The Writer’s Quill Winning Story
Thank you to all the people who entered! All your stories were fantastic! This was a tough decision for out judges. The winner of this week’s contest is Audra Tulipana! Congratulations!
Author: Audra M. Tulipana
Grade: 10
Title: The Sun Is Rising
Queen Agrona sat on her dark throne surrounded by blackness save a deep green, sickly light that came from the phosphorescent stones that were imbedded at intervals in the thick walls. General Cunobelinus stood at the foot of her throne with his hand on the hilt of his sword and his helmet in hand. “My lady I can explain everything.”
Agrona eyed him with her snakelike eyes and said in a piercing voice. “Is that so? I would like to see you try.”
“Understand me please, my men are working their hardest.”
The dark Queen arose from her throne and began to descend towards Cunobelinus. “For seven hundred years now, I have been the supreme ruler in this land of darkness. For seven hundred years I have instilled fear and held dominion over the people of this land. What is it now that I hear rising from their homes? I hear songs of joy, the very children sing out the old prophesy, beckoning the day of light to come. Silence them! I will not stand for an uprising! Do all that you can, for I will maintain rule of this land, what use is it that I have immortality if it is not spent in power?”
“But your Majesty, it is well known that the day of light is coming—”
“Silence!” She shrieked in anger, she leaned closer to him. “Old prophecies have proved false before, the strongest of pacts have been broken, vows shown to be empty and promises void. We must forestall that coming dawn for as long as possible, and perhaps that time may turn to be an eternity. Leave my presence immediately!”
Cunobelinus knew better than to anger the Queen and turned to leave as quickly as possible. As soon as he had reached the door however he was stopped by Agrona calling to him. “I forgot something General, I have recruited some new troops that I would like you to take charge of.”
Cunobelinus couldn’t believe his ears, he had been petitioning the Queen to supply him with new troops for months now. He turned back towards her, and with a nod from Agrona, out from the shadows walked a score of men. Cunobelinus walked forward to shake the hand of one of them, however, when he reached to touch him the man turned to a shadow which had no form or mass. This angered the General, “Your Majesty, you know I respect you, however, I do not think it wise to have dealings with mere wraiths, they are too unpredictable.”
Agrona chuckled deep in her throat, “General, you know I have much experience in the dealings of black magic, fear not for I can control them. Without my help they would be naught but harmless shadows who would only serve to frighten little children at night. They will do your bidding, instill fear in the people. Silence their songs. Once you have accomplished this goal, then I will release you from my service.”
The very thought of being freed from any dealings with Agrona whatsoever was enough to motivate Cunobelinus to accomplish the most daring of deeds. For years he had served under her, and the entirety of his employment had been misery. “Yes your Majesty.” Was his simple reply.
Then he motioned to the wraiths to follow him. He had work for them that no other soldier could accomplish.
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A young woman named Aisling was washing dishes in her kitchen by the light of a candle. All light in this land was artificial, since the sun had never risen since Agrona had come into power. Reckoning time was nearly impossible, the only way that Aisling could tell the difference was by whether or not she was tired or hungry, it also helped when her husband Berach was at home, he always could tell what time it should be. As Aisling washed the dishes she heard a strange thumping against the door. Berach never knocked before he entered, it was his house. “Aisling, open the door!”
Berach’s voice came muffled through the thick wooden door. She picked up her candle and hastened towards the door, she turned the handle and Berach stumbled in supporting what looked to be a man. He told her to quickly shut the door and half dragged half carried the man into the living room where they had the most candles. Aisling rushed in and Berach ordered, “Get him some water and get me some bandages, and the herbs from the top shelf in the cupboard. Quickly!”
Without hesitation Aisling rushed to do his bidding and rushed back with water and herbs. Berach managed to revive the man, he was sickly pale and tried to say something but Berach silenced him sternly. The man had a large cut across the side of his head, Berach bandaged him firmly and quickly, applying the herbs to help keep away infection.
Finally after several minutes of silence and several glasses of water the man said. “Thank you.”
Berach nodded, “It’s the least we can do. I’m Berach, this is my wife Aisling, and who are you? I haven’t seen you before, I just felt the urge to help you.”
The man said weakly. “My name is Luke.”
Aisling nearly dropped her candle, “It can’t be!”
Berach looked at the man and shook his head in disbelief. “The bearer of light. You’ve come back. But why have you waited so long?”
Luke raised himself up slightly. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to come back, but the people were not ready for me. They did not want me to come back. They had grown used to the dark, but your faith that the coming dawn was approaching and that the prophecies of old would be fulfilled is enough to make up for billions of people who have lost all hope. Yes, I have come to regain the throne and make the sun rise again. For these people have walked in darkness, but now they will see a great light. Sunrise is long overdue, and daylight will soon again flood this land.”
Berach and Aisling listened intently with tears of joy gathering in their eyes. Berach helped Luke to his feet, “What do you want us to do? We will follow wherever you may lead.”
Luke looked at Aisling and Berach, “First of all, we must move quickly, you are not the only ones who know of my arrival, we must reach Agrona’s palace and break the spell of darkness with all haste.”
“We will get you there. Aisling, get yourself a cloak, we must leave immediately.”
Aisling quickly fetched herself a cloak and the three of them headed towards the door. Berach picked up a dark lantern and reached for the door handle, his hand was suddenly thrust back as if he had touched something that was on fire, and a dark voice said. “I would remain still if I were you.”
