The Golden Key by Elena House (classic romance novels .txt) 📕

Chapter 1

Great Shot!" I heard my father cry.
I spun around and smiled.
My father had been watching me while I had been practicing archery.
I turned around to face the target again.
I grabbed an arrow from my quiver, nocked it, took aim, and let fly.
the arrow landed right in the center of my target, splitting the last arrow I had shot.
I motioned to a servant and he obediantly jogged over to me.
"Grab my arrows after I shoot them." I told him.
He bowed then did as was instructed
After doing archery for about 15 more minutes, I gathered my arrows, put them in my quiver, then ordered a servant to put away my archery equipment.
After doing so, I walked down the long flight of steps that lead up to the elves' fortress and down to the forest floor.
When my feet touched soil, I swiftly and quietly ra to a meadow I had found when I was but 57 years old.
Upon arriving, I found a clean patch of grass-so as not to ruin my silken dress-and sat down.
There I practiced magic.
You see, I am a wizard.

***

Later on, as I was drinking water from the stream that runs through the meadow, I heard movement.
I glanced around me and saw nothing, then I looked up into the sky.
There was an eagle...but not any eagle...the Great Eagle of the Eagles of the East!
He saw me and circled down until he was resting on a branch in front of my face.
I curtsied politely.
"No! No time for that!" The Great Eagle shouted in his deep voice, "We must go to your father at once! The orcs are preparing to attack the elves!"
I gasped and stood up.
"Come!" The Eagle shouted, then flew off to the castle.
I ran through the forest with amazing speed and agility.
The orcs hadn't attacked the elves for 200 years!
This might be the war for-told in The Prophecy! The one the clerics of Horad-Gledire had a vision of!
There would be only one survivor unless the elves would win!
At that though, I ran faster.
I must alert my father!

Chapter 2


I ran and ran until I had become lost.
I had been so frightened that I hadn't been watching where I was going.
I whirled around wildly.
Where is the path?!

I thought frantically, Where is the path?!

I spun around and around until finally, I saw the Great Eagle's shadow.
I followed it through the forest until I found the path to the castle.
I ran and ran until I got to the steps...the long, long flight of steps.
Teleportation?

I thought to myself, No. Too risky...I could accidentally teleport myself into a stair.

I took a deep breath then bounded up the stairs, three at a time.
Once I got to the top...I noticed that I was too late.


Chapter 3


I felt salty tears drip down my face as I watched my father getting ready to order the army to attack.
By the looks of the orc army, though...there seemed to be not as many as expected. Their army was a third of the size of ours, and ours looked more powerful.
The elves were all standing in straight orderly lines with swords and shields at the ready. The Eagles of the East flying overhead ready to help.
The orc army, on the other hand, was all bunched together in no orderly form.
That sight made my heart lighten.
I quickly took action.
I ran into the palace and found it empty. The servants were also helping defend the kingdom.
I quickly lifted my hand up and shouted, "Bow...Quiver!"
My bow and quiver floated down the stairs and into my outstretched hand.
I then ran back outside and joined the archers at the top of a hill looking down at the battlefield.
When the archers caught sight of me, they all saluted since I am who commands them even if most of them a hundreds of years older than me.
I motioned for them to stop, then waited for my father's signal.
When it was finally time, he turned his battle horse around to face us, saluted, then pointed at the orcs.
I burst into action.
"Archers ready!" I shouted.
They all nocked arrows.
"Aim!"
They all took aim.
"FIRE!"
At that, we all shot arrows way into the air and at the orcs.
That took out half their army.
"CHARGE!" I heard my father shout.
The whole army except the archers, wizards, and sorcerers charged at the enemy. The enemy charged back.
The wizards took their place on a high ledge overlooking the battlefield and shot fireballs, lightning, acid, and many other things to any orcs that were nowhere near an elf.
The sorcerers did the same.
The eagles swooped down to attack from the sky.
I then turned to the Archers and gave them instructions.
"Go down there just on the edge of the battlefield and shoot as many wretched orcs as you can, but make absolute sure the arrow won't get an elf! GO!"
At that, all the archers ran to do what I had instructed.
I then decided I would stay with the wizards and sorcerers for a while and help them.
I glanced over the battlefield for a second and what I saw made me glance back.
Could it be? Could it? No! Wait...yes it is!

