Muse Academy - 2006 Competition, Second Place Winner

From the very beginning of this competition I wasn't judging on artistic merit, but rather on effort and inventiveness. And what can take more effort than having to write an entire story in a language that isn't your first? Congratulations, Yolin! Your story made me smile so much, and the adorable illustrations were a fantastic touch ^_________^

Puck belongs to Jenny-Jen
The side characters are just made for this story
This story is not the official story which means things are added which might not resemble the real story.
Introduction
The name Puck might not ring you a bell, so allow me to introduce this quite unusual boy. Puck is a faerie who lives in Albion, the Faerie Kingdom. There he works as the royal gardener. He's always up for tricks and pranks and doesn't seem to care much about others their feelings. As you can hear, his rank in the faerie society isn't very high, but he does have a golden griffon feather in his possession. How could someone like him, ever get such a valuable item in his hands? And trust me when I say this, I do not believe he saved his money to buy this treasure. Take a seat and make yourself comfortable, please allow me to tell you the story of the Golden Feather.

Chapter 1.
The day started out quite normal, a heaven blue sky, faerie who are taking off to go to work, guards all around and a breakfast he couldn't get through his throat. Staring out of his window he wondered how it was possible that the royal chef could make such horrible foods. Or perhaps he only used this "talent" to please the king. Puck threw the leftovers of his breakfast for the mice and dashed outside. He couldn't wait to be outside, this place just wasn't made for him. It made him feel uncomfortable, knowing that there are some iron eyes staring at your back. Do the guards never get tried of standing? He questioned no more as he reaches the door that lead to freedom..! A sort of… okay, not really, because there were still guards all around. But at least there weren't any walls. The royal garden was Puck's place. Not because he choose for it! No way! But because he's he royal gardener.
"Up early I see" one of the guards spoke to Puck with a heavy voice.
"Not as early as you are sir iron-heart" Puck replied as he rolled his eyes.
"You better not think of doing anything aside gardening today boy, the garden needs to look at it's best as the king is expecting some foreign visitor today" the guard spoke with a hash tone.
"The king is such a show off" Puck mumbled as he turned his back to the guard.
"Is there something you want to say?" the guard asked, he did not hear what Puck had mumbled.
"No nothing, now give me some space would ya, can't work with your eyes piercing right through me," Puck replied.
"Don't show me that bratty attitude boy!" the guard said angry. Puck did no speak an other word and the guard went back to his position.
Puck took a scissor in his hand and started to do his job. Boring, lame, meaningless, stupid, boring, boring, boring, those words kept on filling Puck's mind for the next couple hours. The sun got up high and the heat was tiring the iron men very quickly. "I bet they are burning inside those armors" Puck said to himself with a soft tone as he grinned. He could hear the guards pant inside their helmets and they are getting slower and slower with the minute.
"It's finally twelve o'clock! Finally! Time to shift!" one of the guards at the left shouted to the others. Twelve o'clock meant lunch time for the guards and other guards who had an early lunch will come to replace them. Usually when this happens, the guards are more focuses on where to get their foods than on watching Puck! So as many times before, Puck did not wait an other second to get out of there! He hid behind the bushes at the moment the guards were walking towards the door. He took a peek left, he took a peek right and then went though the bush that led to freedom. FREEDOM! Real freedom! No walls, no guards, just him and the rest of the world.
Chapter 2.
"Where should I go first? Of course, everyone is calling out my name because they are missing me. Duh! But there's only one Puck." Puck spoke to himself as he was looking around while floating in the air. (do not forget he's a faerie, he has got wings!) He could go to the forest, always a lovely place, the place which he prefers to call home instant of the castle. It's close to nature and there's more freedom than he could ever wish for. And no walls of course! But then it suddenly hit him. The last time he went to the forest, he got into a fit with the forest guard. A big faerie who can talk all day long about trees. How tall they grow, how tall the are, how the leafs feel, taste, look and all kind of things Puck shows absolutely no interest in. Even though the forest guard is big and much stronger than Puck, Puck had played a joke with him which made the forest guard end up covered in mud! (that's a different story) The forest guard was so angry that he called his forest friends to take Puck down if they spotted him. "It might not be save yet to go there again so soon."

