another fantasy short story
A dark shadow fell across the room. It seemed as if morning would never come just the night before, but here, the light was making its way through the window pane and was crawling down the wall and across the floor through the darkness, until the whole room was as bright as the sun just outside. The light began to pour in; like a river, it flowed gently through the shadows and made the room glow, it seemed, with joy.
Rubia slowly raised her giant wings and made her way to the room in which Angel slept. Quietly, very quietly, she crept through the long halls, being careful not to make a sound with each step. She carefully turned the corner.
Suddenly, her nose began to itch inside. 'No!' she thought. 'Please, n--'... "ACHOO!" Fire left her nostrils in an angry rage to get out. Flames pierced the end table in the corner of the room. 'Oh, no...Angel! Angel!' Rubia thought hopelessly.
Angel, who had heard the commotion, came out to see what all was going on. She could sense that, whatever it was, it wasn't going to be pretty. Grasping her towel for dear life around her body, she swung the bathroom door open, and, seeing the fire, shouted, "What were you thinking?!"
Rubia, not knowing what to do, in panic, squeaked, "I wanted to wake you up. I-I thought you were still asleep!"
Angel, who had not even stayed to hear what Rubia had replied, (not that she could have understood, anyway,) had run back into the bathroom, grabbed her cleaning bucket, and filled it with water as quickly as possible. She flew back to the fire scene. The alarms were going off by now, so everything was a complete ruckus. She flung the water towards the fire, and after two or three of these, the flames began to calm down and settle, until they were just ashes.
Angel turned off the alarms, not saying a word to Rubia.
Rubia, startled, said, "Uh...do you, um...want some breakfast now?" She smiled a fake and nervous smile.
"NO! Just get ready. We're going to the head council today...remember? I'm going to finish taking my shower, now."
"But, Ang-" The door clicked shut quickly, but quietly. "-el." Rubia sighed. She knew Angel would get over it, but her stomach was churning, nonetheless. "I might as well clean up," she muttered. And that is just what she did.
2
"We agree, but our problem with it is that the people haven't had their say. I'm sure you'll all object to us addressing the public, but we have the freedom of speech. And another thing I'm quite sure of is that the public will agree with me. I believe that, as the people of this state, we should have a say in such situations," Angel determinedly explained.
Amina, the president of the head council, said, "We'll talk about it."
'But, Angel,' Rubia thought, and Angel could hear her thought, as could Rubia to Angel, 'you know none of those ninnies will agree to that. We may be choosing king, but they will do all they can to keep us from getting the word out. ANYTHING! The whole country thinks Jarius is still alive! They'll revolt against the council, and then everything will go wrong.'
'Yes, I agree. But what else can we do? It's not fair that nobody knows about this. It's like we CAN'T avoid a ruckus. Either way, the head council's screwed.'
'Or, we could just keep our mouths shut about the whole thing.'
'WHAT? If we do that, then you know someone's going to find out we knew, and then what about us?! Did you think about THAT?!'
'No, not really. But, still, think about it.'
"Ms. Angel, we have thoroughly thought over this concern of yours and, as the head council, we have chosen to reject your request. Don't ask any questions. Guards, please take Ms. Angel and her dragon to a cell.
'What?! This is not fair! Angel, let's get them! Now!'
'No! We want to keep them on our side! We want to convince them!' Angel thought quickly, before Rubia could let any flames escape her nostrils.
'KEEP them on our side? They're not ON our side! They're against us!'
'Enough.'
A guard took hold of each of her arms. One grunted, then pushed Angel through the huge double doors and down the halls. They passed many paintings, and Angel noticed one in specific. It had a bluish-purple dragon thrusting fire out her nostrils, and an angel, bright and glowing, with big, full wings aiming a bow and arrow at a lion, which was the target of the dragon's flames. Somehow, it was the only one that had caught her eye, and she didn't know exactly why.
3
'Well, what do we do now?'
'Quiet! I'm thinking.' Angel complained. They were in a real big problem. Being put in a prison cell wasn't too fun, especially when the head council was lying to everyone in the country the whole time.
"Are you still thinking? Hurry up! They're going to announce to the whole country that Jarius died 3 months ago, that they don't have a choice on who their new leader is, and that we knew the whole time, and wouldn't tell them, and that we're the ones that they should be mad at!"
"Now, be realistic. We are supposed to be thinking of a way to get out, not grieving over everything in life that isn't perfect. 'Cause you know what?! Life isn't perfect! So why don't you help me for once, and think! I'm the one who does all the thinking around here, and I think it's time you do your part!"
