A contest....just because

[jonahTX]

I just joined this site but if you do this again I would enjoy joining in on the fun.

 

[Tariel]

I just joined this site but if you do this again I would enjoy joining in on the fun.

OOOHHHH....another contest?!? Count me in!

Is it to late for me to enter as I have only just noticed this thread.

me! i want to write! i have a short story lurking in the back of my head. it must be written.

You can all join (even those of you who barely missed the afore-mentioned deadline).

It is now officially too late to join. Contestants now have until the end of April to post their entries either directly into this thread, or into a seperate thread and post the link in this thead.

Enjoy yourselves and good luck!

 

[WPZanar07]

Do stories done in the form of a ballad count? My story idea is...well, operaesque, but during a performance, recounting an event in my fantasy world. I hope to add a twist to it, though! Hehe. If that's ok.

 

[Tariel]

Do stories done in the form of a ballad count? My story idea is...well, operaesque, but during a performance, recounting an event in my fantasy world. I hope to add a twist to it, though! Hehe. If that's ok.

yeah....that's fine

 

[WPZanar07]

K....Thx. I'll work on the final draft soon enough.

 

[NeoScribe]

I know you said don't feel constricted by the 3,000 word requirment but I only just figured out how to count my words and the story is twice as long as the limit - and its still not finished yet!

Is that okay, or should I try and make it shorter?

 

[CelticRose]

The limit was for people like me who like parameters.

 

[FriarErasmus]

Here's the link:
http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=5260670

I'll update it before the end of the month if I have time.

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

Bullied

“Hey, Andy.”
I spun around; I knew that voice. That voice belonged to the school bully, Stanley. Stanley was a guy with no mercy. If you were his target, then unless you did what he told you, watch out. No one dared to stand up to Stanley.
“What?” I sneered back.
“I thought it was about time for us to have a little talk.” He tried to put on his sweetest voice, but even that came out sour.
“What are you talking about?” I tried to put on a strong voice but instead I stuttered. I was kicking myself on the inside now, he knew I was afraid of him.
“Well I have been noticing that you hang out with that freak Kate, the one in that stupid little wheelchair.” For once Stanley was staying cool and it did not look like this was going to turn violent.
I stared at him, my anger rising. “Kate is my friend, she is not a freak.”
“That’s not what I have heard. Look, all I am saying is choose your friends wisely.”
He pushed me into the wall and then walked away. Stanley had started something, now I had to wait to see what he was going to do next.
I looked down at my watch - 3:45. Damn, now I was going to be late home. I won’t be allowed to go out tonight with the others. Thanks Stanley, I thought with spite. There was no way I could tell my parents what had happened so I started thinking about possible excuses. I had a detention. I got hit by a car. No, too much. I got distracted. Yeah that will do, vague, but not too vague.
I walked up to the door, took a deep breath expecting the worst, I turned the handle. It was locked. Relief flooded over me like a waterfall. Mum wasn’t home from work yet, she wouldn’t know that I was late home. I got my key out of my bag and went inside, tossing my bag into my room as I headed straight for the kitchen to feed my face. With half of my snack in my mouth, I took up a pen and wrote a note for mum:
“Gone to Kate’s, then heading to town with her, Margaret and Judith. Will be back before dark, just put my dinner in the oven, will eat it when I get home. Thanks.”
I was out of that door like a flash. Seize my bike and took off to Kate’s.
I knocked on the door and then walked in calmly. Almost immediately I was greeted by Casper, Kate’s disability dog - not that she likes him being called that, she just prefers him to be called her pet. Casper is a gorgeous, purebred Golden Labrador, more white than golden really, hence the name Casper. For Casper to greet me must mean he is off duty. He is normally off duty when he is at home.
“Hey where are you Kate?” I called out.
A faint, muffled reply came from the kitchen. I was expecting to see Kate but instead I find her mum with her head deep in a cupboard. As she pulled herself out, I had to try and stop myself from laughing. Her hair was all messed up and she had cobwebs all through it.
“Um, where’s Kate?” I asked, tearing my eyes away.
“Oh, she’s in her room, getting ready,” her mum explained. “She should be out any minute.”
As if on cue, Kate wheeled herself in. Maybe now is a good time to explain why Kate is in a wheelchair.

Two years ago, Kate, her mum and dad were involved in a car accident. Their car was hit from the side when a guy ran a red light at an intersection. Her father was killed instantly; her mother was bruised and battered. Kate went into a coma and broke her back. She spent some time in hospital and when she came out she was a paraplegic with a brand new wheelchair. They applied for her to get a disability dog, as you can see she got one. Casper has made her life a lot easier.

“So, when are the others going to get their butts here?”
“They aren’t,” she sighed. “Their parents said no.”
“That’s rough. Well, I guess it’s just the two of us then.”
Secretly I was jumping for joy; I prefer to spend time with Kate without the other two because when they are around all they talk about is make-up and boys.
“Is Casper coming?”
A glance between us decided it: Casper was coming. Kate went for his leash and coat, called him and told him to “dress” which means it is time to do some work. Once that was done we headed out.
“Where to first?”
“Let’s go to the arcade since the others don’t like it.”
That was fine with me, I loved the arcade and the owner of it loved Casper to bits. When we are lucky he gives us a couple of free games. But there was one thing I wasn’t looking forward to. Stanley usually hangs out by the arcade. But I wasn’t going to say anything. Kate didn’t need to know about our little encounter after school. The fewer things she has to worry about, the better.
Being a teenager in a wheelchair was not easy for her. She had even more things to be concerned about than most girls. One of those things was money. Before the crash, her dad had been the one who brought all the income into the family. Now they were always tight on cash, so going to town was a rare occasion.
We finally reached the arcade. With a sweeping glance, I noticed Stanley wasn’t there. I would be able to have some fun as well. We played some games until we ran out of cash and then after a quick good bye headed our separate ways.

Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep. I looked around bleary eyed for my alarm clock hoping to stop that stupid beep before it drives me nuts. I really didn’t want to get up today. If I stay in bed I won’t have to see what Stanley will do today. Knowing him, it will be worse than yesterday. But if I don’t get up it will be a lecture from the folks. Weighing it up, I drag myself out of bed and get dressed, throwing books into my bag. I stumbled down the stairs half asleep and grab some breakfast. I grabbed my lunch money from the usual place and headed out of the door. Two blocks from the corner, I find Stanley waiting for me, his goon squad standing around as usual.
“Hey twerp, what’ve you got for lunch today?”
“Um, money.” Lying was probably not the best thing to do at the moment.
“Well you don’t anymore. Until you ditch that Kate girl your lunch is my lunch, so hand over your money.”
“No, you’re not getting my money!”
“Feeling brave this morning are ya?” he laughed. He turned to the goons. “Get him,” he ordered them.
They only punched me a few times before they got the money but they hit hard. After the beating, they threw me into the gutter. I picked myself up and continued to school. When I did, I went straight to the bathroom to tidy myself up. There was no way I would run. I would stand up to those guys, even if it did kill me.

