Champions of the Gods by Michael James Ploof Read Free Book Online

one of the other races,” Whill guessed.
    “Yes,” said Kellallea. “The dragons started it. Thinking to test the hidden power of the humans, they attacked a city. Thousands perished, and it seemed as though the humans had not the power that had been foretold. Until one day revenge came swiftly and without warning. Many of the humans of the city had gained the ability to change into dragons. They attacked the closest lair and killed every dragon within.
    “This small affair is only the beginning. For the dragons had tested the power of the humans, and they had been satisfied. And for many centuries there was peace. The elves practiced and refined their arts, the dwarves burrowed deep into their mountains, and the humans went on. The stories of the dragon people slipped from history into legend.
    “But then the humans began to spread. It seemed that their short lives indeed spurred them to want to accomplish great things. Their empires and kingdoms spread far across the land, until they began to encroach on the territories of the other races. The elves, dwarves, and dragons fought to push them back. But from every conflict arose a group of humans with the ability to mimic all other power. It was a disaster. Without the wisdom of the long-lived, the humans were like children playing with fire. At this time the dwarves and dragons were warring continuously. We elves had split into different factions, and shamefully we fought against ourselves. The humans, however, fought with everyone. Once they got a taste of magic, they became insatiable. In the end they proved the most dangerous of all, for their numbers were great, and the most powerful of them had no regard for life.
    “The warring escalated for many centuries into the battle that you witnessed earlier.”
    “And that is where you stripped all magic from the four races, not just the elves,” said Whill.
    “You are correct. I had lost much to the wars, and I began to see magic not as a gift, but a curse. A curse on all the races. I took it all and left them with no knowledge of it.”
    “And then you became a tree,” said Whill, remembering his elven lore.
    “Yes, to live out the eons keeping watch over the elves. And for many millennia we lived in peace.”
    The scenery blurred and melted like watercolors, shifting and spinning and coming back together to form a grand city of wood, stone, and crystal with great stretching spires and monolithic pyramids. The rivers of the land flowed deep and clear, the fields were full of flowers, wheat, and corn. The elves lived in harmony with the land and with each other.
    Kellallea waved her hand, and she and Whill were suddenly standing before a gargantuan tree. So thick was it that its roots could have drained a lake. Branches stretched high and far. The top flirted with the clouds above, wearing a mountain’s crown of white.
    Realizing that he was looking at Kellallea as she had once existed, he was humbled and awestruck.
    Kellallea moved them closer to the base of the tree, which reminded Whill of a towering wall. An elf approached and touched the old weathered bark. He then began to chant.
    “Is that…Mallekell?” Whill asked.
    “Yes.”
    “This is when he discovered Orna Catorna on his own. He came to you to beg for your guidance…and you allowed him to proceed.”
    Kellallea bowed her head. In all her great beauty, Whill could see weariness.
    “Yes,” she said. “I allowed the rebirth of Orna Catorna. I thought that perhaps the elves had changed. But they had not. For once again magic nearly destroyed my people, and yours as well.”
    “And just like the elf Mallekell, the dwarf Ky’Dren rediscovered the power of old on his own,” said Whill. “The gods gave back the blessing that you took.”
    “Yes. And then came you. A human with the ability to mimic all other magic.”
    A chill ran down Whill’s spine. “You’ve been preventing me from doing it all along. You never took anything, did you? Zander