Rubia raised her head to take a glance at Angel's face, which was filled with rage. She directed her tear-filled eyes toward the ground, as one fell to the dirt floor, the only sound in the dark, empty prison cell. The moon was beginning to come out, and it filled the tear with a shiny glint that reflected the feeling that Rubia wanted to have in her heart.
Angel saw Rubia glance at her. When Rubia looked away, Angel's face softened in a sad way. She felt the pain of guilt enter her heart, and she turned away to sit and let Rubia sit and soak it in. After a couple of minutes, she turned around. Keeping a tear from escaping her eye, she croaked, "Sorry, I know I was wrong to get so mad, but you do need to do your part sometimes. I'm really sorry."
"I know."
"Thanks. I just need you to help me think. We need a way out. They're going to expose the truth in a week."
"Right. I agree. We need to think of a way to stop that," Rubia said thoughtfully.
Angel lifted her head. "If only I had my bow and arrows, but they took tha--" She gasped.
"What? What's wrong?" Rubia was worried.
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong! It was a clue! The painting was a clue! No wonder it caught my eye! Rubia... We're SAVED!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"The painting! The one in the hallway!"
"Slow down, calm down, and tell me what's going on!"
Angel took a deep breath. After she was completely calmed down, she half whispered, half said, "While the guards were taking us down the halls, I saw a picture that caught my eye. The painting. The painting is our key. Our key...to freedom."
4
Angel worked the knots. It seemed, at first, as if the frayed knots were impossible to be undone. After hours of work, Angel gave up for some rest. It was sunrise, and the only reason she stopped was because Rubia persuaded her to; Angel had not eaten in a day, and she was not used to this pattern of eating. She was weak and tired.
"Angel," Rubia had convinced her, "You're tired, weak, and hungry. Take a rest! They should be bringing us some food soon, and I'll only let you get back to work when you've gotten your strength back. Please, stop now!"
Angel had wearily replied, "Okay." Her voice had become a croak. She hadn't had any drink since the night before they went to the head council to complain. (Dragons can last very long periods of time without food or water, so Rubia was okay.) But she was worried about Angel. She knew how fragile humans could be.
Just then, a guard began to unlock the cell door. Rubia quickly covered up the frayed knots with her tail. The guard came in and dropped some old dry bread and a bowlful of water on the dusty floor. He scoffed. "Leftovers."
'Leftovers?!' Angel thought impatiently. 'Oh, well. At least it's food...and water!'
Rubia raised her giant tail as the guard relocked the cell. Then she walked over to the bread and the bowl of water. She lifted them up and took them over to where Angel sat, in the corner of the cell.
"Please, don't leave any for me. Eat it. I can last a long time without food and water," Rubia explained.
'Are you sure?'
"I'm positive. Don't worry. I'll be fine." Rubia reassured her.
In a couple of days, Angel seemed to be stronger. She could actually talk, for she was now starting to get used to this eating pattern.
"Almost got it...almost..." Angel had turned the big ball of knots into one tiny, but very hard to untangle, knot. "...There! I did it! I did it, Rubia! We'll make it! There are four days left until they announce the new king, so let's get out of here!"
Rubia held one end of the rope, very tightly. Angel's bow and arrows were hanging on the wall across the room, (which wasn't more than 9 feet away.)
Angel pulled out her hairpin, attached it to the end of the rope, and held the rope up for Rubia to hold.
Rubia, grasping the rope in between her large, shiny teeth, whined, "I have to get this! I have to!"
"Don't worry!" Angel whispered reassuringly in her soft as a butterfly's wings and smooth as butter voice. Her blue eyes twinkled and her shiny blond hair was bright as the sun. This always made Rubia confident in herself.
Rubia stood, now holding the rope between her claws and her nervousness went away as the rope brushed against her scaly palm. She threw the rope as hard as she could toward the bow and arrows. She had been about 4 inches too far to the left. She moved over right what she thought was about 4 inches, and, again, she thrust the rope. It wrapped around the strap of the bag, which contained the bow and the arrows, and Rubia whipped the twisted rope into the air high and hard and pulled, closing her big, bright, green eyes while she did so.
5
The guards came in the evening, just to make fun of Rubia and Angel, and to eat grapes and luscious fruits and cakes and biscuits in front of them to make them jealous. One guard scoffed, "You ain't nuthin' but teeny lil' ants to us." The other guards laughed and joined him.
Angel, quietly hidden behind Rubia, holding tightly to the bow and arrows ready to be aimed and shot, thought, 'Now, Rubia!'
