The Adventures of Avery Dameron

This is the first complete psuedo-novel I ever wrote while in high school. I've been meaning to dust it off and rewrite it in a setting completely my own for possible publication. I am going to print it as it was written some 20+ years ago. Maybe you can give me your opinion on whether its worth the time to salvage or if I should scrap it and start over.

P.S. As I am editing this for publication here it has come to my attention that I seem to have written the Forrest Gump of Fantasy. I dont know if any of you have ever read the book Forrest Gump but I personally found it to be one of the worst books I've ever read. The film bares little resemblance to the book. I've always wondered how they were able to turn that book into an academy award winning movie but they did. So even though this isnt a great work it shows theres still hope for it.

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The Aventure's of Avery Dameron

Chapter 3
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Avery learned a few extracurricular skills one of which was gem cutting, this among other skills help him graduate with honors. He had left Shadow Gate, only about two weeks before he found himself in the town of Bryant, in the country that he had come from. There, he met a human male, magic user, named, Carl Peters. The two traded many spells and more than a few rounds of mead. Carl and Avery became good friends, and decided to adventure together.

One evening, during one of their nights of frolicking, Avery and Carl decided that leaving the next morning would be a good idea since they were almost broke. The next morning, Avery awoke early with a small headache. He opened his shudders to let in the cool morning air. Through the darkness he could see a man entering the mayor's house. He grabbed four daggers, and several spike shuriken, and then headed out of the inn.

He used all of the tricks that Valas, and Sho taught him so that even in the dark he would be concealed from both human and elven eyes. By the time he made it over to the mayor's house, the man was just beginning to come out of the upstairs window. The morning sun was rising, as he silently pulled out one of his spike shurikens and prepared to throw it.

He waited until the man was fully out of the window before he threw his shuriken. It sailed toward it's target and entered into the man's Achilles's tendon. The pain caused him to fall to the ground. Avery approached him as the man turned and fired with a hand crossbow. The quarrel missed Avery's ear by a hair. Avery realized immediately that the man saw him clearly. Thinking quickly Avery dropped to the ground and then called for the town guard.

"Assassin!! Assassin!!"

The man's eyes grew wide as he realized what Avery was doing. He quickly got up and hobbled to his horse which was behind the mayor's house and then rode out of town. Avery was just getting off the ground when the town guard arrived. Avery told them that he saw the man coming out of the window and that the man tried to kill him before riding out of town. The guard checked the mayor's house and found the entire family murdered. They also searched around the house to corroborate Avery's story. They found the blood trail and the hoof prints, so they let Avery go.

When Avery arrived back at the inn, Carl was downstairs waiting for him. He told Carl the story of his encounter with the assassin and then went upstairs to retrieve his belongings. After they both were totally ready to go, they ate a light meal and then headed for Carl's place which was two days north of town. Even though their trip was uneventful, Avery could almost feel someone watching them. Even with his infravision, Avery still saw no one. They arrived at Carl's home on the evening of the second day.

It seemed like nothing more that a small cabin built into a hill. But once inside Carl told Avery the command word to enter a protected room behind the back wall. With the aid of the command word, the two men passed through the special doorway. Behind the wall was a larger room with several weapons and other items.

Carl told Avery that all of the items in the room were magical. His late mentor made all of them long ago, but chose to wait to give them to only those he deemed worthy. His teacher had died three years ago and so none of the items ever were given out. Each item had a card, and on the back of certain cards were their command words.

Carl had forgotten something on his saddle, so they headed outside. As they passed through the wall, Avery quickly glanced at a tag on a rod by the door. His quick glance caused him to miss read the tag. He thought it read "Rod of Resurrection."

They exited the cabin to see a masked man. Avery recognized him and dove back into the cabin as the man fired an arquebus. Carl was not as fortunate. Instead of a normal blast, the arquebus shot a metal quarrel that went through Carl and out the opposite wall. Avery thought that he was dead, when suddenly the assassin's head roll into his view. Avery stood and then peeked out the door. Next to the body stood a large, muscular man, who wore tan pants, tucked into brown boots. He also wore, a red, short sleeved tunic, that covered his shirt of white chain mail. Clutched in his hands, was a two-handed khopesh. The man had no hair on neither head nor his face, his ears were pointed like an elves, but head had the frame of a dwarf. He had copper colored skin, and stood at least six foot tall if not more. He turned and smiled at Avery.

"Well met friend. It looks like I happened along just in time. By the way my name is Urus."

"Well met, and thank you. My name is Avery." He glanced down at Carl. "I think that we can still save my friend."

Avery quickly turned and used the command word to enter the secret passage. He grabbed the rod and went to Carl. He touched Carl with the rod and read the command word off the card. Nothing happened.

"I do not understand. What did I do wrong?"

