8 Chapter 8

"Hey, Lovell? When will we reach the border to the elven kingdom?" Lance complained.

"Tomorrow for sure," climbing over the small ledge. Then pulling Gale up before Lance got over. "it also depends if we can get to the top of the ridge without you stopping every ten minutes." Lovell was slightly irritated with him.

Lance groaned as he helped him up. They all looked up. Seeing the top, a short distance away. Lovell continued shortly after with Gale behind him. Lance was groaning at a range, made his way up after them. By the time he reached the top, Lovell and Gale were looking at the forest's edge. Falling flat on his butt, exhausted.

"You feel uneasy too." Gale was looking over to Lovell; A cold sweat was running down his back as he looked into the forest.

"Yeah, like there's an ambush waiting inside the moment we enter." Lovell gripped the hilt of one of his long swords. Lance still huffing behind them.

He looked over. "Are. We. Going. In?" He huffed.

Lovell and gale looked at him. "Yes, we are, Lance."

"Oh, great. Just...just let me get my breath back." Flopping onto his back.

"Gale, be ready, not to attack." Lovell's eyes fixated deep within the branches of the forest.

Gale looked over at him. "So, what we don't cause a problem?" Lovell nodded. "Great, so we tie our gear up. To ensure we can't draw them?"

"Yes," Looking at Lance. "Did you hear us, Lance?" Lance was giving a thumbs up. "okay, we are camping here to ready ourselves for what's inside these forest walls." Gale was setting down his gear. "come on you. You need to help out or no dinner." Lance jumped up, Lovell giving him his pack.

Lance glared as Lovell walked over to a spot to set the fire. Lance then began to set the sleeping bags up, as Gale chopped the food. Lovell readied the cooking stand as Gale asked if the cuts were alright. Lovell said they would do. Lance gathered the cured meat from his bag. He was passing it to Lovell, adding it to the meal, placing the ingredients in the pot together for a stew. Once the stew was done, Lance moved the bowls of food to Gale and Lovell.

As he sat, Lance turned to Lovell. "So, what's possibly waiting for us in the forest?"

Lovell, taking a mouth full of the stew, looked up. "Elven sentries or of the sort." Taking another mouthful before continuing. "possibly to find intruders to their land." Lowering his bowl, Lovell looked back at the forest. "They know where we are and know that we have intentions of entering, but." Looking out of the corner of his eyes. "they will wait till we are too far in to run back out. With the other possibility of us being surrounded at the same time."

Lance was not feeling secured by the thought. Looked over to the forest. "So, we are just going to walk in and be captured?"

"Yes, Lance." Gale sat his empty bowl down. "We have no other choice if we want to find Grandmother K."

Lovell was getting up. "well, you're finished eating. You'll be on the first watch, Lance."

"What? Gale told me I don't have to listen to him on this?"

"Sorry, but I'm with Lovell on this one. Though I'm on the second watch." Looking over to Lovell as he tucked in for the night, getting up to do the same.

"But—but?" Lance tried to protest. Sitting like a bump on a log, pouting to himself.

As the sun peeked over the horizon, Lovell woke Lance and Gale. Lance still groggy had a piece of bread shoved in his mouth when he yawned. They all sealed their weapons to ensure no bloodshed. They packed the last of the gear. Lovell glanced at the edge of the forest once more.

"Ready?" Gale asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Lovell looked over to him.

"I'm not!"

They looked back at Lance, placing the last of the gear on his pack. "Hurry up, Lance. They don't have all day, waiting for us to enter foolishly."

Lance ran up to them, now all packed. "well, they kind of do really, but you also said—" Lovell growled. "okay, never mind me."

The trio walked in. Just as Lovell thought, they followed them as they had entered. Keeping an ear to them, Lovell held calm. Lance was trailing behind as Gale walked close to Lovell. After walking for two hours, Lovell stopped. Gale stopped just short from Lovell's position, while Lance ran into them.

"What are we—" arrows are drawn towards them, "—stopping for?" Lance was raising his hands, while Lovell and Gale did not.

"State your business here, Humans?" One of the elves demanded.

Lovell smiled. "where is your leader?" They drew their bows back farther.

"Lovell, this is not the time." Lance gritted out.

They were ready to release their arrows when a voice shot out. "Wait, did you say Lovell?" An elf with beast-like features appeared from the treetops.

"Sire, they are –"

"You will not harm my little brother and his company!" The young lord barked. Lowering their bows still drawn. "Sorry about that. My name is Kratos."

Lovell stunned when he said he was his brother. Gale stepped up. "I'm Prince Gale McKnight. This is Lance Pendragon, back there, and this is, as you already know, is Lovell Krisnik." Lances waved sheepishly at Kratos.

Lovell snapped out. "Whoa, whoa? How are you even related to me?" confused about the matter.

Kratos turned his back to Lovell. "we have the same mother." As he walked away, the elves forced the group forward. Lovell still not understanding what was going on.

'I have a brother?' thinking to himself. 'this is just crazy. It might have been in the letter,

but I left it with Grailla for safekeeping.'

