The Magical Christmas Star

          In a log cabin, deep in the countryside next to a forest, lived a poor woodcutter with his wife and two children. The children were sister and brother; the girl was named Anne and she was the eldest, and the boy was named Noah and he was the youngest. Anne and Noah were good children and did everything they could to help their parents and always tried to not cause any trouble.

          The woodcutter earned a living by cutting down trees and selling wood to people. But of course selling wood didn’t make a lot of money, but just enough for the woodcutter to buy some food for his family. This worried him sometimes; he really wished that he had the money to give his family a life of ease.

          One snowy day it was Christmas Eve and the woodcutter and his family decided that it was time to get the cabin ready for Christmas tomorrow. The woodcutter got ready to go into the forest to get a christmas tree. Anne and Noah asked their mother if they could go with him. The wife saw nothing wrong with that and agreed. But she told the children to be good and to listen to their father. So the woodcutter and the children set off into the forest to get a tree, and the mother stayed home to tidy up the house.

          The woodcutter and his children walked into the forest, with a sled to carry the tree, and started to look for a christmas tree. As the log cabin wasn’t very big; they needed to find a tree that would just fit in the cabin. “Stay close to me Anne and Noah,” said the woodcutter “I don’t want any of you two getting lost”. “Yes Papa” said Anne and Noah together. Just then Anne noticed some pine cones on the ground. “Let’s pick some up for the tree” she said. She and Noah picked up as many as they could carry. The family didn’t really have much to decorate the christmas tree, so every christmas they would find things in the forest like pine cones and anything else good to decorate the tree with. After picking up pine cones, the family went on their way again to look for a tree.

          Suddenly the woodcutter noticed an old man sitting on a tree stump, and the old man looked really weak. “Excuse me sir,” said the woodcutter “but are you all right?” “Please excuse me for looking so weak,” said the old man “but the truth is I haven’t had anything to eat or drink since yesterday. Is there any chance that I can share any of the food that you have with you?” “Of course sir, my children will gladly share our food with you” said the woodcutter. The woodcutter was a kind man and was always willing to help others if he could. The woodcutter and his children had some bread and cheese with them and three bottles of water. Anne served some bread and cheese to the old man and Noah gave him some water. The old man was grateful and thanked the family at once.

          Anne noticed that there were some pine trees nearby and asked her father if she and Noah could pick one out for the cabin. Pine trees were trees that were commonly used for christmas trees. The woodcutter agreed, but told his children to stay close to where he was or they could get lost. Anne and Noah understood and went to look at the pine trees at once.

          While the children were gone, the woodcutter and the old man had a chat with each other. “You certainly have happy children there sir” said the old man. “Yes they are always happy around Christmas,” said the woodcutter “but I fear sometimes that they won’t be happy for very long”. The woodcutter told the old man of his troubles of being a poor woodcutter, and with earning enough money to keep his family happy. “Oh I wouldn’t fret so much now sir,” said the old man “I mean they say that miracles do happen on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to those who are kind and honest. So I’m pretty sure that a miracle will happen to you and your family”. “I do hope you’re right about that” said the woodcutter.

          At that moment Anne and Noah turned up and told their father that they had found the perfect christmas tree. The woodcutter and old man came to have a look at the tree. Sure enough Anne and Noah had found the perfect tree; the pine tree was the right size for the log cabin and there was nothing wrong with it at all. The woodcutter agreed with the children’s decision and cut it down at once. Once they placed the tree on the sled, the woodcutter said it was time to go home now. The old man said that he was going to go home too. “Before I leave, I would like to give you this as a thank you gift” he said. He produced a dirty stone that looked like a star. “I know this doesn’t look much, but you can place it on top of your tree if you like”. Anne liked the star shaped stone and accepted the gift at once. “Thank you sir” she said. Noah and the woodcutter thanked him too, and then they all left the forest to go home.

          Once the woodcutter and his children were home, the family started to decorate the tree at once. Apart from pine cones, the family had bits of holly, some straw and some pond rushes to decorate the tree with. The woodcutter’s wife had given the dirty star shaped stone a wash and the woodcutter placed it on top of the tree. “I’m glad the old man gave you that star shaped stone dear,” said the wife “because I think it makes the tree look very decorative now”. “I’m glad too my love” said the woodcutter.

          That night, while Anne and Noah were asleep, the woodcutter and his wife were still getting ready for Christmas tomorrow. The wife was making some gloves for the children. The woodcutter was carving out some wooden toys for the children; wooden dolls for Anne and wooden blocks for Noah. “Even though the children love it when I make wooden toys for them, I do wish that I could give them proper toys for Christmas” the woodcutter sighed. “Yes I wish we could too,” said the wife “but still they enjoy your wooden figurines and they are always grateful for what they’ve got”. The woodcutter knew his wife was right; they had always taught their children to always appreciate with what they’ve got. Just as they finished the preparations, the woodcutter told his wife about what the old man said in the forest about Christmas Eve being a night of miracles. “I’ve heard stories about that too,” said the wife “and it would be nice to have a miracle happen to us for once”. After finishing the preparations, the woodcutter and his wife went to bed.

          Later that night it was now midnight and at that moment the most extraordinary thing happened. The star shaped stone on top of the christmas tree started to glow and it transformed into a real christmas star. Apparently the star was magic and it started to spread its magic across the cabin. First the christmas tree was beautifully decorated with proper christmas decorations; there were also candy canes and gingerbread cookies. Then lots of Christmas presents, wrapped in paper and ribbons, appeared under the tree and then a lot of food appeared on the table. There was turkey, potatoes, carrots and corn all cooked. There was also a christmas pudding, christmas cookies and walnuts. Last of all a silver bell appeared on the table, and then the magic stopped.

