THE CURSED KING By Annonymous
The Beginning “A long time ago there was a raging war between the people who use dark magic and people who don’t. King Elias the Second led his people into the battle again but this time it was going to be their last because they had a dagger that was forged with magic and only responded to his blood. Teneperium was the leader of the people who used dark magic. Teneperium was a terrifying creature made out of dark magic. He was part human, part wolf, and part demon. King Elias rode his horse forward toward Teneperium and with a surprise attack, he stabbed Teneperium. It was true indeed, the dagger was able to kill the monster but when he was dying he left one thing, a curse. Teneperium said, “All you cared about shall perish and your legacy shall bring what you hate.” King Elias didn’t know what this meant but with their leader fallen the people who worshiped darkmagic have been defeated. That night King Elias threw the biggest feast his kingdom ever saw, but the next day the curse came true and an earthquake destroyed his kingdom. The survivors scattered around the world including King Elias who was devastated from seeing his kingdom getting destroyed.” the mother told her two daughters. “The magic people are just evil. How could they destroy a kingdom?!” said the older daughter who was blond with green bright eyes. “Why is there a war?” asked the younger one with black hair, and dark blue eyes. “As its name dark magic is bad. Everyone who used it got consumed by it, that is why the king protected his people.” answered the mother. “So, the humans started the war?” asked the little sister. “Come on what is to think about, it's just a story.” pointed out the big sister. “This is a story that was passed down in my family. It might not be real but it has much to tell.” said the mother. “Like what?” asked the young sister. “It's very late,” said the mother looking at her watch, “How about I tell you tomorrow?” “ ‘Kay,” said the young sister. The mother walked her daughters to their beds, and as fast as the kids laid on the bed they fell asleep. The next day the family went to the park. It was a good day until a group of terrorists attacked their city and hospitalized a lot of people including the family. In the hospital the half awake little sister heard the doctors talking. “It’s amazing how she survived,” said a doctor. “Hope it was the same with her family,” added another doctor. They didn’t say any names, but it was clear to me that from now on I was on my own.
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The Call Years later… “Again?” muttered the counselor sitting in front of me, “You can’t keep doing this.” “I have been doing this for the last few years.” I answered. “It is not good for you to run away or get in fights this often.” added the counselor, “This is affecting your future.” “Last time I checked my future depends on grades and mine are no bad.” I protested. “There are other things to life too, like friends or happiness and you have none of those.” continued the counselor. “Well, I don’t care about it.” I said now starting to get distracted and blocking out most of the things the counselor said. “It is true that your trauma was much bigger than other kids in this institute, but…” before the counselor can continue, I interrupted. “It was 10 years ago,” I said with a cold voice. “You can’t just get over things like this with time, you have to accept help.” told the counselor. “Well, I won’t be helped by a complete stranger,” I defended. “I know you very well,” protested the counselor. “No, you don’t.” I said starting to get aggravated to the calm look on the counselor’s face. The only reason I didn’t punch her in the face was this thought, stay calm and you'll get through this. “Then I can learn,” said the counselor. At this point I started chanting stay calm in my thoughts in an endless cycle. Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm. After a long silence the counselor continued, “Since you are not very excited to tell me more, I will just continue.” Keep calm. “I want you to think of the moment when your trauma happened and…” she continued talking but I blocked her out while I still continued chanting. Stay Calm. Stay Calm. Then I heard her say, “...what about your sister, Ashley,” Dammit. “Won't you shut up” I growled and got out of the room. When I left I could hear her shouting my name but I didn’t care, I am not going back to that room. I didn’t have any classes because it was Saturday so I needed to be in my room but before that I went to the Playground. It was empty and cold but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get rid of the energy and anger so I ran till nothing was left inside of me. When I was finished I sat under a tree thinking about what happened in the room. It wasn’t my first time meeting with a counselor or a shrink and I have always been able to keep my calm. This one was different, she didn’t even introduce herself properly before talking about it. The ones before always took a couple of meetings to introduce themselves and meet me. By the time they could start talking about it they would have already quit cause I won’t listen or obey.
