The Magic Egg

Power is like a fire.

If you aren’t careful and it gets out of control,

it will cause a lot of damage.

But if you use it wisely and keep it under control,

the product will be something good that can be shared.

“Morgh’An,” he yelled. His voice echoed along the long corridor. “Morgh’An, where are you?!” His feet pounded on the red carpeted stone floors. “Good-for-nothing morph-blast wizard,” he mumbled. He was fuming by now. His face was radiating heat faster than a full body suit of armour on the hottest day of August.

“You bellowed Sire?” said a low, baritone voice behind him. He whipped around in startled surprise, nearly knocking the golden crown off his golden-brown locks.

“Morgh’An!” he shouted. “Never do that ever again! My heart nearly leapt clear out of my chest. I am the King, and as such I need to be living. This Kingdom-”

“Would be nothing without you,” the wizard mocked. “I know. What is it you called for?”

“Morgh’An, who is the most powerful person in the world?”

“Not this again,” the wizard groaned. He rolled his sky blue eyes, his bushy white brows knitting together overtop.

“Just answer the question!”

“Sir End’Ward Hyuit of Norshire, King of the Eastern coast and its islands.”

“Correct. And why is that, do you suppose?”

“He gains the loyalty and trust of his subjects. He cares for them, and provides them with food and protection. He has the best trainers and therefore the strongest knights, he has the most willing workers and therefore grows the best crops, he is a genius when it comes to taxes and money. Not to mention he listens to his subjects and lives to make their lives easier.” The King stopped short. His hands clenched into fists. Slowly he turned his head to look over his left shoulder.

“No,” he said in quiet fury. “That is WRONG!” His voice was raised to pitches not meant to be uttered by a man on the last word. “W-R-O-N-G! Wrong! It is not because of his feelings you twit! That just makes him a sissy weakling. No, I’ll tell you why he’s the most powerful. It’s because he has a magical object. The Egg of Cloph’Mar Hundorian. An egg so great, it contains all the power of the world! That is why End’Ward Hyu-nut has the title of most powerful.”

“And you want to go out and get the egg from him,” Morgh’An sighed.

“Exactly! Finally you are beginning to get it.”

“I have a feeling this is going to turn out very badly.”

“Nonsense, you just worry too much old man. I’m going to round up some of my best men. Go tell Cook to get some provisions ready. And have the stable hands make sure the horses, especially my Prent, are brushed and polished.” With that, he stalked off down the hall.

“Yes, your Majesty,” Morgh’An whispered. He bowed after the King and promptly vanished as though merging with the shadows.

He sat arrogantly atop his gossamer black stallion. Around him was an array of knights, squires and stable hands, all of which were bustling about getting ready. The knights were climbing on their horses, the squires were bring assorted weapons, and the stable hands were doing all the other odd jobs of different sorts.

Morgh’An watched from atop the great stone steps before the partially open large oak doors. His dark green cloak flowed around him although there was no wind present. His long grey beard hung down to his knees. His hood was up, covering the mass of messy grey hair that sat on top of his head like a wild mop. His brown flat shoes were dull and worn from many years of use. In his right hand he held a long staff made of willow which was gripped in his bony fingers. In the crook of his arm sat a fat, grey night owl.

The wizard watched the King, sadness pooled in his eyes. He smiled faintly as the King reached to fix his crown after it had nearly been thrown off from when he turned to yell at his men. The royal blue tunic he wore over his loose sleeved white shirt, the light blue leggings, and the black boots shouted nobility from all angles.

“This is not a good idea, Sparfit. Mark my words,” the wizard said to the owl. The fat bird blinked in silent understanding. Then, together, they crossed the courtyard to where the King stood.

“Your Majesty. The preparations have been set. You shall be ready and on your way in a knatfa. The knights are just loading up.”

“Very good Vlaek. But I don’t want to leave in a knatfa. I want to leave NOW! Now get to it, you mangy hrothmar.” Only Morgh’An saw the nasty look the stable boy threw at the King as he walked away.

