Tale 27: The Gold Chalice and the Silver Sword (Misty)

(real tale: Castle of Kerglas)


"There was once a poor orphan who struggled to survive on what little he earned as a minstrel." Misty begins. "People were enthralled at how beautiful his voice was, and many gave him food and a bed in return for a song.'

"What's the boy's name?" Ash wonders.

It dawns on Misty that she forgot to name the boy. "We'll call him...Arion. One day, Arion was out traveling when it started getting dark. He was too far away from town to rest in the inn--and he barely had enough for a room. But then he spotted a farmer's homestead, and asked the family if he could stay with them for the night. The woman of the house agreed, and prepared him a fine meal."

"Okay, then what?" Brock isn't impressed with what he has heard so far.

"It gets better, honest!" Misty assures Brock. "Having never had a proper meal before, Arion was amazed at how tasty everything was--he deemed every course worthy of a royal cook. The farmer's wife was touched at this, and told him he need only ask if he wanted more of something."

"And then?" Melody asks.

"As they were having dinner, a knight passed by the homestead, and asked the farmer if he knew the way to Castle Telchal." Misty continued. "The farmer's wife turned pale at this, and asked if he was really going there. The knight replied he had come from a far away land, and it had taken him three months to get to where this tale takes place."

"Wherever that is..." Ash mutters.

"Just assume it's your standard issue fairy tale far away land." Brock suggests.

"Thanks, Brock--that's a nice way to put it." Misty smiles. "Anyway, the knight was going to Castle Telchal in search of a gold chalice and a silver sword. Arion mentioned that he knew those things existed, but didn't know where. The knight told Arion that the chalice was a never ending source of healing water that cured any sickness and revived the dead. The silver sword was said to cut through anything--even diamond and mythril."

"Whoa...." Ash pictures himself as an adventurer wielding such a sword.

"Arion asked who the owner of the castle was, and the farmer's wife told Arion that the castle was ruled by an evil mage named Atavan." Misty explained. "Atavan always rode on a Ponyta with purple and black fire for its mane with a normal Ponyta foal behind him, and not even the bravest of heroes dared to attack him. However, he could not use the chalice or the sword inside the castle. The second he entered, they flew away to an unknown location within the castle.

"Oh, so the knight wants to fight him there..." Ash muses.

"As if riding three months and many adventures on the way wasn't enough, the knight still had a long way to go on his quest." Misty went on. "The farmer's wife tried to tell him to turn back, as many more had set out on the same quest, and never returned. The knight assured her that he, unlike the others, had visited the Sage of Koune."

"So what did the Sage of Koune tell this knight?" Brock is interested now.

"First he would pass through a haunted forest, then take a Leppa Berry from a fire fairy." Misty replied. "Then he would seek a smiling flower, guarded by a black Entei. He would then travel to Lake Cerulean, and battle a black knight with a huge mace. Then, after passing through the valley of the lotus, where many forget their homeland, he would meet a lady in white by a riverbank, who would tell him what to do next."

"Arion heard the whole thing, right?" Melody mused as she watched Ash dig for something in his bag.

"The farmer's wife wished the knight well on his quest, and pointed out the path to the haunted forest. And yes, Arion heard the whole thing." Misty replies. "The next day, the farmer offered Arion some work for the day tending the Tauros. Arion agreed to ten gold pieces, a day's wage. As Arion was driving the Tauros to pasture, he saw Atavan pass by on his darkfire Ponyta, with the normal Ponyta foal behind him. But after initially being afraid, Arion continued his work. The farmer was so pleased with how well Arion had done, he allowed Arion to stay as long as he wanted until he had enough money to support himself, treating him as one of his own sons."

"Ah ha!" Ash interuppts as he unearths a harmonica in his bag.

"Not yet, Ash." Misty reminds him. "I have a part for you to use the harmonica and the whistle to do sound effects, just not yet."

"Okay..." Ash replies.

"One day, as Arion was watching the Tauros by the forest, a light mage named Anadin met him. Arion was concerned, but he soon found out that Anadin was Atavan's brother, so he knew the way to Castle Telchal well, but since he couldn't pass through the haunted forest--as the spirits and creatures there would fiercely attack a mage of the light, he simply summoned the normal Ponyta, a little filly named..."

"Happini!" Happini suggests.

"Yeah, Epona." Brock suggests.

Misty considers the name, never mind it is already used in Zelda. "Okay, we can call it Epona." she sighs. "Arion asked how to summon the little filly Epona, and Anadin took a few reeds. He then played this song..." Misty motions for Ash to play.

Ash fillls in the familiar notes of Epona's Song on the harmonica. "Sure enough, Epona came running to Anadin's side some seconds later..."

Azurill whines, prompting Misty to look at her Match Call. "Oh, not only is it naptime, but lunch time...." she muses.

"We can always hear about Arion's adventure another time." Brock assures the group as he gets out his cooking gear....