Five Worlds: A novel

Five Worlds: The Journey of Silver

written by

Maximillion Pegasus

“Five Worlds”, where many on their adventure cross paths.

[True Rune]

Volume 1: Start in the Underdark

“I started my journey into the greater world in the Underdark, surrounded by a people far distant to myself. These people, these drow, they remarked that they were trying to be good people, though I observed that something deeper, something within their souls was keeping them within what they called “The Wicked Ways”. And although I would eventually escape their grasp, I’m reminded of the story of a purple-eyed elf, mine own green, a story of never-ending battle with the Dark.”

-From,

Silver

Chapter 1: Underdark

Silver was a fair elf; blond, with green eyes, and he lived in a place called the Steel Kingdom -- in its forest. One day however, Silver woke up in the Underdark, an underground city where a race of dark elves lived...Silver woke up in the body of a drow elf. His nightmare would soon begin.

Upon waking up in his “new bedroom”, Silver the Elf pondered about the different architecture, the desk with spell capsules atop it, and the expansive magic notations across the walls. Then Silver heard someone call out to him:
“Shyrun! Breakfast is done!”

Worried, perplexed, Silver grabbed a cloak from the wardrobe across from the door and pulled it over his midnight blue tunic, collected the spell capsules into a backpack, and then jumped out of the two-story bedroom window.

Landing, Silver encountered, walking along, three drow schoolgirls wearing pious schoolgirl uniforms, they remarked:

“...Shyrun, did you just jump out of your window?!”

“Yeah, what’s wrong with you buddy?!”

Silver then, not being ‘Shyrun’, sensed danger, just as a flock of Mukrow appeared at a dark-light lamp-post at the corner. Silver contemplated and summoned an ice spell that froze the three drow girls in place, then he ran to the southern corner from the house, climbed the dark-light lamp-post to the top, then flew away - choosing to fly toward what looked like the city’s core district.

Along the alley, where an old dark elf sat, the old drow remarked “I didn’t know drow could fly.”

Walking down the alley, a snow-white drow elf remarked, “I didn’t know that either.”

Chapter 2: Ocellvier

Silver, a drow elf with green eyes, traversed the Downtown district of an Underdark City called “Bhujerba”.

He walked down a mainway where he passed a Grimoire shop, across from it a shop that sold robes, clothing, and cloaks, and a next to that a shop that sold sphere crystals. Beyond that street, there was a roundabout that was all lit up. Across from the street with the shops, there seemed to be a very stately manor with statues of the deity “Justice”, a robbed, blindfolded woman holding a set of scales and a shield, and kneeling before her Justice’s servants “The Law” and “The Judge”.

Silver walked through traffic and arrived at the gated entrance to the manor, a posted message engraved into steel, posted upon the gate’s bars:

“We seek our way out of the darkness

Guided by purple eyes.

Our goal no longer a lofty premise,

Out of The Wicked Ways

and into the Fair Heavens

May Ramuh guide us.”

Silver read through it twice and then turned his head at the notice of what sounded like metal armor moving about..

Approaching across the walkway were two armored drow, asking pedestrians if they could ID an elf sketched on a poster.

Silver could sense being in danger, and calmly walked around the town hall down another walkway. Silver found his way blocked by quite a magickal sight: a wall of white feathers, and contemplated what to do.

Across the wall was the snow-white drow, who waved to Silver and said:

“I think those guards are after you...please follow me.”

Silver nodded yes, and the wall of feathers dropped, and the snow-white drow guided him across the walkway, and down the street, eventually standing before a shop with a door with no doorknob.

The snow-white elf removed a wand from his pocket, and pointed it at the door, a silent word spoken led to the door opening inward, and himself and Silver entering, the door closing afterward.

Chapter 3: Shyrun

Silver looked around the shop and noticed an elaborate cozy space where bookshelves held fantastic instruments, cases with unique symbols upon them, and lastly books.

“This, my Arcane Works shop, is where we will hide until the city guard are no longer searching for you.”

The snow-white drow elf grabbed a box from a shelf and sat down next to a table.

“Please, sit...I noticed what the guard noticed, that you could fly.”

Silver responded, “Yes, it’s something fair elf are capable of .”

“Ah, I see, my name is Ocellvier, and pardon me, though I noticed you appear to be ‘Shyrun’.”

Silver became on alert.

“Yet please, I am not after you, and I suspect that you are truly not my wizard friend from the southern district.”

“So…”

“So, this device can ID who you are, and knowing that, the town’s guard may indeed lower their sword.”

Ocellvier opened the box to reveal an amethyst sphere mounted into a machine with a keyboard, onto which he typed several commands, and, moments later, an image of a fair elf appeared, playing a game of frizbee. Moments more later, a standard with the name “Silver” appeared, then the words “Silver, Fair Elf, Swordsman Extraordinaire.”

