The Kingdom of Egliobland

Once upon a time in a kingdom far far away known as Ethia lived a young prince by the name of Edward Gainsborough. He was rich, smart, and handsome, but unfortunately he was a selfish man. He had a thoroughly spoiled childhood and all he cared about was his material needs and comfort, he never thought of anybody but himself. One night when he went to sleep he had a dream about a treasure in a kingdom far away from Ethia. He knew it contained the most valuable in life though he never got the opportunity to open it, but a terrifying monster guarded it. The next day when Edward woke up he was obsessed with the idea of the treasure, he was sure that it would be loaded with a countless amount of gold and precious jewels, so he gathered the best of his knights and by the next dawn they went of for the quest of their lives.

Brave as the lions and strong as the horses on which they rode they left their beloved home Ethia.
In hours they rode and by sunset Edward Gainsborough decided it was time to rest.
The next day they rode just as far as the day before, but as they rode farther away the landscape became more barren and desolated. Edward knew it was dangerous and it would be for the best to turn around, but he wanted the treasure more than anything – even if it should be with the cost of the lives of his knights. Suddenly one of the knights burst out, “Oh look! A straggling village” then another knight asked, “Why are the houses so small?” Edward couldn’t believe his own eyes. Could it really be true? “Drelmeomland” he said. The other knights looked at him as if he was suffering of some kind of mental illness, “excuse me sir, but Drelmeomland only exist in the myths” “well, lets see if that theory is true”.