The rest of the week was the same routine. Each morning they would beat me up and steal any money and food I had. Every morning the beatings would get a lot worse. By Friday I knew I had to tell my friends. They had seen the bruises and I wasn’t moving very well. I had shrugged them off, saying that I had come off my bike a few times. Needless to say, I doubted that they believed me.
I had arranged a sleepover at my house, which would be fun in a way. Except for the fact that mum hated dogs and I hadn’t told that Casper was coming; normally he would stay at home. This time we were going to go into the city and when Kate goes, she really needs Casper to help. When I got home I thought it might be best to warn her. It could turn out very badly but I had to risk it for Kate's sake.
“Mum, about the sleepover tomorrow,” I started casually. “Well, Kate wants to bring Casper because she really needs him when she goes into the city.”
“That’s fine,” she said icily, “but you know the rules. He has to stay off the furniture and out of the kitchen.”
“Sure. Thanks ma.”
I ran up stairs, there were so many thoughts in my head that I needed to write in my journal. I know what you’re thinking: guys aren’t supposed to have journals. I do.
This week sucked, Stanley keeps on beating me up, so I have been going hungry at school since Wednesday. Mum is now annoyed at me because Casper is coming to the sleepover. I mean it is not my fault that Kate needs Casper. Talking about Kate I really starting to like her more than a friend, she is just so cool and funny. She would never go out me though. Sigh.
See ya gtg and have my stupid dinner.
Dinner was stupid because it was curry. I despise curry. It is really disgusting but it’s that or starve. At least I have tomorrow to look forward to. I need to sleep because I won’t get any sleep tomorrow.

The others will be here any minute so the fun can start. We have major plans tonight which include a massive game of spotlight and some movies as well as lots of FOOD.
Knock, knock. They arrive and in full force too - somehow all three ended up at the front door right at the same time. Don’t ask me how; it must be a girl thing. I know it is kind of weird that my three best friends are all girls but I seem to get along with them better. But I am not at all gay, just to get that straight.
“So what shall we do first girls?” I asked, curious to see what they would say.
Looking at each other, they altogether said, “Movie.”
“Right this way then, ladies.”
I lead them into the lounge where four sleeping bags were set up and a DVD in the player ready. Kate decides that she’s had had enough of her wheelchair and plunked herself on the ground with the rest of us. Kate likes to feel as normal as possible, which is fair enough.
Casper decides that it is his duty to keep our feet warm so he lies on top of them all. We all just laugh and Kate, between her giggles, tells him to get behind her: she needs a backrest. The first time we all saw this happen we found it hilarious but if he doesn’t do it, Kate will have to hold up herself which is not easy without the use of your legs.
The movie we were watching was one about this man who has to find the hidden treasure before the enemy does. You know just a typical action movie. The finishing credits played and it was finally dark so it was time for spot light. We play spot light a little different from most people so Kate can still play properly. One of the main rules is that if Kate can’t get there with her chair, then it’s out of bounds. Another is that if Kate is hiding we have to spot her, not her wheelchair, so unless we see an arm or a random body part, it doesn’t count. Sometimes she will get out of it to hide somewhere.
We played 21 to decide who would be seeking first. Judith landed the lucky number. As she started to count, we started to run. I ran straight for my favorite hiding spot. Nobody has ever found me here; the hollow of one of the trees. It is really dark in there and filled with creepy crawlies, but they don’t bother me because I am a tough man – well, I’m only 14, but that’s not the important thing. I managed to settle into my hollow just as Judith yelled out. Like normal, she found Margaret first. Margaret is not very good at this game, she tends to hide in very obvious places and generally forgets to hide all of herself – usually her backside or a leg.
We didn’t end up crawling into bed until two o’clock the next morning. After the few hours’ sleep we managed to get, we hung out in the city for the afternoon and then headed home. Now it’s Monday morning and I am in for another week of Stanley’s torture unless I ditch the others. Not really an option. Great, I just realized I forgot to tell them about the bullying.
Once again my lunch was stolen but this time they smashed me. There was no way I could hide it from my friends any more, they were bound to notice my blood nose and pulverized limbs. Unfortunately, I can’t do the bike excuse because they know I haven’t had a chance to ride since they last saw me. The jig is up.
I meandered into school and headed straight for our hang out place. I walked up to them and confessed everything.
“Since last Wednesday, Stanley and his goons have been beating me up and taking my lunch, because I hang out with you, Kate.” I turned to her specifically. “It is not your fault Kate. But I need to stop this so at school I am going to go and hang out with those guys. I am not going to be their friends though. And you guys can’t tell any adults about this because that will make it a lot worse because then I will be a rat.”
I felt like bursting into tears, just breaking down and letting them see how much this was devastating me. Margaret, Judith and Kate just sat there, taking everything in. I turned away with my head hung; it had to start now. I went and found Stanley at his normal place by the boys’ toilets.
“You won. Kate is not my friend. You guys are my friends now.”
Saying those words ripped me up inside but I knew I had to do it; it was that or getting pulverized everyday.
After school that day I headed over to Judith’s place. The door was opened by not just Judith, but Kate and Margaret too. How they knew that I was going to turn up there was unbelievable. I swear it’s a girl thing.
As soon as I walked in the door I was swamped with hugs, then shoved onto the couch and told not to move. Too stunned to think anything, I did what I was told. Spread over the living room table was sheets of paper and a lot of vivids.
“What’s going on here?” I asked nervously.
“I thought you were smart Andy,” Judith grinned. “This is our idea of stopping the bullying.”
“But, but there is no way to stop them” I stammered
“Look if all put ours heads together I am sure we can come up with a plan” Judith was determined.
“Sorry girls no can do I have to go home so I am not late”
I got up quickly, I just wanted out now. When I got home mum was tidying up the cupboards, again. She has been doing that a lot lately, also just mysteriously disappearing. I headed up to my room, it was probably nothing.
About an hour later mum called me down for dinner, there were two things strange about the scene I saw, both my parents were home and it was my favorite meal. Dad hates curry, something was up, and I just knew it.
Dinner was eaten in a stony silence except for once near the end when it broke out into a big discussion. All of a sudden mum just announced that in two days time we were moving to England, Cornwall to be more precise. My first thought was, they must be joking.
“But, why”
“Because we need a change of scenery, both I and your dad have gotten jobs over there as well.”
“I don’t want to move” I stated
“I know you don’t hun, but the decision has been made, you can’t change it. You won’t be going to school tomorrow as you need to pack.” She tried to sound sympathetic, but it came out strained.
I stood up and walked over to the phone, I had to tell the others now. The first person I rang was Kate, I told her straight out. I was moving in two days and there was nothing I could do about it. I also asked her to tell the others. I could not bear telling them all myself.
I walked up to my room in a daze, and started to pack on auto pilot. I didn’t realize what I was doing really, I was just doing. The ringing of the phone in the background brought me back to reality. I picked it up.
“Hello”
“Hey, Andy look me and the girls are coming over at four tomorrow make sure you are home” Kate said in a rush.
“Why are you coming over?”
“To say goodbye of course silly, look I got to go, see ya tomorrow”
She hung up and I went to bed, but I could not sleep all I could think about was how I did not want to move and lose all my friends. I was not the type to disobey my parents though.
Dad woke me up a six am the next morning to continue packing. The day was a flurry of events, which I can’t remember much of. I do remember the girls coming over; they all had presents and there was lots of tears, from everyone.
Now I’m and sitting on a plane flying to a strange land where I know no one and no one knows me. I’m scared, excited and sad all at once. My parents are sitting beside me and they are both asleep so I just stare out of the planes window into the blue sky , remembering all my friends and knowing I will never forget them.

