read the prologue and the first chapter for free at the bottom of the page.
"Ari, daughter to the Lord and Lady of an elven city called Loomea, finds her life turned upside down when her jealous Uncle returns from exile with an army to lay siege to the city. In one harsh blow, he destroys everything and everyone she's ever loved, including Erik, the only man she's ever loved. With no way to defend herself, Ari is forced to flee from Loomea or face death herself.
When Ari meets Lasura, an injured dragon in serious need of help, her life takes yet another unexpected turn. With Lasura's assistance, Ari sets out on the adventure of a lifetime to gather an army of her own. Can she do it in time to save the remaining elves trapped inside Loomea, though?"
want to know a little about the author?
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Laura Halbert is a graduate of the Professional Writing program at Niagara College and works as a freelance Editor. She is currently living in Fort Erie, Canada with her husband and beloved pets. This is her first published novel, however with her great passion for literature and writing, there is certain to be more works released in the near future.
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"Ari, daughter to the Lord and Lady of an elven city called Loomea, finds her life turned upside down when her jealous Uncle returns from exile with an army to lay siege to the city. In one harsh blow, he destroys everything and everyone she's ever loved, including Erik, the only man she's ever loved. With no way to defend herself, Ari is forced to flee from Loomea or face death herself.
When Ari meets Lasura, an injured dragon in serious need of help, her life takes yet another unexpected turn. With Lasura's assistance, Ari sets out on the adventure of a lifetime to gather an army of her own. Can she do it in time to save the remaining elves trapped inside Loomea, though?"
When Ari meets Lasura, an injured dragon in serious need of help, her life takes yet another unexpected turn. With Lasura's assistance, Ari sets out on the adventure of a lifetime to gather an army of her own. Can she do it in time to save the remaining elves trapped inside Loomea, though?"
prologue
A long time ago, in a city called Loomea, there lived an elven Lord. This Lord was kind, fair and loved by almost all who knew him. He lived in a palace with his Lady and daughter, and they lived in peace for many years.
His brother, however, did not love him as others did. He despised the Lord and his family, and coveted their power. Banished at a young age for foul behavior, he lived and conspired with the Dark Ones, a band of impure dark skinned elves of selfish intent to overthrow the fair Lord.
In the late evening, when all was quiet, they forced their way into Loomea. As the Lord, his Lady, and his daughter rested in the throne room, the evil brother took his most trusted Dark Ones with him and burst in unannounced. The fair Lord, not expecting this attack, was unarmed and held nothing with which he could protect his family. The evil brother laughed as he slew the fair Lord and turned on the Lady. The Lady screamed to her daughter to run, and she did so as fast as she could. The evil brother then slew the Lady, sending his Dark Ones to find the daughter.
When the Dark Ones returned, unsuccessful, the evil brother laughed and sat upon the fair Lord's throne. He informed the people of Loomea that he'd killed them all, then ruled Loomea with terror, violence and fire.
His brother, however, did not love him as others did. He despised the Lord and his family, and coveted their power. Banished at a young age for foul behavior, he lived and conspired with the Dark Ones, a band of impure dark skinned elves of selfish intent to overthrow the fair Lord.
In the late evening, when all was quiet, they forced their way into Loomea. As the Lord, his Lady, and his daughter rested in the throne room, the evil brother took his most trusted Dark Ones with him and burst in unannounced. The fair Lord, not expecting this attack, was unarmed and held nothing with which he could protect his family. The evil brother laughed as he slew the fair Lord and turned on the Lady. The Lady screamed to her daughter to run, and she did so as fast as she could. The evil brother then slew the Lady, sending his Dark Ones to find the daughter.