          When the woodcutter and his family woke up on Christmas Day they couldn’t believe their eyes once they saw the tree, the food and the presents. “Is this a dream?” asked the woodcutter. Anne bravely grabbed one of the christmas cookies on the table and took a bite. “This cookie is real,” she said, happily, “which means this is all real”. She and Noah started to open their presents at once. Anne got a new dress, with shoes and a coat, some books and some actual dolls to play with. Noah got a new scarf, hat and shoes, and some toy soldiers. The woodcutter and his wife got some presents too; the woodcutter got a new warmer coat with gloves and boots, and the wife got a new dress, with a scarf and coat. “I don’t know who did all of this,” said the woodcutter “but I’m glad they did; this has turned out to be the best Christmas that we have ever had”. “Indeed,” said the wife “this is a real christmas miracle for us”.

          After all the presents had been opened and all the food had been eaten, the woodcutter had his eyes on the silver bell. He gave it a shake to hear it ring, but when he did that silver coins fell from the bell. This silver bell was magic. “With this magic bell, we can now live a life of ease and happiness” smiled the woodcutter. His family agreed.

          What the family didn’t know was that the old man, from the forest yesterday, was watching them enjoy their Christmas through the window. “It’s like I told you woodcutter, miracles do happen to those who are kind and honest on Christmas Eve. Apparently the old man was a magic man and he gave the magical christmas star to the family for a gift as they were kind and honest to him yesterday. Then the man magically disappeared, hoping he could spread his christmas magic to another kind and honest family next Christmas.         

Emperor Falcon part 2

Chapter II

                                                

          Nobuko rode her horse far away from the palace grounds, through a forest and at last came to a quiet little village. “Okay,” she said “I’ll rest here for a while, get some more food and water and tend to my horse. Then I’ll continue my journey some more”. She had packed up some food and a canteen of water, before she left, but it was always a good idea to stock up just in case. In her bag, Nobuko also kept three small bags of money; she had saved up the money from her salaries for a long time and Tetsuya left her some money before he died as well. She took her horse to a blacksmith to have its horse shoes checked. Then she bought some rice and pork buns and filled up her water canteen from a well.

          After getting everything she needed, Nobuko was just about to leave when she heard a scream. Three thieves were in the village and right now they were threatening someone to give them money. Nobuko got angry with that, she hated thieves. “Stop that!” she shouted, in a manly voice. Nobuko had decided to sound like a man whenever she spoke to someone; she worried that talking in her real voice may give her real identity away. The thieves stared at her. “Trying to stop us are you?” said one of them. “Yes I am” Nobuko replied. The thieves laughed. “Let’s settle this pest with a sword fight” said one of the thieves. “Good idea,” said another and turned to Nobuko “if you wish to stop us you will have to fight us first”. “I accept,” said Nobuko “but I wish to fight in an open field. It’s too crowded to fight in this village”. The thieves saw nothing wrong with that.

          As soon as Nobuko and the three thieves got into a field outside the village, they drew their swords at once. Of course the thieves decided to attack Nobuko all at once. Bad people never fight fair. But Nobuko showed no fear. Thanks to the training Tetsuya gave her, she was able to defeat the thieves with no trouble at all. “Now I suggest you leave and don’t come back here again, unless you wish to die” said Nobuko, pointing her Katana at them. The thieves ran away in terror, leaving their swords and belongings behind.

          Nobuko was just about to pick up the thieves belongings, when she heard a sound of clapping behind her. It was a middle-aged man, dressed in a green kimono, with a greyish green hakama and a dark green haori. He was carrying a black, white and grey falcon on his shoulder “You’re not bad with a sword” he said. “Thank you, but who are you sir?” said Nobuko. “I am who they used to call General Masao Takeda” the man said. Nobuko was surprised by that. She had heard of General Masao; he used to be the general of Emperor Hisashi’s father, the late Emperor Yoshitoshi. But General Masao also disappeared not long after Emperor Hisashi took the throne twenty two years ago. “I am honoured to meet you General Masao,” said Nobuko “but where have you been all this time? Everyone thought that you were dead”. “I did not die,” replied Masao “but I cannot explain what I did to you now, because right now I have some traveling to do, and I’d prefer it that you came with me. I need a strong samurai like you around for a companion”. Nobuko was surprised about this but she agreed. “I’d be honoured to travel with you General Masao” she said, bowing to him. ‘Maybe General Masao could help me’ she thought. “Very well, but I must ask for your name first before we go” said General Masao. “I am Nobuo Okamoto” said Nobuko. Nobuko didn’t want to use her real name, just in case it would also give her real identity away. So in her disguise form, her name would be Nobuo. “Very well,” said General Masao “come now it is time to depart”. The villagers, who were threatened by the thieves, were grateful to Nobuko for sending the thieves away, and they gave her a small bag of rice to say thank you. Nobuko accepted the gift, gave back the things that the thieves stole from them and was happy to have helped them. General Masao and Nobuko, gathered up their things, got onto their horses and left the village.

