Call of the Quest

By Allie Jo Andersen

A Dwarf could never be the Chosen One.

At least, that’s what I tell myself as I down my third mug of hot fizzleberry juice in the Questers’ Lodge. My feet ache from my last Quest, and the juice slowly warms my insides.

Outside, trumpets toot a familiar tune. The next Quest Call.

Normally, I’d race over to hear the Assignments. But after a dozen long, hard Quests as Jester Sidekick or Loyal Helper, I’ve learned no committee will choose one of the last remaining Dwarves to lead any adventure.

I sigh. It’s not worth getting my hopes up only to be overlooked as usual.

Vicar Melmidoc, the Centaur Chosen One in many Assigned Quests, bursts inside.

My stomach sours. Please, not now.

“Well, if it isn’t Edwin Pobbleworth!” His daggers jingle as he clip-clops his horsey self in my direction.

That’s my cue to leave. Plunking some coins on the counter, I scurry toward the back door.

Vicar calls my name, but I don’t look back.

Only after I’m outside, walking along the golden wheat field behind the town square can I breathe again.

Heart heavy, I trek home. I should give up on being a Quester altogether. I’ll never be good enough to be a Chosen One.

A cry interrupts my thoughts. Straightening, I glance around.

My gaze catches on a crumpled figure and a large, furry mass hunched near one of the buildings. I venture closer to see a small woman with white, wispy hair, and… Could that be pointy ears? Is she a Fairy? A Saint Bernard dog sporting a knitted bandana sits next to her.

I kneel beside her. “Excuse me. Is something wrong?”

“My griffin kitten got trapped in the underground tunnels. No one will retrieve him. Poor Matteo is distraught. He and Maxi are best pals.” The woman pats the dog. She looks me up and down, then lights up. “You’re perfect to fit down there. I’m Miriel Takkenridge. Would you, dear Dwarf, retrieve Maxi?”

I raise an eyebrow. I’ve been on enough Quests to know that trusting a random elderly woman off the streets isn’t the smartest move.

Yet… something about Miriel’s desperation hits a chink in my heart’s armor. Besides, what could she gain by conning me, a peasant Dwarf?

I shrug. “I could try. Where did… Maxi get in the tunnels?” I don’t hide my incredulousness at the existence of the legendary tunnels. They’re just stories parents tell children to scare them from being in places they shouldn’t.

“Over here.” Leaning on Matteo and a gnarled branch, Miriel rises and bustles down the road. She stops at the edge of the Quest Forest, where most Quests begin. She pats Matteo on the shoulders.

He lifts his nose and leads us through the trees.

The hum of adventure from the Forest is palpable in the cool air, leaves rustling in a rising tune.

Matteo stops with a soft bark.

Miriel uses her staff to brush aside a pile of leaves, revealing a tunnel.

My mouth falls agape. So the legends are true. Who knew they were so close?

“Don’t succumb to the vines’ traps.” Miriel strikes her staff against the ground. Its knobby end glows. “Here. You’ll need this.”

I grasp the staff. “Thank you.”

Miriel nods. “Good luck, Quester.”

Holding the staff high, I make my descent into the tunnel. The temperature cools, and an odd rotting scent mixed with earth fills my nostrils.

Cupping my hands over my mouth, I call, “Here, griffie, griffie…”

The tunnel evens out, and I stumble over a root. My foot tingles, and I shake it off. Nice going, Edwin. Chosen Ones never trip. No wonder I’ve never been selected.

The sound of something slithering away freezes my feet to the dirt.

If that’s a snake… it’s big enough to eat three Dwarves.

Quickening my pace, I round a bend just as something small and feathery brushes past.

I stop and turn, holding my breath.

The thing mews. Maxi, with big doe-eyes, flaps his wings and jumps toward me.

A leafy tendril shoots out, wrapping around Maxi’s hind foot mid-flight. Maxi squawks, crashing to the ground.

Heart pounding, I whack the vine with the staff.

Another tingling sensation washes spirals from my hands and down my back. A wave of doubt pummels me. What am I doing? I’m not a Chosen One, and I’ll never be. I stagger back.

At my feet, Maxi trembles, curling into a ball. Poor thing. I know exactly how you feel.

Vines snake toward us.

My chest aches. All I’ve ever wanted is to be a Chosen One and help others. Miriel is counting on me to return Maxi. So return him I shall.

Clenching my teeth, I strike with all my might against the vine.

The staff brightens. The vine twinges, loosening its hold on Maxi.

I scoop him up and sprint up the tunnels, dodging vines. I push onward until I reach the surface and throw a large rock over the entrance.

Maxi squawks triumphantly as I turn toward Miriel.

She smiles as Maxi leaps to Matteo. “Well done, Edwin Pobbleworth. Maxi is a good judge of character; you’ve passed the test. You will do well.” She pivots and saunters away, Matteo at her heels.

I furrow my brow. “I don’t understand.”

Miriel pauses, turning back toward me. “Aren’t you coming?”

I blink. “Where?”

She chuckles. “I’ve selected you to be the Chosen One for my Quest. A bit unconventional, and the higher-ups claim it doesn’t qualify for an official mission. Official or not, lives are at stake, so I’m assembling a team. Are you in?”

I grin. Finally, someone is willing to take a chance on me to lead an adventure. “What do I need to do?”

Miriel jerks her head toward the Forest. “It’s time to gather the others.”

There’s an extra spring to my step as I follow Miriel.

Maybe a Dwarf can be the Chosen One, after all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Allie Jo Andersen grew up believing she was secretly a fairy. Ever since the disappointment of her humanity set in, she’s been weaving tales of adventure that entertain while instilling truth in her readers’ minds. If she’s not coming up with new worlds to explore, she’s probably running her gluten-free baked goods business, wrangling a rabbit or chicken in the backyard with one of her siblings, or plotting victory in the latest family game.

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