Alex Schadrie is a senior majoring in Media Studies at St. Norbert College, but he always had a passion for mythology and the supernatural. More specifically, he was fascinated with not only the traditional elements of fire, water, air and earth, but also the wu xing elements that include the traditional elements, excluding air, on top of the elements of wood and metal. Through these elements and their personifications called Elementals, he created a Fairy Tale called “The Prince and The Stone.” “The Prince and the Stone” is a story about a prince that must save the love of his life from the clutches of an evil sorcerer. In order to do so, the Prince must complete a set of supernatural challenges that not only give him the fragments of a magical stone, but will also help him unlock certain characteristics that he must embrace. - Tyler Radant
Once upon a time in a fictional land called Elmentria, the kingdom of Alloynius is preparing for the wedding between Titanius Metagar, Prince of Alloynius and Florana Petlan, a princess from the Elmok forest. Just as the wedding was about to start, a portal opens up and a mysterious man in black walks out. Just as the man is walking towards the Prince and Princess, the guards run towards him, but he telekinetically pushes them away. As the man deals with the guards, Titanius takes out his sword while Florana magically conjures a bow and arrow and aims at the man. While the man walks toward the couple, Titanius asks who he is and what he wants. Instead of answering, the man looks at the Princess, and with a simple hand movement, makes her disappear in a puff of smoke.
After a brief moment of shock, Titanius runs toward the man with his sword in hand, but the man stops him and blasts him in the chest with a blast of energy. Even though the Prince survives because of his durable grey skin, he is slightly woozy from the blast. Just as the man is about to create another portal, he is suddenly struck by a blast of energy. Turning around, the man notices that an old man was standing up. Interested in the old man’s courage, the man in black asks who the old man is.
The old man responds by saying, “My name is Boltgar, and I demand that you return the Princess at once.” Once the man in black realizes that he knew Boltgar many years ago, he decides to kill the old man before teleporting away. Just as the man in black raises his magical staff, Boltgar releases another blast of energy, which is instantly blocked by a magical force field. After Boltgar fires a few more energy blasts, the man in black unleashes a larger burst of energy, which Boltgar tries to block, but is unsuccessful. Deciding to show the old man some mercy, the man opens up a new portal and disappears.
After recovering from the attack, Titanius runs toward Boltgar and decides to take him home, which is just outside of the castle. Once Titanius reaches Boltgar’s house, he places the sorcerer in his bed and asks him who the man in black is and how they know each other. Boltgar answers the Prince’s questions by saying that man is named Shadarius and that they knew each other because Boltgar killed him years ago. Boltgar explains further by saying that many years ago, during a fight between Boltgar and Shadarius’s shadow beasts, Shadarius was about to kill Boltgar when four beings suddenly appeared. The beings called themselves the Elementals and said, “We are here to destroy Shadarius since his very presence is upsetting the very forces of nature.”
After another brief fight, the Elementals gave Boltgar a stone called the Aetharian Stone, which they said could be used to destroy Shadarius once and for all. Once nearly all Shadarius’s monsters were defeated, the dark sorcerer tried one last effort to destroy Boltgar, but was suddenly destroyed when Boltgar unleashed a strong blast of energy that disintegrated him. With Shadarius gone and his beasts defeated, Boltgar decided to break the stone into four parts and gave each piece to the Elementals since he felt that no one man should have the power that the stone possessed.
After telling Titanius the story, the Prince asks Boltgar if Shadarius could have possibly survived the blast, but Boltgar says that it would be impossible even with his most powerful magic spells. Despite not knowing how Shadarius could have survived, Boltgar is certain that the Aetharian Stone is the only object that could defeat him again.
Even though Boltgar thought that he should be the one to obtain the Stone, Titanius tells him that he should be the one to go since Boltgar would probably not survive the journey. Understanding the Prince’s concern, Boltgar gives Titanius a map that contains the locations of the Elementals’ kingdoms and a gem that would allow the Prince to contact him if he needs help. After going back to the castle to pack some of the supplies and weapons that he might need, Titanius prepares his horse and starts his journey. As Titanius rides toward the Fire Elemental’s kingdom, Shadarius watches him through a magical orb.
After watching Titanius’s journey for a little bit, Shadarius decides to check on Florana, who is in the dungeon, trapped in a cage made out of dark magic. Once he arrives at the dungeon, Shadarius tells Florana about the journey that Titanius is taking. Even though Florana says that Titanius will succeed, Shadarius tells her that he is counting on it. After noticing Florana’s confusion, Shadarius explains that he actually wants Titanius to reach the Aetharian Stone so that he can use its power to bring his master from the land of the dead called the Netherworld. Shadarius explains further by saying that he made a deal with the Nekros, ruler of the Netherworld, in which he will use the Aetharian Stone’s power to bring Nekros to the mortal realm in return for Nekros making Shadarius flesh and bone again by replacing his heart with a magical gem.
