Ilfanti and the Orb of Prophecy — Clifford B. Bowyer

The Empress has been kidnapped while in the midst of trying to unite the races. Her true whereabouts are unknown, but her return is vital to the survival of the Seven Kingdoms. One dwarf, the Mage Ilfanti, is determined to find Karleena and return her to the realm to face the threat of Zoldex and fulfill her dream of unification. His mission will not be an easy one. He must journey far from the Imperium in search of a mystical artifact that will allow the wielder to have any one question answered. That question: “Where is Karleena?” Follow Ilfanti as he returns to a life of an adventurer and battles against time to save the Imperium. Will he be able to find the mystical artifact and locate the Empress in time? *** This has all the makings of a great tale: The realm is in peril; a kidnapped damsel in distress; and the old adventurer coming out of retirement for one final quest to find an artifact that will reveal the location of the Empress, bring her back, confront Zoldex, and then usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for all races. No pressure. Three centuries of rust and dust. Cala and Herg were right to be concerned. They were right to have doubts. A lot has changed in three hundred years; not counting my silken black hair that has been replaced by this whitish gray. I'm older than any dwarf has a right to be, and I actually think that I still matter, that I can still make a difference. Maybe I am deluding myself. Then again, maybe not. I may be old, but I still feel as young and as energetic as when I was a Paladin. The years have treated me well. I never gave in to the passage of time. I always worked hard to make sure that I was physically fit. Perhaps I may fall a step or two behind my younger self, but I will keep up. Yes, I will keep up. I will not give in to the norms of society. I will not be an elder that others look at and brush aside as being frail and weak. I will not be a burden on those I care about. I am Ilfanti. I am a dwarf. I am a Mage. I am going to find the Orb of Prophecy, then the Empress, then see this war through to the end, and when I do, I am going to dance on the top of Zoldex's grave.- Ilfanti