Excerpt from 'The Adventures of Prince Baskim: The Phoenix's Feather': Chapter 6 wrote:
((Short summary of the story so far: The story started with Prince Baskim, the one and only son of King Hubion and Queen Lilith, being told that he will become the new king after his father died. The queen, who will be dethroned if this happens, attempts to kill the prince by poisoning his food. Luckily for our protagonist, one of the serving girls overheard the plot and told the prince. He didn't believe her at first, so he was about to eat the food when one of the other servants delivered it to him. To save the prince (whom she had deep feelings for), the serving girl ate the poisoned food and collapsed to the floor shortly afterwards. Upset at the fact that his mother had tried to kill him and that he had not believed the serving girl, he consulted his old nanny, who told him that the poison had not killed the girl, but put her into a deep sleep. She also said that the only cure to wake the girl was to make a potion of herbs and a single phoenix tail feather before the sun rose on the fifth day (otherwise she would never wake up). Everyone who knew the tale of the phoenix knew that it lived many miles from the kingdom, atop the Great Fire-Mountain (a volcano, basically). The prince decided to leave the castle at once, escaping the queen's clutches on horseback.
After riding on of the castle's horses for miles upon miles, he came across a small cottage within the Great Wood. He knocked on the door to see if anyone lived there. It turned out that a woodcutter and his wife and son lived there and they offered him and the girl shelter. The boy spent the day with them, the wife looking after the serving girl in one of the bedrooms. The prince shows signs of having feelings for the girl. After all, she did put her life at serious risk for his, though he'd done nothing for her. Upon hearing the prince's tail, the woodcutter offers to look after the girl until he returns to his quest. He recommends that Baskim leaves during the night, to avoid detection. So, everyone goes to bed as the sun goes down, with Baskim saving his energy for the task ahead.
And that is where are story continues))
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The night was still. The wind was silent. Nothing stirred. Not even the small moth, resting upon a rose leaf. All rested upon this night, under the watchful eyes of the moon. The great, pale orb of the night cast her azure light onto the land below, kissing the land gently. It was tranquil. Idyllic. However, this still could never last. For rivers are never still and right now, Prince Baskim's heart was like a river. He had slept uneasily. No dreams had clouded his mind. No. His mind was solely focused on the girl. Why would she do that for me? the prince pondered, sitting up on the bed in his night garments. Why would she risk her life for me like that? I've done nothing for her. I scorned her, believing that she was lying. He closed his peridot eyes, lowering his head in guilty shame. I didn't even know her name! He balled his left hand into a fist and rested his right hand on the top. Deep in thought, he pressed his hands against his lips in concentration, his eyebrows furrowed. He knew he might be able to save her. He'd been told the legend of the phoenix from his childhood. The road was dangerous. One third was plagued with bandits. Another third was mountainous and prone to avalanche. The final third was riddled with hidden magma chambers and quick sand. No one who had attempted the journey had ever returned. Baskim knew he could be killed doing this. With him dead, his devious mother would be left to take the throne. The kingdom would be placed into an age of darkness and corruption. The poor would starve whilst his selfish mother took everything she could from the people. But on the other hand, the girl... She'd risked her life for the prince. She'd taken the poison. He owed the girl his life. The prince jumped to his feet and began pacing up and down his room, like a tiger waiting to be fed. The dilemma he faced made him tense. His shoulder's were hunched up like a predator as he thought things over. Come on, Baskim! Think think think! He continued pacing like an animal for several minutes more before he came to a halt. He lifted his head and re-opened his eyes. Of course! It was all clear to him now. The queen had probably assumed the throne in his absence anyway. She'd probably come up with some reason for his fleeing. He'd stolen something. He'd tried to kill someone. There would be some reason she would have made up to ensure that his head was put on a pike outside the castle for all to see. He needed proof. Evidence. The girl was all that he had right now. Her and the woodcutter's family. But who would believe him and those 'commoners?' He needed more proof. He needed the phoenix. Not just the tail feather. He would need to convince the phoenix to come with him. Everyone believed the word of one of the mystic beings. The Dragon of the Earth, the Unicorn of the Water, the Griffon of the Air and the Phoenix of the Fire. If he could convince the phoenix to save the girl and help him restore his kingdom to justice, he would be able to find inner peace. It was perfect. It was time to set his plan into action.
He got dressed rapidly and headed down the hallway of the upper floor. Something stopped him in his tracks before he could go any further. He turned his head slightly to see that the door to the serving girl's room was opened slightly and the pale, glowing light of a candle leaked through the gap. Tentatively, the prince crept forwards and peered through the doorway. The girl was fast asleep on the bed. She looked so peaceful. Her auburn hair framed her soft face. Her eyes and her lips were sealed shut, gentle breathing escaping through the tiny gap in her mouth. The prince sighed as he watched her, a warm smile catching the corners of his mouth. He'd never felt this way before. This longing to protect her. To hold her in his arms. To be by her side always... He shook his head. What has come over me?! he thought to himself, taking one last glance at the girl before hurrying down the stairs and into the neighbouring stables.
