FANTASY KINGDOM

Anya drifted to sleep in her bed dreaming of dragons, witches and the odd prince or two, wishing that one day she would live to see them all.
When she awoke she felt refreshed and, ready to face the world.
Anya is a dwarf, a child; she has long brown hair, green eyes, and a passion for fighting the mysterious and fantastic.
The home world is called Leenane in the galaxy of Meath. Leenane was mostly a peaceful planet roamed by dragons and habited by fantastic figures of an old age of mysticism.
A great land with a great leader, a king of the people, king Elvadore. Elvadore is a great king but he had a tyrant side to him, and when it was unleashed it brought terror to even the bravest slayers in the kingdom.
Anya burst into her living room with a flourish and settled her family.
“Anya calm down” said her mother.
Anya s father was patiently eating his breakfast in the corner of the room, and her elder brother was drinking a cup of tea and watching the sun rising in the beautiful morning mist.
Anya felt confident and happy today, her school was on an excursion to the great castle to see the circus perform, and she had been looking forward to it for ages. Anya packed her bags and got ready for school, while her family remained motionless in the kitchen.
When she got to the meeting point with her friends and teacher everyone was very eager to get there.
As they were all striding up to the castle Anya was dragging behind, churning up the dirt as she walked. She was day dreaming thinking what it must be like. Suddenly everybody stopped in their tracks, then wondering what was going on Anya round the crowd and saw the most magnificent site, one of the best slayers in the kingdom was standing over a ten foot green dragon, with a sword in his hand dripping blood, everyone stood in amazement and horror, some were staring at the dragon and others were staring at the slayer, with his long blonde hair draping over his shoulders, magnificent blue eyes, and bulky armour that showed off his slim torso, his head hung low watching the dying dragon.
After a minute he looked up and saw the group of children staring at the dying dragon paralysed by the sight.
He smiled and spoke softly.
“I will show you to thy palace where the king awaits his children”.
They all started to walk together, and Anya raced to catch up with the knight who she so admired.
“Excuse me good sir knight, what is your name, and how did you slay thy dragon with only one sword?”
The knight laughed.
“Thy name is Velos and thy have been trained for many years to kill a dragon using only thy sword”
Anya was amazed and bewildered by the charming knight standing before her, and they walked together silently.
When they got closer to the castle it looked stunning, with huge turrets and the mote stretching round the outer walls of the castle, the castle stood lonely and proud no the top of the hill, with blue skies behind, lush green grass all around and vultures circling above their heads.
They reached the castle and all the children and teachers were weary of sharks in the mote, they were there to keep trolls at bay. Then the drawbridge opened for them to cross into the castle, Velos guided them into the magnificent grounds of the castle which was rife with activity, full of beautiful princesses and princes dancing in the sun, there was also jugglers prancing round in silly costumes, and in the corner were vultures on pergolas, and in front of them was standing the most beautiful women in the land, queen Kelos, with a main of long blond hair shining in the sunlight turning it to gold.
She came to up to greet. Anya was feeling very self conscious of her height at this particular moment with an elegant very tall person standing in front of her. She spoke.
“Hello”, she said softly and sweetly smiling as she said it,
“Welcome to my kingdom, would you like a tour?”
All students nodded their heads in anticipation. Kelos nodded towards the knights standing with her, the knights took hands of the children and guided them round the castle.

