Emmy Writes Short Stories

As they were leaving the cave, Allannah felt as though something was off. While she had celebrated after the burn on her back stopped hurting, she couldn’t shake the suspicion that something was wrong. It was driving her crazy. She looked around as they exited the cave. She was in a part of the forest she didn’t recognize. She had to watch carefully where the other elves were going so she wouldn’t get lost. She trailed near the back of the group as they made their way back to camp.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was dark out, their only light was the full moon. She heard the occasional rustle, but nothing big. It was probably a bunny or a bird. Her new, black armour felt strange. It was made out of a very fine leather with metal strips attached in various places. It felt weird. Her grey armour had been leather too, but it had been worn in from the last three years of training. This new armour wasn’t worn in yet and it felt clumpy. She suddenly became aware of how vulnerable she was. She had always depended on her fast movements and her agility, but with the stiff armour and her burnt, peeling back, she wouldn’t be able to move very fast. With this thought, she sped up a bit so she wouldn’t be at the back of the group by herself.

She fell in step beside one of her trainers, Jassin. He was by far her favourite of the trainers. While he was hard on her, he looked at her like she was important. Not like some of the trainers who viewed their students as nuisances and failures.

“How’s it feel?” he asked in his kind and gentle voice. Allanah was caught of guard by the question

‘W-what?” she asked, looking at him in confusion. He chuckled slightly.

“How’s it feel to finally be a member of the darkblade clan after all those years of training?” he asked, looking down at her. Allanah suddenly became self conscious of her height. She was short for an elve. Only five foot nine. He was at least six foot ten.

“Oh yeah, it feels good. Kinda hurts though.” He chuckled again and this time Allanah joined in.

“Don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt forever.” He said.

Something still didn’t sit right with Allanah. There was something wrong. She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to pull it out of the sheath at the first sign of danger. Jassin didn’t seem to notice because he continued to tell Allanah about his initiation into the guild; however, she wasn’t listening to him, but rather to every twig that broke beneath the parties feet and every rustle in the bush. Then everything seemed to go out of focus. The sounds turned into mumblings and her eyesight went all hazy, but she wasn’t dizzy or anything. It felt like she was in a dream.

“When I tell you, pull out your sword” said Jassin

She turned around, everything still hazy. There was no one there though. She was confused. She could have sworn she heard a voice. She turned around and continued to walk.

Do it now!

The burlap sack over Allanah’s head made it difficult to breathe. She had no idea where she was or where she was going. She could see the occasional outline of a tree or a bush. The most prominent thing she could make out was the full moon. It was difficult to walk through the forest and the guild wasn’t very gentle. They led her through the forest, occasionally pushing her or forgetting to warn her there was a rock in front of her, but she didn’t mind. She knew the guilds traditions. She had to learn all of them to even get this far. She knew what was happening and it excited her.

“Stop,” commanded the voice on her right. She obeyed. The elf on her right walked forward and said something, but she couldn’t tell what he said because of the burlap sack. Suddenly the ground began to shake and she heard a grumble, almost as if someone was pushing a boulder. There was a loud thud that seemed to ring on for forever, then silence. She was shoved forward again.

“Move,” said a female voice from behind her. She walked forward. The wind stopped blowing and it became darker. Something was blocking the moon. Someone hooked their arm through hers. She was led down a series of twisted halls, throwing off her sense of direction. Through her burlap sack, she could make out a glow, coming from the end of a long hallway. They walked towards the light. The arm holding hers let go.

“Kneel,” commanded a deep voice. She kneeled onto the hard stone floor. The burlap sack was ripped aggressively off her head. She had to resist the urge to fix her hair. There were guild members all around her, wearing the same, black armour. She was the only one wearing grey armour, a sign of her rank in the guild. She was deep underground in some hidden cavern. In front of her was a large fire.

The oldest looking elf stepped forward. “Allanah Sarfiel, Daughter of Shenarah Sarfiel and Galan Sarfiel, is it your wish to become a member of the Darkblade Clan?”

“Yes,” responded Allanah, her heart beating in her ears.

“Do you promise to uphold all the standards of the darkblade clan, to protect and serve all creatures no matter, race, gender or any other factors?”

“I do,” responded Allanah with determination.

“Do you promise never to betray the Darkblade’s? To always put your clan before anything else?”

“I do.”

“Do you swear all of these things on your life?”

“I do.”

“These are the flames of our ancestors, given to them by a dragon. The flame will seek your inner soul. If you break any of the commandments you have just sworn to, the dragon’s flame will consume you. Are you certain you swear these things on your life?

“Yes.”

“Then let her receive the mark of the Darkblade clan.” She pulled the metal stick out of the fire. On the end of it was the darkblades insignia. Two of the elves came up and held onto either side of her shoulders and lifted the back of her shirt. The elder circled around her

“May the God of our ancestors bless you,” she said. Then she took the red metal and placed it on her back. The hands on Allanah’s sides tightened as her back curved up. She let out a scream as burnt flesh hit her nostrils. It seemed like an eternity before the heat was finally lifted from her back. The two elves let go of her shoulders and she fell to the ground panting.