Jamekas Quest The Darklands

• Kyle Robinson, Grade 8
• Poetry
• 2007

T his is the story of Jameka and his companions Davic and Serac on their quest to restore peace to the island of Vetres. But to do that they must first destroy the demon Dagell in the darklands.
It all started on Jameka’s 15TH birthday all his friends crowded around him as he opened his last two gifts. One was from Davic and the other was from Serac. Davic’s present was a beautifully crafted dagger he had made in during his apprentienceship to the blacksmith.

It was made from mitheral and had rubies inlaid in the pommel and crosspiece. Serac’s present was a small carved stone that looked like a key. She had found it in the marsh when they were twelve.
That afternoon Jameka, Serac and Davic went exploring in the marsh south of the village. They often explored the marsh and usually find some unique stuff.. Today they found a wooden ogre doll, a small hunting axe, a goat skin purse with 20 gold coins in it and a rusty box with the initials L.P on it that wouldn’t open since it a had a special lock on it.
‘’it’s really quite up here’ said Serac as they emerged from the marsh. ‘’oh my god’’ said someone as they saw why it was quite. Everything was burning. But there was no smoke. There were some cries around the stable so they quickly but with caution moved towards the cries. The cries came from Cor the village seer. He had a gaping wound in his chest and when he saw the friends he tried to speak but nothing came out.
Eventually he managed to whisper these words ‘’ stone bridge’’ and ‘Dagell escaped’’ and ‘’ the chosen ones””, and then he died. It took Jameka a while to work out what he had to do since he had just told them they were the chosen ones from the legend. First he must get the stone key off the king and place the stone key in the gate of shadows on the stone bridge (the only way to the darklands) then reseal Dagell in the shadow stone(the only way to stop Dagell) then release any slaves in the Darklands.
First they would need to gather some equipment so they headed off to darv’s shop who owned the armoury. Jameka choose a very beautifully made bow, a new weapon that the village itself had created (a bone with blades attached at either end) leather cuffs and leggings and some light chain. He strapped his ruby dagger to his belt as well.
Seracs choose an engraved sword. Two throwing daggers and complete leather set which includes cuffs, leggings, boots and body armour. Davic decided on a beautiful axe engraved with a dragon swirling itself around the blade, a plain two hander sword, plate, carved helmet, leggings and riding boots. Next they went to Arvn’s the butcher’s shop. They took some steaks and vraerle meat (a vraerle is a giant lizard like creature that ate goblins).
With their water skins full the set off to get the stone key off the king in tarven- saer. They walked along the naver river on the way to Rastor to buy horses. It took the companions two days to get there. In rastor they went all across the town looking for a stable.
At last they found a stable and had a look around in it.. ‘’if you’re looking for fast hoses I’d recommend these’’ said the stable keeper guiding three horses out of a stable’’ Arrow is the white horse, belle is the black one and lance is the chestnut. Jameka took the horse named arrow, serac took belle and lance was given to davic and they handed over 40 coins.
They left the town heading north-west when they came to a stop at thorny forest. A forest so dense it is called thorny forest because you can’t traverse it unscathed. The companions had to dismount and lead the horses through the forest until they judged it night. They made camp in a small clearing. After a meagre dinner of steak soup they laid down to rest Jameka, taking the first watch.
Halfway through his watch he heard faint sounds of marching He quickly roused the others and dowsed the fire. When the sounds got closer they drew their weapons and hid themselves. A few minutes later half a dozen goblins and a man they recognised as Arvn came into the clearing.
Jameka shot two down before the goblins realised. Serac slew two more one through the heart with a dagger and the other one lost its head by her sword. Davic fought with the largest goblin before davic over powered him with his axe. Jameka was ready to shoot the other goblin, he sighted down the shaft and shot. The moment he did Arvn got in the way of fire on accident. Davic ran forward and searched Arvn’s bag he carried in hope that it might explain why he was with the goblins.
He picked up a piece of parchment read it and said’’ Jameka you got to have a look at this’’ Jameka ran over and as he passed he saw Arvn’s body. The ghost of his astonishment still etched on his face. He read the note Davic’s shoulder. It said master
Ivor masse has crumbled. The beginning of the plan has begun. Unsure if the boy is alive. Searching now. I will return to the hide out in tarven-saer
Your faithful servant
Arvn.
The companions couldn’t sleep that night knowing that Arvn was a traitor and wondering who this master was.
The next day the companions travelled through the city of Garew before heading through the Dragon Mountains Although the name is dragon mountains the dragons have long fled the island.
‘’I wonder who this master is’’ asked serac. ‘’It could be anyone Dagell or the emperor or just rebellion leader who wanted revenge on the village.’’ Answered jameka’’ but all Jameka could think about is why he was wanted for. That question stayed on his mind while they travelled through the rest of Garew. The Companions made camp in a cave at the edge of the dragon Mountains. After a dinner of steak and mushrooms the companions sat down to rest.
‘’hey why don’t we spar with these sticks since we may have to fight stronger and smarter foes than goblins’’ asked Davic. Jameka nodded in agreement however Serac shook her head and said’’ No thanks but I’ll take my chances’’. So that night the boys fought. Davic ended up with a few bruises but Jameka fared worse. The next day Jameka was sore all over and now he knew why serac had backed out of the sparing.
Their travel through the mountains was slow taking them nine days to reach dragon fortress (a mountain so high it could hold an entire army there). The night of the ninth day they made camp at the base of the mountain.
They heard marching and howling in the distance as the boys were ready to spar. They hid in a hollow log after they had picketed the horses in safe spot. It was almost an hour before the saw what was approaching, an entire squadron of orcs. The orcs hid in one of the caves close to the companion’s camp.
They waited another half hour to be safe and they got the horses and rode as fast as they could until the dragon Mountains was far behind them. That night the companion’s slept while riding and taking turns at guiding the horses. By midafternoon the next day they were almost at the edge of the mountain range when they heard more orcs.