Chapter 2

Anya followed behind, she was constantly looking around her, in awe of the wonderful place, and she will remember this place forever.
The knights who were guiding them round the castle were explaining the day to day running of the place, Anya was paying no attention to them, she was more drawn to the fact that queen Kelos was walking behind them at a distance and in conversation with some guards who kept appearing and reappearing from the various doors into the castle. Anya tried to listen to what they were saying, but all she could make out was words like trolls, and drawbridge.
The students finally came upon the room they were all dreading seeing, the dungeons, the scum of Leenane confided in the same walls as they were, it filled them all with dread and they made a swift exit.
At last the students drew closer to the most important room in the castle, the throne room, where King Elvadore sat on his throne prominent on the far wall, the throne its self was covered in gold and plush red fabrics, and the king was wearing the most beautiful satins Anya had ever seen. He sat there talking to his counsel, who was an elf with red hair and wearing an outfit only a prince could afford.
After a couple of minutes the king realised the onlookers and finished his conversation, he just looked at them until queen Kelos interrupted the silence and joined the king by his side on the throne.
She spoke to him softly in his ear,
“Elvadore these are children from the school on a trip to see the circus here, they wish to ask questions my lord”
“Of course Kelos my dear” he said stroking his wife’s arm.
“What do thy children want to ask me?”
None of the students spoke until Anya braved to.
“King Elvadore how many dragons did thy have to kill to become king?”
Elvadore laughed, “A many child, do you like dragons child?”
Anya answered back “Thy would like to kill them some day sire”
King Elvadore stared hard, back at Anya as if she had said some thing wrong, Anya held back feeling nervous.
“You have ambition my child, what is your name?”
King Elvadore said trying hard to pick the voice out of the crowd.
“Kelos please escort these children around more of the castle”
Kelos got up out of her chair by the king and did what he said. She walked the castle with elegance and pose, with her knights by her side showing the students the rest of the castle. The last place in the castle to see was the battlements on the top of the castle; they showed them how to prepare the cannons if they were ever attacked. The scenery was beautiful from the top, you could see nearly the whole of the planet in all it’s glory, from the rocky mountains and darkness in the west and the lakes in the east, and green fields as far as the eye could see, stretching from the castle to the dark lands, that’s were they turn yellow then disappear all together.
Back downstairs and outside again it was hotter than Anya remembered, but everyone was enjoying themselves basking in the sunshine, Anya started to enjoy her self as well.
After awhile Anya noticed the clouds above them getting closer together and it was getting darker and darker. A thunder storm began brewing above their heads; Anya started to walk backwards toward the castle interior.
The heavens opened and everyone ran for cover into the castle walls, the vulture flew into the night sky, and all you could hear was a rumble of thunder and the rain lashing the sides of the castle walls. Then came a banging on the castle drawbridge, loud bangs that made everyone jump, the drawbridge came down with such force that even the sharks in the mote jumped ten foot into the atmosphere before plunging back down into the mote, splashing water onto the already sodden ground.
As everyone gathered under cover in the dark rain looking, waiting for something to happen, there was silence and calm in the darkness where the drawbridge once stood, there were hundreds of yellow eyes staring back at them.
Then out of the darkness they came in hoards, swarming towards them with primitive weapons. They dominated the situation, they looked very angry.
The trolls marched right up to the castle and took hostages, lots of people were taken, including the queen, and guards and knights could not fight them and they were also taken. They fought for what felt like a long time, then it was over, bodies on the ground and people missing, still the rain came down in force.
Anya was taken aback when the trolls stormed the castle, she got caught up in a crowd of trolls, they were not letting her go, she was very scared, they were ten times as big as her, and they stank.
After the battle the people that were left retreated into the throne room to discuss the plan of action, after much debate Velos spoke up.
“If anyone is going to rescue thy queen it is thee, thy will battle trolls for all of Leenane’s precious children”
“Let it be so” said the king dryly.
So after preparing for a long journey Velos packed what he needed and said goodbye to everything and everyone he knew, dreading that he would not return and walked towards the darkness.
He knew where he was going there would not be any sunshine and cool breezes, nor any grass for which he now stands upon, he sighed , knowing that his fate would be on the dark side where the jaggered rocks tower above him, the air stank and the darkness ruled. He started walking, with everyone watching from the castle.

