Week 12 Story: Asus and Ligh

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Alchemists Set Sail
There was a great magician named Asus who, throughout her long and adventurous life, had developed a set of abilities that only she possessed. Her peers would come from all corners of the globe to shadow her as she performed wonders with metals and other worldly materials. Turning lead into gold was a thing of the past, and as the alchemists grew bored in their unmiraculous wealth they set out to master transformations that were less common. Asus was the only wonder-worker who had learned how to take a lump of gold and form it into a boulder of lead. This act may seem counter-intuitive, but the real value for shapeshifters in this day and age lies with a performance's novelty. Asus had departed on a six-continent tour, and planned on debuting her skills for people around the globe.
Ligh was a novice metal worker who had grown tired of hammering away at metals, turning piles of ore into merchandise to be sold. She longed to perform and stupefy audiences. Instead of selling customers molten rocks-turned-gear, Ligh wished to use that material to impart wonder. So Ligh bartered her way into a cabin on the lower deck of the very same freighter on which Asus had set sail. Her plan was to watch Asus perform her tricks, rushing back to her cabin after every show to practice on a golden necklace she kept around her neck. Fortunately for Ligh, it did not take long for Asus to notice the thin, scraggly girl with golden locks watching her hands at every gathering. After the third stop, a week-long excursion on the island of Petra, Asus approached the young girl with an understanding smile. Ligh tried to dart around a corner of the hallway leading away from the stage, but Asus suddenly appeared on the other side. She gasped at the surprise- there was no way that anyone, let alone a person the age of Asus, could move that quickly. Ligh looked at Asus' calm, warm smile, and heard her say,

"I have seen you at every show since I left the port of Rickly. Are you here to learn?"






Author's Note: This story definitely took on a life of its own. I wanted to retell the story of The Passing of Merlin (Link), but once I had the seed in my head the writing splurted out. This will be a two (or three) part series. The story will have a similar ending to Merlin, for which one could see the groundwork laid, but it will take us one or two episodes on the freighter to hear.

Story: from King Arthur: Tales of the ROund Table by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H.J. Ford Link. 
Image Link. 

Comments

  1. darrenApril 15, 2019 at 6:56 AM

    Hi Carl!
    I'm not familiar with Merlin, so this story is very interesting to me. It has a lot of intrigue and mystery, and it makes me want to come back for more! I thought it was amusing that Asus turned gold into lead instead of lead into gold. It was nice that you acknowledged this by attributing her success to novelty. I think that speaks a lot about our society and how it developed over time. We're always looking for the next new thing. Overall, your story was wonderful. There are some grammar mistakes that you can easily fix as well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kevin MonrealApril 15, 2019 at 8:09 AM

    Hi Carl,

    This was a nice story. I like the fact that gold becomes so devalued to the point that turning gold into lead is a sight to behold. I found this aspect of the story to be very interesting and intriguing. I liked how you left the story in a sort of cliff hanger. I am not familiar with the original story. I wish you would of put more of it in the author's note, and compare and contrast yours with the original.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Chase GaddisApril 15, 2019 at 9:08 AM

    Hey Carl,

    I am not familiar with Merlin at all, so it was really cool to get to read this story and glean some more information about it through your stories and your writing! I thought it was really funny how the classic alchemy theme of antiquity was flipped on its head and turning gold into lead was a big deal! This story has made me want to learn more about Merlin, so thanks for that! Keep up the great story writing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bianca MApril 22, 2019 at 11:50 AM

    Hello, Carl!

    I must say that you wrote a very interesting story here! I am not going to lie; I am really excited to see that you are planning on continuing this a series. If I may make a suggestion, I would love it if you made this a three-part series! You are an excellent writer! I am looking forward to reading more.

    ReplyDelete

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