Short Stories

A Fairytale

Writing this made me think of those old fairytales and stuff, where there's a simple plot and usually, though not always, a happy ending.

Anyway, I wrote this to get my groove back a while ago.

Happy reading!

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     Ten thousand years in the future, there is a rock. From this rock flows the clearest water, so clear that not even your own reflection can be seen. Indeed, if it were to float above a smooth surface, it would leave no shadow. The water from this rock is said to heal the gravest of injuries, and calm the harshest of nerves. It is said to save one on the brink of death, to bring them back from the edge of the precipice.
    Ten thousand years in the future, there is tree. It can grow any fruit, nut, or vegetable in its branches. It is much coveted by many kingdoms, for one could create a feast in an instant, one could survive any event. This tree is home to many exotic creatures as well. Long gone birds flutter in the branches, primitive mammals stalk the base, and ancient fish swim in its sap.
    Ten thousand years in the future, there is a mountain. It is taller than any mountain that has come before. It is said that this mountain reaches the heavens above, and brings you so close to the stars that you could touch them. The cliffs are steep, the ledges narrow, and snow appears less than halfway to the top. Many have tried to climb this mountain, few have lived to tell the tale, none have reached the top.
    Ten thousand years in the future, there is a light. It hovers at the top of the tallest mountain, and it is pure as pure can be. It is a star, radiating starlight across the peak and down the cliffs. It is said to grant wishes, should a brave and noble soul manage to climb the mountain. One touch, and you can have anything and everything you desire.
    Ten thousand years in the future, there is a kingdom. This kingdom is ruled by a materialistic king, who wants nothing less than all the wealth in the world. “Everything of value,” he says, rubbing his hands together and licking his lips greedily, “I must have it!” He had already collected a rock that spouted water so clear, and a tree that grew every fruit, nut, and vegetable. He had rounded up ancient and exotic creatures and put them in a zoo. He had many other magical treasures, and many rooms filled to the brim with gold and jewels. He had the finest garments in all the land. But it was not enough. The more wealth he possessed, the more greedy the king became.
So he sent a young knight to climb the tallest mountain, to make a wish at the top. The knight never returned. So the king sent another knight, and another. He kept sending knight after knight, until his adviser cleared his throat, “ahem, sire, we appear to be out of knights.”
The king bellowed and roared, he threw a tantrum that would long be remembered. It was said that you could feel the earth shaking as he stomped through the corridors. Tapestries were ruined, furniture was broken. The king even managed to knock out the wall between the kitchens and the dining hall. All of these things would later be repaired by the king’s servants. But the progress slowed as the king began to send the servants, one by one, to the mountain.
Like the knights, none returned. Soon, it was the court jester, the court, and the king's own adviser.
The wind echoed through the empty halls, and the only ones left in the castle were the king and his great wealth. He lived alone with his treasure, blind to the empty halls, shouting at no one, and sitting atop his throne, pondering who to send to the mountain next.
At last, one stormy day, when the sky was dark and the rains poured in sheets from the heavens, a lone traveler stopped at the king's castle. No one answered the door, so they let themselves in. The traveler wandered the empty halls, exploring the vast rooms and admiring the king's zoo of creatures. They drank from the rock that gave such clear water, they ate from the tree that bore every fruit, nut, and vegetable. They slept in a comfortable bed, lost in the endless halls of the castle.
At last, after a substantial breakfast the next morning, the traveler came to the throne room, where the king was sitting on his throne. His eyes were red as he demanded, “you! Who are you! Guards!”
“There is not a soul left in this castle besides our own,” the traveler bowed before the king, “calling for your guards is useless.”
“Then state your business, why have you come?” The king scratched his ever-growing beard. With no one to trim it, it had gone wild.
The traveler bowed again, “I am but a humble sorcerer, I only wish to aid you in your endeavors. I have heard the tales of you, the greedy king who yearns for all the treasure in the world. You have sent countless to find the star atop the tallest mountain, none have succeeded. I will give you a hero that will brave the challenge, a hero that will climb to the top of the tallest mountain and get your wish for you. I only ask for one thing in return. A single gold coin.”