          Meanwhile back at the palace, Emperor Hisashi had just been informed that the servant girl Nobuko had left the palace without permission. “Do you want me to send someone to bring her back my lord?” General Takeshi asked Emperor Hisashi. “There is no need for that,” said Emperor Takeshi “one missing servant girl doesn’t matter to me. But there is one thing that does matter to me. General Takeshi, do you remember when my sister, Princess Annika, ran away twenty two years ago?” “Yes my lord,” said General Takeshi “I also remember the day, eleven years ago, when we found out that she had died after giving birth to a boy, two years later after she ran away”. “Yes,” said Emperor Hisashi “and that is what is on my mind. The boy she gave birth to would be twenty years old by now; the right age to take the throne away from me. And since we also found out that General Masao was tending to the boy, there is no doubt that it has become a fine strong man by now. So I want your men to find General Masao and my sister’s son, and dispose of them before they get here. Got that? The throne belongs to me and me alone, and I will never surrender it to General Masao or that boy”. Apparently he was the type of ruler, who would kill his own family members just to remain emperor. “And if there is anyone else travelling with them, dispose of them too”. “I understand my lord,” said General Takeshi “I will send my men off at once”. “Before you do,” said Emperor Hisashi “get me my skilled huntsman, Shigeo Morita. I have a task for him”. “Yes my lord,” said General Takeshi and left to give his men his orders.

          Emperor Hisashi smirked to himself. “My sister may have escaped me by dying,” he said to himself “but General Masao and the son of my sister will not. And since my curse is still upon them, getting rid of them should be no trouble at all”. At that moment Shigeo Morita entered the room. “You wanted to see me my lord?” he asked. “Yes Shigeo,” said Emperor Hisashi “I have a special job for you. General Takeshi’s men are hunting down General Masao and his son, but what I want you to do is this. I need you to hunt down a wolf”. “A wolf?” asked Shigeo. “Yes there is a grey brown wolf around that is a threat to me. There is a young man who travels with it only at night time. If you find the man, you will find the wolf. Your task is to kill both the wolf and man”. “Why is this wolf a threat to you my lord?” asked Shigeo. “Your job is to hunt,” said Emperor Hisashi “not to ask me questions. Now go, I want the wolf and man dead as quickly as possible. And once you do kill them bring their bodies to me”. “I understand my lord,” said Shigeo, and he left for his hunt.

The Unborn Children

          A long time ago a young woman was walking towards down a road alone. She was pregnant and in her last month. Right now she was looking for a place to stay and have her child there. “Don’t worry my baby,” she said, rubbing her tummy, “everything will be okay, mummy will protect you. But right now I don’t know where we should go”.

          Suddenly she heard a noise; it sounded like a baby was crying. “Is there a baby out here?” The woman followed to the sound of the crying. But she didn’t see or find any baby, all she found was a big old building. “That seems a nice place to stay for a while” she said. She knocked on the door of the building. An old man opened the door. “Please excuse me sir,” said he woman “but do you mind if I rest here for a while? I have been traveling all day”. “Of course, come on in ma’am”. The man introduced the woman to his wife and both of them were kind. The wife gave the woman something to eat. “I take it your baby will be coming soon?” asked the husband. “Yes, my baby may come any day now” answered the woman, rubbing her tummy. “I must ask dear,” said the wife “why would you be travelling a long way, while you are still with child? It’s not really safe to travel a lot, while you still have a baby inside of you, sometimes”.

          The woman explained her story; she used to be a maid to a rich family. She had no family and the mansion she worked at was her only home. But one day the eldest son came home drunk and he raped her. The son ended up in disgrace and ended up punished. As for her, she was fired from being a maid. The master and mistress feared that the story of the rape would spread if the woman stayed to they drove her out to keep it a secret. “Is the baby you are carrying the son’s child?” asked the husband. “Yes,” answered the woman “but I never told anyone. I feared that they would do something terrible to my child if I did. So I left that area to keep my child safe and so I could raise it myself”. “I understand you perfectly,” said the wife “we have had children too and we did everything we could to keep them safe”. The couple’s children were adults now and they had all moved away.

          The woman asked the woman if she could stay at their place for a while and give birth there. The couple agreed and the wife offered to help her give birth and the husband said he knew where a midwife was and would be ready to get her. The woman thanked the kind woman with all her heart. Just then she told the couple about the strange baby’s cry she heard, before she arrived. The man explained that he and his wife had also heard strange cries. “The truth is this place used to be a brothel” he said. “That’s right,” said the wife “and apparently we were told, before we moved here, a lot of babies died here”. “Were they stillborn?” asked the woman. “Well the owner of the old brothel, who is now dead, did say to us that they were,” said the man “and it seems their spirits still haunt this place. And the scariest thing is; before the owner died, they say that she had kept on seeing the spirits of the babies”. The woman was astonished by the story.

          That night the woman was asleep in one of the rooms. But she was not alone. A man had crept into her room and was staring at her. He had a dagger in his hand and was just about to stab her. But suddenly the man was grabbed by a lot of little hands and he was strangled to death. The man screamed and then dropped down dead.

          The woman woke up from the scream and discovered the dead man’s body, and then she screamed next. The old couple ran into the woman’s room. “Are you okay?” the wife asked, running to the woman. The woman pointed to the dead man. “Oh my goodness!” gasped the wife “who is that?” The husband, who held a lamp, stared at him. “I’ve heard of this man,” he said “he is a murderer who finds killing woman fun”. “That is disgusting!” said the wife “you better get the police at once dear”. “I will” said the husband, and he left to fetch the police.                              

          Soon the police arrived and took away the body. The woman said to one of the policeman that she didn’t see anything; she just woke up from his screaming and just saw him lying there. Another policeman, who inspected the dead man’s body, did make that the murder was strangled, but it looked like that it was also scratched. “Well if you ask me,” said the man “I’d say that the one who killed the murderer was a man of justice, because he protected the woman from being murdered”. The wife and woman agreed. Soon the police left, with the dead body.

