Xandier

Prologue
Ebrithil burst through the door, sending it smashing up against the wall, causing the chandeliers to shake. His golden scales glinted in the light. At his side, Esmerelda hissed. He shot a look at her, but then realized why she was hissing. The wizard before them snickered and then settled back down in his seat. King Cronix sat, looking surprised as Ebrithil stepped in.

“Glad to see you’ve made it Ebrithil.” The king said with a sparkle in his eyes.

“I would never miss a meeting of the Council of Elth.” Ebrithil barred his teeth in a smile.

The King stood up. His golden crown was deeply decorated with rubies. He pulled the violet robe behind him, hanging his hands on the top of his hips. He paced around, pulling at his red beard. Finally, he looked at the twelve others in the room.

“Kari, what have you to say about the Elven Kingdom?” He looked toward the tall brunette elf. Her hair was pulled back and her blue eyes shone. She stood up, and her white gown flowed down to the floor.

“We are doing well, no sign of the upcoming threat is evident there.” She sat down quietly with a bow to King Cronix.

“And the Phoenix Kingdom?” He looked toward Chawn, a dark blue phoenix.

“Same news.” Chawn said.

King Cronix nodded and turned to the next person at the table. It was Vrack, leader of the Wizards Kingdom. The Dragons didn’t like him. Esmerelda growled under her breath. Vrack stared at her, but remained silent, clearly speaking to King Cronix with his mind. King Cronix nodded and turned to Leopard, leader of the Animal Kingdom. Leopard stood up, swishing her tail around.

“All is well.” She stated, sitting down again.

King Cronix nodded and turned to Bayne, the leader of the Human Kingdom. He was shorter, and his ash blond hair was long. He stood up and looked toward King Cronix.

“Same.” He nodded.

“And, the Dragon Kingdom?” King Cronix looked toward Ebrithil. Ebrithil smiled, showing his fangs. His gold scales glinted in the light.

“We have had a breach in our castle security.” He informed the Council of Elth. “A fortnight ago, a haggard stole into our castle. He stole precious records. We were able to capture him, thanks mostly to Esmerelda here.” He motioned to the smaller green dragon next to him. Esmerelda nodded. “He claims to be from the Wizard Kingdom, which makes me wonder if our alliance is not what it seemed.”

A growl ripped from Esmerelda’s throat. Vrack’s eyes widened in surprise. He stood, long white beard flowing.

“How dare you mongrel!” He shouted. “The Council of Elth has been in existence since Xandier’s very existence! You dare to question the power held in our alliance?”

“Your magic has caused nothing but grief to the dragons of the Dragon Kingdom.” Ebrithil spat.

“And your magic has caused nothing but grief to the Wizards and Witches of the Wizard Kingdom!”

“Enough!” King Cronix screamed. “If you two are finished squabbling, then we can discuss this rationally!”

“I have something to say.” Kari stood up. She was beautiful, no doubt about that, but she was a fierce fighter. No one had been able to beat her in her eighty-seven years. Her flowing brown hair lied straight against her figure, coming to a stop just below her wrists.

“Please,” King Cronix said. He sat down, followed by Vrack. Kari moved to the front of the table to address the Council.

“It seems to me that this is a trick. Why would a haggard from the Wizard Kingdom try and breach the castle security of the Dragon Kingdom? It doesn’t seem right. I believe this has something to do with the problems in Akazëa. The Empire has been taking over the states that surround it quickly.”
Chawn shook his head. “But that makes no sense! Why would the Empire in Akazëa try and create fighting among the Council of Elth?”

“You didn’t let me finish,” Kari said, her eyes turning harsh for a second. “They would do that because Xandier is the most united state in all of Akazëa. Think about their strategy; all of the other states have corrupt governments. Here, we have the six Kingdoms. We have our one leader. We have the Council of Elth. If they succeed in dividing us, they succeed in conquering us.” She turned to face each of the leaders. “The Elven Kingdom is preparing to fight any upcoming threat from Akazëa. We have to be ready.” Leopard nodded in agreement, as did Vrack. Bayne shook his head with Chawn.

“I don’t think this threat has anything to do with the corruption in Akazëa. This is bigger. It has to do with the problems in the entirety of Var’ez.” Bayne said. Kari stared at him.

