The Road Goes Ever On

Chapter 8

Continuing his travels, Jason decided to visit the Elven city of Silverwood far to the west, as he had never met an elf before. He joined a merchant caravan heading that way and crossed the Banded Desert, an arduous journey, before arriving at the verdant Elven forests. The towering trees filtered the sunlight and blanketed the ground in comforting shade. Birdsong and the chuckling of streams filled the air. Jason instantly felt at peace in this land.

The Elves who inhabited Silverwood were fair and elegant, full of wisdom and quiet humor. They welcomed Jason when he introduced himself as a healer and dragonslayer. During his stay, they held a great feast in his honor. The melodic music and delicate flavors enchanted his senses.

On his third day there, Jason was summoned to meet with the Elven council. He entered a hall lit with glowing crystals to find three Elves seated at a carved wooden table. The elf maiden in the center spoke first.

"Greetings, Jason. We have called you here to request your help. A vile goblin tribe has taken up residence in the eastern vaults below our fair city. Their foul magic has poisoned the underground river that supplies our water."

She grimaced. "Drinking the tainted water has made many of us ill, and some of our children have perished. We know your skill at healing. Will you descend into the vaults and exterminate the goblins so that their evil spreads no further?"

Jason agreed without hesitation. This was a chance to repay the hospitality of his gracious Elven hosts. "I will cleanse your water of their corruption," he vowed.

That night, guided by the Elves, Jason entered a stone passageway that spiraled down into the gloomy vaults. He pressed onward through moldy caverns littered with bones and other grisly trophies collected by the subterranean goblins. Like a specter, Jason drifted silently with his glowing sword held aloft.

Three goblin sentries never knew what killed them as Jason's blade neatly slit their throats. He tiptoed onward until the cavern opened up into a great chamber swarming with goblins. They danced and capered around a bubbling underground spring that flowed from one end of the chamber. This must be the water source.

Jason realized there were far too many goblins to fight in open combat. He sheathed his sword and instead began gathering ingredients for poison gas bombs from the alchemy pouch on his belt. Once he had assembled several potent chemical explosives, Jason lit and flung them into the midst of the oblivious goblin horde.

Acrid fumes burst forth and spread rapidly through the chamber, sending goblins choking and crumpling to the ground en masse. Jason held his breath until the gas dissipated, leaving scores of dead goblins and a clear path to the underground spring. He waded out and placed his hands into the water, channeling his purifying healing energy until the bubbling pool ran clean once again.

Returning to the surface, Jason was surrounded by grateful Elves. Though he tried to downplay his heroics, they insisted on holding three days of celebrations to honor the vanquishing of the goblin menace and the restoration of their water source.

When the festivities finally ended, the Elves presented Jason with an enchanted circlet to enhance his focus and clarity in battle. With lavish praise and well wishes ringing in his ears, Jason departed the beauty of Silverwood to seek out where destiny would take him next.