The Eternal Spring🔊

Once upon a time, in the verdant heartland of the Cordilleras nestled a blissful kingdom rich with natural resources. Blessed with all four seasons, the kingdom was known far and wide for its most fascinating feature, 'The Eternal Spring'. A spring that never ran dry and had water that shimmered under the sun rays with the colours of the rainbow. The spring was believed to possess invincible powers of restoration and rejuvenation and hence was deemed sacred.

However, like every euphoric tale, this story too had a twist. The Eternal Spring was bound to the life of the kingdom's monarch. Born with a prophecy, the king was warned that the day he would fall, so would the spring and subsequently, the kingdom. To protect the kingdom and the sacred spring, the king, a selfless and brave ruler named Garion, remained alert and watchful.

King Garion was a very wise and benevolent ruler. Considerate of his subjects, he often found himself wandering amongst them in disguise to understand their plight and needs better. His kingdom flourished under his rule with joy and prosperity, abundant corn fields, cattle grazing in the meadows and the laughters & chatter of his contented subjects. An aura of contentment pervaded the kingdom.

One day, a malevolent sorcerer named Malazar sought to usurp King Garion's well-established kingdom. Jealous of the kingdom's prosperity, Malazar hatched a devious plan. He sent a spellbound falcon carrying a subtle potion with a venomous dart, aimed at King Garion.

One evening, as the King walked amidst his subjects, the falcon struck him with the venomous dart. The king fell into a deep sleep. The news of the king's strange illness spread far and wide and despair gripped the kingdom. Simultaneously, the Eternal Spring began to dwindle, causing anxiety among the citizens.

An elderly seer, Iris, perhaps the only sorceress left with the potential to combat Malazar's dark magic, stepped ahead. Forced into exile by Malazar, Iris had been secretly observing the unfolding disastrous events from the shadows. Known for her healing powers and knowledge of spells, she approached the king's advisers and promised to cure Garion.

Iris spent many days researching the antidote for the potion cast on King Garion. She worked day and night, seldom resting, her only motive being to restore the balance of her beloved kingdom. A fortnight passed before she was finally successful in creating the antidote. Nervous yet hopeful, she administered the potion to the sleeping king.

The wait for the king's revival seemed eternal. For three days and nights, they prayed for his recovery. And then, magic happened! Their prayers were answered. King Garion woke up, as rejuvenated as the spring, when it first bloomed. The joy in the kingdom knew no bounds. As the king recovered, the Eternal Spring started to gush again, embodying its name, ‘eternal’.

Garion, grateful to Iris, honoured her with a grand feast. She was bestowed with the position of the kingdom's chief sorceress and protector. King Garion aware of Malazar’s scheming, prepared his army for any such adversity in the future.

Malazar's plot was foiled, but this lured the kingdom into the eye of the storm, where it would have to guard itself against Malazar's wrath. But the kingdom, under King Garion's judicious rule and protected by Iris’s magic, stood strong, unfazed and unvanquished. The spring flowed eternally, a symbol of hope and perseverance telling the tale of a kingdom's defiance against the evil and its unity in the face of adversity.