The Vine.  Most chose the rope.  The Vine was a place of horror.  Beasts ravaged the jungles, and savage gangs of ruthless killers stalked the land especially the south side, where I had been sent.  Men became beasts, or died a long and savage death.

I did not need to stick around to know there would be blood shed on both sides of this encounter between the inmates and their guards.  While the islanders had numbers and ferocity on their side, the guards had superior arms and a vessel already pulling away from the beach.

I took the opportunity to make the long sprint to the jungle while the islanders were distracted by the false hope of escape.  The run to the jungle had to be every step of five miles, by my guess.  I was gasping for air by the time I reached the safety of the jungle.  Immediately a thick canopy shaded me from the harsh sun.

Looking back across the beach, the skirmish had come to a close.  The gang of islanders had managed to bring down a guard, but at the cost of five of their own.  The ship was sailing back to the line of patrolling ships, seemingly unscathed.  Still, the gang seemed pleased with the results, if their war cries were any indication.  

“I don’t stand a chance against that,” I said to myself.  

Thinking it prudent not to wait until they remembered the small, unarmed boy running for the jungle, I decided to venture deeper into the unknown.  The jungle made no protest to my company, save for the screeching of beasts hidden in the thick flora that was to be my new home.

My oasis was not as I expected, though in all fairness I had no idea what to expect from a jungle. The jungle was dark, yet alive with foreign sounds and smells, teeming with unknown dangers I instinctively knew I lacked the skills or tools to combat.

I was suddenly made painfully aware that I truly did not belong here.  Being raised in a palace did not a warrior make, I thought to myself.  What I’d give to be back there, within the safety of stonewalls and palace guards to fight on my behalf.  That hope was long gone, however.  The King himself had sentenced me.

“You’ll hang by the rope or The Vine, Echo,” He had said with disdain in his eyes, “for the dishonor you have brought into my home and family.”

I would have chosen the rope, had it not been for the pleas of the Princess.  

“Promise me you will survive, Echo, no matter what it takes,” She had pleaded.  I knew I stood no chance on the Vine, but I also stood no chance arguing against the Princess.

As I looked directly into the eyes of a jungle cat appearing seemingly out of nowhere before me, I found myself wishing I had chosen the rope over The Vine.

Instinct took over, and I bolted into the jungle.  With a roar, the jungle cat was immediately on my tail, gracefully navigating the terrain as I left a wake of debris behind my thrashing escape.  With nothing but more jungle on all sides of me, and a quickly approaching death at my heels, I ran up the closest tree.  

Perhaps it was the adrenaline, but I made quick work of the tree.  I found myself at the top in but the space of a breath, and looked down at the jungle cat.  I could have sworn the cat was impressed, as I myself were.  It circled the base of the tree three times, before launching himself up the tree with such ease as to make my efforts seem laughable at best.

Doing the only thing I could, I swung on a branch and lunged out with my feet, connecting a kick to the jungle cat’s ribs.  The cat went flying from the tree, but someone managed to land on its feet on the ground below.  Impressed by its grace, I knew it would be only a few moments before the cat was making its ascent again.  This time, I doubted greatly that I would be able to repel its attack.

Just then a piercing cacophony of screeches echoed throughout the jungle.  The jungle cat hissed and its hair stood visibly on end, before it took off like a dart in the opposite direction of the sound.  While my predator ran off, I had the distinct feeling I was still prey.

Tentatively looking around the jungle from my high perch, I saw no sign of the origin of the screeching.  An eerie silence had descended upon the jungle, however, like the bugs and beasts were now hiding as well.  Feeling suddenly exposed at the top of the tree, I began searching for a better hiding spot.

A relatively short distance away, I spotted a hollowed out tree log on the ground.  Judging by my eyes, I would have no problem fitting inside the small space, and would probably escape the gaze of whatever stalked the jungle.

I quickly scurried down the tree and made it to the log, careful to move as quietly as possible in the new silence.  As I thought, I fit perfectly inside the log, with room to spare.  For once, my small size was paying off, I thought to myself.

The inside of the log was warm, and the efforts of the day began quickly catching up with me.  My stomach mustered together an appropriately ravenous growl, but I was not about to leave the comfort of my new shelter for anything.  It was but mere minutes before I succumbed to the exhaustion and escaped to slumber.

I dreamt of a stone cavern, dark but for the glow of a small luminous orb on the far side of the entrance.  The orb pulled me in like a fish in the nets, closer and closer.  It was surrounded by rubble and decay, but stood clearly apart with an ethereal beauty.  As I neared the orb, I bent down to grab it with my hands.  Radiant heat greeted my hand and began spreading throughout my body.

Suddenly, and without cause, I was being pulled away from the orb.  The heat was replaced by a chilling cold and a sharp pain around my ankles, as I was dragged further away from the orb.  Just then, a wailing screech tore me from sleep.  

I was back in the jungle, but it was darker and chillingly cold.  I was still being dragged backwards, however.  Pulled out from the base of the log, I turned to see what I expected would be the jungle cat from before.  I could not have been more wrong.

A toothy maw had me by the ankles, and two red eyes stared at me.  The creature was slightly smaller than me, stood on two legs, and had a tail as long as its body trailing behind it.  While the creature alone was terrifying, what really scared me were the three sets of red eyes in the darkness behind the creature.  With a clicking sound, they began moving forward towards what I assumed they thought was their next meal.

