100 Word Anonymous Writing Challenge #12 (March '16)

[ratsy]

**PLEASE DO NOT POST STORIES DIRECTLY TO THIS THREAD**​

100-Word Anonymous Writing Challenge for March 2016.​

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The Writing

Theme: Gold
Genre: Fantasy
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**PLEASE DO NOT POST STORIES DIRECTLY TO THIS THREAD**​

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Please PM (Private Message) all entries to @farntfar who will then post the entries into this thread. Entries can be sent from March 9th - March 28th 12:00PM GMT. (to avoid voting conflicts with the 75 word challenge)

Once the challenge thread closes, a voting poll will be created where you can vote for your ONE favorite entry.

There will also be a guessing portion where you can try to match the Anonymous stories with their creators!

 

[farntfar]

New Strange Bedfellows


King Midas had gotten his wish. Everything he touched turn to gold. Yet he still grieved for his lost daughter.

A sudden flash of light brought him upright in bed.

A fat gentleman wearing strange clothing, examined him.

“Catch this,” he said, tossing him an apple. Naturally the apple immediately turned into pure gold.

“So, the old story is true.” He smiled.

Midas could barely understand his accent.

“Assassin! Do you expect me to die?”

“No Midas, I expect you to live. Now, come with me,” he ordered.

“Where to?”

“The future.”

“Who are you?”

The stranger chuckled. “Auric Goldfinger.”

 

[farntfar]

Alchemy

Magister Vicenzo bowed and offered Duke Ludovico a vellum scroll.

“This is the secret? A single word?” Ludovico held out his dagger. “If you have failed me your life is forfeit.”

Vicenzo pronounced the word written on the scroll. In an instant the blade shimmered into pure gold.

“Excellent.” Ludovico wore a wolf’s smile. “With this power I can rule Christendom.”

Vicenzo spoke the word again.

The Duke blinked. “I must sell all I have and give it to the poor.” He left Vicenzo’s chamber in a daze.

The word was as effective on the heart as on base metal.

 

[farntfar]

The Color of Gold is Green


Greggor fell as Shauna screamed.

Aaron ran down from the wheel, sword drawn to face the pirate who’d suddenly appeared out of thin air, but stopped short as the pirate faced him.

“Now, I gots a map,” the pirate declared, patting his belly, “to a hoard a gold enough ta make us all rich!”

Aaron lunged, striking the surprised pirate in the chest; he fell. Aaron ripped away the pirate’s shirt, ripped the map off his chest.

A blade suddenly protruded from Aaron’s belly. He fell.

Shauna let the body fall, reached down and took the teleporting stone and map.

 

[farntfar]

The Darkest Magick

“They’re beautiful,” Berinth whispered, staring at them. They glittered.

“Are they?” Melchior said vaguely. “Did you know the Temple of Gerona’s roof contains almost twelve tons of lead in the flashing alone? The masons there are fantastically talented. One can commission almost anything.”

She nodded. He was rambling again.

“The men of the north cover their houses with idols. Excellent ship builders though.”

“Ship builders?” Berinth frowned. “Hey, wasn’t the king of Celanor building a warfleet?”

“Yes, yes he was.”

Berinth couldn’t tear her eyes from the ingots. “What dark sorcery turned all that lead into this?”

Melchior smiled.

“Economancy.”

 

[farntfar]

Silver Unicorn & Golden Karma

"My, my. You girls look so cute in your Girl Scout uniforms."

(many grins) "Cookies, Mr Unicorn?"

"I'll trade you, this, golden egg, for all your boxes and money."

"Gosh. I don't know", said Betty Bunny.

"It's worth $40,000."

(many big eyes) "Ok", said Heather Fox

"Here you go sweety."

"Oops." (splat)

"Hey!!! You said that was gold", sneered Bambi Doe.

"Umm...no refunds."

"Get him!!!", shouted Cattrina.

(KICK CRUNCH BAM POW SMACK)

#

"That's him!!!"

"Officer Grizzly. Wait!!!"

(WHACK PUMMEL)

#

"...and that's what happened nurse."

"Cheating little girls, eh?"

"Nurse. Wait!!! Not the needle! Get the air bubble out!!!"

