Saviour of Merry Land

Gift sat by her elder sister Jenny, feeling bored as she watched her do her assignment.

“Jenny when will you play with me? I am tired, sitting here the whole time staring at you”

“Come on Gift, I have to finish this. Get your toys and play; I will join you when I’m done”

Gift never liked the idea_that's what she's been doing for the past two hours but Jenny never joined. Staring at the garden she saw a beautiful light that drew her attention.

*what could that be? I must check it out*

“Jenny I will be in the garden”

“Okay, but be careful. Don’t go far”

As she walked towards the light, getting closer and closer, she discovered it was a butterfly; one she had never seen before. It was so beautiful that she had one thought in mind_ *catch it and keep it to myself” 

It was hard to catch. The butterfly flew so fast that she had to chase after it. Getting to a metal gate, the beautiful butterfly passed through and Gift lost sight of it. Turning, she looked all around,.wondeing where she was; "it looks like I am lost.

Oh no, where am I? This is not the garden, how did this door get here? Where does it lead?*

Lots of questions went through her little mind but no one to answer them. Being a bold and determined little girl, she said_

 *I must get to the other side of this door and see what’s there before finding my way home*

On touching the metal door, it played a lovely melody and opened. Gift’s mouth remained wide opened_ " this is paradise on earth "

 She saw a beautiful garden filled with fairies suddenly, creatures she had never seen or imagined. She saw lots of pretty butterflies with lovely colors; the flowers in the garden glowed from time to time. Lost in admiration, her eyes wondered round the beautiful garden and then suddenly, she saw a pony on the floor struggling with its leg that was wrapped in a rop. It was such a pretty thing so Gift felt sorry for it and helped it out.

“Thank you stranger” it said with little voice.

Astonished_ “you talk?”

“Yes I do, we all talk. Who are you? What age are you and what are you doing here?”

“I am Gift, age nine and I was lead here by a beautiful butterfly”

“Nine you say???? Are you kidding or what? You look much older, like 20 years”

“What?????” 

The little pony handed a little mirror to Gift; “take a look”

“Goodness!!!” 

Gift was surprised seeing how she's grown overnight.

“Anyways, Gift you are welcome to Merry Land. Do you mind me taking you into the chambers of the welcome fairies?”

“I will be honored”

“By the way, my name is Briline.

Briline walked Gift to a pretty bluish flower tree which opened by itself.

“Hello Briline, what brings you to our chambers?”

A little creature with glowing wings asked without turning.

“I have a visitor here with me; a stranger, so I decided to bring her here”

The little creature with funny glasses finally turned to see the visitors_ “who is she?”

“I don’t know much about her, all I know is her name; Gift, and that she was lead here by one of the messenger butterfly”

“Young lady you are welcome to Merry Land. I am Pini, one of the welcome fairies and I will introduce you to my colleagues”

Pini said pointing at a little cupboard. Gift was confused _ *are her colleagues this wooden objects?* 

"Oh no they aren't"

"What?? How did she do that?"

"I can hear all your thoughts"

"Wow Pini, that's amazing"

As she wondered in her thought, two bulky fairies flew out of the cupboard; one with blue hairs and another with curly dark hairs.

“Oh Pini, you know, now you are in charge. Why disturb our nap?”

“We have a visitor; Gift meet my colleagues, turning to the one with blue hairs; meet Xalia and Candy (the one with dark hairs). Xalia and Candy, meet Gift, she is our visitor”

“Nice meeting you Gift” they both said in a joyous voice.

The three welcome fairies grouped in a circle_ “Xalia and Candy, I suggest we take her to Momma Kristal to tell us more about her and also her visit since she was brought here by one of the messenger butterfly”

The two fairies agreed on Pini’s idea and they all walked to Gift who sat down wondering_

“We will take you to our hierarchy because it is a custom here but firstly, we want to give you a welcome meal"

Candy prepared an attractive and appetizing cup cake and a cup of milk for Gift who enjoyed the yummy taste. After this, they took her to a big yellow flower which opened by itself. 

“Welcome daughters. I see a savior with you”

Candy: Savior? We have no savior but a visitor

“Yes she’s the one, the one I have been waiting for”

Xalia: I don’t understand

“Not to worry, you all have a sit because you will now understand”

After sitting, Momma Kristal took 10 minutes to begin talking since she was an old fairy, actually the oldest in Merry Land_

“A hundred years ago, we received a prophesy from the gods of the woods that our mighty and beautiful queen Melisa will be taken away and only a young visitor with long straight brown hairs and hazel eyes will save her. This visitor here is the savior”

Pini: but Momma, how sure are you that she is the one the prophesy spoke about? Those description can fit anyone else. 

“There’s only one way to confirm that. The Prophesy says the savior will have a natural blue birth mark like a star, tattooed at the back of her neck. Young girl please can you push aside your hairs so we take a close look at your neck?”

Gift: sure

The fairies were shocked to their bones when they saw the same mark as stated in the scroll. They all bowed to Gift_ “Long live to the savior, that savior we have long been waiting for. At last Merry Land will regain life”

Gift: please excuse me, I don’t get this. I am lost and confused.

