Armendora - Chapter 13 Coming on 31st August!

Well, the title explains everything...

So, be sure to check back on 31st August for the 13th Chapter of "Armendora"!!!

With all due respect,

Hafiz Khairuddin

Other Copies of Armendora...

If you search for "Armendora" in Google or Yahoo, you would find that there are two links that will lead you to the story. One is here, Lancelot Gobbo, and the other is at hafiz_qdeen's Xanga site. Take note that both sites are my blogs. But, I haven't updated my Xanga account since I post my stories here. The name is also different, being "The Armendora Chronicles" at my Xanga site and "Armendora" here. Well, at first I decided to do a sequel for this novel. But, the pace of me writing it makes me think twice. So, the sequel is still on hold.

That's all I wanted to say... Chapter 13 is in progress, with a few ideas I derived while I was waiting for my appointment with the doctor. So, do wait and don't forget to give comments!

WIth all due respect,

Hafiz Khairuddin

Armendora - Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

City of Armendora

Ned’s practice took one more day. Alyssa insisted that they should continue their journey—even though Armendora is not that far. Apparently, she’s worried about Gloria, her guardian and the time given by Helmcit is running out.

“We better hurry up,” said Alyssa, “or we will lose Gloria forever.”

“Calm down, Alyssa,” said Ned. “We are going there, okay?”

“How many times do you want me to calm down?” asked Alyssa. “I’ve had it, okay? I want to go there, with or without you!”

“Alyssa!” shouted Ned. “Wait! We are going there now, okay? I’ve finished my practices. It’s payback time. So, please don’t do this again or I’ll freak out.”

“Freak out?” asked Alyssa. “Why would you freak out?”

“Because I care about you,” said Ned. “I can’t live without you, you know. I love you so much. I can’t leave you wandering around fighting your stepfather/uncle alone.”

“Ned’s right, Alyssa,” said Lancelot. “We need to stay together to fight that wretched stepfather of yours. Otherwise, we won’t win and you’ll lose Armendora to him forever.”

“All right then,” said Alyssa.

“We’ll continue practicing along the way,” suggested Ned. “After all, I still need more practice and we are running out of time.”

“So, what are we waiting for?” said Alyssa. “Let’s go!”

As they continue their journey to Armendora, Ned practiced harder and harder, memorizing spells and enchantments that gets more and more complicated to perform. As Ned practiced, Alyssa gave Ned encouragement and support so that Ned gets stronger and stronger.

They stopped at many places for short rests. They spent a night at a nearby forest, not very far from Armendora. That night, Alyssa had a dream.

She was in the dungeon where her mother was locked up. But, her mother was not there. Instead, her father was in front of her, begging her to free him from the dungeon. “I don’t want to die in here,” her father begged. But, Alyssa couldn’t do anything except telling her father to calm down while she searched for the keys. When she found the keys, it was too late for her to save her father. Alyssa woke up, screaming. Luckily, neither Ned nor Lancelot woke up. So, Alyssa went back to sleep, hoping that the nightmare won’t bother her again. The next morning, she had totally forgotten about the dream.

Their journey to Armendora took about thirty minutes. When they arrived—in disguises as Alyssa was wanted for betraying her own kingdom—they went straight for the Castle. Ned looked around in amazement. The streets were full of shops on both sides. People passed by here and there, stopping at the shops while doing their daily shopping for groceries and daily necessities. The buildings were aligned in a way that was complicated. To Ned, it is really easy to get lost in such a city. But, with the help from Alyssa and Lancelot, they moved towards the Castle without any trouble. The buildings were old-looking and almost creepy; the only building that looked nice and in good shape was the Castle itself. Ned wondered if Helmcit was the one to blame for the old, creepy-looking buildings in Armendora. But, despite the creepy buildings, Armendora is full of life and chattering.