“Ah, Silver is your name...Well, nice to meet you, Silver.”

Silver responded, “Well yes, nice to meet you too.”

The two sat there for a moment, observing the magickal screen, until Ocellvier broke the silence and said “However did you get here?”

Silver remarked, “I just woke up here...I remember going to sleep in the Steel Forrest, and then…”

“Aha, give me a moment…”, Ocellvier said.

After typing a short series of commands into the keyboard, Ocellvier’s magictek displayed a new scene:

Silver laid down in bed, and then Shyrun appeared standing over him, holding a sphere of lapis lazuli.

Then the display faded to black, followed then by what appeared to be Silver, wearing a white cloak and meeting with a human in a suit and blue cloak.

“Matrumorphen!”, exclaimed Ocellvier

“Who?” asked Silver.

Ocellvier pressed a button and the scene froze.

“His name is Matrumorphen, and his is a human wizard of great reknown...for practicing the Dark Arts.”

“Could this be…?”

“Could you be here because of a Dark Art Spell? ...I think so.”

“Then how do I -- ?”

“How do you get your body back?...Hmm...give me a moment.”

Ocellvier typed once more into the box’s keyboard, and then revealed:

Appearing on the sphere was then a diagram showing two bodies linked by a series of energetic lines: “Ah, to stop a Dark Art Spell of Body Exchange, use a dagger of Amethyst and sever the soul from the body, by piercing your original body’s heart.”

“...that’s basically it,” concluded Ocellvier.

“I could never do that...I could never do that…” said Silver somberly.

Chapter 4: Ninetails

Silver walked down a pier, staring into the Underdark’s massive underground sea, the light of nearby dark-light torches shining across the water like diamonds in black sand.

“I see where your mind goes, and I believe I have the solution,” remarked Ocellvier.

“The Ring of Revelation...a precious treasure in the Colossus Valley, guarded by the Ninetails, the ring will reveal who a person truly is.”

“And if I find this ring, I’ll then be myself? asked Silver.

“In theory,” concluded Ocellvier while scratching his chin.

“So...what’s a Ninetails?” inquired Silver.

“A colossus beast, Ninetails is a fiery challenge. I devised that a Ruby Crystal Sealing device has a chance of capturing the beast...if you only knew the magick commands for Shyrun’s body..,though I believe that your flying and sword skills will be enough to tire the beast.”

“Ah,” remarked SIlver, “then let my journey continue.”

Silver followed Ocellvier back to his shop, where Ocellvier unveiled a scroll with the map to the Colossus Valley, and summoned a small package composed of a small black cloth wrapped around an object.

“This is the path to the Ninetails, and this --” revealing a small package, “is the Capture Crystal.”

“How do I use a Capture Crystal ?” asked Silver.

“You simply tire the beast out with battle, then take out the crystal and make contact -- the Ninetails will be drawn into the crystal.”

“And you say I can challenge the beast?”

“Yes, it should be no problem. Tamers handle the beasts quite often with sword and shield…”

“...okay, not a problem,” remarked Silver.

“Then please, grab that broadsword in the corner and make your way to the valley…”

“Will do.”

…

Silver carried with him, cloaked, a broadsword and in his pocket the Capture Crystal. Silver trekked through forest, across bridges, over rivers, and eventually stood before Colossus Valley.

There, lying asleep, was the Colossus Beast. The elf approached the colossus and aimed a frost spell at it, nudging it awake. Silver raised his broadsword and blocked a tail swipe from the fox, then jumped into the air and flew above the beast, landing on its head.

As the Ninetails attempted to shake off the elf, Silver landed a heavy blow to its cranium, causing the beast to fall and collapse.

Upon landing upon the ground, Silver was quick to remove the Capture Crystal from his pocket, then rushed forward and began the sealing process:

The Ninetails was absorbed with several purple beams of light, remarkably capturing within a small space the great size and power of the colossus.

The valley then appeared to sparkle in a silvery light, and a stone pathway rose from the ground, leading to a stone cathedral.

Planting his broadsword into the ground, Silver walked down the pathway to the cathedral and walked through its doors. Waiting at the center of the small castle was a pedestal upon which a treasure chest awaited.

Having walked up to the pedestal, Silver opened the box and saw a collection of many versions of the same ring, and marveled for a moment until taking one into his hands, then placing the ring on his right ring finger:

As the ring slid onto his finger, Silver felt a wave of cleansing energy cover his body, then once completely worn, the ring did indeed reveal his fair features: Silver was back to being his old self.

...Ocellvier, watching from Bhujerba via his magictek computer, cheered “Yes!”

And that is how Silver found closure in his adventures in The Underdark, for the moment.

[Volume 1 End]

Volume 2: Exit into the Forest

Chapter 1: Out of the Dark

Silver, wearing a cloak to disguise himself, returns to Ocellvier’s shop where Ocellvier congratulates him on a successful mission.

