Nine year old Amelia Stark peeked silently into the underbrush. She was on a mission, an important mission. Amelia needed to find, and kill, the Hand of Clay, which was said to be in the depths of the Kanxagay Wilds. She got to the Kanxagay Wilds without a problem, but finding the Hand of Clay was not quite so easy.
Amelia had already been in the Kanxagay Wilds for a week, and was starting to grow doubtful about the Hand even being there. Anyway, she thought silently, why would they send her instead of someone else who knew how to fight better?
O well, she was already here, she might as well try, she thought to herself. Amelia glanced around every tree, not knowing how big the Hand of Clay was, since no one had cared to tell her. Well, she would figure it out sooner or later, she thought silently.
Suddenly she heard a rustling noise to her right. Immediately she turned that way, trying in vain to be quiet. All was silent for the next two minutes. Then she heard another noise, this time to her left. She stayed quietly where she was this time, moving only her head, to face the direction which the noise had come from.
Suddenly, out of the ground came a giant Hand, about three times as tall as Amelia.
The nine year old looked up at the Hand, “I am not afraid of you!” she shouted angrily, and loud enough for the whole forest to hear. “You try to beat me if you can! I’m not going to let you!” she finished in a tone of determination.
The hand looked slowly downward to the little girl at his side, “What do you think you’re doing, little girl?” he asked slowly.
“I’m not a little girl!” Amelia answered in disgust, “And I know what I’m doing! I’m going to defeat you!” she continued, just as loud as before.
The Hand looked at her with a strange look, (which you can imagine from a Hand) and continued, “If you are not afraid, then I will challenge you to a duel. If you are,” “I already told you, I am not afraid of you!” She cut him off loudly.
“And yes! I will fight you!” she replied. “And defeat you.” she muttered under her breath.
“Very well,” answered the Hand slowly, (as he did everything else) “Then get your sword ready, my little girl.” Amelia looked at him with contempt, “I’m not a little girl,” she muttered. She drew her sword out of its scabbard and slashed a few cuts through the air expertly.
The Hand did the same, but his sword was much bigger than Amelia’s and therefore he had the advantage. The Hand swirled his sword and said, “Let the duel begin!” in such a loud and booming voice that Amelia expected it could be heard throughout the whole forest!
At first, the Hand seemed much too strong for her, and it seemed to be a fight that would soon be ended, with the Hand as winner. We must not think that too quickly though, there was a small chance of Amelia’s winning.
Amelia dug her sword into the bottom of the Hand, and as a response the Hand screamed in agony. He thrashed his sword wildly about, aiming for Amelia.
Amelia had that advantage though, she was small and therefore hard to target. The Hand slowly discovered that, and quickly decided to not waste his energy that way. Instead he tried to aim, and then swing his sword.
Meanwhile, Amelia was discovering that the Hand was not so strong as she had at first imagined him! At first Amelia had tried to climb the Hand, and fight him from there, but that didn’t work out, he would only knock her off with his finger! Amelia then attempted to cut him down by hacking away at the bottom, which was a good idea, considering that she could only reach the bottom anyway.
The fight continued, with the Hand always on top, (of course, because he was bigger, and taller) and most of the time, winning. There were but a few brief moments in which Amelia seemed to be winning.
Amelia continued to hack away, apparently without fear, though inwardly trembling. Suddenly the Hand began to give way! Amelia saw this, and from it received fresh vigor. She hacked away more fiercely, though it was clear she was exhausted, as well as the Hand.
She could not give up now! She must keep going or she would lose! Amelia kept these two thoughts in her head, trying to keep up courage.
Suddenly the whole forest seemed to shake. There was dust everywhere, and Amelia could not see what had happened.
The dust cleared away, and right there, in the midst of the Kanxagay Wilds, nine year old Amelia Stark, stood in triumph, with the Hand, the Great Hand who had been disturbing all the creatures, and all the people who lived in the Kanxagay Wilds, was at her feet.
She, Amelia Stark, had defeated the great Hand of clay!
As she began to comprehend what she had just done, and how she had really just defeated the great Hand of Clay, that had been alive many years before she even existed, Amelia got up, and put her sword, the one that had just defeated the Hand of Clay, into its scabbard.
Amelia got up on the top most part of the Hand of Clay, and announced, slowly, and with a victorious voice, “I, Amelia Stark, have today defeated the Hand of Clay, on this day, the…” here she stopped for a moment, “What is today?” she thought, confused.
After a few moments she continued. “On this day, the third of November, in the year 1458! All ye who hear me today, Remember this!” She finished triumphantly.
Amelia got down from the Hand of Clay, and walked away with a victor’s air, having completed her mission.