Lancelot, Ned and Alyssa passed through the city easily and unnoticed. As they turn at each junction, people seem to not notice that the most wanted suspect is among them—with reinforcement too. Even though people look curiously at them, nobody informed the guards about them. To the people of Armendora, seeing people acting curiously is common since the before Alyssa’s father became King. In Armendora, everyone was meant to be careful all the time as the crime rate is quite high. You might be beaten up just because you accidentally bumped into someone. You’ll be lucky if there’s a guard nearby. If not, you’ll end up in the hospital.

Throughout the journey to the castle, Ned can’t help himself thinking about his life. What had actually caused this to happen? What possible reason that made his parents left Armendora? He’s sure it’s not just the death of a brother that made her ran away. Was it something else? Could it have something to do with the kingdom itself? Or worse, because of Helmcit's cruel act? Question after question flew inside Ned’s head. None of them made sense, he thought. But, he needs to know. He has to.

He must know before it’s too late.

Armendora - Chapter 12 is in progress...

This is getting really slow, isn't it? But, the good news is Armendora is still in progress.. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I have finished it.. Sorry for the delay, guys!

With all due respect,

Hafiz Khairuddin

Armendora - Chapter 11

This is the 11th chapter of Armendora. Do give me some ideas on how do you want to see how the story goes, okay? In desperate need of some great ideas...

Chapter Eleven

Sarah’s History

 

 

 

Ned’s training began early the next day. Ned was trained with self defence first before learning magic from Lancelot. With the help from the books in the Sacred Cave, Ned was able to master the simplest spells within minutes.

After a few days of training, Ned was tested to make a bridge using magic. The bridge must be able to withstand the weight of an elephant, over the Grim River, the largest, widest, deepest river in Armendora; the largest Ned had ever seen. The current of the river was really fast, anybody could never survive once they feel in it. The river banks were lined with mosses and slippery stones that nobody can hold on to if they were to try and save themselves.

“What the purpose of this test again?” asked Ned. “I thought this magic was supposed to be used against Helmcit, not to build bridges.”

“The only way,” said Lancelot, “to go to the Castle is crossing this river, Ned. There’s no other way to go. Not if you can master the art of Appear and Disappear.”

“Why can’t we use that instead?” asked Ned.

“Because it’s Dark Magic, Ned,” said Alyssa. “That’s why. We don’t want you to be as evil as Helmcit. Dark Magic can turn someone so good and kind to someone who is merciless; like Helmcit.”

“Are you saying that Helmcit was a good man before all this?” asked Ned.

“Yes,” replied Lancelot. “Helmcit was a very good man. But his greed forced him to learn Dark Magic and eventually, he became bad, even worse than some of the Kings who ruled Armendora before.”

“So, we need the bridge,” said Ned, “to cross this river and defeat him?”

“Isn’t that what I told you before?” asked Lancelot.

“Oh, come on, Ned,” said Alyssa. “Let’s hurry up. I don’t want anything to happen to Gloria or my mother.”

“Right,” said Ned.

 

With certain difficulties (and a little help from Alyssa), Ned built a beautiful bridge. Since Ned’s magic is not strong, the bridge lasted only for 30 minutes before it disappeared. Crossing the bridge was another story. Even though Ned’s bridge was beautiful, it was not as strong as it should have been. There were some holes on the bridge, making it hard to cross. Also, the bridge does not have any fence on either side of it, making it even harder to cross as they have to avoid falling into the river through the holes and falling over either side of the bridge. Eventually, they made it across.

“Your magic needs more practice, Ned,” said Lancelot. “We’ll do some more tonight.”

They spent the night in a nearby cottage. The cottage was abandoned and according to Lancelot, the cottage was once belonged to Ned’s grandparents; before he was born. Ned’s mother met his father when she was learning history at the Old Castle. They accidentally bumped into each other in the Empty Forest when Ned’s father was collecting herbs for medicinal purposes. At that time, it was love at first sight for them.

“Once I know the truth,” said Lancelot, “I quickly forbid it. But, your mother was so stubborn; she decided to marry your father no matter what the cost; even if it meant losing the throne.”

