For this assignment, Summer School Adventurers were asked to write a creative story incorporating elements of fantasy, such as magical powers, mystical creatures, imaginary worlds, and a quest/journey.
By Dori McCarty (8th Grade)
I was a queen of a great kingdom, until she took over. Everyone loved my rule, except her. I now live as a peasant while she lives as the royalty she is not. When she came, everyone, even the soldiers who pledged their loyalty to me, turned against me and I was forced from my throne. The only one who was truly loyal to me was Gilda, my griffon.
By Dori McCarty (8th Grade)
I was a queen of a great kingdom, until she took over. Everyone loved my rule, except her. I now live as a peasant while she lives as the royalty she is not. When she came, everyone, even the soldiers who pledged their loyalty to me, turned against me and I was forced from my throne. The only one who was truly loyal to me was Gilda, my griffon.
I sat on the dirt floor of the shack I have called home for a year now. Gilda lay next to me with her head on my lap. I ran my fingers through her large, dark brown wings and sighed, “Soon, Gilda, I will take back the throne and lift the spell that she has cast on this kingdom,” I whispered as I petted her feathered head. She looked up at me with hopeful eyes.
“Really, Jade?” She asked as she lifted her head from my lap. I drew back my hand from the soft, white feathers and smiled.
“Of course,” I paused. “Someday,” I finished. She sighed and stood. I watched as the majestic creature, with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, walked to the corner and curled into a ball to sleep. I sighed, got up, and brushed the dirt from my pants. I walked to my bed and went to sleep.
* * * *
The next morning I went to town for food, but as I walked down the street, I watched the shop owners flip the open signs to closed. “Is this how you treat your former queen?!” I shouted angrily and a fireball formed in my hands. I turned to the empty street and threw the ball of flames at a lone tree. The tree immediately burst into flames, catching her attention.
“Jade!” She shouted, “Stop this!” I turned to see a mirror image of myself, only instead of rags she wore a beautiful white dress. Her unicorn stood behind her.
“You, you did this to me. I trusted you! You were my twin sister, my best friend!” I shouted at her, “You ruined my life, Amethyst. You turned them against me; they loved me and you ruined everything!”
“You did this to yourself, Jade, I had nothing to do with it,” She looked at me with an evil smirk. I watched as she formed ice in her hands and put out the flaming tree. “Everything is alright citizens, resume your day,” she told the people. She climbed onto the back of the snow white unicorn and pulled the reigns. I watched angrily as she rode back to the castle.
“No, wait, sister please!” I called. She stopped and looked at me with a cold glare. "Can you at least get me something to eat?” I asked innocently, “I’m starving, Gilda too,” I informed her. She nodded for me to follow and I whistled for the griffon. Gilda appeared at my side and we followed Amethyst to the castle. As we approached the gates Amethyst nodded to the guards to open the gates. A guard glared at me, and Gilda snarled at him. I soothingly pet her dark fur, “Shh, girl, it’s okay,” I cooed. We walked into the castle and Amethyst climbed down from the unicorn. She led us to the dining hall where a feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, fruits and vegetables, and even food for Gilda waited.
“Eat up,” she smiled sweetly. After the wonderful meal, I climbed onto Gilda’s back and we pretended to fly home. We circled back to the castle and I formed a fireball in my hands and threw it at the tallest tower. The tower was instantly engulfed in flames. I watched in awe as the tower burned. Amethyst ran out of the castle and looked up at me with rage. She ran and climbed onto the back of a red dragon. She met me in the air. “Jade, why are you doing this?” she asked angrily.
“Because I was a great queen, and it was my rightful throne! You took away everything I had, turned my subjects against me! Why? What did I ever do to deserve this?” I asked. Another fireball formed in my hand. She was quicker and a ball of ice was thrown my way. Gilda quickly dodged and I threw the fire at the castle.
“The way you ruled was not how Mother wanted this kingdom to be ruled!” she exclaimed.
“Don't bring Mother into this!” I shouted angrily and threw a fireball at her this time.
“You know what you did to this kingdom,” she said as she dodged the flames.
“What I did was do keep this kingdom from falling. How could I rule without a kingdom?” I explained.
She threw a ball of ice at me. Gilda wasn’t fast enough and we were soon hurtling to the ground. She flew down and landed when we hit the ground.
“Killing our mother was best for the kingdom?” she asked.
Tears fell from my eyes, “She-she got in my way,” I said, “I wasn’t thinking straight; could you ever forgive me?” I asked. I looked up and saw a cloud of black smoke flying away from us at top speed. I fled free from the evil that had corrupted me.
