Legends of Akelian: A Frightful First Step

By MJ Foulks

Akelian is a world desperate for war, its people convinced that only violent conflict will solve the growing crises for the humans and elves. As Akelian's leaders refuse to act, citizens on both sides have taken matters into their own hands...
Evelyn, however, simply wants to make her daily deliveries to Bellumor City, a once peaceful turned dangerous place where people have been mysteriously vanishing. Evelyn gives little thought to these disappearances until her father hires Lysander, the disgraced blacksmith rumored to be the vicious criminal behind these attacks.
Meanwhile, twins Demetri and Darion Anbidian face another dull year in their isolated forest home: the dreaded Forest of Khaw. Despite its reputation as the cursed realm fabled to be the home of the Disciple of Fear; the Anbidians have lived peaceful lives there for the past 13 years. After inexplicably finding an injured elf, the twins agree to brave the forest and escort her back home, throwing them into the wildest adventure of their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Dec 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9781663258199

MJ Foulks

MJ Foulks has been weaving tales since she was a young child. To this day, she carries a great passion for nature and fantastic literature, and continues to share her stories with her own children. Through her stories, she has instilled in them a great love of literature, and she hopes to spread the joy of reading to as many children and young adults as possible. She lives in Virginia with her beloved husband and family.

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 MJ Foulks.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

844-349-9409

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Illustrated by Joseph Silva

Edited by Angel Paulson and Alisha Wells

ISBN: 978-1-6632-5820-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-5819-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023922394

iUniverse rev. date: 12/04/2023

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 Divine Encounters

Chapter 2 Needless Narrations

Chapter 3 A Cobbled Family

Chapter 4 Desperate Times

Chapter 5 Desperate Measures

Chapter 6 An Unexpected Find

Chapter 7 Close Shave

Chapter 8 Lysander Attacked

Chapter 9 So. Many. Books.

Chapter 10 An Impossible Assault

Chapter 11 The Bitter Brother

Chapter 12 The Woes of Evelyn Drest

Chapter 13 The Grubby Cloth

Chapter 14 The Curse of the Forest

Chapter 15 Subtle Blasphemy

Chapter 16 Casual Treason

Chapter 17 Departure

Chapter 18 Prayer and Prejudice

Chapter 19 The Hideout

Chapter 20 The Second Proclamation

Chapter 21 Lessons

Chapter 22 Forged and Broken

Chapter 23 Shadows of Doubt

Chapter 24 Then We Run

Chapter 25 Khaw

Chapter 26 Pure Chance

Chapter 27 Atonement

Chapter 28 The Offer Accepted

Chapter 29 The Last Leg

About the Author

For Skylar, with all my heart.

Prologue

A violent past. An uncertain future.

But at present, peace...a tense peace, one that few want.

Getting along has never been easy for the humans and elves of Akelian. Even their historic first encounter was fraught with tension and suspicion. Though the leaders of these two grand races did their best to forge an alliance, it was in vain.

Some say it was human greed; others say it was elvish righteousness. Whatever the truth, whispers of hatred became rumors of impropriety. The rumors spread like a parasitic vines on the diseased truth, sprawling and entangling everything in their path.

Elves are hiding the key to immortality.

Humans have no respect for the natural world.

Elves want humans to suffer.

Humans will destroy all of Akelian.

The rumors were too many, and too entangled to be pulled from the truth. Opinion died alongside nuance. No exceptions. No gray areas. A line had been drawn, and every citizen had chosen their side.

It was only a matter of time before the First War was declared, a war justified by both sides as a virtuous battle for the land of Evanesca, a mountainous realm in northern Akelian. Over time, the war cost many elvish and human lives, leaving entire communities reeling from the death and destruction.

A particularly horrible battle cost the humans their king, and their claim to Evanesca. Though the elves had heavy casualties, the human armies stood no chance against what the humans called Elvish Magic. Even in small numbers, the elves managed to reclaim Evanesca, to save it, as they said, from its impending destruction by human kind.

