Fralfel the Brave

He was like midday storm in late November
He was like hammer, in a smith strong hand
He led his knights against a horde of trolls and goblins
Fralfel the Brave, defender of Free lands

The son of Elric Furious and Magdaline the Wise
He born in mountain Stronghold, at a time of human rise
He learnt to fight by dwarfs he was like mighty blizzard
He learnt to magic by dryads and elfish wizards

At day of full age, he took sword, supplies and fast, gray merit
And went to world, on quest for Fame and Glory
He fought in many wars he never worried
For life of him, but always thought about his honor

After ten years, with loyal friends, as hero
Came back at last, to snow-white rocky home
However, saw he only poverty and sadness 
As it was captured by the evil empire S'trlom

It ruler, cruel orc Rah'lan deceived fair Elric
He poisoned him with cup of dragon gall
And now, with Magdaline the Wise in dungeon
The Stronghold, desecrated to the knees has fell
 
Fralfel the Brave, but though not reckless turn his merit back
He went to Neighbor Mountains of free dwarfs
Those times their king was Sturdy Talbin
The son of Fralfel father friend, Big Grold

Than, way of him lied to the Shadow Forest
Domain of famous elfish archers and dryads
Than to the Sounding Seas, the home for mages
And than to Desert, were lived those who speaks with Gods

And so, to Stony caverns Fralfel with his loyal knights has came
He raised his arm, and said who are they and for what
Dwarfs greeted warriors and lead them to their king
Trough dark and twisting corridors to royal grotto

"I greet you Talbin" said Brave Frafwel when they came
Great dwarfish king has answered shortly " Greetings!"
He than embraced him heartily, shake his hands  
After ten years they met, old childhood friends 

"You know my sadness, Talbin, I lost home,
As I lost father, far away from here,
My people suffer under press of evil tyrant
I wonder, fight him, will you dare?"


" Just tell me when and where my friend, the time has come
We dwarfs will never left our friends in danger
And let this tyrant cry, as he will feel our wrath
I say he'll curse that day, when feel he our anger"

That was the answer of the Sturdy Talbin
And dwarfs, began prepare themselves to battle
When moon will change herself five times
They will be waiting on White plain for matter

After long journey to the west they came to Forest 
The Shadow Forest, abyss of the trees
"I' m Frafwel, from the Rocky Stronghold,
I came for help" - above the skies his thunder shout released

"Those who is looking always something finds, 
Due to the law of hospitality, I greet you here
Come after leaves, they'll show the way, but go alone
If you are brave like people say, and as your father fair"
 
"I will" has answered Frafwel, and old leaves has rose 
 They made some kind of magic path for him
Just as the ground has disappeared around them
A narrow path... and nothing under to be seemed 

He doesn't scared and walked this trial with honor
Without looking back and looking down
There is nothing to be scared for kind of people
Who knows that life's not single, there is great amount

Frafwel the Brave, he found himself on lawn
Elves were surrounding him, and curious they were
In center stood refined, majestic throne
With king Linor, that represented here the Law

"I listen mortal, what is your request?
In fact, the visitors are seldom here
But I will try to help you if I can
In admiration to your human race"

" I'm here, because I ask for justice
You elves are to protect the Order in our world
My Land is trampled by the S'trlom empire
And I will fight, will help you me or not?"


Linor has touched his chin in jest of thought
And answered slowly as he guilty was
"I cannot give you soldiers Frafwel,
It's just too few of us, and you should understand me so"



An arrow whistled, stroke to royal throne
And girl emerged, with indignation on her face
With passion anger in her dark - green eyes
She came to lane with dignity, but haste

"You cowards, how can you deny
Immortal cowards and I feel disgrace
To all of you, and you Linor, my father
I think that you forgot our Fate and our ways

We always stood between Chaos and Order
He asked for justice and what you have said?
Or you forgot that humans always helped us
To hear you words? I'll better choose the Death!"

" How dare you Merel argue my words?!
How dare you..."
" Oh... Pathetic stop objections, ask you again if you will change your mind
'Couse if you not I'll blame again your actions"

The silence fell, is there were choice for Linor?
 He was a ruler and Merel was right
He should not repudiate from Frafwel request
The law said, " Elves must help for justice fight"

" I ask you to forgive me Frafwel, 
   It seems that we were hiding for to long
   Merel, my daughter, you will lead our forces
   The times to war has came, not time for songs"  




" I thank you Linor..."
"Thank Merel..."
"I Thank. The troops will gather on White lane at night
When moon will change herself for four times we will wait"
"We'll be there Frafwell, I give you my promise, we will fight" 


The dwarfs and elves has joined him, half a way
It will be furious battle with strong foes
That was the thoughts of Frafwel on way back
And suddenly he heard of Merel voice


"If I can talk to you, or should not to delay
It looks like friends of yours are waiting..."
" I'll be honored..."
"I have strange feeling as we met before"
"This feeling mutual, and I seemed to love it..."




