Cedric's Giant Curse

Chatper 2: Sticky Fingers

Chapter 2: Sticky Fingers

There was no time to waste. Quickly as he could, he ran all the way back to his tower with Wormwood now back by his side, ignoring the strange looks from the guards and servants as he passed like a whirlwind. A feeling of exhilaration was coursing through him like a virus at the thought of what he had just accomplished. No more would he be thought of as the worst sorcerer the kingdom ever had. No more would he be belittled and made fun of and called a bungler. From then on, he would be known as King Cedric the Great, the most amazing sorcerer in the world. Now that he possessed the powerful Amulet of Avalor, he would prove to everyone who ever mocked him how great he was. His dreams would finally come true! As he nimbly climbed the stairs to his tower, he felt certain that nothing could get in his way this time, that victory was his to claim.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he burst through the door and immediately approached a painting hanging on the wall next to his work table. Wormwood landed on his perch next to Cedric's work table, intently watching his master's every move. The portrait that the sorcerer gazed at showed an image of an old man in a red robe and wizard's hat standing reagally next to a woman with brown curly hair and a purple dress sitting in a high backed chair. If one had never lived in the kingdom of Enchancia, they might not have known this to be a portrait of the former royal sorcerer, Goodwyn the Great, and his wife, Winifred the Wise. Goodwyn had been known as the greatest sorcerer Enchancia has ever had, which made all the teasing even worse for Cedric as he was Goodwyn's son. But he was sure that he would soon prove that he was just as great of a sorcerer as his father, if not even better.

"Mummy, come quick!" Cedric shouted as he approached the painting. "The day I have been dreaming of has finally come!" Almost immediately after making the strange request of the portrait, a ball of light emerged from the canvas, materializing into the solid form of his mother. While this came as a shock to him when it first happened, he was fairly used to it by now. She hovered in front of him for a moment before resting her feet on the floor. Almost as much enthusiasm gleamed in her eyes as it did in Cedric's.

"You've stolen the amulet?" she guessed. When Cedric vigorously nodded his head, she laughed for joy. "Oh well done, Ceddykins! I'm so proud of you!" Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight embrace. Cedric quickly returned the hug before gently pushing her off of him to which she didn't seem to mind in the least. He wasn't much for affection after all.

"And the best part is Princess Sofia doesn't even realize it's missing! So I'll have plenty of time to use my power-plucking potion to extract a power so great that I'll be able to take over the kingdom!"

"Brilliant plan, my son! But there are so many powers the amulet could give you." She strolled around him to his table where a brown leather book lay with faded gold lettering on the front. She flipped through the aging pages until she came upon a page that showed a picture of the amulet Cedric now wore. "The Amulet of Avalor is a very powerful relic, able to grant the most extraordinary powers to the one who wears it. You could have the power to read minds," she reached up and lightly tapped on his forehead, "to turn yourself invisible, to grow as tall as a giant! There are so many powers you could possess! Which one will you choose?"

Cedric didn't have to think twice about the answer to this question. In fact, he didn't have to think about it at all. For a long time he had known exactly what power he wanted, what power would ultimately help him succeed in his goal of taking over Enchancia. "I want the power of supreme strength!" He lifted up one of the large sleeves of his robe, revealing his slender arm underneath, and flexed his small muscles to emphasize this. "Then I shall be the mightiest in the land and no one will be able to stop me!" He smiled as his mother applauded his choice.