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Quest Myth for History Class - untitled

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Our hero was not like most of his peers, the main difference being sense of responsibility. At nineteen, Cadeyrn already had the job of providing for both himself and his widowed mother. The rest of the men his age, though young adults they were, still followed the guidance of their fathers. They followed their fathers' steps out into the fields and the forests, hunting, farming, even making a pilgrimage to the kingdom's capital to serve in the army. Cadeyrn, while he had no parental example to follow, should have been caring for his mother's crop fields. He should have stepped into the world of adulthood, but he did just the opposite. He spent his days doing absolutely nothing.
No protest from his dear mother moved Cadeyrn to work, to do his duty as provider. He acted as if there were not a care in the world, and there were none in his, save one: criticism. The elders of his village took notes on every resident in the town, especially Cadeyrn. They often stopped by to lecture his poor mother about his misbehaviors or complain to him directly about lack of responsibility. Cadeyrn's peers followed their example. They turned criticism into subtle mockery, and this, this he could not stand. Cadeyrn had a great amount of pride for one so lazy; he felt no one should tell him how to live his life or laugh at him for his choices. He often grew angry with both the neighbors and village elders, but he tried not to hold a grudge for long.
It was support from his mother which both kept him calm and set him off on the journey so noted in our country's history. He was coming back from some place, likely a field where no one could find him, when he saw an older neighbor enter his house. She was no doubt going to complain to his mother about his supposed uselessness again, and he did not want to interrupt right away. So when Cadeyrn reached home, he stopped just inside of the open door to hear what would be said.
"Have you gotten the crops collected, Ailbhe?" The neighbor's voice came rather loudly from the kitchen. "The harvest is almost over."
"No, not yet...it takes time for these old bones to get everything dug up," Cadeyrn's mother replied, laughing weakly.
"I would suggest you get that son of yours to help, but we both know he's useless."
"Lazy. Cadeyrn's just lazy." His mother corrected the neighbor gently.
Any gentle tone in Mother's voice, however, was lost to her son. 'Lazy' and 'useless' were the only words he remembered. His only thought that was his mother had not defended him. She'd gone on and called him lazy, which, in his mind, was agreeing with the neighbor. Never before had his mother spoken against him; never before had she criticized him. He could take the harsh words of others, yes, but he could not handle such things from his mother. A mix of surprise and anger blinded his thoughts as he turned away and left the house.
We will never know for sure what or how Cadeyrn's mother spoke to the neighbor; the only account handed down is the view of our hero, who was known for pride long before heroics. But what is written is counted as truth, so his mother's comment, no matter how gentle it may have been, angered Cadeyrn. It angered him so that he stormed right out of the village and to his oasis, his hiding place. It was a small field off the beaten path. He often went there to relax, think, or, as he was now doing, try to calm down.
Cadeyrn reached the field and sat down near a grassy hill. He repeatedly told himself that he was neither useless nor lazy. There was no reason for his mother to speak against him; it was her job to defend her son, wasn't it? Yes, it was, he thought to himself. And yet, she had abandoned her son and become just like the rest of the town, just like those who mocked him, those who had no right to speak against him. They had no idea how helpful he could be.
"Why can't they just stop?"
"Why can't who stop?"
Cadeyrn jumped at the sound of the reply. He pulled his sword out of its sheath and pointed it toward the source of the voice. However, when he saw who the speaker was, he dropped his sword. There, sitting on the hill, was one of the spirit-folk. He'd heard stories about them from the elders as a child, but he always thought they were just tales from foolish and superstitious old folks.
The woman sitting on the hillside looked mostly human. Her skin was pale and dotted with deep purple marks, likely a sign of her species, whatever she might be. What interested Cadeyrn most was her large feathered wings. He stared at her, not sure if he was imagining things, when she spoke.
"Why can't who stop?" She looked concerned but sounded almost impatient.
"Who are you?" he asked, ignoring her question.
If Cadeyrn was paying more attention, he might have seen her frown, but he was too caught up in her appearance as a whole.
"I'm someone who simply seeks to help. I know you are upset, so tell me...why can't who stop?"
Normally Cadeyrn would not share his troubles with anyone, let alone someone he wasn't sure was really there. However, something made him want to tell her. And so he did. "I'm tired of being called pathetic and useless. They," he pointed in the direction of his village, "all think of me like that. They call me names and try to tell me I need to work for the family, but I just don't want to. They need to see how great I can be."
"No need to worry, sir. I can help you."
"You can?" He could hardly contain his excitement. Any solution to what was, in his mind, uncalled-for anger was happy news.
"Yes. Just say the word, and I'll do it."
"Then make them stop talking about me and laughing and mocking. Make them see me for the hero I am."