“Var’ez? No. This is not big enough to involve the entire world.” Kari stated her point plainly.

“Kari, you are being very set on a theory that you came up with.” Bayne challenged. Kari’s eyes grew wider.

“Are you challenging my authority in the Elven Kingdom?” She asked, standing up again.

“No, I am challenging your assumed authority in the Council of Elth. This Council was created to ensure peace in all of Xandier. What you’re doing—”

“What I am doing is arming my Kingdom against foreign attack.” Her lips pressed into a hard line. Her eyes were just as concrete. Ebrithil looked toward King Cronix. His fingers were weaved together, and he seemed not to want to interfere with Kari.

“Well, why don’t you make the decisions for all of the Kingdoms!” Bayne shouted. Kari reached toward her sword at her side, but then changed her mind.

“I will not be told out by a mere human.” She spat the last word and turned with a twirl of chestnut hair. Her white robes flowed out behind her and she strode toward the door. “I will be at the next meeting, but consider this Bayne of the Human Kingdom, I have been alive for eighty-seven years. Never has a human dared to insult me unless they had a death wish. If you are wise, you will keep your head on your shoulders.” She strode gracefully out the door, as it shut with a soft click. King Cronix let out a soft chuckle under his breath before standing again.

“The meeting of the Council of Elth, on The Season of Snow’s eighteenth night is adjourned.” He said. He turned with a fling of his robes and exited out the back hallway. No one moved. The last time that Kari had stormed out of a meeting of the Council was back in the Season of Changing Leaves.

Ebrithil was the first to move. He led Esmerelda toward the door, and they walked out quietly. The green dragon muttered something inaudible about Vrack before they left the room. Ebrithil was surprised to see Kari pacing back and forth in one of the many corridors King Cronix had in his castle.

“Ebrithil,” She said with a bow of her head. Ebrithil returned the favor. The elf walked closer to him, placing a light pale hand on his golden scales.

“I believe you are right Kari.” The gold dragon stated. “Each kingdom must watch out for their security, especially yours. All of Akazëa would like nothing more than to unleash the power you elves have.” Kari dipped her head again.

“Which is why I must ask a favor of you and the rest of the Dragon Kingdom,” She stepped back to where she had been pacing and picked up a small bundle of warn leather. She cradled the bundle, bringing it back to Ebrithil.

“This child is the first newborn elf in over fifty years. Her name is Arlene. Please, I fear that the Elven Kingdom will be the first to fall. My daughter must survive this.” She showed the child to Ebrithil. “You have to take her. She will be very safe in the Dragon Kingdom. If I do not make it, she is the heiress to the Elven Kingdom.”

Ebrithil looked at the sleeping elf in Kari’s arms. Her skin was just as pale as her mothers, her lips a light red. Her ears were pointed and her hair was coming in a dark brown color. Kari’s pleading eyes made Ebrithil want to take the child.

“I will look out for her.” He promised. Kari nodded, biting her lip. She slid gracefully back to where she had just been and picked up more of the leather. She made a small side saddle for the baby to lie, and then she slid Baby Arlene into there.

“I’d like to give her a blessing, and a goodbye.” Kari told Ebrithil. He nodded. “Arlene, heiress to the throne of the Elven Kingdom, you are my daughter. I love you, I will always love you. I will see you when it is safe my dear.” She kissed the small elf on the forehead before turning to the golden dragon again.

“One more thing,” She said, as Ebrithil was about to take off. “Thank you.” Ebrithil nodded gravely and took off into the air gently. Esmerelda was at his side in an instant. They flew together for a few leagues, watching as the rest of the Council of Elth poured out behind them.

Three days later, word arrived in the Dragon Kingdom that Kari was dead.

Moine.

Woah, Keri! (Am I allowed to post? If I wasn't, just delete this. No hard feelings.)

You totally posted this on WI! Either that, or I'm crazy. But it's awesome and I want you to continue. x3 Yay.

I did post it, and I'm working on it again, but I've changed the prologue dramatically... And by that, I mean that I edited it so it makes sense, and the way the characters talk fits the time period. Plus I added sub-plots.

Hey, so uh... Keri.

