Read Paradon: An Unexpected Chronicle Page 45

not have the desire to be king but now that he has found a purpose, he wants to accomplish what he thinks will be better for Paradon. His plan was to travel to the Troll settlement in the Ranicus Peninsula and stay till it is time for him to return to Livonia and govern Hetheil from Ohith. Elis had not decided what he is going to do but he planned to bring along his three remaining companions and devote his time to conquering all of Paradon. Before noon, both the princes were prepared to leave. They had to be alone in their rooms for a while to plan and think. It was a sad time for Allan, all he really wanted to do was to be with his father while Elis was not sad at all, in fact he could not wait to leave. Allan decided to speak to Elis in the hopes that he might travel with him. Allan has fully forgiven his brother as he had finally understood what he has gone through. Allan knocked on Elis’s door and it opened, revealing an angered and war weary brother of his. “What is it?” asked Elis, grudgingly. “Do you have a place in mind where you plan to stay?” asked Allan. “No, I do not. Why?” replied Elis. “I am going to travel to the Troll settlement I helped build. Why don’t you come with me?” asked Allan nervously. “No. I have something and somewhere else I have in mind” said Elis. Allan nodded and walked back into his room and took his things.

  Elis was sad and his eyes could have burst into tears at any moment but it was sadness towards how his life was rather than sadness to permanently leave his father and kingdom. “Bye” said Henriet to Elis in a rough manner. Elis nodded to respond. He then left hastily, without hesitation or a goodbye to go to the royal stables and retrieve his horse Silver. For him, it was supposed to be the last time he would ever be in a city, unless the future king Allan allows him to comeback, breaking the exile. Allan said to his father who was sorrowfully seeing them off “goodbye father, whatever I have done I did for Paradon”. “I know, my son. I know. Do good out there. Next time you see me I’ll be dying. And you will be king. Watch for a massive burning of smoke from wherever you are and immediately start your journey back from there when you see it. I will miss you. This is a lot for us all to take but be strong as I will” said Henriet. “Yes father” said Allan as a tear streamed down his face. His father then fell forward and hugged him and said “I love you son. I never stopped loving you” said Henriet. As much as Allan would like to spend more time with his father, he had to leave before noon or he’ll be thrown out by the soldiers. Allan left, tearing, and angered. He too then went to retrieve his horse Copper. While walking down the main lane towards the gate, he could see his brother leaving the city. Allan just had the feeling to look behind him and he saw three men behind him.

  Allan then sped to catch up with Elis and he got to Elis as soon as the gate started to open. Those three men were still in the city. They were Elis’s last three companions’ and they were off to steal three horses so that they could accompany Elis throughout his exile. Allan then asked Elis again “brother, where are you going?” “Out to the plains” said Elis in a harsh tone. “I heard what Lumbre told you at the trial. I just fear what your intentions are. Elis’s tone got harsher and he said “for all I care, you and I are not brothers, as I have said many times before. Now you are practically king and I am formally an outcast”. “Why do I get the feeling you are going to do what Lumbre has said you should do” said Allan, having some temptation to challenge his brother to walk away from that goal. Elis lost it and shouted “it is not what Lumbre wanted! It is what I have always wanted” said Elis. Allan then said “then why shouldn’t I just stop you now” said Allan as he put his hand on his sheath. “You? I can end you at anytime” said Elis as he grabbed his sheath. Just then the two could here horse trotting towards them from the direction of Ohith. It was Elis’s three companions. “You and I will meet again, I guess. But I wish you the best. Just don’t do it. Before he knew it his brother, Elis and the three companions then rode off into the distance. Elis turned his head and waved as they rode off. The next time the brother’s see each other, they will have no restraint.

