T H E---V O I C E



It began with the song. That eerie, melancholy melody that carves itself in ones memory, kept in a dusty box in the attic of ones brain, opened only when the owner finds themself wandering through the dark corridors of an everlasting maze. A hidden force would draw them towards the alluring tune, pulling them into its grasp, never to be seen again by the living. At least, most of them.
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Youve heard the song, havent you? A light, delicate voice reached the curious ears of a small girl, innocent eyes widening slightly. She shook her head. No? Why, its such a pity. Songs like these shouldnt be forgotten; no, they should be treasured, and treasured greatly.
The girl couldnt resist. She didnt see the lady, and couldnt, for the life of her, figure out how she was able to hear that twinkling voice. Was she, perhaps, dreaming? Butwhat song is it? And who are you? How am I able to hear you? Are you evenreal?
Ah, so many questions! Do not fear, little one, for youll find outeventually. Laughter sounded throughout, pleased and carefree. The girl relaxed slightly. After all, anyone who could laugh so joyfully couldnt be all that bad, she concluded. Yet a feeling, her consciousness, told her otherwise.
My dear, let me ask you a question. It might seem a little odd, but answer to the best of your ability, if you may. Such a sweetheart! The girl, mesmerized by the voice, nodded slightly, though she wasnt sure whether or not thebeing, if thats what it was, could see her.
Wonderful! The voice exclaimed, seeming genuinely delighted. And nowas of late, have you hadgood luck, as I might put it?
Confused, the girl tilted her head. It was odd - she couldnt even remember what she had been doing yesterday or the day before, but her mind told her that she was extremely lucky, to the point that it was astonishing. Thus, she nodded.
Remarkable! Fantastic! Brilliant! Ecstatic, the voices praise lit up the girls heart, though she wasnt quite sure why the voice was so happy. And somethingsomething was nagging at her, desperate to be askedalmost as though a part of her was being controlled.
Um, voice? Can Iask a question?
Well, dearie, it appears you have already done so, but go ahead! Whether or not you get an answer depends on the question, of course!
About the song you mentionedcan you, well, sing it? For me?
Really? You want me to sing it for you? The voice, oddly, didnt seem as surprised as the girl expected - instead, the voice sounded gleeful. Well, Im afraid I havent much of a singing voice, but if you insist.

Of the hills and mountains we roam
The dark and the dreary, we call home
Misfortune is all weve ever known

For silence reigns and glory ends
Oh no, dont think of us as friends
For wherever we go, misfortune descends

We are the same; you arent so different
Dont live a life, forever ignorant
For we, the misfortune, arent so innocent

So come on, join us
Dont make a fuss
We dont just sit there, gathering dust.

We dont have fortune, only distrust
It isnt like us to be unjust
In order to obtain, we do what we must

Listen to our words; our plea
It isnt our fault we are unlucky
Become like us, and youll see

The words seemed almost like a spell, carefully wrapping its soft - yet unforgiving - cover around its listener, lulling the girl to a dreamlike sleep. She suddenly caught a glimpse of the woman - bright orange and pink swirls, eyes closed, and lips murmuring words in a long-forgotten language. The last thing she heard was a soft voice, not so sweet or delicate anymore, whispering:

Welcome to the world of misfortune, Maeve, for those who enternever leave.

Cushaun the Fortunate Virgo

Cushaun is one of the luckiest women in her town. She is always poise and on time. She never looks drab and is considered to be more "clear-headed" than her peers. Even though she is a bit shy, Cushaun still tries to go out of her way to be helpful and often gets gifts and praise for doing so. You can often find her with her family and friends, she likes to keep them close.

Though she has her strengths, like her peers she has her weaknesses. She is very picky and critical, making her hard to please. Cushaun is also prone to worrying, her mind tends to head for the worst outcome of a situation. She also can be rather hard on herself and others, sometimes people need to remind her to be more careful with her words. For herself and for other people.

Besides those, Cushaun is a rather interesting and quirky person. Her favorite color is grey. She considers it her lucky color because she says that when she wears grey-colored clothes good things tend to happen. Cushaun's favorite number is the number seven, if you ask her to pick a number it will be that one! She likes to brag about how her name is perfect because it has seven letters in it. Cushaun doesn't go anywhere without her sapphire earrings, they were a gift and she also looks great wearing them.

