FANTASY STORY
“Adventures of a Lifetime” Chapter 4 -The Town-
Elewin arrives in town to take care of a few important things.
Chapter 4
The Town
The morning was already taxing on Elewin as she had been up since early morning before the raising of the sun, and only shortly after the stroke of midnight. Knowing her ceremony was coming for ascension she was nearly up all night clearing her mind for this long process. Now, this process was coming to a halt, only delayed she believed. Elewin closed her eyes for the ride into town to get a little nap on the hard wooden carriage, patting her side pouch, knowing the last of her coins were in her bag before drifting off into the dream world.
About forty minutes of travel went by from the church up on a large hill, past all the little housetops of the land as the sun rise higher into the morning sky. Iston at the head of the carriage reins took Elewin further into the city of Syvais. Elewin was abruptly wakened by every single pothole and bump in the old dusty dirt road during this short travel; not the greatest experience for getting a good quick cat nap.
“Priestess Elewin, please wake up we are here at Shiya Communion Chapel inside Syvais City”, Iston calls out loud enough to wake Elewin from her supposed deep slumber.
“Iston, I am awake, you managed to find every hole along the way, my poor boy. Perhaps next time we could avoid them a little!” Elewin stated lightly as she opened her eyes from a partial sleeping state.
Looking up from the carriage, Elewin could smell the odor of a leather shop not but a few buildings over, lifting to her nose to the scent of a freshly made hide. The loud clanging sound of a hammer ringing off the crafting of a new armor or weapon from the blacksmith across the street echoed in her ears as if a bell was going off. She knew that her hearing was extremely good for a wood elf, however, she really wish that she was not so observant of her surroundings sometimes. Knowing in her mind that the sound of metal clinging was similar to iron clashing against a steel hammer.
By this time of the morning, the streets were rustling around and moving with a quick space, and the sound of people yelling and kids playing around the streets constantly remained. Syvais was a fairly large city, and while Elewin church was a few miles outside of the main town it was still within the town's house districts. The buildings were crafted from a very fine walnut hardwood, often of different assorted colors, but that was their local common tree in this part of the world as this was what most buildings were fashioned with. Not all buildings were that fancy, and some have even aged beautifully under the sun's radiance giving a royal ambiance of brown.
Elewin stood up inside the carriage preparing to step down, while Iston jumped off to help her as fast as he could. “Priestess Elewin, please wait for me”, Iston said as he was barely able to catch his breath fast enough as he jumped down to help Elewin. Elewin slowly stepped off the carriage in the front of the Very Large two-story Communion Chapel of Shiya, feeling the bones grind yet again, nearly losing her footing at the last step falling into the arms of Iston as he caught her from the fall.
“Priestess, Are you okay?”, Iston was trying to make sure she was okay, his fast-talking and excitement always seemed overwhelming, but thankfully he was quick on his feet.
“I’m fine Iston, my robe just caught the old carriage splintered step.” Lifting herself up with Iston help her to fully stand once more. “I will be heading in now, please stay with the carriage Iston, my balance isn’t what it used to be nor is my stamina.”
“Yes, Priestess, I will be back here waiting for you!” Iston Replied, hopping back up upon the carriage with the energy of a young teenager, pulling out a book of some sort and beginning to read.
Elewin approached the Communion Chapel's with large double doors, much like her own church doors. Engraved on the solid doors was a large woman with a crown upon her head pressed against the background of a tree, similar to the tree of life. She leaned into the door, pushing easily and opening the left side as she walked inside. The Communion chapel walls were lined with elaborate red silk cloth embroidered with the same symbol displayed on the front door.
“May the Goddess of Eternal Life bless me this day”, Elewin whispered to herself.
Looking down the halls of the communion chapel was an Elven man dressed in white robes, holding a white staff with a crowned woman sitting upon a Tree of Eternal Life. The man wore a large hat, similar to a cooking hat, but very fancy.
Elewin approached down the hall knowing this was going to be a long explanation of why she is doing this but instead she was expecting Shiya, but instead she saw the man who filled in when Shiya couldn’t. She came closer to the man looking at him head to toe.
“Dryrid, Why are you here? Where is Shiya?, she was to be performing my communion to the afterlife.” Elewin spoke, with her voice again crackling under another surprise.
“Shiya failed to show up this morning, I had no choice but to fill in for her today for your ceremony. As to her whereabouts, I would like to know myself.” Dryrid said with a half-monotoned voice raising in pitch only slightly. Looking at Elewin, her outfit is not that of a ceremony quality. “Priestess Elewin, what brings you here without formal attire for the occasion? Everything is ready for this afternoon.”