          Not long after the police left, the woman felt pain in her stomach. “I think my child is coming now” she said. The wife held onto the woman and told her husband to fetch the midwife at once. While the husband was getting the midwife, the wife helped the woman onto a bed, got a lot of towels out and held onto the woman’s hand. “Don’t you worry dear,” said the wife “I’m here with you”. The woman was grateful. Soon the husband and the midwife arrived. The midwife asked the husband to boil a lot of water and asked the wife to continue holding the woman’s hand. The woman was in a lot of pain, while in labour. The midwife and wife helped her the whole way through and kept on encouraging her to not give up. Hours later she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The midwife cleaned the baby up and wrapped her into a blanket. The wife held onto the baby to give it to the woman, but the woman had collapsed from exhaustion. The midwife checked her pulse. “She’s okay,” said the midwife “just very tired, but we better keep an eye on her till she wakes up, just in case”.

          While asleep, the woman was dreaming. She was dreaming that she was in the past, when the building was a brothel. The woman saw a lot of women in a room and she saw the owner of the brothel too. The owner was shouting at the women; the women were all pregnant and the owner was not pleased. Pregnant women were said to be useless in brothels. The woman saw in horror that the pregnant women were all having abortions. And what was more terrible was that some of the women were being punched on the tummies to get miscarriages. The woman screamed in horror, yelling “Stop it!”

          The woman woke up from her sleep in fright. The midwife and husband and wife rushed to her side and asked her if she was okay. The woman told the midwife, husband and wife about what she saw in her dream. They were horrified by that story. “It’s unforgivable!” spluttered the midwife. “Since the owner organised the abortions and miscarriages, it’s no wonder she was haunted by the babies when she died” said the husband. “I hope she is rotting away in hell” said the wife. “I have a feeling that it was the spirits of the unborn babies that killed that murderer,” said the woman “I think they did it to save me and my child”. “I think they must have done too,” said the husband “especially since you are one of those mothers who love their own child very much”. The woman smiled; she was lovingly holding her baby girl in her arms.

          The midwife looked thoughtful. “If you ask me,” she said “I think the spirits of the unborn babies are still here because of this place. I know it’s not a brothel anymore, but it is still the place where they were killed. So I don’t think that they will move on into the afterlife unless this place is destroyed”. The woman agreed with the midwife’s words, and then the husband and wife agreed too. “I want those babies to rest in peace in the afterlife,” said the wife “not wondering around in spirit form in this life”. The husband and woman wanted that too.

          So it was arranged; the old brothel building was destroyed and in its place was a little shrine dedicated to the unborn children. The wife and husband went to live with one of their children in another town. The woman lived a happy life with her daughter and in time she found a husband and had a son with him, so her life became happy in the end.

          The spirits of the unborn children were never again seen in the area, and they say that they waited for the husband, wife and woman for the day they would join them in the afterlife.

Emperor Falcon part 1

                                   Chapter I     

 

          In the time of samurais and when the Japanese wolves were still around, Japan was ruled by an emperor, Hisashi Miyamoto. Emperor Hisashi was an evil man; he taxed his people heavily, he had people killed, even people who hadn’t done anything wrong, and he was the type to get anything what he wanted, even if it meant ruining the lives of innocent people. The people of Japan were frightened of their emperor, especially the servants of the palace. If a servant had done anything wrong, even just one tiny slip up, they would be beaten or killed. There was another man in Japan that the people feared as well. This man was Emperor Hisashi’s general Takeshi Saitou. General Takeshi was a samurai and was as evil as Emperor Hisashi. General Takeshi loved his job of slaughtering people. Whether it was an adult or even a child; General Takeshi had great pleasure of slaughtering people with his sword.

          Under Emperor Hisashi’s reign, the people of Japan lived in fear. They did all they could not to displease the emperor or general, because no one wanted to be killed. But there was one hope for them, and that was Emperor Hisashi’s half-sister, Princess Annika Miyamoto. Princess Annika disappeared sometime after her older brother took the throne. Some people suspected that Emperor Hisashi killed her, so that none of her future children would take the throne from him. Others believed that she ran away; with an evil brother like that, the people didn’t blame her. It had been twenty two years since Princess Annika disappeared and she hadn’t been seen or heard since. But that didn’t stop the people of Japan believing that one day she would return, dethrone her brother and take the throne as empress.

          Of all people in Japan, who hated Emperor Hisashi and General Takeshi, there was one woman who hated those two most of all. This woman’s name was Nobuko Okamoto. Nobuko was a servant girl in the palace; her work was in the kitchens. The reason why she hated the emperor and the general was because they slaughtered her family, when she was only a little girl, and ever since that day she swore revenge on them. Nobuko knew that they were too strong for her to defeat alone, but she knew what to do. Ever since her family’s death, Nobuko was raised by her father’s friend, Tetsuya Ronin. Tetsuya was a samurai and he taught Nobuko everything about being a samurai and also how to fight like one, while she grew up. Tetsuya had died from old age now, but Nobuko always practiced everything that Tetsuya taught her.

          One day Nobuko put a plan into action. Her plan was to leave the palace and find someone who could help her get revenge on the emperor and general. As a servant girl was never allowed to leave the palace, Nobuko had to disguise herself as a man. She wore a black kimono, with a black hakama and black haori and straw sandals. To hide her long black hair, she tied it up and wore a straw hat. The Katana sword she carried with her was Tetsuya’s sword and she even kept a tanto sword with her. Tetsuya gave them to her before he died. After dressing herself up, she took a white horse out of the stables and left the palace grounds. “That’s a relief,” Nobuko said to herself “no one recognized me, and now I am free from the palace at last. But when I do come back here again, I will avenge my family’s death, and Emperor Hisashi and General Takeshi will get what they deserve”.