"Here let me see the card."

Avery handed Urus the card. He read both sides and then chuckled.

"You didn't do anything wrong. This is a rod of mystical reincarnation. What did ye think it was?"

"A rod of resurrection. Sorry Carl, I did not want our friendship to end like this."

The two men buried Carl next to the grave of his mentor. Urus told Avery that the Assassin had murdered his wife, and brother. He followed him to Bryant and then on to Carl's cabin before he could attack. The assassin was so caught up with Carl and Avery that he never even knew that Urus was there. They also talked about Urus' strange chain mail.

He told Avery that one night about two years ago he had a vision of a mysterious man who told him about a suit of chain mail that would make him nearly invincible in battle. The man told wear to go and that he would have to face danger to retrieve such an item. The next morning he traveled to the entrance of a cave, and through nothing more that sheer luck he found this armor. For along time he thought that it was a famous artifact. But, the material that it is made from, and the fact that that artifact was banished with it's owner from Malinta over three millennia ago proved his theory wrong. The only explanation is that the supreme gods are recreating the old artifacts and placing them acrossed Malinta.

During their conversation Avery learned that Urus was a Mul, and that several years ago many of his people were brought here by a great wizard. Avery told Urus of his mixed ancestry. They decided that since Urus' mission was accomplished and they were both outsiders here, that they would adventure together.

They spent the next few days gathering what they needed of the magical items in the back room. Avery found a magical composite long bow, a quiver of Ehlonna, and twenty magical sheaf arrows. They took several other items that they could both use like magical daggers and bags of holding.

After they took everything that they thought they would need, they headed out to their horses. It was dark already as they made their way to the front door. In the moonlight they could see a unicorn standing next to the assassin, it was looking over the body. It raised it's head as the two men stepped out of the cabin. Avery spoke to it mentally.

Hello. My name is Avery, what is your name?

The unicorn spoke out loud. "It's Carl Avery. I've been reincarnated into a unicorn. I thank thee my friend, this is what I've always wanted to be, and thanks to thee, I am. For this great service, I want thee and thy new friend to come with me to see paradise on earth."

"Where would that be Carl?"

"My knew home. The Unicorn Sanctuary."

"How will we get there?" Urus asked.

"Simple my good man. As soon as thee are ready I will teleport us there." Avery looked first at his horse then back to Carl. "What about our horses?"

"Leave them, ye will find better mounts among the horses that reside there. So come on and let's go."

The two men unload their horses and brought their belongings over to Carl. Urus grabbed the assassin's belongings and then he set the assassin's horse free. They picked up their things and Carl teleported them away.

They appeared in a forest meadow, the moonlight made it look almost heavenly. In the distance he could see an almost angelic silhouette of a woman. Carl noticed what he was staring at.

"Ahh, Avery I see that thou has noticed the Taraqu. The half unicorns. They are one of the three races that are known as the children of the gods."

"Half unicorns?"

"Yes. They're humanoids that possess the powers of a unicorn, and can shape change at will into a unicorn. They have white skin with a pink star in their forehead and long flowing white hair."

"Interesting. Where are we? How far did we travel?"

"We're well over two thousand miles east of my old cabin. Thou has lost about three hours, so ye better pull out thy bed rolls a get some sleep, tomorrow thou both have a big day ahead of thee." Avery and Urus laid their bed rolls under a couple trees and went to sleep.

Avery awoke in a bed. He looked around to see a Taraqu woman sitting in a finely carved wooden chair. As Avery sat up he noticed that he was unclothed. He boldly looked at the woman as he got out of bed. The woman stood to greet him.

"My name is Jasenta. Avery Dameron, ye are mine, I have chosen thee."

"What?" The woman disrobed as she kissed him, then she pushed him back on the bed as she simultaneously fell down on top of him.

The next day Avery emerged from Jasenta's home. He felt extremely rested even with his lack of sleep. He walked around calling out for Carl. Carl nudged him in the back.

"Shhh, be quite. Where has thou been?"

"I have been with Jasenta. Why?"

"Oh my god. Did she tell thee that she had chosen thee?"

"I do not see where that is any of your concern, but yes. What did she mean by that?"

"She has chosen thee as her husband Avery, and with thou staying with her ye have agreed to be her life mate."

"Oh well. By the way, where is Urus?"

"He disappeared the same time that thou did. That might mean, that he also has committed himself."

As he spoke Carl and Avery watched Urus come out of another of the Taraqu homes that were carved out of the side of the sanctuary's protective cliff face. When he finally reached them, Carl told him what he had done. Urus told them both that he had no intention of staying with her, he had already been married, and he would never marry again.

