Creative Composition Draft
Amber Higgins
June 18, 2013
 
		An Awakened Dream

     Seven long years had passed since the last tournament came to the town of Hunzai. 

Lynn awoke with mixed feelings as the drummers made their way down the street. 

Fighting a rush of vivid memories, she slowly climbed out of bed, threw on her red silk 

robe, and headed down the stairs. “Did you hear the drums, mom?” Xavier exclaimed. 

“Yes, Xavier. The Festival of Dreams has finally come back to our town.” Lynn said. Every 

seven years the sacred Festival of Dreams would grace the town of Hunzai. During the 

weeklong festival, any citizen of Hunzai was given the chance to compete for the Chest 

of Awakened Dreams. Lynn was eager to regain her honor ever since she failed to 

complete the four trials of the previous Festival of Dreams Tournament. In order to reach 

the forth and final stage of the tournament, a competitor must complete and conquer 

the Trial of Fear, the Trial of Understanding, and the Trial of Alliance.


     Lynn heads towards her cold, damp cellar to retrieve the sword she had placed in 

storage seven years ago. After dusting off the wooden chest containing her family sword, 

she lifts the lid and sees the blade she left in the dark. Feeling a sense of excitement, she 

grasped the sword, and proudly held the blade in front of her.  Memories began to flood 

Lynn’s mind, reminding her of the time Miriam held her first oak sparring sword. Miriam, 

being the youngest sibling of Lynn, wanted to excel above anything Lynn accomplished. 

Before the birth of Xavier, Lynn held the highest scores in the town’s sparring 

competitions. Lynn and Miriam spent hours among the blooming trees and endless fields 

of green, practicing their best moves against each other. It was only a few minutes 

before Lynn’s husband curiously asked, “Have you decided to compete in the Festival of 

Dreams tournament again?”  Looking up and him with fire in her eyes, Lynn asks, “What 

do you think?” Elluvyin quickly moves to the side saying, “I am all for you competing, my 

dear, but you should register quickly before the tournament begins!” Lynn smiled, and 

ran back up stairs to prepare for the long day ahead.


     “Come and compete in the four trials of the festival of dreams!” Yelled a rugged, old 

woman, looking around for the next competitor. As Lynn shuffles her way up to the front 

of the crowd, the woman reluctantly asked, “Name, please.” Trying to keep her 

composure, Lynn looked up and replied, “I am Lynn, and my time has come to regain my 

honor as a warrior.” The old woman sighed and replied, “ Sign here, and try not to leave 

the competition during the first trial this time.” Lynn half grinned and quickly signed her 

name, trying to focus on her dreams that were asleep inside of her for so long. As she 

walked away feeling slightly nervous, the sound of the town’s people singing her favorite 

ballad took her mind back to the first time she heard the legend of the infamous warrior, 

Xandra Kimzi. Lynn imagined herself, sword drawn, dressed in the strongest ebony 

Obsidian armor, fighting to protect the town she loved, as Xandra had done in her 

stories.


    The story of Xandra Kimzi was that of a young girl, born into a world at war. She 

trained along side her siblings, fearing the day would come when the war would reach 

her hometown. All Xandra could do was think about protecting her family and her home 

from the evil that was lurking ever so close. Putting her fear aside, Xandra picked up her 

sword and vigorously trained until her worst fear had come to pass. War was at her 

doorstep, and she knew that the time had come to fight for her home. After hours of 

grueling battle, Xandra and her companions defeated the evil threat that had swept her 

land. She knew there must be other towns in need of help. After years of reviving fallen 

towns, and defending those the towns untouched by the war, the ballad of Xandra Kimzi 

was well known throughout the lands. The story of Xandra Kimzi was passed down to 

each generation, reminding people that with enough courage, training, and focus, 

anyone can become a great warrior.


     Thinking about the good she could bring to her town and her family by winning the 

tournament, Lynn found herself quickly realizing her swordsmanship could go beyond a 

childish fantasy, to a realistic and secure future for her family. 

Doubters of Lynn’s courage and strength seemed to arise from every dark corner. “Do 

you even have the skill to complete the trials?” “What will become of your home life?” 

Although Lynn carefully assessed the danger of starting down the path of a true warrior, 

she knew deep down that this was the path she was meant to take. A long night of 

preparation was ahead for Lynn. The morning would prove to be the start of a great 

journey for Lynn and the town of Hunzai.


To be continued.
