Silver Rose

The Banished

Cold. Barren.

The landscape stretched in ice and snow for miles. The ice ended and the only things after it were miles of lonely, solid, flat rock. Nothing grew here. Beyond the lifeless rock lay the Forbidden Mountain Range. The jagged mountains rose up into the clouds. In these mountains lived many outcast creatures. No one knew about the land beyond the Forbidden Mountains, because no one dared enter them. The creatures there were vicious.

Tormented by their fate, they took their wrath out on anyone who came within a certain distance of the mountains. When people and animals stopped coming near, they raged against each other until every creature in those mountains hated each other. Every once in a while, a young adventurous human or curious animal would come along and the creatures would allow them to enter the mountains. Then they pounced on him. They’d torture the poor person and savagely kill him. It had been hundreds of years since anything other than themselves had journeyed toward the Forbidden Mountains.

They saw her coming from miles away. They were surprised, but extremely pleased. Many of them gathered together to make plans. They couldn’t decide on the best way to capture her. This hadn’t happened in such a long time, no one remembered how to pull off the art of frightening and capturing a victim. In the end they decided to just jump on her and bite her. She drew very close to the mountains and stopped. She stared at the mountains for a long time.

“Come on…” the creatures growled.

The woman didn’t move. She continued to stare at the mountains. The same group gathered together again. This time they were joined by others who had heard of the approaching woman. They gathered together on a path that had been made by their forefathers.

“Let us run out and grabbed her!” Some said.

“But she will run,” said others.

“There is no where for her to go. Nothing lives within sight of these mountains,” the first said.

“Yes,” said most of the group.

“Maybe she is afraid,” said a third group. “Maybe she is waiting for some sign of life. If she does not think we are here, she will come to us.”

“Yes,” said the others.

“Let us wait until dark,” the third group said. “If she has not entered the mountains by then, we will go get her!”

“Yes!” The others agreed.

The creatures took posts where they could see and not be seen. They watched the woman. They stared at her, waiting for her to make a move. Every so often a chill went down one the creature’s spine as he thought he caught the woman staring straight at him. But this thought was quickly dismissed. It was impossible for her to see them.

The woman stood in that one spot all afternoon. She made many of the creatures watching her feel disconcerted. Her unwavering stance sent a trickle of fear and confusion through their bodies. For this, they planned to unmercifully torture her by first poking her eyes out.

The sun began to sink. A cool breeze whipped through the mountains. Dark shadows grew from the rocks and stones. The woman moved. No, they only thought she moved. The shadows of the mountains shrouded her. The sun’s rays were quickly disappearing. The creatures made themselves ready to run down the mountain they were on.

One creature, Chimise, continued to watch as the sun steadily sunk below the earth. The last ray seemed to stop suddenly as if it knew what was about to happen and wanted to give the poor woman one more moment of life.

“Go!” Chimise hissed.

As if hearing him, the rest of the sun fell behind the earth. The sky was still light where the sun had gone, but there the tall mountains made everything dark. Chimise grinned. He turned to give the signal to the others to descend the mountain. He raised his arm. The others got into position to run. He started to lower it. He gasped and his arm didn’t move. The others stared at him, confused. Then they looked down to see what startled him.

They didn’t see anything at first. Suddenly, there it was. The woman… the woman was running. They stood dumbfounded. The woman was running towards them, towards the mountain. She ran as if she were an extension of the wind, speeding across the plain at an incredible rate. It felt like seconds before she reached the bottom of the mountain they stood on. Immediately she began to swiftly climb. They heard loud deep huffing. A huge animal was running up the mountain beside the woman.

The creatures didn’t know what to do. They never thought the woman would enter the mountain in the dark. They weren’t sure if the woman was incredibly courageous or incredibly stupid. Quickly, they ran to hide. They would carry out their original plan.

The woman and the animal reached the place they had been in a few minutes. Chimise was several yards above the woman. He wondered how she got up there that fast. Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside. She began to walk on the rocky mountain. He waited a few seconds.

Below him he saw her nearing the perfect spot for him to pounce on her. He let the thought of how the humans had cruelly forced his ancestors into this forsaken place pass through his mind. Then he screamed and jumped off the ledge. The woman stood still. Chimise stopped falling in midair. He saw the woman and the ground below him. There was nothing under him and yet he wasn’t moving. In fact, he couldn’t move his body at all. He tried to close his mouth, but he couldn’t do it. Other creatures began jumping out of their hiding places and they froze in midair too.

The woman looked up at Chimise. He began to drop through the air. His heart fled into his throat. Abruptly, he stopped falling just inches above the ground. His body flew up until he was eye level with the woman. She stared into his eyes. It was dark around them, but her eyes were darker. They were deep wells of nothingness. A chill of fear swept through his body. He wanted to look away but he was still completely paralyzed.

