The Hunt for the Golden Crucible
As he checked the map for the tenth time that morning, Cerulean gave up. He was lost, had no idea where his sister was and was sitting in the damp, dark entrance of a cave, doing nothing but waiting. It was then that he heard a faint rustle outside. He quickly drew his sword that he had made at the blacksmiths before he had closed down and left for the quest an old, bearded man in a dark cloak had set: the quest to find the legendary Golden Crucible. As he cautiously crept outside, he saw it was nobody other than his sister, Amaryllis. Her robes were ripped and muddy, her ginger hair matted, not to mention dirty.
"Where were you?" asked Cerulean quizzically. "I'm lost, hiding in a cave from a savage wolf and you simply stride in?"
"Actually, it's only been an hour, and I have some excellent firewood – nice and dry!" came the reply. "And while I was doing that, I've found the spot where the Crucible should be, and it isn't there! That Yun Chang person appeared, and then he set a poisonous serpent on me. A cobra, Ceru, a cobra!" shouted Amaryllis hysterically.
"Stop it, Ama, I think I heard something!" interrupted Cerulean.
"But..."
"Ama! Run!" shouted Cerulean.
He had only just noticed a wolf creeping up on them from the very back of the cave, an abnormally large, grey, long-fanged wolf; the very one Cerulean was hiding from. For the first time that day, Amaryllis disobeyed her brother, suddenly snatching his steel-bladed sword, jumping, then lunging at the wolf with all her might, splattering the sword in glimmering dark red blood as she did so.
"Okay, let's go now." murmured Amaryllis, satisfied.
Minutes later, Cerulean and Amaryllis were walking slowly but cautiously through the dark, muddy forest, the steel sword safely back in Cerulean's belt, while the map was clutched in his hand. Next stop, Yun Chang, he thought. After all, for some reason, there was something purposeful about the attacks, and the way Yun Chang was somehow trying to stop him, Amaryllis and possibly the old man that sent him on this quest from finding the Golden Crucible, even though there was no proof. It was just instinct...
Cerulean had just reached the hill where the Golden Crucible was meant to have been, where a dead serpent lay, a massive cobra, with a sharp, gleaming dagger lying in the grass beside it, encrusted with dry blood, then waited for Amaryllis to catch up. He watched as she strolled along, then suddenly she was dragged out of sight. Whoever this Yun Chang was, it was sure to be his fault: he was desperate! What was so special about the Crucible anyway? The only thing valuable so far was that it was made of gold!
Oh well! Thought Cerulean. He sighed, then set off to find whoever had kidnapped Amaryllis, slowly speeding up, breaking into a run. Lost again! He thought: without Amaryllis it's going to be all the more difficult!
Amaryllis kicked and screamed, trying to attack her kidnapper, but like a bull with no horns; it wasn't working. The Crucible was gone, she had lost her only weapon while killing a cobra, and Cerulean was running the wrong way (he never could read a map properly, that was why she was here!) as she was slowly dragged along in the long, muddy ditch, full of water, but only a few inches high that seemed to be alive.
"You're one of his aren't you?" grunted her kidnapper, sitting down in the very same dark, damp cave that Cerulean had hidden from a long dead (now, anyway) wolf.
"Master wants to see you!"
Suddenly, or so it seemed to Amaryllis, a tall young man appeared, wearing a long, rich red robe.
"I am Yun Chang of this land!" he boomed, reaching into his robe, eventually pulling out a shiny, ruby encrusted golden crown, then placing it on his head.
"You have been trying to find the Crucible... why? Once back in my evil half-brother's hands, it will return him from an old decrepit to his youth! Do you have any idea of what he plans to do?"
"Sorry!" murmured Amaryllis dumbly. "It just sort of... happened!"
At that moment, Cerulean stormed through the cave, covered in splinters, mud and leaves, yet brandishing a familiar sword which was covered in blood, charging straight for the king, unaware of his appearance.
"I've been expecting you." The king murmured.
Silence. For a short while, all four people in the cave were utterly confused. It had started to rain now, water dropping slowly from the roof (which was damp and crumbling down pebble by pebble along with the rain!)
"Okay" murmured Cerulean. "So the man who sent us on this quest is an evil half-brother to the king and has been magically aged so he can't take the throne, and the Crucible is the only solution to cure his magical ageing?"
The young king replied simply, "You don't believe me, do you? Watch this."
To Cerulean's utter amazement, there was a blinding flash of light, then young king's servant grew a beard, his hair slowly greying. He tried to stand up, but simply toppled over like a skittle.
"Do you believe me now? We have to stop my half-brother finding the Crucible! It's down here: follow me."
Cerulean and Amaryllis followed the king to the very back of the cave, occasionally tripping over the uneven, rocky, brown floor: nothing but darkness. There was a sharp noise like the creaking of a door, followed by the sound of a rock being shifted. They followed the sound of his footsteps down some broken, uneven stone stairs, where they found a torch-lit room with a heavily guarded Crucible on a large stone table, covered by a strong, thick-barred cage – a golden crucible.
Cerulean walked over into the light – a sudden rumbling came from above: it had started – the old man was coming, he knew it. The problem was, unfortunately for him, it was Cerulean's job to help the king's guards protect the Crucible. For the first time (or so he thought) that day, Cerulean wasn't scared – he was terrified. The old man had an army – larger than the king's and by the sound of it, stronger. Assassins. The blade of a sword stabbed through the roof, was pulled out and was replaced by a spade. They were breaking in. The king, who had also noticed the spade, drew his sword.
The guards, standing in a ring around the crucible; followed suit, drawing their weapons. Daggers, warhammers, rifles, longswords, battleaxes and scimitars were soon armed and ready:
If the assassins arrived, they would see the crucible. It was the guards' (and Cerulean's) job to guard the crucible with their lives. Amaryllis fled up the stone steps with Yun Chang to the scene above, risking their lives as well. Cerulean heard a scream, followed by a thud above. So there it was: the horrible truth. A sharp stab of pain hit Cerulean, soon replaced by anger. The assassins jumped through the crumbling roof: Cerulean fought them with his loathing, swiping through blind anger, screaming a bloodcurdling battle cry. These assassins killed his only sister. He would kill them. Swords slashed, blood sprayed, guns fired. A mess of bodies lay before Cerulean, but it was not over yet. He stormed up the stairs, completely ignoring his remaining attackers. A small, wet tear trickled down his face as he stormed past his sister's corpse, but still, he carried on charging mercilessly, aiming for the old, evil man responsible for all this death. A carriage lay a few metres from the edge of the cave: him. Ripping the door open, Cerulean drew his sword, slicing his enemy's throat coldly. The last alive look on his face a mixture of surprise and fear. Once his deed was done, Cerulean slowly walked back to the cave, finding the Yun Chang by Amaryllis' body, his rich robes draping behind him, somewhat dull rather than majestic now.
"You have saved me", the king murmured. "This is yours now... King Cerulean." The king slowly held out his crown, offering it to Cerulean.
"No" replied Cerulean "I'm afraid I have to decline: if you gave the crown to anyone, it would've been my sister, not me." Pain rose in Cerulean, even though he knew it was over, tears suddenly streaming down his face, which was now almost as pale as that of his sister's, save the blood and dirt.
"Amaryllis took the bullet aimed for me," grieved the young king. "I'm so sorry." His voice somewhat softer now.
"You don't need to be. She would've died anyway, I suppose", replied Cerulean slowly, knowing what he said had been untrue, however still joining young king to grieve, holding the cold, dead hand of his sister, which was still clutching her chest in long-gone pain, the Crucible by her side, safe but no longer needed.