"How should I do that?"
"I don't know; make me a hero, open their eyes, take them away for all I care!"
There was a new light in the woman's eyes. "It's a deal."
"Deal?" Cadeyrn's excitement began to ebb. She hadn't mentioned a thing about a two-way exchange. "What do you want me to do?" If she required something drastic, he would find another way to fix things.
"Nothing. Your wish is payment enough." The smile on her face grew as Cadeyrn shook her hand.  "It's getting late;  you'd best be heading back to your village. And don't worry. I will take all your troubles away." With that, she was gone.
Cadeyrn left the field, as it was indeed getting late. He ran back to the village, ecstatic ready to see exactly how he'd been helped. What met him when he reached the town, however, was something he didn't expect. He walked into the streets, thinking there would be people rushing to apologize to him. After all, the spirit had taken away their mockery...hadn't she? He expected praise but was met with silence. The streets, normally busy with people finishing up last-minute chores, were empty. Every house Cadeyrn passed was equally empty. Feeling scared, he broke into a run. There was something very wrong. He had to find out why the villagers were gone. His mother would know; she never left town even in emergencies, for she thought she was protected by spirits. Cadeyrn hoped she was right as he dashed to his house, desperate to find Mother.
He flung open the door and was met with an eerily silent home. "Mother?" No answer. "Mother?!" Cadeyrn rushed to the main room of the house, where Mother would normally be with the day's crop collection, but he was alone, save the old dog. Cadeyrn's fear. Mother never left town. Something had to be wrong for her to be gone, too.
Forgetting about his earlier worries, Cadeyrn began to pace. He simply could not think of where the entire village might go and why they would leave without sending an alarm for those who might be outside the town. A loud thump stopped Cadeyrn's rushing train of thought. He turned quickly, thinking it might be his mother, but it was only the old dog jumping off the table.
Cadeyrn sat by the window. He pet the dog behind its tattered ear and sighed. "Do you know where they went?"
He almost laughed at himself, talking to a dog. But the dog had suddenly become Cadeyrn's only anchor. He was otherwise alone, and did not want to add isolation to his worry and fear.
"I just don't know. I just don't know. Where could they have gone?"
"They didn't leave willingly."
Cadeyrn looked up, hoping to see any sign of villagers, but there was nothing. He looked toward the old mutt, who was sitting on the windowsill. "I must be going mad." He wouldn't doubt it.
"Insanity s'ould be the least of yer worries."
Cadeyrn jumped to his feet. There was no way he was imagining the voice. "Who's there?"
"Someone who always 'as been 'ere."
The voice came in the direction of the window, but there was no one there but the dog. "Maybe I really am going mad."
"Maybe."
Cadeyrn just clearly saw--clearly hallucinated, perhaps--the dog talk. But it was impossible. Dogs could listen, but they couldn't talk...could they?
To Cadeyrn's surprise, the mutt began to wheeze. Its body rocked back and forth as it continued to make the ungodly sound. Cadeyrn almost thought it was dying until he saw its mouth twisted into an unnatural grin. That's when he realized the dog was laughing at him.
The dog would likely have continued to wheeze if not for a sudden outburst of coughing. When its breathing returned to normal, it sat up. "Stop staring. Dogs can't talk, I know. But I'm not a dog. Since you're going to ask, I'm one of the Rhogn...neutral spirit-folk."
"You're a spirit?"
The dog nodded. "Yeh. I've been under contract to your miserable family for as long as I can remember. Yer fat'er, bless 'is dead 'eart, told me to only talk to you in an emergency. And this, I'd wager, is an emergency."
Cadeyrn, ignoring the thought that he was indeed going crazy, nodded. As insane as it was, the dog seemed to know what it he was talking about. If a dog knew where his mother and the villagers were, then to a dog he'd listen.
"Contract? Emergency?"
"One of yer relatives got my true name and made me play watch-dog. Every gen'ration has an old dog Maedoc, yeh?"
Maedoc, Cadeyrn guessed, was the dog's name. He remembered being told the name once or twice, but he never paid attention to the pet.
"Now, for the emergency. I'm not too smart 'bout stuff now, seeing 'ow you keep me locked up in 'ere, but I can tell some dark-folk did all this. You make a deal with one lately?"
The only deal Cadeyrn remembered was the one he'd made not a half-hour ago with the woman in the field. "Some lady she'd take all my troubles away..."
"Lady?" Maedoc questioned.
Cadeyrn nodded. "She was pale, had dark purple freckles and wings--"
Maedoc growled, interrupting Cadeyrn. "You fool, you went an' made a deal with a Rat'loaeg."
"Rat...loaeg?"
