The Lost Sword

We were all told of the story of the lost sword as a child. We used to fall quiet whenever a adult would sit down and start the first verse, 'Across vast plains and sloping mountains, past heavy rivers and thundering waterfalls, cutting through a land of ice, there was a castle.' Everyone knows the story by heart, and have known it from decades ago, passing it from one generation to the other. Every adult told it in a different way, but everyone told the same thing. The castle. The lonely king. The sword. The story is always unfinished. The adults don't know much about the castle and the king. And the story of the sword is unfinished. They tell that their parents didn't know it too. Nobody knows about the castle and the king. And what happened after the story of the sword. A few people tried making those parts. But something got wrong in the end.

The story I am about to tell is about a boy, about my age. His name is Ian. We first met while learning advanced sword fighting. We got close, and we used to play everyday. But one day, he disappeared, leaving a note that he will find knowledge. I was shocked at first, but accepted it, returning to normal life. After about a month, he returned, a sword in his hand. This is the story of him, the things he went through in his search for knowledge. The following is the journal he wrote on his adventure.

* * *

I cannot sleep. I have found out something, something maybe nobody found before. Today, I decided to take a different route to the training camp, to find out hidden passages and such. But in the end, I lost the general direction towards the training camp, and I couldn't find my way back. Trudging on, I came across a old and black building. I know this particular building. It is the forbidden building, and the adults used to tell the kids that there are ghosts in there, to keep them off bound. But I was curious, and one day I came here, this exact building. But I was caught and I was dragged back. I still want to know why it is forbidden, but I am late for my training. However, I know my way from here, having passed here many times. I turned right, which I know will lead to the main road, if I walk far enough.

I started to walk, but something caught my attention. The door to the building is ajar. I've never seen it left open before, and a new urge filled me. I just couldn't not walk in, and nobody else was there. So I just stepped forward, and into the building I went. There was only one room, a small black one with square holes at a wall. I stepped closer and realized that there are papers in those holes. I drew one out and checked. It was a map, a small map about five houses in the poor districts. I didn't know where it was, but it got me excited. So I started to draw out the maps by random and began checking them.

Most of them were blank, and a few of them were filled with endless symbols I couldn't recognize. I carefully put them back in, after I checked that they are useless. Then, on my twenty-seventh search, I found a huge paper sheet with a complete map on it. I stared into it, studying it's structures. At least I could understand what it means. There were unknown symbols and runes describing the contents, but I can see that this is the map of the world. I look carefully, and I found a house drawing at the far left. I peered closely to the spot and some familiar structures came into view. It was the place around my town. The woods I went in while taking lessons on hunting. The field and a stream next to it. And finally, the house drawings... It was the world around me and the world upon, the forbidden open world. I looked around more in awe, and a handwritten word came into view. In the language I know. 'Knowledge' , it read.

A creaking sound came from behind. A man stood there. He was very old, draped in cloaks. He said nothing, just standing there. I knew that I messed up. I began walking out, quiet but swiftly. The man just stood there. I finally managed to pass the door and out into the open. The man began walking again, and the sound of a closing door rang out loud behind. I ran to the training camp.