"A story of La´laren" by Audrey Youko.Greywords M.

La'larin travelled far...

La'larin is a mythical hero of the dark moon. HIs stories all begin in the same way and are told in a plain, straight-forward speech.

His stregnth is legendary. He knows no pain or tiredness. Arrows glance off his back. He is as fast as the wind itself. It is said that he only shed one tear in his whole life. He is also smart. He keeps all his promises and repays all his favors. He cannot allow the cunning to trick or use people. He cannot stand cruelty to the weak. He does have something of a temper, it is best not to make him angry. He is also naturally quite curious, and that gets him into most of his ordeals. He has a long, pointed tail and a magical "third lense" on his eyes that allows him to see underwater. He can see long in the starlight and his eyes seem to glow even during the day.

There are many tales of La'larin (or "La'laren" as it is sometimes spelled). He slew a lake monster. He robbed from the cunning to give to the poor. He escaped the wrath of a fire beast. He helped an ice queen in her frozen palace. He traveled to a desert of shifting sand.

In fact, this is that tale.

La'larin travelled far.

He came to a land of sands. This was not common sand. The sands of this place rolled and crashed like waves. Like a river during a storm.

He had come this far, and he was not going away until he had seen what was across this river of stormy sand.

He set out to cross it and found that, not only did it look like water, the sand acted like water did. He began to sink in it. He struggled hard to keep going, but he knew he was sinking. The ground pulled at his feet. Dragging him under. refusing to let go.

Still, he tried to run. The sand had his legs. He could now feel it crashing over his back. it piled on top of him. At last, he took a very deep breath and dived under the sand.

Underground was not much better.

The sand was much too hard to swim in, and it stung his eyes even when his third lens was used.

La'larin had to struggle. Blind and breathless.

He had had enough. He pushed harder against the sands with his mighty legs. Climbed through it like climbing a hill.

After much fighting, his head broke free of the sandy waves. Still he had to fight hard. Pumping his great legs, climbing farther.

The tip of his pointed tail came up. Then his neck. Then the rest of his tail. At last he waded up only to his hips.

He hopped again and again until he pulled his legs free. Then he gave a mighty jump, high into the air. He hopped away, as high as he could, not wanting to be on the shifting ground for very long.

In the air was as bad as underground. He cursed himself for ever coming into this place.

A great wind blew and roared. The air was full of as much sand and dust as the ground. It stung his eyes and burned his throat.

He did not want to be here much longer.

After one great leap he hit into something solid, high in the air. He bounced off and landed. Beneath his feet was not the stormy sands, but hard stone. La'larin looked around him. It seemed to him that he was in a box made of stone.

The wind did not reach him here. He looked up and saw the sands being blown harshly over the open top. Before him there was a door in the wall. He went to it and opened it. It led down stairs to a hallway.

He did not know it, but he was in the top of a great castle!

The hallway had many doors on either side. He came to the first one and looked inside.

The room was filled full of bright treasures and things the color of the sunset. But the room did not have another door in it or anyone to tell him where he was. He left it and turned to his other side. The second room was almost full from walls to roof of treasures all the color of sunrise. But again, no door, no people and what use is treasure to a traveller like him?

He went a little further. Down to the next room. It's walls were covered in rich things the color of the daylight. He flicked his tail. This was begining to anger him. He could see no other exit in the room so he left it. On his other side now was a room. It's floor was covered in riches and bright things nearly the color of his own skin. It looked like a garden of soft plants. He kicked some of and found it was hard as rock and most of it was sharp.

La'larin growled in the back of his throat. There was no door, and they better hope he didn't find anybody here! He was tired and would've liked to lay down if it had been plants on the floor. Now he was just mad.

He went to the end of the hall.

There were only two rooms here. He turned to the first.

This room only had a few riches on the floor and in the corners. It looked like a mess. The treasures were all the color of the day sky.

He saw no door in there too. He wondered if he would ever find another way out of this place. He really wished he hadn't come here at all.

He turned fast to the last room.

Inside there was only two things in the middle of the floor. A carpet the color of the sky before sunrise. and on it was a box the color of the twilight sky. The box was tall and big and it's lid reached his wide chest. It was a beautiful box.

But no door and no people.

He walked up to the box and hit it hard with tail.

"I'll have you know I'm a powerful wizard!" La'larin looked around for who had spoke until he found the voice had come from the box.

"I don't care what you are! I'm angry and I want to leave and I'll hit you if I feel like it! Stupid box." He snapped.

"Why do you want to leave?" Asked the box.

"Why don't you come out of that box wizard, if you're so strong?" He growled at the voice.

"You don't care about all the treasure?" The box sounded hurt to say this.

"No! Why would I? You're really dumb." He was really wishing this wizard would show himself. He was as angry as he could get.

"Why do you say that? Don't you care for riches and treasure? Don't you think they're pretty?" The wizard argued.

"No I don't!" La'larin shouted and growled.

"If it had been food or water in those rooms, you would not get me out again. but what use do I have for shiny rocks? I am a traveller. Money and treasure have no use to me, but I would brave a monster's cave to get to a long drink of water at this moment."

"A traveller? Could it be you're La'larin who I've heard about?"

"I am." He twitched his tail and then hit the box, just for anger.

"Stop that! listen, I have a favor to ask of you. I will give you anything you want if you would go get me a peach the color of darkness." Said the wizard-in-a-box.

"I want to leave here, and this strange desert." La'larin growled.

"That I can do! Anyone else I would tell to hurry back as soon as he could, but I know you can do this for me. Take your time."

When the voice stopped speaking to him the lid of the box flew open. La'larin felt himself being pulled into the box. He was falling in the box.

but, he did not hit his head on the bottom of the box like he thought he would. He waved his long tail and he did not hit the sides of the box.

He landed on his feet. He looked around and saw the sand that flew like a river in a wind-storm. But it did not hit him. Around him he saw something the color of the time before the sun rises. When the sand hit this special air it slowed down and stopped so it did not hit him.

Below his feet the sand stood still and hard as stone.

He moved a step forward. One two. He looked behind him. The sand stayed as rock.

So I will have a trail. He thought.

He turned forward.

And travelled on.