Or he could go visit the magical black market! Always fun to go there, there is always something he could use for his pranks. The magical black market is where magical item can be bought for a "nice" price. If it works as well at the "real" thing is just the question. But then again, if you don't try... then you'll never know! Puck searched out his pockets but no money. "Oh, bummer I forgot my money! I was too focused on getting out of there that I totally forgot that today there's a magical black market". He sighed as his excitement started to turn into a depression.
So what's left? He could go to the faerie city, a place which is always busy. The faeries are too busy to look at each other and they are all about work, work and work. And there are shops of course, but no money. As Puck is more of a nature guy, the city isn't really a place for him. It's hard to follow the results of his pranks as there's always a crowed that stands in his way. Puck's eyes suddenly spotted something he had never seen before! A huge beast flying through the sky, dressed up in expensive clothing with all kind of weird signs written on top of it. On the back was something that looked like a carriage made out of gold. He could not see who was inside as the windows were closed. It sure was shiny and Puck could not get his eyes of it. Suddenly he realized what this great beast was, a griffon! He once saw it when he was looking in a book.. some day.. he was in a really crazy mood. It flew by with a great speed. It's wings were flapping with pride as it kept it's head up high. "Interesting" Puck grinned and he finally knew what to do as he followed the griffon.
Chapter 3.
The griffon stopped near the castle, it landed on this huge grass field that had no purpose before.. until now I guess. A bunch of men ran outside the castle to greet who ever might be inside the carriage. Puck was guessing it was the foreign visitor the guard had mentioned. Puck hid behind a big tree, but he doubt that anyone would see him anyway, they were too busy with the lady who was getting out of the carriage. She was dressed in very expensive clothes and it would only take you one glimpse to know. Her coat was made out of a very special material which remains shiny no matter what you do with it and no matter how many times you wash it. Her shoes were obviously not available in any the stores and her hat… I don't think anyone else but her would wear that hat. Faeries bowed for the lady as the king came out dresses all big in very expensive clothes. (they are all so expensive..!) He smiled and kissed her hand and she started to laugh…an awful sound it was! Puck covered his ears! The lady laughed for about ten minutes non stop! "This better be worth it" Puck mumbled as he could not get the sound out of his head. They all went inside and the griffon got it's food. A big chuck of meat with which you could feed at least twenty-five faeries.

This was Puck's chance! No one's around anymore, the guards who were suppose to be standing outside went inside with the king. As quietly as he could he ran over to the griffon. It was a beautiful beast, that's for sure. It's beak had the color of gold as well it's wings, claws and tail fluff. A white bird head and a brown body with back paws of a lion. This creature was not an every day animal, he's very rare and there aren't many left of them. It's a miracle that that weird lady was able to get one as her "flying pet". The griffon was too busy with eating to notice Puck, who was coming closer and closer. Suddenly he felt like someone was pulling at one of his wing feathers!
The griffon turned around furious as he faced the little faerie dressed in green. They both stared at each other for about a minute with the thought; "what do I have to do now?". The griffon coughed and finally broke the silence; "who dares to disturb me while I am having my meal?".
Puck looked around him and shrugged. "I have no idea" Puck said with the most innocent voice he could make.
"What do you mean I have no idea, obviously you're the only one around here. So it has got to be you" the griffon said with a very low voice.
"Really, it wasn't me, I'm just the royal gardener, I only care for plants" Puck said with a high pitched voice.
"The royal gardener, ahahaha some position you got" the griffon laughed, the laughter sounded like the lady's laughter..!
"Look who's talking, you're carrying a carriage on your back with a funky lady inside, I don't think I would want to trade places with you" Puck said annoyed.
"At least I'm not digging in dirt like a mole" the griffon said, sounding like some high classed... person!
"Right, says a giant faerie eating pet" Puck gnawed at the griffon.

"Okay, lets stop doing those voices. If it wasn't you then who was it pulling my wing?" asked the griffon with a serious look on it's face.
"Maybe it was just one of those muscles that suddenly move.. you know, by itself and it goes away just like how it comes" Puck replied.
"Hm.." the griffon looked puzzled at little Puck and another silence fell.
"I guess.. so" the griffon finally said. Puck gave him a smile and walked away. The griffon stares at him until he was out of sight, it turned back to it's meal as suddenly the wind blew and he fell a chill over his wing. "How weird" the griffon thought, as normally his feathers protect it from the cold. He spread his wings and suddenly it saw one feather missing! "MY FEATHER! IT'S GONE!!" the griffon shouted out in panic.
Guard ran outside to see what was going on as fast as they could. The griffon bounced up and down and was too confused to do anything sensible.
In the meanwhile, Puck already made sure he was safe. "No wonder they are rare, they are so easy to fool!" Puck laughed hard. He had returned to the royal garden though the same way he had left. He looked at the left and saw guards panting in the heat, he looked at the right and saw more guards panting in the heat. "They haven't even noticed I was gone" Puck grinned as he picked up the scissor and started cutting the bushes again.
The king and the lady just arrived in the garden. "Keep up the good work" said the king to Puck. Puck looked very surprised to when he heard those words. It's the first time he had ever praised him ... double show off. Puck gave them a grin as he continued with his job. The king gave the lady a tour through the huge garden and they chatted about lots a things. Of course, those things did not interest Puck, as he held in his pocket, a golden griffon feather. A rare item which many wish for. Since a long time, Puck felt he actually achieved something "good" with his pranks. This feather, shall be a symbol of his "success".
Later that day the lady was about to leave as she found her griffin grieving over it's lost feather. "My dear griffon, what is the matter" she questioned. "My feather… it is.. gone.. forever.. never coming back, I feel so.. lonely" the griffon said softly.
"But my dear griffon, you have got so many feathers. But.. perhaps you losing a feather.. means you're getting old..!" the lady said while she seem to be in thoughts.
"OLD! NO I'M NOT OLD! IT CAN'T BE! NOOO I'M TOO YOUNG TO BE OLD!" the griffon panicked.
Puck watched them from his window, laughing as hard as he could, his stomach even started to hurt of all that laughing. "Foolish beast, that shows that size doesn't mean a thing to the Puck" he said with proud.
The lady left on her one-feather-less-griffon. The night had fallen and the faerie world was in deep sleep. Even Puck had closed his eyes early this night, with a smile on his face, he held the feather in his hand while dreaming about future pranks.

The End.