“Your Majesty. You look so regal on that fine stead of yours. But I must warn you. This little adventure of yours that you are planning is a grave mistake. I beg you to call it off.”

“Call it off! Are you mad Morgh’An? I shall not call it off. Now, unless you have anything decent to say, I suggest you go stand with the women and wave your good-byes like the spineless pansy you are.”

“I have but some advice for you, Sir Shah’Sah Leelock of Knerdarr, King of the midlands and the surrounding forests.”

“No need to be so formal Wizard. What is it?”

“It is this. Do not jump into water if you do not know how to swim.” With that, the wizard turned and eased himself threw the gathering crowd.

“I already know how! Morph-blast wizard. What does he take me for?!” At that moment, a trumpet was sounded signalling the readiness of his troops. “Come men!” he shouted at the knights saddled behind him. “Adventure awaits. Forward advance.” Then they were off. A great parade marching through the streets filled with cheering peasants. Only one set of pale blue eyes stared sadly after the naïvely arrogant King, and the disaster that was sure to follow in his wake.

It was a fortnights journey from Knarf, the capital city of Knerdarr, to Neshkae, the capital of Norshire. Along the way, the King had many nightmares and visions. One night, while they were passing through Knerdarr Farah, Sir Shah’Sah Leelock had one such vision.

He was riding Prent, his nose poised in the air. His men were gathered behind him in three rows of ten. When suddenly, a great wind swirled around him. Time seemed to stand still. As the wind danced through his hair and whipped through his clothing, the shadow of a large bird could be seen on the other side of the vortex.

“Whoooo, who. Whoooo, whooo. Dooo not jump intooo water if yoooou doooo not know how toooo swim. Dooo not jump intooo water of yoooou doooo not know how toooo swim. Dooo not jump intooooo……whoooo, whoooooooo!” The voice of the owl faded as the wind died down.

One of the King’s men rode up behind him. “Sire? Are you alright? You look tense. Like you just saw a ghost.” Shah’Sah shook himself out of the reverie. He looked down at his knuckles which had turned white. Then his eyes narrowed and he glared at the man beside him.

“I’m fine. Go back to your position! I never said you could come join me in the front! We move forward.” Then he gathered himself, tightened his grip on the reigns and urged his horse forward. Behind him, his men exchanged worried glances and shrugged their shoulders.

This happened many more times. He would wake up in a cold sweat after a young girl had shown up. Then another time, he saw his father walking through the field. Yet again he would have dreams of animals. But all these visions had one thing in common. They all said the same thing.

Do not jump into water if you do not know how to swim.

At last they reached their destination. The city of Neshkae. Home of Sir End’Ward Hyuit.

It was the dead of night. The perfect time to steal an egg and not get caught. Sir Shah’Sah Leelock crawled in through one of the large castle windows. He walked down a long hallway until he came to ah arch at the end. Through this was a large room with many pillars along the walls. The room had a blue-ish hue to it. In the center stood a thick pedestal made of pure white marble. On it sat a golden rimmed blue pillow. A beam of sparkling white light shone down from the ceiling onto the object that sat propped on the pillow. The Egg of Cloph’Mar Hundorian.

The King walked carefully up to the Egg. He reached out a hand shaking with tense excitement. As his fingertips were just about to brush the glowing shell, he heard someone move behind him. He whipped around as fear gripped his heart. He had been caught. How was he going to explain himself?

No one was there. Just a bunch of his own shadows cast about by the light that showered the Egg.

As a sense of relief washed over him, he took a deep breath and turned around. Standing on the other side of the pillar was a tall man wearing a hooded robe. The hood was up so the face of the man was unseen.

“Who are you?” the King asked shakily. The man stood silently, unmoved. “What do you want?” The man lifted his arm and pointed a thin finger at the trembling King.