Chapter 3

Velos got but ten miles before he could already see the mountains of doom, through where the grass came to an abrupt halt and the menacing rocks began.
Walking ever so steadily he trekked on to the beginning of the rocks before he rested. Night was drawing in, so he pitched camp in a confined space for protection. As he slept he could hear noises in the dark, rustles in the night, he huddled up and listened and watched, knowing that he would not sleep that night or any night until he was out of the dark country
After a time the sun rose and Velos felt better, for the day ahead, he picked up all his belongings , looked at the sun beaming down on him, realising that it might be the last time he would see it either for a long time or forever. He started walking again very weary that somebody or something was following him, he picked up the pace , and the noise coming from behind him got louder with very step, Velos ducked behind a rock laid a trap and waited .After a time something yelped and Velos looked out from behind his rock, it was a rock elf. Rock elves are scathing creatures that live in the steep rocks and mountains that circle the troll’s lair; they feed on the mosses covering the rocks. This one was about four foot tall (shorter than a dwarf, he had do hair, with green eyes and, had on dull lifeless clothes. Velos spoke.
“What was thy doing following thee?” Velos said angrily, griping his sword as he spoke, the rock elf coward behind some rocks and spoke softly.
“Thy was trying to warn thee, trolls up ahead, if thee values thy life follow thee”.
Velos looked at the elf for a minute than he smelt the trolls and hastily followed the elf in to the jiggered rocks towards a dark cave, where they waited until the trolls had gone past and the stench had gone. They emerged from the cave.
“Thank you for thy help rock elf”
“Thy name is Cara brave sir knight”
“Thy name is Velos, why did thy help thee?”
“No one likes to be taken by trolls, thy would be gutted from nose to feet”
“Thank you again Cara, but thy must keep going, I have people to save from underground caves”
“Thy need help, thee knows the secret way to the dungeons”
“Thank you but No I will be al right”
Velos started walking again; the elf watched him walk away towards the trolls dungeons.
In the dungeons of the underground caves at the heart of the troll’s lair the hostages were getting weary or waiting.
“I can not take it any more, surely Elvadore has sent someone to help us”, Kelos sighed,
“I fear it would take even a knight of the realm time to find us down here my lady”, a faithful old guard remarked.
Anya kept silent in a corner of the cage that was most soft and comfortable closed her eyes and dreamt of being at home in her own bed, only when she awoke the surroundings were not her bedroom.
Velos could almost see entrances to various different caverns up ahead, towering above the boulders and rocks lay black top where the air stank and the trolls were hungry.
Black top is the trolls lair surrounded by mountains, dragons, treasures and sooth Sayers who dare to lie to anyone who passed them for pleasure and pain of the individual.
Velos tramped through the boulders and rocks, the air stenches of death disease, and came upon an opening in which three old men were playing cards and arguing, and behind them were three paths to take to the maze up to the castle. Velos liked a challenge, believing that these old men were sooth Sayers, Velos approached them with caution and interrupted with a question which turned their heads.
“What is thy doing here? spying on us thy is, thy need not creep around us we are here to help thee”
“Chose a path to the maze and thy fate by choosing one of us to believe”
“What is thy name?”
“Velos Oromira” answered Velos with an air of uncertainty.
“Thy come to search for the trolls capture from the kingdom of Elvadore”
The first sooth Sayer spoke,
“Pick me from the chosen three, this path leads to the castle for which you seek your precious treasure”
“No pick thee from the three, choose this way it tells of no dangerous dragon but of the straight way to the dungeons beneath black top”, said number two.
“Or how about me this is the way to good fortune and the friends thy miss beyond the caverns deep”, said number three.
Velos was listening intensely, sitting on a boulder and propping himself up with his sword, now he was thinking, unfortunately he started to smell something unpleasant and ran into the first path until he could run no more and hid behind some boulders and waited for the stench to pass before emerging, out of breath and tired, he pitched camp for the night and slept as best he could.
Back in the maze of dungeons sleeping was the furthest thing from Anaya’s mind, every time she closed her eyes all she saw was trolls with their hairy bodies and mean glowing yellow eyes, looking at her through the darkness. Anya was frightened and scared, she wanted to be at home surrounded by her family and in her own bed, and she curled up next to the queen to get some sleep.
Velos in the night was disturbed by visions of the castle and his family in danger by horrid trolls; he missed his wife Tia and his son Egan, he hoped one day to see them again, and prayed it would be sooner rather than later.

