Chronicles of the Story-Keeper: Book 1 Chapter 3
By: jungleboy69
Chapter 3: A Birthday Surprise!
"Pencils down." Mrs. Johnson ordered the front of the classroom. Her students were taking a math test, Soren was fortunate enough to have math as one of his best subjects. "Pass your tests to the front." Mrs. Johnson spoke.
The tests were all passed to James, who stacked them in a neat pile for her. She always felt so refreshed after taking a test, especially one as simple as that one had been for her. "I want you all to get out your homework from last night," Mrs. Johnson added, "and I would like you to briefly present your work in front of the class."
Sometimes, the teacher regularly surprised the class with impromptu presentations to keep them on their toes. She took a seat on a stool in the back of the room so she could see her students clearly.
One by one, the students presented their assignments to the class. Besides a boy who thought "Jack and the Beanstalk" was about an alien abduction and a girl who claimed "Little Red Riding Hood" was an early example of parental negligence, all the students seemed to have interpreted the tales correctly.
"It was so hard to choose just one fairy tale to write about," Soren said as he animatedly presented his two-page paper to the class. "So, I selected the story of 'The Six Swans' as my assignment."
Mrs. Johnson smiled while the others looked uninterested. Will, in particular, just scoffed and sneered. Only a few others, James, Liam and Zoe gave him encouraging looks. "I chose this story because the princess's situation in similar to mine."
"She has been forced to endure hardships and abuse in order to save her brothers from her stepmother's curse." He added. "In spite of all this, she continued to be kind and helpful to everyone around him." "She was even willing to die to uphold her vow to save her brothers."
"The princess showed true courage and strong will in her commitment to her brothers and was not afraid to sacrifice herself to save them from their curse." "Well done, Mr Richards!" Mrs Johnson replied. "Very well said!"
As Soren returned to his seat, his mind traveled back to his father. He thought about all the books he wrote and about Lion's Library. It was one of the most popular bookstores in the neighborhood. Marcus's stories seemed to come to life whenever anyone read them and some publishers even offered to adapt them in tv shows or movies but Marcus would humbly decline.
Sadly ever since his father's death, business hadn't been so well for the bookstore. Many different authors tried to take over but none of them could match Marcus's inspiration of stories or his writing skills. Soon, business became so bad that eventually, it had to be sold.
Speaking of books, Soren remembered on his seventh birthday when his father gifted him with his first edition of the Lion's Chronicles. It was the best present he ever had.
(Flashback...)
"Happy birthday, Soren!" Marcus and Sally exclaimed to a surprised Soren as he came home one day. His parents had sent him out to run some errands and when he returned, he found the house decorated and his parents and his best friends, James, Liam, Zoe and even Lena waiting for him with noise makers and party hats on their heads.
"Mom, Dad, everyone!" He cried as he rushed forward and his parents enveloped him in a big hug. "Your parents invited us to your birthday!" James added, grinning. "They had to keep you away from the house so they could set up the decorations."
"I'm sorry your grandmother couldn't come." Sally smiled warmly at her son. "She sends her love and regards to you." "So, what are we waiting for!?" Liam asked in excitement. "Let's party!"
The party was a blast; Marcus performed magic tricks, James won the pin-the-tail on the donkey game and there was plenty of cake and ice-cream. Finally, there were the presents; Soren got a telescope from James, a book of animals from Liam, night-vision goggles from Zoe and finally a golden pendant from Lena.
"I hope you like it," Lena spoke, blushing a little. "I know its not much but..." "It's perfect, Lena." Soren replied, smiling. "Thanks!" With that, he gave her a kiss on the cheek, making her blush even more.
"Speaking of which..." Mrs. Richards spoke up. "Your father has something special for you." Soren grew surprised as Mr. Richards handed him a wrapped present. "What is it?" He asked. His father smiled wryly. "Open it up and find out for yourself."
Soren unwrapped it and to him and his friends' amazement, discovered it was a book. The cover had a picture of a magnificent young man with a furry loincloth around his waist and wearing a golden chest plate. His armed gauntlets resembled the paws of a lion and his head-gear looked like a lion's head, The title was in bold letters called. 'The Lion's Chronicles'
"Is that..." Liam gasped. "Yep!" Marcus replied, grinning. "It's my latest book!" "I thought it wasn't due until next week!" Soren exclaimed. "Oh, I have my ways..." Marcus chuckled. "That's so cool!" James exclaimed as he looked at the book in Soren's hands.
