Narrator: I see you've come here for a story. I've got a good tale for you children today. The story of the Wizard's Daughter. She was a fine young lass: intelligent sea green eyes, hair the color of the sunset and a gentle smile. Some say she was the ancestor of today's top SHIELD spy, though some would say otherwise. But that is of little importance, a story is to be told so gather round.
When the world was young and magic was known to all, there was a cruel and greedy wizard. He controlled the luck of the farmers and hunters and sometimes used his magic to make crops fail and animals run away. He would steal any living crop and hoarded all the animals for himself, not once caring for another. He also stole all the riches in the king's treasure room. The poor non-magical humans, or mundanes as the magical folk called them, were powerless against his magic. Other wizards in the community tried to help them time and again, but the evil wizard would then steal all the harvest they grew magically.
One day, a day in the time when all the animals had vanished and there were no crops left for anyone, a young man named Steven was traveling down the road in search of something for his family to eat. He had slightly tanned skin, kind ocean blue eyes, and hair the color of spun gold. Just like the rest of the townsfolk his family was poor, but being of a wizarding family he had small necessities. He was traveling down by the forest when an old man, cloaked in black, came off the road and greeted the young man.
"What are you doing out in the woods, Grandfather?" asked the boy.
Narrator: Everyone back in those times called the elderly Grandmother and Grandfather.
"You look like a fine young lad. It's your lucky day, boy! I need a strong young man to do some chores for me, these old bones can't do it themselves you know. If you serve me for three years, you will have your meals and earn a fortune in golden coins. Five for the first year, ten for the second year, and fifteen for the third year. You'll be rich, boy!" the old man smiled merrily at Steven with a perfect set of pearly white teeth. Steven was surprised a man as old as this would have teeth like that. Steven himself didn't have any elders, but the village did and they all had old yellow teeth, some even had missing a tooth or two. But he didn't trouble himself, for here was a man offering him riches beyond his wildest dreams! He accepted the man's offer and was taken to a cavern, deep into the earth.
After a large meal which had many magical and non-magical dishes, the old man turned to the boy and said in an old gravely voice, "It's time to get to work, lad." He showed Steven his menageries and what Steven saw there made him gasp. All the missing animals were here, from the smallest shrew to the largest dragon. He realized he was working for the wizard now, and he had to obey or he and his family would be killed. When Steven was done feeding all the animals his new master told him, "Go keep the hunters busy until I call you again. My animals don't get such a feast everyday, you know."
So obeying his master's command, Steven waited for further instructions on how to keep them busy. Instead, the old man chanted some strange words, waved his wand and transfigured the boy into a hare! Oh, how surprised that boy was when he felt himself being turned into a rabbit. His flesh turned to fur and his teeth elongated into a rabbit's teeth. The wizard sent him on his way and soon all the hunters, seeing the only animal for miles around, gave chase. But the boy hid in burrows and leapt quickly from the arrows, playing a witty game and outwitting the hunters. Steven felt bad for them, but he didn't want to end up on a table.
A year passed and his master called him back and with a booming voice and he returned to him. He chanted words again, waved his wand and the boy was turned back into his rightful self.
"Here are the five pieces gold I promised." The wizard handed him five gold pieces. "How did you like being a hare?"
"I liked it well enough, because my friends had always called me slow, but now I had outrun them all!" the young man smiled as he said this, for he had indeed found himself running from his friends to save his life.
The wizard gave him another big meal, and Steven fed the animals. That being done the wizard told him to go back to the forest near the river. This time, the wizard turned the golden haired boy into a salmon. He swam up river where all the hunters saw him. They leapt up from their places and gave chase. The hunters and fishermen threw their best fishing spears and tried to use their best nets but Steven always got away. The men looked so desperate Steven started to feel sorry for them. He looked up through the water at the barren farms and forest. How he wished he could break his master's evil hold on his country, but he, as the fish-boy, swam downstream as fast as he could. The river carried him out to the ocean, where he swam to the deeper water and waited out his year.
Once it had passed, Steven's master again summoned him with the charm. He muttered some words, waved his wand, and the boy was himself again. He was careful not to show his true feelings by using blocking his mind, which the village elder had taught him. And his master, for all his great and terrible power, did not think look inside the boy's mind or use a truth spell, so he was none the wiser.