SINCEWHENCANYOUWRITESOGOOD.
-clears throat-

I meant; that was quite fantastic. ITWASAMAZING. MORMORMOR.

Yay for sub-plots!! Well, I'll be waiting for the next Chapter. -waits patiently x3-

In a completely irrelevant matter, Miami, I love your avatar. xD

Um... Since I started writing? I'm just that amazing.

Yeah, I'm posting each chapter as I edit it. I have to go visit my grandmother in the hospital right now, but I'll post it when I get back, hopefully.

Chapter 1
Arlene bounded around the field; her long brown hair swirling around her. She paused and then sprinted even faster toward the castle.
“Catch me if you can!” Arlene giggled running around. Her white dress caught on a branch and she tripped. The young purple Dragon with her rushed to her aid.
“Are you okay?” She asked.
“I’m great!” Arlene insisted. “Come on Viola, let’s play some more.” She motioned for the young purple dragon to follow her as she sprinted toward the castle. Her feet were feather light against the smooth grass that flowed across the meadow. She ran toward the castle as an impossible rate.
“Hey, wait up!” Viola called, taking off into the air and flying smoothly over Arlene’s head. They went like this for several leagues, Arlene never tired. Her endless energy kept her moving.
Viola reached the gate of the castle first. She stood there, a smile appearing. The white of her teeth was a perfect accent to the purple of her scales. Arlene sighed.
“You always win.” She pouted. Viola chuckled. “Come on, Ebrithil is probably worried.” Viola nodded and they walked inside the immense castle.
They passed by the council room, where Ebrithil met with all of his advisors. The ornate main corridor was decorated with pictures of all of the Royal Dragons of the Dragon Kingdom. Ebrithil’s picture was the most decorated. His frame was a deep bronze color, and encrusted with rubies. To the right of his was Esmerelda. She was a fierce fighter, but Arlene didn’t like her. She wasn’t that nice. After Esmerelda was Viola, daughter of Ebrithil and heiress to the throne of the Dragon Kingdom. Arlene scooted past them toward the main chamber. She entered silently, seeing Ebrithil at the front of the room.
Ebrithil nodded as the fourteen year-old elf entered the room. He stood up and looked at the young purple dragon with her. Viola and Arlene were practically inseparable.
“Ebrithil,” Esmerelda said as she entered the room. “It is time.” Arlene knew what this meant; another meeting of the Council of Elth. She sighed. Ebrithil nodded.
“Viola, Arlene, why don’t you two go play. Esmerelda and I need to talk before the meeting. Viola nodded and scooped Arlene onto her back before scooting out the room. Arlene agilely slid of Viola’s back and pressed her pointed ear to the door.
“She should be allowed to come.” Esmerelda said.
“No.” Ebrithil answered. “She is too young, and the risk is too great. We are already putting the Dragon Kingdom at risk by going ourselves. We cannot put the heiress to the Elven Kingdom at risk. We must honor Kari’s last wishes.” Arlene pulled away. The Elven Kingdom? Heiress to the throne? And who was Kari? Her mother? She had always known that she was different from the dragons, but an elf, raised by dragons? She shook her head.
“What did you hear?” Viola asked. Arlene shook her head.
“Not here. Let’s go to my chamber, we can discuss this there.” She walked quietly toward her bedroom in the northeast tower of the castle. Arlene liked her room. There were many times that Viola was able to come and visit, via the large window in the tower.
The problem was the security. She was always so heavily guarded. But why? Why would an elf be raised by the Royal Dragons of the Dragon Kingdom? She pondered the question as she climbed the steep stairs to her bedroom. The walls were a dark purple, with ornate gold trimming. Her bed was large and comfortable, with a dark gold comforter over it. It wasn’t a large room, just big enough for her to keep some clothes and a few small toys she had collected as a child. Viola curled up on her bed, wrapping her tail around her. Her purple scales matched the décor nicely.
“So…?” Viola asked. Arlene walked over to the window and shut the shudders quickly, first making sure no one was around. “What did you hear Arlene?”
Arlene sat on the bed next to Viola and crossed her legs. She sighed deeply, wondering if she should tell her best friend or not.
“They were talking about the Elven Kingdom, and me.” She said. Viola’s eyes indicated question. “Look, I know I’m an elf. That’s obvious. But they said I was heiress to the throne of the Elven Kingdom.”
“Wow,” Viola said. “You, heiress to the throne of the Elven Kingdom. But, why are you here? Why wouldn’t you be in the Elven Kingdom?” Arlene shook her head.
“I don’t know, but they didn’t want me to know about it. Why else would Ebrithil ask me to leave before talking to Esmerelda?”
Viola thought about this for a second. She blew little rings of smoke while she thought. “I’m not sure.” She finally said. “Did they say anything else?”
“Yes, something about a threat that would put me at risk if I ever went to the Council of Elth meetings.”
“A threat?” Viola asked. “I’ve never heard about this. I wonder if it has anything to do with the increased number of meetings of the Council of Elth.”
Arlene shrugged, and then jumped as there was a soft knock on her door. She jumped up and opened it. Ebrithil stood at the doorway.
“Viola, please go to your room. I need to talk to Arlene alone in the main chamber.” He waited for Viola to leave. Arlene sent her a pleading glance as she left, afraid for what this meeting might bring.