"Oh, as a bonus..." Marcus added, handing out four more copies to the other kids. "I have copies for every one of you!" "Wow!" Lena squealed. "Thank you, Mr. Richards!" "Why is it called the Lion's Chronicles?" Zoe asked.
Marcus smiled. "Well, it's a long story." He replied, getting the kids' attention. They loved Marcus's stories. "Really?!" Liam asked in excitement. Marcus smiled as the children watched him with excited eyes. "I'm sure you have all read the classic fairy tales like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Puss-in-Boots right?" He asked. The children nodded.
"Well, what if I were to tell you that all the characters from the classic fairy tales are from a world far different from ours?" He asked. The children's eyes widened. "Far away in another world in another time, there is a place called the Land of Stories." "It is home to all the characters from fairy tales and fables from all over the world."
The children were amazed. "Is that true?!" Lena squealed. Marcus nodded. "Yes..." He replied. "It is a land of magic and wonder, a land of mystery and danger, a land hidden from our eyes." "Many famous fairy tale characters like Puss-In-Boots, Cinderella and the Three Little Pigs live there and only a rare few people in our world can visit there."
"No way..." James muttered. "However, the most famous of them all is the Story-Keeper." Marcus continued. "Story-Keeper?" Liam asked in surprise. "Who's he?" "I never heard of him." Zoe added. Marcus chuckled. "That's because he's more than a character from a fairy tale." He explained. "The Story-Keeper is a person from our world."
Soren and his friends grew astonished. "For as long as time can remember, the Story-Keepers are a long line of protectors and warriors." Marcus explained. "Dedicated to maintaining the balance between our world and the fairy tale world and protecting the inhabitants in the Land of Stories, they are the High-Rulers of the fairy tale world." The children were amazed, they never imagined that fairy tales needed a protector
"All Story-Keeper follow the five virtues of humanity; Courage, Humility, Strength, Wisdom and Compassion." Marcus added. "They are sworn to protect the Land of Stories against any threat." "But perhaps the greatest of them of all was Story-Keeper Leo..."
"Is that the name of the character in the story?" Soren asked, holding up the Lion's Chronicles. "Yes." Marcus nodded. "He was not like any Story-Keeper, he was born from a human father and a fairy mother." "A half-fairy?" Lena asked in wonder. "Yes, he was raised by the fairies and the royals of the fairy tale world." He explained
"Because of his fairy heritage, Leo was unlike any man." Marcus added, grinning. "He possessed immense strength and unwavering courage." "He was also a powerful sorcerer," he explained. "capable of harnessing the elements of nature and taking the form of any creature he desired."
"Most of all, Leo was known for his strong devotion and love for his family and home and was willing to give his life to protect them." "Wow..." Soren replied, smiling. "Thank you, dad. This is the best gift." "Yeah, Mr. Richards." James replied as he and the others smiled. "Thank you for the books" "You're welcome, kids." Marcus replied, smiling back at them.
(Flashback end...)
The walk home that day was very quiet. Soren was saddened that his friends couldn't come to his party. Lena sadly told him that he couldn't join him because she had piano lessons later that day. She still wished him happy birthday and kissed him on the cheek, much to his embarrassment.
The rest of his friends also couldn't come as they had other plans in mind. Still, they weren't going to let him go home alone. "Happy birthday, buddy." James spoke up, handing him a birthday card. "Sorry, we couldn't come to your party."
"It's alright, guys." Soren replied. "I'm not really expecting anything special ever since my Dad..." He bowed his head. "Don't worry about it, partner." Liam grinned. "It's still your birthday." "Besides, look on the bright side!" He added. "5 years later, and you'll be a teenager."
Zoe chuckled. "Maybe in another 5 years, you could learn how to drive!" She added, making them all laugh. "Thanks, guys." Soren replied sincerely. "It means a lot from all you." Lena giggled. "Maybe, when you're older," she added. "you can buy back your dad's bookstore and take over his business of writing stories!"
At that moment, the good mood died out and Soren's expression grew despondent. "Yeah..." he replied. "That would be good..." Lena gasped, realizing her mistake. "Soren, I'm sorry..." She tried to apologize. "I didn't mean..." "It's alright, Lena..." Soren assured her. "You didn't mean any harm."