Rubia had been waiting for her signal, and she let flames escape her nostrils and burn the guards' hands and faces. She hated to hear them shout and scream in agony and pain, but she knew she had to do it. Meanwhile, Angel was shooting arrows left and right, up and down, anywhere she saw a guard. She could have easily pierced the one with the key, but she waited until she had the closest target she could, saving macho man key keeper for last.
For a few minutes after all the guards were down and out, Rubia and Angel just stood there, looking at the mess they had made. Angel broke the daze by reaching for the guard with the keys to see if he was really dead. She tenderly poked him with the end of an arrow. When she was quite sure he was completely dead, she reached for the key ring. The ring was looped around a belt loop, so she used the sharp end of her arrow, the last one, like a knife and cut the cloth loop. She grabbed the key ring and tried each until she found one that worked. She tucked the keys into her pocket, marking the one she had used to set them free.
It was the thirteenth hour of the day, and everyone in the large building was just finishing their lunch. Angel and Rubia crept through passageways they had seen the guards use on their many visits to complain. No one saw them, and they made it safely outside. By the time someone would find out what had happened in the cellar, it would be too late.
Angel and Rubia headed for public places and announced the terrible news to everyone. She got to everyone in the state, she was sure of that. The people became so angry with the head council, that they allowed Angel to make her statement on worldwide television. But everyone knew of the one city in the whole country of Rennalion that would not get the message. The poorest city, the filthiest, most dangerous city: Epsilon.
Epsilon had not always been a terrible place, in fact, it had once been known as the most beautiful city in the whole magical realm. It was attacked by Zorgons, and was destroyed beyond all measure. Epsilon needed help. The Zorgons still remained rulers over Epsilon. The few who had survived had been made slaves. There were barbed-wire fences all around the city, so none of the few left could escape. The survivors had sent out stress letters and had made many calls for help in all ways possible, but everyone was too scared to go there. Nobody was brave enough.
Zorgons are the nastiest, ugliest, dirtiest, filthiest, most disgusting and terrifying creatures in the realm of magic.
Angel had been thinking about Epsilon. She made a noble notion that her and Rubia would not only try to go to Epsilon to get the word out, but also to help the people, and defeat the Zorgons... once and for all.
Short story by Catherine Stout
Read 798 times
Written on 2006-05-30 at 02:01
Tags Fantasy
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The Quest To Epsilon
1A dark shadow fell across the room. It seemed as if morning would never come just the night before, but here, the light was making its way through the window pane and was crawling down the wall and across the floor through the darkness, until the whole room was as bright as the sun just outside. The light began to pour in; like a river, it flowed gently through the shadows and made the room glow, it seemed, with joy.
Rubia slowly raised her giant wings and made her way to the room in which Angel slept. Quietly, very quietly, she crept through the long halls, being careful not to make a sound with each step. She carefully turned the corner.
Suddenly, her nose began to itch inside. 'No!' she thought. 'Please, n--'... "ACHOO!" Fire left her nostrils in an angry rage to get out. Flames pierced the end table in the corner of the room. 'Oh, no...Angel! Angel!' Rubia thought hopelessly.
Angel, who had heard the commotion, came out to see what all was going on. She could sense that, whatever it was, it wasn't going to be pretty. Grasping her towel for dear life around her body, she swung the bathroom door open, and, seeing the fire, shouted, "What were you thinking?!"
Rubia, not knowing what to do, in panic, squeaked, "I wanted to wake you up. I-I thought you were still asleep!"
Angel, who had not even stayed to hear what Rubia had replied, (not that she could have understood, anyway,) had run back into the bathroom, grabbed her cleaning bucket, and filled it with water as quickly as possible. She flew back to the fire scene. The alarms were going off by now, so everything was a complete ruckus. She flung the water towards the fire, and after two or three of these, the flames began to calm down and settle, until they were just ashes.
Angel turned off the alarms, not saying a word to Rubia.
Rubia, startled, said, "Uh...do you, um...want some breakfast now?" She smiled a fake and nervous smile.
"NO! Just get ready. We're going to the head council today...remember? I'm going to finish taking my shower, now."
"But, Ang-" The door clicked shut quickly, but quietly. "-el." Rubia sighed. She knew Angel would get over it, but her stomach was churning, nonetheless. "I might as well clean up," she muttered. And that is just what she did.
2
"We agree, but our problem with it is that the people haven't had their say. I'm sure you'll all object to us addressing the public, but we have the freedom of speech. And another thing I'm quite sure of is that the public will agree with me. I believe that, as the people of this state, we should have a say in such situations," Angel determinedly explained.
Amina, the president of the head council, said, "We'll talk about it."