 

[FriarErasmus]

Bullied

“Hey, An...
...iends and knowing I will never forget them.

I love it! Great story with a lot of character development. To me, the story feels bit abrupt in the end. If that was intentional, then you hit the nail on the head. If not, you may want to expand on the saying goodbye part. Saying goodbye like that to a girl you like is a heart wrenching experience, and from a memory standpoint, would stand out more than any other part of the move.

Everything I say is intended as constructive criticism, and is meant only in the best possible way. The fact that I was able to read the entire story in a few minutes speaks to how good it is. I often will quit reading if the story doesn't capture me in the first paragraph, and yours definitely did. Good job!

 

[CelticRose]

Sorry. I've double posted. There's a copy in the top section but then I couldn't find the link so decided to try here.
Clidoh’s Cattle Raid.
​

High in the thin blue sky a lark was singing. Clidoh would always remember the lark. Somewhere in the tangled grasses below his mate sat on her nest of speckled cream eggs & waited. At least Clidoh didn’t have to wait. She hummed a little to herself as she laid out all the things she would need, linens, & salves, bone needles & thread, salves & potions & a knife so finely honed it could slice a hank of silk in one smooth motion & began to methodically pack her medical bag. She would never hear the end of it from Angus if she forgot something. She would not have been healer to his war band for anything except for Cam. Clidoh smiled a little to herself thinking that soon, by tomorrow at the very latest, Cam would have enough cattle to satisfy even her father’s outrageous bride price. In her own mind Clidoh had already picked out the place where they would build their own tuigen down by the water meadows where all the best herbs grew. Despite the death rings knotted in his hair her Cam was no warrior. He would as happily farm as raid & with more profit. They would have many years together & children who lived through the winter, children with their father’s russet hair & mild brown eyes. She just hoped that none of them was as brilliantly red as Cam’s brother, Angus, whose temper was as fiery as his hair.

It was too early for sunlight but in the grey half light the camp prepared itself. Even the give~a~way jingle of harness was already muffled by strips of cloth. So early in the season there should be no casualties but Clidoh was still nervous. It was one thing to study in the Droi school under an Ollamh so old he creaked, quite another to be strapping her medical pack to a stout dun pony as the only healer to one of the fiercest war bands in the Isles.

She was so lost in thought she never heard Cam step silently across the grass. He suddenly grabbed her round the waist & spun her round laughing into her outraged face. He kissed the tip of her nose & gave her his best silly grin.

‘There is silly.’ Clidoh said, pushing him away. ‘What will Angus be saying if I am forgetting his important bandages?’

‘That love is blind.’ Cam grinned setting her down. ‘My brother is only jealous for no~one will ever love him as you love me.’ He kissed her again, properly this time, & Clidoh’s breath caught in her throat. The scent of him, of leather & warm wool, hounds & horses, filled her nostrils. Soon, soon. He released her, tapped her nose with one blunt teasing finger & made a step to hoist her up into the saddle. Clidoh settled herself, the medical bag forming a reassuring hump at her back, as Cam grabbed the reigns & led the pony over the grass to where the war band was gathering, silently now, each man preparing himself in case today was the day his soul was demanded of him.

Angus glanced up sharply as the dun pony moved to the back of the gathering. The black of his eyes flowed to dark glittering points as he shouldered his way over to her & began tugging on all her straps to make sure everything was secure. Clidoh tried to ignore him but Angus was a difficult man to ignore. He wasn’t as pretty as her Cam but he was neatly made & the blaze of his hair marked him out from other men. As always she found it hard to meet his eyes.

‘You are to do exactly as I say.’ Angus’ voice was brusque. He hated having untried novices along. Clidoh nodded, as if she’d ever do anything else, & counted the war band. There were twelve of them, few but hand picked & everyone there the very best there was. Every blade would be honed fine & polished bright. Every pony would have been checked twice over for galls or stones. Every girth would be cinched as tight as it could be. Angus was unforgiving of preventable mistakes & the men who rode with him knew it. Cam smiled at her reassuringly but Clidoh didn’t dare look at him. Angus was still speaking. ‘You are not to engage. That’s what that fancy green tunic is for. It marks you as a healer.’ Clidoh nodded though she knew all this. ‘Wait. If things go badly for us I will come for you. If the Canti get you first do not panic. Nothing will happen to you.’ Clidoh knew as well as he did that that wasn’t always true. Tribes did violate the healer’s immunity. It was rare but it did happen. It made a mockery of the guild price to buy a healer back & tribes had annihilated each other for less. ‘Relax.’ Angus smiled suddenly & Clidoh flushed. The smile changed his face completely & she felt the tug of his charm. She was aware too that there was protectiveness towards her from all the war band. Their lives might depend on her. She would not end up as a Canti hostage if they could help it.

As they rode out Clidoh wasn’t surprised to find she was flanked by two burly warriors. Cam was not one of them. As Angus’ shield man he rode with Angus but she could see him ahead of her, his unsheathed sword laying easily across his lap, the reins held in his free hand & his eyes roving to & fro though the scout had assured them the Canti kept a poor guard so deep in their own territory. He would be whistling, silently under his breath, not to annoy Angus, & Clidoh smiled to herself. He was such a husbandy sort of a man.

As they rode the morning mist began rising till shreds swirled about the ponies’ flanks & grey cloud gathered in the sky, as the Dreamers had promised them. The Dreamers would hold the cloud & the mist as long as they could but there were never any guarantees so far from home. There were things the Dreamers couldn’t know, wrapped in their cow hide, drugged & unseeing before a cold hearth. They couldn’t know, because they hadn’t thought to ask, that the Ard~Ri’s third wife had given birth to his first son during the night & despite the dankness of the day the entire tribe was milling about the great hall preparing to celebrate. Instead of riding into a sleeping keep Angus’ war band rode into one that was wide awake & spoiling for a fight.