When the Dark Ones returned, unsuccessful, the evil brother laughed and sat upon the fair Lord's throne. He informed the people of Loomea that he'd killed them all, then ruled Loomea with terror, violence and fire.
chapter one
the end
The night was cold as a December wind, even though the snow had yet to begin falling. Ari shivered under her cloak as the cold chilled her to the bone. She had been sitting in the woods watching the gates of Loomea, waiting for something, anything really, to happen. Just the sight of those big ivory gates was enough to bring all of her old memories to the forefront of her mind.
She had grown up in this village. Almost all of her 120 years of life were spent there, save for the last ten years. Her father had been the elven lord, a man of great power and respect. Her mother had been a woman with a wild, untameable spirit and a huge heart. Together they had ruled with an iron fist and a heart of gold, and the elves of Loomea had loved them for it. They had held the throne for many centuries before Ari was born. The only flaw in their utopia had been the familial discord between her father and her uncle, Ildoor.
Ildoor had always been jealous of his brother. When they were children, Ari's father had been favored as the eldest and heir to the power. Ildoor had been living his life in the shadows of his brother, never quite measuring up no matter how hard he tried. Over the years he had grown to resent his brother. When their father died and the throne had been given to his brother. He had been livid with anger and lashed out at anyone who spoke to him. Eventually he became so introverted that he left Loomea for many years.
The real trouble began when Ari reached her 110th year. Ildoor came back. Normally this would have been an event to celebrate, however he did not return alone. Ildoor stormed the gates with an army of Dark Ones, also known as dark elves, enslaving or killing every elf in his path until he reached the palace. Leaving most of the Dark Ones outside, he brought three in with him. Entering the antechamber, he found Ari's father, mother and even Ari herself. When Ari's father went forward to confront his brother, her mother turned to her.
"Go Ari, leave this place. Run as fast as you can and do not look back!" Ari ran from the room through a secret tunnel, only to hear the dying screams of her mother and father echoing off of the walls behind her.
As Ari continued to watch the ivory gates, another chill ripped through her. For a decade the sound of those screams haunted her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and found herself thinking of another from her past. Erik.
When she had been a mere 50 years old, a child in elven terms, she been playing in her fathers castle by herself. She had no real friends to play with, being of royal blood and an only child. The village children refused to play with her for fear of her fathers wrath, not that she was ever actually allowed out to play with them. She had been practicing her stealth lessons by skipping through the halls, landing only on the golden tiles when she found herself in the guards barracks, having run out of golden tiles.
The barracks, though not as stunningly decorated as the palace itself, were quite elegantly built. Walls of ivory stretched down long corridors, rooms on either side every 15 meters or so. Ari wandered down the halls having never been to the barracks before. The halls were surprisingly empty, not a guard in sight. As Ari rounded a corner, she was stopped short by the sight of a young boy about her age sitting in the corridor against the wall. From the look of his face, he was in pain. As Ari got closer, she realized that there was a puddle of blood beneath him. She ran to him as quickly as she could, gently laying a hand on his arm.
"Hey! Wake up! Are you alright?" she asked with some urgency.
The blonde haired boy cracked his eyes open to look at her. The bright green eyes flashed with pain but focused on her face.
"Who... Who are you...?" he asked softly, voice cracking with the effort of speaking.
"I'm Ari. Are you alright?" she asked again.
“P...Princess Ari…?!" He stammered.
She sighed. "Ya that's me. Now stop avoiding the question."
"I'm not sure... My stomach hurts..." he answered her, closing his eyes again he rested his head against the wall behind him.
Ari reached out gently and took the hand that was clasped tightly against his stomach. She slowly pulled it back and found a rip in the cloth of his shirt and blood soaking it. She lifted the shirt and found a deep gash through his flesh. It was from a sword. She gasped and cringed at the sight of it.
"That bad?" he asked, not bothering to look at her.
"Mmm... It's not THAT bad... But it's not good. If you can stand I can get you to the healer. Do you think you can manage?"
Without answering, he clasped his hand to his stomach and heaved himself forward. When he couldn't push himself any further, she put his arm over her shoulder and pulled him to his feet. From there, they slowly walked to the healer.
