The Wondrous Pursuit of the Orphaned Heroine

Prologue

I always felt an evil presence within the Kingdom, a foul stench decaying beneath its prosperous façade. The townspeople seem fine, the monarchs seem fine, and everyone says all is fine, but I just can’t shake this unchangeable feeling that evil is secretly abounding the Kingdom of Edric. The grass’ length will only tell the time of its emergence.

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As I walk home from the marketplace, a gypsy in a fluid black cloak, about a hundred years in age asked for a single leaf of basil, and so I gave her a piece. Then she said “Thank you for your magnanimity.” Then, the gypsy ran into a stone wall by the end of an alley.

I was able to follow the gypsy into a diamond filled lair. There she revealed herself as a white enchantress; she had a diamond made crown sitting on her icy blond hair. Her long hair cascaded on her glittering white dressed as she removed her cloak. The enchantress exclaimed “At last! A basil leaf from an orphaned girl, my revenge shall be complete!” As the leaf fell into the cauldron, a white explosion erupted and I was outside by the street once more.

The enchantress had disappeared. The air was filled with a purple haze, our once lush grass has wilted, and our rivers turned black with filth. From that moment on the land was cursed.

My soul shivered with the grief of helping the enemy. I hurried back to the castle, where I live with the rest of the orphans. I ran to the throne room to tell King Ellard what I witnessed and how sorrowful I was for helping the enchantress. To my favor he forgave me. He was always sympathetic to us orphans, because he is one. I offered the king my help to end the deadly curse, and he accepted it.

The King tasked his knights to search for Desiderio, the Wizard to aid the curse and to draw information about the white enchantress. The knights found the wizard’s small cottage in the heart of the crimson forest, east of the kingdom. The wizard greeted the knights at the door with an apathetic frown and said “You have come to tell me a great evil has emerged.” One of the knights replied “Yes we have. King Ellard is in need of your magic expertise to end the enchantress’ curse. He is willing to pay you at any given price.” The wizard solemnly replied “I don’t need your putrid money. It can never give me what I truly want.” Another knight answered “I’m sure King Ellard can provide your true want.” Desiderio replied “I doubt it. Tell me who this enchantress is.” The knight said “A witness said the enchantress had a diamond made crown, icy blond hair, and a glittering dress.” The wizard was flabbergasted, for he knew this enchantress. The wizard added “She stole a *grimoire from me and imprisoned my wife,   in one of her diamonds.” Desiderio then agreed to help in the search for the enchantress and to help in  the destruction of the curse.

When Desiderio arrived at the castle, King Ellard and I greeted him. “This is Valora. She witnessed the white enchantress’ evil doing inside a lair, and she will help in the pursuit of the enchantress” Said King Ellard. “Very well, but before we start concocting spells, elixirs, charms, and the like I must inform you about who we’re fighting against. The white enchantress’ name is Casiphia she is very powerful, she usually takes the form of a gypsy to be able to travel from kingdom to kingdom, and her diamonds are filled with mystical abilities. She also has a book I need. The book contains viable information that will end the curse. I also need Valora to take me to the goddess’ lair” said the wizard.

The wizard, Desiderio and I walked to the alley where I found Casiphia and her diamond filled lair. As we both walked up to the stone wall the wizard knocked and analyzed the wall and said “This wall can only be opened by Aperire powder.” The wizard took a leather pouch from his sleeve, took a handful of powder and blew it towards the wall and we both were able to enter the lair. The lair was dark, empty, and instead of a diamond covered walls, it was covered with coal. Desiderio lit his wand said “The lair is protected by a charm. It can only expose itself to its proprietor.” A glimmering shard at the corner of the room caught my eye and it turned out to be a diamond. As I picked up the diamond, it took over my consciousness.

My closed eyes saw every single event that had happened to me. I saw the day my mother and father gave me to the castle, to the day I found out they were killed, to the time I witnessed the goddess casting the curse. I was unconscious from the time being and the wizard had to wake me. He reminded me once again that the goddess’ diamonds has mystical abilities. The one I picked up happens to recall all past events. The wizard put on these magic *gauntlets and picked up the diamond. He said “I can use the diamond to create a potion to aid our pursuit and I can enchant a pair of gauntlets for you as well, for your safety and usage.”

The wizard and I left the coal filled lair and traveled back to the castle. As I fell asleep that night, my mind repetitively played the images it saw earlier today. My parents death has never occurred to me this much, since I found out they were killed. The only thing my mother and father left me was a letter and a moonstone necklace I received last summer.

Our Dearest Valora,

            We wish you a joyous 16^th birthday. We truly wish we can celebrate it together. We desire to tell you the truth about the perils we faced, but it is just too dangerous for you to know. The moonstone encrusted necklace inside the letter envelope will hopefully give you bravery throughout the rest of your existence.

Love eternally,

Your Father, Magnus and Mother, Ophelia 

 

I heard from our care taker they were planning to take me back, but it was not possible. Whilst I was asleep, Desiderio was fabricating the potion to help in our hunt for Casiphia and enchanting a pair of gauntlets for my usage.

The next day, we began the pursuit of Casiphia, the white enchantress. The wizard and I met at the courtyard along with a few knights to begin our search. There, King Ellard bid us his farewell and good wishes before Desiderio and I departed the castle. As we left for the castle (wizard name) released a white owl the wizard said “I fed my owl the potion it can lead us to the enchantress’ location”. 

