Writing Prompt Weenesday #5

18. Imagine a character who has a single, over-arching goal in his or her life (it could be the quest for money or love, status or acceptance, for example). Now describe a single event from your character’s life that strongly influenced their adopting this goal. Describe the event from the character’s viewpoint as a memory, in 500 words or less. https://www.nownovel.com/blog/50-creative-writing-prompts/

I’m going to write this Prompt on a character that’s not really in a story, but I know this character really well (I’m not following the word limit). In fact, I have four “core” characters-which are the first four characters I ever created, and this is one of them. Meet Codith Knight-a prince who just wants to explore the world but instead is kept in his castle and almost never can leave. He’s constantly trying to get out, but isn’t allowed to.

The first time Cody could remember wanting to be an adventurer was when he was five years old. His father-King Richard Knight the III-often hired odd sorts of adventures to sail around the land or hike over treacherous mountains to explore Salvator. After their great quests, he’d have them come into the throne room and recount their tales. Cody was never allowed to listen in, but that day he’d snuck down-desperate to hear the stories that the guards and servants raved on and on about.
He stood by the edge of the door, barely daring to peer in. What little he could see was an odd bunch of adventurers of all different races. They were wearing weird clothing and held scabbards where it looked like mighty weapons fit. Cody heard his father say, “So, Edmund, what have you found?”
”It was extraordinary,” one man said. He had a strong face and build, woth rugged brown hair and a sheath made for a bastard sword. “In the mountains. We were walking up the side and out of no where a dragon flew overhead!”
Cody had covered his gasp quickly, and saw his father-surprised as well. “Interesting,” he said. “Tell us more.”

”It was huge!” piped a gnome from the back, trying to shove his way through the group.
”Everything is huge to you, Piker,” an elf chucked.
“Oh be quiet!”
Richard III held up his hand for silence and the bickering quickly stopped. “I assume that the creature is dead now. Do tell me that I am correct.”
”You’re correct, your Majesty,” Edmund said. “Alda made sure of that.”
”Good,” Richard said.
Cody heard footsteps coming towards him. He had ducked behind a tapestry just as his mother-Hope Knight-has passed in front. She walked into the throne room, “I am terribly sorry that I am so late,” she said. “I hope I haven’t missed much.” Cody inched out from behind the tapestry, trying to get his heartbeat to slow down. He peered back through the door.
”The Slayers have killed a dragon.”
”Really?” Hope said, turning to the group. “That is very impressive. Did you happen to save any of the pieces?”
”Aye, we did, my lady,” said a woman near the back, reaching into her pack. Cody saw her pull a large cluster of red scales out of the pack, and once again had to stifle a gasp. “20 dragon scales.”
”Amazing,” Hope said. “It must’ve been a very beautiful creature.”
”It was,” Edmund said.
Richard III waved his hand in dismissal. “But you did not manage to go beyond the mountains?”
”No we did not,” Edmund said. “One of our own was severely injured and we had to get her to medical attention as quickly as we could.”
”That’s very unfortunate.”
”Is she okay?”
”Yes, m’lady, she is fine. Thank you for asking.”
”Well, you can stay in the city for as long as you’d like,” Richard said. “But when you are up to it, I’d greatly appreciate if you could try to push past that mountain.”
”Of course, sir. We will continue on that as soon as we are well.”
”I thank you,” Richard said, giving Edmund a nod. The Slayers bowed deeply to the king and queen and were escorted back outside of the castle by guards.
Cody watched them walk away. That day had been the first time he knew what he wanted to do. He got this terrible, aching feeling in his heart that said, “I have to do that.” And so, he set out on his journey-and the first step was finding a way to get out of the castle.