“Come with me.” Ebrithil said. He gracefully slid down the passageway toward the chamber. He stopped by his picture in the hallway.
“You know, your mother was a very special elf.” He stated. Ebrithil nudged the frame of the large picture with his nose. It shimmered for a second, before opening to reveal a set of stairs that spiraled up. Arlene looked up the passage, marveling at how high the stairs went.
“Let us go.” He stepped up the stairs quietly, looking to his right and left. The stairs continued to the very top of the tallest part of the castle, a large tower that Arlene had never been to. He stopped at a dark blue wooden door. The handle was gold as were the hinges. But what really shocked Arlene was the intricate designs inscribed in the Elven Language.
She traced the patterns with her fingers, marveling at how amazing they looked. She had come from people that spoke this language, and she was slightly ashamed that she couldn’t read it. There was a symbol that decorated the space under the inscription. It was beautiful, with a rose and swirls that wound around each other perfectly.
“Ich nao vӧars çhâi,” He recited. “She Whom We Loved Rests Here,” Arlene shifted her gaze to meet Ebrithil’s eyes. They were distant and sad, with years of wisdom hidden in every shift in color. He pointed toward the door.
“Go in.” He told her. Arlene reached toward the door and twisted the knob. It opened easily, allowing her to glide in. She stepped further inside. The room was dark, except for a single spotlight caused by an opening in the ceiling. The spotlight fell naturally onto a glass case. Inside the case, was an elf. Her skin was extremely pale and perfect. She looked like she had been carved out of marble. Her hair was long, and it rested near her hips.
Arlene stepped closer, tripping over a golden plaque that was higher than the other stones. The inscription on this was the same as on the door. She reached down and touched it, before looking back to the elf.
“This, is Kari. She was the last leader of the Elven Kingdom.” Ebrithil had stepped in the room and was waiting in the back. Arlene turned back toward the elf.
“Why is she in the Dragon Kingdom?” She asked, touching the glass case lightly.
“The elves thought it might be safer to keep her here, rather than to have her stay in that kingdom. She was a wonderful leader. She was eighty-seven years old when she died.” Ebrithil seemed to be struggling, as if he wanted to say more.
“There’s something else.” Arlene guessed. Ebrithil nodded sadly.
“Yes, she was your mother.” He hung his head, hoping he had not upset her. Arlene looked toward the elf with a new passion, a love that couldn’t have been described before. A mother-daughter attraction. She bit her lip and studied her mother’s face, seeing new similarities.
I’m the daughter of the most loved Elven leader. She thought. “Why did you hide this from me?” She turned back to Ebrithil. The dragon sighed in response, thinking of a way to begin his tail.
“Fourteen years ago, when you were just a baby, there was a meeting of the Council of Elth. After your mother got upset with the leader of the Human Kingdom she left the meeting. I went out after her. She came directly to Esmerelda and I, and told me she believed that the Elven Kingdom was in danger. She wanted to make sure you survived if she were to fall in battle. As it turns out, she was right.
“Your mother told me what your name was, and then bid me farewell. When news came to us three days later that she was dead, we were shocked. She was the fiercest warrior the Elven Kingdom had ever seen. We immediately asked the elves to send her here, where she has remained. Esmerelda thinks I should have told you before, but I thought you needed to be old enough. It’s a difficult thing to stomach.
“As it turns out, the Elven Kingdom is without a proper leader. Arlene, I have raised you into a fine young lady. Your expertise in the language of the Dragons is amazing. You know many advanced spells, some of which are Elven. You know more than you think you do. I believe that you are ready to be leader of the Elven Kingdom.”
Arlene didn’t know what to say. She turned to Ebrithil, her eyes were wet with a few tears that had escaped her self control. She sighed quietly.
“I need to think about this. I don’t know whether I’m ready to be the leader of an entire kingdom or not. I don’t even know how to speak the Elven Language!” She threw her hands up into the air before collapsing into a ball on the floor. “You have just thrust a great responsibility onto my shoulders, one that I’m not ready to accept. You have to understand that this is a difficult decision for one as young as I.”
Ebrithil nodded again. He walked over to her, comforting her quietly as he had done when she was a child. This felt good, almost normal to Arlene. She stood up and looked into Ebrithil’s eyes.
“I will think about it.” With that, she stepped back through the door and down the stairs without even another glance at her mother. After she was down the stairs, she broke into a run toward her room. She ran faster as she got closer, ending up in a full sprint when she got there. Sweaty and tear-stained, she changed quietly into something more comfortable for riding.
She ran back down the stairs and out the castle door toward the stable. She searched through the familiar stalls, looking for Von, her horse. She saddled him quickly, and then drove her heel into his side, forcing him into a run. She could feel the stare of Ebrithil and Esmerelda, especially Esmerelda, as she rode away from the castle and toward the forest.
They stopped near a small stream, allowing him a drink. She curled up next to a tree and looked around, unaware that she had fallen asleep.

