The Blade Heir (Book 1) by Daniel Adorno Page A

range.
    Before Silas could allow the thought of victory to enter his mind, he felt the rage of the river's current pull him under. He flailed his arms and kicked his legs to ascend once more. Within moments, he resurfaced and realized he had reached the fierce river rapids of the Feilon. Black rocks jutted from the surface of the river and around each bend. His body was hurled to and fro on several quick drops as the Feilon narrowed within a gorge. By some miracle, he was able to keep his head above the water and fight the weariness in his body. Every muscle in his arms and legs ached in agony with each stroke to avoid drowning in the dark waters. Before he could reach the end of the river's torrents, another drop sent him freefalling beneath the water, and his head smacked a stone underwater. Pain swelled from his forehead, and a cloud of blood formed in the water. He fought to stay conscious, flapping his arms to reach the surface again. Humid air entered his nostrils as his injured head rose above the water. The river current had slowed, and he swam toward the bank, feeling nausea and pain ripple throughout his body.
    Must stay awake ... please stay awake. He reached for the edge of the bank—half of his body still floating in the water. The moon shone on the bank, revealing the many scrapes and cuts on his arms and face from the fury of the Feilon. He clawed the dirt, pulling himself towards the grassy knoll beside the river. But before he could feel the tufts of grass at his fingertips, his entire body went numb and darkness swirled all around him.
     

 SEVEN
    A New Dawn in Sylvania
     
    The sun rose on the green fields outside of Verdania, ushering in a new day to young Lucius and his elven brother, Siegfried. The elf had been awake an hour before the dawn, plotting the best course to take on their way to Sylvania. Meanwhile, Lucius lay asleep beside a smoldered campfire wrapped in a wool blanket.
    "Lucius," Siegfried shook him, "it is time for us to head on."
    Lucius rubbed his eyes with his hands and yawned loudly, "Already? The sun has just risen. Don't you elves believe in a good night's sleep?"
    "Why yes of course. But the sun beckons for us to wake and begin our journey. Come now, get up." Siegfried pulled the wool blanket off of him, stuffing it inside his brother's pack.
    Lucius groaned as he sat up, "Fine, I'm awake. But now you have the honor of feeding me."
    "Fair enough." Siegfried pulled something from his pouch and handed it to him. "I picked these while you snored on like a mountain bear."
    "Berries?" He furrowed his brow. "Is this all? This is a poor substitute for what I would qualify as breakfast."
    "They are Marsolan berries, easily capable of filling an ogre's stomach, even one as hungry as you," he remarked snidely.
    "Very funny." Lucius crammed the berries in his mouth as he stood up. They tasted incredibly sweet, and he found himself quite satiated after swallowing them.
    "Ha! You were right; these are filling," he said.
    Siegfried smiled delightedly.
    "So, which way is the fastest to Sylvania." Lucius looked to the east.
    "The Barren Road is the fastest way to Sylvania. It heads eastward to Sylvania and splits off to Jun-Jun Pass in the north and Joppa to the south. If we head out now, we can make it to Sylvania before the noontime." The tall elf began to walk.
    "Off we go, then." Lucius grabbed his pack and slung it over his shoulder.
    The walk to the Barren Road was a brisk one. Siegfried always managed to keep a faster pace than Lucius and occasionally would break into short sprints, to his disdain. They reached the road before the sun was directly above them. The Barren Road was no more than a flattened dirt road, which stuck out in the green landscape all about them. Lucius noticed the wagon wheel trails embedded in the dirt and wondered if they would run into any wayward travelers like themselves on the way. A warm breeze began to blow his messy hair from his eyes and until then, he