But the highest Elvish leaders felt a sense of pity for the humans, and a meeting of diplomacy was called. In attendance were the High Priests of the Elvish Realms:

Rhodarion, a southern jungle, represented by Lords Amphor and Vaelyn.

Mer Anemos, a bay in the southeast, represented by Lords Kanami and Haiwen.

Solaurhia, an eastern grassland, represented by Lords Kudu and Nairobyn.

Aleodyn, a northern forest high atop a cliff, represented by Lord Viridae alone.

Lumaneire, a holy land with no presence, represented by Saint Miradel.

To represent the western kingdom of Bellumor, the only human realm that remained, the new King Taremus attended. He was the sole human being at this historic event.

On that fateful day, the Hope Treaty, an agreement of peace an good will, was written and signed by all.

A Golden Age of Akelian followed, where Bellumor Kingdom and the Elvish Realms were open and welcoming to all. Journeys were traveled, cultures were shared, gifts were exchanged, and minds were opened. But above all, humans and elves had finally let their guard down and began to trust one another...

But it was not meant to last.

Despite being forbidden and seen as morally reprehensible, an elf and a human had carried out a love affair. But not just any elf and human: King Taremus and Saint Miradel, two of the most powerful leaders in Akelian, credited with the success of the Hope Treaty.

With the shock of this controversy, everything changed. Old religious texts were cited, condemning the affair as an act against nature and an utter betrayal of the trust of the people. Many humans began to question the motive behind the Hope Treaty, and began to question the moral authority of their leaders.

Anger seethed in the heart of the most religious humans, a slowly growing fire, fed by more extreme views allowed to go unquestioned.

Anger turned to rage, and the humans laid siege to their own royal castle in a violent battle, one where the castle’s own soldiers had turned their backs on the Royal Crown.

Both signers of the treaty were found within the castle walls in their nightclothes: proof of an unholy union.

King Taremus and Saint Miradel were executed. They were given no trial.

Outrage and pain struck the elves, who cried out from their realms at the loss of their beloved leader. They demanded justice and retribution that the humans refused to give, indignant in their decision to carry out the executions.

War threatened to take over the world once again.

Akelian’s remaining leadership met with urgency for discussion. Debate fiercely raged for days, poking and prodding every possible angle, desperately trying to avoid more bloodshed.

Finally, a decision was reached: the Hope Treaty was declared intact.

The usurping of King Taremus was declared the will of Bellumor’s own people, and as Saint Miradel was within the human realm, she was at the mercy of their customs. No violations of the treaty had been made.

The final word on the matter had been declared. The people were to continue to go about their lives as if nothing happened.

Akelian moved forward.

And yet, mourning over lives lost, the betrayal of trusted leaders, and a returning hatred all remained in the hearts of humans and elves alike, bleeding into the next generation, then the next, until it became an innate and inescapable part of life within these realms.

Akelian was at peace, but not because it wanted to be.

Present day leaders say little, and do even less. Desperately clinging to the Golden Age, these powerful figures have largely hidden in the shadows, governing from behind a veil. The humans and elves are left to adapt to ever-changing policies and laws, all in the name of upholding a peace treaty that, many believe, was shattered long ago...

001_a_lbj23.jpg

Chapter 1

Divine Encounters

Citizens of Bellumor City! a Royal Guard called from the castle wall’s balcony to the Towne Square below. Evelyn, a miller’s daughter from just outside the city gates, gently applied the brake to her pulley-and-lever carriage, parking quickly to catch the announcement. As she jumped out of her seat, she looked up at the Royal Guard.

King Samuel was granted a Divine Encounter last night! An announcement of this encounter will be given in just a few short moments. Please gather in the Square below to hear this important Royal Proclamation.

Evelyn’s heart leapt. She traveled through town often, delivering flour for her elderly father, but she had never been present for a Royal Proclamation regarding a Divine Encounter.

