The Blade Heir

A Test of Skill, part 2

"I'll meet you there, Siegfried."

Siegfried bowed slightly then exited the hallway. Lucius dressed himself hurriedly and grabbed his bow and quiver from the hooks on the wall. He walked into the hallway and turned left through an arched door, which led into a grand atrium where sunlight poured out from a circular hole in the ceiling onto ornate pillars and marble benches. At the center of the atrium stood a stone monolith with a crescent moon and tree carved on its surface—the crest of the Silverhart family. Lucius walked up to the monolith, admiring the fine craftsmanship of the elves. On the carved tree's trunk there was a symbol: three dashes in a column with a single vertical line running through them. It was the rune of D'arya, the elf spirit of Azuleah.

Lucius walked to the southern entrance of the atrium and stepped into a large courtyard. The sun shone brightly outside, giving warmth to the plants and saplings around the stone path he walked on. The path curved around the house and ended at a stone arch, beyond which stood the city of Evingrad. The city rested upon Breninmaur, the Great Tree of Verdania—a centuries-old elvish oak rising seven hundred feet from the ground. Many of the Great Tree's topmost branches were burned in the Ancient War, allowing the D'aryan elves to erect a circular stone foundation in their place. During the construction of Evingrad, the elder elf sages used all their powers of healing to restore the tree and its lower branches. The branches grew in a distinct way, curling around the foundation like a giant, spindly hand tightly grasping the newly constructed city. These supporting branches grew hundreds of feet high and the myriad of leaves provided substantial shade to the elves living within Breninmaur. The city became a living monument built to honor the last of the ancient elvish oaks.

Lucius ran through the stone arch and onto the western road of Evingrad, hastily making his way to the archery grounds near the city square. He passed many lichen-covered houses formed by the elvish wood which sprouted from the trunk of Breninmaur. The elves would coax the sprouts to form their dwellings by singing their ancient songs to them. The elf houses, known as egini, were the common dwelling, but a few houses were also constructed of marble. As Lucius passed several egini, he remembered as a child witnessing the coaxing ritual, where many elves sang day and night to form a house from a sprout no larger than a flower. The result of such patient labor was a beautiful home complete with lattice windows and elegant buttresses rivaling those of great lords and kings. The greater houses built of marble and glass belonged to elves who held great honor and esteem among the elf clans. Siegfried's clan, Silverhart, was held in such regard.

Lucius saw his brother at a distance, shooting arrows with impeccable accuracy at sacks filled with straw. Lucius approached the archery grounds through a gap in the wooden fence surrounding the area. Siegfried continued to shoot the sacks when his brother walked up beside him. Lucius chose not to disturb his practice, but even if he had, the elf's concentration would not waiver—each shot was as precise as the last.

Lucius strung his yew bow and pulled an arrow from the leather quiver over his shoulder. He nocked the arrow, taking steady aim at one of the five sacks dangling from a branch overhead. Marked circles painted on the surface of the sacks corresponded to critical targets on an enemy's torso. Lucius aimed at a circle marked where an enemy's heart would be. He took a deep breath and listened to the twang of Siegfried's bow before releasing the arrow. It whizzed through the air and landed on its mark.

"Very good, Lucius. Your skills are improving," Siegfried said, aiming and shooting at his target while he spoke.

"Indeed they are, Siegfried," he said, nocking another arrow. "Though I doubt I can ever be as good as an elf."

"I dare not question the abilities of a young man like you, but I am confident your potential will surprise many elves."

Lucius laughed. He took aim and shot another arrow, hitting a critical mark. "Let's hope this potential you speak of will help me in today's contest."