Silver then asked if Ocellvier knew of a way to reach the surface world, to which Ocellvier walked to a bookcase and removed a scroll map, handing it over to Silver.

Ocellvier also grabbed another Capture Crystal, revealing that it held a “Charizard”, a kind of flying lizard which could breath fire, and had a fire alit on its tail - Ocellvier instructing Silver that he would both be safer in his travels with the Pokémon, and that he could fly out of The Underdark atop the mount.

“It was interesting meeting you, and I wonder, would you mind, for alchemy, giving me a lock of your hair? I hope to study your bloodline, I may discover how to fly myself…” said Ocellvier.

Silver responded, “Not a problem,” taking a dagger from his tunic pocket and clipping a small amount of his hair.

“Flying is fun, though if you get there, beware of gravity wells, you could, for instance, fall out of the sky - these are usually traps,” specified Silver.

“I see…” remarked Ocellvier.

__________________________________________

Silver walked through the Underdark and eventually reached a bridge with a river running underneath it. Across the bridge there appeared to be a fissure in the ceiling of the Underdark, and then, walking across the bridge, Silver then removed the Capture Crystal for Charizard, and summoned the Pokémon, pressing an emphasis along the crystal:

In a grand display of light, what appears to be a dragon appeared in the air, which landed and roared fire, and spread its wings.

“How ya doing?” asked Silver.

The Charizard looked around and then focused its vision on Silver.

“Up for a little flying?” asked Silver.

The Charizard roared in the affirmative, then hunched over so that Silver could mount him.

Together the two then flew into the air and swooping up and down, the Charizard and rider flew out of the underground cavern.

Chapter 2: Fisherman’s Horizon

On the surface, in a small forest, Silver encounters a plainly dressed cowboy, fishing in a small river.

Silver, at a distance, asked “What do you know of this area?”

The cowboy turns around from his view of the small river and quotes: “Well, due East is the entrance to a forest, some call it, The Forest of Death...beyond that is desert university.”

“Really?,” said Silver.  

“Yeah...that mountain a ways back points North,” pointing over to where Silver has journeyed, “this river points South...you some kind of elf?” remarked the cowboy.

“Fair elf, from the Steel Forest, yes,” said Silver, “And you are?”

“Name’s Irvine, Irvine Kinneas,” clarified Irvine.

“I see,” said Silver.

Though from his left, Silver could sense an incoming arrow, and ducked to avoid it. Irvine pulled out a shotgun that was tucked behind his back.

Approaching were what looked like ‘savages’ carrying a bow and arrows each.

Silver looks toward Irvine and he nodded his head, agreeing that the two should team up to defend themselves:

Silver raised his broadsword, kicked off the ground into a flying defensive stance, and flew at the savages, disarming two of them, and twirling and taking down a third.

Irvine, at a distance, aimed and shot down one of the savages, and then clipped another, whom Silver rushed forward and downed with a diagonal cut.

The two remaining savages ran away in fear, and Silver and Irvine stood to the side of those laying on the ground.

“What in the world is going on?” inquired Irvine.

“They look like The Lost, look at the rainbow feathers in their hair,” quipped up a voice from the trees.

Silver and Irvine leaned on guard, only to see a powder white woman in dark armor approached from the woods, carrying a matching shield.

“I’ve been, uhh, hunting them, searching for a certain Materia…” said the armored woman.

“The Meteor Materia? ...pardon me, I’m Psychic,” remarked Silver.

“...So am I, said the armored woman.”

Irvine placed his shotgun back under his belt and said, “Why that Materia?”

“I dream one day of being a reaper, really at school, they tell all of us this” said the Psychic,

“Uh-huh,” wondered Silver.

“Yet you see, I’m only half Psychic...they say I’m part ‘plant person,” said the demi-Psychic, “or at least that’s what a sooth-sayer, Leknaat has said.

<<Leknaat?>> said Silver to himself…<<The Seeress who I worked for, long ago in a past live?>>

“Well, you were revived,” chimed in the demi-Psychic, having heard Silver’s thoughts.

“Yeah...that’s some skill...I think I can do that myself…” said Silver.

The girl warrior, she looked off into the distance, and said:

“Except, you’re 100% Psychic, I can tell that from your chakra,” said the demi-Psychic, squinting her eyes to see Silver’s aura.

“Yes...that’s true,” remarked Silver.

…

Of in the distance, across from the small river, a woman who appeared to tree-like grew rapidly out of the ground, and remarked:

“Right on time.”

Chapter 3: A paramore of the Psychic Heart

From across the small river, the tree girl slides back down into the ground and then resurfaces on the other side of the river, as if by magic (ninjutsu is magic combined with alchemy).

