The Box
1562 Words
PALACE OF ARWOS
The entire group of royals make their way into the abandoned queen's quarters, every inch of the space looking muddled after the first search.
Princess Shella and her sister Mila tags behind the group of kings and princes, the two sisters seeming closer than ever before.
"Assuming that the blade is still hidden somewhere in this house, shouldn't we have a discussion about which kingdom will take possession of it once it is found?" King Adriel asks, his question generating tension within the group.
Such a matter will definitely be a source of another contention.
"I think it's obvious who can be trusted with safeguarding the sword. We have a royal elf with us, wise and powerful, I would sleep easy knowing it is in the hands of an elf king." King Edric gives him his answer, proudly gesturing at his choice, Tolis.
"Elves." Adriel scoffs. "They have everything that is precious in this world and you want to give them more?" He rebukes. "Every house in their kingdom shimmers with gold and precious gems, their ideal bodies don't age. What privilege will us mortals have if we give them the sword as well?" He whines bitterly.
"We all know what happened the last time someone of your kind was in possession of it." Princess Shella shames.
Everyone falls for a long moment, the humans in the room feeling embarassed.
"You're already fighting over ownership of sword that is probably thousands of miles away? There is a chance that it will never even be found." Tolis points. "We should split up and begin the search, ownership will be decided once it is found."
Everyone nods and starts choosing the direction they would like to take.
"Is it true that a single drop of your blood can give a man a thousand years of life?" The werewolf Prince, Ardolf, questions before King Tolis takes a step away from them.
Tolis hesitates to answer despite the curious stares cast on him by everyone. He is in a group of human royals and a werewolf, he trusts none with truth except the elf princess.
"The rumor is true Prince Ardolf. I have read about it a thousand times." King Adriel asserts before Tolis can dismiss the question. "A drop of his blood can also revive a dying man." He adds, a hint of resentment in his voice.
"I don't see how that is related to the task at hand. Maybe we should say that whoever finds the blade first becomes it's keeper." King Tolis says and the group of royals immediately split.
They riffle through every nook and cranny of every room, they overturn furniture, rip open cushions and tear down tapestries. King Adriel and Prince Ardolf are particularly frantic, tearing through the abandoned belongings of Shella's mother with a fervor bordering on desperation.
Princess Shella strolls down a corridor in the company of her sister Mila after a fruitless search in her mother's bedroom where she had rushed first.
"You should go rest and talk to your mother and sisters. I can do this without your help." Shella urges her sister.
"I would rather be here with you than with those idiots. I heard that you are the only one that sought for my rescue while I was gone. I plan on doing more useful things with my life other than looking good. I want to be like you." Mila answers, her voice firm and full of resolve.
Shella genuinely smiles, feeling proud of her sister for the first time.
"I was told that the gorgeous elf King offered you a chance to go live in his kingdom with others of your kind and you refused. How come you love it here so much?" Mila asks after a while.
"Because her mother's wild blood runs in her veins." King Tolis answers from behind them and they immediately turn, a little startled.
"I found something. Come with me." He says turning and the sisters follow him back to the parlour.
"Am I supposed to notice something?" Mila asks with a clueless look after gazing around the room.
King Tolis points at the dimly lit part of the ceiling decorated with hazy drawings of mountains and unique landscapes.
Do you see the tinny elvish writings in between the images?" He asks and Shella nods her head, her eyes able to discern the fading writings from the rest of the drawing.
"The words mean my house." Tolis reveals.
"The exact words on my parchment." Shella smiles, her dying hope of finding her mother revived.
"I will go call the others!" Mila announces excitedly before running off.
It only takes a few seconds for King Adriel, King Edric, Prince Theo and Prince Ardolf to arrive back in the room.
"Someone tear down that part of the roof immediately!" King Edric yells.
The men glance at each other, realizing no one brought with them the right tools.
Tolis picks up one of the chairs in the room and places it directly under the spot. Others watch with perplexity as he steps on the chair and taps the ceiling as if testing the strength of the limestone plaster.
"Take cover." He says before punching the plafond hard with his bare hard, the baffling sound of the strike echoing across the room.
Everyone ducks as the ceiling cracks and comes down in a cloud of dust and debris.
As soon as the dust settles settles astounded faces emerge from their shelter. Even the werewolf Prince watches in disbelief as King Tolis calmly dusts off his coat, his hand looking fine except for little redness around the knuckles.
Mila appears enamoured as she gazes at the elf king with eyes full of admiration. Above all noble men she has met, Tolis seems to be a literal embodiment of perfection. She would give anything for him to look at her the same way he looks at Shella.
Adriel hastily embarks on searching through the pile of debris. Everyone joins in the task but Shella picks up something first.
"I think we found it." She announces as she pulls out a long, rectangular box made of a strange metal from the debris.
Edric comes to her aid as they carry the the item to a table amid cheers of success from the rest of the group.
"It's long enough to hold the sword." Adriel exclaims in an anxious voice.
"Of course it's the sword inside, what else would she bother hiding this much?" King Edric affirms while wiping the dust off the surface before attempting to open.
"It can't open! There is a strange lock on this side!" He exclaims, his face creasing with disappointment.
The box has a stunning puzzle-like lock on one of it's sides, small metallic tabs with drawings on them that has to be rearranged to form a specific pattern before the box opens.
The inscriptions on the tabs include shapes of stars, the moon, animals and so on.
"Does anyone know the pattern?" King Tolis asks. Everyone including Shella shake their head.
"It will never open if we don't get the pattern right." He warns.
"Why don't you smash it open?" Adriel asks, impatience edging his voice.
Tolis scoffs at his ignorance.
"No one can break this material. It's an ancient, rare metal used by elves to make safes for their most precious gems. They called it the godstone." He informs.
Shella sighs in frustration, a part of her wondering if her mother really wanted her to find her.
"Let's move the box to the palace, perhaps some wine will help your tired minds figure out the pattern." King Edric says as everyone present nods in agreement.
"I will take a few minutes to check on my friends outside the gates then I will join you." Prince Ardolf says and rushes out of the house ahead of everyone else.
King Tolis carries the box to the palace with Adriel and the rest of the group following closely behind.
Twelve hours later the group of royals sits with frustrated faces in the main hall, still trying to unravel the conundrum of the locked box. Prince Ardolf is the only member of the group missing in the room.
"How did your mother expect you to figure this thing out?" Adriel asks Shella in an angry tone. "Zedon might end us while this stupid box hides the sword!" He laments.
No one in the room responds as they focus on guessing the right pattern, Tolis and Shella refusing to give up yet.
Suddenly the room is filled with the deafening sound of the alarm bell,
it's urgent tolling echoing off the stone walls.
The group look at each other in shock and dismay, none needing to be told what the sound of the bell represents. They had not anticipated an attack so soon. Not when the box lies locked on the table before them.
"That can't be! My kingdom cannot be under attack!" King Edric exclaims in overwhelming panic, his heart racing.
The group of royals hastily rush outside and gathers on the balcony where one of the guards points towards the western horizon and shouts, "enemy!"
The royals look and visibly shudders at the distant sight of an approaching army, it's massiveness becoming more and more clearer as it gets closer.
"Someone betrayed us!" Tolis angrily mutters.
- Writer
