The Quest for the Hidden Treasure of The Oak's Castle

Pedro Zarquillo, once the mad candidate for Knight Templar, had long since adapted to the 21st century. But one night, as he sat at his desk writing stories of what might have been, the old voice returned, a whisper from the past.

"Pedro, your journey is not yet over. You must retrieve The Oak's Castle's hidden treasure. Dark forces guard it, and only you can defeat them."

Logo de la serie
'Se ha escrito un crimen' (1984)

Pedro felt the call. With a determination that could not be swayed, armed only with his wits, he mounted Luciérnaga, his now inactive but always faithful white horse, and rode westward toward the Castle.

The road was treacherous, and as the mist-shrouded Castle came into view, the chanting began: the demonic songs of the Countesses of Chalion. Their dark magic clouded our innocent hero's thoughts, tightening its grip on his mind. But Pedro had come prepared. His templar masters had told him of a secret garden hidden within the castle walls, where a single tree of white magic grew, whose apples could break any dark spell.

Deviating from the main path within the Castle, Pedro found the garden. Between the silver-barked branches hung gleaming white apples. Without hesitation, he plucked one and took a bite. The moment his teeth sank into its flesh, the world changed. As the air cleared, the Countesses' chants lost their power over him.

Enraged, the Countesses appeared with eyes alight with hatred. With no sword to fight them, Pedro relied on his mind's quickness and agility, using his surroundings to outwit them. He trapped them with his magic, and their final, furious sobs echoed throughout the Castle.

'La maldición de Chalión'
Lois McMaster Bujold
(2001)

But those cries did more than signal his defeat: they awakened something deep within the Castle. The ground trembled as an ancient curse shook. The last sobs of the Countesses had reawakened the Army of the Undead, cursed souls who had fallen in an ancient war fought around The Oak's Castle. These skeletal soldiers, bound to the dark power of the Castle, emerged from the depths, their hollow eyes fixed on Pedro.

Unarmed, Pedro confronted the army using only his wits. He led them through the narrow passages of the Castle, collapsing walls to trap them and using the terrain to his advantage. But he knew the undead would not stop; only the treasure he sought could end their curse.

Feeling without relief, Pedro pushed through the fight. He reached the Castle's heart, where the treasure was lying. On a crystal pedestal in a hidden chamber rested 'Spartera', the legendary sword of the Templars, the treasure he sought.

'Excálibur'
La espada legendaria
del Rey Arturo

Pedro approached it, knowing that this weapon, the legendary sword of the Templars, could end the curse. As his fingers grasped the hilt, the sword pulsed with life. A bright light filled the chamber, and the army of undead disintegrated into dust. The dark magic of the Countesses was undone, and their voices were silenced.

Upright, Pedro looked at Spartera, which now glowed in his hand. He had found the hidden treasure and banished the dark forces that had haunted that land for centuries. With the sword in his possession, Pedro knew his mission was complete.

The Oak's Castle was again silent, and its ancient secrets were buried. Spartera was now his, and Pedro, knowing that his journey was far from over, prepared to face whatever darkness awaited him, but in the peaceful silence of his victory.

Happy Hispanic Day!
 🇪🇸❤️🇺🇸