Clidoh was left on a little rise fringed with young saplings where fine snow still dusted the dimpled hollows under the trees. The dun pony stood stolid & unmoving as he had been trained. Clidoh rubbed one cold hand along his long neck grateful for his solid, reassuring warmth. Dark shapes swirled in & out of the mist & the clang of sword against sword came to her hollowly. She strained her eyes to see but could only hear the frantic baying of hounds tearing at the end of their chains, the panicked hoof beats of nervous cattle & the loud swearing of determined men. She heard the crash as the rails came down on the cattle pen & then there were long curved horns cutting eerily through the mist & a loud bellowing as the cattle plunged headlong for the gap between the trees. Angus’ war band whooped to follow after them & herd them homewards & in a sudden moment of absolute silence Clidoh heard a loud unfamiliar whoosh. The sky lit up. A wall of flame engulfed the cattle pen’s perimeter. Cattle still plunged through the wall of flames crazy with fear. Horses screamed & pawed the air. The air brought the scent of singed hide & blood. Clidoh’s stomach churned uneasily as billows of rancid smoke blossomed through the mist turning the day black & greasy & blocking out the light.

Clidoh waited patiently as horses & cattle plunged past her with wild eyes & tossing heads. Oily smoke roiled through the trees & plumed in putrid puffs with the smell of burning, skin & hide, wool & feathers meshing in a rancid reek till Clidoh lost all sense of time.

Eventually the world around her grew still. The occasional lowing of a cow came hollowly through the mist but the trampling feet and angry voices were gone. Suddenly a hand reach gently for her bridle & Angus’ crisp voice said softly, ‘This way. You’re needed.’

Nothing could have prepared Clidoh. The war band had moved on with the cattle leaving this one body spread as gently as possible on a cloak in the lee of a small slate scree, Angus’ cloak Clidoh noted, trying not to gag. The hair had been burnt from the scalp leaving it red & black. The brechan & plaid had been burnt from the body. Strips of cloth had melted into the blacked flesh & flesh peeled away from the bone in blistered strips. The eyes were glued shut & the face burnt & blistered beyond all hope of recognition but the chest still rose & fell with agonizing deliberation. The smell of burnt flesh & singed cloth clung to the air.

‘End it,’ Angus said. His voice was tight with fury. Hands shaking Clidoh opened her healer’s satchel & pulled out her knife remembering how carefully she had honed it to shining brightness & boasted of its sharpness. It had never been used, as unblooded as she was herself. She wished Angus would go away but he just stood there, his eyes glittering with fury, watching her. Her voice shook too as she began the canticle that would free the soul & send it straight & true into the lands beyond death, absolving her of the blood guilt. She gripped the handle two~handed, held the blade poised just above the rib cage & a little to the left, waited for the slight hesitation between breaths & plunged the blade home. She struck true. The body quivered once then lay still. Clidoh took a shaky breath, withdrew her blade & began wiping it clean as the man’s blood pooled beneath him. He had been so close to death already it was hardly anything at all. She was still telling herself that when Angus bent forward to tug a ring free from the man’s charred hand. For a moment she despised him & then she saw his eyes, as if he walked the black pit of hell itself. Their gaze met. Clidoh sucked in her breath but Angus’ hand was already over her mouth, hard enough to bruise.

‘Don’t scream. Whatever you do, Healer, don’t scream.’ He released her. Her mouth formed the word ‘Cam’ but no sound came & pulling a red thread from his plaid Angus knotted the silver ring grimly in her hair to acknowledge that she had killed, was capable of killing again.

There are all sorts of courage. Folding Angus’ cloak around his brother’s charred body with little pats that could no longer hurt Cam but were infinitely soothing, Clidoh sought desperately for the courage that would carry her home to do that which the clan would ask of her in Cam’s name & for his sake. She couldn’t even look at Angus. How could she lie with him? He was not Cam, a statement so glaringly obvious it left her bewildered.

Angus hefted Cam’s body across his horse’s flanks & hoisted Clidoh into her saddle. For the briefest of moments their gaze collided & lept away. Almost Clidoh felt sorry for him, sure he would never have chosen her either. He was not Cam but maybe, just maybe, there was enough of Cam in him. His mouth twitched wryly.

‘I don’t mind sharing. I would not have Cam forgotten.’

As they followed the war band home & the tendrils of mist gave way to blue sky & a sunlight Cam would never see again Clidoh rode as though precariously balanced, one half of her falling into darkness & a long sorrowing, the other half clawing for light & air & a life worth living. She took long slow breaths, one after another. One day, maybe, she would be able to breathe again without it hurting.

 

[oncewaslost]

eh, unfortunately i haven't had time to write a thing this month... at least nothing share-worthy... so i'm going to have to bow out. unless i can post a fanfic/kinda fanfic. actually, i can change it into a non-fanfic.

 

[oncewaslost]

very well. this is the best thing i have. it was quickly written but...

Tangled and Fallen

Kristen stormed up the stairs of the so-called “Men's Dorm,” muttering curses under her breath and completely ignoring the surprised eyes of the freshmen she passed. They acted like they'd never seen a female before when she knew for a fact that most of them pushed their girlfriends out the fire escape on surprise RA visits. She snorted. Cowards.

She finally reached his floor—why his lazy butt picked the sixth floor to live on, she'd never know—and was forced to a stop by one of those annoying, rule-following freshmen. She turned her patented death-glare-that-never-failed-to-terrify-her-students-into-submission on the freshman. He flinched but didn't back away. The fool. Her glare intensified and she grit her teeth, reminding herself that killing freshmen was illegal. She smirked inwardly when he paled. She had to give him points for bravery even if he was being stupid. “Girls aren't supposed to be in here—”

Kristen's glare narrowed dangerously. “Move.”

A few of the other guys stopped to watch the scene play out and she could hear the hissed advice for the freshman to surrender. For a brief moment, Kristen thought he'd remain where he was but his self-preservation instincts finally kicked in and he stepped to the side. Wise move. She glared at him one last time as she swept past, ignoring the confiding whisper of his friend. “Hell hath no fury...”

She stalked to the end of the hall and stopped before a closed door. Taking a deep breath, she threw open the door so hard it bounced and was forced to put out a hand to stop it or risk gaining a black eye and a nose bleed. The jerk had taken all her food money! “Eric!”

Anger vanished in an instant at the scene that unfolded before her eyes. The door bounced off the wall with a thud and her shout had just left her mouth when she noticed two things. One, Eric was most definitely not in the room and, two; a short, red-haired man was in the process of taking off his pants when she burst in. A startled sound escaped him and he lost his balance, feet getting twisted in the clothing. He landed with a pained grunt in an unclothed heap on the floor. Her eyes widened in shock before she shrieked and clamped a hand over her eyes, fumbling for the door and failing to find it. Retreat! Retreat! What was a naked man doing in Eric's room?!