'But, Angel,' Rubia thought, and Angel could hear her thought, as could Rubia to Angel, 'you know none of those ninnies will agree to that. We may be choosing king, but they will do all they can to keep us from getting the word out. ANYTHING! The whole country thinks Jarius is still alive! They'll revolt against the council, and then everything will go wrong.'
'Yes, I agree. But what else can we do? It's not fair that nobody knows about this. It's like we CAN'T avoid a ruckus. Either way, the head council's screwed.'
'Or, we could just keep our mouths shut about the whole thing.'
'WHAT? If we do that, then you know someone's going to find out we knew, and then what about us?! Did you think about THAT?!'
'No, not really. But, still, think about it.'
"Ms. Angel, we have thoroughly thought over this concern of yours and, as the head council, we have chosen to reject your request. Don't ask any questions. Guards, please take Ms. Angel and her dragon to a cell.
'What?! This is not fair! Angel, let's get them! Now!'
'No! We want to keep them on our side! We want to convince them!' Angel thought quickly, before Rubia could let any flames escape her nostrils.
'KEEP them on our side? They're not ON our side! They're against us!'
'Enough.'
A guard took hold of each of her arms. One grunted, then pushed Angel through the huge double doors and down the halls. They passed many paintings, and Angel noticed one in specific. It had a bluish-purple dragon thrusting fire out her nostrils, and an angel, bright and glowing, with big, full wings aiming a bow and arrow at a lion, which was the target of the dragon's flames. Somehow, it was the only one that had caught her eye, and she didn't know exactly why.
3
'Well, what do we do now?'
'Quiet! I'm thinking.' Angel complained. They were in a real big problem. Being put in a prison cell wasn't too fun, especially when the head council was lying to everyone in the country the whole time.
"Are you still thinking? Hurry up! They're going to announce to the whole country that Jarius died 3 months ago, that they don't have a choice on who their new leader is, and that we knew the whole time, and wouldn't tell them, and that we're the ones that they should be mad at!"
"Now, be realistic. We are supposed to be thinking of a way to get out, not grieving over everything in life that isn't perfect. 'Cause you know what?! Life isn't perfect! So why don't you help me for once, and think! I'm the one who does all the thinking around here, and I think it's time you do your part!"
Rubia raised her head to take a glance at Angel's face, which was filled with rage. She directed her tear-filled eyes toward the ground, as one fell to the dirt floor, the only sound in the dark, empty prison cell. The moon was beginning to come out, and it filled the tear with a shiny glint that reflected the feeling that Rubia wanted to have in her heart.
Angel saw Rubia glance at her. When Rubia looked away, Angel's face softened in a sad way. She felt the pain of guilt enter her heart, and she turned away to sit and let Rubia sit and soak it in. After a couple of minutes, she turned around. Keeping a tear from escaping her eye, she croaked, "Sorry, I know I was wrong to get so mad, but you do need to do your part sometimes. I'm really sorry."
"I know."
"Thanks. I just need you to help me think. We need a way out. They're going to expose the truth in a week."
"Right. I agree. We need to think of a way to stop that," Rubia said thoughtfully.
Angel lifted her head. "If only I had my bow and arrows, but they took tha--" She gasped.
"What? What's wrong?" Rubia was worried.
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong! It was a clue! The painting was a clue! No wonder it caught my eye! Rubia... We're SAVED!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"The painting! The one in the hallway!"
"Slow down, calm down, and tell me what's going on!"
Angel took a deep breath. After she was completely calmed down, she half whispered, half said, "While the guards were taking us down the halls, I saw a picture that caught my eye. The painting. The painting is our key. Our key...to freedom."
4
Angel worked the knots. It seemed, at first, as if the frayed knots were impossible to be undone. After hours of work, Angel gave up for some rest. It was sunrise, and the only reason she stopped was because Rubia persuaded her to; Angel had not eaten in a day, and she was not used to this pattern of eating. She was weak and tired.
"Angel," Rubia had convinced her, "You're tired, weak, and hungry. Take a rest! They should be bringing us some food soon, and I'll only let you get back to work when you've gotten your strength back. Please, stop now!"
Angel had wearily replied, "Okay." Her voice had become a croak. She hadn't had any drink since the night before they went to the head council to complain. (Dragons can last very long periods of time without food or water, so Rubia was okay.) But she was worried about Angel. She knew how fragile humans could be.
Just then, a guard began to unlock the cell door. Rubia quickly covered up the frayed knots with her tail. The guard came in and dropped some old dry bread and a bowlful of water on the dusty floor. He scoffed. "Leftovers."