Avery told him that he wanted to stay for at least a few more days and then they could leave. Carl told them that only the Unicorn god could give a Taraqu permission to leave the sanctuary, and that had never happened. Urus told Avery that that was the way that he would get out of this marriage.
Avery and Jasenta spent every minute of the next two days together playing and loving. Jasenta told Avery that all of the horses there had unicorn blood, and even a few were intelligent enough to speak.

During one of their many walks Avery and Jasenta came acrossed Zared, the only black stallion every born there. The three of them spoke for many hours. Zared and Avery became friends, and Zared offered to be Avery's mount should he ever need one. That night the three of them celebrated together.

Midway through the second day a shadow appeared in the sky. It was a young dragon. The great creature circled several times in the sky before descending. Everyone but Avery, Urus, and Carl panicked. The three of them stood their ground as the rest ran for the cover of the forest.

It was a bronze dragon. It hadn't fully reached a full bronze color yet. Even though it had a twenty eight foot body length and a twenty foot tail length it tried to play like a much smaller creature. It smiled big as it saw Carl and the two men.

"You hoo, I want to play." The dragon pointed at Avery. "You play with me. We play tag."

Avery stepped forward. "You must leave, you are frightening the unicorns."

"But I want to play."

"No. You must go find someone else to play with."

"Find be like that. I no want to play with you anyway."

With a tear in it's eye the dragon took to the air and flew away. After the dragon was well out of sight Avery, Urus, and Carl, were surrounded by several elven warriors. They were taken before Queen Alexia, the unicorn queen. There they were tried for the crime of endangering the queen and her people, by bringing a dragon into their domain.

"Thou have been found guilty and are here by sentenced to banishment from the unicorn sanctuary. Do ye have anything to say for thyselves?"

Avery spoke up. "Your majesty we were in no way responsible for what happened, but, we will adhere to your decision."

Zared came forward. "I will be leaving with Avery m'lady. If thou have no objections."

"I have none noble Zared, and I hope that thy life away from us is prosperous."

"I Thank thee m'lady." He bowed and then retreated.

"Thou have one hour to say thy goodbyes and gather thy belongings. Now leave."

Avery and Jasenta went into her home, and without speaking Avery packed his things. When he was finished, he set it all next to the door, and then turned to Jasenta. Tears were running down her face, as she ran up to him. They embraced tightly.

"I am going to miss you, Jasenta."

"I want to go with thee. I love thee."

"I know, but you know that that is impossible. Now kiss me, it is time for me to leave." They kissed softly and then he left her there, crying.

With a saddened heart he joined the others. He saddled up Zared and then waited for departure. The queen and her elven guard approached them. One of the elves began casting a spell. The next thing they knew they were in a marsh. In the distance they could see a huge cylinder leaning in the marsh. Urus saddled up Carl, and they rode toward it. Avery and Zared arrived first. A magic mouth appeared on the cylinder.

"Enter. I have been waiting for you."

Suddenly the ground shook and a building began rising out of the marsh. After it had fully rose the door opened. They all entered. After everyone was inside the doors slammed shut. They traveled down the hall to a large room. The room had several long tables all covered with strange and unique items. They all looked around examining various items. A mask made out of some kind of gemstone hanging on a wall caught Avery's eye. As he reached for it someone spoke.

"That mask or any one item can be yours if you're willing to risk your life for it." It was an old man. He wore an old gray robe.

"In what way would I be risking my life?"

"By competing in a contest against me. If you win, you may have any one item that you see, and if you lose, your life is forfeit to me. By the way at least one of you must take the challenge." Urus chose to take the challenge. The old man smiled and began. "You will answer a series of three riddles if you miss one you die. The first is: I'm often held, yet rarely touched; I'm always wet, yet never rust; I'm sometimes wagged and sometimes bit; To use me well, you must have wit. What am I?"

Urus thought for a while and then answered. "The tongue."

"That's correct. The second is: In the window she sat weeping, And with tear her life went seeping."

Almost immediately Urus answered. "A candle."

The man was obviously unhappy. "Correct, one left. I'm not really more than holes tied to more holes; I'm strong as good steel, though not stiff as a pole. What am I?"

Urus thought for along time. Everyone thought that Urus was as good as dead. "The answer is...chain."

The old man told him that he was right and entitled to any item, but the first item he picked up would be his choice. While Urus thought on what he wanted, Avery took the challenge.

This time the old man choose to play a game of chess with Avery. The two played for several hours with the game teetering both ways many times. With an amazing stroke of luck Avery narrowly won. The man conceded and told Avery that the mask would serve him well. Both Zared and Carl chose to pass on the challenge.

The old man offered them two exits. One left them in the marsh where they entered, the other sent them to one of three worlds; Krynn, Toril, or Oerth. They discussed their options thoroughly and chose the second door. Avery put his mask inside his bag of holding and then lead Zared through the door, followed by Urus and Carl.