A hand slapping over her mouth cut off her shriek suddenly and she was jerked into the room. The door slammed shut and she panicked. The naked man was holding her! She was forced to uncover her eyes to fight against him and—in a move she'd only seen in those old kung-fu movies that come on late at night when she should be sleeping—she was pinned to the floor with a panting man on top of her. Wide, violet eyes blinked down at her and, in her surprise, she stopped her struggles. While she would never admit defeat to anyone, she knew when she was beat. Besides, the guys in the kung-fu movies that refused to surrender usually died before the end... Don’t think about that. Long, red hair fell over a bare shoulder, the ends tickling her throat as he leaned over her. His knees pinned her arms to her sides and one of his hands supported her head while the other remained firmly over her mouth. How did he manage that? Her mind blanked, lost in the sensation of his body pressing down on her. He sighed, his voice soft in her ears. “If I let you go, will you scream?”

She blinked stupidly at him and he seemed to take her lack of reaction as reassurance enough. He released her, watching her warily as he straightened. As he moved she got an up-close-and-personal view of his body. Lean and muscular. Yummy. She blushed at her thoughts. Shame, Kristen! Bad! At least he’s wearing boxers… Are those puppies? He cleared his throat and Kristen's eyes shot back to his face, her blush darkening when she saw him watching her. She valiantly tried to hide her embarrassment by glaring. “Do you mind getting your naked self off of me?”

Eyebrows rose over those uniquely colored eyes. Was it bad if she was envious of his coloring? How come he had such perfect hair when she fought with hers every morning and it still sucked? His head tilted slightly as he gazed down at her. “I believe I'm still clothed.”

If she could have, she would've folded her arms. “Put some pants on at least. Besides, the complaint was to get off of me.”

A light pink blush spread across his cheeks and he immediately scrambled off of her. Kristen watched as he struggled to pull on the pants he'd just taken off before she shook herself, lowering her eyes to her lap. Her face heated again. She'd just spent the past few minutes ogling a strange man. She rose to her feet, straightening her own clothing to buy time to recompose herself. By the time she looked up again he'd pulled on a button-up shirt and was now watching her curiously. He smiled when he caught her eyes. “I believe you were quite mad when you entered, that you were. Was there a problem?”

She scowled at the reminder, starting toward the door. “Just tell that bird-brain that next time he steals my money I'll deck him.”

Kristen was looking forward to hiding out in her room for the next few days. Anything to get away from the extreme embarrassment she was experiencing at the moment. Now for the hasty retreat...


“Wait!”

She paused, turning to look back at him curiously. Didn't he want to get rid of her as well? “What?”

“You never told me your name?”

She stared at him a moment, taking in his hopeful smile before she responded. “Kristen.”

He grinned at her, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking on his heels. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Kristen. I'm Patrick.”

Her mouth went dry. He had practically purred her name. Is he actually flirting? She nodded once in acknowledgment and fled the room. Make the few days hiding in her room a whole week instead. If she ever saw him again, she'd die.

 

[Shabby]

Well... this is my entry! I've only worked on it for today (my other short story had more adult content and it felt inappropriate to post), so we'll see how it is received. It is part of a longer story.

The Clasp

A group of about a hundred people dressed in black cloaks were gathered together in a long, stone hallway listening to a speaker. They sat in long rows of wooden pews, fairly close to each other but seemed almost as if they were total strangers. Soft gothic music filled the room, echoing gently off the surrounding stone.

Nobody talked with each other, nobody smiled, and most importantly, every person was dressed identically. Small numbers stitched in red on the back of their collars, and the speaker’s red star on the chest of his robe were the only distinguishable mark between any of the individuals. The audience was completely obedient; onlookers were completely engaged in what the speaker was saying. All heads were angled perfectly towards the podium at the front, and every member was completely still. There was no tapping or fidgeting, all hands were neatly in their laps.

Each member of the Clasp wore two metal rings around each of their wrists, with a needle that punctured the skin and could send synaptic messages to their nervous system. Beneath the black silk of their hoods one could find an earpiece also attached to the left ear of every man and the right of every woman. This served two purposes: to relay messages quickly and covertly, and to distinguish between male and female. Every member of the Clasp had to shave their head, so this created an alternative to recognizing gender.

“It is important that this mission be done quickly, and with the utmost severity. We do not need another Backlash. The first one nearly caused us to lose control of this city. We must attack with strength!”

The Clasp proceeded to rap their knuckles against the pew in front of them, a sign of respect and adoration of the speaker.

A man in the fourth row nodded his head as he rapped his knuckles against the bench in front of him. His family had been killed in the last Backlash, and he had been forced into involuntary service into this brutish organization. Memories of this, of course, had long since been destroyed.

Often, the man felt a certain itch in his memory that seemed to be agonizing. Certain men and women had these moments where they felt they were forgetting something that they should have never forgotten, and it created what the Clasp call a “memory itch”.This man, Lucius Manlur, constantly racked his mind searching for the root of it.
Members of the clasp that had a memory itch were supposed to tell their Leader immediately, an itch could be fatal. Lucius felt otherwise. He felt that this itch was not deadly, and that it could even be benevolent if he discovered the memory.

It is important that we delve into Lucius’ memory, even if he has no personal recollection of the events. The course of our tale has a great deal of stock in how Lucius became a member of the Clasp.

It was a warm summer night in his village many years ago, and Lucius had come in from a long day of farm work nearly ready to retire for the night. His parents and his two older brothers had just sat down to dinner when they heard violent, punctuating screams coming from the surrounding houses.

The window in the room adjacent to the kitchen was smashed in with brutal force, and three men in black robes came piling through. Lucius’ father immediately got up from the table and started to head for his weaponry in the front hall. But as soon as he stood, he froze and grabbed his neck. A throwing knife had punctured his throat, and he fell to his knees as he gasped for air.

Lucius’ mother screamed in horror and fell to her husband as the two older brothers stormed after the intruders. The intruders never blinked or made any noise, but shot the two boys in the forehead with the silenced guns they had carried under their robes. Lucius, meanwhile, only a child of eight at the time had taken a hiding spot against the counter that lay between his family and the intruders.

The intruders strode past him calmly, not seeing young Lucius they walked to the father and the mother. His mother was sobbing and holding his father against her chest, clutching his shirt and whispering quietly to him although he had already passed. A shot was fired into the back of the woman’s skull, and her head dropped forward onto her husbands.

Lucius squealed at this, and the intruders whirled around to face him.
“I thought we were only supposed to kill four?” one of the Clasp spoke up.
“We were. Leader Aminav told us to bring the young boy back to train.”
The three surrounded Lucius who was too emotionally moved to try and fight back. They held up a rag filled with a chemical and he was knocked unconscious.

Lucius awoke in a daze, unable to recnognize his surroundings and unable to remember how he had arrived. He could only see about five feet in front of him clearly, as his vision was still recovering. The room was vibrantly bright, and he was strapped to a bed. His wrists were sore, and as he looked down at them he saw two fresh incisions where needles attached to metal rings were punctured into his arm. The rest of his body was in perfect condition.