“So, that’s why the Sacred Cave greeted me as ‘Prince’,” said Ned.

“Oh, do tell me more, grandpa,” said Alyssa. “I do want to know more about my dear cousin here.”

“Oh, come on, Alyssa,” said Ned. “Now you’re calling me cousin?”

“What’s wrong with that?” asked Alyssa. “You’re still my one and only; there’s no doubt about that.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” asked Ned to Lancelot.

“Well,” said Lancelot, “you two are very much like a long lost family reunited. But, since Sarah really wanted to marry Alex, she risked herself on losing the throne to her brother, Baltrix.”

“Wait,” said Ned. “So, my father didn’t change his name; only my mother and I did?”

“Hmm,” began Lancelot, “that’s right. He didn’t change his name, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t really remember your father well, Ned. But, he was a kind gentleman. Even though I was against the marriage, I always knew that he will take care of Sarah and the child they would have; which they did.”

“What else I should know about my family?” asked Ned.

“Nothing more that I can remember,” said Lancelot. “Maybe there’s more, but I can’t really figure out what.”

“Well, that’s okay,” said Ned. “Maybe we should begin my practice?”

“Oh, right,” said Lancelot. “I totally forgot about that.”

Another Pause on Armendora...

I'm sorry to tell you guys this but, there is another pause on 'Armendora' as I'm awfully busy with my works. The 11th Chapter will be posted as soon as possible since I'm currently stuck in Chapter 12. I'm really sorry for any inconvenience caused...

With all due respect,

Hafiz Khairuddin

Armendora - Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The Truth about Ned

 

 

 

“GLORIA!!!” cried Alyssa.

“Alyssa, calm down!” said Ned.

“How am I supposed to calm down when my guardian was kidnapped by my own stepfather?” exclaimed Alyssa.

“Just calm down, dear,” said Lancelot. “We will save her. We still have time. But, we need to prepare Ned first. Otherwise, you will definitely lose.”

“Your grandfather’s right,” said Ned as he hugged Alyssa, calming her down. “It will all be okay. Trust me.”

“Right now, I don’t know whether I can trust anybody,” said Alyssa.

“Do you mean that you don’t trust me?” asked Ned.

“No, not that,” said Alyssa.  “I do trust you. It’s just that I can’t be sure if everything will be alright. My life has been unfortunate since my mother married that wretched Helmcit.”

“Well, then put your trust on me for just a few more days,” said Ned. “We need everything we can to fight him back.”

“Ned’s right, Alyssa,” said Lancelot. “We need to go to the Sacred Cave. The sooner we get there, the better.”

 

As they made their way to the Sacred Cave, Alyssa couldn’t help herself by thinking about Gloria. To her, even Ned’s comforting hands couldn’t calm her down. She felt like she had lost someone very important in her life. When she looked at Ned, she thought to herself I must protect him, too.

It took them half a day to get to the Sacred Cave. According to Lancelot, the Sacred Cave is where all the magic of Armendora began. According to legend, the Sacred Cave was the first Castle of Armendora. After that, the city grew and the cave was left alone, with a guardian to protect it from any harm. The Cave itself has its own power to actually tell whether someone was worthy enough to actually learn magic.

The Cave was extremely huge, which explained the legend why this place was used to be the Castle. Once they entered inside, the Cave suddenly glow bright with golden light. On the wall, letters appeared and spelled the words WELCOME BACK, PRINCE ALTHER, AND WELCOME KING LANCELOT AND PRINCESS ALYSSA in bright blue and green colour. There were old books on shelves and properly stacked on the floor with some other tools Ned could not recognize.

“Who’s Prince Alther?” asked Ned. “My name’s Ned, not Prince Alther.”

“Well,” began Lancelot. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Alyssa here just wanted to stop me from telling you the truth.”

“The truth?” asked Ned. “About what?”