The Black and White Crystals of Ishma final part

A Happy Ending

         

          Prince Edward’s coronation was held the next day and he was now King Edward of Ishma and Julia was his Queen. Everyone was there and was happy that Ishma wasn’t in darkness. This coronation was also a celebration for what Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam did to save Ishma. Sophie’s family, Ted’s father, Jack’s father and Sam’s father were there too and they were proud of what their children did.

          King Edward and Queen Julia were sitting on their thrones, wearing their crown and tiara. King Edward sat up from his throne. “Everyone” he said “as you all know my twin brother Prince Charles tried to take the throne by force. But thanks to four special people he is gone and Ishma is safe again. Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam please step forward”.

          Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam stepped forward and faced King Edward. “Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam” he said “you have saved my kingdom and helped me get back on the throne. I am grateful for what you did and I thank you”. “I also thank you your majesty” said Sophie “going on an adventure was something I have always wanted to do”. “That goes the same for me” said Sam. “And me” said Jack. “Well that adventure was nice” Ted admitted “even though I’ve never been the adventurous type”. “In honour for everything that you have done for us” said King Edward “I present you with these gifts”.

          Queen Julia was carrying a creamy coloured cushion and there were four medals on the cushion. All four medals were round and silver on four different coloured ribbons and both had writing on them. One said knowledge, the second strength, the third courage and the fourth loyalty. The knowledge medal had a green ribbon, the strength medal had a red ribbon, the courage medal had a blue ribbon and the loyalty medal had a yellow ribbon.

          King Edward presented the medals one by one. “Ted” he said “smart and bright as a button. I present you with the medal of knowledge. Jack with the strength of a cart horse I present you the medal of strength. Sam courageous and unstoppable I present you the medal of courage. And Sophie for answering my wife’s plea for help I present you with the medal of loyalty. I once again thank you all”. “Thank you your majesty” Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam said together. Everyone clapped and cheered for them, while they smiled at each other in pride.

          As well as receiving medals from King Edward and Princess Julia, Ted, Jack and Sam were presented jobs in the castle. Ted became a councillor to the king and was given a room full of books all to himself. Jack and Sam became soldiers and they were a real fighting pair. Sam always got ready to fight while Jack got ready to cover him. As for Sophie; she was presented with a job too. Queen Julia wished to have Sophie to become her lady in waiting. “I cannot think of anyone else but you for a lady in waiting Sophie” said Queen Julia. Sophie was surprised, but she accepted the offer. “I would be honoured to serve you your majesty,” she said. So Sophie became Queen Julia’s lady in waiting.

          Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam all enjoyed a happy life in court together. And the most important jobs for the three boys were doing important tasks for the royal family. The tasks always had to go to faraway places to deliver messages or deliver and pick up something. Sophie joined them in these tasks, with permission from the king and queen, because she still wanted to have adventures with Ted, Jack and Sam and it was the same with the three boys. King Edward and Queen Julia understood Sophie’s feelings and they agreed to allow her and the three boys to go on adventures together.  Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam loved doing those jobs; they liked going on more adventures together. Everyone in Ishma all agreed that Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam were the best people for these sorts of tasks.           

          As for the black crystal of Ishma, King Edward did bury it in his ancestor Prince John’s grave. Of course no one, not even King Edward, revealed that. No one wanted history to repeat itself.

          Ishma was now a happy and peaceful land and it stayed that way for many, many, years.   

The Black and White Crystals of Ishma part 11

The Battle

         

          Prince Charles was still pouring dark magic over Ishma. “How does it feel Prince Charles?” asked Willy. “This feels lovelier than I ever thought” replied Prince Charles “now I will become king and have Ishma in darkness forever”.

          “That is what you think Charles!” shouted Prince Edward. “The throne will never be yours!” shouted Princess Julia “Edward is the rightful king”.

          “H-How did you escape?” asked Prince Charles in shock. “I had friends to help me” replied Prince Edward. Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam stood beside Prince Edward and Princess Julia. “I knew you would find the black crystal, which is why I asked my friends to find this” he presented the white crystal.

          “The white crystal” said Prince Charles “no matter, we can just fight like our ancestors did”. He fired a blast of dark magic towards Prince Edward. Prince Edward used his magic to block the attack. “Stand back everyone!” he shouted “this could get dangerous”. Princess Julia, Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam went back inside the castle and watched the fight from the door.

          The battle was a fierce one; Prince Edward and Prince Charles were firing blasts of magic at each other. A mixture of black and white lights could be seen on the castle roof.   Princess Julia, Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam watched it all happening. “This is just like what happened three hundred years ago, when Prince Arthur and Prince John battled each other” said Ted. “I agree with you Ted” said Princess Julia “this is all a repeated history. I hope Edward can win this battle”. “Yes he can I know it” said Sophie. They all prayed with all their heart that Prince Edward would win.

          The fight went on and on; the black and white crystals powers were clashing with each other. There was no way of telling who would win.

          “Give it up Edward” said Prince Charles “this kingdom is mine”.

          “If you think I am going to give the crown to you Charles you’re wrong” said Prince Edward “I’ll never let you rule Ishma with darkness and evil”.

          Prince Edward and Prince Charles still threw magic blasts at each other. Then suddenly the white crystals powers over threw the black crystals powers. “What is this” said Prince Charles. “This is the power of good” replied Prince Edward “the power of good is more powerful than the power of evil. Brother your greed for power and jealousy has gotten you under control. I will now finish this battle. White crystal power!” A strong blast of magic from the white crystal headed straight for Prince Charles and Willy. They were blasted from the castle roof and they fell to their death. 

          Prince Edward ran over to the side of the castle roof and looked down to where they lay dead on the ground. Princess Julia, Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam joined him.

          “I never thought that we would have had to kill Charles, Edward” said Princess Julia.

