The Child of the Seven Springs: Chapter 1
Once upon a time, there was a seven-year-old boy named Ralph. He lived in a wooden house with his mother in a beautiful small village of Zerak. The village was a luscious green valley, full of flowers and friendly people. They lived on the edge of the village on the hilltop overlooking a picturesque scene with Mt. Amber on the background. But behind their house was the mysterious forbidden forest that no one dared to enter. The trees had thorns all over, they called them the Flesheater, and they grew several hundred feet tall, not letting any sunlight hit the ground. But as the legend was told, there was a crystal-clear lake on the other side of the forest and anyone who drank its water would be the strongest warrior of all. The elders of the village said that the forest was so full of evil creatures and spirits, even the bravest and strongest warrior had never returned.
Mt. Amber, on the other hand, was full of wonder. It was a place for the elves and the angelic creatures; where magic and miracles actually did happen. There were plants which human beings had never seen before. They were so colorful and so alive. They always bloomed, glowed, and produced the most delicious fruits you had ever tasted. Especially the Nettlehazels, they had the sweetest and juiciest fruit all year round. It was like a plum, only a tad smaller in size, but packed with a burst of flavors. It was Ralph’s favorite.
At night, the mountain was illuminated by fireflies, like gems in the ocean reflecting stars up above; glimmering like subdued candles trying to light up a pitch dark space. A gentle lullaby could be heard every night coming from the mountain. No one knew where exactly it came from. When people got near to find out, the lullaby would disappear. The rustling of the trees, the cool breeze from the north, the serenity, the gazillion stars up above, the full moon so big it almost swallowed the mountain, the lullaby, and the warmth coming from the people of Zerak, that was what so magical about this place.
Living deep inside the mountain was Mother Wynona. She was the guardian of Zerak. Wherever she went, everything lit up; the plants and trees blossomed, the creatures sang and danced, the sick were healed, the cold became warm, and the dead came alive. She couldn’t speak, only smiled. She was sent there by the Gods to take care of the village and the mountain, thousands of years ago when good and evil still lived in harmony before the great battle began. There were seven other guardians like Mother Wynona, each guarding their own village. After the battle, only three were left: Mother Helga, Mother Kira, and Mother Wynona. The demons always tried to kill them so that they could take over the world, but they had never succeeded.
Ralph was a curious little boy. He always wondered, explored, touched, and smelled the unknowns, talked to strangers, while sneaking through Madam Chandelier’s Bakery and stealing a piece or two of the infamous chocolate cake. Above all of these, Ralph had always wanted to go to the forbidden forest. He wanted to be a warrior when he grew up. He dreamed of becoming a hero one day, who defeated the demons and brought peace once again to Zerak and the other villages. His mother, Mona, was very protective of her son. She didn’t want Ralph to get hurt, even the slightest wound from falling down on the street. She didn’t want Ralph to be taken away by the evil spirits like what had happened to her husband.
It all happened when Ralph was only two weeks old. Everything seemed peaceful that day. Zerak had just started coming alive with all the activities and chattering of the people. It was a beautiful morning; the sun was shining, river streaming down the village, the smell of fresh-baked bread coming from Madam Chandelier’s Bakery, birds chirping, and people saying good morning to one another. In a matter of seconds, the sky turned dark covered with what looked like thousands of flying demons, and the river turned black. The water morphed into hideous creatures that grabbed and ate everything they saw. The villagers were running around trying to find shelter, but nowhere was safe because the demons were not done yet. They took form of giant bats that flew and grab the people. Flesheater plant from the forest started growing and whipped their massive vines full of thorns to destroy all the houses. Mother Wynona and the warriors had a massive battle against the demons before they managed to chase them away. But for some, it was too late. Fate was stronger than anything else on that horrifying day. Ralph’s father was killed.
