THE SHADOW QUEST
😛Heyyyloooooo😛
😉OKIE I know I posted Sapna and ditched it!!! And those who love me will look down at the INACTIVE in my siggy and wish to kill me...And here I am posting another story...😆.
😉So let me subdue and explain myself...
Due to sudden circumstances I will be in hostel and only returning home in the weekends. Though I meant to carry on Sapna, I simply have no time to si back and breath in the mad rat race! So looking forward to sit back and take a deep breath and continue my beloved serial!!!😕
Yet...The Shadow Quest is a different story. It has a long story behind it too! In short, I started working on it in Grade Eight(nearly five years ago!). Its my very oldest and in short, most editted story. I've never posted it online or even shown it to anyone except my mother until finally I decided-yes I can't stay away from Tales Corner and yet I have nothing to post on my own work! So comes The Shadow Quest! Ive completed the whole story but am editting it thoroughly for the last year whenever I get the time and nearly five chapters are done! So whenever I get the luck to come online expect a new chapter-I'm not ditching it!!!!
😛😛First of all THANKS so much to Naina. She was the one to whome I PMed this story and she gave me all the backing and her review was totally awsome. Thanks so much Naina-you rock and IF rocks because of you! 😛😛Plus Thankie Yshoo dear. Your presence over here makes me want to go on-for who could miss a chance of bumping into the great Ysh? 😛😛And Niyu-you made my day when you said you liked Sapna! Yes, I thought, I'll go on!!!!
😉OK I'm overstepping my mark-giving a whole personal talk about myself and no story! (But I warn you-you'll have to deal with it and da impatientos please skip this part or a guarantee to craziness!) 😉
😛Thus..... presenting you the prologue! Read, enjoy and REVIEW!😛
😆Please note-my stories may seem a bit confusing-specially the prologues as I love a mysterious entrance and let the characters reveil themselves! No character sketches! I will post a summary of the story on the first page as I go on posting the other chapters to make it easier!!!😆😆
😛P.S. This is a very special post-my 1000th post on IF-the one which shall make me a Goldie!!!!😛
😛Nutzie Jaan😛
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Title-The Shadow Quest
Category-Fantasy, Adventure, Romance
Author-Natasha
Prologue (Pg 1)
Chapter 1-The Jade Necklace (Pg 1)
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PROLOGUE
Through the trees, he could see sunlight-bright and warm- but the air was cold-too cold for a hot day in June. He could hear birdsong-chirpy and merry- but nearly drowned by the cackle of high-pitched laughter.
He felt cold and his temples were burning. He could smell blood and the burning flesh. He could feel the Fates beckoning him to the next world.
"You shall not…"he croaked. "You shall not… Not as long as we live…"
The cackle lessened-to grow shriller, colder, and crueler….
"Until you and you alone, live…The rest are long gone…"
Twenty thousand leagues away, a young woman stood up, her face ashen.
"They killed him. They are all gone…"she whispered.
"Gone…gone…gone…" The words reverberated in the huge room around her.
The diamond's glare was a bloody red.
"It is time." The old man stroked his beard thoughtfully, his tone wistful.
"They are too young, Gurudev." The young woman's words were neither a comment nor a protest.
The third of the party, a tall eagle eyed man, sighed.
"But it is time." His voice was weary. "We have to hand them the burden, however young they are."
"But can they achieve success?"
The last of the party, a wizened old man stared into the hourglass "That remains to be decreed, by Time itself…"
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"Groige, my son, wake up. You are late, have thou said thy prayers yet?"
Prince Groige of Thaith, drowsily pulled apart the curtains. "Good Morning, mother," he muttered drowsily.
"Quick, get ready. Thy father summons thou in his court in fifteen minutes."
"GOSH! I forgot, Gurudev said he would be early today." Groige jumped out of bed and fumbled around as his mother helped him around with a fond and amused smile.
Just a few months past his sixteenth year, Groige could have looked none less than the picture of a perfect prince. His black hair was tousled and his eyes sparkled with merriment. Even his aristocratic suit looked dismayed at the ill-treatment it received.
"Good Bye, Mother dear!" Groige flung his arms impulsively around his mother.
"Be back soon. And, Groige," she lowered her voice, "May Abaash be with you."
"Shehaaaaazzaa!" The voice rattled her awake.
"Wake up, you stupid, lazy girl! Always asleep until noon!"
Shehaza jumped out of bed. Her mistress, Queen Kalyani of Thaith scowled down at her formibally
"Get ready and make the tea."
Shehaza was surprised. Her mistress was gentler today. She seemed to have forgotten her morning practice of beating.