"If you get the chance, you should meet Cushaun! No, she's not staring at you, she's daydreaming. It's a bad habit lol."

Whenever there is a rainbow, the Fortune Fairy Naevia uses it as a bridge to cross from the fairy realm to the human world. She disguises herself as a lost and weary traveller, and humans who help her are blessed with good luck.

Anger her at your own peril, those who do may mind find themselves plagued with mysterious ailments, accidents, and the faint sounds of high-pitched laughter...

"So, you know that famous Leprechaun, Lucky? The one on the box of cereal? Well, I'm his cousin, Chuck. Never really cared for all that magic and rainbow nonsense, plus, I'd rather keep all that gold than share it with those pesky Adventurers. Only reason I have this 'oh so amazing enchanted rainbow and pot of gold'(Lucky's words, not mine) following me around is because he forces me to equip it so I look like 'a proper Leprechaun'. Ugh! At least I don't eat that disgusting cereal of his, despite his best attempts to force it on me at every opportunity. I much prefer to hunt for my food and hang out in cemeteries then go to his new marshmallow taste testing parties and pose for photoshoots. Bah, maybe one day I can escape all his annoying showboating. Hey, anybody know if that forbidden door in the Howling Pass has been opened yet?"

Meet "Naggeneen." No, he's not a leprechaun. He's a clurichaun--but related to the leprechaun, to be sure!

Unlike a leprechaun, Naggeneen won't put up a fuss if you capture him and demand his treasure. You'll be puzzled when he leads you to a cellar door set into the side of a cold, hollow hill. But sure and you'll not be disappointed when he enters the cellar and returns with, not gold, but booze! So that's why ripening hops spring from his shoulders! He and his boon companion, The Party Animal, have braved the cobwebs in the musty cellar to bring you the finest ale, beer, applejack, and even stronger spirits! (Naggeneen must be a strong spirit himself, to carry all that.)

Grapevines that mysteriously spout an excellent vintage spring out of the cellar door (Because it's spring, get it?). They want you to sample as much as you wish of everything, so you can decide which treasures to take away with you. Of course you can carry some of the wine away with you; just empty some bottles to contain it--Naggeneen and The Party Animal help you. You say you want this one, and that one, and that other one? Are you sure? Have you tried this other one--it might be even better! Hm. Perhaps you should sip the first ones again, just to be certain . . .

In the morning, your first disappointment is that you're not dead; you just wish you were. Once you are finally able to check the bottles, casks, and kegs you planned to take home, you find that, hey, at least they are still full!

Hopefully you examine their contents before you end up portaging home all that vinegar.

Oh, and one thing isn't still full: your money pouch.

(Many thanx to Sylestia's 8th Anniversary Celebration Griffi for playing the role of "The Party Animal."_

Lady Serendipity

Seren ran along the castle corridor trying not to trip over her overly cumbersome dress. Her father had told her she had to be out to the magical meadow before noon! It was now 11:45 and time was flying by! Her mind was racing! So many thoughts.... why was Papa in such a hurry, he knew how clumsy and how nothing ever went right for her! Ever since her mother passed away, nothing ever went right. Everything from walking to flying was a chore and never, ever worked as it should. Why was it so important to make it to the meadow... really, it didn't look or seem magical??? Seren sighed and continued to run down the castle ramp to the road. How she missed her Mom. No one understood her as she did. Why she insisted on naming her Serendipity, a seriously lucky name for a seriously unlucky child, or should I say, young woman? Thought Seren. She hurdled over a hedge and tripped over a branch on the top. Head over heels, she landed flat on her back looking up at the sky with tears in her eyes.

Everything was swimming and blurred as she tried to get her breath back. As she tried to breathe, a small voice said "ouch"! Seren jumped up and fell back down in a jumble of dress, legs, and wings. And a little voice pleaded for her to sit still! Seren tried to sit, but fell back gracelessly on her back. A little green thing came into her side vision. As her vision cleared she could see it was a little dragon! Instantly she jumped up, tripped over her wings, and sat hard on the ground. She couldn't move or run away so she asked humbly not to be eaten. Little Luckario laughed and said, I am not here to eat young girls or boys or anything! I was looking for a meadow. Something was drawing me to it and I need to go! Seren got up and brushed off her dress. She let the little dragon... oh yeah, Luckario, know that she was going to a magic meadow. Well, Luckario said as my luck is good, I know I should just follow you!

