Martial Art Fantasy Short Story
Author: Hani Law Copyright © 2006
Author: Hani Law Copyright © 2006
SWAN BEAUTY
CHAPTER 3
“Wow!” I think, “this really is a big mansion!” I fear
I have lost my way. Suddenly, the floor opens beneath
my feet and I fall right in, sliding down a dark tunnel
with lots of bends in it. I cannot stop screaming. I
can’t see a thing. I fall onto a waterbed and my back
hurts from the impact. To my surprise and delight, I
find myself surrounded by a soothing landscape, a
vast expanse of green. I look around and observe
blooming flowers in bizarre shapes. I struggle out of
the bed and look up. I notice something I had not
seen before: a gigantic glass conservatory. In fact, I
am enclosed in this underground conservatory with
its vast roof extending above the ground. Through
the bushes in the distance, I see the Prince again. He
is approaching me. This time, he is dressed entirely
in white.
“Come,” he says, “try the food I have prepared. You
must be very hungry by now. You look pale. Try my
home-grown vegetables. They are all grown here in
this conservatory and this is the food I am surviving
on.”
This time, I greedily devour the food. A thought
occurs to me while I am eating. I remember what my
parents back home had told me about the Magic Lake
and its miraculous healing properties.
“Would you like to transform your appearance so
that you look like your original self again?” I ask
him. “My mother told me about the Magic Lake that
could heal and thereby restore a person’s changed
appearance to its original form and cure all
diseases.”
“Whether it is true or not, I would definitely like to
give it a try!” he replies enthusiastically. “I do hope
the Magic Lake will heal the scars on my disfigured
face and my injured limbs.”
“But I have no idea where the Magic Lake is,” I
confess.
“I know,” he muses, “that if there are mountains,
there will be lakes. There are no mountains here in
the southern part of this planet. But up in the north,
there are several. We should start exploring the
north.
“I think I owe you an explanation as to what
happened in this land after the wicked invaders had
left, and the reason for them not returning and
occupying this land. It was because I secretly
poisoned the soil, so that these people would not
return to this place and settle here.
“All the cattle died too, from shortage of fodder. I
myself have been living on home-grown vegetables. I
have reserved a piece of land for myself inside this
glass house. The house conserves the heat and keeps
the cold away. This place is just like a paradise.
Trees, flowers and vegetables grow here,
contributing to a splendid, self-sufficient structure.”
“So how long have you been living like this all by
yourself?” I enquire.
“See that flowerbed?” he asks. “Every day, I plant a
flower. Altogether, you see two columns of flowers
here in two different colours. Each column
represents a year. ”
“I would like you to come with me to find this Magic
Lake,” I suggest, thinking that it can do no harm if I
have another person accompany me.
Suddenly, the Prince comes very close. A sweetly
pleasant scent emanates from his body and he starts
touching my long, wavy hair. I am rather shocked. I
have never had a man stand so close to me.
“Your silky hair will complement your beautiful face
after you have soaked yourself in the magic water of
the lake,” he observes, before leaving me alone.
I wander around in this dream garden and try to
collect my thoughts. Yes, I will do it. I will go and
find the Magic Lake with him. I am determined to see
what it can do for me. I then try to find the Prince. I
approach the exit through which he has just left. I go
out and notice a large stretch of bare, lifeless land. I
am wondering where the man has gone.
“Where are you?” I shout.
Within seconds, he is there before me, startling me
by the suddenness of his appearance.
“Shall we go to the Magic Lake together so that we
can transform our appearance?” I ask him.
“Of course,” he replies. “I intended to suggest it to
you myself, but was not sure whether you would
agree to come with me. Let’s do some packing now
and get some food ready for the journey. We can set
off tomorrow morning.”
I do not, in fact, have much to pack, because when I
left home, I took only a few items of clothing and
other necessities. At home, a girl like me was not
allowed to wear fancy clothes. Only girls blessed
with pretty faces had the right to wear beautiful
clothes. This did not bother me at all as I was happy
with what I was. I had never even possessed outfits in
bright colours,
My determination to get to the Magic Lake is as
strong as ever, though I find it impossible to shake
off my fear and feelings of insecurity. Will the lake
be guarded by a fire-spouting dragon, I wonder. Will
there be boats to carry us to the spot where the water
will work its magic and transform our appearance?
