The Fairy Queen (Book One) A fantasy novel by Robert Helliger

Prologue

The tavern doors opened.

      Sholm watched the raucous laughter that filled the room. He had short brown colored eyes, brown colored hair, and was tall.

       He saw the black colored chandelier sway in the cold, bitter South wind. The red colored curtains didn't leave an impression on him.

       Despite the lateness of the hour, Sholm stumbled along the mahogany halls drunk. He staggered towards the heavy armed bar that was manned by elves. Their pointed ears homed in on the human. They grabbed their stone gilded swords in their small hands, and smiled. Their green colored tunics were old; their green colored boots thumped onto the hard ground.

       "We don't need any trouble", Erov, the Elf Barman, said.

       "Nothing will happen", Sholm said. He sat down on one of the brown colored barstools. He saw Erov shake his head. "Got some ale and stew?", Sholm asked. "Aye, some stew. And rooms are 2 gold coins", Erov answered. In the middle of the Tavern, Sholm smelled the warm embers of the hot firewood. He took a bag of gold. He gave Erov 20 the money. "A room for a week, and meals. And ales". Sholm said. He smiled. Erov nodded. Ajam, the Elven girl, hugged him. "Venduui", she said. "Venduui", Sholm said.  "Greetings. I missed you", Ajam sat next to her boyfriend.

     "Every girl misses me", Sholm kissed her.  "The Elven Council is watching". Ajam sighed. "They're always interfering", Sholm sipped his ale. "It's their way". Ajam sat on one of the brown colored barstools. "I hate their ways", Sholm said, then he noticed a group of the deadly rogues laughing. And he waited for them to leave.

~~~

The night lights illumed the Tavern.

      The Mountains were ragged. Their peaks dangerous. Sholm wondered about his time with the Elves.

        He wasn't a normal man. He travelled from village to village. Then town to town. And, when he entered The Gilsford Forest, he was attacked by Fallen Warriors. Their evil destruction of lands filled him with fear.

         "What do you want?", Sholm asked.

         "This is our land", Greyamnf, the Fallen Warrior, leader answered, yelled. He gripped the sharp axe in his right, armored hand; he stomped on the hard ground with his armored feet. His silver colored helmet was emblazoned with strange markings of his clan. He watched the human with intensity. Sholm continued the stand-off.

           "What do you need so I can pass?", Sholm enquired.

           "You are not one of us; you're a human". Greyamnf said. He saw terror in the human adventurer's eyes.

            "I must pass; I must provide with my family", Sholm said; pleaded. "You cannot arrive here; you cannot pass. No humans dwell here", Greymnf said.

            "But you're human-", Sholm said.

             "I am a Fallen Warrior; I am a new kind of human. Now, you're going to find another way to go passed us", Greymnf snorted.

           "Very well. But you're making things very difficult", Sholm said. He then made his way to the Shaingof Forest, the home of The Fairy Queen...

            ...A place where no human came back from alive.

   Sholm drank his ale. He had remembered the beginning of his adventures...The other memories would come back soon.