Paralyzed by fear, I knew I needed to act quickly.  My body was not cooperating however.  But then one of the banshees let forth a piercing screech that jolted me into action.  I broke one of my feet free from the maw and kicked the creature in the jaw, causing it to move back and release my other ankle.  Quickly, I scurried back into the log.

One of the creatures quickly followed me in, attempting to squirm in behind me.  From my position I easily kept it at bay with lunging kicks.  The other quickly jumped on top of the log and, judging by the sound and vibrations, began burrowing through the old bark.  The whole log shook tremendously between my kicking and their burrowing.  Suddenly, I felt something shift, and the log began rolling.

Judging by the screeches and bumps, a couple of the creatures were tumbled by the log in the initial revolutions.  Quickly, the rolling sped up, and my sense of anything outside the log was dispelled.  Just as the entire world began to become a blur, the log stopped in a thunderous explosion that threw me into the jungle overgrowth.  As I jumped up to my feet, I quickly saw movement in the plants heading directly for me.

Once again, I ran.  Sprinting through the jungle, I was spurred on by the screams of the banshees quickly gaining on me.  A fire appeared in the distance, and I ran for it.  I was too concerned with escaping what was behind me to pay any heed to what was ahead.  As I looked over my shoulder, I saw three of the creatures break out from the overgrowth ten paces behind me.  As they gained, I burst into a clearing around the fire.  

No one was in sight.  I ran to the fire and pulled a branch out, swinging the flames towards the three creatures still after me.  With the light from the flame, I could see their angular heads and razor sharp teeth better.  They stayed just out of reach of the branches, but probed for weaknesses in my defense.  I knew I would not be able to keep all three away for long.  Just then, one launched for my face.

I felt the spear brush past my ear before it pierced the creature’s maw, sending its limp body flying.  More spears landed around the remaining two creatures before they darted off into the jungle at breathtaking speeds.

How could anything move that fast, I wondered.  Even more, how did I nearly outrun them?

Before I had room to think more on the subject, a spear point pushed against my lower back brought me back to my immediate reality.

“Who are ye?” came the burly voice of who must have been holding the spear.

“M-my name’s Echo…” I replied.

“And what brings you to our fair island?” another voice dripping with sarcasm added.

“The King of Galafrand sent me.”

A cackle of laughter greeted my answer.

“What could a runt like this one do to ruffle the feathers of the King of Galafrand?!” a voice almost laughed.

“Enough!” the burly spearman yelled, “We’ll take him back to the family and find out more.”

“What family?” I asked, confusion rife in my voice.

“The Kron of course!” cackled the man who had called me a runt.

“Now shut yer mouth and move!” the burly spearman bellowed.

At the urging of a spear prod, I walked away from the fire and into the darkness in the direction they indicated.  For over two hours they walked, with no disturbance from beasts or men.  The four spearmen seemed alert, but unconcerned.  Torchlight appeared in the distance, and quickly a fortress could be seen.

When they got to the gate, one of the spearmen shouted some words that I did not recognize and the gate opened just enough for one person to enter at a time.  When the gate closed, I was unsure of how to feel.  While I was seemingly safe from the dangers of the jungles, I was unsure that the denizens of this fortress would be any more welcome company.  If my night in the jungle had taught me anything, it was that there was always a new, bigger predator to be feared.

The fortress was made largely from wood, with torches lit all around it.  A precarious combination, I thought to myself.  This hardly seemed a group concerned with fire safety, however.  Huts and tents sprawled across the central grounds, with one larger structure in the middle with the word KRON written above the doorway.  It was in the direction of this structure that we were heading.

Outside the door, the burly spearman, whom I had learned was named Jearl, stopped me and said, “Do not speak unless spoken to, runt.”  I simply nodded before being thrust into the thatched building.  Unsurprisingly, there was scant in the way of decoration.  Thatched walls and ceilings surrounded dirt floor.  A desk and chair stood in the center of the room, seated at which was a hard-looking man, examining papers.  The man looked up when he heard the door shut behind us.

“Jearl, what have you brought us?” He said, curiosity in his eyes.

“A straggler running from the demons in the jungle, Krondar”

“Likely the newest prisoner of The Vine, from today’s drop at the beach,” Kron reasoned aloud.  “Bring the runt over here so I can examine him.”

Pushed forward by Jearl, I walked over to Krondar.  He began poking and prodding at me, seeming unimpressed.

“You’ve brought me a child with less muscle than a jungle rat, Jearl!” Krondar laughed before turning to look me in the eyes.  “What could you have done to end up here in oblivion, boy?”

Before I could answer, Krondar seemed to notice something.  A shimmer of anger lit up his eyes, as he crossed the room to move back my long, shaggy blond hair.

“Well that answers that!” Krondar said with noticeable disgust, gesturing towards my now exposed ears.  “You fools didn’t notice the pointed ears of a High Elf!”

Jearl spread his arms out in innocence, saying, “It was too dark to see anything but that he was a boy.”

“Take this demon spawn away from me,” Krondar spit, “and throw him in the dungeon until I can figure out what to do with him.

I was quickly grabbed and dragged out to another building that went below ground.  There were about four cells that I could see by the torchlight of the Kron, with thick wooden bars and tiny doors. Jearl threw me into one, locked the door, and left me alone in complete darkness.