" Love...what a strange word has you choose
Love...yes, I think that you are right, Frafwel?"
"Yes Merel..."
" Do you..."
"Merel, yes, I do, I'll give all treasures of 
the world just to be with you... I love you, Merel..."
" Frafwel, I love you..."

And fell on grass they kissing, happy lovers
For love, there are no barriers, like race
A man and daughter of an elfish king
At time of war they fused they nights and days
  
"Four moons will be like years for me Frafwel..."
"Four moon...eternity I think is shorter, Merel"
"Go Frafwel, I will wait, I'll come..."
He went, but path of leaves he went for him was now more narrow...

The Sounding seas, where wind sings, home of mages
Five towers watching skies, they have no sleep
Air, Water, Fire, Earth and in the center Balance
The fort of Wisdom, of the Knowledge keep

Once Magdaline the Wise has lived here, Frafwel mother
In Tower of the Water studied she, 
And here her son has come to ask for help
Something to put against the orcish shamans needed he

An Image suddenly appeared in front of party
"First name yourself, and specify your aim
Than maybe you shall pass to Magic towers
Or be rejected, and you'll stay with what you came"

" Frafwel the Brave, for Good we need your Power"
The spirit seemed to lend his ear to someone,
"Ha, son of Magdaline...come in" the other voice has answered
"I'll wait you in the Tower of the Water, my name's Gauel"
 
And they came in, they walked through walls of waterfalls
Through all the miracles that hidden in the water
Fountain that changes its shape, the Fog of secrets, Marble Ocean
Until they came to hall of Breeze devotion

Young man in early twenties met them there
"Frafwel, its me who talked to you, it must be friends your old
Gauel - fifth grade of water magic, nice to meet you 
So tell me, what has happen in the world?"




"We know each other?" Frafwell was surprised
This man has speak to him as they were really are
"I knew you Frafwell when you were a kid,
I am Maggy brother and your uncle, little shocked you, ha?"    

"In fact I'm ninety eight, appearance - this is magic
If you will see me real you will than got quite scared
I'm bald, with lot of wrinkles...spooky, so anyway
My nephew, why you look upset?"

"Your sister...uncle, and my mother is in dungeon
My father's dead, my land in evil hands 
I need a help of mages to return it 
There would be battle, could be that my last"

Gauel has shacked his head and said to Frafwell
"I'll summon council, there we will decide
In hour come to Tower of the Balance
To speak and vote with us, you'll gain the right"



At pointed time Brave Frafwel came to pointed place
Great Tower of the Balance seemed to live
Of all the Elemental power magic mages gathered
Deciding how to help the hero grief

Not day has past, not even two or three,
And still Great council were engaged in conversation
On two parts, mages has divide their voices 
One to give hand to Frawfel, other - to be neutral fraction

And than, at last the time of Frawfell speech has come
"I'm not intend to draw you into the conflict here for age
All that I ask, to give me mere support, I ask for few of you
Who'll give me all his help and use to Good his knowledge"

 "You'll have it, nephew  - I don't care what other say
I'll go with you, and lend you water power"
" The Fire in me be your ally Frafwel" stood up red - haired
Man, "Your foe for this time is the same as ours"

" I knew you are a man of honor Bralaf and praise your words"
Shook Gauel with approval, head
" The Earth is solid, just as my decision - I Della, go with you I, said"

" So three of us, I think that be enough..."
" Not without me, hell! Air, and with Heleige, I like you boy,
Hey Gauel if I'm in...."
" Can't say you 'no', most beautiful of women mages"




And so, decided, - Heliege, Della, Bralaf, Gauel
Four elements, four mages, four friends
Frafwel went south, his final destination
To prophets of deserted sandy lands

The road is long and time is very short,
He rides alone, and here - lone, shining Shrine
Nobody ask him what his name or purpose
He is inside, see meditating monks, they're nine

In center lies the sword that glows and tremble
Frafwel the Brave hear voice inside his head
"We know you knight, take this, you should be need it
'The Sword of Virtue'" - this voice said


" No matter what Frafwel, remember what we know
Remember and than say to others
We monks who speaks with gods, true neutral, we are help
To anyone, who comes here, matter no, they sons of Order or of Chaos fathers,

Think you should know, Rah'lan attended us
He got his powerful and magic Artifact
Necklace of Dragon, power that him give
To rule over long sleeping, last Black dragon Ract"
 
After this words the Shrine has disappeared
And Frafwel found himself on sizzling sand
If not 'The sword of Virtue' in his hand
He could think, that he just went faint