"I guess they'd be considered evil. Whatever thing you made yer deal with took all yer precious villagers away."
Cadeyrn went pale. "Took? Took where?"
"To the dark court, where else? Them bad folk love to play with human toys...then break them."
Cadeyrn began to outright panic. He did not say it aloud, but he knew what Maedoc was implying. Breaking...murdering.
"How do I get them back?"
"Thought you wanted 'em gone."
"I wanted them to stop, yes, but I didn't want them to vanish. I thought the woman would help me, not try to kill them."
Maedoc sighed. "If you told 'er she could take 'em away, that's what she did. Spirits can't lie, but they always manage to take advantage o' foolish people." He paused and waited for Cadeyrn's reaction, but received nothing.
Cadeyrn did pick up Maedoc's subtle insult, but all he focused on was to find a way to get the villagers back alive.

"I don' know how to get to the dark court, in case yer wondering. Even if you did get t'ere, good queen Morgause would likely kill you. An' no, the one you made the deal wi' wouldn't either. Rat'loaeg can't undo deals even if they wanted to."
Cadeyrn's only idea was crushed. He thought he might be able to get the spirit-folk to reverse her deal. "There has to be someone who can get them back."
Maedoc stood and nodded. "Yeh. Queen Uonaidh of the Olataeig, good spirit-folk could if you made the right plea. I don' know how to get to her court eit'er. Only t'ose who live inside the spirit courts do."
"So...that woman I made the deal with would know?"
Maedoc jumped off the windowsill and onto the ground outside. "Yeh, she would." He looked up at Cadeyrn. "Don' worry, I'm not leavin'. I'm 'elpin' you...after all, it was yer fat'er's order. If you know the true name of that woman, you can order 'er 'round like yer fat'er did wi' me."
It took a minute, but Cadeyrn realized what Maedoc was implying. If he knew the woman's true name, he could get her to take him to Queen Uonaidh's court. He was barely grasping the concept of spirit royalty, but it was his only hope.
"Th' hill you'll find 'er at, you know it, yeh? Spirits tend to stick 'round court entrance gates. Now, master, do I have permission to leave th' proper'y?"
With Cadeyrn's nod of approval, Maedoc turned and disappeared. Cadeyrn ran outside as fast as he could, determined to save his village. When Cadeyrn reached the field, he saw Maedoc lying on the hill, talking to the pale woman with the feathered wings. She looked none too pleased with the old dog, but she tolerated him. They were in a conversation and Cadeyrn, not wanting to scare the woman away, took a detour to a shady spot where he could both hide and eavesdrop.
"I've just been ou', is all," Maedoc spoke to the spirit.
"Finally escaped your captors. Good for you."
Maedoc remained silent and rested his head on his paws. "So, how have you been, Genovefa?"
Cadeyrn thought he saw Maedoc look right at him. When the dog's gaze stayed in his direction, our hero knew his time had come.
"Genovefa." He repeated her true name loudly as he emerged from the bushes. "You are now under contract with me."
The spirit had a sudden look of alarm on her face. Maedoc's idea had worked; they now had a guide to the good spirit court. Genovefa moved quickly and snapped her fingers, as if to cast a spell, but nothing happened.
"I thought you said you were free from him!" Genovefa snapped at Maedoc.
Maedoc laughed and shook his head. "I never said anyt'ing of the sort. I just said I was out, yeh?"
The spirit shook with rage as she turned to Cadeyrn, giving him a painfully fake grin. "What is the meaning of this?"
Cadeyrn frowned as he approached her. "You took away my mother and my village. I want to get them back."
Genovefa tilted her head. "I thought you wanted them to stop making fun of you. It's obvious that'll only happen if they're gone."
"I wanted them to stop, yes, but I'd rather have them mock me than disappear. I know where you sent them, and you're going to lead us to the one who can undo your magic."
"Who, Queen Morgause? Her highness will kill you the moment you-"
"Not your queen. The good queen...I know she can bring everyone back."
Genovefa paled at the mention of Uonaidh. She looked away nervously.
Cadeyrn nodded and glanced at Maedoc. "You know the way to get to her court. You will take me to the queen, Genovefa."
Genovefa gave him a strained smile and bowed. "Yes," she muttered angrily. "We won't set out until tomorrow, though."
Cadeyrn grew alarmed. He knew there was no telling how long until Queen Morgause got bored of her 'toys.' "After everyone is returned, I will set you free," he said quickly.
This seemed to please Genovefa, for with a wave of her hand, a small tunnel appeared in the hill. "Why didn't you say so? Come, come, this way. The sooner you find your problems, the better. Go, go!"