“Of course I can forgive you, you were being controlled by the darkness,” she said as she extended a hand and helped me to my feet. It was then that I realized the limp griffon laying on the ground next to me.
“Gilda! No, no please! Wake up, Gilda!” I cried as I tried to wake the dead griffon.
“Jade, she’s gone, I’m so sorry.” She looked away. “I know you loved her, but she was the darkness that controlled you.” Amethyst explained, she then pulled me into a hug and her magic repaired the castle. The darkness never returned and we ruled side by side from then on. The people forgave me for everything I had done while under Gilda’s dark influence.
The End
“Really, Jade?” She asked as she lifted her head from my lap. I drew back my hand from the soft, white feathers and smiled.
“Of course,” I paused. “Someday,” I finished. She sighed and stood. I watched as the majestic creature, with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, walked to the corner and curled into a ball to sleep. I sighed, got up, and brushed the dirt from my pants. I walked to my bed and went to sleep.
* * * *
The next morning I went to town for food, but as I walked down the street, I watched the shop owners flip the open signs to closed. “Is this how you treat your former queen?!” I shouted angrily and a fireball formed in my hands. I turned to the empty street and threw the ball of flames at a lone tree. The tree immediately burst into flames, catching her attention.
“Jade!” She shouted, “Stop this!” I turned to see a mirror image of myself, only instead of rags she wore a beautiful white dress. Her unicorn stood behind her.
“You, you did this to me. I trusted you! You were my twin sister, my best friend!” I shouted at her, “You ruined my life, Amethyst. You turned them against me; they loved me and you ruined everything!”
“You did this to yourself, Jade, I had nothing to do with it,” She looked at me with an evil smirk. I watched as she formed ice in her hands and put out the flaming tree. “Everything is alright citizens, resume your day,” she told the people. She climbed onto the back of the snow white unicorn and pulled the reigns. I watched angrily as she rode back to the castle.
“No, wait, sister please!” I called. She stopped and looked at me with a cold glare. "Can you at least get me something to eat?” I asked innocently, “I’m starving, Gilda too,” I informed her. She nodded for me to follow and I whistled for the griffon. Gilda appeared at my side and we followed Amethyst to the castle. As we approached the gates Amethyst nodded to the guards to open the gates. A guard glared at me, and Gilda snarled at him. I soothingly pet her dark fur, “Shh, girl, it’s okay,” I cooed. We walked into the castle and Amethyst climbed down from the unicorn. She led us to the dining hall where a feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, fruits and vegetables, and even food for Gilda waited.
“Eat up,” she smiled sweetly. After the wonderful meal, I climbed onto Gilda’s back and we pretended to fly home. We circled back to the castle and I formed a fireball in my hands and threw it at the tallest tower. The tower was instantly engulfed in flames. I watched in awe as the tower burned. Amethyst ran out of the castle and looked up at me with rage. She ran and climbed onto the back of a red dragon. She met me in the air. “Jade, why are you doing this?” she asked angrily.
“Because I was a great queen, and it was my rightful throne! You took away everything I had, turned my subjects against me! Why? What did I ever do to deserve this?” I asked. Another fireball formed in my hand. She was quicker and a ball of ice was thrown my way. Gilda quickly dodged and I threw the fire at the castle.
“The way you ruled was not how Mother wanted this kingdom to be ruled!” she exclaimed.
“Don't bring Mother into this!” I shouted angrily and threw a fireball at her this time.
“You know what you did to this kingdom,” she said as she dodged the flames.
“What I did was do keep this kingdom from falling. How could I rule without a kingdom?” I explained.
She threw a ball of ice at me. Gilda wasn’t fast enough and we were soon hurtling to the ground. She flew down and landed when we hit the ground.
“Killing our mother was best for the kingdom?” she asked.
Tears fell from my eyes, “She-she got in my way,” I said, “I wasn’t thinking straight; could you ever forgive me?” I asked. I looked up and saw a cloud of black smoke flying away from us at top speed. I fled free from the evil that had corrupted me.
“Of course I can forgive you, you were being controlled by the darkness,” she said as she extended a hand and helped me to my feet. It was then that I realized the limp griffon laying on the ground next to me.
“Gilda! No, no please! Wake up, Gilda!” I cried as I tried to wake the dead griffon.
“Jade, she’s gone, I’m so sorry.” She looked away. “I know you loved her, but she was the darkness that controlled you.” Amethyst explained, she then pulled me into a hug and her magic repaired the castle. The darkness never returned and we ruled side by side from then on. The people forgave me for everything I had done while under Gilda’s dark influence.
The End
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