The king was outraged at first. But the more he thought, he realized that, if he really did end up with all the treasure in the world, then surely the coin would come back to him. So the king agreed, and handed the sorcerer a single gold coin. He licked his lips, this was it. He would soon have all the riches in existence.
The sorcerer took the coin and went into the courtyard. The king, curious, followed to watch what the sorcerer would do. The sorcerer first dug a small hole, buried the coin in the earth, then took a multitude of ingredients from their cloak. It took all day, but at sunset, the sorcerer stepped back. The king had long since fallen into slumber from boredom, but awoke as the ground shook.
A small hand broke through the dirt, and out crawled a young boy, wearing nothing but a grey tunic, stained with dirt, and grey shorts that looked much the same. His face was youthful, and his eyes naive. He had just been born, after all.
The sorcerer commanded him, “your name is Coin. Go to the top of the tallest mountain and wish on the star at the peak. Say, ‘I wish for the king to have all the treasure in the world’, can you say that?”
The boy, Coin, repeated the sorcerer's words. The sorcerer seemed pleased, and turned to the king. “This boy will give you what you desire.” then they turned back to the boy, “do whatever you must to accomplish your quest.”
The boy nodded and walked out of the castle.
It was a long way to the mountain, so he turned into a horse and galloped to the village at the base, where he stayed the night at the Inn. At night, he heard many stories of the mountain, and what waited at the peak. The next morning, he realized he didn't have any money to pay the innkeeper with, so he turned into a mouse and crawled out under the floorboards.
He nibbled on stray crumbs and began his trek up the mountain. It was slow going, and the path quickly steepened. He decided it would be best to fly up the mountain. Taking the form of a bird, he circled around, taking advantage of updrafts wherever he could. Then, when it got too high and too cold to fly, he turned into a mountain goat, leaping from ledge to ledge with ease. He came to a smooth cliffside, where there were no places for his hooves to land, so he transformed into a spider, slowly making his way up the edge, and bracing himself against the howling wind.
At last, he reached the top, where he took his human form once more and approached a floating light that hovered above the snow.
“Are you the star?” he asked.
The light twinkled, “indeed I am. Welcome, traveler. You have come far.”
The boy replied, “I've come to make a wish.”
“Very well,” said the star, “but before you do, I must ask you, why? Why come all this way to make a wish?”
“Because the sorcerer who made me said to.”
“But you were the one who climbed up here, why should that sorcerer have any say in your actions? Why shouldn't you wish for yourself?”
“Because the sorcerer made me. Am I not indebted to them?”
“Mothers give birth to children, but are those children indebted to them? Must those children be at their mother’s beckon call for their entire lives?”
“I suppose not.”
“Then I ask again, why not wish for yourself?”
“I do not know what to wish for.”
“Then sit a moment, and take your time thinking up a wish.”
The boy sat in the snow, staring off into the clear night sky as he tried to think of a wish. He didn't know what to wish for, he didn't even know the difference between left and right, he had been born yesterday, after all. He sat for a long time. So long, that snowflakes drifted down and landed on his shoulders.
At last, he said to the star, “what would you wish for?”
The star seemed surprised. They had never expected someone to ask what they wanted. From their high peak, they'd always seen humans talking about their wishes. They never thought about the wish-giver, only what they would do with their wishes. The star had to think about the boy's question for a long time.
“I don't know,” said the star at last, “I'm only supposed to give wishes, I've never thought about one for myself.”
“Then let's think about it for a while,” said the boy, a smile on his friendly face, “we can both figure out what we want.”
So they thought in silence. Occasionally, one would gasp, only to follow with a, “no no, definitely no...”
Finally, the star said, “I think... I would like to travel. I've seen many things from atop this mountain, but I've never experienced any of it.”
“I would like that, too,” the boy stood up and brushed the snow off his shoulders, “I've only just been born, I don't know what the world is like at all.”
“I think I would like to travel with you,” said the star, “we could explore the world together.”
The boy smiled, “then I wish that you could come and explore the world with me.”
The star sunk down, and slowly began to dim. At last, a brilliantly shining woman appeared from the light. She held out her hand, and the boy took it.
The woman smiled, “let’s go explore the world.”