“Hello Lucius” a voice came from behind his head, and a man walked past his bed to the front. The man was dressed in a black robe and a red star adorned the chest of his robe.
Lucius tried to speak, but his mouth was dry and he was so fragile that he could not utter a sound. Dizzying questions flew across his mind and he nearly passed out again from the commotion.
“Do not speak, child” the man’s deep voice was reassuring, “after you rest, we will speak of very important matters. Until then, regain your strength.”
The man put his hand on Lucius head and his dark eyes stared into Lucius’ own eyes. There was a certain charm in the man’s eyes, and Lucius felt a longing to impress this man.

 

[The Ascetic Crusader]

Is it too late to enter ? I can post a 50 blessing late entry penalty fee if the judges like.

 

[lmarie23]

i think it's too late for me to post, but i am anyways. -Lynne

a w a k e n i n g

7:15 7:15 7:15 7:15 7:15 -off
He sighed and opened his closet door, surveying coats clean and pressed, hanging in rows, pants folded neatly, shoes aligned.
He dressed promptly, ate, and left for work at 7:45 precisely, where he obediently continued his regular existence, acting as society dictated and wife commanded.
At exactly 12:00 he opened his lunch bag, studying his ham sandwich, lemon yogurt, and bag of pretzels – low fat and cholesterol free.
And something – something deep inside him could stand it no longer.

Mr. Jones closed the bag deliberately, his lips pressed tightly together, wadded it up, and tossed it in the can on the other side of the room.
A perfect shot. He smiled.
Then he opened the drawers of his filing cabinet and strew their contents over the floor exuberantly.
He spun around on his desk chair several times, opened all the windows, and turned on the radio, cranking it up to full volume. The sunlight was dazzling on the newly fallen snow, the frigid air fresh and exhilarating, and he couldn’t help singing along with the music, turned up so loud that the whole room trembled.
He was out of tune and his voice cracked, but he only laughed.

Still laughing, he grabbed his jacket and raced down the hall breathlessly, pausing but briefly at his boss’s door.
“Hey Sam! I’m off! I quit! Did you hear that? I quit!” Skipping and clicking his heels together in the air, he finally made his escape, but not before making a quick snow angel on the company lawn.

 

[NeoScribe]

I'm sorry I'm late! I forgot that April was only 30 days!

Here's my story.

Fire and Justice


By S.J. Arc​

To Isacar Black Arrow of Sennal-Tal
From Isacar Twin Blades of Sagashitte

Greetings, my old friend

As you may already know I am nearing my goal of living to my seven hundredth year. With the wisdom that comes with reaching such a length of life I can also no longer deny that I can feel my mortal demise is approaching. As such I have taken the time to recall the vow I took before I parted your company, that on the eve of my death I would fill in the gaps that plague your memoirs of the Great Wars. The time, I feel, has arrived and with this letter you will find all my recollections of that time. The notes are in order save for the first page, which I feel you would want to examine at once upon finding what its content was. It concerns the final fate of our beloved friend, comrade, and fellow Isacar; Auhsed, the Burning Soul of Drentec, as well as the ultimate fate of his killer. I took great pains to write this all down so it would be extraordinarily pleasing to me if I could obtain a copy of your finished work before I reach Heaven. May these chronicles aid you and may you be enlightened them.


Ianarius 21, 5360 EI
First Eclipse War
Unity, Barbury State

After only an hour within the Barbury capital city of Volcanar Tsune was convinced that hell was indeed a place of fire and lava where blood flowed freely and teeth gnashed and demons roared. Tsune had often tried to think of an earthly equivalent to the underworld and if hell was like the worst place on Gaea then his current location would have to be what hell was like.

Looming barely a mile behind the Barbury city, the volcano that was the city’s namesake belched lava and smoke shrouded the sky. Large molten stones shot from the mouth of the fiery mountain, raining destruction on the city. The flames of war lit the devastated capital in the night (or it could still be day, the smoke made it difficult to tell) and provided targets for enemy and allied swords.

Tsune was just now ducking to avoid such an enemy sword. With elf speed and reflexes he narrowly avoided having his head cut off by the Unity Imperial soldier, a human, and used his own sword to slice at the enemy directly below his armor. The man fell dead.

Tsune took a brief moment to pause and wipe the sweat off his brow. He wasn’t hot, the flames had no effect on his body so long as he kept the two sun stones around his neck, but he was getting tired. All day, he and the 600 other mercenaries hired to augment the Serrani forces sent to aid the Nationals for their attack on the Unity Empire had been fighting in Barbury, the satellite state bordering Unity itself. The Barbury themselves, Fire Kin renowned for their battle prowess, and the Unity troops sent to reinforce them had been ordered to keep the eastern forces at bay while the rest of the Empire fought off the pincer attack by the Six Nations and Zandwana Continent forces. Now Tsune could at least breathe a sigh of relief that victory was soon at hand.

The roof of the palace. Tsune frowned at the thought. Victory was actually still far away, for him at least. Victory would not come until justice had been served, until crimes were paid for. Victory would not come so long as one certain Barbury Fire Kin remained. Tsune’s face hardened and he joined the battle again with renewed vigor.

The battlefield that was the heart of the city appeared chaotic. Small groups of soldiers engaged in battle within houses, shops, and on the paved streets. The pride and joy of Barbury’s architectural advancement was falling to ruins. Most allied soldiers were elves like Tsune, others were human mercenaries, still more were the gray wolves called fenrir from the Six Nations kingdom of Thesis. They fought with swords, axes, spears, maces, fangs, claws, and magic against their foes. The enemy forces made of Unity troops of various races within the Empire and the Barbury themselves, that masters of flames and fire magic.

Tsune heard a scream and saw several Serrani soldiers fleeing back towards him. Directly behind them was a Unity Barricade Breaker, a creature of the kappa race mutated by Unity science and machinery. The creature was rolled into a ball of metal spikes and moved forward at high speeds by unknown propulsion. It overtook the running elves and drove itself into the nearest one, impaling him and driving the unfortunate soul into the pavement. The man was dead before he hit the ground. The Barricade Breaker uncurled itself and emerged as a hunched over techo-organic lizard creature, the spikes receding onto its back on metal plates like an armadillo shell, snarling and salivating as it ward off any would-be attackers with its metallic claws.

Tsune was not a would-be. Leaping forward he ran through the flames that stopped other soldiers and raised his long, curved sword. The former kappa spotted him and saw his determination. It rolled itself back into its spike ball form and began rolling forward. The two were on a collision course. At the last possible moment Tsune leaped to the right but not before taking a swipe at the side of the monster. His sword barely made a cut into the enemies reptilian skin but it did force the creature to stop and unroll itself to change course more easily. The moment the Barricade Breaker resumed its normal form however, Tsune charged forward and jammed his sword into the creature. To his surprise it didn’t die but began clawing its way up the blade, forcing Tsune to let go of his sword until the creature ran out of life and it fell face forward onto the street. Tsune looked around at his allies who stared at the monster slayer.