“You will come with me,” the woman said.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a cage appeared around Chimise. The woman began to walk again. The cage floated on the air and followed her. Chimise rattled the iron bars and opened his mouth, but none of his screams came out. He couldn’t make a sound. He looked behind him. With the woman gone, the frozen creatures fell to the ground. Most of them leapt up and ran into the mountain in fear. Others remained on the ground and watched them go. The rest didn’t move at all. Chimise sat in the cage. He shook his head and thought,

“The woman is not human. We should have known when she stared at us for hours. She must be a terribly powerful being. She looks human. She must be in disguise and I am doomed to see her true form. Surely, I will die when I look upon her and she will force me to look at her with her powers. Oh why, why… The woman is not human. We should have known.”



To Chimise’s surprise, the woman never hurt him. She traveled out of the mountains, over the hot rocky terrain and stopped where the rock met the ice. She kneeled down and put one hand on the rock and the other on the ice. Many of the other creatures had followed them at a safe distance. Chimise hoped they would try to rescue him, but the rest didn’t dare move any closer.

The woman stayed in the same position, muttering to herself for a long time. Finally, she stood up and stepped back. As she did the earth began to tremble. The creatures screamed. The ground quaked. Giant cracks slit the face of the ice and rock. The woman threw her arms up. A thunderous explosion boomed around them as the earth ripped itself apart. Huge towers of rock and ice shot up high above the ground. The ice and rock twisted and pounded into each other. They rubbed and fused together. An hour later, stood a building made of rock and ice.

The woman smiled. Then she walked up to the building. A door formed and opened in front of her. She went inside. Chimise’s cage followed her. As she passed through the building, decorations and furnishings appeared. She stopped at one point, and a staircase formed itself. Ascending to the second floor, the inside took shape. She created another stairwell at the far end of the second floor.

She climbed it and stood in front of a wall. The wall split and moved into itself. Chimise could see the mountains in the distance. Then the woman put her foot out onto air. Chimise waited to watch her fall. Instead, ice and rock pushed out under her foot. She walked out on the air ten steps then stopped. She lifted her lower arms and a short wall rose up, halting where her hands were. Then the woman turned and faced him.

“How do you like my new home?” She asked.

Chimise spat at her. He immediately regretted it. Her dark eyes seemed to burn a fire so fierce, Chimise feared the ice would melt under them. Then the fire vanished and the woman gave him a nasty smirk.

“Just as well,” she said.

The floating cage moved onto the balcony.

“Stay,” the woman said.

The cage fell to the floor. The woman walked down the stairs. Chimise shivered as a gust of cold wind whipped between the bars of the cage. He lay down on the floor and curled into a ball. He was sure the woman would twist his body just like the rock and ice. He closed his eyes. These were his last moments of life. He tried to think of happier times, but he couldn’t remember any. The only images in his mind were the ice and rock knotting and mashing together and how it would feel when it happened to him.


Chimise smiled as he remembered what happened next. Then Lady had brought him to her and she explained everything. She was a powerful fairy from another world. She came to this world to avenge her husband, but when she got rid of the vermin, the other humans tried to kill her. Angry, she put a curse on all humans and vowed to rid the earth of them.

Upon hearing this, Chimise’s heart leapt for joy. Finally, someone was doing something about those terrible humans.

“Don’t look so happy,” she said, “you will help in the human’s demise, all of you will.”

“Nothing would make me happier,” Chimise said, “but what can we do? You have so much power, and we have no power at all. Surely we can be of no help.”

“At this moment, you are more powerful than I,” she said. “At this time, my magic can be detected by those more powerful than I. I cannot risk any intervention from those who would stop me. Furthermore, I need time to think. This must be carried out delicately.” She smiled. “That is why I need you and all the outcasts of the Forbidden Mountains. You can get all the information I need to do this properly.”

Chimise thought for a moment.

“What’s in it for us?” He asked.

The woman smiled.

“You not only get to avenge yourselves on the humans, but you can have their lands.”

“Why don’t you want the land?” He asked suspiciously.

The woman looked away.

“I doubt I shall live much longer after this is carried out,” she said. After a moment she turned back to Chimise. “Then you will help me?”

“Yes, yes I will,” He answered.

“Good. I want you to tell everyone who lives in the Mountains. Those who will follow us are to be brought back here in four days.”

“Yes,” Chimise said.

The cage disappeared. Chimise ran toward the door. Thinking of something, he stopped and turned.

“What shall I say your name is?” He asked.

The woman exchanged glances with the huge furry animal that stood next to her.

“I am Kyrin of the Polante-Gnight. But tell them to call me, Lady,” she said.

