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"Once upon a time there was a chicken,"

Maple gave them a suspicious stare, wondering if it was the subject of their story because she had been holding one.

"- who owned a shield."

Alright, so they didn't seem to be looking around them for subject matter. Maybe.

"She was an ordinary chicken by any means and no one ever knew why she had such a shield or how. They simply never questioned it. It just was.

The chicken would cluck all day long, simply doing as a chicken did all day long until, as the story goes, that Camelot was threatened by many an giant. They scared the civilians of Camelot, they are them and made them into stew and they destroyed so many crops.

Many Knights and brave souls went out against the giants, trying to stop their tyranny and bloodshed but only few returned, and of those they would be battled and broken and would speak of the horrors they faced.

The Great King was at a lose of what to do. How would he save his people? Who would? But the real question was what? Because our ordinary chicken took the call.

And it was that day that it would be known why that chicken had its shield. For with its mighty shield, it saved Camelot. And it's people were forever grateful.

The end."

The fairies gave Maple a pleased look, so happy with the tale they had told her. They almost looked like they were looking for praise but all the black knight could find were questions

"But... How d-did it... save Camelot?" They never explained that part. But al they did was giggle and flutter away.

"T-that... was half a st-story..." The girl frowned.

Drained beyond measure, Johan was naturally drawn to the beauty and peace of the Lake. As he washed the blood from his face, a sudden darting light at the surface of the water caught his attention.

"Would you like to hear a story?" a small voice piped. It apparently was going to tell him one whether he wanted to hear it or not. Johan eyed it warily, but, as it didn't seem to have any malicious intent, let it be. He continued washing, listening with one ear as the sprite spun its tale.

"Once upon a time, Chanticleer was a man. I mean, he was a chicken-man. Er- Maybe he was just a chicken. But he was still CHANTICLEEEEEER!

And he would crow just like that each morning as the sun rose! So vain and proud was Chanticleer, that he truly believed that his crowing was what caused the sun to wake from its bed! He ruled a coop of chickens who believed this, too, and followed every order he gave them, for fear he might refuse to raise the Sun if they didn't. Chanticleer had a fine life.

However, an evil witch decided to make her home close to the Chanticleer's coop. And as Witches tend to do a lot of their evil stuff at night, she was wont to sleep during the day. Only one thing vexed her, and it was Chanticleer's crowing every dawn, and bossy clucking throughout the day. The evil witch couldn't sleep! So, one night, she turned her dark arts on him, and took away Chanticleer's voice!

When dawn came without Chanticleer's crowing, the chickens saw how they'd been fooled, and chased Chanticleer far, far away from the coop. Mute and perfectly miserable, Chanticleer wandered the land all alone.

One night, he happened upon the camp of a Prince, who was out in the Forest, hunting boars. The Prince was sound asleep in his tent, with his guard outside. Unbeknownst to the camp, a band of brigands had surrounded them, planning to capture the Prince for ransom! Chanticleer saw them, however, as they killed the sentries and crept closer to the Tent.

Thinking that he must warn the Prince of the danger, Chanticleer opened his beak wide. And because he wished to use his voice to help someone else, instead of for his own sake, he found he could crow! And crow he did!

CHANTICLEEEEEER! CHANT-CHANT-CHANTICLEEEEEEER!

Awoken by the sound, the Prince rallied his men, and turned the table on the Brigands, hunting them down to the last man. In recognition of Chanticleer's crowing at night, the Prince adopted the image of a chicken for his coat of arms!

Finished with his washing, Johan had spent the last moments just staring at the sprite while it finished its story.

"The end!" it declared, and flitted away across the water without waiting for a reaction. Johan was left to wonder whether the sprite had been in the vicinity of a certain Cottage recently...

Out over the lake, he could just make out the little sprite yelling at the top of its lungs,

"AND CHANTICLEER CROWED IN THE NIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!"

Once Upon A Time... (Man I love those four words!)

"There was a man- wait! No no! I'm getting ahead of myself! There was a boy!" The spirit begins

This boy was but a poor stable boy who had lost his family during a recent great war... A kindly stable master had taken the orphan boy in giving him food and a warm bed as long as he helped tend the horses The boy thought reluctant in the begin soon became very thankful for the Stable Master's generosity and soon grew to love his adopted father as is own!