Arlene woke a few hours later. The forest was pitch black. Her first thought was toward Von. Was he safe? She jumped up and tried to see through the darkness that surrounded her. She wondered randomly if it was this dark for humans, but then shook off that thought. She finally found Von. He was asleep too. She petted him gently; jumping onto his saddle and trotting briskly back toward the castle.
After Von was back in the stable, Arlene walked back into the castle. She wanted to go back to sleep, but there was something that she had to do first. She strode through the main chamber, grateful that no one was awake at this time of night.
She stared at the frame of Ebrithil’s picture, remembering how he had made it shimmer before it revealed the stairs. Could she do that? She touched the edge of the frame. Nothing happened.
Arlene sighed and balled up some energy inside her stomach. She prepared to channel magic, the way she had been taught as a child. She touched the edge of the frame again, a little harder this time. Nothing happened.
Frustrated, she jammed her finger against the edge of the frame. It shimmered and then the stairs appeared again. She grinned widely before starting up the massive staircase. Dragging her hand against the wall, she pulled herself up the stairs.
When she got to the door, she didn’t know whether or not to enter. Would it be disrespectful in the Elven society to visit her more than once in one day? She bit her lip and tried the door. It opened as easily as it had before. She slipped inside casually, gliding toward the case and skidding to a stop next to the plaque. She sat just behind it, her chin resting on her knees, and her arms wrapped around them.
She sat there for hours, long enough that the sun had come up and was once again resting on the case. She watched the change with wonder. Wherever the sun was, it shone on the case, a highly respectful place to be.
“Good bye, mom.” Arlene whispered as she exited the room around midmorning.

Oh, your grandmother's in the hospital? Well, I hope she'll be okay.

Aaaaaanyhoozle, 'twas a lovely chapter! It was a lot of imformation to be thrown at the reader for a begining chapter, but y'know, some stories do that, and I'm sure you have a plan so we'll be alright. It kinda reminds me of Eragon. ^.^ I dunno why....Maybe because there's dragons and elves and magic? Yeah, maybe that's why...

She's fine. It's like the rehaby part of the hospital; she had her hip replaced.

Well, I'm glad your grandmas ok! And really good story! It reminds me kinda of Eragon too, with dragons, elves, magic, and those words that are hard to pronounce. But the story is different so... yah. Write more soon!

Thanks. I'll post another chapter probably tomorrow.

Yea! I'll make sure to check it out