A little story

(I wrote this a few months back but never got around to finishing it. Now that I've got time on my hands, I might as well come up with an ending for it.)

A long time ago, there was a young socerer and a young sorceress. They have barely graduated from the academy of sorcery when they were both assigned the same quest to complete. They were instructed to travel from the academy to a remote highland to retrieve a scroll of necromancy spells. There were only two roads leading to the highland from the academy. One was stone paved most of the way with occasional encounters with obstacles. These obstacles are no easy feats for they require vast knowledge of sorcery and a quick mind to negate through. The other road was littered with sharp gravel and debris. There are still obstacles but none as difficult as the first road provided.

The younger sorceress, having graduated from the academy with distinction, was confident that she’ll be able to overcome any obstacles that may stand in her way. The sorcerer had only managed to scrap through enough to graduate. Naturally, the sorceress chose the stone path where else the sorcerer chose the gravel path.

(Ok, I’m sick of calling them sorcerer and sorceress, He’s Jack and she’s Jill…. Stop bugging me about originality!!!)

Not wanting to dirty her new pink silk and velvet shoes, Jill conjured a spell which immediately levitated her. She cruised down the stone pathway with ease and speed, leaving Jack in a dust cloud she left behind. Poor Jack couldn’t recall the enchantments to the spell and can only walk the gravel road in his trusty old boots.

The journey was long and tedious as it took the both of them a few months before their roads merged again a distance before the entrance to the highland. Jack smiled at Jill when they both reached the junction together. Jill, on the other hand, had tears welling up in her eyes. Her shoes were torn, her dress was dirty and tattered. Jack was in no better condition, his boot had been torn to shreds within the first mile and he had been barefoot ever since. His clothes barely covered him and offered no protection to the harsh weather he had to endure.

Now only one final obstacle stood before them. A minotaur known as Duragh stood before the gates to the highland. Duragh was brutal and cruel to his preys. He'd toy around with his food before finally casting down a fatal blow and consuming the carcass.

Jill took bravely in front of Duragh, convinced that she's the only one who could defeat him. Duragh took one look at Jill and let out a vicious laugh. "What are you going to do to me little girl? Manicure me to death? Hahahaha!" Filled with wrath, Jill unleashed her most powerful spells at the minotaur. She threw everything she had at him but the minotaur merely waved them off like illusions. Lightnings and raining boulders came at Duragh but nothing seems to be able to harm him. Exhausted from the trip and the battle, Jill fell to her knees and sobbed, convinced that both Jack and her will perish without completing their quest. Seeing that Jill no longer has the will to fight, Duragh raised his spiked mace and prepared to deliver his final attack.

Jill shut her eyes and awaited for death to claim her swiftly. She shivered as the mace swished through the air towards her head. Then there was silence. Jill thought that she had died so quickly that she couldn't even hear the spikes crushing her skull. She relaxed her eyelids and opened her eyes. The image in front of her was incredible. Jack had actually stopped the mace with his bare hands! Yanking the mace from the grip of Duragh, Jack simultaneously conjured a fireball directed at the minotaur's eyes.

Duragh bellowed out with pain as he staggered backwards with his hands covering his eyes. Blinded by the searing heat and enraged by the numbing pain, Duragh lurched forward in a senseless attempt to grab Jack. Anticipating the mindless attack, Jack allowed Duragh to gain a death grip on him. Before Duragh managed to squeeze the life of of Jack, he screamed once again as poisonous needles sprout forth from Jack's body and pierced Duragh's hands. Seizing the moment, Jack threw another spell and conjured a jagged rock in Duragh's throat. Poisoned and choking, the minotaur didn't last long. Jack helped Jill up to her feet as the minotaur collapsed to the ground.

"H...how did you do that?" Jill looked at Jack with astonishment.

"It was the path I took. The road was tough and nothing offered sanctuary. Humility taught me to endure and endurance gave me strength."

Jill blushed in embarassment at Jack's words. When they had completed the quest, Jill could no longer be sure whether she or Jack was the better sorcerer...