'Leftovers?!' Angel thought impatiently. 'Oh, well. At least it's food...and water!'
Rubia raised her giant tail as the guard relocked the cell. Then she walked over to the bread and the bowl of water. She lifted them up and took them over to where Angel sat, in the corner of the cell.
"Please, don't leave any for me. Eat it. I can last a long time without food and water," Rubia explained.
'Are you sure?'
"I'm positive. Don't worry. I'll be fine." Rubia reassured her.
In a couple of days, Angel seemed to be stronger. She could actually talk, for she was now starting to get used to this eating pattern.
"Almost got it...almost..." Angel had turned the big ball of knots into one tiny, but very hard to untangle, knot. "...There! I did it! I did it, Rubia! We'll make it! There are four days left until they announce the new king, so let's get out of here!"
Rubia held one end of the rope, very tightly. Angel's bow and arrows were hanging on the wall across the room, (which wasn't more than 9 feet away.)
Angel pulled out her hairpin, attached it to the end of the rope, and held the rope up for Rubia to hold.
Rubia, grasping the rope in between her large, shiny teeth, whined, "I have to get this! I have to!"
"Don't worry!" Angel whispered reassuringly in her soft as a butterfly's wings and smooth as butter voice. Her blue eyes twinkled and her shiny blond hair was bright as the sun. This always made Rubia confident in herself.
Rubia stood, now holding the rope between her claws and her nervousness went away as the rope brushed against her scaly palm. She threw the rope as hard as she could toward the bow and arrows. She had been about 4 inches too far to the left. She moved over right what she thought was about 4 inches, and, again, she thrust the rope. It wrapped around the strap of the bag, which contained the bow and the arrows, and Rubia whipped the twisted rope into the air high and hard and pulled, closing her big, bright, green eyes while she did so.
5
The guards came in the evening, just to make fun of Rubia and Angel, and to eat grapes and luscious fruits and cakes and biscuits in front of them to make them jealous. One guard scoffed, "You ain't nuthin' but teeny lil' ants to us." The other guards laughed and joined him.
Angel, quietly hidden behind Rubia, holding tightly to the bow and arrows ready to be aimed and shot, thought, 'Now, Rubia!'
Rubia had been waiting for her signal, and she let flames escape her nostrils and burn the guards' hands and faces. She hated to hear them shout and scream in agony and pain, but she knew she had to do it. Meanwhile, Angel was shooting arrows left and right, up and down, anywhere she saw a guard. She could have easily pierced the one with the key, but she waited until she had the closest target she could, saving macho man key keeper for last.
For a few minutes after all the guards were down and out, Rubia and Angel just stood there, looking at the mess they had made. Angel broke the daze by reaching for the guard with the keys to see if he was really dead. She tenderly poked him with the end of an arrow. When she was quite sure he was completely dead, she reached for the key ring. The ring was looped around a belt loop, so she used the sharp end of her arrow, the last one, like a knife and cut the cloth loop. She grabbed the key ring and tried each until she found one that worked. She tucked the keys into her pocket, marking the one she had used to set them free.
It was the thirteenth hour of the day, and everyone in the large building was just finishing their lunch. Angel and Rubia crept through passageways they had seen the guards use on their many visits to complain. No one saw them, and they made it safely outside. By the time someone would find out what had happened in the cellar, it would be too late.
Angel and Rubia headed for public places and announced the terrible news to everyone. She got to everyone in the state, she was sure of that. The people became so angry with the head council, that they allowed Angel to make her statement on worldwide television. But everyone knew of the one city in the whole country of Rennalion that would not get the message. The poorest city, the filthiest, most dangerous city: Epsilon.
Epsilon had not always been a terrible place, in fact, it had once been known as the most beautiful city in the whole magical realm. It was attacked by Zorgons, and was destroyed beyond all measure. Epsilon needed help. The Zorgons still remained rulers over Epsilon. The few who had survived had been made slaves. There were barbed-wire fences all around the city, so none of the few left could escape. The survivors had sent out stress letters and had made many calls for help in all ways possible, but everyone was too scared to go there. Nobody was brave enough.
Zorgons are the nastiest, ugliest, dirtiest, filthiest, most disgusting and terrifying creatures in the realm of magic.
Angel had been thinking about Epsilon. She made a noble notion that her and Rubia would not only try to go to Epsilon to get the word out, but also to help the people, and defeat the Zorgons... once and for all.
Short story by Catherine Stout
Read 798 times
Written on 2006-05-30 at 02:01
Tags Fantasy
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text|
Catherine Stout |