“About who you really are,” answered Alyssa. “You see, according to legend, my father had a sister, Sarah. She was married to one of the citizens of Armendora. My grandfather here doesn’t approve of the marriage because royal blood must marry with another royal blood. So, he told her to live here and be the guardian of the Cave.”

“They had a son together,” continued Lancelot. “As far as I’m concerned, they left Armendora when Alyssa’s father died. Sarah couldn’t take it, and so she left Armendora through one of the gates at the Old Castle.”

“And you’re saying that they went to Haybury and actually lived there ever since?” asked Ned. “No wonder they were not surprised when I said to them I’m in Armendora right now.”

“You told them you’re coming here?” asked Lancelot.

“No,” said Ned.  “Gloria let me use her Hacker to call my parents.”

“Well, that’s not a good thing to do,” said Lancelot.

“Why not?” asked Alyssa. “His parents have the right to know where he is.”

“I’m talking about how dangerous the Hacker is,” said Lancelot. He sat on a chair and continued. “A Hacker can be easily hacked. Somebody might have been listening to Ned’s conversation with his parents.”

“And you’re talking about my stepfather?” asked Alyssa.

“Who else?” said Lancelot. “Maybe that’s why he kidnapped Gloria, for protecting the lost Prince.”

“Are you saying that Gloria was captured because of me?” asked Ned.

“Kind of, dear one, kind of,” said Lancelot.

“Oh, now I’m feeling guilty,” said Ned, sitting on a chair. “Thank you very much for telling me this.”

“Ned, it’s not your fault,” said Alyssa, sitting next to him. “We didn’t even know if that’s the truth.”

“Well, it is true,” said Ned. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“What I mean is that we don’t know if you really are the lost Prince,” said Alyssa. “Besides, I think Gloria was kidnapped for protecting me. The note clearly addressed to me.”

“How are we going to know the truth?” asked Ned. “I’m really confused here.”

“What we need,” said Lancelot, “is either confession from your parents or something that clearly shows that you are the Prince.”

“How are we supposed to let his parents confess, grandpa?” asked Alyssa. “Besides, there’s no way that we can contact them from here. Not without a Hacker. Even that can be hacked, remember?”

“Um, Alyssa,” said Lancelot. “There is a Hacker here. It’s right over there by the bookshelves.”

And sure enough, the Hacker was there.

“Is it safe?” asked Ned.

“Only one way to find out,” said Lancelot. He walked over to the Hacker, examining it to make sure it’s not hacked.

“It’s safe,” said Lancelot. “No sign of interference.”

 

“Ned, are you okay?” asked Connie, Ned’s mother.

“I’m fine, Mom,” answered Ned. “Mom, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, honey,” replied Connie. “What is it?”

“Are we really from Armendora?” asked Ned.

There was a long pause. Then, Ned’s father, Alex answered his question.

“Yes,” he said. “We are from Armendora. But it’s a long story. You can ask someone by the name Lancelot. He knows everything, and I mean everything.”

“Well, as a matter of fact, he is telling me about our family,” said Ned. “That’s why I’m asking you, is it real?”

“Yes, honey,” replied Connie. “It is real.”

“And your name is not Connie, its Sarah,” said Ned.

“Yes, honey,” said Sarah. “And yours is—“

“Alther,” said Ned.

 

Knowing the truth really hurts, especially not from his parents who only confess after Ned ask them really made Ned hurt. Seeing himself as an outsider at first, then suddenly became Prince of Armendora is something that Ned couldn’t bear.

“Are you alright, Ned?” asked Alyssa.

“Not really,” said Ned. “My parents just said I’m Armendorian, what would that make you feel?”

“Proud,” said Alyssa.

“We are proud of you, Ned,” said Lancelot. “You volunteered yourself to help Alyssa regain control on Armendora even though you didn’t know that you are Armendorian.”

“Really?” asked Ned. “You don’t find it weird?”

“Not weird,” Alyssa. “Shocking is the best word here.”

“Well,” said Lancelot, “we better start training you up for the war ahead.”