From the shadows there materialized what looked like a man, the wraith pointed to Luke with his mist-like hand. “Him, hand him over to me with no resistance and I will not harm you. Queen Agrona will be quite pleased to meet him.”
Berach drew his sword and stood forward between Luke and the wraith. “I don’t care who or what you are, nor what Agrona might want. You will leave my house immediately. I never want to see you here again.”
The wraith smiled wickedly. “Very well then, I will follow your instructions, you will never see me again.”
With what sounded like a small breeze, the wraith vanished. Berach lowered his sword slightly and relaxed but a little. Luke didn’t say a word, without warning Aisling breathed sharply and fell to the ground. Mere moments later Berach’s sword was wrenched from his grasp and he was thrown back against the wall. The taunting voice called out, “You will never see me again. Sight can only be granted when light shines, and that will never happen, for the prophesy has been broken. Dawn will never come so long as I have a say in it.”
Aisling struggled to get to her feet but was once again slammed against the ground, a menacing laugh rang through the house as Berach was thrown across the room and thrust to the floor. Then with a sickly wind, like air rising from the depths of the earth all the candles were put out and the entire house was wrapped in darkness. Aisling screamed with terror, Berach was completely silent, as if he had resigned himself to the inevitable.
Without any preface or act of hesitation, Luke drew from behind the folds of his cloak his large sword. As he raised it, the blade glowed brightly with the strength of the sun. A shriek rent the air and they felt the evil presence leave them. “Darkness cannot hide forever. Aisling, Berach, follow me, I may need your assistance yet again before this is over.”
With all haste, and throwing caution to the winds they followed after Luke, the bearer of light and true king of their land. As the three companions rushed through the city the light was seen by other townsfolk, even as they passed a white dove rested on a fencepost. Soon there was an entire crowd following behind Luke, in their hearts they knew who he was, yet they could not find hope enough to rejoice.
To the very gates of Agrona’s palace they followed him, more in wonder than in a sense of duty. He turned to the people and spoke out as he raised his fiery blade high. “Light will shine again! This land will be freed from the spell of darkness! But if you have no hope and can find no faith in your hearts, then you will not be granted this gift. Is it your desire to walk in darkness? Or would you have the sun rise once more on this place?”
A cheer went up from the crowd, this served well enough to rouse Agrona and her men, but Luke wasn’t finished yet. “I do not ask for your allegiance in battle, I only ask for your prayers and your love. You have not seen me for so long, but I love my people and it pains my heart to hear that you doubted I would ever return. Hear this, I Luke, lightbearer, and rightful King of this land, will restore peace, freedom, and sunlight to this land that has so long been cursed by darkness.”
Without waiting a moment longer he turned with his sword that shone like the sun and confronted the army of dark soldiers that began to flood through the gates. As Luke entered into the fray the townsfolk looked to the east and saw the sky was beginning to change its color. Dawn was coming.
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Agrona could feel the disturbance in the air, the joyful shout of the people made her shudder with fear. As she paced back and forth in the long, dark throne room she bit at her fingernails and shook her head repeatedly. General Cunobelinus burst into the room and said gasping. “You have to leave now!”
She turned sharply to him, “What is it?”
“We can’t hold him back for much longer.”
“Him? There’s only one man? I would have thought such a shout would be made by an army of rioters, not a single man!”
Cunobelinus shook his head. “This is different your Majesty. He has returned.”
Agrona shook her head and began to shriek for an explanation, however the words never left her throat. The door was thrown open and Luke strode into the hall. “Agrona, I have come to regain my throne and restore light to these people. Step down now and release them from this dark enchantment, or else I will break its bonds by force.”
Agrona did not move anything but her eyes. She directed her gaze not at Luke, but past him, a strange smile spread across her face. “It’s too late for that.”
From the shadows behind Luke the wraiths began to materialize, he knew that they were there. He also knew that he alone held the power to destroy them, this was something that Agrona was not aware of.
Spinning about he raised his blade and a bolt of light shot out from it and the golden beam filled the entire room. Agrona shrank back and the wraiths all fled in terror. The piercing light filled with energy and force broke through the stone roof of the palace. The walls crumbled about them, large stones from the ceiling fell. All that could be heard was Agrona’s screaming and the falling of rocks.
Outside the palace the people of the city heard the stones begin to crack and crumble. Aisling turned with frightened face to Berach, they both feared that Luke wouldn’t escape with his life. Berach instructed the people to back away from the trembling building, this they did with no hesitation. A loud and piercing scream was heard from within and the entire palace crumbled to the ground. As the dust settled Berach rushed forward and began to dig through the rubble calling out for Luke, the lightbearer, the only man who could restore the beauty of sunlight to their land. From beneath the rubble he heard a voice say, “Berach, I am here.”
Berach dug with all his might and with the help of the townsfolk managed to unbury Luke. He was battered and bleeding, but his face was radiant with a beautiful smile. Luke turned his face towards the east, “I have accomplished what I came her to accomplish. Berach, when I am gone, you must rule in my stead. Do not fear, you will have the strength. Smile my friend, and look up, do not trouble yourself with tears.”
Berach with his eyes wet looked up and saw the most beautiful sight he had seen in his entire life. The sun burst out in its full and spectacular light upon a land that had been deprived of light and color for hundreds of years. “Have hope my friend, persevere for my sake. You need never fear, I will return someday, and when I do, all will be brought to light, and even the night shine like day. I must leave you now, the people call to you, and the sun is rising.”
THE END