you?” Ovano demanded, “what do you want with the child?”
“I reckon that ain’t any of your concern,” Thomas replied, eyes narrowing.
“Considering I am her father, you would be mistaken. Now what is it you’ve given her?”
“Perhaps you didn’t hear,” Thomas said in a tone that carried every ounce of his growing anger, “but it’s not. Yer. Concern.”
The elf was beside him so fast Thomas didn’t even see him move. He didn’t back down, staring back into the almost black eyes of the elf.
“I suggest you step away, human. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself so soon upon arriving in Verdonti.”
Thomas actually smiled at the obvious threat. “Don’t worry, I don’t embarrass easy.”
Ovano turned on his heel, walking back up the steps. “Inside. Now,” he said to the child, who had no choice but to obey. No sooner had the door closed behind them then Thomas heard what was distinctly a shout.
“ That elf don’t sit right with me,” Thomas said.
“Me neither,” Zach replied, rubbing his right hand with his left. “He don’t have the right to talk to anyone like that, let alone a little girl. Something stinks about this whole thing.”
Thomas nodded before noticing the letter was on the ground. Thomas stooped to pick it up, analyzing it. When he heard footsteps behind him, he quickly hid the letter inside his shirt. He turned back to Zach to see two elves had joined him, both staring with little kindness at the two humans.
“Are you the two who have been causing a disturbance in this neighborhood?” the shorter of the two elves said while the other just continued to glare.
“Yes sir,” Thomas replied. There was little to be gained by lying.
“You two will need to come with us to see Chancellor Vontanado.”
Thomas gulped, sharing a worried glance with Zach. Was he really going to be in that much trouble ? But as he thought about it, he found that he would have made the same choice again given the chance.
“Well, lead on,” Thomas said, and the two pairs walked away from the too-quiet neighborhood.
Chapter 9: The First Task
It was a short walk to the ir destination, which was a temple on the outskirts of the city. It was made out of glass that seemed to be opaque when the sunlight touched it. There were no markings carved into the glass, but Thomas thought it hardly needed any. The temple was circular as it reached up to the trees, like a decanter.
The glass doors slid open as they approached, and Thomas felt his heart rate jump. He felt weird, like something sinister was pushing at the back of his brain. It wasn’t a welcome feeling.
“So, you are the humans we were told about ,” a male voice said from the front of the temple. Thomas tried to find the source of the voice, but the temple seemed more cavernous on the inside than it did on the outside.
“Hey there, prisoner.”
That voice Thomas remembered very well, and his pulse quickened just hearing it. His eyes became saucers in his head as he looked around rapidly for her.
Then she was just there, standing across the aisle from him. Cynthia was smiling at him, dressed in a blue robe that was a bit tighter than any other of the elven robes. For some reason, Thomas wasn’t surprised.
“Well, hey there ma’am ,” Thomas said, “long time no see.”
“Took your merry time getting here,” she replied, moving forward. Without thinking about it, the two embraced, but pulled away almost immediately.
“Well, it was a bit of an adventure getting here,” Thomas remarked, ignoring the red rising in his face as he placed a hand on the back of his head.
“So we’ve heard,” the male voice spoke up. Now the voice had an owner, and its owner seemed to be the exact type of elf that Thomas was worried about. He looked down his nose at the two boys with his nose stuck in the air, as if afraid he would smell something distasteful. The effect was not lost on Thomas, who immediately
“I reckon that ain’t any of your concern,” Thomas replied, eyes narrowing.
“Considering I am her father, you would be mistaken. Now what is it you’ve given her?”
“Perhaps you didn’t hear,” Thomas said in a tone that carried every ounce of his growing anger, “but it’s not. Yer. Concern.”
The elf was beside him so fast Thomas didn’t even see him move. He didn’t back down, staring back into the almost black eyes of the elf.
“I suggest you step away, human. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself so soon upon arriving in Verdonti.”
Thomas actually smiled at the obvious threat. “Don’t worry, I don’t embarrass easy.”
Ovano turned on his heel, walking back up the steps. “Inside. Now,” he said to the child, who had no choice but to obey. No sooner had the door closed behind them then Thomas heard what was distinctly a shout.
“ That elf don’t sit right with me,” Thomas said.
“Me neither,” Zach replied, rubbing his right hand with his left. “He don’t have the right to talk to anyone like that, let alone a little girl. Something stinks about this whole thing.”
Thomas nodded before noticing the letter was on the ground. Thomas stooped to pick it up, analyzing it. When he heard footsteps behind him, he quickly hid the letter inside his shirt. He turned back to Zach to see two elves had joined him, both staring with little kindness at the two humans.
“Are you the two who have been causing a disturbance in this neighborhood?” the shorter of the two elves said while the other just continued to glare.
“Yes sir,” Thomas replied. There was little to be gained by lying.
“You two will need to come with us to see Chancellor Vontanado.”
Thomas gulped, sharing a worried glance with Zach. Was he really going to be in that much trouble ? But as he thought about it, he found that he would have made the same choice again given the chance.
“Well, lead on,” Thomas said, and the two pairs walked away from the too-quiet neighborhood.
Chapter 9: The First Task
It was a short walk to the ir destination, which was a temple on the outskirts of the city. It was made out of glass that seemed to be opaque when the sunlight touched it. There were no markings carved into the glass, but Thomas thought it hardly needed any. The temple was circular as it reached up to the trees, like a decanter.
The glass doors slid open as they approached, and Thomas felt his heart rate jump. He felt weird, like something sinister was pushing at the back of his brain. It wasn’t a welcome feeling.
“So, you are the humans we were told about ,” a male voice said from the front of the temple. Thomas tried to find the source of the voice, but the temple seemed more cavernous on the inside than it did on the outside.
“Hey there, prisoner.”
That voice Thomas remembered very well, and his pulse quickened just hearing it. His eyes became saucers in his head as he looked around rapidly for her.
Then she was just there, standing across the aisle from him. Cynthia was smiling at him, dressed in a blue robe that was a bit tighter than any other of the elven robes. For some reason, Thomas wasn’t surprised.
“Well, hey there ma’am ,” Thomas said, “long time no see.”
“Took your merry time getting here,” she replied, moving forward. Without thinking about it, the two embraced, but pulled away almost immediately.
“Well, it was a bit of an adventure getting here,” Thomas remarked, ignoring the red rising in his face as he placed a hand on the back of his head.
“So we’ve heard,” the male voice spoke up. Now the voice had an owner, and its owner seemed to be the exact type of elf that Thomas was worried about. He looked down his nose at the two boys with his nose stuck in the air, as if afraid he would smell something distasteful. The effect was not lost on Thomas, who immediately
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