It hadn't been long after that day that Ari had been able to convince her father to allow Erik to become one of her servants instead of a guard. After spending a little time with Erik, she had learned that he was only half elf. His mother was an elf, but his father had been a human. As they grew up together, they had found themselves falling in love with one another and they were inseparable. When they had become of age to take partners, Erik approached Ari's father to ask permission for his daughters hand. It had taken some convincing on Erik's part as Ari's father wanted her to join with royalty, he had eventually acquiesced, unable to deny that the boy was well suited to care for her.
Two days later, at the setting of the sun, Erik offered her the traditional Lyelaith pendant to ask her permission to join together in life. He had been saving his wages for years to get it for her. Remembering this moment, Ari reached up to gently touch the pendant absent-mindedly. She had accepted with teary eyes and they had celebrated together. They had yet to complete the ceremony when Ildoor came back and she hadn't seen Erik since. Her heart clenched at the thought and her eyes stung with unshed tears. An elf can only fall in love once. She would never move on or forget him. She missed him everyday and hoped that he was alright.
Thinking back on her past, a cold shiver ran down Ari's spine. The only thing that had kept her pushing forward all these years had been the hope that Erik was still alive and free. Where once these ivory gates had been teeming with life, they now stood stark and desolate. They held none of the charm and beauty they once had for her. It was a depressing reminder of all that she had lost.
A few more moments of silence passed and Ari was about to give up hope of seeing anyone when the gate slowly creaked open a fraction and a very young looking little boy snuck out. Ari’s heart leaped with joy but she froze, not breathing. For so long she had worried that there was no freedom left with Loomea, that her Uncle had either ensnared or killed her people. This small boy reignited her hope. The elves within were still fighting for their homes.
She watched the small boy until he snuck out of sight. When she could no longer see him, She retreated further into the woods herself. Seeing the small child meant that there had to be others in her lands still free as well. She made her way back to the camp with her mind reeling. There was much to think about that night.
She had grown up in this village. Almost all of her 120 years of life were spent there, save for the last ten years. Her father had been the elven lord, a man of great power and respect. Her mother had been a woman with a wild, untameable spirit and a huge heart. Together they had ruled with an iron fist and a heart of gold, and the elves of Loomea had loved them for it. They had held the throne for many centuries before Ari was born. The only flaw in their utopia had been the familial discord between her father and her uncle, Ildoor.
Ildoor had always been jealous of his brother. When they were children, Ari's father had been favored as the eldest and heir to the power. Ildoor had been living his life in the shadows of his brother, never quite measuring up no matter how hard he tried. Over the years he had grown to resent his brother. When their father died and the throne had been given to his brother. He had been livid with anger and lashed out at anyone who spoke to him. Eventually he became so introverted that he left Loomea for many years.
The real trouble began when Ari reached her 110th year. Ildoor came back. Normally this would have been an event to celebrate, however he did not return alone. Ildoor stormed the gates with an army of Dark Ones, also known as dark elves, enslaving or killing every elf in his path until he reached the palace. Leaving most of the Dark Ones outside, he brought three in with him. Entering the antechamber, he found Ari's father, mother and even Ari herself. When Ari's father went forward to confront his brother, her mother turned to her.
"Go Ari, leave this place. Run as fast as you can and do not look back!" Ari ran from the room through a secret tunnel, only to hear the dying screams of her mother and father echoing off of the walls behind her.
As Ari continued to watch the ivory gates, another chill ripped through her. For a decade the sound of those screams haunted her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and found herself thinking of another from her past. Erik.
When she had been a mere 50 years old, a child in elven terms, she been playing in her fathers castle by herself. She had no real friends to play with, being of royal blood and an only child. The village children refused to play with her for fear of her fathers wrath, not that she was ever actually allowed out to play with them. She had been practicing her stealth lessons by skipping through the halls, landing only on the golden tiles when she found herself in the guards barracks, having run out of golden tiles.