Evelyn moved her carriage to a better spot, one more convenient for making her many flour deliveries. As she locked the carriage door and waited for the Proclamation, she looked around at her favorite place in the world.

Towne Square was the sight of the most grand market in all of Bellumor Kingdom, if not all of Akelian itself. Large trees lined the walk around the Square, with drooping branches adorned with yellow leaves. This was the only place in the city where trees could be found. Many restaurants had outdoor seating within the Square itself, but people also loved making picnics under the drooping trees. Evelyn often brought her copy of the Script, her kingdom’s religious scripture, and would read it underneath one of these trees in between deliveries. She wasn’t alone either. Many people brought their copies of the Script to the Square, to pray in the presence of the Divinely appointed Royal Family.

In the center of the Square was a massive, elegant fountain where young children threw coins given to them by their parents. People would often sit along the fountain, lazily dipping their hands in the water while they took a break from their shopping.

The Square’s wide open space was perfect for setting up all kinds of shops, particularly because it was the only place in Bellumor City where sunlight was not blocked out by the city’s massive buildings. Shops and stands sold everything from toys and clothes to bread and meat. During the peak hours of the afternoon, the Square was alive with people, hustling and bustling about and gathering up the day’s shopping.

But for Evelyn, the pale light of morning had only just begun to creep into the Square, which was mostly empty as vendors weren’t yet set up. An early morning feel hung in the crisp air as a few people moved about, most of them shop owners and tradesmen getting ready for the day.

It didn’t take long for the announcement of a Royal Proclamation to reach the rest of the city. The early morning silence quickly filled with chatter as the streets flooded with people, pouring in to find a spot with a good view of the castle wall’s balcony.

The atmosphere was tense with excitement as people crowded closer and closer together.

As the sea of knocking arms and elbows continued to grow, Evelyn thought it best to climb onto the roof of her carriage for some breathing room. Before long, the Square was full to bursting with Bellumor City citizens, their chatter filling the air with an excited sort of buzz.

As she sat on the roof and waited, she allowed her mind to wander. Her family, along with most decent families in the kingdom, were Disciplists: faithful and devoted to God and his Disciples, each one granted divinity by God himself, so that they may carry out his grand plans. Evelyn’s family most often prayed to Mapenzela, the Disciple of love and family, God’s only daughter. Many prayed to Gledion, Disciple of Joy, hoping to find happiness. During more dark times, one may pray to Tukkar, Disciple of melancholy, for guidance.

In all, there were thirteen Disciples that carried out God’s orders, and each one received prayers of their own. That was the only way the common man had to communicate with the divine. Only the Royal Family had been granted the right of Divine Encounters, where a Disciple would personally visit and give guidance, advice, or even warnings.

As she waited, Evelyn imagined what a divine encounter must be like for someone who had never experienced one, like herself. Which Disciple would she want to encounter? Perhaps, Nanamae, the Disciple of Wisdom. She could teach Evelyn how to wisely handle the criticisms of her father. Or possibly Nimea, the Disciple of Creativity. Nimea could even grant her a new talent, or any talent. Aside from being a great help around the farm, Evelyn couldn’t think of any special talents she might have...nothing that would attract a husband at least, a shortcoming of which her father often reminded her. Perhaps she could have a Divine Encounter with Mapenzela, who could point her in the direction of her future husband, just to get her father off of her back...

A sudden roar of cheers from the crowd interrupted Evelyn’s musings. Prince Jonah had appeared on the balcony above, holding a rolled-up scroll in his hands. He was a tall, slightly pudgy man adorned in a fine suit of deep violet and golden trimmings, the formal uniform of the royal family. His face was the color of cream, and atop his blonde head sat an ornate golden crown...one that was not commonly seen by the citizens unless the news was of a more serious nature.

The Prince held up his hand, and the crowd fell silent.

My fellow Bellans, citizens of the grand kingdom of Bellumor, I stand before you today with news of a Divine Encounter.