Nevertheless, his happiness was hollow and he knew it, so he just stayed silent for the rest of the walk. Even if he had the most extravagant party in the world waiting for them at home, birthdays were always going to be hard for him.
School had been predictable. The walk home had been typical. The whole day had seemed normal. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary to make his birthday feel special at all… until he got home and saw a bright blue car pull into their driveway.
"Whose car is that?" James asked in surprise. Soren's eyes widened in surprise. "It...can't be..." He muttered in amazement, getting his friends to look at him. "Grandma?" He asked. "Surprise!" yelled his grandmother, getting out of her car. She was so loud, the entire neighborhood could hear her.
"That's your grandma?" Zoe asked in amusement. However, Soren didn't answer her. He ran up to her with huge smiles on his face. He only saw his grandmother a couple times a year and were stunned to see her in the driveway with no prior warning.
His grandmother hugged him so tight he thought he'd pop. "Look at you!" she said. "You look like you've grown a foot since the last time I saw you!" His friends watched with smiles on their faces.
His grandmother was a petite woman with long, graying brown hair that was pulled back in a tight braid. She had the warmest smile and the kindest eyes in the world, which wrinkled pleasantly when she smiled, just like his dad's eyes had. She was cheerful and energetic, and exactly what Soren needed.
She always wore bright dresses and her signature shoes with white laces and brown heels. She was never more than a few feet away from her large, green travel bag and blue purse. And although his grandfather had died many years before, she always wore her wedding ring.
"I had no idea you were coming!" Conner exclaimed, smiling at her. "It wouldn't be a surprise if you knew I was coming," Grandma replied with a wink. "Oh, and I see you have friends with you!" She added.
Soren chuckled before he turned to his friends. "Guys, I want you to meet my grandmother; Brystal Richards!" He introduced them. "Grandma, these are my friends from school! This is Zoe, James, Liam and Lena!"
"A pleasure to meet you all!" Grandma cheerfully replied, shaking each of them by the hand. "It's nice to see my grandson has such caring friends!" "You're...welcome..." Lena added, smiling at her kind disposition. "Nice to meet you too."
"What are you doing here, Grandma?" Soren asked. "Your mom called and asked me to stay with you while she went to work," Grandma told him. "I couldn't let you spend your birthday alone, could I? Thank goodness I was in the country!"
Soren's grandmother was retired and spent most of the year traveling around the world with other retired friends. They traveled to mostly third-world countries and read to sick children in hospitals and taught other children of the communities to read and write.
"You kids can help me with the groceries," Grandma told the kids. She opened her trunk, and the kids began unloading bags and bags filled with food into the house. It was enough food to last them for weeks.
"Woah!" Liam exclaimed as they picked up some bags of groceries. "Ya got enough food to feed 20 of ya!" Soren's grandma chuckled. "Oh, its not much..." She replied. "Well, would you kids like to stay for dinner?" She suggested. "There's plenty for all of you!"
"Thank you, Miss Brystal," Zoe politely declined. "But, I'm afraid we can't stay." "Oh dear, such a shame..." Brystal sighed. "Not to worry, we can send you some cake over to you if you like!" "Thanks, Miss..." Liam replied. "That's awfully nice of you."
"Of course!" Miss Brystal replied, smiling as they entered the house. "Any friend of my grandson is a friend of mine!" Mrs. Richards was sitting at the kitchen table going through another stack of mail with bright red warning labels on them. She quickly pushed them to the side when the kids and grandmother paraded into the kitchen with the groceries.
"My goodness!" Sally asked in astonishment. "What's all this?" "Hello, dear!" Grandma said to her. "I'm planning on cooking Soren a huge birthday dinner and wasn't sure what you had in the house, so I went to the store and picked up a couple things."
"A couple...?" James asked. "More like a dozen..." Soren just smiled. His grandmother always had a talent for sugarcoating the truth. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble," Mrs. Richards said, shaking her head, unprepared for the kind gesture.
"It wasn't any trouble at all," Grandma said with a small but reassuring smile. "Soren, how about you go get your birthday presents from the front seat of my car, and I'll catch up with your mom for a second? But don't open them until tonight!"
