"What are you doing!?" Eli yelled. She jolted to a stop at the edge of the clearing, one hand pressed to her heart and eyes growing wide in horror.
"What's it look like I'm doin'?" the girl replied. She was crouched in the center of the grassy area, chisel in one hand and hammer in the other. A broadsword was buried deep in a large rock, hilt gleaming gold in the sunshine. It would be nigh impossible to free it, unless you happened to be chosen by some silent power– or if you decided to break apart the stone holding it trapped.
"You- you can't just break it free!" Eli protested. She stepped out from under the trees and the girl rose to meet her. She was short, barely taller than the sword itself; black pigtails were tied up with ribbons as red as her eyes that were as red as rubies. She scowled at Eli.
"And why not?"
"It's stealing!"
"It's not stealing. If no one owns it, then it's free to take. And if someone was dumb enough to leave it like this in the first place, then frankly they deserve to have it stolen!"
"It's property of the Queen! She sends knights out every year to find it, and only the Chosen One can free it and return it."
"Wait, wait-" The girl laughed, grinning like a cat who'd just caught dinner. "Are you telling me that you think you're the Chosen One? Oh man, this good!"
"And why not?" Eli fired back. "I'm more likely to be the Chosen One than you, you who wants to steal it! Besides, the Oracle told me I'd be the one to pull it out of the stone."
"The Oracle? Really? You mean that purple-haired lady who sleeps in a cave all day and stares at stars? I feel a bit sorry for you, so I'll give you a piece of advice: never trust a word she says. I should know – I got stuck growing up with her. And besides, if only the Chosen One could free this sword, then could I do this?"
The girl huffed as she picked up a heavy sledgehammer, swinging it over her shoulder before slamming it down on the chisel stuck in the rock. Eli held her breath as the impact rang out through the clearing. There was no way this would work, it couldn't be possible, it wouldn't be fair—
The rock shuddered. A web of cracks spiraled out from the chisel, and the rock broke in two. The sword stood upright for a moment, balanced on the tip, blade practically glowing with its freedom, and the girl wasted no time in grabbing it.
"Well," she said, wrapping a leather bag around the sharp edges and holding it to her chest. "See ya."
Eli was left alone in the clearing, mouth hanging open. She couldn't make sense of it. The last month she'd spent wandering through this forest, searching and searching for the sword, and it had been whisked away from right in front of her. What was she going to tell the Queen?
"Oh gods, the Queen!" Eli jumped into motion, sprinting across the clearing and after the girl. "Wait! Wait!"
It didn't take long to catch up. She darted in front of the girl to stop her, hands out in a pleading gesture. The girl gave her an irritated look.
"What now?"
"What are you going to do with that sword?"
"None of your business."
"Do you want money? I can give you money!"
"Nah."
"What about, what about – oh, how about a better sword! You can't fight with that one, it's too big, but I could get you another one! I'll even teach you how to fight!"
"Pass."
"Well…. If you come to the city with me, you can meet the Queen! You can see the palace, and take part of the big ceremony, and even become a knight if you want!"
That made the girl pause. Eli watched her, breaths coming short and quick, trying to control the panic running through her. The girl was nodding to herself, looking thoughtfully out into the distance.
"Yeah, alright."
"Really?"
"I said yes, didn't I? Besides, I was heading to the castle anyways." The girl set off again, pushing through the trees. Eli stared after her, shifting her weight from foot to foot until the girl finally looked back. "What?"
"Um. The castle is the other direction."
The girl's face colored. "I knew that. I was just testing you." She marched off in the direction Eli was pointing and Eli hurried to catch up with her.
"So. Ah. My name's Eli?"
"Nico."
"It's nice to meet you, Nico! Do you… do you want me to hold the sword for you? Just, 'cause, it looks a little awkward, since it's so big, so…"
"Hah! No way. Don't think I'll fall for you little tricks. I'll give you the sword and you'll run off with it. I know your types."
"I wouldn't have…" Eli trailed off, unsure if she believed her own words. They fell into an uneasy silence, Eli always a few steps behind. Nico walked with determination and confidence, as if it was every day she cheated a century old enchantment. Somehow Eli wouldn't be surprised if it was true.