As Shadarius is explaining his plan to the Princess, Titanius manages to reach the Fire Elemental’s kingdom and meets a red lizard like creature, who says that his name is Pyron and that he is the Fire Elemental. Despite telling Pyron about his journey, the Elemental said that the Prince must pass a test of courage in order to obtain the stone fragment. After accepting the challenge, Pyron transports Titanius to a cave that is home to a fire breathing dragon. Deciding that he must defeat Shadarius at all costs, Titanius enters the cave and comes face to face with the dragon. After successfully dodging many of the dragon’s attacks, Titanius realizes that the only way he can defeat the dragon is to stab it in the heart. Once he sees his chance to strike, Titanius runs at the dragon and pierces the beast’s heart with his sword.
With the beast defeated, Pyron appears and gives Titanius the stone fragment since he showed that he was courageous enough to defeat a powerful beast. After receiving the fragment, Pyron tells him that when he reaches the Water Elemental’s kingdom, he just needs to shout the name Aquaria toward the open water. Once he gets back to his horse, Titanius rides off toward the Hydoan Sea and reaches a small beach. Despite appearing to be the location of the water Elemental’s domain on the map, Titanius cannot see anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, he remembers what Pyron told him to say. Titanius shouts the name Aquaria and waits for something to happen.
Not long after shouting the name, the water rises and starts to mold into the shape of a long-haired woman. Once the shape starts to become more physical, it turns into a blue scaled fish creature with tentacles for hair. After finishing its transformation, the creature says, “My name is Aquaria, why have you summoned me?” Following a lengthy description of his journey, Aquaria says that the Prince must complete her test of perseverance, but he should first remove his heavy armor and weapons. Despite being exhausted from Pyron’s test, Titanius accepts the challenge.
Once the challenge is accepted, and Titanius takes off his heavy armor, Aquaria forms a wave to transport Titanius to a small island that is far away from the beach. After a brief moment, Aquaria appears before Titanius and tells him that he must swim back to the beach, but beware of some of the dangers that can slow him down in the water. Taking a couple of minutes to get his bearings, Titanius jumps into the water and starts to swim in the direction that Aquaria told him to go. For a few minutes, everything goes okay, but suddenly, Titanius notices that a shark is starting to swim towards him. Despite not having any weapons to kill the shark, Titanius decides to face the shark head on and punches the beast in the nose, which causes the shark to swim away.
Following his encounter with the shark, Titanius continues to swim toward the beach, when he starts to notice that the water was getting a little rough. As he keeps on swimming, Titanius is continuously hit by different sized waves, which makes it harder to swim. Despite the waves, Titanius keeps on swimming until he finally reaches the beach. Once he reaches the beach, Aquaria reappears and gives Titanius the stone fragment since he is able to reach the beach despite sharks and waves. Before he leaves, Aquaria tells Titanius that when he reaches the Earth Elemental’s Kingdom, he should look for a cave with a bull carved on the entrance.
Following his encounter with Aquaria, Titanius continues his journey by heading toward the kingdom of the Earth Elemental. Once he arrives at the location, he notices that there are a series of cave entrances built with a large mountain. Remembering what Aquaria told him, he looks for the cave with a bull carved into the entrance. When he finally finds the correct cave, Titanius asks if anybody is in the cave. As soon as he asks his question, he hears something coming toward the entrance at incredible speed. Once the mysterious creature rushes out, he notices that it looks like a man with the head of a bull and two hooved legs.
When the beast rushes out, it asks, “Who summoned Terrac, Elemental of the Earth and strongest being alive?” Despite wondering if this creature truly is an Elemental, Titanius tells Terrac about his journey and what he has come to seek. Like the rest of his siblings, Terrac says that in order to get the stone fragment, Titanius must complete a test of strength. Upon accepting the challenge, Terrac causes the ground to shake and stone structures start to form. In order to receive the stone, Titanius must defeat Terrac in combat.
During the first few minutes, Titanius is able to dodge a lot of Terrac’s punches by jumping and rolling on the ground. After a while, Titanius is starting to get tired and realizes that he needs to put an end to the fight quickly. Suddenly, Terrac manages to punch Titanius, which sends him flying towards a nearby pond. Once he sees Titanius getting up, Terrac runs toward the pond and resumes the fight. During the fight, Titanius notices that Terrac is getting weaker and realizes that he is weakened by standing in the water. Realizing this, Titanius starts to punch Terrac until the Elemental is finally knocked out.
Realizing that he is bested, Terrac gives Titanius the stone fragment and congratulates him for realizing his weakness and using it towards his advantage. After resting for a little bit, Terrac tells him that he can reach the Air Elemental’s kingdom by going to the top of the Thundarin Mountains. Terrac also reveals that Titanius must say a particular incantation in order to call upon the Air Elemental. Following a quick good bye, Titanius journeys towards the top of the Thundarin Mountains. Once he reaches the top, Titanius recites the incantation “Aerias Torndo Gustos,” hoping that the Air Elemental will arrive.