“You are making a very grave mistake, Sir Shah’Sah Leelock. Leave now before the water comes up over your head causing you to drown. Do not jump into water if you don’t know how to swim.” The man disappeared into the shadows, his airy low voice still hovering to the stillness of where he had stood.

“I can swim,” the King said shaking himself. “Why must they all say that. I already know how to swim!” He shouted the last sentence out into the echoing dome above him. “This is trouphin. I’m acting like a hrothmar. Pull yourself together Shah‘Sah. You’re getting too excited for your own good. Kings don’t let their minds play tricks on them.” He squeezed his eyes shut and took a couple of deep breaths. Then he opened his eyes and looked at the Egg. As his eyes fell upon the glowing wonder, all his fears seemed to melt away. He reached out his hand, cautiously, and took the Egg from it’s stand. The power of the Egg washed over him. It coursed through his blood veins, tickled each nerve, pumped through all his organs. His eyes flashed in excitement. “Now we’re talking,” he whispered in a darkly toned voice. With that, he advanced out the way from whence he had come.

The ride home seemed shorter to the King. He had no experiences with visions or dreams the whole way. In fact, according to his men, he seemed happier than he had been in many a year.

“Hey Fath,” one man whispered to his companion.

“Yeah?” the other replied sleepily.

“Is it just me, or does the King seem…I don’t know…chipper than usual. I mean, he hasn’t yelled at us once since we left Neshkae. I’m sort of worried. He went into the palace one way, then came out completely opposite. No one knows what happened, and the King won’t speak of it. What do you think?”

“I’m worried too. You know, he used to glower at me at all hours of the day. Now he hardly even pays me a glace. I don’t know if it’s just a lucky day, or if there’s some sort of mysterious power at work here.”

“What are you two whispering about?”

“Well you see, General Hrah Sir, we were just stating how worried we are about the King. He’s been acting differently.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed that too.” The big man was silent for a while. “Well, there’s no use lingering on the matter. Fath, Milo, you two get some sleep. Tomorrow we reach home.”

“Yes Sir. Goodnight Sir,” the two companions replied together.

It had been two months since the King and his men had returned from Norshire. In the village, things seemed to appear different. The crops were growing horribly in the fields, except for those of the King. Water was becoming scarce, except for in the home of the King, and the people seemed dismal and grey.

Inside the palace was another story. The King had all the food he could eat, all the water he could drink, and all the joyfulness of a child at Barventas. Those who worked or lived within the palace, also got the bountiful prospects of the King.

“Ah Morgh’An. This is the best thing that has ever happened to Knerdarr. I used the Egg of Cloph’Mar Hundorian to make the peasants’ crops wither and make mine prosper. That way, none of the people need to work for their food. Instead, I sell it to them. I also made sure all their water ran dry so that they would not have to walk for miles before coming to a well. Instead, I sell them the water they need. In this way, I also make sure that my crops and my water are the best, then I sell it to all the other countries. We are officially the richest country in the world. And because we are the richest, that makes us the most powerful. Ah, this was a brilliant plan, wouldn’t you say?”

“Sire. The people are not happy.”

“What?! And why aren‘t they happy? Can‘t they see how much I‘ve done and am still doing for them?”

“You see, Sire, because the people do not work, they have no money and cannot buy those things that are essential to their lives. Because they do not need to go get their water, they are becoming ill apt to walk long distances. Thus they are needing horses to travel and all of those are too weak from lack of food and water to be of any use. The people of your kingdom are not happy. You have abused your power.”

“Nonsense. I’ve used this power for the better of my people. If they don’t appreciate how much I’ve done for them, I’ll have to be more drastic. All the boys twelve and over are to be issued into the army. I’ll use the Egg to make them the best fighters. Our country will be the safest. The best protected. The people will thank me for sure once I have insured protection for them unlike any other in the world. This will also up our countries status as the most powerful country, and I the most powerful King. Morgh’An! Send the messenger out at once to make the announcements. All the boys twelve and over. Absolutely no exceptions. Now go!”

