۞ The Element Within ۞
"Grandma, tell me a story!" A young boy said, sitting in front of her rocking chair.
The elderly woman chuckled a little, he was just like his mother when she'd been young, "How about Cinderella or Snow White?"
"Ew! Those are girly stories!" The boy said with a pouting look on his angel face, "Tell me a story with action and adventure!"
"Hmmm...What about the story of the Elements?"
"What? I've never heard of that story before."
She chuckled again before reaching over and propping another log in the fire, to keep it going, "Well, then that's the story I shall tell you.... Once upon a time, there had been a just king that resided in this very castle. He was a very admired king and ruled his people with every ounce of kindness he could muster. One day, a poor traveller rode to the castle and asked to stay the night, for he was a poor man that had heard of the king's kindness and had no money to pay for a room at the inn.
The king allowed him to stay that night, even eat at his table! His queen, though, was a wicked woman that had no heart nor loyalty to anyone or anything. The man was young and handsome, and her own husband was middle aged and was not as handsome as he used to be. She was a woman with beauty that outshone any pearl and diamond, and even though she was attractive this handsome traveller paid no attention to her. This angered her.
The next day, it was raining so badly that the traveller would have to stay until it cleared up enough for him to continue his journey. The queen was intent on getting this man to pay her attention, and so that day, she told him so. The traveller just stared at her for a long moment before laughing. The sound was like a crow and suddenly his beauty faded to reveal that he was an old wizard.
Then he smiled and said, 'Since you are a vain creature that is only intent on being pleased, your children will suffer being looked down upon all.' And with that, he raised his hands above his head and murmured a spell that made the entire kingdom stand still for a moment. Then he vanished without a trace.
Within the next couple of years, she gave birth to four children. Two sons and two daughters. Though they were beautiful like their mother, and kind and just like their father, they were despised by the people. Why? You might be asking yourself. Because they had the magic ability to control one of the four Elements..."
The young boy sat there with eyes the size of pinwheels, "What happened to the four children?"
"They grew up, just like every other child that is born."
"That's no way to end a story!"
"What if I told you that they fell in love with four others? There had been four poor families that gave birth to a child, also with the abilities to control an Element. But they fell in love with the opposite Element to their own."
"Now that's more like it, Grandma. I'm *yawn* kinda sleepy...." The boy laid his head on his grandma's lap and the woman picked him up and carried him to his bed.
After tucking him in and kissing his head, she smiled a little. "Your grandpa and I had a hell of a time trying to fall in love." She chuckled before snapping her fingers, putting the fire out instantaneously.
"Grandma, tell me a story!" A young boy said, sitting in front of her rocking chair.
The elderly woman chuckled a little, he was just like his mother when she'd been young, "How about Cinderella or Snow White?"
"Ew! Those are girly stories!" The boy said with a pouting look on his angel face, "Tell me a story with action and adventure!"
"Hmmm...What about the story of the Elements?"
"What? I've never heard of that story before."
She chuckled again before reaching over and propping another log in the fire, to keep it going, "Well, then that's the story I shall tell you.... Once upon a time, there had been a just king that resided in this very castle. He was a very admired king and ruled his people with every ounce of kindness he could muster. One day, a poor traveller rode to the castle and asked to stay the night, for he was a poor man that had heard of the king's kindness and had no money to pay for a room at the inn.
The king allowed him to stay that night, even eat at his table! His queen, though, was a wicked woman that had no heart nor loyalty to anyone or anything. The man was young and handsome, and her own husband was middle aged and was not as handsome as he used to be. She was a woman with beauty that outshone any pearl and diamond, and even though she was attractive this handsome traveller paid no attention to her. This angered her.
The next day, it was raining so badly that the traveller would have to stay until it cleared up enough for him to continue his journey. The queen was intent on getting this man to pay her attention, and so that day, she told him so. The traveller just stared at her for a long moment before laughing. The sound was like a crow and suddenly his beauty faded to reveal that he was an old wizard.
Then he smiled and said, 'Since you are a vain creature that is only intent on being pleased, your children will suffer being looked down upon all.' And with that, he raised his hands above his head and murmured a spell that made the entire kingdom stand still for a moment. Then he vanished without a trace.
Within the next couple of years, she gave birth to four children. Two sons and two daughters. Though they were beautiful like their mother, and kind and just like their father, they were despised by the people. Why? You might be asking yourself. Because they had the magic ability to control one of the four Elements..."
The young boy sat there with eyes the size of pinwheels, "What happened to the four children?"
"They grew up, just like every other child that is born."
"That's no way to end a story!"
"What if I told you that they fell in love with four others? There had been four poor families that gave birth to a child, also with the abilities to control an Element. But they fell in love with the opposite Element to their own."
"Now that's more like it, Grandma. I'm *yawn* kinda sleepy...." The boy laid his head on his grandma's lap and the woman picked him up and carried him to his bed.
After tucking him in and kissing his head, she smiled a little. "Your grandpa and I had a hell of a time trying to fall in love." She chuckled before snapping her fingers, putting the fire out instantaneously.
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