"Sure, grandma." Soren replied as he and his friends went outside. "Your grandma's really nice!" Zoe pointed out. Soren nodded proudly. "Yeah, she's the best grandma I have." He replied "Well, we got to get going." Lena added, smiling. "We'll see you again tomorrow."
As Soren's friends walked off, he found half a dozen wrapped presents with bright bows, each marked to him, waiting in the front seat of the car. When he returned inside, he found his grandmother and mother still having a conversation that he most likely wasn't supposed to hear.
"Things are still tough," Mrs. Richards said sadly. "Even after selling the bookstore, the house foreclosed, and we still have some debt and things unpaid from the funeral. But we're making it somehow. In a few more months we'll be back on our feet."
Grandma took Mrs. Richards's hands into her own. "If you need anything, dear, and I mean anything, you know where to find me," she said. Sally shook her head. "You've already helped so much," Mrs. Bailey told her. "I don't know where we'd be now if it weren't for you. I could never ask you for anything else."
"You're not asking, I'm offering," Grandma assured. "Marcus always valued family above all else." "I'm sure if he was here right now, he wouldn't hesitate to ask for help." She added, getting Sally to smile. Soren knew if he eavesdropped any longer, he'd be caught, so he walked back into the kitchen with his presents.
"Well, I have to go back to work," Mrs. Richards said, and kissed her son on the tops of his head. "Have a great night, sweetie! I'll see you tomorrow. Save some celebration for me!" She gathered her things and mouthed a meaningful thank you to his grandmother on her way out.
Grandma put her things away in the guest bedroom and returned to the kitchen, where she found the stack of bills Mrs. Richards had put aside. She plopped the mail into her own purse with a smile. And that was that. Grandma loved helping people, especially if it was against their will. Something that her son and grandson had inherited from.
"Well then!" Grandma said, clapping her hands. "Let's get started on dinner, shall we?" Soren sat at the table and listened to his grandmother while she cooked up a storm. She told him all about her recent trips, the difficulties she and her friends experienced getting into and out of places, and all the interesting people she had met along the way.
"You know, your father would sometimes accompany me on my travels." She explained, chuckling. "He was always an adventurous boy, always wanting to see the world and meet new people and discover new things." "I've never met anyone I didn't learn something from!" she added. "Even the most monotonous people will surprise you. Remember that."
She was cooking so many different things, it was impossible to tell which ingredient was going where. Everything she did was so fast, and she used almost every pan and dish they had. With every second that passed, Soren's stomach growled louder and louder, and his mouth salivated more and more.
Finally, after a few hours of aroma-teasing torture, they ate. Soren had become so accustomed to frozen dinners and takeout, he had forgotten how good home-cooked food could taste. There were plates of mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese, oven roasted chicken with carrots and peas, and freshly baked rolls. Their kitchen table looked like the cover of a cookbook.
Just when he thought he couldn't possibly eat any more, his grandmother pulled a huge birthday cake out of the oven. Soren was amazed; he hadn't even realized she had been baking one. She sang "Happy Birthday," and Soren blew out the candles.
"Now, open your presents!" Grandma said, excitedly. "I've been collecting for you all year!" He opened his boxes and were flooded with knickknacks from all the countries his grandmother had been to.
There were copies of his favourite books in other languages: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in French, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in German, and Journey to the Center of the Earth in Dutch. He also received a pile of candies and tacky T-shirts that said things like "My crazy Grandma traveled to India and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.
There were also several figurines of famous structures, like the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Taj Mahal. "It's amazing to think that places like this actually exist in the world," Soren said, holding an Eiffel Tower in his hand.
"You would be amazed to know what's out there just waiting to be discovered," his grandma said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. "That's what your father always believe." Soren smiled back. A day with very low expectations had turned into one of the best birthdays they'd ever had.
As the night grew later, his visit with his grandmother began to come to a bittersweet end. Since his father had died, he never saw his grandmother for more than a day at a time, and there were always a few months between each visit. She was always so busy with her travels.
"When do you leave?" He asked his grandmother. "Tomorrow," she said. "As soon as I take you to school." Soren's posture sank a bit. "What's the matter?" asked his grandmother, sensing their spirits sink.
"We just wish you could stay longer, Grandma. That's all," Soren replied. "I really miss you when you're gone," He added. "Things are so gloomy here without Dad, but you make everything seem like it's going to be okay."