One day when wandering a nearby glade after completing his chores thd boy discovers a egg! But this egg was no meer bird egg no! It was a beautiful egg that looked to be made of solid ruby! Stunned and unsure what to do the boy picks up the ruby egg only to hear a faceless voice moments later! "Please... Care for me... I am in need..." the voice sounded young... very young and weak! Instantly the boy realizes that the voice was somehow from the egg! Quickly he takes it to his secret spot which was a small cave near a lake there a worn wooden sword and make shift straw dummy could be seen it turns out that like his family who passed the boy longed to become a knight! Unfortunately his caring adopted father would gave none of it! And so the boy practiced in secret...

It was many days after finding the egg and tending to it's needs that the boy was practicing his strikes on the dummy outside suddenly he hears a loud audible cracking sound coming from inside the egg! "Oh!" the boy says dropping the sword and rushing in there in the makeshift nest that was built sat the egg with a large crack down it's middle! "It's hatching!" he exclaims and no sooner did he shout the egg suddenly explodes sending shards of ruby egg shell flying in all directions! "Yikes!" he yelps as he ducks for cover! It was after a minute or so that he finally looks up then into the nest and what he saw... Was a baby dragon! Silently the pare staring into each other's eyes neither of them able to break eye contact until a young voice sounds in the boy's head! "Greetings!" It was official! Were now bonded!

Unfortunately things were not so simple for the pare... His adopted father nearly had a fit when the dragon was brought home and as boy and dragon grew more complications arose... But they made it though them and soon both boy and dragon reached adulthood

By this time the man was now a knight famous for his dragon companion! They would rush into battle fighting together as one and in fact they did everything together! Trained, Ate, Slept but there was one important thing they had never done together... flew... It was much too risky! Without a saddle the man surely would slide right off! Still the pare longed to soar the skies together to travel further then ever before! And one day! Their wish would come true!

A passing Wizard spoke of a dragon witch who could give them a mystical saddle one that would allow the man to safely ride the dragon into the skies without fear of falling! A map was given to the man and dragon but they were warned that the journey was difficult still the pare ventured out! They faced many dangers and hardships but in the end reached the dragon witch and for their bravery she granted them the magical saddle! They wasted little time in trying it out and happily flew home!

"This is not the end of the story however!" the little spirit announces before continuing

When man and dragon return they find their kingdom under siege by a violent neighboring kingdom! The enemie's army was far vaster then their own and the pare knew that without help everybody they cared about would surely parish! Desperately they flew in search of help but none would... Finally they made a dangerous and risky decision... They would go to the forbidden kingdom of dragons and ask for their help! Long ago man and dragon who once were friends parted ways due to man's growing fear of them the dragons were hunted and soon they fled to create their own kingdom in which humans were forbidden!

Needless to say when the man rode in on the dragon things did not go well! He was captured and imprisoned while the ruby dragon was brought before the queen however something unexpected was discovered! The ruby dragon looked just like a male version of the queen! When the pare saw each other they knew! "Oh stars and heavens above! You can only be my long lost son heir to the throne!" the queen cries then explains that long ago a greedy human thief stole her egg intent on selling it the thief was found and killed but the egg lost... Curious as to how her son survived and what connection he had to the man he brought the queen asks him and the ruby dragon tells her everything before pleaing for his friend's life!

Seeing the sincerity in her son's eyes and listening to his words she finally decides to spare the human who saved and cared for her son the pare were happily reunited and a new request was put forth "Please oh great dragon queen! (two part post!)

((rolling all at once because lazyness))

"A woman who owned a saddle road to find a legendary weapon in a tower." said the spirit as Trisha settled in for the story. Trisha didn't think that sounded like a riddle at all, but was happy to listen.

"She was tall and her hair was as long as the sea. The women flowed wherever she may. her Saddle was made of gold and decorated with the seashells of the beaches. Her companion was a looser. and they sang together as they rode the waves on a dolphin.

One day a war broke out and her father, the king of the see spoke to her. "Daughter, take your saddle and ride to the top of the ocean. There you will find a tower, and inside is a legendary weapon. Go retrieve it and we will be saved."

"Yes Father." said the women. And so the women, rode off on her dolphin with her lobster companion by her side. They rode across the waves until they finally reached land. It was there that she saw the tower. A great light came from the tower and beamed over the sea.

The women had never left the sea before, and she stepped off the dolphin, and stood for the first time on land. as she walked forward the sand curled beneath her hair. and she feel back crying, "I can not reach."

"You must reach said a crab along the shore line." and it skittered to them. "I will show you." it walked back and forth across the sand.