Chapter 4


More orcs! More goblins, more tree-imps, more hobgoblins, more everything! But there were mostly orcs, horrid, bloody orcs.
My eyes widened as they came over the hill to the left of the battle field. There were about 2 times as many as our army! No, more were still coming, so 3 times more than our army.
I gasped.
They also brought catapults.
20 feet tall catapults.
I quickly ran over to the ledge with the wizards and sorcerers.
I set my bow and quiver down and quickly took action.
I pointed at the orc army coming over the mountain and shouted, Fireball!

Fire shot from my hands and landed in the grass right in front of the army.
They all stopped quickly in their tracks.
Then, 10 goblin shamans came over the hill, shouted, Frost Ray!

and the fire disappeared.
I cursed under my breath.
Then I had another idea.


Chapter 5


I grabbed up my bow and quiver then ran around the battlefield and into the forest that was next to where the orc reinforcements stopped.
I put my bow and quiver back down, aimed at one of the shamans, and whispered, Hypnotize!

I watched the shaman tense up then relax again.
Go up to a catapult.

I whispered from the shadows.
The shaman did as commanded.
Set it on fire.

I commanded.
The shaman lit his hands then placed them on the catapult.
Right then, the orcs and goblins and some hobgoblins noticed what the shaman was doing.
Ten creatures attacked him at once, but it was too late, the wooden catapult burned to the ground.
The creatures loudly cursed and stamped around to extinguish the flames that caught on the grass and eagerly used it as fuel.
Then they all moved to the next catapult over.
Then a goblin who was closest to me in the huge clump of evil creatures stuck his flat slit-like nose into the air and sniffed.
I slowly and silently slunk deeper into the forest, but it was too late.
The goblin turned and stared right at me with those beady red eyes.


Chapter 6


I froze where I was, silently pleading that the goblin would turn back around and not come after me.
I couldn't summon up the strength to hypnotize him, too without passing out. There is only a certain amount of spells that a wizard can cast per day or until they rest.
I watched the goblin as he slowly, ever so slowly, turned back around and followed the rest of the orc army.
I let out a sigh then slumped onto the ground.
Suddenly, I heard noise behind me.
I felt my body tense up. I didn't want to know what was behind me...I didn't want to turn around and face it, but I must.
I slowly turned my head around and came face to face with the most unexpected thing.
Was that really a baby dragon?


Chapter 7


I just stared at the dragon. It stared back.
Unless you raise a dragon from birth, it will not let you live once you spot it.
Judging by the side of this one, it couldn't kill me, but it could severely injure me.
I slowly stood up and heard a growl from the young lizard's throat.
Frost Ray!

I muttered under my breath.
I shot a wave of coldness from my fingertips and onto the dragon.
It let out a roar then opened its mouth to breath fire onto me.
It couldn't.
I knew that I only had seconds before the dragon's body heat would return and it would be able to hurt me.
I spun around and ran out of the forest, forgetting all about the orc army.
I ran blindly and didn't realize the orc next to me.
He yanked me towards him and got a dagger at ready to kill me.
I opened my mouth to say a spell, but then the orc grasped my throat.
I choked as I tried to say a spell.
Right then, I saw the dragon emerge from the woods.
It opened its mouth and shot fire...at the orc?
The orc squealed in pain and released me.
I realized I didn't have many spells left to use, so I nocked an arrow into my bow and shot it at the orc.
It hit him squarely in the chest.
I then turned to the dragon, waiting to see whether I should shoot it or run.
It walked over to me slowly and carefully. I allowed it to.
Once it was five feet away, I shut my eyes.
This is going to be the end of me.

I thought, He is going to burn me alive since I have no more frost ray spells prepared.

I felt something hard and scaly brush against my leg.
I opened my eyes and saw the dragon sitting there, looking at me expectantly.
I froze.
Then I heard speech.
"You are The One." It said.
Then I realized it was...the dragon

.
"What?!" I asked him.
"You are The One. The One from the prophecy. You will be the only survivor." He replied.
"Who are you?" I asked him.
"I am Snorth...I have come to take you away." He said.
"N-no!" I exclaimed, "I have to help!"
"You will. Follow me." Snorth said, then ran off.
I reluctantly followed.