The Quest For The Healing Waters

• Cody Wockner, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2016

“Yaaaaaaaa hooooo”, Archie yelled as he and his best friend Richard were flying along with furious speed on the back of his magnificent griffin named Jack. “We better go join the feast”, Richard yelled. Richard was a 12 year old son of a blacksmith who had blonde hair and an adventurous nature. “OK” Archie shouted. Archie was a young knight in training, eager to prove himself worthy. He was the same age as Richard with black hair and blue eyes. THUD! The griffin hit the ground and the two best friends jumped off the back of the mighty beast. It was quiet. Too quiet. They walked into the room where the feast was to be held. All of the food was on the table but it was like the people where frozen in time. An arrow came whizzing over the castle walls. It had a note on it and it read “We have poisoned your food and by the time you read this it will already be too late. Lord Dread.” “How could this be? Do you know who Lord Dread is Archie?” “Yes, he is the Lord of the Castle Citius. He has wanted to take over our kingdom for as long as I can remember.” Archie raced to see if the sorceress of the castle had been poisoned. He thumped on the door and it opened. The sorceress was sitting around her cauldron. “Isabelle” Archie yelled. She looked up. Isabelle was the nicest and most powerful sorceress in all the land. She had long blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. Archie told the sorceress what had happened. She stayed calm and started brewing up a potion to cure the paralysis. “Nooooo!” she shouted. “What’s wrong Isabelle?” “I do not have any water left and I need special water from the Lake of Healing. It is protected by a Minotaur. “What is a minotaur?” Richard asked. “A minotaur is a man but twice the size that has the head of a bull with massive horns and feeds on human flesh. The lake is not far only half a day’s walk away.” Isabelle explained. “I will get that water if it is the last thing I do” said Archie heroically desperate to prove himself while Richard was shaking in his boots. On Jacks back they got to the lake in no time without a sign of the Minotaur. Richard was filling up the potion bottle with the water while Archie was on guard for the monster with his sword held high. Just as the bottle was full, Archie wailed “Runnnnn”. Richard looked up and there was the ferocious beast. He bounced to his feet and bolted to the griffin. “Come on Archie” Richard yelled. Archie stubbornly shouted “I will hold him off. Leave without me”. “I will not” Richard cried. It was too late. Archie signalled his griffin to leave. “Defeat Lord Dread. Save the Kingdom for me.” “I will come back for you Archie”.