Roars and applause boomed from the audience. Evelyn could feel her heart leaping with girlish excitement. To think she was here to see a proclamation for a Divine Encounter! She thought of her sister, Maryella, who obsessed over anything related to the Royal Family. She was going to squeal with delight when Evelyn told her of this.

The crowd fell silent as the prince held up his hand once again.

Last night, my father was visited by Disciple of Love, Mapenzela herself.

Awed murmurs flitted through the crowd. Evelyn kept her attention excitedly on the prince.

In this encounter, Mapenzela expressed her heavy heart as she sees the plague of disappearances happening within our walls. Many of our own have gone missing in recent months, vanishing without a trace, leaving children without fathers, and parents without children. Even whole families have been lost, leaving our communities to mourn in fear of who will be next. Mapenzela fears the ongoing loss of our citizens to this unknown force. She warns that the threat to our people will grow if we do not take defensive action. She asked my father to remind you, the citizens of Bellumor, that she watches on and loves us all.

He flashed a handsome, assuring smile, and the crowd swooned. Evelyn herself felt reassured just to know that a member of the Disciples was thinking of them. Surely this meant everything would get better soon, and the disappearances would finally be old news.

Bellumor City’s citizens had been going missing for nearly a year, mysteriously vanishing without a trace. Some houses were left untouched and still full of personal belongings, while others had been looted or destroyed. But for those who were clearly victims of foul play, not even a sliver of evidence had lead to a culprit. The disappearances had the proud city shaken in fear, as the people did their best to carry on their lives. The disappearances were rare, but becoming more common as time went by.

Contrary to what some have suggested, Prince Jonah continued, "the Crown and Court do not believe that our own people are responsible for these disappearances—"

The crowd’s murmurs quickly morphed as some began to shout, and others scoffed at the very idea. Everyone knew exactly who had been suggesting that good, hard working citizens were responsible for these attacks. They’d been making the same accusations ever since the disappearances first began, accusations that were unfounded and, quite frankly, unfair. The Sympaths have gone too far this time, Evelyn thought as she clicked her tongue.

The cause remains a mystery, The prince projected loudly, and the noisy crowd finally subsided. We are conducting a thorough investigation and are confident that we will find the culprits, and finally get the answers that we so desperately crave.

A deafening applause exploded, making Evelyn jump and clasp her hands to her ears. Some members of the crowd urgently shushed others as the Prince waited patiently to continue.

Mapenzela urges us to be more prepared, to protect our people from these invisible, but very real threats. The time to act is now!

Cheers and affirmations swelled from the crowd once again. Evelyn applauded rapidly along with everyone else, not taking her eyes off of the prince.

The time to act is now, he repeated. In response to the increased disappearances in our city, the Crown and Court impose these new actions, effective immediately.

The Prince unrolled the scroll in his hand and began to read.

Action One: Bellumor Court is reinstating the draft for the Militia. All able-bodied men over the age of sixteen shall be prepared to receive orders, and to report to their required stations within seven says of receipt. Failure to respond to a draft notice will result in arrest, and execution for treason via public hanging.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd once again, but these were more ominous and subdued. The draft hadn’t been used in decades, not since the First War with the elves nearly a hundred years ago. Surely this isn’t a good sign, Evelyn thought.

"Able-bodied women will be accepted into the militia, but will currently not be subject to the draft. Women who wish to join the militia need only report to a Militia Recruiter. Recruiters will be found in recruiting stands currently being set up throughout the city. Be prepared to sign a contract swearing loyalty to the Crown and Court. Once the contract is signed, you will receive your orders at home in a few days’ time.

Action Two: All citizens of Bellumor Kingdom currently abroad are required to report home within the next thirty days. This ensures that all Bellumor citizens will be under the safety and protection of the newly assembled Militia.

Evelyn suddenly felt quite confused. Citizens had been advised against leaving the safety of the kingdom for as long as she could remember. Elvish Realms were not allowing humans entry, so how could anyone be ‘abroad’?

