FacuAldro's Writing Contest Entry - Cursed Quill

Instructions

Prolouge: I opened the pearly-white box. It was about 10 inches tall and 3 inches wide. It gleamed in the sun. Sure to call in any poor person. All I had wanted to do was pawn it off to earn a little extra **Faellons. But I looked inside. Though not scary per se, enough power that it could. drive a person mad-if it didn't kill them first. Enough power that it would soon kill me. I just hoped the next person to find it would have the power to destroy it. For good. ___________________________________________________ Chapter 1: It was the middle of a steaming hot day. Sweat poured down my face and into the dirt below. The stone shovel didn't make much of a dent in the rocky ground. My arms burned from the effort. I was a simple farmer. I didn't make much selling my tiny crops, but it was enough for me and my family to get by. My shovel hit something hard. I brushed the dirt away and found- not a rock- but a pearly-white box. Not big, about big enough for a bird's feather. It was exquisite, even after being in the rocky dirt. I dusted it off and took a good look at it. It looked expensive. I know that my shopkeeper friend Godfrey would pay maybe fifteen Faellons for a box like this. He might take some off for the scratch where my shovel had hit it. I undid the latch to evaluate the inside. The inside held a peacock quill. It took my breath away. It was a green-blue, with a black eye on the end. I pulled out a tattered leather notebook from my pocket. I took it everywhere to scribble notes down. I didn't have any ink, but the quill worked anyway. I wrote down the first thing to come to mind. Faellons. The word was written in a regal blue ink. As I stared at the ink, my book began to shake violently. I dropped it. On the page, a golden coin appeared. I knelt and picked it up. It had an off-centered crown. It was a Faellon! Shiny and new. My mind raced. How had this happened? What else could it do? And most of all, how long would it last? ___________________________________________________ Quite soon, I was known as the richest man in all *Tharnin. I had more money than I needed. If I were ever robbed, a couple of words could make me richer than before. Soon, I was king. I ruled over the land, without a thought for others who were poor before me. My small field, I once called home, was overgrown with thorns and bristles. But who cared? I had others to work hard for me now. I had pages, scribes, slaves, noblemen, gatekeepers, knights, butlers, manservants, and more maids than I knew of. I could create anything with my pen. Soon, I found that I could change things too. Was the water too cold? I could make it warm. Was the saddle too rough? I could make it soft and plush. To think, I had just wanted to pawn it off for a few Faellons. Now, I could do whatever I wanted. I ruled. ___________________________________________________ To be Continued... * Means see the notes and credits.