Arianna's Quests: A Narrative Fiction

I gazed around in wonder. There were monstrous vines twisting and twining themselves around tall trees. A plum-colored brook snaked its way across the jungle floor and beside it was the strangest garden I’d ever seen. Giant orange mushrooms, yellow greenery, and weird glow-in-the-dark flowers, grew like weeds in the scanty sunlight. Positioned here and there were gnomes, fairies, imps, and other creatures all smiling and frozen in peculiar poses. In the center of the garden was a glowing bush loaded with weird neon pink fruit. The sweet smell of the crop was so irresistible I had a sudden desire to pick a big, juicy thingamajigger and take a bite.
“They’re probably poisonous,” Mason warned. “So let’s just stay on the path.”
I remembered reading a story about a

“Last spring, my son, Zander went on a quest and he hasn’t returned.”
“What kind of quest?”
“He sought the Scepter of Sirethiel, which bestows the possessor with the strength to rule and shape our kingdom. Aiden, it’s complicated.” Her smile was sweet and sad at the same time. Beautiful and eerie. “Look, the problem is, if he doesn’t return soon, the ancient prophecy will go unfulfilled.”
“Ancient prophecy?” I said, scrambling to catch up. I imagined murky forecasts from soothsayers and visions of the future from gazers with the gift of prediction.
“Yes, the prophecy that avowed every firstborn child in our line must accept the scepter before three blood moons rise from the lap of the forest.”
“What happens if they don’t?”
“Then our kingdom will be plunged into an age of despair upsetting destiny and giving Gordok the opportunity to draw on the scepter’s powers and cover our world in darkness.”
I could understand her concern and I tried to comfort her, uttering all the encouraging half-truths I could muster. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s okay. We’ll find him. He couldn’t have gone far.”
Queen Arianna nodded. “Yes. Thank you for listening, Aiden. I believe I’ll take a nap before