Chimise nodded and ran off. Excitedly, he returned to his cave. He tried to think of how to tell everyone. Finally, he went to his neighbor’s, Bellif. He told Bellif, a goblin, everything Lady had told him.
Naturally, Bellif was always a little suspicious of Chimise because Chimise was only half goblin (his other half was dwarf). Bellif didn’t believe his story. He thought Chimise was only an illusion the fairy had made so she could lure Bellif and eat him. After Chimise had proved that he was real by cutting himself and allowing Bellif to touch and taste the blood, he was ecstatic about serving Lady. Together, they visited the other goblins. Then they told the dwarves, gnomes, trolls, centaurs, oreads (mountain nymphs), and anyone else they saw.

Four days after Chimise left Lady, he returned with hundreds of creatures. The Lady stood on her balcony and repeated what she had told Chimise. Some creatures left, saying there was no way they could do anything if she wasn’t actually helping them.

Those who stayed were put into training. She taught them everything she knew about the humans and their world. She taught them many human languages, their writings, and their histories. Then she gave the creatures a language they could call their own. They learned this one very quickly as it resembled each of the different languages they already spoke.

One day Lady came to Chimise, Bellif, and Nitearia, an oread.

“Of all the creatures of the Forbidden Mountains, I trust you three the most,” she said. “I need some officers to keep order among the community. You three will be over these officers. If you accept, you will be the highest ranking creatures.”

“And we will answer to no one but you, Lady,” Bellif said, proudly.

“Actually, Burmir and Flike will be over you.” She said as the wolf and the bird looked on. “They will always be my most trusted and valued companions and advisors. But you three will be next in line.”

They all accepted, of course. Then Lady brought out three goblets full a stinky liquid.

“What is that?” Chimise asked.

“You must drink it first, then I’ll tell you,” Lady said.

The three slowly choked down the thick rot tasting liquid. Their stomachs felt sour for a moment then they were fine.

“Don’t worry,” Lady said, “you’ll be in a lot of pain in a couple of hours.”

“What did we drink?” Nitearia asked.

“I need you three and I can’t afford to have you die on me. That potion will ensure that until the curse is completely carried out, none of you will die or grew older.” Lady said.

The three exchanged shocked looks. After the information sunk in, Chimise bowed at Lady’s feet.

“I thank you for your gift, Lady. I promise to serve you faithfully.” He said.

Bellif and Nitearia followed Chimise’s example. Lady smiled and dismissed them. That night and the next day, the three squirmed in hot searing pain. It was as if a thousand daggers stabbed their bodies at once. As the sun rose the following morning, the pains vanished and Lady sent for them.

“How have you been?” She asked.

Bellif opened his mouth in anger.

“We have been in nothing we couldn’t handle,” Chimise said before Bellif could get a word out.

“Is this true?” She asked looking at the other two.

Nitearia and Bellif, reluctantly, agreed. Lady smiled,

“Good. That is what I wanted to hear.”

Burmir grinned. Bellif glared at him.

“Lady,” Bellif said, “what about Burmir and Flike? Since they are so close to you, shouldn’t they have to drink the potion too?”

“Of course not,” Lady said standing. “The potion didn’t do anything but give your bodies pain. It was only a test of what you could endure.”

“Then we don’t get longevity?!” Bellif exclaimed.

“You will get it,” she said, “the same way Burmir and Flike did.”

She put a hand on Bellif’s forehead. His body shook and fell to the floor. Then she did the same to Nitearia and Chimise. They didn’t know how long they lay on the ground, but eventually they got up. They tried to tell if they felt any different, but they didn’t.

That day Lady presented them to the rest of the creatures as the generals of their army. Chimise wondered how they could lead an army if they didn’t know how to fight, but Lady was always a step ahead. Weeks ago she had sent Flike to scope out the wizards near the area. Flike had found one who had been an officer in a human army before becoming a wizard. After he became a wizard the people of his country drove him out because they blamed him for a five year famine. Many people were hostile toward him and he now lived alone far away from any human contact. Flike convinced the wizard to visit Lady.

The wizard wore a cloak with a hood that hid his face. The creatures were ordered not to harm him. He went to Lady’s house and didn’t come out for a week. When he finally did, it was to train the creatures to fight. He started with Chimise, Bellif and Nitearia. When they had mastered all he taught them, he began teaching the rest with the help of the generals. Chimise understood the value of the training they were receiving, but he didn’t know why Lady trusted a human. They were all bad, even the ones with magic. As far as Chimise could tell, Lady seemed to hold a regard for magical abilities above what a person was. He didn’t understand.

Over a hundred years passed since Lady first came. Many creatures had been born and just as many had died. Those now under the authority of Chimise, Bellif, and Nitearia were educated and skilled well beyond that of the first creatures that joined forces with the fairy. Their army was as good as any other to be found in the world. The creatures now called themselves the Kandors and the army was called the Lady’s Kandors.

It was at this time Lady finally announced that they were ready to fulfill the curse she had uttered more than a hundred years ago.

“The time is ripe,” she said, “now we put to use the fruits of our labors. Let us go and collect our harvest.”