His grandmother's constant smile faded slightly, and her gaze drifted off toward the window. She stared blankly into the night sky and took a deep breath.
"Oh, Soren, if I could spend every day with you, I would," Grandma said longingly, perhaps more disheartened than she intended to show. "But sometimes life hands us certain responsibilities—not because we want them, but because we were meant to have them—and it's our duty to see to them. Your father understood that better than anyone. In fact, all I can ever think about is how much I miss you your dad when I'm away."
It was hard for Soren to understand. Did she not want to travel as much as she did? Their grandmother looked back at him; her eyes were bright with a new idea. "I almost forgot. I have one more gift for you!" Grandma said, and jumped up and skipped into the next room.
She returned carrying a large, old book with a dark emerald cover titled The Land of Stories in gold writing. Soren's eyes grew wide when he saw it. He recognized that book at once. If his childhood could be symbolized by an object, it was this book.
"It's your old storybook!" Soren gasped. "I haven't seen that in years!" His grandmother smiled and nodded. "It's very old and has been with our family for a long time," She told him. "I take it with me everywhere I go and read it to the children in other countries. But now I want you to have it."
Soren was shocked by the gesture. "Grandma..." He muttered. "I can't..." "I can't take your book. That's The Land of Stories. It's your book. It's always been so important to you." His grandmother opened the book and flipped through the pages. The entire room filled with its musty-paper aroma.
"That's very true," She replied. "This book and I have spent a lot of time together over the years, but the best times were when I read it to your father and to you. So I'd like to pass it down to you now. I don't need it anymore; I have all the stories memorized anyway."
She handed it to him. Soren hesitated but finally accepted the book from his grandmother. It didn't feel right to take it. It was like receiving an heirloom from a relative who was still alive. "Grandmother..." He replied. "I don't know... what to say..."
His grandmother smiled. "Say nothing..." She replied. "In fact, it was your father who wanted to have this." "He had hoped to give this to you on your tenth birthday" She added. "He wanted you to have the experience of having fairy tales as a part of your life."
"He also left you this." She took out a small wooden case and handed it to him. Curious, Soren opened it up to see a white feathered pen inside, just like the ones used in the 18th century. "A quill?" He asked, picking it up. "Your father's prized possession." Grandma replied. "He never left anywhere without it."
"Now, it's getting late, and you have school tomorrow. Let's get you ready for bed." She added. He did as she asked. Even though he was too old for it, his grandmother insisted on tucking them into their beds like old times.
Soren took The Land of Stories with him to bed that night and he placed the quill next to his bed. He gently flipped through the old pages, being careful not to tear them.
Seeing all the colorful illustrations of the places and characters again made him feel like he was reading an old scrapbook of sorts. He loved spending time reading about fairy-tale characters more than anything. They had always felt so real and accessible to him. They were the best friends he had ever had and practically a second family to him.
"I wish we got to choose which world we lived in," Soren whispered to himself as he ran his fingers over the illustrations. They were so inviting. In his hands was a world unlike the one he lived in. It was a world unaltered by political corruption or technology, a world where good things came to good people, and a world she wanted to be a part of with all his being.
Soren imagined what it would be like to live in his own fairy tale: the forests he'd run through, the castles he'd live in, and the creatures he'd befriend. Eventually, his eyelids began to feel heavy. He closed The Land of Stories, placed it on his nightstand, clicked off his lamp, and began to drift off to sleep.
He was just about to fade into unconsciousness when he heard a funny noise. *Hmmmmm...* A low humming sound filled the room. "What in the world?" Soren said to himself and opened his eyes to see what it was but saw nothing. "That's strange," he said.
He closed his eyes once more and began to drift back to sleep. *Hmmmmm...* The humming noise began to buzz through the room again. Soren sat up and looked around his room and finally found what was making the noise. It was coming from inside The Land of Stories on his nightstand and, to his amazement, the pages were unmistakably glowing.
"What the..." He muttered. Suddenly, he noticed that the quill next to his bed was glowing as well, a low white light almost like a tiny moon. He picked it up and the quill seemed to glow even brighter.
He stared wide-eyed at the quill and at The Land of Stories. What was going on? Little did Soren knew that this would be the start of an adventure of his lifetime.