Really, what was she going to do? Twenty knights had been sent out to search for the sword. None were expected to bring it back. Many of the knights wouldn't come back themselves, either killed by a monster or having run away in shame. Eli had sworn never to do something like that. She wasn't going to fail. Ever since she was a child, her dreams had been filled with images of the sword, and she had always known that she would be the one to bring it back. Eli had never expected it to be like this.
What would the Queen say? Would she really accept Nico into the ranks of knighthood, despite no formal training? There was no way that would work. Knights had to be a beacon of virtue. A group of elite people the citizens could look up to and trust. Nico was a thief, through and through. She didn't deserve the status of a knight. She didn't deserve the rewards and praise she would receive for bringing the sword. She didn't deserve everything Eli had strived towards for the last twenty years.
There was only way one around it: Somehow, Eli needed to get her hands on that sword.
It was a three day walk to the castle, assuming they didn't run into any trouble. Eli didn't expect much. This close to the city, the forest was regularly patrolled to thin down the packs of monsters roaming through the trees. She'd spent years of her life doing that job, and she knew the forest like she knew the back of her hand.
Walking with Nico made it feel like it was the first time she'd stepped beneath the trees.
"And that tree over there," Nico said, chattering her way through her fifth story of the hour, "that's where I tried to fly once. I got some dumb enchantment from a girl that was supposed to make me weightless for an hour. It didn't work, obviously, but I jumped off that branch up there. Barely saved myself, too! Grabbed onto that other branch, see it? No, farther right- I caught that with my amazing skill! Impressive, isn't it?"
Eli hummed in agreement, head tilted back to find the branches Nico was talking about. After a moment of searching she found a long, thick branch, stretching out from the base of trunk a good thirty feet in the air. It would be the perfect place for a monster to swoop down from. Or for a girl to attempt the same thing.
Nico continued talking as they traversed a small river, hopping from rock to rock. She had started her stories an hour into their walk, and hadn't stopped since. Eli wasn't sure if it was due to boredom or the love of her own voice. A dozen stories in and Eli realized she was enjoying the conversation, as one-sided as it was. A hundred stories after that and Eli wasn't so thrilled.
"So I went up to Nozomi – the Oracle, I mean. Nozomi's her real name, but don't tell her I told you that, or she'll beat me up – I went up to her said, I got this advice from a gardener living in the village over, and she said, Oh, the one with the red hat? You shouldn't trust that one. And I said, I know! Because I was talking to this other person, who-"
"Nico, do you know every person in this forest?"
"Well, duh! I've only lived here my whole life."
"I've lived in the city my entire life and I don't know everyone."
"That's not a surprise, Eli. If you want to know people you have to talk to them, and you've barely said a word this whole time!"
"I can't! You won't stop talking yourself!"
"Pshh, like that's a bad thing." Nico waved her hand dismissively and turned around to face Eli. She kept walking backwards, somehow not tripping over anything. "Alright, your turn. Tell me a story."
"About what?"
"I don't know! That's not my job."
Eli sighed. Why had she ever opened her mouth? "Fine, fine… I used to make jewelry."
"That's not a story."
"You didn't let me finish!" Eli shot an angry look at Nico's grin before continuing. "I'm not from around here. My sister and I were born farther north, but when we were young our parents brought us here to visit our grandmother. Then they just… disappeared, left without us. So it was just me, my sister, and our grandmother, and my grandmother is too old to work. So I made jewelry. I made everything, necklaces and bracelets and earrings, and would spend the day selling them in the richer neighborhoods. Sometimes I did well, sometimes I sold nothing an entire week.
"And then I ran into the Queen. She was still the Princess back then, just a couple years younger than me, and I didn't know she was royalty. She had escaped from her advisors, something that's still a regular occurrence to this day, and had gotten lost in the city. I hadn't sold anything that day. I was tired and frustrated and hungry, and then this rich kid with her pretty white dress came running up to me, and I'll be honest when saying I was rather rude to her."
"I'm shocked, Eli, truly shocked. What a twist."
"Anyway, the Princess didn't care. Somehow she convinced me to show her the way to the castle, and then she took me inside the castle, and I was too in awe of everything to realize we were heading to the throne room. The Queen didn't seem mad that her daughter had run away. She must have been used to it, I suppose. She asked me a couple questions, bought one of my necklaces, and then sent me on my way. I thought that would be the end of it. It didn't need to be more! The Queen had liked my work, and that was enough to satisfy me for a lifetime.