“Yes…Sire.” Morgh’An left, his eyes filled with grief.

The King sat in his room watching out the window as the town crier made his new official law. All the townsfolk were gathered around. He walked out onto the balcony to listen to the people cheer as the boys were recruited. His guards rounded up all the young lads and led them to the court yard of the palace grounds. As they entered, many mothers ran to the gate. But instead of hearing shouts of praise, he heard wail of despair. “Hrothmar peasants. They wouldn’t be able to appreciate something good that happened to them if it was right in front of their noses.”

The King walked back into his room and walked over to the pedestal where he had placed the magic Egg. The Egg had lessened in colour and didn’t glow very much, whereas when he had first gotten it, the light coming from the Egg nearly lit up the whole room. Now it barely lit up a corner.

As he neared the Egg, he thought of how strong he wanted to make his men. Then he stroked the side of the magical object. As his thoughts for what he wanted poured out on the Egg, a burst of energy surged out around the Egg like an invisible sound wave. It seeped into each of the young boys. Instantly, they were able to do those things that the King had envisioned them to do.

He removed his hand. The Egg began to grow even dimmer. Then, the last of the remaining light within the Egg vanished. At first, nothing happened. Then, the Egg began to tremble. The castle and all in it also began to quake. Then, the Egg exploded, shattering itself into a million pieces. These pieces fell to the ground as small sparkles and disappeared into the floor tiles. Instantly, all the things he had used the Egg for went back to the way they had been. His crops became normal while the peasants growing soil became fertile again. The water he had became like what it had been while the peasants wells regained their water. The boys who had gained strength and unimaginable talent above and beyond their years returned to their normal states.

The King lifted himself from the ground and brushed himself off. Then he looked to where the Egg had been. At first, his face just dropped in disbelief. Then, as the realization hit of what happened, he dropped to his knees. “NOOOOO!” he yelled. A hand was placed on his shoulder. “Oh Morgh’An,” he said without looking up. “What happened? All my hard work. All the power I had gained. Gone! Gone within a few seconds! Now Sir End’Ward Hyu-nut is the most powerful again. Ohhhh!”

“Sire, I tried to warn you. Do not jump into water if you do not know how to swim.”

“But I do know how to-”

“I don’t mean jumping into a puddle and waving your arms and legs in a chaotic fashion.”

“Well what do you mean then?”

“You should not try to fit into pants that are too big for you.”

“Huh?” the King grunted looking up in confusion. The wizard sighed.

“Don’t try to do something you can’t handle. You are only twenty-three Sire. You are not ready for such power as the Egg of Cloph’Mar Hundorian. You were too obsessed with power. You abused the power you received, and now it is gone. Power that has been abused is not power at all. If you abuse your power, you’ll just end up with a big mess. A wise man once told me, ‘Power is like a fire. If you aren’t careful and it gets out of control, it will cause a lot of damage. But if you use it wisely and keep it under control, the product will be something good that can be shared.’ Do you see now your Majesty?” The King slumped where he sat and put his head in his hands. Sobs racked his body as hot tears ran down his face.

“What a terrible man I am. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. What have I done? What have I become?”

“There, there Sire. All things can be restored. But for now, I think it’s best that the Egg of Cloph’Mar Hundorian was destroyed. No one will be able to abuse it’s power ever again.”

“Good.”

“Come Sire. I believe you have a few things you need to say to your people.” The King followed the wizard out of the room.

Sir Shah’Sah Leelock apologized to his people as well as to Sir End’Ward Hyuit for all he had done. From this experience, he became a better King, and his Kingdom thrived for many generations.

The End

By: Chantelle Giesbrecht

April.4/08

As you can see by the date, I wrote this story many years ago. Back in my high school days. It hasn't been edited (other than a few minor corrections). I hope you could enjoy it in all its horrible glory 😂