For the third time, Steven ate a scrumptious meal and fed all the beasts. Again the wizard uttered a spell, but this time Steven listened closely and caught the words of the spell. In a minute, Steven turned into a large griffin and, with a beat of his large feathery wings, he was off soaring into the sky. He was closely followed by the hunters below him, but as he soared higher, they realized he was too high to hit with their arrows and spears.
He flapped his wings and ascended higher into the heavens. When he finally broke through the cloud layer and flew above the clouds – what a glorious surprise! A castle was floating in the sky above the world. It was made of glass and shined in the sunlight, and was surrounded by a garden so vibrant that the boy, because he was still a griffin, squawked in awe. Birds flew in and out of every open window as the castle bobbed along amid the clouds. Steven landed on a terrace and thought the words of the spell to himself to change him back into a boy.
Walking inside the palace he followed the mass of sparrows that were flying in one direction, seeming towards something. Inside a large room he found all different types of birds surrounding a maiden. One brave raven even perched on her shoulder and ran his beak through her sunset red hair. The pale maiden, who had never seen a man before, was frightened at first, but when she got a good look at him, she smiled.
"Oh yes, I know you," she said. "You work for the wizard, and he is pleased with you."
"How do you know all this, living here above the clouds?" demanded Steven as he searched his clothes for his wand. She smiled at him and took his wand from the raven, which had snatched it up from where it had dropped when he had transformed again. He bowed and took the holly wand from her. He then repeated the question.
"I know what I know," she answered. "I am the wizard's daughter and I keep the secrets of his magic world. For that reason he keeps me prisoner in this floating castle, and only he can bring me back." The wizard's daughter introduced herself as Natalia of the Mist, for her eyes had reminded her father of the blue- green ocean water. And Steven realized that in fact they did look they might hold the ocean inside them. She had sunset-colored hair that was braided back with tiny sapphires so that it looked like the sky transitioning from day to night.
She told him how she remembered little of the world below, besides what she had seen from above when the clouds weren't as densely packed together, so he described it to her. He told her of the golden sunlight dappling the ground in the forests, and of the white snow that covered the ground in winter. The young man promised she would once again feel the ground under her feet. Steven told her how the country folk, both magic and mundane, had suffered because of the wizard. They decided they would find a way to outsmart the old man, but meanwhile they were so happy together that the days slipped by. Then one day the wizard's daughter reminded Steven that very soon her father would call him home.
She said, "I have a plan to trick my father into bringing me down from this sky palace and to end his wicked magic forever."
Steven couldn't wait to hear it. So, Natalia told him how the king, trying to spare his people further suffering, had gotten heavily in debt to the wizard.
"He will lose his head if he can't pay on the appointed day. And he can't; I know this for sure. He is more and more afraid as the day approaches, while the wizard looks forward to having him out of the way and ruling both the magical and mundane kingdoms himself. Those in his company are already preparing the celebration."
"How much does the mundane king owe the wizard?"
"Thirty gold pieces. It is exactly what you have earned in your three years." Natalia told him. "Now here is my plan. You must change yourself back into a griffin and fly home when the wizard calls you. He'll restore your human form, give you your pieces, and you will be free to leave. Carry the gold coins straight to the royal palace and offer them to the king. In exchange, ask if you disguised as a jester can accompany him when he makes the payment. The king will be so relieved to be free of his debt that he won't argue.
"When you and the king near the wizard's cave, you will instead see a huge glass castle where it once led into the earth. You must run ahead and enter the castle tower, making sure that you leave the door open behind you. Do every silly trick and spell you can think of to distract the wizard from the open door.
"The day will be a long one. Before it is over, you will stand trial for your life. You must be strong and brave, and face my father's fury. If you can do that, I will soon be with you, and once we are together, we can outwit him."
It was time to go. Steven waved his wand and changed himself back into a griffin, and the wizard's daughter led him to the outdoor garden. She whispered something tot the raven, and then motioned for the boy to take off. As swiftly as his wings could carry him, Steven flew down the chasm to the wizard's residence. When he reached a cliff overlooking all the animals he saw the wizard waiting for him with the bags. The wizard changed Steven back into a young man, gave him the gold coins, and their negotiation was complete. The wizard went back down into the vast plain he had fit into the cave, and Steven put the sack of coins in his pocket and went on his way. A raven, the same from the glass palace, landed on his shoulder. Steven ignored the bird, but was happy to have company all the same.