Cadeyrn suddenly found himself pushed into the tunnel. He hit his head on the rocky ceiling when Genovefa shoved him. He ducked to avoid hitting his head again, though he did not have to do so for long. The tunnel was rather short and led to a rocky road.
"Here you are, gentlemen." Genovefa spoke happily. Mentioning her freedom had been the right thing to do, it seemed. However angry she was, Genovefa surely wanted to get to the spirit court she'd been against visiting moments earlier.
"Evil ones always do 'ave selfish priorities," Maedoc commented smugly as he followed Genovefa into the hall-like tunnel.
Cadeyrn looked at Maedoc, but the dog shook his head to interrupt. "I'm comin' with you. Yer fat'er ordered me to 'elp you, and you need all the 'elp you can get with 'er."
Genovefa gave Maedoc a glare as she passed Cadeyrn. "This way to see Uonaidh. Come, come!" She headed down the path.
Cadeyrn looked into the darkness and nearly dashed back outside; he had a feeling nothing good would come out of going down that tunnel. But, no, something good would come: lots of people would be saved. He had brave the darkness for them, no matter how scared he was.
If any of his peers were here, he knew they'd call him a coward. And Cadeyrn was definitely not a coward. So he followed Genovefa, Maedoc close behind, focusing on being as brave as he inwardly claimed to be.
Cadeyrn's fear grew as they walked further into the tunnel; he felt as if a monster would ambush them out of the darkness at any moment. "S-so..." he started, trying but failing to sound as calm as possible. "How long until we get there? It won't take too long, right?"
In his hurry, Cadeyrn had forgotten two very important things: his sword, which was still lying in the grass where he'd dropped it, and food. Though he would not admit it, he felt like a total fool. Unless spirit-folk ate as well, their journey would grow tiring quickly. At least, Cadeyrn thought, he was smart enough to sleep the morning away. If he hadn't, he'd likely be sleeping now, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
Genovefa, sensing he wasn't paying too much attention to her, shrugged. "Not sure. The faster we walk, the sooner we get there."
"The sooner you get yer freedom too, eh?" Maedoc spoke for the first time since they'd entered the tunnel.
"That too," Genovefa snapped back. "At least I'll be free."
Maedoc growled at her taunt but said nothing. Cadeyrn wondered how long the two had known each other. But Cadeyrn doubted woman or dog would tell him; one hated him while the other only spoke to him if necessary. He was glad to have Maedoc along, though, for he doubted he could stand Genovefa alone.
Knowing he would get no conversation from the her, he looked to Maedoc. Just as he was about to say something, the dog shouted and rammed into Cadeyrn's leg. "Duck!"
Alarmed, Cadeyrn obeyed. He looked up cautiously and saw a wooden-handled axe sticking out of the wall, inches above his head. Maedoc had just saved his life.
"What...what was that?" Cadeyrn slid out from underneath the axe, his heart beating rapidly. A few seconds too late and he would have had a rusty blade in his torso.
"Security," Genovefa replied, her voice proud. "No one wants trespassers." She glanced over her shoulder at Cadeyrn.
"I am not a trespasser. I'm a guest."
"She's righ'. Humans aren' normally wanted 'ere, unless..." Maedoc hesitated. "Bes' keep yer eyes open. Those things'll be e'erywhere."
Cadeyrn stopped to examine the axe and wiggled its handle. To his relief, the old wood splintered and broke. He'd have to be careful about holding it, but the rusty axe was better than no weapon at all.
"Good idea." Maedoc walked past Cadeyrn, taking a moment to notice a look of surprise on our hero's face.
Cadeyrn was used to being criticized, not complemented. Smiling, he nodded his thanks to Maedoc and continued walking, axe in hand. He heard Genovefa snort, as if she were mocking him, but he didn't care. He had been praised...and he had more important things to focus on, such as hidden traps.
"How are we supposed to know where those traps are, anyway?" Cadeyrn asked quietly. "It's too dark in here to see--"
Genovefa interrupted. "Look again."
Cadeyrn looked around and saw Genovefa was right; the cavern was growing lighter. Statues of strange creatures were on either side of the path, holding torches. Small flames offered a tad more light; Cadeyrn could spot oddly-placed floor tiles, triggers for death traps.
The darkness began to vanish quickly. More statues lined up on the sides of the path, each appearing a bit more human. Cadeyrn stopped for a minute, not for the statues, but for the smell of meat. "Do you know where the food is?"
Genovefa muttered something under her breath before answering. "Probably through there." She pointed ahead to a doorway. How could Cadeyrn have missed it? The wooden door was closed, but a bright light shone from behind.
