Flash Fiction Anthology

Legends never die

"Legends never die."

Ayden kept whispering the sentence to himself as he approached the Forbidden Forest.
The ancient woods that spread on three sides around his kingdom.

His father, the King, had disappeared in that forest weeks ago. Along with two of Ayden's brothers, and The Legends. The bravest warriors of the kingdom.

Legends never die.

The warriors mistook that line, issued as the latest prophecy of the King's oracle, for their cue. A signal to finally venture inside the Forbidden Forest and wipe out the dark magic hiding in its heart.

For years, the women and children of the kingdom have been vanishing without a trace in those woods, lured inside by spells and enchantments.

But the forest was not to be entered, disturbed or bothered. It was protected by strong magic, by whatever that lived inside. The horrible wood took what it wanted from the small neighbouring kingdom, giving nothing in return.
Just fear.

Only a handful of warriors were never scared of it, and when the last confusing prophecy was pronounced, they finally managed to persuade the King to lead them in the enchanted woods.

"Legends never die," the mysterious oracle had whispered, her eyes glassed over by an indecipherable vision.

But, dead or not, the Legends never came back.

Ayden reached the first ancient trees, and entered the primordial forest fast, before he got too scared, and changed his mind. The sound of his horse's hooves was muffled by the fine sand forming the only path leading inside the depths of the forest. It flickered like stardust in the shy light filtering through the leaves of the massive trees. The leaves that seemed to be singing, rather than rustling in the breeze.

Legends never die, they become a part of you, can you hear them screaming out your name...

A strange melody was filling Ayden's mind, as he entered a large clearing. He really could imagine hearing their voices, calling out his name, the fearless warriors calling for help, fighting an invisible enemy.

The Legends lay there, slumped on the ground, dead. Their swords were drawn, their bodies formed a large circle around...

"Father!" Ayden screamed, and his scream finally silenced the eerie music coming from the surrounding trees.

He jumped off his horse and ran over the dead bodies to the king.
There was no trace of blood anywhere, the silver swords of the warriors were perfectly clean, gleaming like the King's golden crown.

Ayden looked around and his eyes rested on the corpses of his brothers. Their faces, like those of the others around, were distorted with fear.

"They were not supposed to die!" Ayden screamed at the ancient trees, drawing his own sword.

But there was no one to fight, not at the moment.

"Now they become a part of you! Can you hear them, King Ayden?"
The voice of his father's mad oracle exploded all around him.

"I'm no King! You sent them to their death!"

The crown, by which he recognized his father moments ago, flew through the air and landed on Ayden's head.

"Long live the king!" The voice boomed again, while all the bodies turned into smoke, slowly vanishing among the trees.

It was dark magic. Invisible. Impossible to fight.

"It wasn't their cue. You are the one to fight, when the right time comes. You'll carry these warriors inside of you, as long as you'll live. You mustn't give up, they died so you can succeed one day. But not now. You have a lot to learn, even from their mistakes. Go home and become first a wise King, then an invincible warrior!"

As the voice died away, everything fell quiet again, apart from the low, eerie melody.

Ayden mounted his white, nervous horse and sped off without looking back, his black cloak blooming around him in the wind.

His heart felt heavier, he carried his father, brothers and all the Legends inside it.

Once, when the horrible pain caused by their loss will subside, the memory of them will make him a legendary warrior.

Ayden's horse kept running, following the silvery path leading him home, while the new-born King wiped away the silent tears, streaming down his face.

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Write a 500-1000 word story based on the song Legends never die by The League of Legends.