THE SWORD AND THE STONE (standard:fantasy, 13022 words)
Author: Richard J Cobain	Added: May 10 2003	Views/Reads: 3966/2499	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A fantasy story about a young boy on a planet ruled by an evil dragon who by chance discovers the secret of freeing his people and sets out on a journey to do so.

THE SWORD AND THE STONE 

Darkness surrounded and suffocated him; he was cold, alone and terribly
afraid.  Zest had lost his companions a short time ago but he didn't 
know how.  He walked on blindly knowing that something horrible was 
chasing him and was closing in every second that passed by.  He knew he 
had to do something of the utmost importance but as he racked his 
brains for an answer he couldn't for the life of him remember what it 
was.  Suddenly he lost his balance and fell to the soft ground heavily 
with a thud.  As he lay there panting and sweating with fear he could 
hear the dark thing coming, it was right behind him now he could even 
smell it.  He turned himself around, looked into the face of pure evil 
and screamed. 

That was when he woke up totally unaware of his surroundings and covered
in cold sweat.  “Are you all right?” he heard someone whisper from 
nearby, it took him a few moments to realise that it was his younger 
sister Lunega.  “Ya I'm okay sis, just a bad dream” he replied trying 
to get his breath back.  Seconds later she was snoring away again 
without a care in the world.  He raised himself up on his elbows 
quietly and looked around their little hut.  Although the fire had gone 
out sometime during the night he could still make out the silhouetted 
shapes of his parents lying fast asleep in the corner.  Zest breathed a 
sigh of relief; if his screaming in the middle of the night had 
awakened his father he would have had his head boxed in.  He settled 
back down but was too shaken to get anyway comfortable.  This wasn't 
the first time that he had been robbed of a good nights sleep by this 
particular nightmare, his wise old Grandfather Memos said that the 
ability to see things which had not happened yet through dreams was in 
the male side of their family tree and always had been and because of 
this they were well respected in their forest village.  As much as he 
tried he just couldn't get back to sleep that night so he lay awake 
listening to the songs of the forest and was still awake at dawn when 
the sun peeked over the mountains of Sactra. 

Not long after sunrise he was just beginning to doze off when he was
rudely awakened by someone pulling at his arms.  “No” he mumbled, “too 
tired”.  “Come on now Zest have you forgotten about our little hunting 
trip today?”.  It was his old Grandfather Memos, standing over him with 
a boyish twinkle in his all knowing eyes; his long white hair was 
uncharacteristically shaggy this morning and he had forgotten to put on 
his favourite purple hat.  “I knew that you'd forget so I got up extra 
early just to remind you, so get yourself ready cause were leaving very 
soon”.  With a heavy sigh Zest dragged himself out of the safety and 
security of his bed with his long dark uncombed hair hanging in his 
eyes, he combed it back with his fingers and sat cross-legged in his 
blanket with his face buried in his hands, if there was one thing he 
hated above all others it was getting up early. 

A short time later he was at the door of his grandfathers hut with his
sister Lunega who was to come along as well, she stood shivering from 
the cold with one hand holding her horses reins and the other trying to 
keep control of her flowing golden hair which was being tossed about in 
the wind.  Accompanying them on the trip were Brakis who was Zests 
uncle and a respected warrior and Sonas who had been Zests best friend 
since either of them could remember.  Brakis arrived shortly afterward 
and stood stroking his long beard as they waited patiently for Sonas.  
“For the love of Unopa where is he?” grumbled Memos who was getting 
very impatient.  “The horses are getting upset” he sighed pointing to 
the steeds that were indeed neighing in anticipation of a good stretch 
of the legs, which they didn't get very often.  “When I told you to 
invite someone I meant somebody with a bit of hunting experience” he 
said to Zest.  “Those Doroma's are never on time never”.  A short time 
later they saw him trudging towards them from the East side of Sactra 
village on his little fat horse with an embarrassed smile on his 
handsome face.  “Sorry guys” he panted with a mischievous wink “early 
mornings don't agree with me”.  “So I see” growled Memos, “anyway we've 
wasted enough time in these woods let us be off as we have a long day 
ahead of us”. 

They made their way through the forest at a steady pace ignoring the
curious glances from those who were already up and doing their chores, 
one of those people however Zest was pleased to notice was Florja one 
of the shop owners daughters.  She was a very pretty young girl of 
about his own age.  He didn't know her too well but she would come and 


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