"But the Princess kept coming back. She would wander around with me during the day and help me sell my wares, and I always seemed to do better when she was there. It was her idea that I should become a knight, actually. I wasn't fond of the idea. I might not seem like it, but I'm not a fighter, really. There's so many things I'd rather do. But… being a knight pays well. Most importantly, it's secure. If I became a knight, my sister and grandmother would never have to go hungry again. So I accepted. And here I am."
It was more than Eli had planned on saying. Nico took a moment to respond, kicking the dirt as she mulled over the story.
"I have three younger siblings," Nico finally said. "They're staying with Nozomi right now while I do my thing in the forest, scrounging up some money to last us through the next month. I would do anything for them. Anything. Even become a thief."
They made camp when it became too dark to see the ground in front of them. Nico was adept at creating fires, Eli learned, and soon the flames were roaring. That alone would be enough to keep the monsters at bay, but Eli volunteered to take first watch all the same. Nico shrugged, yawned, and then was fast asleep seconds later. She didn't seem to have a problem at all with her bumpy bed, and Eli wondered if Nico had ever slept in a real one. She knew there were people living in the forest, sometimes in large groups and sometimes on their own, but she'd never run into any before. That was the way they liked it.
What was life like, outside the castle walls? It was something Eli had never experienced, and something she couldn't imagine. It didn't matter, she told herself. She was a knight now. She was safe. She didn't have to worry about surviving each and every day, and she shouldn't worry about Nico. She couldn't, if she was to complete her quest. Eli stayed up almost the entire night, watching and waiting, but it was no good. Nico clung to the sword in her sleep, and Eli couldn't take it from her.
Nico was full of energy the next morning, practically skipping through the forest. Eli followed her groggily, hiding a yawn behind her hand.
"How are you so awake?"
"Maybe 'cause I actually slept, like a normal person?"
Eli only grumbled a response. She'd never slept well out in the open, and she didn't think she ever would. It was too dark and full of unknown dangers.
"Think I would make a good knight?" Nico asked a while later, twirling the sword idly. "I got the gear for it, now!"
"You'd need better gear than that. I told you already that sword is too big."
"What's the point in being a knight if you don't have a big sword? But fine, let's say I have a normal one. What then?"
"I think you have the determination and motivation to go through with it. I don't think you have the physical strength or the ability to listen to your superiors. You'd be kicked out of the academy within a month."
"A month, huh? I'll take it. Last school I went to kicked me out after a week. Guess I can't blame them though, I did nearly burn the place down."
"I'm not sure I want to hear this story."
"Come on, it's great! See, I was in math class, and-"
There was a rustling in the bushes, and the two of them froze. It was the sound of something large, with more feet than necessary, and at this time of day it was likely to be hungry. Eli raised a finger to her lips. Her bow was instantly in her hands, arrow at the ready. She crept silently through the trees, Nico a step behind her, until they spotted the monster.
It was roughly human shaped, aside from the third leg and the horns growing from its head. It had a snout like a dog, though Eli knew its sense of smell was likely abysmal, and an eye centered below its neck. Splotchy grey hide covered its body.
"If my arrow doesn't go through its skin," Eli whispered to Nico, taking aim, "get ready to dodge its charge."
The arrow flew true, lodging in the side of the monster's neck, and the monster raised a six-fingered hand and pulled it out. It looked at them, the eye on its chest blinking slowly, and then its snout opened into a toothy grin.
"Time to dodge?" Nico asked.
"Time to dodge."
The monster sprinted at them, its three legs pounding the ground in an unsettling rhythm, and Nico and Eli bolted in opposite directions. Eli ran through the trees easily, weaving around the trunks and ducking under the monster's swings. It was good it had come after her; she trusted Nico to have some experience fighting monsters, but Eli had trained for years for this, and it would take only moments to bring it down. All she needed was a clear shot for another arrow, and this time she'd hit the monster dead in the eye.