The companions hid the horses and themselves and waited. These orcs took their time to traverse through the terrain and took them almost twenty minutes to pass through an area that would take less than five minutes. As the companions were getting out of their hiding spot in a hollow rock two more orcs suddenly appeared from behind a tree and grinned at the companions. ‘’ got you’’ growled one.
A blinding pain erupted from jameka’s head as something heavy was smashed on his head. The last thing he saw was his companions suffering the same pain as two orcs smashing their maces on their heads and then he blacked out.
’ wake up Jameka, wake up’’ yelled a voice near his ear and he managed to open his eyes a crack to see serac staring at him. He stared bleakly at their surroundings and saw that they were in a cave full of the orcs they had seen marching. ‘’ hurry up with the fire you maggots we don’t want to be here when the beast returns’’ snarled the biggest of the orcs.
It took him a moment to realise what the orc had said. He scanned the cave again and saw a large fire burning near the far wall and understood what they were going to do with them. They were the orcs new meal. He located their weapons and tried to figure out an escape plan. After about ten minutes the large orc seemed satisfied with strength of the fire ordered the companions to be carried over to the fire.
As they were passing the stash of weapons a roar erupted from the mouth of the cave and everyone including the companions turned and saw a giant black dragon. ‘’ the beast returns’’ yelled an orc. The orcs dropped the companions and drew their weapons as they charged the dragon which now had crawled into the cave.
The companions scrambled to their feet grabbed their weapons and armour and jumped out of the cave and ran as far as they could. They found a clearing near the eastern side of the forest were there was a tall oak in the middle. The companions strapped on their armour and drew their weapons and waited. Howls of pain erupted through the forest as the orcs were slayed.
About two hours after the incident the howls stopped. ‘’ I think the orcs are destroyed’’ said serac.‘’yes but we only have our weapons and no food no sleeping materials no money’’ said davic and in a fit of rage swung his massive axe into the oak. To everyone’s surprise the oak fell to the ground with ease and revealed a trapdoor.
Jameka opened the trapdoor and went in without a word. His companions followed him down a flight of stairs and they found the most amazing thing. Inside was a room filled with food, water skins, rope, money and other useful stuff. ‘’ this must be where the orcs kept their supplies when they camped out in the mountains’’ realised Jameka. They quickly gathered as much as they could and went to track down their horses. The horses were in the same spot as they were when they left them.
Two days later they arrived at the seaport town of Foran. They stayed at the brown dragon inn. A fairly clean inn with lots of boisterous people.
The companions spent five days in Foran and during that time a lot had happened. On the day after they arrived they decided to explore the city. Davic and Serac went to the docks to talk to the sailers however Jameka was happy to wander the city and look in shop windows.
About lunchtime Jameka saw a woman dressed in a odd looking dress getting harassed by some guards. As he was almost on top of them the women drew a magnificent sword out of her dress and knocked both guards senseless in a blink of an eye. Jameka ran up to the woman to his astonishment saw the woman was quite short.
‘’ that was amazing’’ said Jameka as the women sheathed her sword. The women looked around and saw Jameka and simply stared at him as if she knew him. ‘’ follow me’’ she said and began quickly walking to one of the shops he had seen.
Inside were gems everywhere. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds of all sizes sat on shelves or on desks. The woman placed the sword she had used to fight with on a shelf and he saw the name engraved on the blade. It said Evelyn and figured out that the woman’s name was Evelyn. ‘’ that’s a nice blade you got there’’ said Jameka. ‘’I got it from a master smith from across the seas, I traded it for a black crystal only found
Beneath the dwarves capital of élan’ throll’’ replied the woman named Evelyn.’’ Now you are an interesting person Jameka, oh yes I know who you are, and with permission I would like to tell you’re fortune with the stones of truth’’ she pulled out a little bearskin bag full of gems. There was a ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond, pearl, crystal and a stone that was as black as the night sky …. a black crystal. These Black crystals were rare only found in the mines of the dwarf capital which no one has been able to find for a century because the dwarfs are a superstitious bunch thought that the elves were trying to steal their gems and hid their cities and mines using forgotten magic.
Evelyn rolled the gems out of the bag and they landed in awkward positions on the table. Evelyn looked puzzled for a moment than she seemed to work out whatever she was puzzling over.’’ I was right you are an interesting person Jameka see how the rubie and emerald cross together pointing north this means that a great war is coming and a unexpected allie will be revealed. These two stones also mean that a new place never recorded on maps will emerge during the war. Next see the sapphire how it points south that means that people who you thought you knew will suddenly become different however the friendship will remain the same.
The pearl each crosses in front of the diamond that stands upright, this means items of extreme power and value will find its way to you when you need it most. Now for the most puzzling stone of all the black crystal is pointing west to where it came from and this means that a great and powerful evil that comes from that land will force you to go there and it will test you’re strength, loyalty and responsibilities as someone with high power’’. Said Evelyn in a almost sad sort of voice. Jameka left the shop and headed to the inn where they were staying. Davic and serac came back after sunset and had something to eat while Jameka snuck upstairs and eventually fell asleep.
On the fifth day the companions set out
Again and this time had no troubles. The companions had almost made it to the fighting pit near the edge of the Ellenoar plains without trouble when the companions stopped at the city of Maren-war also known as the city of restless souls.
When Dagell had last tried to take over Vetres this is where he would take people who he captured. Here they would slave in the mines near the city or fight in the fighting pits. This continued until the mighty elf Verem locked Dagell in the shadow stone. While the companions where in Maren-war they saw an odd poster. It had pictures of Jameka, davic and serac. It read:


