The Enhanced eBook Has Been Published!!!

   It took awhile, but I finally got around to re-editing the ebook version of my "Golden Bird Quest," and I have to say that is a fantastic story! I modified the ending yet again (making it MUCH stronger), and even tweaked certain details throughout. PLUS, I added the original Grimm's fairy tale as a bonus!

   So here's the Amazon.com link:
The Golden Bird Quest, by Charles M Warren

   At least try the book out, and let me know what you think!

—Charles

The eBook version is out there...

   About a month ago, I e-published this story (a heavily revised and improved version) on Amazon.com, but even it was rushed, and I'm working on going over the story one last time, as well as making a printable version, to be available very soon.

New Sci-Fi Blog Coming... + Golden Bird Quest Book

   Tuesday night, June 7th, I'll be posting the first chapter in a new fantasy blog, based on a familiar tale. Check it out on my main blog: VirtuousCreature.blogspot.com

   Check it out Tuesday night! (6/7/11)

   Plus, I hope to e-publish this Golden Bird Quest fantasy in a week or two, revised, and with a few more drawings. I'll update you when this finally happens.

–Charles M Warren

Blog Update

   That's just about it for this blog. I'm still working on adding the rest of the drawings for the last several posts, and I'm going to revise the whole story and release it as a eBook on Amazon.com, so look out for that.
   Meanwhile, I'll be starting a new blog soon, this one being a Science Fiction tale.

   I'll keep you updated...

–Charles M Warren

Week Six, Night Five: How It All Ended

I had a dream last night...

I saw the Prince, bending down and picking up the Witch’s crooked blade, not at all sure if he could really do what the Fox was asking of him.

“Please.” begged the copper-colored canine. “It is the only way to save me.”

The Princess leaned down to him, taking the Fox’s head into her hands. “But... Dear Fox, how could we? Might this even be a wound you could survive on your own.”

The Fox pulled away, sadly saying “Oh that I wish you didn’t have to see me the way that I am.” But then he looked back up at her. “Princess, if you let the boy do this, I promise it will not be the last of me.”

She looked back up at the Prince.

“You must hurry.” urged the Fox.

So the maiden stepped away, as the Prince took a deep breath, crouching down beside the creature. He raised the knife to the animals leg, took another breath, and began to cut.

Yet he was surprised to discover not a drop of blood fell from the wound, as the blade passed rather easily through animal’s fur, also doing so with the poor creature’s other limbs, and even his neck.

When suddenly the Fox’s body began to glow! Getting brighter and brighter, it lit up the entire room with a warm orange light.

The Witch hid her face. “What have you done?” she asked.

And when the light faded, there sat a man with copper-colored hair and beard.

The Golden Princess gasped, throwing herself upon the man, as tears began to roll down her face. “Brother! Oh dear Brother!” she cried.

The Prince helped them to their feet, saying “An enchantment? You were really her brother all along?”

“Indeed.” replied the man, glancing over at the window. “But we haven’t much time. We have to get you all to the back entrance.” He stepped over to the Horse, who was holding the Witch down with his right-front hoof, her being too shaken up to even speak, taking her up into his grasps, and leading the others to the back.

Outside, the sky was growing light with the new day. So the Brother of the Princess told his sister “Stand there, with the Bird in one hand, and the Horse’s snout in the other.” Then, while still holding onto the Witch, he instructed the Prince “Take the Golden Apple, and hold it out in front of the mound of bones.”

And just as they all got into place, the sun came up, with all the Golden things sparkling and shimmering like light through a dazzling jewel, until the woman in the copper-haired man’s arms fainted!

The copper-haired man carefully turned her around, and saw that her face was now young and kind, that she was the Witch no more!

She woke up as if from a dream, blinking her eyes and saying “What has happened? How long have I been out?”

The Brother pulled her close to him. “All that matters now, is that it’s all over, my sweet.”

Suddenly, something rose up from the mound of bones, as they looked up to see the image of an earthen-haired woman.

The Princess studied her face, but could not recognize it.

The Brother took a step back, motioning up at her. “She is the real witch! The one who has brought all of this upon us!”

The apparition sadly looked down, as the Princess seemed to realize who it was, recalling what the enchanted old woman had told her some moments before.

“My eldest aunt of my Mother’s Mother?” she asked.

The woman nodded, turning to the copper-haired man. “I am sorry for all the terrible things I’ve done. I regret that I did not see the blemishes of my heart... until I could no longer make up for them.” Then she turned to the Princess. “And, young darling, do ask your mother to forgive me as well. I let my jealousy drive me to do such horrible things, and I don’t wish to see anyone else treat others in the same way.”