"I'd be careful about any food down 'ere if I were you," Maedoc warned. Cadeyrn nodded, but the dog's warning went through one ear and out the other. They hadn't been walking for more than an hour at most, but Cadeyrn was hungry. He sped up, passing Genovefa to reach the door. If he'd been listening, he might have heard her laugh softly, but no; he could clearly smell food, and filling his stomach was the only thing on his mind.
Ignoring a shout from Maedoc, he burst through the door. Cadeyrn simply stared; there was a banquet as far as the eye could see. Statues of human-like spirits framed the entire room, each holding a covered platter. The room looked as if it were decorated for royalty, but there was no one in sight.
"What is this for?" he asked Genovefa.
"It's not her highness'. Her entire court is in the opposite direction," Genovefa replied quickly, pushing Cadeyrn toward the large table.

He moved with no resistance. After all, if there was no queen here to take the food, why let it go to waste? Cadeyrn reached out toward a succulent turkey, and, just as he was about to take the meat, he felt something ram into his stomach. "What in the--?"
That something was Maedoc, who barked at Cadeyrn angrily. "Pay attention, you fool!" He was about to say more, but he turned around and, growling, attacked a statue.
Cadeyrn tightened his grip on his axe as he looked upon the room in confusion and horror. The statues, lined against the wall before, had moved. They came upon him and Maedoc rapidly, baring inhuman fangs. Cadeyrn noticed they'd taken the lids off their platters, but he had no time to see what the statues carried. A petite female, sharp teeth bared, lunged at him, blank eyes contrasting the eerie grin on her face. He swung his axe at her and hit her in the head, and, to his relief, she retreated. He continued to swing his axe blindly, hoping he might at least scare off the statues.
Cadeyrn realized something in the midst of the battle; Genovefa was gone. Between weak attacks,  he glanced around the room. Yes, she had vanished. She couldn't go far, but she'd gone far enough to avoid fighting.
He wanted to figure out why, but he had no more time to think because  another statue, came toward him, mouth open in a silent roar. Cadeyrn closed his eyes and swung his axe; he felt the metal connect with stone, but that did not stop his attacker. He felt the statue scratch his arm. "Genovefa, make them stop!" he shouted desperately as he continued to fight the oncoming statues, swinging his axe at the stone repeatedly, feeling claws dig into his skin as he screamed in pain but continued to fight, for if he did not fight, he would die. "Genovefa!"
"A te', rora' ves'a!" Genovefa's voice rang throughout the room and, as if following her command, the statues halted.
Cadeyrn fell to the ground, breathing heavily. He was scared, so scared, and also confused. If she knew how to stop them, why hadn't she done so earlier?
Genovefa glided down from her hiding place, the chandelier, and folded her wings against her back. "Happy, Master?"
Cadeyrn, still tightly holding his axe, looked her straight in the eye. "Why didn't you help us earlier?"
"You never ordered me to."
Maedoc, bleeding from a cut over his eye, growled. "Nonsense. You knew they'd attack us, didn't you?"
Genovefa shrugged but avoided the question. Though she was acting innocent, Cadeyrn knew Maedoc was right. She hadn't stopped him from walking right into a trap; it was almost as if... "You wanted to kill me. Isn't that right?"
She shrugged again. "I wanted to be free, Master. If you happened to die accidentally...I just want my freedom back." She talked sweetly, trying to soften her harsh intentions.
"Y-you...you will be free soon enough." Fear began forming in Cadeyrn's mind; if his guide was murderous, there was no telling what traps she might lead him to. "From now on, you will warn us of any dangers. You will not lead us astray and take us directly to Queen Uonaidh," he ordered.
Genovefa began to walk away. "The exit's this way, Master."
Maedoc shook his head. "Think of better orders, boy. You don' know how she'll twist yer words."
"R-right," Cadeyrn, still visibly and internally shaken by his second brush with death, still nervous about trusting Genovefa. He knew she was the only guide he had to the good court. His only comfort was knowing her true name truly did bind her to his orders, meaning she was less likely to try and kill him again.
He followed Genovefa out a door on the other side of the room, but not before taking another look at the statues. He quickened his pace after seeing what exact meal the statues carried on their open platters: human heads carved from eerily skin-colored stone.
Cadeyrn got little sleep that night; the images of the statues attacking repeated themselves when he closed his eyes. Somehow Maedoc had managed to sneak food from the banquet, which Cadeyrn reluctantly ate after too long. The group found a place to rest, as they could not travel forever. In actuality, Cadeyrn was the only one who slept and ate. He also bandaged his wounds with fabric from his outer jacket, hoping the scratches would not become infected.