Chapter 4

Velos awoke from a disturbed sleep not knowing whether it was day or night, for the caves for the tunnels are always dark and murky. He found his bearings and stumbled on through unlit tunnels towards the maze. He came to a massive clearing where in the centre was a giant dragon bigger than any he had seen before, it was guarding the wealth of the underground gold, emeralds, and diamonds a spectacular crest of treasure. The dragon was sleeping.
Siltha was one of the only red dragons left on Leenane, with his yellow spiked crest, dank blue eyes, and fearsome teeth and a massive temper.
Siltha had been guarding the treasure since before the dawn of time when trolls were not fully descended from humans and the king and queen were at war with each other, there was no sun on the land and desert stretched as far as the eye could see, all that land and it was divided into two parts king and queen and no one got between them.
Velos stood back and contemplated what to do next, should he go round or go back towards the sooth Sayers, as the dragon stirred in it’s sleep it made Velos weary , Velos decided to run back towards the sooth Sayers, flying past them and taking the third exit hoping it would lead to the underground dungeons, they did. He came across the queen and the rest of the company, Anya was never co happy to see anyone before, she beamed to see Velos, he winked back, she felt a blush coming over her. The queen spoke.
“Velos, thy am so glad to see thee”
“Come with thee quickly I will show thy way out”
He grabbed the queen’s hand and ran as fats as he could out of the maze of boulders and towards the sunlight, when they had reached the border the brightness hit them with such force that their vision went blurred temporarily. Velos looked back to see some very angry trolls trudging towards them at an alarming rate.
“Head for the castle, close the drawbridge, thy will hold them off”
Anya wanted to stay and watch but her hand was pulled away by a prince and they ran toward the castle.
When they got inside the castle barracks the drawbridge closed with a bang and they watched from the top of the tower in amazement at the sight before them.
Velos was confused the trolls had straightened in a line in front of him, although they would not attack. Then he could see what was walking up behind them.
The man beast, in front of him was a giant troll with sharp teeth, a great big hairy monster, and his back stiffened and he admitted to being quite bewildered at this monstrosity and he was scared.
By the side of the beast was a man in normal clothes and with white hair and glasses, Velos recognised the old man , then remembered he was a king of old Leenane century’s ago before trolls terrorised the countryside.
The beast’s voice boomed over the green grassy rolling hills, it vibrated the earth beneath him, enough to knock him off his feet.
“Thy dare to disturb thy sleep, do thee wish to die?”
The beast boomed showing it’s teeth.
Velos reached for his sword
“Thy was only saving thy friends from trolls torture”
“Prepare to die”
Velos quivered behind his shield with his sword held high.
The beast picked Velos up in it’s hands and drew him closer.
By now Velos was feeling empowered and the closer he got the more he wanted to kill the beast, the stabbed the beast in the eye, it groaned in pain and dropped Velos to the ground, it was angry now.
Velos got up and ran around to the back of the creature and climbed up it’s back, now standing on the top of it’s head. The beats just stood still for a while.
Velos raised his sword and promptly hacked off a section of the top if it’s head and stuck his sword into something he didn’t expect to find, wires, electronics, and computer chips, Velos was puzzled but he stuck his sword in anyway and the beast just slumped down and fell on to it’s front making the earth shake.
The old man with glasses ran back toward the rocky paths to black top never to be seen again, and the trolls followed him.
As Velos looked up, the inhabitants of the castle had run down the hill to see what was happening, and they all stood around the beats.
King Elvadore spoke first,
“Can thee explain Velos?”
“Thy can not your majesty”
“Can thy explain why King Pearls was standing with thy creature?”
Velos asked back and waited for a reply.
“He was captured by trolls more than a hundred years ago, we never saw him again, and thy thought he was dead, surely”
They started walking back up to the castle, night was drawing in.
In the morning the beast had disappeared from the ground on which it had laid the day before.
King Elvadore had a welcome home party for all those in his kingdom. Anya was glad to be back amongst the warm sun and laughter, and breath fresh air.
The party was a triumph, although Velos noticed Anya standing in the corner of the room clutching a goblet to her chest.
“Care for a dance my lady”
Velos said sincerely and softly.
Anya felt hopelessly nervous, but replied to the gesture.
“Thank you good sir knight, thy would be honoured”.
They took the dance floor and danced until the sun set and the world had gone to sleep.