Alan and his steed bid farewell to the villagers and went on his way. It was a long way ahead, and there was still no sign of any fairies. The terrain was rougher as they ventured deeper into the unknown. It was a barren land, with almost no trees. Water was so scarce that often times, they would have to dig under the sried river beds to find water. Moreover, the water they would find was infeceed with bugs and had a foul smell in it, but still they had to take it in. It was hard, trying to make up with the distance, with such small resources of water, when he finally reached an open area, where he found a golden palace.
As we went closer, there came a noise, Hello, my dear prince, a voice came.
Alan was surprised and tried to find the source, from where the voice was coming from. He was curious and alert as he slowly walked down the road. As he went closer, he was greeted by a fairy. Upon looking closer, he was surprised.
It was the same old lady he had saved from those goblins a few days back. She said it was a task to see if Alan was a man of good heart or not. I am happy that you have a good soul. Your parents are lucky to have a son like you.
Thank you, my lady, "said Alan.
The fairy gently put out a smile and asked Alan the reason behind coming this far into the island.
What do you seek? "asked the fairy.
Alan replied, "I don't seek any valuable, my lady, but I do need a sword made for me, that would help me might those who destroyed my family and my people."
The fairy asked Alan why he sought a sword from them?
Alan was quiet and decided to tell her about his parents, since she already knew he was a prince.
I came from a faraway land, and my people were brutally murdered by a dark force. I couldn't help them, but now I am on a quest to finish th8s 5ask and gather resources to fight him.
The fairy listened to his word and said, "Very well then, I can give you a sword, but it doesn't hold any magic. The magic lies within you. If you are worthy, you shall make great use of it. But ,whatever you do, never go on the dark side. Your heart is pure, don't let darkness consume, it or there will be no difference between you and the dark forces.
The fairy took Alan into the castle. And to his surprise. the castle was made entirely out of gold, and there was gold, silver, and other jewels lying on the floor. The fairy asked Alan to pick up a sword among a couple of otbers. There were swords made in gold. silver and emeralds. But Alan selected an iron sword. It was black as coal, and he felt an instant feeling of anxiety, the moment he kaid his hands on it. The fairy was surprised and happy to see Alan, having selected a sword among far more expensive and exclusive ones. And so being happy for his honesty, she also gave him a shield and an armour, made entirely out of tungsten. It was said to be the strongest metal on planet Earth. It was a gift for his honesty and for the help he had done a few days back in defeating the goblins.
Alan thanked the fairy for her gifts and accepted her help ,for without her, he would have been lying dead. The sword he selected was made off a high strength alloy of iron and some other metal, which Alan never heard of. Strong and compact, the sword was lighter than others.
After thanking the fairies, Alan once again continued on his path. But the challenge was far from over. He couldn't figure out the way he came from, but as he went back, there was no sign of the castle, infact the place he saw the castle was empty and there stood a boulder only. So, without any idea of his path, he and his steed walked endlessly. The sun was shining hot, and the landscape grew even more harsh as they went deeper into the island. The heat from the sun was so strong and merciless that Alan felt dizzy and fell down close to a dried watering hole. His steed, though tired, carried him faithfully through the harsh terrain.
After a long journey, they came across a watering hole, connected via narrow ridge alongside a cave. It was all murky all over the place, but the water near this cave looked crystal clear. As if it was a gift from the goddess Avon.
They both drank their fill from this water. To their surprise, it tasted sweet and fresh. Almost as if they are drinking it from a fountain. They thanked the gods for their help and, after spending the night beside that watering hole, left the sight at the first light of dawn. Still, they tried to find the ship, but then they came across a luminescent bird. It was glowing with cyan colour. Unable to understand at first why it was circling them. Alan decided to ignore it and move, but still, it was trying to circle them. So Alan decided to follow it around, and to his surprise, he found the ship.
The bird flew away as Alan put his steed and himself on the ship and asked the captain to go. The captain was worried, and he asked them if they had already reached their destination.
Alan was a bit shocked at his question and said yes, my job was done. Why are you looking so shocked?
The captain told Alan it was only a few hours since they had left the ship, and he was shocked to find them returning so early.
Alan was shocked. For a moment, he started to question himself on the matter. Maybe the bird was sent by the fairies, and it was their doing, Alan thought on his mind.
Either way, he decided not to think about it anymore, so he asked the captain to change the course.