Eli rounded another tree, spinning around and taking quick steps backwards, bow raised. Two sets of footsteps crashed through the forest around her, one set heavy and one set light. The monster broke through a tree, wood splintering with a loud crack, and sprinted for Eli. Nico got there first.
"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAA!" Nico screamed her battle cry and charged forward, head down and sword held out like a lance. She hit the monster dead center, the blade piercing the leathery skin and sinking deep. Nico grinned, triumph running through her. "Pretty good for a non-knight, I'd say!"
"Nico, this isn't time to brag-"
"This is the perfect time to brag! I'm the best knight in the… world…?" Nico pulled at the sword, trying to free it for another swing, but it wouldn't budge. It took her a moment to realize what had happened, to comprehend that the monster had been turned to stone. Its arms were mid-swing, mouth frozen in a snarl, but it wasn't moving anytime soon. Nico was frowning at it, wondering just what kind of sword she had stolen, when Eli called out, "Medusa!"
"Eli, no!"
"Ah!"
Nico tackled Eli to the ground, covering her eyes with her hands and squeezing her own shut. "Don't look, you'll get turned to stone!"
"Don't be an idiot," a voice said from behind them. "I wouldn't turn a stranger into stone."
"I didn't say you'd do it on purpose," Nico shot back, turning around to glare at the girl who'd spoken. "I was trying to protect her from your ugliness."
"Why you little-" The girl took a step forward, eyes flashing, and Eli decided to intervene before things took a turn for the worse.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down." Eli pushed Nico to the ground and stood, extending a hand to the girl. Her hair was a bright poppy-red and not snake-like at all, she realized after getting a closer look. "Sorry, I see I spoke too soon. You came right when the monster turned to stone, so I assumed it was your doing, but it must have been the sword."
"No, that was me," the girl said after a moment, taking Eli's hand. "I only petrify people who annoy me."
"I see."
"Yeah, Maki's a special class of medusas," Nico said. She rolled to her feet and dusted herself off, heading back to the sword and monster statue. "Or so she says. I think she's just bad at turning people to stone and made up an excuse 'cause she's embarrassed."
"That's absolutely not true."
"Then why haven't you turned me to stone yet, huh? Or have I not annoyed you enough?"
"Well, that's because…"
"Because you liiiiiiiike me?"
"No! Because-"
"Nico, stop antagonizing her." Eli stepped between the two of them before it could come to blows. Not that she thought it would; Nico was still staring at the sword, barely paying attention to Maki. She wrapped her hands around the hilt, placed a foot on the side of the monster, grit her teeth, and pulled.
The sword didn't budge. Nico tried again, both feet on the stone now as she pulled with all her might. Eli and Maki stood side by side, arms crossed and expressions of faint amusement on their faces. Finally Nico gave up, collapsing on the ground and huffing and puffing. Eli rolled her eyes.
"You're so dramatic." She stepped up to the sword, grasping it with one hand and smoothly pulling it out. The stone monster crumbled into pebbles. "Nothing to it."
"Hey, no fair! That's my sword, you can't take it!"
"It's mine now." Eli slid it into the sheath tied to her waist, nodded at Maki, and headed off into the forest. Nico scrambled to her feet and chased after her.
"Eli! Eli, wait! You can't- you can't just leave!"
"Any why not?" Eli asked, turning to face Nico. "My duty is to bring the sword to the Queen. There's no reason for you to be there."
"But, but…" There were a thousand emotions spiraling in Nico's eyes, and Eli was struck by how lost she looked. Nico swallowed hard and stared at the ground, clenched fists trembling. "I just wanted to see the palace," she whispered. Then the moment passed, and she brought her fiery gaze back to Eli. "Fine then! I'll make my own way. I don't need you either!"
Nico spun around and sprinted through the trees. Eli watched her go, unable to move. This was what she had to do, this was the only option – so why did she feel like crying?
No, she was a knight. Knights didn't cry. Eli took a deep breath and turned away from Nico's disappearing figure. It was time to meet the Queen.
The day seemed never ending. Eli walked and walked, lost in her thoughts. Every so often she'd start to speak – there was an interesting bird over there, perhaps there was a river nearby – and she'd stop herself three words in, realizing no one was there to listen. Dusk fell, masking the world in shadows, and Eli walked on. When she finally slept it was close to dawn, and she didn't feel any better for the distance she had covered.