He stayed as far away from Genovefa as possible; though he knew she was less likely to lead them into traps, he was wary of her. While he and Maedoc fought off murderous statues, she'd watched from above, probably giggling like a child as she waited for him to be torn apart. He drifted off to sleep, only to have nightmares of the statues succeeding in their mission. Our hero saw many more horrible things that night, I'm sure, but we will never know; he likely didn't want to relive the horror when writing them down.
Maedoc woke Cadeyrn in the early morning. "'s time to get goin'. Morgause isn't gon'a wait for you if she gets bored."
Still drowsy, Cadeyrn stood, grabbed his axe, and noticed Maedoc already walked off. Genovefa followed behind the dog, a sour look on her face. Maedoc was likely treating her as something less than human...spiritual...for what she'd tried to pull. Cadeyrn followed behind her, but kept his scathing opinions to himself. He needed her to guide him to the good queen as quickly as possible. If she was mad at him, she might take her own sweet time. Then again, if she wanted to be free so badly, she might walk as fast as possible.
"You going to say something to me, too?" Genovefa murmured as Cadeyrn fell into step beside her. She walked quickly, yes, but let Maedoc take the lead. The path led one way for now, so it's not as if they would get lost. With torches on either wall, there was enough light to see in case more death traps popped up.
"I have nothing to say," Cadeyrn replied curtly. Yes, he had questions, but he did not trust any answers she had to offer. She would lead them to the good queen's court, yes, but beyond that, she was not reliable.
The two walked in silence, Genovefa slightly ahead of Cadeyrn. Maedoc kept his ears perked, likely watching for danger. "Why did you do it?"
Genovefa did not reply at first. She sighed and shrugged. "If you were prisoner, you'd want to break your chains, too."
"That doesn't excuse trying to kill."
"You'd do the same if you were me."
"No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't make deals and mess up everything in the first place."
"Oh, you would. It'd be your nature. If I were human, maybe I'd care about things besides freedom right now. But I'm not. So I only care about getting away from here."
"If you care so much, why don't you just transport us to the court? It'd be quicker."
"If I could, I would," she snapped. "Believe me, I would."
"You can't?" Cadeyrn was a bit surprised.
"We can only travel like that to places we've been before," Maedoc explained suddenly.
"If you've never been to the good queen's palace, how do you know where it is?" Cadeyrn looked at Genovefa.
"I just know."
Cadeyrn thought he saw her shudder, but he wasn't sure. He was about to say more to her when they reached a fork in the road.
Genovefa looked down each path, contemplating which way she should lead them. There was a sign in between the two, but Cadeyrn did not know the language. He guessed Maedoc couldn't, either, for the dog offered no explanation. Genovefa, however, leaned over, nearly whacking Cadeyrn in the face with her wings, reading the text.
"What does it say?" Cadeyrn asked as he stepped to one side, not wanting to get hit by her wings. "Tell me truthfully what it says," he added quickly, not wanting her to lead them into another trap.
She sighed. "I can't lie either way. But," Genovefa pointed to the left, "this way leads to a forest, and this way," she motioned to the right path, "goes to a...canyon. Forest is the only way to the courts, so that's the way we go."
"You will take us the safest way through. No...monsters, things that'll kill us."
Genovefa nodded and headed down the left path. "I know, Master. No visits to hungry animals allowed."
Cadeyrn and Maedoc walked briskly through the forest, nearly out-running Genovefa as they did. Our hero knew something was strange about it.
A nonexistent wind continuously shook the plants and the leaves of the trees. Light shone through the canopy and brightened the entire forest.
"Stop a minute," Maedoc barked. Before Genovefa could snap at Maedoc for not following her directions, the dog darted off.
Cadeyrn ran quickly behind him, wondering what alerted Maedoc so suddenly.
"There," Maedoc said once Cadeyrn caught up. "I knew i' was 'ere."
The 'it' in question was a wooden-handled axe, much like the one Cadeyrn carried. However, its looked almost brand new. Intricate designs covered the handle, accompanied by letters Cadeyrn could not read.
"Maedoc, what's so important about this?" Cadeyrn asked. After a few moments of silence, he looked to where Maedoc had been standing moments ago, but the dog was gone. "Maedoc?"
A  low, rumbling laugh answered him. "He's abandoned you, boy."
Cadeyrn turned and found himself face-to-face with a monster. The towering creature watched Cadeyrn intently as he reached out toward the axe.
"Why take it? There's no point in being here," the monster spoke again. "Your Maedoc has abandoned you. So has that lady."
Cadeyrn shook his head. "No. There's no way either of them would just leave. They're..." He couldn't call them friends, as Genovefa was far from it, but Maedoc was more than just 'the old dog' by now.
The monster laughed again as he bent down to look Cadeyrn directly in the eye. "Who cares about them or your wretched village? If you save them, they will only come back to mock you."
