Author's Notes:
The Wood Knot Warrior is my contribution to the Tales of Leinyere Story Event.
Dipping my toe into the epic world of fantasy lore, desperately hoping not to abuse it too greatly.
All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.
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Tales of Leinyere - The Wood Knot Warrior
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Prologue
In the lush and enchanting Mistveil Woods on the western coast of Leinyere lived a lovely, young Wood Elf girl. While some might not consider fifty-eight to be young, Wood Elves measured their lives in centuries and took their time with everything, including reaching adulthood.
She was born in a small, simple coastal village, wasn't particularly curious about the wonders of the world around her, and remained naïve and immature well into her fifties.
This greatly displeased and disappointed her parents.
She wasn't from a wealthy or socially significant family, but she blossomed with a rare beauty as she reached these young adult years. It is said there were no finer or more symmetrical features to be found on any Wood Elf.
While their race was deeply in tune with the natural world around them with all its random and chaotic wonder, Wood Elves had a particular desire for order and symmetry when it came to appearance.
This singular attribute drew many suitors to her, but she quickly became bored of hearing their sweet but empty words.
Worse, she began to believe them.
As a goddess of love, she decided that only the best deserved her attention. She soon developed a cruel streak and delighted in manipulating those who tried to woo her. She enjoyed seeing just how far her suitors would go before she broke their unworthy spirits, making them give up.
Two of her suitors were made of stronger stuff and were determined to have her. Both were handsome males from families of good standing in their communities, but beyond that, they couldn't have been more different.
The first candidate was a Wood Elf from their capital city, a brilliant and serious young male of one-hundred-and-thirty years. Vigilant in his studies and incredibly gifted, he appeared destined to be a Master Druid well before his two-hundredth year. His ability to control nature's power brought him respect and admiration amongst his peers and community. His skills grew quickly, signifying he would soon work with the most powerful magics. Hearing of her ethereal beauty, he traveled to the coast, fell in love with her at first sight, and began his efforts to woo her.
Challenging the Druid for the beauty's eye was a bold and brash young Human. At twenty-eight years of age, he had an almost supernatural athleticism, which allowed him to excel in his efforts to become the greatest warrior ever. There wasn't a weapon he hadn't mastered, and he rarely lost a sparring match. Traveling on one of his family's trading vessels, he spotted the beauty while he was in port and instantly knew he must have her for his wife.
Both suitors escalated their efforts to impress her as she, in turn, skillfully played them both against each other.
They'd dueled a few times but discovered their distinct skill sets were evenly matched. Neither could best the other. Their determination to end the interference of the other grew with their frustration.
Watching their efforts from the sidelines was a Dwarf who'd made the mistake of indicating his interest to the fair Elvish maiden himself. Her humiliating laughter and scornful words burned in his mind, so he vowed revenge.
Unbeknownst to the spoiled maiden, she'd spurned not just a brilliant and highly sought-after metal artisan but, secretly, a powerful sorcerer, highly skilled in the arts of dark magic.
On separate occasions, he whispered into the ears of her two main suitors, offering to provide them with a weapon that would give them a distinct edge over their foe. Both had reached their mental limit with the ongoing stalemate and eagerly expressed their intense interest.
The Dwarf told them they needed their beloved to give them an object to show her favor. They would then give him the items, and he would infuse her favor into the weapons he would create for them.
A few days later, the Wood Elf returned with a silk scarf. The following day, the Human gave him one of her toe rings.
The Dwarf used his consummate skills to craft a magnificent sword for the Human Warrior, incorporating the ring into the pommel.
For the Elf, he added ornate, silk-wrapped metal bands to a powerful Druid staff.
Meeting them separately and secretly, he informed them that the new weapons would ensure victory against their rivals. Both were dazzled by the craftsmanship and beauty of their new possessions, each finding the weight and balance to be perfect. The Dwarf was a master craftsman, after all.
What the Dwarf hadn't told them was that he'd placed a curse upon the sword and staff. Once battle commenced, they'd be compelled to fight to the death. The weapons would absorb and amplify their skills while consuming their life force. Additionally, both weapons would simultaneously absorb the life force of the beautiful but cruel female at twice the rate. She would not survive their dual, and at least one of the suitors was destined to die as well.