The golden-haired girl looked over at her brother, and his expression turned from vexed, to pitying.

“With time,” he said, “I may not hold it against her.”

And suddenly the woman was gone, with the inside of the Golden Castle instantly appearing brighter, and more pleasant.

The Brother walked up to the Prince, and held out his hand for the Golden Apple. The boy gave it to him, and watched as he took it out several strides, to the spot where an old tree stump stood. Holding the apple out, and gripping it tight, he broke the fruit in two, letting several of its seeds sprinkle onto the ground.

Turning back to the Prince, he held out the two halves. “I believe a bite from these should cure your brothers.”

And so it did. The King’s other two princes were cured of the poison, restoring their attitudes to the way they were before, though some said still wasn’t enough.

The Princess’ mother was overjoyed to see her son and daughter-in-law alive again, and was told about the ghostly appearance of her sister, leading to her bones getting a more proper burial.

The Golden Castle was quickly restored to its former splendor, with the courtyard full of luscious foliage, and a little apple tree sprouting up behind it.

Meanwhile, the Hunter of the mansion was forbid to kill any more foxes, and the Rider of the estate ran off with a barmaid of the cheerful inn.

Soon, the Prince of the Golden Apple King and the Golden Princess were married, taking the Golden Castle as their home, and reuniting the Golden Creatures together at one place.

And it wasn’t long before they were expecting their first child, a beautiful baby boy, with a head full of shimmering golden hair. And who should they choose to be godparents, but the Princess’ copper-haired brother and his wife.

Though they all still had their troubles from time to time, it can be said, for the most part, that they lived happily ever after.

~ THE END ~

–Charles M Warren

Week Six, Night Four: What The Witch Did

I had a dream last night...

I saw the Princess, holding onto the Prince’s shoulder with one hand, and the Horse’s bridle with the other. “What was that noise?” she asked, afraid of just what might happen when they really do come face-to-face with the Witch of the Golden Castle.

“I’ll go see.” volunteered the Prince.

But the girl grabbed onto his sleeve. “Wait! We need to stay together.”

The Fox nodded. “Yes. And we’re going to have to confront the old woman at some point anyway.”

So they made their way together, into the next room, with the Prince leading with his torch, and even the Horse and Bird trailing along at the rear.

They glanced up a stairway along the wall at their left, when they heard something up ahead... someone, groaning in pain.

Carefully entering into the next room, they could make out the walls across from them, when they realized someone was lying on the floor, over by the corner.

While remaining on the floor, she threw off the cloak she was wearing, and revealed herself to be the Witch! “Come. Come help me up.” she said.

The Fox squinted his eyes, telling the others “It’s a trap.”

“How could you think such a think, dear foxxy?” said the Witch. “After all we’ve been through.” She then waved her hand in the air, as she recited ancient words.

And suddenly the eyes of the Horse and the Bird began to glow a fiery purple. They quickly lunged forward, as the steed pushed the Prince toward the middle of the room, and the fowl grabbed hold of the Fox, causing the weak floor to give way under all their weight!

Now, only the Golden Princess and the old woman remained, watching as the others fell into the darkness below.

The Witch climbed to her feet, saying “Now, you’re the last one. I’ll ensure that you never get my castle, and never fill it with a family of your own.”

The poor girl didn’t know what to do, but run off in the other direction.

The Witch quickly got around the chasm in the floor, making it to the entryway, and locking the door behind her.

The Princess knew her only chance was to get out of the unfamiliar, closed-in space. So she made her way out the way they had come, but somehow took a wrong turn, and ended up in another room, with tall windows that reached halfway up the dark walls.

She turned around to go back out, when there stood the Witch before her, brandishing a crooked dagger in her hand.

The girl backed up, trying to think of what to do. “What do you want with us? Aren’t you my own mother’s sister?”

The old woman shook her head, taking another step closer. “The bones of that old woman lie crushed outside. I’ve been much closer to you. And have done far more for you. Yet never got any appreciation at all.”

“What are talking about? How do I know you?” she asked.

“I once had a face like yours.” she replied. “And even strived to watch yours light up with joy. Yet you required too much, you and your golden locks.”

“Who are you?! What did I even do to you?”

“You’ve taken away my beloved.” the Witch replied. “You’ve taken away everything. But now the Golden Castle is mine. And you’ve even brought my Horse and Bird back to me. So you will not now take it all away again!” So she raised the dagger into the air, and lunged at the Princess.

When out of nowhere came the Fox, jumping in front of the blade, and letting it sink into his side. Yet was still able to get it out of the Witch’s hand.