In her dreams, she relived the fight. The monster jumping from the bushes, her arrows poised to fire; and then she was Nico, grasping the huge sword with all her might and charging recklessly forward. There was elation as the blade went in, confusion when it didn't pull out.
"Medusa!" her own voice cried out, and Nico turned – turned towards her, towards her, and Eli kept seeing it through Nico's eyes over and over until she saw what she was missing. Nico had turned towards her, and in doing so she had turned away from Maki. There was true panic in Nico's tackle, for she hadn't known of Maki's existence yet, had only trusted Eli's call and acted in desperation, in haste, in –
Eli woke up crying.
She was walking before daylight returned to the forest floor. The city came into view by mid-day, and Eli strode through the gates. Her metal boots rang out against the cobblestone streets, and people came out of their houses to watch her pass. They saw the sword at her hip and whispered amongst themselves, and by the time she was halfway to the palace a procession had formed behind her.
Eli took a deep, calming breath. This was what she had been waiting for. This was the moment her whole life had led to. So what if there had been troubles and regrets along the way? That was what a quest was for, and someday she'd tell the story, the real story, gladly. She brushed away the lingering cobwebs of her sorrow and smiled at the crowd around her, lifting a hand in a wave.
"…the knight's returned!"
"Do you think she…"
"She must, look at her!"
"Welcome back, knight!"
Eli nodded to the people calling out to her, neither confirming nor denying the whispered speculation surrounding her. They'd find out soon enough. It was telling that she was walking with her head high and not sneaking in the back way; that alone was a story of success.
The guards greeted her with a salute, stepping aside to let her into the castle. The parade behind her was halted at the gates, and there they waited, calling out to her even as the doors closed behind her. Inside the castle was quiet, her footsteps echoing off the stone the only sound. Eli ran her hand along the sheath, reminding herself the sword was really there.
Heavy wooden doors marked the entrance to the throne room. Patterns were carved into them, grooves worn smooth by time. Eli pushed the doors open and stepped inside. The queen was waiting on her throne, as if she had known Eli was about to arrive. Eli knelt at the foot of stairs.
"Eli! You've returned!" The queen jumped out of her seat, grinning wide. The crown was crooked on her bright orange hair, as it usually was, and Eli felt relief that at least one thing hadn't changed.
"I have, my Queen. And I brought the sword with me."
"The sword! Really? You pulled it out the stone?"
Eli hesitated. She had pulled out of a stone, yes, but it wasn't the stone. Yet it was close enough, wasn't it? She nodded her assent. She was here now, and there was no reason to bring in complications.
"That's wonderful!" The Queen clapped her hands in delight. "You're the only person in a century who's been able to pull it out, you know! You're a legend now!"
How long would the sword have lasted if someone else had thought of taking a sledgehammer to the rock? Surely they had sledgehammers a hundred years ago. There must have been someone else before Nico- No. Nico was gone, and it was Eli's fault, and she had to stop thinking about her.
The ceremony took place the next day at noon, when the sun was shining high in the sky. Eli had spent the night pacing in her room and looked out at the crowd with tired circles under her eyes. It felt like the entire city had shown up to watch, filling the castle fairgrounds and spilling into the streets beyond. Eli scanned the crowd, unsure of what she was searching for.
She and the Queen stood before the people on a stone dais, colorful banners lining the edges and flapping in the wind. Fluffy clouds meandered across the blue skies, casting shadows that rolled across the land. Trumpets sounded. The Queen stepped forward, arms outstretched to greet the people.
"Good citizens! I am here today to celebrate a wondrous, unprecedented event! Here before you is Knight Eli, the first knight to return from the sacred quest to find the Sword in the Stone; and the first one to return successful."
The crowd roared. For all the time Eli had spent dreaming of this moment, she could not force herself to pay attention. Her gaze drifted among the people again. In the middle of the crowd, standing with a smile on her face, Eli thought she saw the Oracle. It wouldn't be a surprise; everyone knew the Oracle showed up when you least expected her. Eli caught her eyes and gave the barest hint of a nod. When she looked back a moment later the Oracle was gone.