Wanted
Wanted for destroying the village of Ivor-Masse in the south reward 10 000 gold coins information and 100 000 gold coins for capture of these criminals.


Seeing this sign the companions turned around instantly however not before a person recognised them. ‘’ hey it’s those criminals from Ivor-masse get them’’ shouted a voice from the street. A hundred hands instantly hurled themselves at the companions but the companions had already left the city and where already in the plains by the time the rest of the people had got to the edge of their city. The three friends had nearly ridden half way through the plains by the end of the fourth day, a feat to be proud of. The companions where afraid to enter another city for thinking that the kings guards would be there waiting for them but they needed supplies and the only city out of the plains that is closest is the capital tarven-saer. They stopped at Peverta the city of history as people called it. This city was the original capital but when Dagell had attempted to take control of Vetres he moved the capital to the centre of the island where it stayed there even after his downfall. The companions gathered as much supplies as they could and rode out of the city and the plains of Ellenoar before anyone could say ‘’hey I know you’’.

Now that you know the characters I think its time for some history. Jameka was an only child since his mother died at birth and his father died in the war against Dagell the last time he tried to rise to power. Jameka was brought up by the village elder that had no children of his own. Jameka has intelligent brown eyes, brown hair, a narrow built body with fair skin.
Davic is almost the exact opposite of Jameka, whom has ocean blue eyes, is completely bald (as all village warriors, and those in training, had), he had lots of muscle (everywhere you looked you would see a bulging muscle) and tanned skin on account he spent a lot of time training in the sun.
Serac is probably the most beautiful women in Vetres you would say in you first met her and its true. She has piercing green eyes, long beautiful blonde hair, same narrow built body and a slightly tanned skin. These three companions first became friends on Jameka’s 12th birthday when they met each other in the marsh and together fought of a marsh cat (a large, sleek cat with milky eyes and claws the size on a butchers blade.). Vetres is the only land to contain the most different kinds of beats and creatures. Humans were not in fact the first people to find and land on Vetres. The elves came first from across the sea.
After the elves the goblins and orcs and vraerle and other beasts of that kind came over the sea with the demon Dagell and the servant sorcerer Thoran. After the evil had arrived the dwarves found there way but shortly disappeared after dag4ell rose to power and then the humans arrived. Of course dragons where already on the island because the word Vetres comes from the elvan word Vetravian which means eternal dragon from the elvan god of the sky. The darklands where not always the darklands however when Dagell had attempted to control the eternal dragon (Vetres) he took the lush, green island of Menrey as his own. The island of Menrey was a beautiful island of which the lord of the elves ruled over (for it was their island when the humans came) until the evil Dagell and the sorcerer Thoran used magic so foul that most of the elves where enslaved but only the quick thinking of the lord and ancient magic saved the rest of the elves.