"I'm trying to save them because they'll die if they stay here...and...if they die, it will be my fault."
"Your fault, your fault. Who cares about the lives of a few hundred? You could finally have the peace and quiet you always wanted. No more useless Cadeyrn, no more being mocked for doing nothing."
Cadeyrn shook his head "I would rather have them laugh at me than die."
The monster's eyes widened. "Are you sure? You could be..."
"You won't convince me to abandon anyone. I will not leave, and no one has left me." Cadeyrn realized now; the monster wasn't real. He knew Genovefa and Maedoc would not wander far. He knew they would not leave, he knew.
The creature laughed again. "Your will may not be strong, but your focus is great. Take care of my axe, boy, and use it well. And remember, if you want their respect, you must earn it." With that, the creature was gone.
Cadeyrn turned toward the axe and suddenly the world began to spin. He fell to the ground, clutching his head in agony, when he heard someone speak. "Is he dying?"
Genovefa's voice; he both knew and loathed it well. "I think he's dying!"
"No, I'm not," Cadeyrn muttered as he rose shakily to his feet. He nearly fell again, but Genovefa caught him before he collapsed.
"Too bad," she grumbled as Cadeyrn stood, one hand kept subconsciously on Genovefa's arm for balance.
"Thanks," he said quickly as he turned to where the axe had been moments before. If he had waited a second longer, he would have seen Genovefa's look of surprise, followed by an oddly friendly smile.
"What 'appened to you?" Maedoc asked. "One minute yer askin' me stuf,f the next yer on the ground."
"I've passed the test." Cadeyrn answered simply as he took the axe in his hands.
Genovefa, surprised and pleased by Cadeyrn's small thanks, began walking away. She informed Cadeyrn that they were actually quite close to Uonaidh's court.
Cadeyrn followed her and glancing at his new weapon every now and then. He felt a bit more powerful, a bit more responsible, a bit more understanding. He didn't fully grasp why people had criticized him in the past, but now he knew if he wanted them to stop, he had to try his best to actually prove them wrong. There would be no more whining, no more useless Cadeyrn.
It turned out Genovefa was right about being close to the good court. As soon as they left the forest, the atmosphere changed. The tunnel they traveled through turned to one of white stone. It was still a bit hard to see, but torches held by beautifully crafted statues lined the path. As they walked along the statues grew more and more grand. Cadeyrn knew they were soon going to be in the presence of the queen.
"This is it," Genovefa finally said as they approached a large stone door.
Cadeyrn tightened his grip on his axe. This was indeed it. They hadn't been traveling long at all, but Cadeyrn felt as if the journey lasted a lifetime. It all led up to this; once he stepped into that court, the queen's decision would mean everything. If she agreed to undo the dark magic, his village would be saved; if not, they were all doomed to die.
"Are you goin' to jus' stand there?" Maedoc interrupted Cadeyrn's negative thoughts.
"No. Let's go."
Genovefa stepped aside as Cadeyrn approached the door.
"Aren't you coming?" Cadeyrn asked.
She shook her head. "Queen Uonaidh is more likely to...not welcome me kindly, to say the least."
Cadeyrn passed Genovefa. The stone doors moved alone as he approached, opening as if to welcome him. With a deep breath, Cadeyrn walked into the throne room of Queen Uonaidh, Maedoc close behind.
What he saw when he entered was nothing like what he'd imagined it to be. The room was dark and foreboding. Thorny vines covered the statues and columns supporting the throne room's roof.
"Welcome. You've come a long way."
Cadeyrn turned toward the throne, where the speaker sat. He did not recognize the woman sitting there, but she had a dangerous aura about her. Enormous jet-black wings sprouted from her back, and her smile revealed many tiny pointed teeth. Pupil-less black eyes watched him with amusement. "Why not take a rest?"
"Who are you?" Cadeyrn demanded.
"I'm the queen."
"Uonaidh?"
She laughed. "Guess again."
"Morgause," Maedoc spoke with a growl.
"Correct, little Rhogn" Queen Morgause clapped her hands softly as she took a step down the stairs leading to the throne.
"Where's Queen Uonaidh?" Cadeyrn shouted, fear building in his heart.
"Right here." Morgause pointed to a statue of a screaming woman. "She was too focused on getting rid of the humans to defend herself...or her kingdom."
"Release her. Her, and the villagers you took."
Morgause giggled. "Why would I return my precious playthings? Though if you wait just a bit longer, they'll be returned...though a bit broken."
"No!" Cadeyrn jumped at Morgause. He excepted to catch her by surprise, but she easily dodged his attack.