The barracks, though not as stunningly decorated as the palace itself, were quite elegantly built. Walls of ivory stretched down long corridors, rooms on either side every 15 meters or so. Ari wandered down the halls having never been to the barracks before. The halls were surprisingly empty, not a guard in sight. As Ari rounded a corner, she was stopped short by the sight of a young boy about her age sitting in the corridor against the wall. From the look of his face, he was in pain. As Ari got closer, she realized that there was a puddle of blood beneath him. She ran to him as quickly as she could, gently laying a hand on his arm.
"Hey! Wake up! Are you alright?" she asked with some urgency.
The blonde haired boy cracked his eyes open to look at her. The bright green eyes flashed with pain but focused on her face.
"Who... Who are you...?" he asked softly, voice cracking with the effort of speaking.
"I'm Ari. Are you alright?" she asked again.
“P...Princess Ari…?!" He stammered.
She sighed. "Ya that's me. Now stop avoiding the question."
"I'm not sure... My stomach hurts..." he answered her, closing his eyes again he rested his head against the wall behind him.
Ari reached out gently and took the hand that was clasped tightly against his stomach. She slowly pulled it back and found a rip in the cloth of his shirt and blood soaking it. She lifted the shirt and found a deep gash through his flesh. It was from a sword. She gasped and cringed at the sight of it.
"That bad?" he asked, not bothering to look at her.
"Mmm... It's not THAT bad... But it's not good. If you can stand I can get you to the healer. Do you think you can manage?"
Without answering, he clasped his hand to his stomach and heaved himself forward. When he couldn't push himself any further, she put his arm over her shoulder and pulled him to his feet. From there, they slowly walked to the healer.
It hadn't been long after that day that Ari had been able to convince her father to allow Erik to become one of her servants instead of a guard. After spending a little time with Erik, she had learned that he was only half elf. His mother was an elf, but his father had been a human. As they grew up together, they had found themselves falling in love with one another and they were inseparable. When they had become of age to take partners, Erik approached Ari's father to ask permission for his daughters hand. It had taken some convincing on Erik's part as Ari's father wanted her to join with royalty, he had eventually acquiesced, unable to deny that the boy was well suited to care for her.
Two days later, at the setting of the sun, Erik offered her the traditional Lyelaith pendant to ask her permission to join together in life. He had been saving his wages for years to get it for her. Remembering this moment, Ari reached up to gently touch the pendant absent-mindedly. She had accepted with teary eyes and they had celebrated together. They had yet to complete the ceremony when Ildoor came back and she hadn't seen Erik since. Her heart clenched at the thought and her eyes stung with unshed tears. An elf can only fall in love once. She would never move on or forget him. She missed him everyday and hoped that he was alright.
Thinking back on her past, a cold shiver ran down Ari's spine. The only thing that had kept her pushing forward all these years had been the hope that Erik was still alive and free. Where once these ivory gates had been teeming with life, they now stood stark and desolate. They held none of the charm and beauty they once had for her. It was a depressing reminder of all that she had lost.
A few more moments of silence passed and Ari was about to give up hope of seeing anyone when the gate slowly creaked open a fraction and a very young looking little boy snuck out. Ari’s heart leaped with joy but she froze, not breathing. For so long she had worried that there was no freedom left with Loomea, that her Uncle had either ensnared or killed her people. This small boy reignited her hope. The elves within were still fighting for their homes.
She watched the small boy until he snuck out of sight. When she could no longer see him, She retreated further into the woods herself. Seeing the small child meant that there had to be others in her lands still free as well. She made her way back to the camp with her mind reeling. There was much to think about that night.
Copyright © 2014-2020 by Laura Halbert All rights reserved. This book or any portion there of may not be reproduced or used in any manner what so ever without the express written permission of the publisher/author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Published in Canada First through Written Rock Publishers c/o Andrew Aitken.