As they entered the small village with the ancient looking houses a small dwarf with a red beard appeared. “Hello, and welcome to Drelmeomland. We have been expecting you for a very long time and today is the day we all have been waiting for.” His voice was filled with hope and delight it was a very deep voice, deeper than you could expect from such a small creature. Edward was confused, they? How many were there and how could they have been expecting them for a long time? The little but still robust dwarf looked at him and the knights, “My dear friends, you’ll understand as soon as you meet Apharry. Follow me” And so they did. They were led into a small strange looking castle where the entire dwarf villagers were gathered. As soon as Edward and the knights walked in everyone fell silent and bow for the newly arrived knights. A frail voice filled the hall, “come closer, we have been expecting you. This day has been a fix point in time. It is written in the secret book, after this day everything will change and Egliobland can once again be free.” Edward looked up and saw an old dwarf; he must at least have been one hundred years old. He sat on a throne and had a white beard as long as the mountain is high.
Edward couldn’t understand what was going on. And he has never heard of Egliobland. “Sorry, but I think you got the wrong knights. We are on a quest for the treasure with gold and precious jewels. We are not going to set anything free.” Edward said. “Oh you are so young and inexperienced. You will soon figure out what in life that has true value. But you have to be careful; the most dangerous creature this world has ever seen guards the treasure you seek and your brute strength and your selfish pride is not enough to set Egliobland free.”
“I am sorry but I don’t understand. I am not familiar with any place called Egliobland.” Edward said truly confused.
“My son let me tell you the myth written in the secret book. Once Egliobland were full of life and harmony. Children were happy and played peacefully in the magic Asteaflandforests where fairies flew in the green treetops, and the elves lived by the streams where they happily danced to the sound of the harebells song. But ever since the frightening and disastrous dragon known by the name of Morenth attacked the kingdom darkness had fallen upon Egliobland. The nix hides by the stream and as soon as you hear the melancholy tones of the violin you know you are doomed. In the treetops you find the Drynades, ready to posses anyone’s mind until insanity has eaten their soul. The magic Asteaflandforests has gone from being paradise on earth to a living hell.” As soon as Apharry had finished, an anxiety spread among the dwarfs. “Excuse me, but do you really believe in what this old dwarf is saying? He can’t think straight; old age has taken over his mind. Don’t listen to him.” Edward said and continued, “Knights, follow me so we can carry on with our important quest.” The moment before they left the hall Apharry’s old voice filled the air, “you may not trust me now, but remember my words. Your brute strength and your selfish pride is not enough to set Egliobland free.” And with those words they left Drelmeomland and continued their quest. The next day they arrived to a tall mountain, the tallest mountain any of the knights had ever seen. The mountainside was steep and the peak of the mountain couldn’t be seen due to the impervious dark clouds. Even though Edward and the knights could feel the evil curse upon the mountain they continued. They didn’t know where they were until they found themselves in the middle of a forest. The trees were dead and there were no flowers, but they could feel that there was something else in the shadows. Something was waiting for the knights to make just one mistake. They found themselves in the middle of the Asteaflandforests. A shiver spread through the nights as they heard a deep breath inside the mountain. It was obvious that some kind of huge creature lived inside this mountain and that made the knights curious so they decided to inquire into the matter. Edward led the knights and they found a cave. It was big and sombre. The stalactites were pointing at them like swords ready to attack at any moment. The creature inside this mountain clearly didn’t want to get any visitors. They walked farther in and suddenly an opening appeared before the eyes of the knights. The mountain-caves’ sturdy walls arched up to the ceiling, which had not been seen by the human eye for centuries. They were in the cathedral of the cave, the home of an enormous and terrifying creature, the home of the dragon known in the myths. This cathedral was Morenth’s home. Morenth’s breath was deep and slow, “I think it’s asleep,” Edward said to the knights. He looked around and all of the sudden he saw the exact same treasure as in his dream. It was in behind the sleeping dragon. “Knights, I have found our goal. I have found the treasure, but it’s guarded by the dragon so we have to be careful.”
They walked stealthily toward the treasure, but suddenly the dragon woke up and looked at the knights with its red almond-shaped eyes. “Do you silly knights really think I would be that stupid” the dragon burst out with a voice so strong that the cave started to tremble. “Do you really think that I would give you my treasure? It’s my treasure and no one will ever open it. Ever.” The dragon voice resonated in the cathedral. Edward answered the dragon with a brave voice, “I am the prince of Ethia, I have the right to – even if it means that I have to fight against you!”
“So you think you can defeat me – I am the greatest of all dragons that have ever existed, I am the strongest of all dragons that have ever existed, and I am the smartest of all dragons that have ever existed. I could kill you now if I wanted to.” Edward’s selfish pride ran through him and then he shouted against the dragon, “no one can ever defeat my brute strength. I am brave as the lion and will fight to the death to reach my goal. And my goal for this quest is the treasure and the countless amount of gold and precious jewels it contains. Nothing can stop me!”
The dragon burst out in an evil laughter, “oh look at you. A little human infected with a selfish pride – one error out of countless amount of human errors. Do you know what, I actually find you kind of entertaining. What would you say if we made a deal?” the dragon asked.
Offended but still obsessed with the treasure Edward asked what the dragon would demand in change for the treasure.
The dragon smiled smarmy, “give me three of your best knights, I love the taste of knights and I am very hungry.”
Edward looked at his knights and then at the dragon and said, “How can I be sure you will give me the treasure?”
“I am a dragon who keep my word. Don’t you believe me?” Morenth said. “No I don’t. Dragons have always been known as mendacious creatures.” Edward were quiet for a moment, he needed to think. He turned around and looked at his knights, “we need to fight together, and we need to trust each other. Apharry was right. We can defeat this creature together. We can set Egliobland free.”
A cheer of happiness spread through the knights. And together they fought the most demanding fight in their entire lives. The dragon succumbs by the knight’s ability to fight together and trust each other.
Now the chance appeared for prince Edward and the knights to get hold of the treasure. They opened the treasure in unison, but to their big surprise it didn’t contain what they thought. At the bottom of the coffin lay an ancient-looking key. As they confused looked at the key it started glowing and then it lifted from the coffin and drifted into Edward’s hand. In the same moment the gloomy cathedral transformed into a beautiful castle. Once again the Asteaflandforests was full of life. Children could once again play peacefully in the magic forests and the good creatures replaced the dark. The Kingdom of Egliobland was sat free. Prince Edwasrd from Ethia became the king of Egliobland. He never forgot the wise dwarf Apharry from Drelmeomland and he never sat his own material needs and comfort before the citizens of Egliobland. And so Edward and the knights lived happily ever after.