“Good lad,” Azzie said. “Where is he now?”
“Gone,” Frike said. “Soon after, he decided he couldn’t wait.”
“But where did he go?”
“Why, after the Princess Scarlet, of course. Just as you wanted him to. He waited five days, master, and longer he could not abide due to the fever of passion her picture had inspired in him. Was that not how you wished it, master?”
“Of course. But he needed to have instructions first and the special quest hunting equipment. What did he take?”
“He went into the heavy-equipment closet and selected a sword and armor from the equipment hanging on the wall. And then he took some money you had left in the chest of drawers and said he was on his way and to tell you he’d be back with the Princess and hoped you wouldn’t be annoyed with him.”
“Damnation!” Azzie cried. He stamped his foot and sank into the earth up to his waist. He extricated himself with difficulty.
Babriel had wandered out of the house upon Azzie’s arrival. He had listened and now said, “What’s the matter? He’s doing what you want him to, isn’t he?”
“Yes, but he shouldn’t have left yet,” Azzie said. “I’ve set up this quest to be difficult and dangerous. It’s the only kind that will get the attention of the High Powers. He is going up against dangerous matters of magic, which common men had best leave alone. And he has none of the magic protection I have been collecting for him.”
“What, then?” Babriel asked.
“I must get the things that he needs to him,” Azzie said. “And I need to do this quickly, quickly! Did he tell you where he planned to begin his search?”
“Not a word of it, sire.”
“Well then, which way did he go?”
“He went straight ahead that way,” Frike said, pointing. Azzie looked in the direction indicated. “North,” he muttered. “He went north. A bad omen. Frike, we must find him before it’s too late.”
Chapter 1
Prince Charming rode alone into the great green forest, beyond the familiar fields and hills, into the terra incognita that lay beyond. His way took him into the north, and as he rode he thought about swords. He knew that a Fairly Lucky Sword was not as good as a Truly Enchanted Sword, but it was a lot better than an ordinary sword. He held up the Fairly Lucky Sword and looked at it. It was an exceedingly handsome weapon, with its nicely curling pommel and the tassels around the grip. This was one of the loveliest swords he’d ever seen. It was considerably smaller than the big broadswords that were in vogue in those days, and it was a straight sword, without a curve, none of your Turkish curlicues, thank you very much. It was double edged, sharpened on both sides, and it had a needle point. This would be enough in itself to establish it as one of a special class of sword, since most ordinary swords were only edged on one side and were hardly ever pointed.
The Fairly Lucky Sword was a nice weapon, but it had its problems. There is a general class of Enchanted Swords, and Azzie, in haste to find a magical weapon for his protege, didn’t look at the bin he took it out of. He might have thought all Enchanted Swords were the same. He didn’t realize that “enchanted” was a generic term for a certain type of sword; that is to say, swords with enchantments of one sort or another upon them.
Enchanted Swords differ greatly in efficacy. There are (or used to be) Unbreakable Swords, and those that never lose their temper. Swords that unerringly kill their opponents are exceedingly rare, although that is the quality every sword-builder tries to get into his blade. All-Conquering Swords can be found from time to time, but these puissant blades generally don’t outlast the life of their owner, who, since he can’t be overcome man to man in swordsmanship, is typically poisoned by a close friend, a wife, or a wife of a close friend. Even with a perfect sword, humans don’t get out of this world alive.