Green Jade Holy Grail

Author: (American) Amanda Hemingway
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: In the evening, the woods were quiet, with only three things moving: the boy, the dog, and the sun. This hillside faced northwest. The clouds had retreated, and sunlight pierced through the dense shade, casting itself upon the pair. They bathed in the afterglow of the sun as they walked down the hill. The boy was twelve years old, with dark, olive-toned skin, which was considered too dark for Anglo-Saxons. His face was gaunt, revealing an unusual, serious, and mature demeanor that didn’t match his age. His black hair was as dark as ink, and his dark eyes glowed with a faint blue. His companion was a mongrel dog, with four long legs and fluffy fur, occasionally wagging its tail. It was full of cunning, one ear standing up while the other drooped, constantly circling its friend, joyful and exuberant. But it had a habit of cleaning up leftovers, earning it the nickname "Hoover," though this wasn’t its real name. The boy’s name was Nathan, at least that was his name at the time. Though young, Nathan spent most of his time exploring the woods. He knew every blade of grass and every tree on this land of Thorn Ridge. The forest beyond Thorn Ridge was called the Black Forest, with its valleys winding and confusing, with no paths to follow, even if he had just walked through them, he would still feel unfamiliar the next time. Sometimes, he even imagined the trees could visit each other, moving their roots across the leaf-covered ground; the streams at the bottom of the valley could perform magic, changing their course at any time like a gentle trickle, without the need for a heavy downpour. It was very quiet here, and there were almost no birds in the Black Forest. This land once belonged to the Suen family (in Uncle Bart’s old books, Suen was sometimes spelled Sien). Long, long ago, in the myths and knightly era, they had built a small chapel at the bottom of the valley. Later, a spendthrift in the Suen family sold his soul to the devil, and as a result, the chapel was struck by lightning and destroyed. The rumors go something like that, but the ruins of the chapel should still be sleeping in some hidden underground cave covered with leaves. Nathan often took his friend on adventures to find this cave, but he never succeeded. It was said that an old book wrote that there was a cup or chalice in these ruins, possibly a relic. But his best friend, Ezra, said he would never find it, because only a person of pure heart could discover it. That evening, he wasn’t specifically looking for the chapel but was walking the dog for Uncle Bart, who was also his good friend. Hoover sniffed hard with his nose, as if catching a strange scent. The woods were gloomy and dark, with visibility even lower than in the morning fog or evening mist. They went deeper into the valley, and the woods grew denser. The branches interwove like a net or grew in tangled knots, making it difficult to step. But Nathan rarely stumbled, let alone fell. Hoover was also cautious, weaving through the trees with steady steps. But they only focused on their feet and didn’t notice a cloud drifting over, hanging above them. Sunlight shone through the smooth tree trunks, creating golden halos. Nathan was dazzled several times by the glare. Just then, the ground suddenly collapsed beneath him, and he tumbled into darkness, followed by a shower of earth, twigs, and