The Druid met the Warrior outside the home of the female they both desperately wanted. He loudly challenged the Human to another duel. This drew the cruel beauty outside to watch with a satisfied smile on her lips. That smile quickly faded when the contest began as she felt herself rapidly weakening. She watched in terror as her suitors fought with a ferocity they had never shown before. They snarled and screamed as they launched attack after attack on each other.
Their weapons picked up the effort to maintain the battle's ferocity as they weakened.
The Human was down on one knee when it was over, gasping in pain from his terrible lightning burns. Half of his body was paralyzed, and his heart was struggling to keep beating, but he'd won.
He rested his hands on the pommel of the sword, which he'd driven through his enemy's chest. Looking toward the steps where his beloved had watched, he froze in shock at the sight of her desiccated husk.
Standing over her, gloating, was the Dwarf.
The warrior suddenly realized that they'd been tricked. The Dwarf had killed them all.
The Human knew he was dying, but with the last of his strength, he pulled the sword from the Wood Elf and threw it mightily at the Dwarf, pinning him to the home's wall like a bug. The warrior died, and the last of his essence was drawn into the sword. The curse was complete for both the Warrior and the Druid.
Shocked and outraged that his revenge would lead to his own death, the Dwarf poured his hatred for Humans and Elves into a new curse he placed upon the weapons, damning both races to eternal bloodshed. So powerful was his curse that black flames exploded around him, consuming his body as he screamed in rage, fear, and pain. This dark energy split and sank into the sword and staff.
When the bodies were found, accusations were made by the Wood Elves that the Human was responsible for the massacre, while the Humans saw his burns and the dried-up husk of the female and claimed the Wood Elf had used forbidden magics to punish the two lovers. The arguments flared until an enraged Human pulled the glorious sword from the wall, and a Wood Elf took up the magnificent staff. Another battle exploded into being.
Two wise elders were present, a Wood Elf wizard and a retired Human warrior. They quickly recognized the two now wielding the spectacular weapons were fighting far beyond their natural abilities. This made them suspicious.
The others gathered were caught up in the bloodlust and drew their own weapons, so the wizard bathed the area in a stun spell, excluding himself and the old warrior.
The two seniors carefully separated the men from the dazzling sword and magnificent staff, wrapped the dangerous items in heavy cloth, and hid them away. When the men awoke, they were confused about their earlier outburst. This confirmed for the elders that the men had been affected by a curse.
They tried to destroy the weapons, but they were somehow protected from burning or blunt force damage. The wizard determined that even being near them was dangerous, so they sealed them in crates and separated them.
The chest with the sword went on a ship with instructions to sink it at sea. The staff was buried in a secret location deep in the Mistveil Woods.
One hundred years passed before the sword was discovered during the estate sale of a bankrupt merchant in Portoa. It seems the ship's captain had a change of heart and decided to make a little extra profit by selling the weapon instead of honoring his promise to sink it.
In the deceased merchant's collection of weapons being auctioned off, the cursed weapon fetched a high price and found a home on the hip of a wealthy timber baron.
The man already had a grievance with the Wood Elves over their protection of the old-growth forest on a peninsula nearest to Portoa. His confidence boosted by the sword, he started felling the trees on the northern side of the peninsula, and by the time he reached the middle, the Wood Elves were in a full rage. One of their Druids discovered the crate containing the cursed staff entwined in the roots of a tree that had fallen during the night. He led the Wood Elf warriors against the Humans with the Druid staff in his hands. They attacked and almost destroyed Grennesh, only driven off when the Dwarves joined the Humans in protecting their interests. Then, the Elvish warriors met the Timber Baron's army on the northern peninsula. The war was vicious and bloody and only ended when wiser heads, aware of the ancient curse, captured the weapons, sealing them away once more and sending them in opposite directions.
The sword went on a caravan destined for the Windscour Desert on the far side of the world, while the staff went south to be dropped into a crevasse in the far away icy realm.
Three centuries passed without a sign of the cursed weapons. Relations between the Humans and the Mistveil Wood Elves returned to the pre-war levels of distrust and dislike. Day-to-day lives went back to normal as people just... forgot.
But the burning hate bound to the sword and staff never did.
Chapter 1
"No, I want baby potatoes. Ten large sacks, like these, but filled with baby potatoes," Dell insisted.