The trio of adventurers are surprised, taking on a defensive stance, though when the Wood Nymph becomes fully human, she remarks, in reassuring terms:

“A sooth-sayer told me you’d be here, gave me a day and time even...do you know who the Seeress Leknaat is?”

The demi-Psychic said “Yes, she advised me about who I was, and you?”

“I was told about how to find a...well, a...a hero,” said the Wood Nymph.

“You mean moi?,” chimed in Irvine humorously.

“No, not you, the elf,” said the Wood Nymph.

“ ...why is that?,” asked Silver.

The Wood Nymph takes, from a pocket on her armor, a small scroll, reading from it:

“The Transcended Elf, who walks with a heart of Silver, shall lead the Holy Wood into the next age”.

“I see...a prophecy  from Leknaat,” said SIlver.

“How can you save the Holy Wood?” asked the demi-Psychic.

“He’s the King of The Desert, Protector of Idols” remarked the Wood Nymph.

“Really? Let’s see this king then,” spoke up the demi-Psychic.

Without a warning, the demi-Psychic throws her shield at Silver, to which he blocks its impact with his broadsword, then swirls the sword in a circle, firing off a blast of Cyrokinetic waves, freezing the demi-Psychic in place.

Irvine steps back in shock.

The Wood Nymph laughs at the demi-Psychic’s defeat.

And Silver relaxes his stance, wondering why the girl warrior would attack.

“What is wrong with you, he whispers, before about facing and walking of towards the Eastern Woods.”

Irvine and the Wood Nymph run after him.

Chapter 4: The Desert Rangers

Down the path the trio encountered a vast and deep river, which stopped their travels, Silver contemplating where to go next:

“Ha, I can swim this, what do you think?,” said Irvine.

Silver turned and observed Irvine:

“I think you would drown.”

“Nah, nothing to it,” responds Irvine.

Irvine walks to the edge of the shore and stretches, then dives into the current, making it a few yards out, before the waves grab hold of him, and he loses his stance, being swept away…

“Oh no,” said the Wood Nymph.

“I told him…” remark Silver.

“What do we do now?,” asked the Wood Nymph.

“Well, if he had waited, I would have revealed that I can fly…” said Silver.

“Really?” said the Wood Nymph

“Why don’t I fly us across the river?” he continued.

The Tree Nymph nods her head to the side in contemplation, then shakes her head yes.

Silver extends his left hand and the Tree Girl grabs it, then Silver levitates into the air, carrying along the Nymph across the expanse of the river.

The two land and look ahead: there seems to be a Guild Hall in the nearby distance, to which the duo walks…

…

At the Grand Forest Guild Hall, Silver and the Wood Nymph part ways, the Tree Girl meeting a lumberjack, Silver says goodbye to her.

Reading a news board, Silver sees a list for volunteering to hike through the Redwood Forest: taking down the notice, it reacts in his hand, turning to sand, which forms an arrow in the air, which points to a table of robed adventurers sitting  at the center of the guild hall, to which Silver approaches.

…

Silver inquires, to a Desert Ranger, his interest in traversing to the the other side of the Redwood Forest, a place he’s seen in a prophecy he’s seen at least twice.

“I see you’re also a Desert type...it’s your heart,” remarked the Desert Ranger Group Leader.

“Really?” asked Silver.

“Though what’s with your eyes?” asked a Desert Ranger Follower.

“That’s a long story…” said Silver, and then Silver went over the events.

…

Some time later, Silver and the Desert Rangers embark upon their journey through the Redwood Forest, and Silver having a conversation with one of the rangers:

Upon one evening, in front of a campfire:

“Ha ha, I have this one dead baby joke…” said the Ranger.

“Not interested!” exclaimed Silver

Silver, stepping away from the campfire, recollects that he may have known her from somewhere, then, listening to her voice:

“You’re that drow elf from Shyrun’s house,” inquirely.

“...Yeah, so what if I am…” said the drow girl.

“Her name is Aki…” said the ‘second ranking’ ranger.

“And mine is Sheik...though no matter about that, I think we should continue on without the drow,” said Sheik to the camp leader, one “Zelda”, who released a Pokémon named Pikachu from a Capture Crystal.

The drow girl backs away from the camp, and is caught by a Thunder Wave from Zelda’s Pikachu.

…

The drow girl, tied up in rope, is left for the Forest Police to find, a flare shot into the sky for the patrols to find.

Towards the end of the adventurers journey, Silver remarks that he plans to explore the Desert on the other side of the Forest.

“In that case, you should be thoroughly surprised, it’s quite the university,” remarked Sheik.

“I hope so…” said Silver.

…

The Desert Rangers plus Silver reach the Grand Forest’s exit to behold:

A grand desert which has blue sand streets and buildings, snow-capped mountain range in the university’s shadow.

[Finale of Volume 2]

[Princess Peach, also known as “Champion Cynthia,” appears later within the novel.]