Then the Prince and the animals came running in through the door, with the Prince tackling the old woman, and holding her down on the floor.

The Princess pointed at the injured canine, saying “The Fox! He’s been hurt!” stepping over to check on him.

“What happened?” asked the Prince.

“He jumped in the way of the blade.” the girl explained. “Taking the blow meant for me.”

The Fox lifted his head up off the floor, saying to the Prince “Now, will you grant me my request?”

The boy glanced at the girl, then back at the canine, as the creature continued.

“Hurry, before I breath my last. You must cut off my head and my limbs. Only then will things be set right.”

–Charles M Warren

Week Six, Night Three: Into The Witch's Castle

I had a dream last night...

I saw the Golden Horse, tossing his white mane in the gardens of the Golden Apple King, as the first stars of the evening sky began to appear.

He was watching a doorway of the castle, when the Prince and the Princess came rushing out with the Golden Bird.

The Princess headed for the horse, letting the bird take to the air as she swung herself up, with the bird ending up on her shoulder.

The Prince had just made it to the Golden Apple Tree, plucking one of its shimmering fruits, when the girl urged the Horse over to him.

Turning around to the girl, the boy bounded up the horse to sit behind her, saying “All right, I’m ready. Let’s go!”

They rode out the front gates of the King’s castle, and saw the Fox sitting beside the roadway.

So they trotted over to him, with the Princess saying “Kind Fox, the Prince’s brothers have been poisoned by the Witch of the Golden Castle.”

And the boy adding “And the Golden Bird has told us that we must all go there to stop her.”

“Of course. Of course.” replied the Fox, hopping up and getting ready to run. “I have been waiting for this very day!”And he motioned for them to follow as he began to run on ahead.

The Prince urged the Golden Horse onward, catching up with the canine, until they were going at full speed. And away they went, flying over stock and stone, until the wind whistled through their hair!

They quickly came up upon the Golden Castle, when the Fox got the others to slow down, looking up at them, and saying “Let’s go around to the back of the castle, I know another way in.”

Coming around to the back, they found a place in the stoney wall where a tree had fallen into it, smashing a small section of the structure, and knocking off the top half of it.

The Fox hopped up onto the fallen tree, slipping into the castle’s courtyard, while the Golden Horse rose into a great leap, stepping off of the enormous log, and landing with a clop onto the brown grass inside.

“We should be able to sneak into the back unseen.” instructed the canine, leading them on closer.

There were large stone blocks littering the ground all around them, along with dark, twisted trees, just laying about.

Once they got close to the back entrance, the Prince and Princess dismounted from the Horse, and led the creature behind them, with the Bird perched quietly atop his saddle.

When there beside the back archway, was the skeleton of some poor fellow, lying half buried in the earth.

The Princess covered her mouth in horror, slowly shaking her head. “No. It can’t be...”

The Prince turned to her, asking “Who? You know who this is?”

“My brother!” she replied. “That witch was the one who killed my brother!”

The Fox looked up at her confidently, saying with an assuring tone “Be still, Princess. This is not your brother, for it is the bones of a woman.” And turning back to the entrance, added “We must keep going, the old woman may already know we are here.”

They all stepped inside, unnerved by the echo of the cloppity steps of the Horse’s hooves, when they looked around at the ruined chamber and saw how beautiful and elegant a place it must have once been.

The Fox ran into the next room, and retrieved a lit torch, taking it to the Prince for him to lead the others through the rooms.

When the boy saw something sparkle in the darkness ahead of them, suddenly fearing that someone was standing there. He whispered to the others “Is that someone? Over there?”

The canine raised his nose to sniff the air, replying “No. I do not yet smell the old woman.”

Leading them all closer to inspect it, the Prince saw that it was the gold trim of a painting, reflecting the torches light, with everyone gathering around to see what it was a picture of.

It was a wonderful scene of a king and queen upon a balcony, with a beautiful golden fairy in mid flight, over the forest, surely wishing them blessings of some kind.

The Princess reached out her hand as if to touch it. “That’s the fairy who saved my grandmother.” she told them. “When my mother was being born.”

“That was you?” the boy asked. “It wasn’t too many nights ago that I heard that tale!”

“It is a true one.” she replied. “It gave my mother and I our golden hair.”

The Fox nodded. “As well as the other creatures and the Apple their shine.”

The Prince began to rub is chin, saying “But in that story, didn’t one of the–” When there was a loud bang that echoed from another part of the castle.

The Fox turned to it, twitching his ears. “That must be her!”

–Charles M Warren