Eventually, the wind starts to blow and the sound of thunder can be heard despite no dark cloud in the sky. Suddenly, a doorway opens up in the sky, and a female, bird-like creature waits on the other side. Titanius wants to ask the creature if it is the Air Elemental, but instead, he talks about why he summoned the creature. Following this explanation, the creature says, “My name is Aerias, and if you want the last stone fragment, then you must complete my test of knowledge.” Despite being tired from the other tests, Titanius knows that if he gets this fragment, then he can save Florana and defeat Shadarius, so he accepts the challenge.
Upon accepting her challenge, Aerias waves her hands and a maze made of clouds suddenly appears before Titanius. Aerias explains that Titanius must reach the end of the maze, but be careful since the walls are electrified, and there are traps at every turn. Once Aerias disappears, Titanius starts to run through the maze, which goes okay at first, but soon starts to become difficult. As he ventures deeper into the maze, Titanius has to deal with small hail storms, strong gusts of wind, and difficulty remembering which path he already took. Eventually, he realizes that he can use the balls of hail to mark each door that does not work. In the end, Titanius manages to reach the end of the maze, and Aerias gives him the final stone fragment.
With all four of the stones now in his possession, Titanius puts the stones fragments together, which completes the Aetharian Stone. After finally reforming the stone, Titanius knows that it is time to face Shadarius, so he asks Aerias if she can transport him near Shadarius’s lair. Since she wants the Prince to beat Shadarius, she agrees to transport him and his horse to an area that is close to Shadarius’s lair. Just as Titanius and his horse are teleported, Titanius sees Shadarius’s castle in the distance and rides off towards it. Once Titanius reaches the castle, he decides to enter, not realizing that Shadarius is actually waiting for him.
As soon as Titanius enters the castle, he is surprised that there are no guards on duty or dark monsters lurking around. Suddenly, Titanius could not move his body and is teleported to Shadarius’s throne room. Once Titanius is teleported into the throne room, Shadarius jokingly welcomes him to his home, and he takes the Aetharian Stone away before sending him to the dungeon. Just when everything seems lost, Titanius remembers the gem that Boltgar gave him and uses it to alert Boltgar of their location. After Boltgar manages to teleport into the dungeon to free them, Florana mentions Shadarius’s plans for the Aetharian Stone, which prompts both the heroes to jump into action.
Just as the heroes manage to reach the throne room, Shadarius starts to corrupt the Aetharian Stone so that he will be able to gain full access to all its powers. Noticing that the heroes have arrived, Shadarius creates several shadowy beasts to hold them off until the corruption is complete. After a lengthy battle, most of the original shadow beasts have been defeated, but more just seem to keep on coming. Realizing that they need to focus on Shadarius, Titanius goes to stop him while Boltgar and Florana continue to fight off the shadow beasts. Arriving just in time, Titanius demands that Shadarius gives up and give him the stone, but Shadarius starts to chant an incantation that will open a portal to the Netherworld
Since the Aetharian Stone is the only thing that will allow Shadarius to open a portal to the Netherworld, Titanius starts to run toward Shadarius so that he can take the stone back. Noticing that Titanius is running towards him, Shadarius shoots energy bolts at him. Titanius manages to dodge all the blasts and continues to run towards Shadarius until he tackles Shadarius to the ground and takes the stone back. After Titanius gives the Stone to Boltgar, he tries to use his magic to purify the Stone but is unsuccessful. Since the Stone cannot be purified of the corruption, the only option left is to destroy the stone once and for all.
Just as Titanius is about to destroy the Stone with his sword, Shadarius gets back up and magically pushes Boltgar and Florana back while lifting Titanius up. As Shadarius walks toward Titanius, he starts to mock him for not only failing to save Florana but for now failing to save all Elmentria. While Shadarius is about to kill Titanius so that he can complete the incantation and open the portal, Florana conjures her bow and aims an arrow at Shadarius’s chest, hoping to hit his gem-heart. With one shot, Florana manages to hit his heart, which only injures him. Realizing this weakness, Titanius uses all his strength to raise his sword towards the wound and thrusts it into Shadarius’s chest.
Just as the sword pierces Shadarius’s chest, it manages to hit the gem, which shatters it into several pieces. With his only sources of life now destroyed, Shadarius falls to the ground and starts to disintegrate. Since his enemy is now dead, Titanius is finally able to destroy the Aetharian Stone. After the Stone is destroyed, Titanius asks Boltgar why he needs to recreate the Aetharian Stone if he did not even need it to defeat Shadarius. Boltgar answers his question by saying, “The stone could enhance the natural abilities of those that possess it.” Boltgar continues by saying, “This is why I was able to defeat Shadarius before since it enhanced my magical powers.”
Titanius suddenly realizes that the Elementals were using the tests to show him the skills that he needed to fight Shadarius and that the stone enhanced his courage, knowledge, perseverance, and strength. After returning home, Titanius and Florana are finally able to get married and live happily after. Unfortunately, not long after the wedding, Boltgar passes away due to old age and is honored for his years of service as a protector of Elmentria. As for Shadarius, once his spirit was sent back to the Netherworld, Nekros sentenced him to an eternity of torment for failing him, which he is still enduring to this day.