          “Neither did I Julia” Prince Edward said “and I don’t think our ancestor Prince Arthur thought that either when he fought and executed his twin brother Prince John”.

          “Hey look at the sky” said Jack, pointing towards the sky, “the sky is turning light again”. He was right; the dark sky returned to a sky of light.

          “That’s because since Prince Charles has been defeated Ishma will now return to the way it was” replied Ted “I must ask though, what are you going to do with the black crystal your highness?”

          The black crystal lay on the castle roof floor; Prince Charles dropped it when he got blasted. “This crystal is too dangerous to be in the reach of humans” said Prince Edward “it will be best to hide it where no one will get it again”.

          “I suggest we bury it with your ancestor Prince John” said Sophie “since he’s the one who created it, he should keep it safe. We just have to make sure that no one will find out”.

          “I agree with that idea” said Prince Edward “but now the time has come for me to take my rightful place as the new king of Ishma”. They left the castle roof.

The Black and White Crystals of Ishma Part 10

Darkness in Ishma

 

         

          By this time Prince Charles and his servant Willy were standing on the castle roof. Prince Charles still had the black crystal in his hands and was grinning from ear to ear.

          “Willy, the time has come to shower Ishma in darkness” said Prince Charles, raising the black crystal high in his hands, “I will do what my ancestor, Prince John, failed to do. I will rein Ishma in darkness forever”.

          A black light from the crystal shot straight up into the sky and turned the sky very dark. The people of Ishma became terrified of the suddenly dark sky and ran into their homes, in terror. “What’s going on, what’s happened?” they all shouted. They all stayed in the home, praying the darkness would go away soon.

          It was about that time that Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam arrived at the castle in a flash of light. “Wow” said Sam “that was amazing!”

          “Yes, but I hope that we don’t have to travel by magic again” said Ted, still in a bit of a shock.

          “Hey look at the sky” said Jack, pointing to the dark sky.

          “Oh no” said Sophie “Prince Charles must have found the black crystal and is using its powers now. We need to find Prince Edward and Princess Julia now”.

          “My guess is Prince Charles has put them into the dungeon” said Ted, thoughtfully, “but where is the dungeon?”    “I know where” said Sophie “King Richard used to invite my family to the castle for a visit when I was a child. During those visits Prince Edward and Prince Charles showed me around the castle, including the dungeons. The dungeons are under the castle. Follow me I know a shortcut to the dungeons”. They entered the castle by going through the back door of the castle; it was a door servants used to enter the castle.

          As Prince Charles was too busy concentrating of using the black crystal’s powers, he hadn’t noticed that Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam had entered the castle. With Sophie leading, they ran through the kitchen, went into a room with a big trap door. Jack opened the trapdoor and they went down the stairs straight to the dungeon. “Oh no” whispered Sophie “the guards are guarding the cells”. “Leave them to me” said Jack. With his strength, Jack knocked the guards out cold easily.

          “Who’s there?” said a voice. “Prince Edward it’s me” replied Sophie, running to the cell where he and his wife were in. “Sophie” said Prince Edward “thank goodness you’re here”. Prince Edward and Princess Julia were happy to see Sophie. “Did you find the white crystal?” asked Princess Julia. “Yes” said Sophie “but I couldn’t do it without my friends Ted, Jack and Sam”. “I thank you all” said Prince Edward “but we have to get out of here fast and stop my brother from using the black crystal. But we need the keys to unlock the prison door”. “No problem” said Jack, presenting the keys, “I took the keys off one of the guards”. He unlocked the door and Prince Edward and Princess Julia were now free. “Here Prince Edward” said Sophie, taking out the white crystal out of her apron pocket and passing it to him.

          When Prince Edward had the white crystal in his hands, the white crystals magic flowed into his body. “I can feel the power within me” he said “now we can defeat my brother. Let’s go everyone”. They all ran out of the dungeons, ran up the stairs through the trap door. Then they ran through the main hall, up the stairs, through the corridor, until they reached the castle roof. “It is time for me to face my twin brother, like my ancestor Prince Arthur faced his” said Prince Edward. He opened the door to the castle roof.

The Black and White Crystals of Ishma part 9

The Recovery of the

White Crystal of Ishma

 

          The stairs led Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam down to an underground tunnel. It was very dark and quiet and it looked easily to get lost in.

          “I don’t like the look of that tunnel” said Ted “It’s dark and creepy”.

          “Maybe so” said Sophie “but since the crystal is in there, we will have to go through. But we need light to see where we are going”

          “I know what we can do for light” said Sam; he took two stones out of his pockets “my father and I always carry flint stones with us just in case”. He found a wooden torch and used his flint stones to make a flame on the torch.

          “You’re brilliant Sam” said Sophie “Jack you carry it”.

          With Jack carrying the torch, they all set off into the tunnel. Ted didn’t like being in a dark tunnel, so he stayed close to the light. They walked down the tunnel; further and further away from the entrance. Then they had to stop.

           In front of them was a stone wall, blocking their way. “We need to move these rocks out the way” said Sophie “there is no other path for us to take”. “Leave it to me” said Jack. He handed the torch to Ted, picked up a thick plank of wood that lay by the wall and then used it like a lever to get the heavy rocks out the way. Then finally the path was clear of the rocks. “Wow you and your strength Jack” said Sam, giving Jack back the torch. Jack held his head in embarrassment.

          They continued down the tunnel again, until they came to a bridge. It was a long rope bridge, with wooden planks, leading across a gorge.

          “My guess the white crystal is on the other side of this bridge” said Sophie “but this bridge doesn’t look safe to me”. Jack and Ted agreed with her.