Steven found a wild horse and, using his magic, was able to ride the stallion all the way to the capital city of the mundane King. There he found the royal palace, went inside, and told the guards he had an important message for the king. When the guards saw the rich cargo he had, and the wand at his side, they ushered him right into the royal chamber. Steven held the bag of pieces out to the king and said, "All this is yours, Your Majesty, if you will grant me but one wish."
The king gasped. Here was enough gold to save his life! He gladly allowed Steven to accompany him is disguise. It seemed a bit strange, but he did it anyway, for this young man had saved his life and the whole kingdom, and that's what counted. Steven used his magic to transport himself, the raven, and the king about a mile and a half from the wizard's cave. They walked the rest of the way, with Steven prancing and cavorting the whole way, the raven circling over their heads. As they neared their destination, the sky darkened. The wizard's palace glittered in the distance, decked with lights for a party.
Steven ran ahead and threw back the tall doors of the tower. The raven cawed and followed him in, doing aerial acrobatics above everyone's heads. Steven bowed low and began to caper around the room, making the wizard howl with glee at his foolishness. Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind blew through the open door. The candle's flickered; then the palace was dark. Quickly Steven grabbed a torch and scrabbled up into the rafters to rekindle the huge chandelier. Just as he grasped its chain, his foot slipped, and the heavy metal ring swung across, smashing the wall of the glass tower into a thousand pieces.
"So fool, you think you can destroy my treasure and live to tell the story!" the wizard bellowed, his face reddening with fury. "I order you to stand trial. You must solve three questions that I will put to you. If you can't, I will have your head, both your and your companions." The king ran into the shadows, cowering. The raven landed on the young man's shoulders and gently nipped his ear. Steven, remembering what his true love had told him, climbed down and bravely faced the king. He knew the raven would help him, and so would Natalia.
"Question one," announced the wizard. "Tell me, where is my daughter?"
"Floating above the clouds," Steven answered. The wizard couldn't believe that the fool knew his daughter.
"That was just a luck guess," he snarled. He began to sway from side to side, muttering a spell Steven had never heard before. Suddenly, a whole troop of girls appeared, each identical to the wizard's daughter. "Again, where is my daughter?"
Steven calmly walked up and down the row of girls. As he stood in front of one of the girls he felt the raven tug on his earlobe. He pulled the redhed from the line, away from the others, and she smiled up at him. "Here she is. Here is your true daughter!" he called out. The wizard glared at Steven.
"You have done well," the wizard admitted. "The next question won't be so easy. Question number two has two parts. First, where is my heart?" The wizard's daughter, close by Steven's side, whispered the answer.
"It is in a bird." He repeated loudly.
"Would you know the bird?"
"Yes, bring it forward."
A hundred thousand birds flew in from every window, flying quickly around the room as a swarm. When the right bird flew by, Natalia held out her hand, and the bird landed on it. It was an African Crowned Eagle, with brown feathers and piercing black eyes. Steven, while the bird wasn't looking, cut its stomach open. Inside was a heart as black as ice. Steven pierced it with the knife and it turned to ash.
There was no third question. The wizard, his magic undone, had crumbled into the ground, along with his ruined palace and the thirty pieces gold. The reign of the evil wizard was over.
The animals ran back to their native habitats. Crops sprang to life, and the word spread all through the land that the wizard had been defeated and no one would go hungry again. The king brought Steven and his sweetheart back home to his palace, where they were married in great grandeur. He rewarded their bravery with miles of the richest farmland, where they raised a family and lived in comfort and happiness for the rest of their days.
Narrator: And so ends the story of the wizard's daughter. Narrator: And so ends the story of the wizard's daughter. Over the years the magical beings lost touch with their magic, but every child born knows the story of how the wizard was defeated by two teens in love.
Yay! Another Romanogers fic. This was originally written for a Harry Potter Night put on at my library for little kids. It was a shadow puppet play that happened after the children were led through "Hogwarts" or the library itself. So it's got magic in it, but I changed it up a bit. Please tell me what you think and don't forget to check out my other Steve/Natasha stories!