The Queen Is Dead
But How Did She Die? For The Vocal Fantasy II Challenge. Prologue To The Kongaray Saga

'The river ran backwards on the day the Queen vanished.'
Well it didn't really run backwards, it was caused by the swell when The Queen" sank in the bay. The whole town was in shock as they saw the giant ship going down.
The water swirled and pushed back up the river and the ship was being sucked down into the depths. The bay was not very deep but the ship was going down well into the bottom of the bay.
There was a legend of a monster that lived under the bay. Boats and mariners had gone missing and it was always down to the legend of Kongaray who had devoured every attempt to capture or kill it.
No one had ever seen Kongaray but drawings implied it was a monstrous Kraken or water dragon, and now the crowd whispered that this must be Kongaray dragging the ship down to unknown Stygian depths along with everyone onboard.
The ship was descending slowly, there was no thought of a rescue attempt, and boats that went would be taken by Konagray as well, although the only signs were that the water seemed as though it were boiling as the swell went back up the river.
This ship was said to be unsinkable because of its sheer size, but this was something that could not have been foreseen. It was being dragged down by something that must be absolutely enormous.
The town was worried that it might follow The Queen, but a few of the crowd walked away to take refuge in the library and see if they could sort through the annals and find any way to deal with Konagray. It had been quiet for centuries and was only known of through ancient legends.
Yes, there were the disappearances but it was unlikely that Kongaray would take such relatively small fry.
When they got to the library they knew they needed to find the information as soon as possible, Kangaray must have been kept in check or placated somehow in past times.
It may have been heroes who forced it into the depths, or some kind of sacrifice, hopefully not human, or something else such as a spell that put the monster.
They pored over ancient tomes, and through the dusty pages, one of them said:
"I think have found it. Kangaray terrorised this coast for hundreds of years until a knight came back from the Crusades with a Scimitar blessed by a mystical Eastern Priesthood, and he walke into the bay and fought and conquered Kangaray. He could not kill the monster, but the enchanted sword put the monster to sleep for five hundred years. Now it has awoken and we know what we have to do"
As one they said:
"Find the Scimitar, the fight Kangaray with it"
The problems the group had were many. There were no records of who the Knight was, or the Eastern Priesthood and there was no mention of where the Scimitar was. It could have been lost, rusted or even left in the body of Kangaray when the Knight finally put him to sleep.
It seemed that group had a quest thrown upon them, they first had to find the Scimaitar or a weapon to replace it, but that would need enchantment and may mean travelling to find the Eastern Priesthood.
If they found the weapon they would need a Champion to fight Kangaray once more and to put it to sleep for the next five hundred years, and that also could mean death for the Champion.
The Champion and the Enchanted Scimitar would have to be made ready.
The Quest had begun.
About the Creator
Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred
A Weaver of Tales and Poetry
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Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insight
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters



Comments (10)
Nice
great work
Am I picking up a Lambton Worm vibe here? Knight returns from the Crusades to quell the fearsome beast? Then, hundreds of years later, we see the rough end of Washington New Town move into the worm's old territory :D
Great start to what appears to be a epic story!!
What a thriller-suspense story! The sinking of the Queen and the mystery of the legendary monster Kongaray draw you in! I love how all of the townspeople get together, looking for answers and searching out this elixir Scimitar that once subdued the creature. Fascinating, the way they delve into the ancient legends in search of unraveling their town's history to find a new hero. The adventure and fantasy, along with the quest to find bravery, is just so captivating. I don't know how much more curious I can be until they rise to surmount the obstacles ahead and find their champion to save the day.
Yeah, is this the beginning of a new series it's really good so far. It could be just like 20,000 leagues under the sea.
Love your prologue to what will be an amazing fantasy novel.
I was truly captivated by the blend of intrigue and emotional depth. The portrayal of the queen's struggles and the impact on her realm was thought-provoking. Please do a sequel.
Omggggg, please tell me that you're gonna continue this!
Do a sequel and fight Kangaray!