Not daring to get prepared, she jumped out of the tattered mat and rushed to the fireplace. As she made tea, she scrutinized her mistress, wondering about the sudden change.
The queen was slim and tall. Her tinted brown hair dazzled in the morning sunlight, but there was some difference. The pretty face, usually filled with a look of sneering pleasure, was replaced by a look of mingled fury and hatred.
What could have been the matter? It could not be anything to be with herself as the queen's fury was never less than forthright.
Ever since time she could remember she had been Queen Kalyani's maid. She remembered no family, no kin-just the palace and the queen. Queen Kalyani was a personification of cruelty. She did not treat the girl with the indifference that the other queens used but with more of a loathing grudge which seemed to border hate. Yet, Sheahaza did not know a world otherwise….
"And what have I done to her?" Shehaza wondered sadly, as she lay the tea in the flowery tray. "I always do my best to please her. I so wis she'd like me, she's so pretty and popular."
Bang!
The girl had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the queens feet were stretched out. The teacup shattered on the floor, bespattering its hot contents on the queen.
Slap! Her rage was apparent.
"You daughter of a swine! How dare you!"
The dainty room was shaken with the sound of resounding slaps.
"Enough Kalyani!"
Shehaza spun down on the floor as the queen let go of her and looked at the new arrival in amazement.
Tall, slim, with a twist of auburn hair falling on her shoulders the tall lady looked down at her, with a face filled with concern and pity.
"Come, my child. Your time of imprisonment is about to end."
Jehane, the ladies-in-waiting of her grandfather's court declared, was too mischievous a girl, that the hours of brooding she spent were unusual, certainly not healthy.
Leaning against the gilt stairway on the bright summer day, Jehane saw nothing unusual or unhealthy as she closed her eyes and imagined the dragons her father had told her described the previous day.
Not that her mind was completely engrossed with the charms of the fire breathing monsters. She felt a queer feeling of anticipation, mingled with the unusual and unpredicted.
Why had her grand mother asked to see her? Why had she told Jehane to leave the embroidery with which she had toiled long hours to interest the girl?
There was something unusual….
"Jehane! Come up! Stop thinking! You look as if the burden of the whole world is on your shoulders."
"Certainly not, Grandma! I don't have any burden. They are pleasant, pleasant thoughts!"
Queen Rima sighed. She wondered whether her favourite grand daughter's pleasant and carefree life was about to end.
"Jehane, dear, I've got something to tell you. The King Medae has sent you an invitation to visit your aunt, Queen Thebes in Thaithe."
Medhav whistled cheerily as he helped Guvobu with the weeding. The plot was bedecked with huge pumpkins, juicy melons, leafy cabbages, bright tomatoes and huge ears of corn. At one end, a huge golden paddy field stretched for many miles and on the other the fruit trees beckoned masses of colourful birds.
"Time you went home my son." Guvobu, a huge man with a red, beaming face boomed. "You should get ready. Your good aunts have been preparing since the rooster called."
Medhav stretched out as he picked up his crutches, pondering. The man watched him fondly, his mind deep in thought.
Medhav was a cripple. His legs were twisted and deformed, yet his face had a light in it and his eyes sparkled with life. Despite the good food and loving care he had received since a toddler, he remained small and lean-the only thing that Guvobu regretted about the boy he considered as his own son.
"Tell me Uncle." Guvobu woke from his reverie as Medhav spun around to face him.
"Is the city as unpleasant as I have heard? Then why are you sending me there?"
Guvobu sighed again.
"I'm not sending you my child, but everything is as the Leader commands. Now hurry, it is almost time…"
The boy limped on his crutches to the huge, red farmhouse in the horizon, barely hearing Guvobu's murmured words of parting.
"May our spirit be with you, my son. May our courage be yours…May you be guided with truth and honesty…."
"Something has happened!" Groige muttered to himself as he strode up the broad flight of steps to his father's court.
His mother's parting words troubled him. She had been too gentle-he knew she had been worried and even scared.
Courtiers thronged past him, whispering and chatting excitedly, taking no notice of him, deeply engrossed in whatever that had happened.
"Gurudev!"
Groige rushed towards the wizened man, aged beyond the ages, as he sat on the top step.
"What has happened? Something has happened!"
Grudev smiled at the boy's excitement.
He was a good boy, a clever boy with a heart. Yet, he had much to learn. He was far too young. Yet, it was as Fate decreed…
"Your father has acquired a new queen, but that does not concern us. What concerns us is that you have finally got permission to visit The Shadow House….."
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