The Sword...it seemed he lived with his own life
In just a second, Frafwel saw all victims that he slain
All noble hands that hold him against darkness
All wars and fights, under black nights and days in rain

'The Sword of Virtue', surely was right name
He never drank a blood of honest people
Dark demons, servants of a Hell and Black Knights
Found death under sharp blade of justice keeper

Frafwel has strapped him on his back
His merit neigh and galloped to the North
At last all settled after long, exhausting journey
White plain is waiting - they will crush Empire force
 
                         ****
                  And every night in dreams of him was only Merel
                  Her eyes, her touches, love and sincere words,
                  He never thought, that one-day he will met her
                  Her, to whom he will give his world,


                In sequence of the battles never thought he
                That would be someone, for whom he return
                But Merel...they were born to love each other
                And come what may, he knew her hand he'll earn



                      ****



White plain has covered with a snow and soldiers
Dwarfs, Elves, four Mages on the hill and human troops
In quantity much more than fifty thousand
They faced dark horde of Rah'lan, let prevail the truth

Huge trolls and tyrant in their number
Against Frafwel chivalry and his royal nights
Dwarfs hyrd against the line of orkish swordsmen
Where every second Berserk when they fight

The goblin archers versus Merel elves
Not skillful but in heavy forces
Black dragon Ract is swirl in the skies
He free at last, hi'll kill without remorse

Somewhere in neighbor forest Orkish shamans has began
To build their devastating and God cursed dark spells
Against the noble elemental magic, that now was weaving
In Astral by four great mages

The air was trembling, just like 'Sword of Virtue'
The smell of blood that would be spilled, fulfilled the plain
 "Charge!!!" - shouted Frafwel and began the battle
Death were anticipating sacrifices of the Rage

Gauel has raised his rod and madly laughed
" Blue power of an Ocean, come to me!
Great Water lend me crushing power,
Come!!! Storm of anger from the sea"

And suddenly with roar from the South
The wave has come and almost swept the goblins
But roared again and melted to the steam 
When stroke to shield of sparkling goblin copies

From arrow shadows sun has disappeared
The ringing swords and axes ate all sounds
Ract flame was burning everything, as he was blind 
No one-to-one, no mercy and no rounds

Dark stream of something, never seen before
Has rose from forest and explode to thousand pieces
Swarm of dark fairies there appeared and than attacked
The human infantry, and poisoned were they kisses


" Proud strength of Fire, mighty Salamander
Burn impious bodies and their humble souls
Left nothing but an ashes on the ground
Burn! Burn! Burn! Let my Foes fall!!!"

Bralaf has concentrated, and his power 
Supported was by Della, mage of Earth
" Let Ashes after magic fire will feed you
 Feed you oh Mighty Earth of Force!

Devour impudent hell servants!
Turn bodies to the trees and silent stones!
And give their power to our loyal friends
Take from our enemies, that what you by right owns!"
 
The ground has open wide near sinful forest
And tentacles of fire there emerged 
In form of ivy branches spread they under foes
Annihilate to everything they urged

The Dwarfs was fighting evil orcish swordsmen
When acid rain began to melt their shining armor
Rah'lan was like a resurrected God of blood
His hammer smashed them in non - counting number

The "Sword of Virtue" sang the song of death
To Mountain Trolls and than at last they fled
An arrow hit in Gauel leg,
And cursing everything, on ground mage has fell

Merel and squad of elves ingrained to lair of Shamans
It was a massacre, not one of them survived
Helaige has covered mages retreat,
Not only Gauel, Della wounded hardly was, that he could die

The battle lasted for two long red days
Snow soaked with blood and hoarsely anger shouts
And than at last in center Frafwel and Rah'lan has met
Met only they, met foes Face to face

Black dragon Reck has fall with arrow in his eye
The "Sword of Virtue" strangely disappeared  
With honest Iron stood they, with no magic
And Duel has began, both fought for death without fear


From morning and to evening fought they
Both wounded many times but still they stood
One - taking back what once belonged him
And other - tyrant, if to win he could?



From lasts his strength Frawfell with loud cry hit
And pierced Rah'lab fat neck and both they fell
One dead and other merely was alive
One still alive, and other went to hell
                              

 ****

In Shadow forest after month again 
Frafwel and Merel stood and as before, they spoke
"I wonder if you, Merel...?"
"Frafwel, Yes, I do..."
And married their under age-old great oak

In liberated Stronghold wedding was
And day before another alliance they formed
Dwarfs, humans, elves and elemental mages
Alliance of Free Lands those days born

In admiration to their King, to Frafwel
His people made a monument for him
I saw it long ago, still being very young
And saw inscription, in the evening dawn red beams:

"He was like midday storm in late November
He was like hammer, in a smith strong hand
He led his knights against a horde of trolls and goblins
Fralfel the Brave, defender of Free lands"