“Come on!” he bellowed at them, “True warriors don’t run away! Stand and fight these freaks!” Inspired, the remaining Serrani soldiers saluted (though Tsune wasn’t an officer) and dashed off in the same direction they came, now seeking battle instead of fleeing it.

Tsune went to the dead kappa creature to retrieve his weapon. A molten rock landed on the kappa and obliterated it and the street directly around it. Tsune lacked any words for the irony of the moment and instead took the weapon from the elf soldier the Barricade Breaker had overrun. This was his third blade this battle, he must be cursed.

The roof of the palace. There, we will do battle. Tsune ran to the large stone palace in the southernmost area of the city. He tried to avoid getting into any skirmishes with the enemy. At one point he was face to face with a Fire Kin. The Barbury man raised his sword confidently as Tsune rushed him, then he lowered it as raised his hand. Flames gushed out and the Barbury man looked on with a thin grin, waiting to see the elf in flames. He still had the grin as Tsune continued through the flames and cut him in two. The elf paused and spared a glance at the fallen man before taking his sword in his spare hand. With God’s sense of humor getting rather dry it was safer to carry two weapons. Tsune resumed his trek.

The roof of the palace. There, we will do battle. There, we will decide if your justice is carried out.

The elf could recall vividly, last night when his sworn foe had appeared just beyond the two army encampments, just as he suspected.

Only the glow of the sun stones reacting to their brother could indicate another being hidden in the shadows of the moonless light. Tsune had come prepared, his blade out and poised to strike. His enemy chuckled at the sight.

“Relax, I’m not here to kill you –”

“Coming from a known murderer that’s hardly a reason to let my guard down” Tsune had interrupted.

“That’s an odd thing to say coming from you.”

“What I do is different and you know it!” Tsune had snarled, “I kill on the battlefield, I kill soldiers about to kill me. I don’t kill innocents, I don’t kill people in their sleep – and I don’t kill my friends after I betray them.”

There was a prolonged silence after that. Hunter and hunted faced each other in darkness.

Finally, the hunter said, “I’m here to avenge our comrades. The ones you killed five years ago and the one you killed only recently. But before I met out justice I want an answer to the question that has plagued me – that plagued Auhsed – for all this time.”

“And what is that?” asked the hunted.

“Why?”

“The roof of the palace. There, we will do battle. There, we will decide if your justice is carried out. There, you will find out why.”

At last he came to the palace. The building was remarkably unscathed, though deserted, Serrani forces already having come through here. He was alone among the smoldering ruins of other buildings and facing the huge open doors that led into the white stone palace. He went in unhurriedly, taking the time to regain his strength as he found the staircase that led to the next story. It took some time but he finally made it to the roof.

And there was the enemy he had been waiting for. A battle staff in hand, long crimson hair blowing in the soft breeze that also pushed the smoke over the city, a long, wicked looking knife strapped to the side, four sun stones strapped to thin silver chains. Eyes that surveyed the devastation to the once fair city unflinchingly. This was the killer.

 

[NeoScribe]

Here's the rest of it. Once again, sorry!

“Karen of Barbury.”

Karen turned to Tsune and nodded to him. He was surprised by her appearance. She was still young, barely twenty if his memory served, but her eyes spoke of ages.

“You came.” She said.

Don’t go soft now! Tsune’s mind warned, she is still the enemy regardless of the past. She is a killer and you are the judge.

“I’m here to fulfill my duty, Karen.” Tsune replied. “Lets make this quick. First you’re going to tell me –”

“You think it’s going to be that easy?” Karen scoffed, “Grow a head, I’m not telling you anything. Not yet anyway.” She smiled thinly at Tsune’s anger. “You want answers? You’re going to have to beat the out of me.”

With that said she pulled the sun stones off her neck and cast them to the ground. “This is just going to be you and me, no magical artifacts, just us and whatever we hold.”

Tsune likewise pulled his single stone and tossed it on the floor. Immediately he felt heat assault him and perspiration once again flooded from his brow. He wondered if that had been Karen’s intention – 600 years of fighting experience was useless if the heat kept him from concentrating.

“Did you do this with Auhsed?” he shouted to her. Karen looked down and that was all the answer the elf needed, “You didn’t, did you? First you betray us, kill us, run away, and when a seeker of justice challenges you to honorable combat you use a cheap magic item stolen from those you betrayed to save yourself.”

You know what Tsune?” Karen finally butted in. She raised her staff in front of her, the crescent moon figurehead pointing towards him. “You talk too much.”

A jet of flames burst from the staff and Tsune ducked to avoid being burned alive. Without his stone he was as defenseless against fire as the next person. And Karen was the master of her people’s fire arts. Another line of fire tried to hit him, and Tsune barely had time to roll (nearly cutting himself on his own weapons) out of the way before he discovered to his horror that the fire was following him. Leaping to his feet, Tsune sprinted away from the flames while at the same time trying to get closer to Karen. The girl realized this, and kept moving way and chasing him with fire.

Tsune knew he was not going to live if they continued this way. He couldn’t reach her and he could feel his energy being sapped by the extreme closeness of her flames.

“So this is the justice you were boasting about?” the girl taunted, “This was what I had to fear all this time? You’re just as weak as Auhsed.”

“I take it you were this afraid when you fought Auhsed? When you killed him when you knew he had no chance of killing you?” Tsune shouted back.

Karen’s eyes narrowed and Tsune knew he had stuck something. He decided to press fate.

“You had four stones, Karen. One’s yours, the other two are Docs’ and Eona’s, and the last one is Auhsed’s isn’t it? When you fought him, did you take yours off – I know he would have. Is that why you defeated him?”

The spear of fire shooting from Karen’s staff dissipated. Tsune froze and waited as the Fire Kin girl struggled to answer. Inwardly he grinned slightly. Even after all this time there’s still a bit of the Karen I knew. Insult her honor and she’ll withdraw to armor her pride before continuing a fight.

Such a prideful habit was a weakness in battle, a weakness Tsune immediately exploited. Elf strength and speed working over-time, he charged at his enemy, shouting out and swords raised high. Karen reacted almost immediately, she staff raised for another burst of fire – then yelped and darted out of the way as one of Tsune’s swords flew through the heated air and nearly hit her skull.

Tsune had doubted that the blade would actually hit its target, but the main goal had not been to strike Karen, but to distract her. Tsune was now four feet from his enemy.

Quickly snatching his second sword from the ground, the elf threw himself at Karen. His first sword crashed into her staff, inches above the girls head. Karen buckled under the force of Tsune’s strike and he took the opportunity to try a strike with his other blade at her heart. But Karen crouched and leaped back before he could make the blow.

She scrambled back, he scrambled forward. She went right, he followed. She went left, all the while he stepped closer. Now the heat that was normally Karen’s ally was affecting her as well, her flames powers taking longer to summon up and wasting more time than she could spare.