Momma Kristal: don’t worry dear, I will explain everything to you. 10 years ago, Merry Land was attacked by the Ugly Prince Xava, who wanted to get married to our beautiful queen Melisa but due to her denial, because he was a mischievous and wicked Prince, he forcefully took her away and laid a mortal curse of dryness and sadness in Merry Land which only a person who finds the golden dagger of life with a blue star on it can kill the Ugly Prince and destroy the curse which he laid by swearing with his life. If no one saves us from the curse and rescue our queen, all of us will fall into a deep sleep forever”

Gift: where can I find the golden dagger of life?

Momma Kristal: according to history, it lies between the cave of ice and fire and only the one with the star can go there and get it.

Gift: where is the cave of ice and fire found?

Momma Kristal: it is found at the North- East part of Merry Land and it is a 3 day’s journey if you are able to read the map well. 

Gift: okay, I will do it to save Merry Land but I will need a mastery of the map and a companion to journey with me

Momma Kristal: your wish is our command. We shall do as you say. 

It took a week to come out with the map and two more weeks to teach Gift on all she needed to know about the journey. She was given the leader of Merry Land’s warrior Luna by name to be her companion since she knew more of the Land. Luna was a special fairy who had the power to take a human form. 

Gift and Luna set up for the journey which wasn’t an easy one. They fought against magical creatures and get passed the tricks and traps set by some mischievous elves. All of these delayed them and instead of a three days journey, it was a one week journey. 

On the seventh day, they got to the cave and before taking hold of the dagger, Gift had to fight with the keeper who happened to be a baby dragon; it sounds easy but it was as huge as a matured one. Luna was seriously injured by the dragon on her left thigh since she wanted to interrupt its fight with Gift. After two hours of fighting, Gift was tired and bleeding from her nose and mouth after being whipped by the dragon’s huge tail. The whip flung her to Luna’s side and as she struggled to get back on her feet, the dragon moved closer and closer to give her the final blow but she reached out for Luna’s sword and pierced the dragon on its right feet, at the center of a pyramidal mark which symbolizes its heart.

The dragon felt down dead and vanished. Immediately, Gift reached out for the dagger that was buried on a big rock in between both caves. The temperature in that part was uncomfortable; Gift felt cold and hot at the same time. She tried with her physical strength to pull out the dagger but it was in vain. She suddenly remembered the star on her neck when she saw the one on the dagger. So she turned her neck in such a way that, the stars faced each other and a bright light shorn connecting the two then the dagger was out. 

Screaming with excitement, she ran up to Luna. Her excitement soon died down when she felt the ground shaking and stones falling from here and there. She held Luna and they rushed out of the cave; in spite of the tiredness and pains, Gift struggled, supported Luna and they journeyed to Merry Land.

Two days later, they arrived and Momma Kristal was glad to see them. Immediately, she began treating their wounds which took three weeks to heal. Momma Kristal had to teach Gift on how to use the dagger to destroy the Ugly Prince Xava. All these took onunafter which Gift travelled alone to the Kingdom of Kimba which happened to be that of the Ugly Prince. It was an easy journey since Momma Kristal used magic of exportation to get Gift there. Getting to the palace, she recognized the queen due to the description and pictures she had seen. 

Prince Xava had turned the queen into a manipulating toy that obeyed all of his orders. Gift was forcefully dragged into the palace by the prince’s chief guard_

“Long live the Prince of power. Here is a stranger we caught wondering around the environment. I think she is a spy”

Prince Xava: who are you girl and what is your mission in my kingdom?

“I have come to save Queen Melisa”

Prince Xava: (laughs provocatively) you little thing??

When the prince further interrogated Gift, she ignored and this got him furious and he got more furious when Gift challenged him to a duel_

“Prince or whatever you call yourself, if you defeat me, you stay with the queen and make me your slave, but if I do; I will kill you, take the queen and break the curse”

The prince accepted the challenge and the fight began; it was so intense that the prince had to transform to his real self; having a face of an eagle, mouth of a lion and body of a dragon, revealing his true identity of the ugly beast that he was. Gift finally understood why the name “Ugly prince” irrespective of his handsomeness that hid his true identity. She was brutally beating to the point where giving up was the only option and choice she had so as to return to her family in one piece, but as the sun set, the rays flash on the prince’s shoulder and there was a strange prism sign. Immediately she remembered her dagger, seeing that as her last opportunity and while the prince was distracted making a show of pride and victory to his subjects, Gift pulled out the dagger and with her last strength_"if I loose I'm death". she buried it on the prince’s shoulder, at the center of the prism. 

The ugly prince Xava gave out a scream of defeat and pains. As he fell down, he turned into ashes and vanished into the air. The queen regained her mind and Gift brought her out of the castle that was collapsing. They ran far inside the forest and with a magic mirror, Gift pronounced a word_ “mika zuna pundo” that landed them in Merry Land. 

The Land was unrecognizable, it was 10 times more beautiful than before, filled with life, colors and melody of laughter. As soon as they landed in the middle of the garden every one bowed down to greet the queen_ "long live Queen Melisa"

Queen Melisa:Gift, I thank you for taking upon yourself this fight, risking your life to save I and my people; you are a gift indeed, God bless your mum for gaving you that name

Gift: thanks your majesty

Joy returned to Merry Land and as the queen was about honoring Gift with a magical bracelet and necklace before everyone bows in respect, _

“Gift…..wake up. You have played and fallen asleep on this bear floor. Don’t you know you can catch cold or fever?”

“Oh no Jenny, why now? You would have waited for me to receive my honor before waking me up”

“What honor?”

“I was having the best dream ever”

“Okay, let’s go inside so you tell me about it”

             THE END!