          “How about I cross first and see if it’s safe” said Sam. “All right, but be careful Sam” said Sophie. Sam slowly and carefully walked across the rope bridge. He got to the other side safely. “It’s best that you go one at a time” he called to the others. One by one Sophie, Ted and Jack walked across the bridge. Ted felt scared, but he too got across the bridge safely. “When this is all over I never want to cross a rope bridge again,” he grumbled “I’m always surprised about how much courage you have Sam”. Sam raised his head in pride.

          After walking some more they came to a dead end. “The tunnel ends here, but I don’t see the white crystal” said Sophie.

          “Hey look at this wall” said Jack, holding the torch up higher and pointing to the wall in front of them, “It’s a wall painting”.

          “You’re right Jack” said Ted, observing it, “I think this maybe a clue to finding the white crystal, now let me see. This whole painting is a picture of the war between Ishma and Irasha. I can see the king of Ishma around that time. I wonder if touching it might reveal something”. He touched the picture of the king of Ishma. Suddenly the picture moved forward, then the whole wall painting moved to the right and there behind the wall was the white crystal of Ishma standing on top of a stone pillar.

          “Wow Ted” said Jack “you and your brain”. Ted beamed with pride.

          Sophie walked over to the stone pillar, picked up the white crystal, wrapped it in her handkerchief and placed it in her apron pocket. “Come we must leave at once” she said. They slowly walked over the rope bridge again and ran all the way back to the entrance of the tunnel. Balthazar was there waiting for them. “You four did a great job” he said “now I will take you back to Ishma myself”. He raised his staff and then Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam suddenly disappeared in a flash of light. “Good luck all of you” Balthazar whispered.

The Black and White Crystals of Ishma part 8

Balthazar

          Irashma meadow was very big and wide. Where ever you looked there was grass and wildflowers everywhere. Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam got down from the cart

          “Thank you for the ride” said Sophie, giving the cart driver a coin.

          “It was my pleasure misses” said the cart driver “do you want me to stay here to take you back to the village?”

          “Don’t bother sir” replied Sophie “we have no idea how long we are going to stay here”. So the cart driver left with his horse and cart.

          Ted took a good look at Irashma meadow. “This meadow is so green, colourful and peaceful” he said “it’s almost as if that war fifty years ago never happened”.

          “I must ask” said Sam “how will we find the white crystal of Ishma here? This meadow is enormous.”

          “Excuse me” said a voice behind them “did you say the white crystal of Ishma?” It was an old man, with long white hair, wearing a white robe and was carrying a long staff.

          “Who are you?” asked Sam, getting ready to fight the old man just in case.

          “I am Balthazar” the old man answered “I was a magician of Ishma, but I live here in Irasha now. Why are you looking for the white crystal of Ishma?”

          “Prince Charles of Ishma is planning to rule over Ishma with the power of the black crystal of Ishma” explained Sophie “that is why we’re here. Prince Edward and Princess Julia sent us here to search for the white crystal of Ishma”.

          “So he is planning to do what his ancestor Prince John did huh?” said Balthazar “Hmm I had a feeling this would happen “you better come with me”.

          “I take it you know about the black and white crystals of Ishma?” asked Ted.

          “Yes” replied Balthazar “the truth is I am a descendant of the magician who gave Prince Arthur and Prince John the gift of magic three hundred years ago. That story had been passed down in my family ever since”.

          “I remember reading that story” said Ted.

          “Is there no story that you haven’t read?” asked Sam; he has heard Ted saying he had read this or that lots of times.

          “Come on Ted and Sam” said Sophie “now is not the time for arguing, Balthazar do you know where the white crystal is?”

          “Yes I do, the truth is fifty years ago the king of Ishma at that time gave me the white crystal” said Balthazar “the white crystal is why Ishma and Irasha were at war with each other. Irasha wanted it, but the king of Ishma wouldn’t let them have it, so it caused that war. After the war was over, the king gave the crystal to me. He feared that someone else might want to have the white crystal for its powers for selfish reasons. So he gave it to me to keep it somewhere safe”.

          “Why here at Irasha and not at Ishma?” asked Jack.

          “The people of Irasha had no idea that it was lost here, so hiding it here was a safer place than Ishma”.

          Balthazar led them straight into the middle of Irashma meadow and brought them to a large white memorial. The memorial was very tall and had names on all its four sides. “This memorial is a remembrance of those from Ishma who died in the war that took place here fifty years ago” explained Balthazar “this is also where I hid the white crystal”.

          “But I don’t see the white crystal here” said Sam, looking at the memorial.

          “All is not what it seems” said Balthazar. He raised his stick and said “Open Sesame!” The memorial moved backwards and there in front of it were stairs. “Go and retrieve the white crystal and hurry”.

          “Okay” said Sophie “boys lets go” and they headed down the stairs.

The Black and White Crystals of Ishma part 7

Arriving at Irasha

 

          After sailing across the ocean nearly all afternoon Sophie and her friends finally reached Irasha. The ship docked into the harbour. The town looked exactly like the town back in Ishma, only bigger. It was starting to get dark and they needed somewhere to stay for tonight.

          “Okay since we are finally here” said Sophie “what we should do is find a place to stay for the night and gather food and water. We will need all the rest we can get for tomorrow. Then as soon as dawn hits we’ll set off for Irashma meadow tomorrow, agreed?” The boys agreed.

          They found an inn, not far from the harbour, and asked the innkeeper to spend the night there. The innkeeper agreed and asked the chef to cook them something to eat. While they were eating Sophie asked the inn keeper if there were any horse and carts that would take her and the boys to Irashma meadow.