"If you want a fight, then a fight you will get." A blue mist engulfed the room. When the mist cleared, the queen was no longer standing in front of him...at least, not as the queen. A dragon with eyes and wings black as night now towered over him, a twisted grin on her thin face.

"I's 'er true form--" Maedoc started to warn Cadeyrn, but he was interrupted by a screech. Cadeyrn did not turn to look at Maedoc, but he heard growling and barking behind him. He knew Maedoc had been ambushed.
"Pay attention to your surroundings!" Morgause's voice boomed as she clawed at Cadeyrn. He ducked just in time, knowing if he had waited a second longer, she would have killed him with one swipe of her foot. Morgause bit at him while Cadeyrn tried to injure her with the axe. They continued like this for what seemed like an age; dragon biting, clawing, Cadeyrn striking blindly at his foe.
Cadeyrn began quickly to tire as Morgause attacked rapidly; she was getting harder to avoid. He swung his axe, but to no avail, for he missed her every time. She continued to swipe her claws at him, knowing he would soon tire out, and tire out he did. The next time Cadeyrn tried to swing his axe and missed, her claws raked across his left arm.
Cadeyrn fell to the ground and tried not to scream, but the pain was nigh unbearable. Morgause's childish laughter filled his ears as she lowered her head to look him in the eye. "Not so powerful now, are we?"
Just as Morgause was about bite at Cadeyrn's head, he mustered enough strength to throw his axe. The axe flew collided with the queen's eye. She reared back and screamed, her roar shaking the entire room. Cadeyrn, all energy gone, waited for her to retaliate. It was a matter of time before she did, he thought, and it would be the end of him. The end of his village. But the death blow never came.
Instead a light radiated through the room, nearly blinding Cadeyrn. Morgause returned to her human-like form and vanished. Cadeyrn looked up, wondering what was powerful enough to drive the queen away. The answer was easy enough: another queen.

Queen Uonaidh had escaped from her stone prison. She was tall, with wings that looked as if they were made of glass. Uonaidh walked over to Cadeyrn and placed one hand on his bleeding arm. Cadeyrn watched in awe as the wound closed and healed, leaving nothing but a pink scar.
"I thank you for your aid. If it weren't for your attack, Morgause would have not been weakened. It was her injury which distracted her and allowed me to break out of her spell."
Cadeyrn nodded quickly and bowed to her. "I-it was the least I could do, Your Highness."
Uonaidh pulled Cadeyrn to his feet. "It is humans like you that give me hope for your kind."
"Your Highness," Cadeyrn prompted softly. "About humans...the dark court currently has many captive..."
Uonaidh sighed. "Troublesome creatures."
Cadeyrn hesitated. "Y-your Highness...I originally came here to ask for your assistance. The...er, troublesome creatures in your realm are my villagers. They were taken down here by a dark spirit who couldn't undo her magic. I came to ask if you would save them before they are killed..."
Uonaidh remained silent for a moment, contemplating Cadeyrn's request. "I cannot understand the emotions you humans have. One minute, you want each other gone, the next, you're wanting each other back. But yes. As gratitude for aiding me, I will help. I have helped. When you return home, your villagers will be there, safe and sound."
Cadeyrn thanked the queen. She nodded, smiling, until she saw Genovefa peeking in the door anxiously, waiting for her freedom.
"Your highness. She led us here."

Uonaidh ignored Genovefa. "When you are ready to leave, here."
Cadeyrn noticed a small tunnel of light appear in front of him....a portal home, no doubt. Genovefa entered the room nervously, approaching Cadeyrn just as he was about to enter the portal. "Ahem."
"Genovefa."
"Ahem." Genovefa replied impatiently.
"Oh, right. You're not under contract to me any longer."
Genovefa smiled and, to Cadeyrn's surprise, hugged him. "Thank you!" However, the hug was not long-lasted, for the spirit seemed to realize how friendly she'd been. With a cough, Genovefa turned away. "I mean...finally. I can finally go home."
Cadeyrn looked as if he were about to say more, but faltered.
Genovefa simply laughed as she disappeared with a wisp of spoke. "I might just see you around, Cadeyrn."
Maedoc barked at Cadeyrn, motioning to the portal. The quest to save his village, to write his wrongs, was over.
"You're right, Maedoc. It's time to go home."
My myth for history class that I'm so scared about reading aloud...looking for feedback, maybe? ^-^;
© 2011 - 2024 Fuhreeky
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heystarving's avatar
zjkewh2rgzlgdh2 Amazing ;_; Do not be afraid to read this aloud, it's going to be AMAZING!

Although I do have one bit of recommendation perhaps. Maybe space it out, it seems all of these things are happening in too short of an amount of time. Otherwise I love it. ^-^