short story, story promptKacy has spent many years searching for clues as to the lost location of the magical city of Faelin. She is sure she’s finally found it, but could she have made a mistake? Even if she does find it, will it be what she expects?


 

Dust. All around her was dust.

This couldn’t be right. In the failing light of the day, she scanned the area. She hadn’t travelled all this way to find only dust. The legends had said there was a whole city to be found here. A city full of breathtaking riches, with towering structures of unimaginable beauty.

But there was only the dust. Kacy refused to believe that this was all that was left. Shrugging her pack off her shoulders, she knelt and pulled out her charts, maps and reference books. It had her taken years of research to narrow down the location of the mythical city of Faelin. She was positive she’d finally figured it out. Perhaps she’d missed something?

Consulting an ancient map, she cross-referenced it with a modern one. She was definitely in the right place. Flipping to a page in one of the old tomes, she re-read a passage.

“Above a lake, on mountain’s edge,
Find the stone of Hero’s Pledge.
When starlight is to the world imparted
Faelin appears to the worthy-hearted.”

She glanced to her left. An image had been carved onto the boulder beside her. It had almost weathered away over the centuries, but the outline of a man kneeling, offering up a sword was still visible. That was the ‘Hero’s Pledge’ part of the riddle.

Gazing at the twilight sky, she saw the first stars of the night twinkling. That was the starlight required by the rhyme. So where was the city?

She bit her lip. Was she not ‘worthy-hearted’? What was considered a worthy heart?

short story, story prompt

A shimmer caught her attention. She stared as a glowing mist began solidifying rapidly before her. Spires seemed to rise out of the ground, reaching for the stars. Delicate arches connected graceful towers. The dust that she’d been so disheartened to see was replaced by lush grass of a startling violet hue.

She rose giddily to her feet. It was here! She had found the lost city of Faelin! Breathing a quick thank you to anyone who might be listening, she picked up her maps and books and shoved them back in her bag. This was where the real adventure began and the answers to all the questions about Faelin could finally be found. The most pressing question on her mind now – did anyone still live in Faelin?

Crossing beneath an archway, she stepped into the magical city. Silver and gold coloured paper lanterns lined the streets. Various exotic plants that she’d never seen before adorned windowsills, pathways, parks and arches.

Walking down what appeared to be the main street, her footsteps echoed back to her. The silence of the city was unsettling. She stopped in a large square that was dominated by an ornate marble water fountain depicting two centaurs rearing. Bubbly pink liquid gushed from the arrow points of the centaurs’s weapons.

Kacy scrutinised the buildings surrounding the square. “Hello? Is there anyone here?” Her voice bounced off the walls. There was no response, but she could feel something.

She sat on the rim of the marble fountain. The pink liquid fizzed and popped, lightly splashing the hand she rested on the edge. It reminded her of the brand of creaming soda she had in her fridge at home. On impulse, she dipped a finger in and tasted it.

Intense sweetness swept through her mouth, more than she would have thought possible from the drop or two of liquid she’d had on her finger. Her vision went hazy for a moment and her ears crackled. Moments later, she stared around in amazement. People crowded the square, buying items from market stalls, talking in small groups and dancing to the sound of a flute-player.

A young girl with pointed ears and bright purple hair smiled at her. “There you go. Now you can see us!”


Faelin is found, but what wonders and mysteries does it hold?? Prompt provided by Cracked Flash 🙂

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