Tower of Honor

Glad you could join us for the next historical episode of Elliot’s Adventures. If you’re new here, you can catch up by returning to the beginning, and reading really fast…

The hallway they entered was taller, but narrower than the one Elliot had come in through. Familiar with mushroom glow and the winking flicker of fireflies, he couldn’t explain the lighting until he saw it close up. Do they wander? he wondered to himself, vowing not to sleep while he was here.

Out loud, he asked, “Who built this? It looks really old and… unnatural.”

“No one knows,” the High Priestess answered, her faltering gait carrying them past the sconce far too slowly for Elliot’s liking. “Legends tell of it changing hands in battle, but not of its beginnings. It may have been abandoned by its creators when the Forest was young. Perhaps they were conquered and exterminated. All we know is that the Forest has grown old around it, and we are not its first occupants.”

The passage became a stairway to sunlight. “Of all the marvels you’ll find here, my favorite is the Sunset Cavern. If we hurry, we can catch the end of daylight before we dine.”

Elliot tried to imagine the High Priestess hurrying anywhere, much less up the steep ascent before them, but all he could envision as her labored breathing matched her climbing effort was her frail, crumpled body falling backward when her heart must surely explode.

To be continued. . .

Previously, on Elliot’s Adventures ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Next time . . .

Author: Sue Ranscht

Having survived valve repair surgery and an experimental cardiac bypass at age 5, three years before it was an accepted medical procedure, Susan grew into the size of her overworked and enlarged heart. Maybe she thought she had enough to give it away -- twice. Both times, she had to retrieve the shattered pieces and puzzle them back together. She thanks her Dad for the only advice of his she ever followed to the letter: "Never get married. Learn to take care of yourself." So of course she is a writer. Susan has co-written a YA SciFi novel, and has three more novels in various stages of evolution. She's had several short stories published in other people's anthologies, some of which were contest-related. Let her tell you a story... View all posts by Sue Ranscht