Arriving at the meadow, at 11:59:59.... for once on time! Seren tripped over a stone and Luckario caught her. Papa was standing in the middle of the meadow and smiled. Seren was confused and asked him what did she need to do here in this magical place? Her father continued to smile and said.... you already did what you needed to do. You found a part of you and he will be with you as long as you live. Seren looked confused, but all of a sudden, a peaceful feeling came over her. Like a lullaby, Seren knew that Luckario, or Lucky was her bonded Sylestia and would be there always. It seems that Seren would live up to her name as her luck had changed!

Meet Lady Luck! It's said that if you find her in the forrest you are blessed with luck for life! ^^

Gavin had been a warrior all through his youth and middle age.. He had considered himself lucky to have survived so many battles but eventually he didn't know what to do anymore now that he had become old and weary of fighting. Not only that, but he had begun to feel lonely. One day while on a walk, Gavin heard gossip about an old fortune teller named Maureen and decided to seek her out for advice though many townsfolk warned him against it saying she was a witch.

He eventually found her cottage deep in a forest. The air had a strange magic feeling to it. As he approached the door opened seemingly on it's own but the fortune teller didn't seem to be inside. So he sat and waited. He waited until the sky had grown dark. It started to seem like a wasted trip and he was just about to leave when the fortune teller appeared with bundles of herbs.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I meant to get back sooner," Maureen said. "Please come in! Come in! Make yourself comfortable. I'll get you some tea and I know you're hungry. I'll prepare something right away!"

Gavin tried to protest but the fortune teller would hear nothing of it. He suddenly found himself too nervous to ask what he had wanted to. Instead, they sat together for a meal and chatted in front of a cozy fire. Maureen had a wonderful laugh that eased his heart every time he heard it. He felt a sense of peace that he hadn't had in much too long.

"Maureen... will you marry me?" Gavin himself was shocked as he said it.

Maureen smiled gently back to him. "I... forgot... to get a firebloom while gathering. I need it tomorrow for a child that will fall ill. The mother will come tomorrow. Bring me a firebloom and I'll marry you. If you go now while the moon is new, a path will open to you."

Gavin thought for a moment. A firebloom. It was a fairy flower of legends. "I'll bring it."

He had said he'd bring it but wasn't sure what direction to go now that he had set off. An owl hooted softly in the dark forest. An hour must have passed when he came across a clearing. A ghostly stag stood seemingly waiting for him. Gavin started to draw his sword but something made him stop. The stag began to walk away while turning its head back to stare at Gavin occasionally. Gavin took this as a sign and followed. In the distance a golden light slowly came into view. Finally, he could see a firebloom. It was beautiful and glowing intensely. Gavin thanked the stag and went to pluck the flower.

"Wait!" A fairy had appeared. "Why does a mortal seek my flower!"

"A child tomorrow will need it to live", said Gavin. "Please I beg of you to let me bring the flower back."

"Is that the only reason?", the fairy asked.

Gavin for a moment thought and then answered, "No, it's not. The fortune teller, Maureen, said that if I should bring back a firebloom that she would marry me."

The fairy stared at Gavin. "You started to draw your sword at the sight of the stag. Why did you stop?"

"I... I don't know. People say that ghostly spirits are to be feared and should be destroyed, but it didn't seem like something that wanted to harm me. I've also grown old and am tired of swinging a sword."

"It is fortunate that you did not slay the stag," said the fairy. "If you came when younger and more eager for battle, I wonder if you would have?"

Gavin stood quietly without saying anything. It's true that not so many years ago that he would probably have killed the stag. If that had happened, would he have ever found the flower?

"Because you were honest, I'll let you you have the flower." And with that the fairy vanished. The stag led Gavin back to Maureen's cottage. The mother and child did indeed show up the next day just as Maureen had said

"Maureen, can I ask you something. Not about my fate but why you're here in this cottage all alone?

"I enjoy the quiet woods. I love the air filled with magic and fairies. I like helping the people who seek my help even if some are afraid of me. And I've been waiting for you all this time. I knew you'd show up someday."

Gavin and Maureen married later that spring and spent the rest of their years happily together.

1st Place

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