The women watched and waited. She then slowly crawled across the sand rolling in and out. In and out. And that is the waves. Soon the waves became tides. for many days the women tried but could not reach. Finally she ran way back pulling the water with her and then rushed forward crashing up tot he top of the tower in a great tidal wave.

finally she took the great weapon with her into the sea, and took it home where it defeated their enemy. after that the great weapon was broken up and given to the fish who lived deepest in the sea so it could light their way.

Trisha listened and yawned sleepily at the end of the story.


Do not give up said the spirit.

((stuff))

Micheal sat down in front of the lake, still deep in thought as to what to do. It was a confusing mess. Everything was just too confusing.

and then a beautiful spirit appeared. Micheal stared up.

"I can not help you fight, but I can ease your pain. would you like to hear a story?"

Micheal nodded. Alright he could listen.

"It starts in a riddle."

Once there was a beggar who carried a coffin. He carried the coffin up the stairs to Valhalla and it was there he found the giants.

Micheal wasn't sure how that was a riddle but ok, whatever.

There was an old beggar, who carried a coffin. As he begged some would ask, "Sir why do you carry a coffin?"

"So that when i die, I may be buried properly." replied the old beggar.

Many would nod their heads and hand the old beggar some money. Clearly this was a wise old man, who even if he could no long provide for himself, did everything he could to not be a burden.

The beggar was so poor he would use the coffin to sleep. and one day some men found his body in the coffin while he slept these men looked over the coffin ans spoke among themselves and then buried the beggar coffin and all.

When the beggar woke, he tried to get ou, but the lid was too heavy with dirt. Suddenly he heard a voice, and he realized the coffin hat a tiny hole. A mole was calling to him. "Sir beggar sir beggar, come to the hole." he came very close and suddenly he shrank down to the size of the mole.

"Come out we will take you up the stairs?"

"What stairs?" asked the beggar but the mole did not answer. So the beggar followed along the way. And he arrived at the stairs, and up and up he went. all the way to land of giants.

When the giants found him and he was so small, they laughed and brought him up to the table where he ate well.

Micheal wasn't sure he liked this story at all.

Story Parts:
Once upon a time there was a: Chicken
The __ owned some : lantern
Elements: Stairs & Poverty

Uru chuckled at the sprites, their hyperactiveness made him smile as he rested against a tree beside the lake, feeling its energies life his spirits. He nodded to their request, but felt that they were going to continue on if he agreed or not. He offered a gesture of 'go ahead'.

-----

Once upon a time, there was a chicken, Ser Clucksly owned a shop of lanterns. The farmland was fraught with dangers at night by the foxes and wolves, the shadows and the evils. But Ser Clucksly knew that the farm could not afford his lanterns, let alone the food that they could muster up for meals. The farm was in poverty, the trade was low. The chickens could not trade their eggs. The pigs cannot offer their mud for building. The cows could not offer their milk. The horses could not offer their hay or their strength. No one from outside the farm feared to venture too close as the night brought horrible things. So Ser Clucksly posted his wonderful lanterns all over the farm, illuminating the families home's; the barn, the coop, the pens, the house. While trade was slow, they manage to work out a system to keep each other safe and avoid hunger. The Horses and Pigs offered their mud and hay to help build homes for the others. The Chickens and Cows offered their milk and eggs to keep them strong for the next day. Their little farm was safe as long as Ser Clucksly's lanterns kept the night as safe as day.

However, it was when his marvelous lanterns became dim, when his fabulous lamps began to disappear from their posts. He would quickly replace them, but found that he could not keep up with the demands, he could not replace them quick enough. The anxiety of the animals grew with each passing day as the night crept closer and closer to their homes.

"Worry not! KAW!" He shouted, a green, stain-glassed lantern clutched to his chest. "I will have the farm lit again! KAW! Please, go home, sleep well. We will be safe!"

"But the shadows! WHINNY!" The head of the Horse House cried, his large, long head shaking, his mane sweeping from side to side.

"Let them come, I will eat them like I eat everything! OINK!" The head of the Pig House challenged.

"You will eat anything, Ser Kris P. Bacon. MOO!" The matriarch of the Cow House pointed out.

"I'd eat you if you were caught, Madam Creme! OINK!"

"Now, settle down everyone, my husband has got this under control. KAW!" Ser Clucksly wife spoke softly as she came to the Lantern maker's side. "He has worked all day on these lanterns, they will be put up and we will be safe, don't you worry! KAW!"

The head of houses reluctantly agreed, returning to their homes to rest for the night. However, Ser Clucksly kept himself away, running this way and that way, making sure his lamps were all on their posts and their oils filled. When he turned around the Great Chicken Coop Manor, he saw that one of his lanterns had fallen, cracked and broken. Panicked, Ser Clucksly went to inspect and quickly replace the fallen lamp when he heard a mad chuckle nearby.

