Mordred 14.2

The New Realm

The Elves were there. They were the guardian of the Divide at the edge of New Salem. They stood there with their slender and agile in their frame with their half the height of Man, and their body frame held great strength in those limbs with the feared oversized paddle they carry. There were ten of them there with their fingers fidgeting on the paddle handles. One of them stepped forth and called to us.

“I am Leggins.” The one who spoke stood out among the others with his head larger than the other. “I know you, Guardian. You were once with us. You brought us Berlin and then there was none. We heard that you soon left but we desire not the leaving but what happened to the offerings.”

I looked at the one who spoke. He was there that day when I brought in Berlin. He was younger then but he held command.

“I am the Guardian, Mordred. I was the one who brought you Berlin and now I seek of him.” I stated my task. “He whom I sent here may hold some answers to me.”

“Berlin is no more with us.” Leggins replied. I shook my head at the Elf.

“You lied.” I snapped at the Elf. “He was well when I send him here.”

“He was but he did not last long here. Life in the Divide can be hard.” Leggins replied. “More so when you are in league with the serpents. We can tell by your looks and your sudden appearance.”

I looked down at my boots and smiled. I was sure that it was fake animal hide was used on it. Our rapid growth must have triggered their attention. Or was it the scent. I did not have a bath since I arrived in New Salem.

“You get a lot of these?” I diverted the subject but Leggins was not impressed.

“You won’t be laughing when I am through with you.” Leggins signalled the other Elves to space out into a semicircle. It happened so fast that even the Elves were caught off guard.  The three witches had returned in strength. They did not come alone but with reinforcements. The serpents slithered out from between the undergrowth and struck at the elves. Their fangs sunk in deep into the exposed flesh while their body coiled around the limbs. The elves fought back with their paddles but they were out number.

Leggins was the only one who saw the serpents before it hit them, but he was too late to warn the others. He stepped back from the striking serpents using the paddle like a club to break the attack. He swiped hard at the nearest serpent which had its fangs out. The long double fangs protruded from the upper jaw of the serpent were caught by the paddle swing. The weapon broke the fangs on contact and reshaped the serpent head but it was not dead. The head at the rear of the serpent struck at Leggins.

“I’ll be darned!” Leggins moved his body to avoid the striking head. There were tales of the double headed serpent but that was his first encounter. He swung the paddle at the serpent head. During the swing, he pressure pressed the hidden switch that brought out the double blades on the edge of the paddle. The blades sliced the serpent neck just below the jaws. It was the secret of the Elves on their paddles. He saw the witches hovered into the battle as if they were walking on air. The witch known as Betsy bent her body horizontally with her arms spread out. She then turned on her momentum in a spiral twist and from her fingers nails grew out into narrow blades. She clasped her hands together to form a straight blade when she clashed into the Elves. Her spiral attack deflected the paddle and then sliced into the Elf’ face on the left side before she cut across it to the right. It was a vicious kill but that was the handiworks of the Elves.

The Elf continued on the retreat but he was soon to find his passage blocked. He had his back to the tree trunk. He looked up and saw the descending serpent but there were more in front of him. All of his other warriors were dead; they have never been attacked by so many in one battle. It was always a single attack or a pit of five but never this many like then.

It was then the other witch named Betty charged at Leggins. She deployed the same move that her sister did but Leggins was ready for her. He raised the paddle of his and braced his legs for battle. He saw the witch approaching and reached down to the end of the paddle handle. There he pressed another hidden switch. The flat end of the paddle split apart to reveal the dark wide sharpened blade. The blade was serrated in one edge and smooth on the other, but in the blade a series of round nine different size orbs lined it. It was fabled that the orbs resembled the nine worlds of the star system.

“The Elwedgwen, the Sword of Orbs. It once belonged to King Tauriel.” I knew that sword. I had read of it from the old books before the dawn of Man. The world was ruled then by the other kinds; Orcs, Goblins, Dwarves, Fairies and the least trusted Man named then as the Earthlings. The Elf King held the sword as it was forged by himself in the fires of the mountain. It rivalled that of the fabled Dragonair which was the Sword of Kings handed down by generations of King.

“Yes, it’s Elwe for those unfortunate to meet it.” Leggins swung the long wide sword at the attacking witch. At that moment when the other two witches saw the sword, they swung into action and grabbed their witch. The trio collapsed on the ground. Leggins took to grab his chance to escape into the treelines but they were blocked by the leader of the serpents. More serpents came to the aid of their leader.

“Elf, you done much damage to my followers.” Aladdin greeted the Elf. “You came to claim on them and now I will do the same for you.”

Without any warning, Leggins felt the blow that hit him yet he could not see it. He tried to defend himself but the blows came regardless. He was hit in so many places and where his sword struck, there was none to hit. He felt the beastly blow on the back of his head and landed a distance away. Leggins was hurt and could hardly move then. He lay back on his back and sighed.  

“May the sun give me light and the darkness for the restful sleep.” Leggins chanted the last rites of his kind with his closed eyes while he readies himself for death. It never came. Instead he felt the searing flame. The heat was intense and the then he heard the serpents hissed out in pain. He also heard the heard the cry of unseen opponent. He opened his eyes and saw Aladdin lying on the ground holding his right hand. The smell of the burning flesh permeates the air then. The three witches stood before him and there was myself with Rumpel.

“Elf, it’s time we move.” I called out.