"… never been more proud of my knights. I know it has taken years of dedication and training to reach this momentous occasion…"
A splash of red caught Eli's attention. She stared at the far away figure until the wind gusted again and she saw it was nothing more than a colorful hat. She was starting to wonder if the whole adventure was a dream. That would make more sense. Who would take a sledgehammer to a magic rock? No one, that's who. Eli had spent a long time wandering the forest alone, and her dreams had gotten away from her.
"And now," the Queen said, voice booming, "I present to you, the Sword from the Stone!"
A page, dressed in a fanciful outfit for the occasion, stepped to the Queen's side. She was holding a long, velvet pillow, and on top rested the sword. It was beautiful in the sunlight. The blade was polished and the gold hilt sparkled with inlaid sapphires and rubies. The Queen took it with gentle hands, and Eli moved to kneel in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, as she was bowing her head, she thought she saw a pair of black pigtails in the crowd – but she pushed the thought away as soon as it came.
"Our Knight Eli has been with us for several years, and she proven time and time again her passion for what is right, her strength and determination, and the kindness she shows to everyone she meets. It is of no surprise to me that of all my knights, Eli was the one to return with the sword. Today, we honor her. Today, we make her a legend. Today, we- ah!"
The wind tore through the crowd and ripped the sword from the Queen's hands. It flew high into the air, tumbling over and over, shining like a star. It hung at the top of its arc, perfectly framed against the blue sky, and then it fell. It fell blade down, sliced through the stone dais like butter, buried itself to the hilt, and there it stayed, once again the Sword in the Stone.
The crowd froze. There wasn't a whisper of sound in the whole city, and even the wind had died down now that its job was done. Eli and the Queen stared at each other, panic in their eyes. How had this quest gone so horribly wrong? This must be punishment for something. She was never the Chosen One in the first place, she had never deserved to free the sword, and now the world was punishing her.
The Queen took a shaky breath. "One last trial," she said, then repeated it again when her voice wouldn't come. "One more time, Eli must pull the sword from the stone. "
"And what if she can't?" a voice cried out from the crowd.
"What if she lied?"
"Maybe this isn't the real sword at all!"
"Maybe she stole it from the real Chosen One!"
Eli's fears were echoing around her, and it took all her strength not to flee.
"Don't be an idiot!" another voice called out. It was a strong, defiant voice, and it was so familiar it made Eli's heart ache. "You ever met her? If she stole it from someone else, it was because that person was being an ass and didn't deserve the sword!"
In the lull the words caused, the Queen regained control of the situation. "Everyone, please! There is no cause for concern. Eli, would you?"
The crowd fell silent again, but it was an uneasy silence, discontentment rolling through the people like waves. Eli stared at the sword. Slowly, she rose to her feet, and rested her fingertips on the top of the hilt. This was it. This was her chance to make her dreams come true.
"Nico!" Eli's voice rang out strong, echoing across the grounds. This time when she looked out she was met with ruby red eyes, and she held that gaze lest she lose it forever. "I understand everyone's fears," she continued, gentler this time. "I am the Chosen One. I know that. I've known that my entire life. I can feel the power in this sword, and I know I can free it.
"But I'm not the only one. In my travels, I met a girl named Nico. She is the one who freed the sword from the stone. When it became trapped a second time, I was the one to pull it out. I claimed the sword then, for I was the one on the quest, and I wasn't going to return empty handed. But that wasn't fair of me. That wasn't fair to her."
Eli paused, swallowing past the lump in her throat. She couldn't see the Queen's reaction, didn't listen for the murmurs in the crowd; none of that mattered more than the desperate hope in Nico's eyes.
"Nico, please… Help me pull the sword free."
The seconds stretched into years. Eli's heart refused to beat. But finally, finally, Nico stepped out from the crowd. She walked up to the dais, each step more confident than the last. Then she was standing in front of Eli, their eyes still locked together, and she broke the spell with a heavy sigh.
"You're just useless without me, aren't you?" Nico asked, not bothering to hide her grin. She placed her hand on top of Eli's. Her hand was smaller than Eli's own, but warm. So warm Eli wondered if Nico was more nervous than she was letting on.
"I'm sorry," Eli whispered, so quietly that no one else could hear.
"I know."
They tightened their grip on the hilt, drew in a breath, and together they pulled the sword from the stone.