Flash: Quest for True Love

Photo by Alice Alinari on Unsplash

“What is your quest?”

I bit back my automatic reply, “To find the holy grail.” I spent way too much time watching Monty Python in college. Although it had been holding me in good stead since The Event. For a nerd with no exercise except to lift food, I had been doing very well, way better than average, based on the number of corpses I’ve seen.

The woman didn’t move again, so I guess I got to answer with something.

“To find my true love.”

Why not? It’s as good an answer as any and better than some.

The goddess, forest spirit, winter incarnate, whatever the fuck she was changed position, one hand shifting up and another shifting down. Behind her, the winter icescape changed to spring buds and flowers.

“The course of true love is never smooth, but the river runs deep.”

“Um, thank you for that.” I reshouldered my pack watching as the guide shimmered into nothingness before continuing onto the slightly springing ground. My toes were very grateful for the temperature change within the oversized boots I had pulled off one of the other people who hadn’t made it this far into the game. If it was a game. I hoped it was a game.

And now I had a goal for the game. I wonder who or what my true love will be? Zelda or Link?

(words 230 – first published 11/21/2022 – from a picture prompt for a Facebook writing group. Aim is about 50 words)