It was only here that the prince dared to light a lantern. Striking a flint stone against the ground, a spark appeared. Quickly, he placed the lantern in the path of the spark, allowing the candle's wick and the spark to meet and create a flame. As he picked up the lantern, everything was lit up in an eerie orange light. The axes gleamed menacingly on the wall, missing their daily work. Horse tack shimmered as the flame flickered. Some tack was for pulling. Some tack was for riding. Either way, there was a good collection here. But he didn't need any of it anyway. The prince walked over to the stall containing the royal horse. However, upon opening the stall door, the prince stepped back in surprise. The royal horse's tack was missing. Frowning in confusion, he placed the lantern on a hook outside the stall and walked over to the bay gelding. "Whoa, boy," he whispered softly. "It's just me." The bay pricked his ears up and turned his head towards his master's voice. He allowed the prince to reach his hand up and stroke the skin under his forelock. The horse didn't smell of leather either. Someone must have taken the tack off and groomed the horse afterwards. But who?
"Looking for this?" came a voice from the stall next door. The prince and the bay both looked over to the next stall to see a dark grey stallion, wearing the royal tack, looking over at them, his ears perked and alert. The prince backed away from the bay before walking slowly towards the wall between the two stalls. "Hello?" he whispered cautiously, as he didn't recognise the voice. "Is anyone there?" He peered over the divide. There was no human there. "I am here," came the voice again. Prince Baskim followed the source of the sound with his ears and followed them up with his eyes. His senses led him back to the charcoal grey. The prince blinked in surprise. Had his senses deceived him? Was he finally going insane? It couldn't be. He gave a nervous laugh. "Y'know," he smiled, whispering to the stallion, "for a minute there I thought that you could talk!" The grey stallion looked sternly at the young boy, making fierce eye contact. "Seriously? You believe in phoenix's and unicorns, yet you can't believe in a talking horse?" The young prince watched as the stallion's lips moved in synchronisation with the voice. His jaw dropped. He stared with wide-eyed wonder into the eyes of the stallion. "Y-you can t-t-" The stallion tossed his head impatiently. "Yes, yes," he snorted. "I can talk." He stomped his hoof before proceeding to talk to himself. "Why, if I had a bucket of oats every time someone had your reaction to my gift..." The stallion continued to mutter much more under his breath, which the prince could not hear. His head hung low in a sulk as Prince Baskim watched on in wide-eyed wonder. How was this even possible?! A talking horse?! The boy looked over the horse carefully, looking for any external signs that he was special. The horse was very impressive indeed. His charcoal coat was contrasted heavily with white markings. One half-cannon and a stripe, brilliant white against the dark fur. But this wasn't all. On the rump of this striking stallion was a blanket of white, patterned white charcoal blotches. Such horses were rare in the kingdom, however the royal family bred such horses. So what allowed this one to talk?
After both creatures had fallen silent and remained that way for several painfully awkward moments, Prince Baskim finally found the ability to speak again. "So, um," he murmured to the horse. "Why do you have the royal tack on again?" The locked into eye contact with the horse again, staring into the deep brown abyss within them. The horse lifted his head and faced the boy directly. "My master thought that, after travelling all those miles from the castle, your own mount might not have the energy for the task ahead." The prince turned his head and looked back at the royal horse. Indeed, they had travelled a long way and the royal horse had carried them there. He'd had to support the weight of two people. The prince knew that the horse deserved and needed rest. He looked back up and frowned at the talking horse, slightly confused. "But why has he allowed me to use you? You're his horse, after all." The stallion shook his head and swished his tail for a moment, before replying to the boy. "Actually, he isn't really my master at all. I am a Horse of the Undrian Plains: a descendant of the Unicorn himself. I do as I please." The stallion seemed to smile and tossed his head charismatically as he said this, before he continued. "I offered up my services to you, young prince. For you see, my kind have been waiting for a worthy man, like yourself, in need of our assistance." He nodded to Baskim respectfully, his deep brown eyes soft and wise. "Your cause is noble: to save your kingdom and to rescue the girl: your true love." When the horse finished speaking, Baskim immediately went on the defensive. "I'm not in love with her!" he snapped at the horse. The stallion stomped his front right hoof in retaliation, making Baskim fall silent. "Do not take me as a fool, Baskim!" the stallion snorted. "I know much more than you do right now and I can see from your eyes, when I mention her, that you have strong feelings for her." The stallion returned to standing still, his eyes fixed on the prince. The boy lowered his head in shame. He hadn't realised that his affections were that obvious to those around him, yet he couldn't see them for himself. He could see the kingdom now: shaming him for falling in love with a serving girl. Would the kingdom take him seriously if they knew? Did it really matter? She was a beautiful girl, so would the people accept her with time? Prince Baskim didn't know for sure. He had to try. He couldn't let his country fall to his mother. No matter what the kingdom thought of his choice of bride, he'd need to return to power some day.
With this in mind, Prince Baskim faced the charcoal horse head on. He got down on his knees, looking up into the deep brown eyes of the stallion. The stallion held his head up high, noble and strong. The prince took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Oh, great Horse of the Undrian Plains. I need your assistance for my quest to rescue both my kingdom and the girl I love." He paused slightly, doubt crossing his mind. "Will you help me?" The stallion's ears flicked forwards. He listened to the prince intently, regarding each word carefully. Eventually, the stallion lowered his head to the prince, his deep brown eyes soft and kind.
My name is Jukib.
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Want to hear how this story ends? PM me and I will tell you all I know.