As they approached the elven city, Kratos looked back at Lovell. He seemed to be surprised that he had to know the idea he had a brother. Kratos started to deal with the guards; a sour look ran across his face. Looking back at the trio, he nodded. The men that guided them there left. Though they were not out of the woods yet, a set of palace guards surrounded them. Lovell, no longer impressed by what was going on, looked at Kratos. His expression was the same as his. The men led them to the King with Kratos at the head.

Once they reached the throne room, Kratos walked next to the king. "So, what business do three humans want in our kingdom?" The king roared. "To so blatantly enter?"

"Lord Vain, we—" Gale trying to speak.

"Silence you! I can tell you are not the leader of your quarrel." King Vain barked.

Lovell stepped forward to the king. "We are on our way to see grandmother K. Lord Vain."

"Little old me, you say?" the voice of an elderly woman approached from the shadows. Lovell stared at the old woman. "and who might you be a theyan mix?"

Her words catching the king and his men off guard, Kratos sneered a smile in the corner. Lovell closed his eye's "I'm Lovell Krisnik ma'am."

In the blink of an eye, she was at Lovell's face. "Oh my…" Her eyes filled with joy. "How is Marie doing, my boy?"

Lovell shocked to learn that his mother knew her. "She was killed a little over twenty years ago." His voice saddened.

"So, she died, protecting our secret." She said to herself. "well, its high time you know who I am, Lovell." Her attention turned to him. "I am Kora Krisnik, your grandmother." Lovell dropped his mouth as words could not escape. Lance trying to clear his ears and Gale stood still in shock. "Lovell, have you read your mother's letter?"

The words were returning to him. "No, I left it with a good friend to take care of, why?"

Kora closing her eye's in disappointment. "Well, it tells you who you are? Who your mother and father are? As well as both of your half-brothers."

"ha-half-brothers!?" Lovell stuttered

Lance and gale stood in shock as the words rolled out. "Yes, your father had a son a hundred years ago with another woman before meeting your mother. Who was married to an elven lord at the time." Lovell looked at Kratos, "Kratos is only a year older than you. Though his father only married her for status."

Kratos looked at Lovell. "My father was a drunk noble. The king raised me out of our mother's wish. For my safety." Looking at the lord Vain. "thankfully, your grandmother came to visit me. She kept me in line more times than I could count. Even though the king has never known that I had any siblings."

Lovell looked back at Kora. "Why?" anger started to build up inside him. "Why did you not try and find me?" Yelling at Kora. She could only close her eyes. "Why did you not look into seeing if I was ok or that the woman I-I called mother was alive?" tears began to well up. "Did you not hear of Blacklights fall? Huh? Some family you are?" the tears streaming out. "Why? Just why?"

Kora opened her eyes "because I hoped that you would seek me out if anything happened to you. I had hoped Marie told you to find me." Tears escaped her own eyes. "I could only hope…please forgive me, Lovell. Please forgive me."

Sadness filled the room as they conversed with their feelings. Lovell looked at his grandmother. "I did find you, though. I'm both overflowing with joy and frustration." Hugging her tight. "You could only hope. Whereas I suffered without even knowing that I had any family left." They looked in each other's eyes. "I found you not knowing I was going to find family." Lovell let out a smile.

Kora, still teary-eyed, dried her eyes. "So, what is it you were looking for before all of this?"

He was drying his eyes. Lovell looked back at Gale and Lance, they both nodded with a smile. Closing his eyes, he regained his composure. "I'm looking for a girl with silver hair and eyes with a milky complexion."

Kora stared into his eyes, "what's so important that you find her?"

Lance and Gale looked at each other. Even they had no idea why she was so important to him. Lovell closed his eyes once more. Then looking long and hard into Kora's, "because I made a promise to her as an infant to protect her. For the fact is that she is the reincarnation of Lunatica."

The room echoed of whispers of shock. Kora's jaw gaped open. "Lovell, are you certain?"

Lovell glanced at the people in the room. "More than certain. She has the mark on her chest." Lovell's eyes burned with passion. "So, do you—"

Kora stopped him. "I am going to stop you there." Lovell stood back. "No, I don't know of her. Though you should probably check the last place, you saw her?"

"Marewood, of course." Lovell felt dumb after thinking about it. "Mr. and Mrs. Humbly! Do you know if they are still alive?"

Kora smiled. "Yes, they should be, but Lovell?" Her eyes dimmed. "Marewood is now part of the Faremin kingdom. Just as a friendly warning."

Lovell looked at his friends. They all smiled. "No worries, grandmother will be just fine."

Kora closed her eyes again. "once you find the girl. You will come back here, and we will discuss the next steps on what should happen—"

Lovell cut her off. "To deal with the Lord Tamora?" Hatred filled his eyes.

Kora was turning away. "Yes, that." Something was bothering her as she turned away, though Lovell did not want to ask what she had on her mind. Lovell decided to ignore her worries. "Kratos."

"Yes, Kora?"

They are looking back at Lovell. "Lead them to the dragon grounds. So that they can reach the outskirts of Marewood." Kratos nodded, leading Lovell and his friends to the dragon grounds. "Oh, Terrance. Look at what you have done. To your family." Tears are flowing down as King Vain helped her to the gardens.