Action Three: Because citizens are disappearing from Bellumor City, the gate to the city will be closed, and all travel into and out of Bellumor City will be halted—

He paused as angry shouts and growls from the crowd began to drown out his words. Evelyn’s heart dropped. Her family lived outside of the city, in Bellumor’s vast Farmlands Province just outside the city walls. If they weren’t allowed to pass through the gates of the wall, they couldn’t do business within the city, where they made most of their money. What in Akelian was she going to tell her father?

Those who travel back and forth for work or trade are exempt from this action, and will be given special passage to continue their work. However, please be advised that all merchants granted special passage will be subject to random searches by the Gate Guardsmen, the prince added with a raised but calm voice.

Many sighs of relief came from the crowd, Evelyn’s among them. At least she didn’t have to go home and inform her father about a significant loss of income. All the same though, Evelyn couldn’t help but feel concerned. She had been taught that closing city gates was a measure reserved for dangerous situations. From what she had heard on the city’s thriving gossip chain, only a handful of people had gone missing thus far. Was that truly sufficient to justify such an extreme measure? Or...and she hesitated to think it, was there something else going on, something the Crown was keeping from the people?

The elves, she thought. It has to be.

This concludes the actions of Royal Proclamation 412, The Safety First Proclamation. Prince Jonah rolled up the piece of parchment. With your loyalty and cooperation, we know that Bellumor will see past these disappearances and return to an era of peace—

MURDERERS! A dark voice shouted from behind. Evelyn turned around to see a raven-haired man with a short, dark beard, standing on the roof of a baker’s stand, his face and clothes covered in soot. Frightened, the baker scrambled from underneath the now swaying and unsteady structure.

LIES! EVASION! DOES THE CROWN KNOW NO LIMIT TO ITS POWER?!

Evelyn recognized the man immediately as Lysander, a disgraced blacksmith. Many men had crowded the baker’s little stand in attempt to forcefully silence him, but Lysander had pulled two short swords from his belt. Evelyn could see a shield hanging from his back as he widened his stance, a sword in each hand. The men who had gathered were now slowly backing away. Disgraced or not, Lysander was the most talented blacksmith in the kingdom, and his proficiency with his weapons was legendary.

Evelyn could see Prince Jonah standing stiffly on the castle balcony in silence.

"You talk of disappearances, yet you refuse to acknowledge exactly who has gone missing among our people! The only people that have gone missing are Sympaths, those among us with the brains to know the elves speak the truth, not the Crown and its ‘Divine Encounters’."

He pointed one of his swords to the crowd around him as he spoke, as if everyone there shared blame. "Every single missing person, a Sympath, or from a Sympath family. We are being hunted and attacked just for wanting to listen to the elves, to at least hear what they have to say. And yet you address your people without assigning blame, knowingly stoking the rumor that the elves are the ones behind this!"

Many people in the crowd scoffed and booed.

They’re the murderers! one man shouted from the crowd.

Liar!

They would see us all rot!

They’ll kill us all!

Lysander shouted over the crowd that was trying so hard to drown him out, directly to Prince Jonah.

"What say you, Prince of Lies? What say you to the murder of your own people, by your own people? You do NOTHING to protect those with a different point of view. Our people aren’t missing; they’re dead! Murdered, while the Crown and Court do nothing!"

The crowd was dangerously close to a riot. People were spitting in Lysander’s direction, shouting and screaming for someone to grab him and silence him. Evelyn’s stomach ached as she heard the most derogatory slur that existed in their kingdom, one reserved for perceived traitors and scum that swirled caustically through the air toward Lysander: Symp. Over and over, the word was spat at him as members of the crowd winced upon hearing it, but Lysander didn’t flinch. Evelyn knew that he was used to this treatment. The townspeople could hardly do any more damage to him than they had already done.

SILENCE! Prince Jonah shouted from the balcony, and the booming sound of a trumpet reverberated through the Square to quell the crowd. Everyone fell silent and looked up at the Prince, while Lysander held his ground on the roof of the baker’s stand, swords still drawn.