We traveled for several days. The terrain is constantly changing all throughout the journey and hopelessness is starting to slither between the days and nights I sleeplessly rest. The hopelessness was visible in everybody’s eyes, but there was always a glimmer of hope within my spirit. I don’t exactly know what it is, but I’m glad of its overwhelming presence on me and my companions.

The day finally came where we found the enchantress Casiphia’s location. We arrived at night, the moon was fully lit and it beautifully affected the diamond coated castle. The Enchantress castle happened to be in between cool winds and heated lands. The location was in none of the maps the knights brought. 

The knights entered the castle first, then the wizard, and I was the last. A white gargantuan dragon appeared. Its luminous scales pierced our eyes, as it boasted its mighty roar. Desiderio waved his wand and placed a spell upon the knights’ swords and said “Your swords are strong enough to kill the beast. I shall distract it while you kill it.” I asked “What should I do? I just can’t idly stand here.” The wizard pulled out an inimitable shining new sword and a bottle underneath his cloak and told me “Here, take these. Go find the grimoire. The cover is blood red and it has round stone in the middle.” He called the owl and added “This bottle has a tracking potion inside have the owl drink it and he will help you find it” As soon as he was done talking I ran to the side entrances to hide.

I had the owl drink the potion and it flown away in a swift motion to the grimoire. While I followed the owl I encountered a small battalion of knights in purely white suits of armor. My body began to tremor in fear, but an ounce of bravery miraculously engulfed it. Then I started smiting the knights in front of me. The adrenaline within my veins started to take over and I ran as fast as I could to the owl and there I was. Inside a chamber filled with magic paraphernalia and the grimoire was sitting in the middle of it all. As I grabbed the book, a cold fair hand held my wrist. It was Casiphia, she exclaimed “It’s you! I thought I ended you years ago”. I asked her “What do you mean?”

I was unconscious once more and had woken up in a cell with Casiphia standing in front of me from the outside. The enchantress said “Valora, has your parent’s death ever worried you, depressed you, and made you curious?” I said “Yes it has” The enchantress threw a diamond at me and said “Take a look of this.” I held the diamond in my hand and I saw the enchantress’ memory instead of mine. The memory contained my parents’ faces paralyzed with apprehension. Casiphia said to them “I foretold that a child of a wizard and an average woman in this kingdom will hinder my plans of revenge. The enchantress gestured to my mother and added “I see you’re with child, my timing is perfect.” A flash of light quickly appeared and my parents’ corpses laid on the ground with puddles of their blood surrounding their cold bodies. My mind regained its freedom, but a horrible churning within my stomach emerged, along with the weight of water on the brim of my eyes. The enchantress arrogantly looked at me and said “I had no idea they had another child. Stupid girl you should not have come here. I’ll leave you to your mourning, I have to handle your companions now, and then I will end you just like how King Ellard ended my true source of happiness.”

I wept as hard as I could remember. The thought of being the reason behind their death killed me. I destroyed the chance of a happy life with my mother, father, and my sibling. I craved for oblivion, I wanted to die. I recalled the enchantress’ prediction that I’m destined to hinder her plans of revenge. I felt a flow of light in me. I know I can avenge my family’s death, defeat her and stop the curse. I still had the gauntlets underneath my cloak; I put them on and pulled out the diamond protected lock. I freed the owl from its cage and it led me to the grimoire again. I grabbed the book and ran as fast as I could to the courtyard where we first saw the dragon only this time it was dead. The knights and Desiderio battled the ghostly white army controlled by the powerful enchantress. I walked up to Casiphia as stealthily as I could as I swung my sword at her, but she caught it and said “You think you can kill me that easily?”  From the corner of my eye I saw the wizard cast a spell on the sword with his wand and motioned to it. Casiphia’s hand started to shatter into glass like pieces; she lost power of the sword’s blade. I took the sword and swung it towards the enchantress’ waist and her whole body shattered into glass pieces. Casiphia the enchantress was dead.

The wizard and knights congratulated me on being the victor. Before we ventured back home we found hundreds of unfortunate souls trapped in diamonds, inside a chamber beneath the castle. The sadness of my family’s death was gone for a while and I felt accomplished and happy as we traveled homebound.

As soon as we reached Edric, Desiderio restored normalcy and beauty to the kingdom and he freed the captured souls from the diamonds including his wife Maeva, the witch. Once Maeva and Desiderio was reunited, I felt even happier and thrilled, because of the cheerfulness around me. Desiderio and his wife walked up to me. Maeva embraced me and said “Thank you Valora, for bringing me back to him.” As she let go, she noticed my necklace. Her face lit up with surprise and asked “Where did you get that?” I told her in return “My parents gave me this necklace.” “Where are they now?” asked Maeva.  I solemnly replied “They’re gone, the white enchantress killed them, while I was young” Maeva asked me another question “What are their names?” I said “Magnus and Ophelia.” Maeva’s eyes were filled with delight and happiness and I for sure know this is a good sign for the both of us. The witch finally spoke with tear filled eyes and said “Magnus is my younger brother, and I am your aunt.” We lovingly embraced each other. The witch and the wizard invited me into their family. I now currently reside at the small cottage inside the crimson forest with my aunt and uncle, growing in happiness, love and magic.

 

 

The End              

 

Author's Note

*grimoire- book of spells
*gauntlets- a glove with a long wide cuff that covers and protects part of the forearm