“I planned to speak to Shiya about this, but as she is not available, I have to come to you and explain. I have but one more adventure I have to do! It is of dire importance to me and my friends. Please may we delay this ceremony a few months at best to accommodate this final adventure?”, Elewin said speaking with the sound of urgency in her voice that clearly expressed a desire to postpone.
Dryrid looked over at Elewin and nodded to her with understanding. “I completely understand your decision, I will accommodate your needs as you are a renowned Priestess in this land. However, I do not believe that you will make it very far the way you are, your health is not all that great and I am concerned you might not make it to the next week if you stay in this condition. One second, I believe I have something that you can borrow until your return, but I want it back.” Dryrid held his finger up for Elewin to wait a moment as he spoke and walked over to the statue of an angel at the front altar and removed from the angel in full display a beautiful necklace of sorts. Walking back over to Elewin, “My dear Priestess Elewin, please take this for your travel, perhaps you could take a few minutes and get meld with the magical essence of this neckless.”
Elewin, looked down at this brightly well-crafted silver neckless with what looked like a potion of some sort encrusted on the medallion in the center of the neckless. The potion, while not colored held a beautiful gold symbol of a heart upon the potion-engrained medallion. “Thank you Dryrid, I will give my thanks and prayers to this gift of yours, which I will return when I get back.”
Elewin, walked over to the chair before the alter, and put the necklace around her neck, and kneeled down on the ground before the alter next to the chair, paying her respects and binding to whatever magical power this necklace could offer. Nearly an hour passed in pure thought and prayers while binding to the magical essence of the Necklace Amulet.
After the hour passed Elewin stood up, feeling as though she was a young woman again, health-wise, gaining some type of physical endurance similar to that of a young woman. Really surprised to feel this way, even seeming to gain a bit smoother skin from the youthfulness of the additional health granted by this necklace. Although, she noticed her skin being smoother, to others it wouldn’t be apparent enough to anyone to even notice the difference.
“Thank you Dryrid, this will give me enough strength combined with my beautiful belt to get through this final adventure,” Elewin mentioned as she gave a little bow to Dryrid out of respect, this time not hearing her bones crackle like they once did with every step. She felt different, healthier than she had ever felt. “I must be on my way, I have to meet up with David, an old-time friend. Thank you so much, it will give me the endurance I need to keep going.”
Dryrid gave a nod and watched as Elewin exited the Communal Chapel with a slight upbeat to her step. For an old elven lady, she sure had a lot more energy and physical aptitude than she did moments before entering the church. Looking to Iston who was now asleep on the carriage, she popped her hand down on the side of the carriage cracking the board slightly, even though she was only intending to make a slight popping sound.
Iston Jumped up with a quick “AHHH” after being startled.
“Let's go to the Red Tail Inn, I am ready to meet up with David now,” Elewin replied. Hopping up on the Carriage with no problem, managing to catch the stupid same splintered board on the way up with her robe, falling back down, thankfully into the carriage seat rather than the hard gravel ground of the city. Catching herself, which was much harder than before than it was now. “Oh my, I may have gained endurance apparently my elven agility has eluded me still in my old age.” Repositioning herself on the carriage, “let's go Iston to the Red Tail, stop watching an old lady fall”
Iston planned to say something, wanted to say something to Elewin but decided to skip those words. Although he did notice that she did have a bit of a perk about her now. “Yes Priestess Elewin, Red Tail Inn, it just down the road a few blocks away”, he replied in hesitation.
Down the road but a short trip, Elewin prepared her thoughts for meeting up with David, still puzzled by his youth. The Red Tail Inn was not the best of places to meet up but a well-known Tavern-Inn combo. Many have traveled through the Red Tail Inn for adventures, so it was only just to arrive there of all places.
Elewin didn’t have much time to gather her thoughts in by the time she realized she was already right there in front of the Red Tail Inn, with the sign hanging by only one chain from above the door.
“Iston, from here you will go back to our church and manage your duties from there, If I return I will come back to you before my ascension. This is no longer your adventure in time you will find your own, perhaps a quest greater than mine one day.” Elewin rambled off as she was hopping off the carriage, actually getting lucky this time to not fall or catch that stupid splintered step. “Remember to give Luyiara her medicine weekly okay? Be safe Iston.”
Iston replied with a good nod, and while wanting to say more was left with no words as he didn’t want her to go, but understood the importance of such a great adventure.
Elewin approached the single half-beaten wooden door, opening it with concern and excitement. Spotting David instantly…
“David!!!”