After twenty minutes I went to my room and started doing my homework. By the time I finished it it was already 6 pm so I went to the cafeteria to eat dinner. When I went to the cafeteria I noticed that there was a new kid (explains the unfinishing crying last night) he was no older than 8. I didn’t care and just sat at a table that didn’t have anyone though I still continued looking at the boy. Then I saw that I wasn’t the only one noticing him, two boys around his age walked up to him and sat with him. A lot of people cry on their first nights because they lost their parents, get left by them or dumped again by their adopted parents. I cried one night in the hospital and never cried again, so people in the orphanage never had trouble sleeping or doing work ‘cause I was crying. As soon as I finished my dinner I went up to my room. I did some sketches in my notebook. They usually start as a simple beautiful thing like a wave or a snowflake to something gruesome and scary like an orca eating a seal alive or a wolverine tearing a moose apart with its claws. This time I started drawing oak trees with squirrels in it but it stopped there, couldn’t come up with anything else. When I looked at the time it was 9 pm, since I didn’t have anything else to do I went to bed early. It was 10 pm and I still wasn’t able to sleep. I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be here. I got up and put on my jeans, t-shirt, and leather jacket that was given in the last donation. Since I was on the first floor I just snuck out of the window. Then quietly I went to the edge of the orphanage and climbed out the fence. I knew that there was a forest next to the orphanage and I never have visited it. The forest was dark with oak trees covering most of the moonlight. It was also extremely quiet the only sound came from my feet crushing the grass. Then I heard howls coming behind me. I began to hear growels coming closer and closer. I began to run away from the sound deeper into the forest but the sounds only got closer. Shoot, should have looked up if there were any wild animals in the forest. I began to get tired from running and I tripped over a tree root. I tried to get up but a pain shot through my leg. Come on you got through worse. I got up and tried to run but it was too late now, I could see the wolves that were following me. I got a stick and got ready for an attack but a wolf bit me in the hand. I backed up to a tree and put my hand and held the stick with my non bitten hand. Suddenly all my pain disappeared and I got energized. The next thing I know I saw a blue bulb around me and the wolves weren’t able to get through it. Soon the wolves went away and I set under the tree with my hand and ankle hurting. My hand was bleeding really bad and the stain was all over my t-shirt. I tried to get up and walk but my ankle only got worse and I was dizzy from losing blood. Soon I wasn’t able to go any further and I blacked out.
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The Untold Truth “Where is she from?” asked a voice. “Why would she even let a stranger stay here?” added another voice. “I think that she is waking up. Go tell Master Ayana.” demanded the first voice. “Why do I have to?” asked the second voice annoyed. “Because you are not the person that is looking after a hurt person.” pointed out the first voice. “Fine!” groaned the other voice. When I finally opened my eyes I could see a woman in her twenties with weird clothes that actually looked handmade. “Where the heck am I?” I asked, surprised that I wasn’t dead or in a hospital. “Calm down. You are at my house outsider.” explained the woman, “Master Ayana should come any minute.” “Master Ayana?” I asked. “She is the elder of the village,” she explained, “If she hadn't found you and let you in, you would have bled to death.” While I was looking around, still trying to make sense of everything, I heard an old voice, “Thank you for your assistance Elena I could take it from here.” “Yes, master,” answered the woman and went outside. From the door an old lady appeared and walked toward me as I tried to sit straight in the bed. “I see Elena has already introduced me,” said the woman with a warm look. I nodded and said, “This place is weird,” “Our ways haven't evolved as much as yours we have been isolated for very long,” explained Ayana, “I lived for a long time but I have never seen an outsider use dark magic before nor seen anyone this powerful,” “You are saying that I did the shield thing myself?” I asked. This should be a dream magic isn’t real, I thought to myself. I'm probably still in my bed back in my room. “Child, what is your name?” asked Ayana. “Skye,” I answered. “Skye, can you walk?” Ayana asked again. I was able to stand but my right leg was hurting really bad, but I wanted to get out of this weird place so I didn’t say anything. “Skye, come,” said Ayana and began to walk away. I didn’t know how to get out of here so I just followed her. When I got out of the house I could see people who dressed weirdly, and I could see people levitating things? Wow, this place is really like a Lord of the Rings convention. After a few minutes Ayana got into a huge tree that was made into a house. As I got in I could see charms and weird liquids. Soon, Ayana stopped in front of a place that had different shapes and an alphabet that I never saw before, on the floor. Then Ayana began chanting, “Illuminabis tenebras praeterita” As the chanting went on lights began to appear around her. I should have left when I had the chance. When the lights had fully covered her she touched me and everything went white.
When I could see again I noticed that I was in a castle and in front of me were a group of knights and a king. I began to listen to what they were saying. “My king, Teneperium is offering a peace agreement,” reported a knight. Wait, the name sounds familiar. “Why would you bring this to me?” asked the king. “Sire, we are losing the war. The agreement is the only way to save the kingdom.” pointed out another knight. “We can’t live with them while the very existence of their magic threatens our kingdom,” said the king. “Sire, what would you prefer to do?” asked the second knight. For a minute the king was thinking deeply until, “Accept the offer, “ commended the king. “My king but didn’t you…” began to say the first knight until the King interrupted. “Send a request to the best blacksmiths to come together and create the strongest weapon that has ever been created at any means necessary, including magic.” ordered the king, “It's time to cut the head of the snake,” As soon as the kings finished his last word a white light flashed again and I was in a different place. I was in a different room of the castle, there were palace guards, the King and a huge creature that was a mix of a wolf and a human which was bleeding. “King Elias, you have made a big mistake,” said the creature, “I gave you an offer to help your people, I gave you a chance for peace.” “Your so-called peace never would have lasted for long,” pointed out the king. Then I noticed that in the King’s right hand there was a dagger that was glowing and was filled with blood. “Your arrogance is going to be your end young man,” stated the creature, “All you cared about shall perish and your legacy shall bring what you hate.” This sounds a lot like a curse. Teneperium, King Elias, a magical dagger and a curse. Wait, this is the story that my mother told me when I was little but there isn’t supposed to be any peace offer also Teneperium didn’t die this way. As I began to think another white light flashed and I was back at the weird voodoo house. When I looked at Ayana I could see she was surprised by the result of whatever she did. “Skye, you will save us,” said Ayana, now smiling. “What?” I blurted out. “You are the legacy of the king.” explained Ayana.