“Do you remember,” Tsune said between charges and dodging flames, “Five years ago, when we were all together? Weren’t those the good days?” Karen’s brow furrowed and her next line of fire came quicker and lasted longer. Tsune could feel his armor heating up as the flames finally reached him. He cringed but knew that talking would antagonize her and make her expend more energy.

“Five years ago, we were all part of the Special Forces, the task unit made up of all the allied kingdoms to ensure peace within the Combine Nations of the Sun. We were the elite soldier. And you were the youngest of all of us.”

Tsune swung his sword and missed again.

“”You were fourteen, or was it fifteen? I lose track. But I recall an eager young girl, fresh from training, ready to serve her country at a moments notice. That enthusiasm got you your position at such a young age. Auhsed laughed at you when we found out you were our new teammate, we all did now that I think of it.”

Karen was close. Rather than use her fire powers, she opted to take a swipe at his head with her staff. He blocked it with his left sword.

“We eventually warmed up to you though. You became the heart of our team, our little light to shine the way. Any dangerous mission or life threatening task, you were there to keep everyone spirits up, to ensure that we never lost sight of what was important. You made turned us from a team of soldiers into brothers in arms.”

Karen made a swiping motion with her arm, and Tsune sprung into the air as a small wave of fire swept over the rooftop. His legs buckled when he landed back on the ground and the elf realized just how worn out he really was. Looking in front of him he saw Karen was also panting and leaning more heavily on her staff than normal.

“Then that night, when a madman from Barbury stole the sun stones from each nation. We were sent to get them back. He had friends too, people devoted to him as we were to each other. We were outnumbered and surrounded; there was no hope of escape.” Tsune was wheezing now, it was getting hard to breathe with all the smoke, “But we fought on, even when Docs was critically injured and Auhsed was knocked out we fought on. And we made it out alive, with only five stones to show for it, but we were alive.”

Tsune took a moment to reflect on that glorious moment. When he and his friends made it through the trap set by the crazed Fire Kin.

“But then that night, when we asleep and stupidly aloud you to stand guard, it all went wrong. I awoke to the sound of a fight, and I saw you trying to burn Auhsed! One hand held flames and the other was reaching for the stone around his neck. Wasn’t it you idea to keep the stones separated – one for each comrade to guard? Did that make it easier to pick us all off? One by one?”

Tsune had stopped fighting but was completely shouting, his lungs screamed in protest but he didn’t care.

“When it was all said and done you had disappeared with three stones! And Docs and Eona had been murdered in their sleep! So before one of us dies I would still like to know why?”

 

[NeoScribe]

And the last section:


A molten rock struck the side of the palace, the structure shook and Tsune almost loss his balance. Karen glared at him, then switched her gaze to the volcano. Her entire body was heaving with every lungful of air.

“I did it because of this.” She said softly. Even with keen elf ears Tsune could barely pick up her words.

“What do you mean?” he demanded.

The red haired girl looked to him again, “I did it because I was ordered to.”

Tsune stared at her.

“Barbury had always been the weakest in the Alliance, always pushed to the other kingdoms’ wills. Even when we went to war we never saw the kind of support the others got. So when it came time to rise up on our own we took it.” Her words were proud despite what she was admitting, “All Barbury Special Forces operatives knew that at some point we would break from the Alliance and when the madman stole the stones we knew it was time. Before we left on our mission I was given additional orders; to retrieve the stones and take them all back to Barbury.

“Even if that meant killing your fellow soldiers who’s orders ran counter to that.” Tsune finished.

“Exactly, If I was to make a clean getaway you all had to die. Of course, it didn’t turn out that way but we got what we wanted. Barbury was free to pursue her own interest.”

Karen met Tsune eye to eye. “I did it to ensure my country’s position in this world.”

Tsune exploded. “Are you possessed? When did this start making any sense to you?” he waved his right sword over the ruins below them, where armies still fought and the city still crumbled. “Does this look like a secure position? Is this what you murdered our friends for? You hopped off one train and got on another. Barbury didn’t become independent – it switched masters from the Alliance to Unity! How is that any better?”

“It isn’t!” Karen sobbed, shocking Tsune when tears actually sprung from her eyes, “Don’t you think I know that? I tried to serve my country, I tried to do the right thing. But Even I could see that Unity was taking over. But what could I do? We were faring worse under the Alliance and the people needed new hope. They needed to have their faith in the kingdom restored! I took the chance and killed the others hoping that Barbury would be able to rise onto its feet and become just as powerful as the other kingdoms!”

“But it didn’t work out that way, did it?” Tsune said, his tone as dry as the air.

Karen just shook her head, “Unity began influencing the kingdom more and more. I though with our newfound freedom we would have the strength to resist such control. I tried to make it known that we were our own people, not a puppet state for the Empire. But before I knew it everything I had worked for was gone! Our freedom, our fighting force, our pride, gone! We gambled, I took lives of comrades, all for nothing.”

“Yet you continue to fight for them. You don’t try to overthrow the shackles of Unity’s oppression.” Tsune observed.

Karen laughed hollowly, “It’s too late for that. All I can do is serve my kingdom and wait until Unity gets weak. Then we can rise again… This time as our own power!” The tears in her eyes were gone. “So you see, you guys are still the enemy. And an enemy of the kingdom is an enemy of mine!”

Gripping her staff with both hands, Karen let loose a wall of fire, thundering down onto Tsune. The elf ran back, until the wall dissipated and Karen came from behind it. Tsune roared and charged her again. Weak from her last attack Karen only raised her staff as a ward. Tsune brought his first sword done, then brought the other one up, swinging at the staff from underneath and knocking it clean out of Karen’s hands.

Karen staggered back, then regained her stance and formed fists. Her hands set themselves on fire. Karen hurled the flames on her fist at Tsune, but he blocked them with the flat of his swords.

Fire and steel fought like this for a long time. Tsune raised his swords to defend against another hail of fire – only to find Karen up in his face and throwing a fiery punch at his face. He deftly avoided it and swung his swords at her. She also avoided injury and made another attempt at his body.

He didn’t even realize when his sword finally made contact. Didn’t realize when the blade sunk into Karen’s chest. He only realized that the Fire Kin had stopped trying to kill him and was staring downwards. Following her eyes her looked down and saw that his sword had gone right through her body and out the other end. Blood seeped onto the blade. Tsune stared wide-eyed as Karen managed to pull her gaze away from the wound and look him in the face. She seemed on the verge of saying something but blood spilled from her mouth instead of words. She collapsed on the ground.

Tsune stared at her body. That of a young girl who had killed for her cause and died for her cause. He noticed he had stopped breathing and took in a lungful of bad air.

Tsune turned to head back into the battle below. Karen was dead. Auhsed’s death had been avenged. Justice had been served.

 

[NeoScribe]

So, while we're waiting, do you guys wanna talk about each others stories? I'd say more but a gotta go.