My father’s Divine Encounter has finally brought answers to these questions. The great Disciple offered words of wisdom that she wanted passed down to all of our people. He paused for a moment, and the crowd held its breath.

Though there are those among us that carry beliefs that border on treason— the Prince’s gaze shifted to the direction of Lysander, who was shaking with anger, —we must remember that they are still our citizens. This young man is able to stand up and express his beliefs without fear of persecution by the Crown or the Court, as is the right of every human, a divine right given by God and his Disciples. The Disciple Danaya (of Empathy) has taught us to be compassionate and tolerant of those who hold beliefs different from our own, provided— he looked severely at Lysander, —that those beliefs do not cause harm to others. I strongly advise all of our citizens to remember the teachings of Danaya, and to offer empathy to our Sympath brothers and sisters. They are not traitorous; they are misguided. The Crown and Court of this glorious kingdom will enter council and work to correct the misguided beliefs of the Sympaths, and to save them from themselves. To the Synpaths, I offer this kind reminder: you will receive no persecution from the Crown or the Court.

With that last statement, Prince Jonah elegantly bowed his head, and turned toward the balcony door.

YOU DON’T NEED TO PERSECUTE US! Lysander shouted desperately from the roof as it gave a threatening wobble beneath his feet. YOUR OWN PEOPLE DO IT FOR YOU!

But the Prince was gone.

The crowd turned to Lysander. A few people pointed and shouted at him, as if he were a poorly behaved child. Others, however, wanted to bring Lysander down by any means necessary. Two large men had started to topple the baker’s stand, but Lysander leaped from it, disappearing to the other side of a garden wall. The two large men went to follow, but he was nowhere to be found.

Evelyn sighed as she finally climbed down from the roof of her carriage, unable to get Lysander out of her mind. He looked so filthy, so...heathenish!

As she pulled out her delivery cart and piled it with sacks of flour, she remembered a younger Lysander that was much more of a gentleman, much more presentable. Of course, that was many years ago when they were children, before Lysander’s father was hung for treason...for being a Sympath, just like Lysander...

A pang of guilt rushed through Evelyn’s stomach. If only he’d had better parents, she couldn’t help but think as he headed toward her first customer. Perhaps he wouldn’t have turned out this way.

As Evelyn made her deliveries, smiling and bowing as she traded flour for coins, all her customers could talk about was the morning’s surprise Proclamation. Though the opinions of the new actions varied, two thoughts were universally shared: the elves were trying to ignite a war with Bellumor, and Sympaths, like Lysander, were helping them.

012_a_lbj23.jpg

Chapter 2

Needless Narrations

"Perched, high in the treetops, the greatest hunter in all of Akelian silently waits. Despite his young age of only 17, the brilliant, enigmatic Demetri Anbidian scans the open field beneath him, waiting to unleash his arrow on his unsuspecting prey below…

"A deer has just trotted unknowingly into the adjacent field...ah, he is quite a find — a huge rack of antlers signifies his might and size — but he is no match for Demetri, whose handsome green eyes have locked onto their target…

"He pulls back his bow, showing off his muscular forearms, totally dripping with sex appeal as he brushes his blonde hair out of his eyes...he leans forward and lines up his shot, poised to release his arrow—

WHA—AHH!!!

The sound of a branch snapping reached Demetri’s ears a bit too late. He plummeted toward the ground, crashing into plenty of hard branches on the way, and stopped mid air just short of the forest floor. There he hung pathetically from a crude rope harness. He wriggled, trying to get free, but he couldn’t manage without help.

Great, Demetri thought as he embarrassingly swayed back and forth, he’s never gonna let me hear the end of this.

Nearly as soon as he’d had the thought, his brother Darion appeared just below and looked up at him with his arms crossed, surveying the scene.

For Demetri, it would have been like looking down to a mirror if it weren’t for Darion’s bright blue eyes, hair that was entirely too long (Demetri kept his cut short), and the vindicated smirk on his face. Demetri guessed