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The Spell In the morning I woke up with a sudden pain in my head. “Wake up, you have much to do today.” a voice said. When I opened my eyes I could see Ayana with a stick in her hand. When I was trying to piece together what was happening I felt another pain shooting in my head. Did she just hit me in the head with a stick? She is like a female version of Master yoda, and I guess that makes me Luke. I fastly got out of the bed and waited for Ayana to say something. “Today you will do the spell” said Ayana. Then she began to walk to some place and I followed her. As we were walking I asked her, “Why are you acting like nothing happened?” “What you tried to do yesterday was your own choice that's why I can’t give you more than a warning.” answered Ayana, “The only thing I am responsible about you is making sure you summon Teneperium.” Soon Ayana stopped in the middle of the forest and said, “Time to do the spell” she said. For a second I froze. I knew that I had to right what the king did but how do I know this was the right thing, I just met these people. I shot a doubtful look at Ayana but she didn’t respond. It was weird to trust a stranger but she was the only one who actually knows the truth about what happened in the past and what happened when I was attacked by wolves. So I took a deep breath and started to chant, “anima mea adducere retro” and drew the weird star-like shape on the dirt just like it was in the book. After a few minutes of this and other weird stuff a blue light began to rise from the shape on the ground. And it formed a huge shape that soon became the shape of Teneperium. I could see that the lights coming out of my hands were getting fainter until it fully disappeared. The magic I had was gone. “Skye, what you are trying to do is really dangerous,” said Ayana, “As you might have noticed it is the only book about necromancy, the rest were burdened down because of the spells’ dangers. Necromancy is far too unstable even for a master of dark magic.” When Ayana finished the sentence I was waiting for her to say more but she didn’t so I went back. I sighed and sat under a tree, there was no way I was gonna stop this. I brought the thing that my ancestor hated the most just like the curse said. I didn’t know what to do so I ran, ran till all my energy was gone. When I stopped I was in the middle of the forest surrounded by trees. Then something zapped in front of me. When I looked at it I could see that it was the dagger.
How? Thinking about it actually worked? Or it just came because there was going to be a fight involving me and magic? Anyway, I already love this thing. When I returned to the village I waited for Teneperium to be alone before I strike. An hour later Teneperium went out to the forest and I followed him. When he stopped walking I got ready and jumped out with all I got. But Teneperium saw me and used some kind of spell to paralyze me in the air. “You and you kind just when I think I am starting to understand you prove me wrong” he started, “You brought me back to right what the king did and know you attack me with the same weapon he did.” He looked at the dagger and threw it away with his magic. “You said how barbaric the king and his people’s actions made them if it's that bad why would you do it?” I asked. While distracting him I began to think of the dagger. Please work. “When your enemies attack you they won't stop until you attack them back at the same power or stronger,” He explained. “You know I got something to tell you too, never underestimate your opponents. As soon as my sentence was finished the dagger flew right to his left back leg. He screamed with pain while letting me go. Quickly I sprinted to his wounded leg and got the dagger. I got ready and threw it right through Teneperium’s heart or where it’s supposed to be if he is anything like a human. When the dagger hit him the huge monster fell to the ground with a huge thud. “Your blood ties are stronger than I thought, just like your...” before Teneperium could continue I grabbed the dagger and turned it. “I don’t care what you think I am.” I said. “You will be the shadow that moves through the dark, unknown and unwanted” I threw the dagger to his throat to stop him from doing the curse but it was too late. I heard sounds of people coming so I ran away leaving the dead body of Teneperium behind. No one saw me but they probably guessed that I did it. After I made sure they never will find me I sat down. The dagger and my hands were covered with Teneperium’s black blood. It was also getting dark. I thought about what I should do, I could return to the orphanage but how am I gonna explain this plus the curse on me might put people in danger. Ayana said that there might be more magical people out there. If there are any, they might help me get rid of this curse. For now I got up and began to walk to the unknown reaches of the forest with moonlight and the howls of the wolves guiding me. The End
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