The CL Files: English Short Stories

8.) The Last Arrow

The Last Arrow

Genre: Fantasy

By: ChericaezneroL

In the distant land of Orion, the Wizard Families always wake up early to prepare for breakfast and bring their sons in the midst of the forest. Especially the skilled and the well-armored ones.

When Jack turned eighteen, there was no escape for him to face his faith and wander around the forest. It was said that whoever finds the late King's final and last arrow left in the woods could finally change the life of the seeker's family and be fortunate enough.

But finding the last arrow isn't the only thing to do, but to hit the last arrow on the wicked and wild bear.

And the last thing to remember is to never use magic while killing the bear, only the arrow could.

One day, while wandering around the forest, Jack felt tired and sat under an oak tree. He let out his wand and began to play with the withered leaves, now lifting and circling up in the air.

"Altum," uttered he, as he flicked his wand and the leaves began to fly higher.

He suddenly smiled, "Et ignem!" he chanted and the leaves began to burn and changed into fire, releasing the small flames and the evaporating smoke. The ashes then fell down and got carried away with the wind.

Jack was about to close his eyes to take for a nap when suddenly, he heard a loud roar.

"I need to find the arrow!" panicked Jack and started to run fast.

He hid under the bush and tried to sense where the wild bear is. The bear is called Bora, an enormous black bear with red eyes.

He silently eyed the bear as it roamed around the trees, seemed to search for something and now sniffing using it's slimy nose.

"He's seeking for my scent. I have to go up!"

Jack rapidly moved backwards without making any noise and pointed out his wand to the highest branch of a tree, "Et extendet," whispered Jack and the branch he pointed began to stretch out and moved down, finally leveling him.

He sat on it and tapped his wand on the branch, "Reverte," and the branch stretched up and went back on it's original form.

Jack waited for the right moment to escape from the bear, go down and look for the missing arrow. But minutes later while spying on the bear, he noticed something different on the broad back of the bear.

There was a thing engrained on it's back like it's stabbed or something. It is a sort of a shining and an unusual pointy tip. Jack tried to analyze what it is. And so shocked as he was, he almost got out of balance sitting up on the branch when he finally solved what it was. It was the arrow head of the late King's arrow that shone out on the bear's back!

After so many years of searching through the woods in the land of Orion by different kinds of wizards, Jack never thought that the arrow was only located on the bear itself. And little did he know that he was the only one who could find it.

"The arrow! I finally found the arrow!"

The bear had gone wild hearing Jack's voice. It was so mad that it immediately located where he was and ran like a crazy beast, with it's eyes burning in madness.

Jack hugged the branch of the tree to cease him from falling when Bora crazily shook the tree back and forth. Bora the bear roared so loud that it could make any man tremble with fear.

"Stop it, you beast!" feared Jack when he couldn't grip on the branch anymore. He couldn't take out his wand from his pocket because both of his hands were all sticked to the branch for him not to fall. And he knows that any magic pointed to the bear would be useless, because the forest is enchanted and any magic threw on Bora will all backfire to the wizard.

And the rule to kill the bear must not in the use of magic but the arrow only.

With still hopes on, Jack let himself fall from the tree and unexpectedly landed on the back of the bear!

Bora freaked out and moved in speed laying its hands on its back to get rid of Jack laughingly riding on its shoulders.

Jack held on Bora's back so tight and finally gripped on the shaft of the legendary arrow. With all his might he at last pulled out the arrow, reciprocated its position and pointed out the arrow head and stabbed it on the bear's head!

The birds on the trees began to scatter away when Bora howled with so much pain that it's loud cry dominated the whole forest.

Before Bora could finally land itself on the ground, Jack already jumped off of the bear and stared at it with so much pity.

"I'm sorry if I have to kill you, Bora. The fortune and wealth in return are the only thing that could make my family survive from poverty and hunger. I will pray for you, dear bear."

The body of Bora began to shine so much with different bright colors. Several rays of the light escaped from Bora's body and it slowly modified Bora's appearance.

From an unconscious Bora, Jack widened his eyes as he witnessed by his naked eye the thing that revealed itself.

Bora's body was no longer there, but the pile of golds, carts of vegetables and dozens of fruit baskets were all in front of him!

"Good gracious, this is too much. Thank you, Bora,"

Jack let out his wand and smilingly touched his wealth one by one and pointed his wand to himself.

"Domum et onerariis!

Jack disappeared carrying his loads of fortune and went back home with his family.

-END-

ZD