  Over the course of a week, Allan journeyed to the Ranicus peninsula, once again following the western coast and going through the Mount Ranicus passage. Emerging from the dark passage, Allan was a welcomed sight for the Trolls in the settlement he was approaching. It seems the Trolls have been doing their best to harness what they can from the mountain and landscape to eke out a living. They were certainly doing well, much better than they were prior to them settling here. Allan was the whole reason for the Trolls to prosper, they had every reason to help Allan. “Welcome Prince Allan!” cried Serai upon seeing his returning friend and ally. “It certainly is Serai, it certainly is” said Allan. “You can stay as long as you wish Allan” said Serai whole heartedly. Allan knew he was going to be staying at the settlement for some time, which was not a daunting reality. The Trolls were very friendly towards him. He even got to stay in the governing centre, where Serai and his family lived.

  Later that night Serai and his family shared dinner with Allan. Serai then brought up something peculiar. “Allan I’d like to show you something we discovered on the coast here” said Serai as he went to retrieve it. He came back with an empty wooden basket. It was old and corroding but was still sturdy. “Why are you showing me this?” asked Allan, finding the basket intriguing. “I do not know Allan. It is a Troll’s basket; this is definitely how us Trolls wove a wooden basket together” said Serai. “And what is so strange about that?” asked Allan. “It is made from a wood that cannot be found in the lands we have come from. Its origin is from the far northern region in Doomenheim where Trolls are said to have come from. This is not of our people’s making. It is of another Troll people’s making” said Serai. “You found this on the coast? These currents drift southwest so it couldn’t have come from Doomenheim” said Allan in shock of this revelation. “There is current that drifts directly south from the rivers of northern Doomenheim” said Serai. “Do you think it is possible that it could flown from the west?” asked Allan. “There is a slight chance of that happening. Because no northern Troll would ever bring a baby basket out here” said Serai, in some belief that there was a deflective land area that had somehow catapulted the basket of course to the Wester coast. It hit Allan, there was more to Paradon than meets the eye. All the speculations and all of the conspiracies could in fact be true, that there is land out here and possibly civilisation. “There is only one way to find out” said Allan, his eyes wide open and his mind ready for exploration. “You don’t mean to say that with your time in exile you are going to chart some land that only supposedly exists out there? I don’t advise it” said Serai. “I have so much time, who knows I might actually find something out there” said Allan. “It is too risky. The waters can be unpredictable and you might find absolutely nothing” said Serai, trying to deter Allan from doing it. “I think I will do this Serai” said Allan. “I am not going to stop you. But this is a mad idea. But if you do find something. It would be something” said Serai.

  A Troll then rushed into the room and said “Serai, there is another Human in the settlement, he wishes to speak to you and Allan”. The Human was then brought. Initially frightened, Allan and Serai smiled upon realising the Human’s identity. It was Capurnicus who then said “apologies for the short notice of my arrival. Henriet told me to go with you in your exile Allan to protect and guide you. I knew exactly where you’d go and so here I am”. Allan then stood up and walked over to Capurnicus and told him about the possibility of lands to the west and his plans to go out there and search for it. After a heated discussion between Allan and Capurnicus, he agreed to let the prince do it and even go with him. “We are going to do this tomorrow. Can you provide a sturdy boat and some food for the journey?” asked Allan. “You know what. We will” said Serai. Allan wanted to embark on this journey adamantly and even though he stood a chance at dying.

  The next morning Allan wakes and gets ready quickly with sheer excitement. He went to the harbour and a boat was ready for him, stocked with simple foods and enough fres
h water. Allan was confident in the boat the Troll’s have built. It is well known that most beasts on the western coast of Doomenheim have superior boat building skills as compared to the Humans, thanks to the many long and winding rivers from the Stunt Sea that feed some life into Western Doomenheim. Serai then came up to Allan and said “this is the tip of the peninsula; this is the furthest the coast is out to the sea. If you would like to expedite what’s on the other side of these waters, this is the best place for us to send you off”. Allan got into the boat, having been taught as a child by Wilmot how to steer a small boat, he was ready and confident to paddle his way west. Being a Troll’s boat it was a lot bigger but thankfully a lot sturdier. Serai and a handful of other Trolls put their hands and arms on the back of the boat, pressing with their massive weights against it to catapult the boat forward out to the sea. As he paddled he passed by a Troll who was fishing in his boat. The Troll was shocked to see him going out so far. Soon Allan and