Sorry for the delay this week – same problems as last week, you know.

Anyway, short and sweet: I thought I’d share a little story with you. It’s very special and inventive, and was originally written out by hand in the small hours of the morning before everyone woke up. It took a lot of effort, and reflects a labor of love. Amazingly, it’s only the first of four such stories, which together form an epic fantasy, spanning an entire world and pitting our hero against unsurmountable forces of darkness.

I wonder where the inspiration came from.

 

Three Dark Weapons

The Axe of Darkness

 

By Little Satis

 

 

 

Chapter One

Ash lived in a land called Sath. Life there was good; he had friends, his mother and father gave him food and shelter. Life was good, except for one thing: the land was owned by the villainous Shadow Lord. There were only three known weapons that could defeat him: the Axe of Darkness, the Dagger of Hands and the Sword of Death.

Ash felt that they were evil weapons, but he thought that evil could defeat evil. His father had attempted to take the weapons, but before he could even start the quest a tree fell on him, and injured his leg badly. Ash was only thirteen when he got the greatest surprise of his life.

 

Chapter Two

“Ash,” said Roan when he came back to his house. Roan was Ash’s father.

“What?” said Ash.

“The time has come for you to take on the quest that I never started.”

“What?” said Ash again. “You don’t mean the Three Weapons Quest?”

“Yes, I do,” said Roan.

“No,” said Ash. “I will not go.”

“You must,” said Anna, Ash’s mother.

“I don’t even know how to wield a sword,” said Ash.

“That is why I will teach you,” said Roan.

Ash saw he was going no matter what (unless there was something like a storm). “Okay,” he said. “When do we start?”

 

Chapter Three

Ash started to train the next day, and the next. He kept getting cuts and scrapes.

“Ow!”, he said one day as he cut himself with his sword. Roan walked over to Ash.

“You have to be more careful,” said Roan as he cleaned the cut.

Then three figures jumped over the wall.

“Shadow Knights!” said Roan as he drew his sword.

They were clad in black armor with wickedly curved swords, but Roan was ready to fight. In three swift chops of Roan’s blade, the Shadow Knights lay dead on the ground.

“Wow,” said Ash.

“Let’s get you trained,” said Roan.

 

Chapter Four

One month later, Ash was ready to go. He had a sword and a dagger, and wore a vest of armor under his shirt. He was walking into a forest. Its trees had no leaves. He stepped into the forest, and found himself in the middle of the forest.

There was no path behind him. He took a step back and found himself on the path.

“Clever,” said Ash. “Illusions.”

He walked on until a beast stopped him. It had two fangs, one hundred teeth, big claws and two black hungry eyes.

 

Chapter Five

The beast attacked. Ash jumped and drew his sword. He landed on his feet. He swung his sword at the beast, but missed. The evil beast snapped its jaws, and nearly took off Ash’s arm. Ash swung his sword at the beast, and missed again. Then the beast pounced on Ash. Ash struggled to free himself, but he couldn’t. Then he freed one hand, and managed to plunge his sword into the belly of the beast.

It howled and stood on hind legs, and fell. Ash ran away; he was glad to be rid of the beast.

 

Chapter Six

Ash slowed to a walk. He thought he wouldn’t make as much noise, and would be less likely to attract any more beasts. He kept walking until he got to a clearing of green grass.

“That’s funny,” said Ash. The rest of the grass around it was gray. He walked onto the patch of green grass, fell  and began to sink — it was quicksand!

 

Chapter Seven

Ash struggled, but he only sunk deeper. He saw a vine and clung on to it, but it broke and got sucked into the quicksand.

“Help!” cried Ash, but he knew it was pointless.

Suddenly, another beast came, and another. Soon there were ten beasts, hoping for fresh meat. Ash sunk more, and the beasts drew nearer. Then, Ash was sucked under.

 

Chapter Eight

Ash fell out of a trap door under the quicksand. He was in a chamber. Before him was a door, and out of the door came ten Shadow Knights.

Ash drew his sword. The Shadow Knights attacked. Ash’s sword parried the first Shadow Knight’s sword and stabbed him. Ash made quick work of the rest; in nine chops, they were dead.

He went into the next chamber, to find the Axe of Darkness held by a Shadow Knight. This Shadow Knight had gray armor, and horns on his helm.

 

Chapter Nine

The Shadow Knight said, “I am Sta.”

Sta attacked. Ash blocked the attack, but was sent flying back.

“You cannot defeat me when I carry the Axe of Darkness,” said Sta. “You are pathetic.”

Ash got to his feet. He stabbed Sta in the knee, but Sta didn’t even flinch. Then Sta got a lucky shot and cut off Ash’s left hand.

Ash swung his sword and cut off Sta’s head. Ash picked up the Axe of Darkness and put it to his wrist, which was bleeding badly. Then, his hand was restored.

 

Chapter Ten

Ash stood up, holding the Axe of Darkness. He slammed it against the wall. The wall broke, and daylight came in. He walked outside to find the ten beasts were still there.

He took out his sword, and then put it away. He had the Axe of Darkness — there was no need for a messy sword fight.

He slammed it into the ground, and caused an earthquake that killed the beasts. He had won.

Ash was one step closer to freeing Sath from the Shadow Lord.