"Oh, what a wonderfully, plump meal on legs. So it had been you who has been putting up these silly lights up. YIP!" It came like a mad laugh now, the source seeming to move around him. He pressed his back up to the coop as his eyes frantic, his head twitching this way and that so he could see. "You see, your lights are keeping me up, and when I am up, I get hungry. You see? That doesn't help you at all. YIP!"

"S-sorry? Y-you have been attacking us long before the lanterns were up. KAW!"

"Well, I was just hungry then."

"Y-you didn't say - say 'YIP!'"

"YIPPEE KI YAY, CHICKEN!" He laughed as he dashed from the shadows. The red fox sprinting toward the chicken as he dropped his lantern, running around the manor and down the stairs. It was when he fell with a horrible cry, tumbling down in a ball of feathers and flailing limps. "Got you now, chicken." the fox loomed closer, his grin becoming white and sharp.

"You didn't say 'Yip'. Kaw." A female voice came. Turning around, the pair saw Mrs. Clucksly with the abandoned lamp over her head. "KAW! KAW! MOTHER FOXXER!"

And the fox burned.

The end.

--------

"That was... That was not what I had expected, little ones." Uru sat there with a look of absolute disbelief and horror. The sprites just giggled and sunk beneath the surface of the lake.

Julian was still damp from a swim, water dripping from pale hair and trailing absently down his face, when he found the quiet spot. Here he drew in a breath, alone at last, eyes closed as he appreciated the relative quiet of this place. He only needed a moment's silence to refresh him and then he could breathe out again, stepping into his pants and opening his eyes --

And here, now, there were lights on the water, a shimmering path into the distance that made him go quiet and still, head cocked quizzically to one side. Fairy lights, he thought, and that in turn made him tense, fearing another dark fairy attack.

But no. These were light, instead, twisting in a circle around him and speaking with sweet voices.

"A story!" One whispered near his ear, and another giggled.

"Would you like to --"

"It stands and ends with a riddle!"

And truthfully, there was little Julian loved more than a good story, so he bobbed his head in a hesitant little nod and they dissolved into a flit of glee, beginning their tale:

__________________

Once upon a time there was a jester -- once beloved, but eventually forgotten by his king, who chose instead to live a life of solitude alone in the woods. As our story begins he is an old man, his youth of riddles and laughter, of prancing and acrobatics forgotten in favor of sitting on the front porch of his cabin and smoking slowly from a pipe.

On this night, there is a storm on the horizon, dark clouds that fill his vision, threatening and flickering with lightning. He knows by the time he senses the impending danger that he is too late to take the trip into town on his old, skeletal donkey. He will have to make do only with what he has at hand, and so he gathers up his meager belongings in the last night of day to see what he has.

One lantern, unlit.
Two old keys, unlabelled.
Three matches, discolored.
Four days dry rations.
Five days water.
Six bright fairies, standing on his doorstep.

And he pauses. Starts at the beginning. Comes to the same end.

He doesn't ask the lights who they are. Instead he stands staring at them, lantern in hand and expression somewhat puzzled as they shift and settle in his doorway, as they flicker like lightning and behind them thunder rumbles. Maybe the jester should ask what they need, but instead he stands and stares at them and they stare back.

"We'll take the keys," they say, flickering in through the door and leaving long, damp trails in their wake, like miniature rainclouds themselves. Before the jester can answer, they have swarmed across the table, gathered the keys into their wake, shimmering and bright, gleaming metal suspended in a sea of lights. Since the jester doesn't even know what they open, he doesn't protest, but his eyes track their path back toward the door and into the heart of the storm.

"And we leave you this." In their wake, in return, they drop the dead weight of a sopping-wet book on his doorstep. It's black and violet and emblazoned in gold with the name of his king: a name that makes the jester inexplicably sad. With shaky fingers, he reaches out to take it, the lights flickering out and leaving him in the dark. Thunder booms once, lightning in its wake, and then all is silent.

A hiss and a pop. The lantern catches, and through the faint light it casts, the jester surveys what the fairies have left him.

One lantern, lit.
Two matches, discolored but functional.
Three days dry rations.
Four days water.

One book, that must be delivered to his king.

___________________________________

The story itself was a riddle, and one that left Julian puzzled -- but the fairies, at least, seemed endlessly pleased by what they told him, as if it gave some great insight into his current situation. The more he worried at it, the harder they laughed, casting bright streaks of light onto the lake.