          “Are you going there to pay respects to your ancestors who fought in the war there?” asked the innkeeper “most people do nowadays”.

          “Yes sir we are” Sophie answered. She didn’t dare tell him that they were going to look for the white crystal of Ishma there, just in case it would cause trouble.

          “There is a horse and cart not far from here that will take you there” the inn keeper said “the driver will take you there any time you want”. Sophie and the three boys finished their dinner, said thank you to the inn keeper and went to bed. Sophie had a room to herself, while Ted, Jack and Sam shared a room together.

          Sophie had trouble falling asleep that night. She was worried about what was happening back at Ishma. ‘I pray that Prince Charles hasn’t done the worst yet’ she thought to herself ‘I also hope that Edward and Julia are alright’. But now was not the right time for her to worry about that. Her only concern now was finding the white crystal of Ishma, so she decided to sleep instead.

          Once dawn set the next morning Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam left the inn and got everything ready for the journey to Irashma meadow. First up they bought some supplies like bread, cheese and water they would need for the journey. Next they went to look for a cart driver to take them there. Luckily they found a cart driver in the village square by a fountain.

          “Excuse me sir” said Sophie “but my friends and I would like to go to Irashma meadows please”.

          “Of course madame” said the cart driver “it will be my pleasure to take you there. Since Irashma meadow is a popular place I get lots of passengers”.

          “Thank you sir” said Sophie “but I must ask how long will it take to get there?” She hoped it wouldn’t take too long.

          “By horse and cart, it is much quicker to get there than on foot” the cart driver replied. Sophie felt relieved; they had no time to lose.

          Sophie, Ted, Jack and Sam boarded the cart, with their bag of food and water. Then the cart driver got his horse moving. The horse was a strong and quick horse; it gave them a splendid ride. They rode through the town and then they came to grassy areas.

          “I read on a map that before getting to Irashma meadow, you will have to pass through a forest” said Ted “will we be able to get through there with the horse and cart?”

          “No need to worry” said the cart driver “there is a path that goes through the forest to the meadow”.

          He was right; when they arrived at the forest there was nothing, not even a tree log, blocking their way. Thanks to the horse and cart they got through the forest easily and then at last they arrived at Irashma meadow.

The Black and White Crystals of Ishma part 6

The Recovery of the

Black Crystal of Ishma

 

         

          At the castle of Ishma Prince Charles and Willy were on the search for the black crystal. It was not an easy search because the only clue they had was the black crystal was hidden in the castle walls. There was no information which castle wall it was hidden in.

          “Why Willy?” said Prince Charles, who was getting angry, “Why is it difficult to find just one crystal?”

          “It’s because your highness there are hundreds of walls and only one black crystal in the castle” Willy said.

          “That was a rhetorical question idiot!” shouted Prince Charles, he was getting very impatient.

          “Pardon me your highness,” said Willy “but how would we know which wall the crystal is hidden in?”

          “Look for a loose brick,” Prince Charles said “the black crystal would be hidden behind a loose brick. Willy you search for loose bricks, I’m going to visit my brother and sister in law in the dungeon”.

          So Willy began searching for loose bricks. He searched the rooms upstairs, then the rooms downstairs, but none of them held loose bricks. Finally he searched in the castle cellar. The castle cellar wasn’t exactly a big room; it hadn’t been used for anything much except for keeping unused items. Mostly empty boxes and empty glass jars and bottles. Willy began to search for loose bricks, suddenly a brick moved, in the middle of the back wall. Willy touched the brick again and suddenly it slid to one side like magic. Willy was amazed! Behind the wall was a hidden flight of stairs leading to a door. Willy ran to the dungeons to tell Prince Charles what he had found.

          In the dungeons Prince Charles was talking to Prince Edward and Princess Julia.

          “Why are you doing this Charles?” Prince Edward asked “you are turning your back on your own family. And you will be making your own home a misery.”

          “I’m just taking what I want and that’s the throne of Ishma” said Prince Charles “I have always lived in your shadow as the youngest twin. But when I become king you will be in the shadows”.

          Just then Willy rushed in and told Prince Charles about the secret passage he found.

          “I think that might be where the black crystal is” Willy said.

          “Good work Willy” said Prince Charles “now my brother I have got a black crystal to find”. And he left.

          “He really is crazy enough to process the black crystal” said Princess Julia.

          “Yes he is,” said Prince Edward “he is crazy for power just like my ancestor Prince John was”.

          “I just hope that Sophie will succeed of finding the white crystal soon”.

          “Of course she will,” said Prince Edward “Sophie is a smart girl and I know she will not let us down. I trust her.”

          All Prince Edward and Princess Julia could do now was wait for Sophie to return with the white crystal of Ishma.

          Meanwhile Willy showed Prince Charles the flight of stairs behind the back wall in the cellar. Prince Charles and Willy went down the stairs and opened the door at the bottom of the stairs. The door wasn’t locked. Behind the door was a room filled with old magic spell books and magic items. There was even a portrait of Prince John.

          “I reckon this hidden room was where my ancestor Prince John studied his dark magic” said Prince Charles.

          “Your highness look over there!” said Willy, pointing to a glass container. In the glass container was the black crystal of Ishma.

          “So my ancestor Prince Arthur hid the crystal in this secret room all the time” said Prince Charles.

          He lifted the lid of the glass container and took out the crystal. As soon as the black crystal was in his hands, dark magic from the crystal flowed through his body.

          “With these dark magic powers I will rule Ishma in darkness like my ancestor Prince John did” said Prince Charles “and no one will stop me”.  He laughed a very evil laugh and Willy joined in with him, Willy liked being surrounded by evil and darkness. Willy was just as evil as Prince Charles.