CHAPTER 3
“Wow!” I think, “this really is a big mansion!” I fear
I have lost my way. Suddenly, the floor opens beneath
my feet and I fall right in, sliding down a dark tunnel
with lots of bends in it. I cannot stop screaming. I
can’t see a thing. I fall onto a waterbed and my back
hurts from the impact. To my surprise and delight, I
find myself surrounded by a soothing landscape, a
vast expanse of green. I look around and observe
blooming flowers in bizarre shapes. I struggle out of
the bed and look up. I notice something I had not
seen before: a gigantic glass conservatory. In fact, I
am enclosed in this underground conservatory with
its vast roof extending above the ground. Through
the bushes in the distance, I see the Prince again. He
is approaching me. This time, he is dressed entirely
in white.
“Come,” he says, “try the food I have prepared. You
must be very hungry by now. You look pale. Try my
home-grown vegetables. They are all grown here in
this conservatory and this is the food I am surviving
on.”
This time, I greedily devour the food. A thought
occurs to me while I am eating. I remember what my
parents back home had told me about the Magic Lake
and its miraculous healing properties.
“Would you like to transform your appearance so
that you look like your original self again?” I ask
him. “My mother told me about the Magic Lake that
could heal and thereby restore a person’s changed
appearance to its original form and cure all
diseases.”
“Whether it is true or not, I would definitely like to
give it a try!” he replies enthusiastically. “I do hope
the Magic Lake will heal the scars on my disfigured
face and my injured limbs.”
“But I have no idea where the Magic Lake is,” I
confess.
“I know,” he muses, “that if there are mountains,
there will be lakes. There are no mountains here in
the southern part of this planet. But up in the north,
there are several. We should start exploring the
north.
“I think I owe you an explanation as to what
happened in this land after the wicked invaders had
left, and the reason for them not returning and
occupying this land. It was because I secretly
poisoned the soil, so that these people would not
return to this place and settle here.
“All the cattle died too, from shortage of fodder. I
myself have been living on home-grown vegetables. I
have reserved a piece of land for myself inside this
glass house. The house conserves the heat and keeps
the cold away. This place is just like a paradise.
Trees, flowers and vegetables grow here,
contributing to a splendid, self-sufficient structure.”
“So how long have you been living like this all by
yourself?” I enquire.
“See that flowerbed?” he asks. “Every day, I plant a
flower. Altogether, you see two columns of flowers
here in two different colours. Each column
represents a year. ”
“I would like you to come with me to find this Magic
Lake,” I suggest, thinking that it can do no harm if I
have another person accompany me.
Suddenly, the Prince comes very close. A sweetly
pleasant scent emanates from his body and he starts
touching my long, wavy hair. I am rather shocked. I
have never had a man stand so close to me.
“Your silky hair will complement your beautiful face
after you have soaked yourself in the magic water of
the lake,” he observes, before leaving me alone.
I wander around in this dream garden and try to
collect my thoughts. Yes, I will do it. I will go and
find the Magic Lake with him. I am determined to see
what it can do for me. I then try to find the Prince. I
approach the exit through which he has just left. I go
out and notice a large stretch of bare, lifeless land. I
am wondering where the man has gone.
“Where are you?” I shout.
Within seconds, he is there before me, startling me
by the suddenness of his appearance.
“Shall we go to the Magic Lake together so that we
can transform our appearance?” I ask him.
“Of course,” he replies. “I intended to suggest it to
you myself, but was not sure whether you would
agree to come with me. Let’s do some packing now
and get some food ready for the journey. We can set
off tomorrow morning.”
I do not, in fact, have much to pack, because when I
left home, I took only a few items of clothing and
other necessities. At home, a girl like me was not
allowed to wear fancy clothes. Only girls blessed
with pretty faces had the right to wear beautiful
clothes. This did not bother me at all as I was happy
with what I was. I had never even possessed outfits in
bright colours,
My determination to get to the Magic Lake is as
strong as ever, though I find it impossible to shake
off my fear and feelings of insecurity. Will the lake
be guarded by a fire-spouting dragon, I wonder. Will
there be boats to carry us to the spot where the water
will work its magic and transform our appearance?
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