 

[farntfar]

True value:

The gold medal for the hundred meters sprint went to the Dregola the elf, to thunderous cheers. The human, Heimbard, took the silver to polite applause. Then it was my turn: Bronze.

To dead silence.
I held my tears back. Someone shouted: "Not bad for a shortarse goblin!"
"Bigots!" Dregola's voice cracked like a gunshot. “He has but half the stride, and still beat eight others!”
Two shadows fell over me, and their medals landed on my chest with twin thumps. Heimbard and Dregola raised their fists in a wordless salute.
My tears flowed.

 

[farntfar]

Read Between the Lines

The air was musty and thick as Grell squeezed his way down the crumbling, dirt passageway. He looked back expecting to see Knat, but she was dead, killed by a goblin. He was alone now, torch flickering softly as he approached the end of the hall.

In mountains peaked for two, through rivers thick enough to chew, will you find encased in stone, enough gold to make a throne.

Stepping inside he felt the many moons of the journey on his shoulders.

“Bow to me!” a crowned crone yelled, her golden hair cascading down her back.

And he bowed.

 

[farntfar]

Just what it says on the tin.

So this is the famous stone?
Tell me! Details!


Yes master its the original. But....

TELL ME!

I climbed the mount of pain and fought the dragon and I.....


You found the Magician and demanded the stone?


Yes master. The mark 1. Some kid called Harry has the Mark 2. But you need to know....


Silence! How does it work?


Well you just say “transform”in a big commanding voice. But you really need ....


TRANSFORM!


Everything gold in the room turned to tin.


I’ve been trying to tell you. He said, ”Try to be Philosophical about it.”

 

[farntfar]

Useless Stuff

You can't eat it, it's too soft for weapons or tools, and you can't fornicate with it, either, although I'm certain people have tried. Advantages? It doesn't tarnish, and can be hammered very thin, or drawn into fine wire. False teeth, as it's easily moulded, but the rest is ornamentation. Useless as flashing on a roof; too often stolen. Why anybody would go to such lengths to collect it is beyond me.

But collect it they did, and it's good and heavy, so I use it for boat ballast and weights to hold down the bottoms of the nets.

 

[farntfar]

The Last Quest Of Sir Anselm The Younger, Knight.

Profuse apologies, but I'm going to have to kill you. It's a deterrent. I can't have everyone and his brother coming up here.

Oh. I see. I'm sorry about your brother. Bitten in half, you say? And your father... burned to death. A family business. How tragic. Are you here for revenge, or simple theft?

A bit of both? Stab me up for Daddy and big brother, and sneak off with my stuff? Ah.

Do you want to see it before...? Oh, good.

There. Isn't it shiny and pretty?

Time to go, I'm afraid. Now... the flame, or the bite?

 

[farntfar]

Blind Greed

Alania opened the satchel and gasped. A set of Aknurian eyes looked at her from the amber jar they were preserved in.

“How—?”

“Found him in Reiverta’s back alleys. He put up a fight, but I’m quite the swordsman.” Vari winked.

“You’re not,” Alania said, unimpressed.

“Fine, the man was begging and I gave him poisoned bread. Happy?”

Alania studied the eyeballs. “Irises are still golden, which means—“

“Had to gouge them out myself while the ******* was still alive. Grisly business, but well-paid. Master Magus Oleandis has deep pockets for this sort of thing.”

 

[farntfar]

Climbing Olympus

My legs are burning.

They’ve been burning for the last 30 miles. Screaming at me to stop or slow down or give them some scant seconds of respite. But gold medals aren’t won on rested legs.

My heart is pounding, in my chest and in my temples.

I can taste the coppery bitterness of my effort at the back of my throat.

I pass under the flamme rouge.

A left turn. Another left. A rise.

I glance behind me. Fifty metres, maybe sixty

I rise out of the saddle, invoke del Ghisallo, and my patron gives me wings.

 

[farntfar]

The Prospector

The old man stumbled into our campsite, dirty, smelly, in rags. I thought he was drunk.

"Have you seen my gold? A handful of nuggets this size." He formed a small circle with thumb and forefinger.

My wife and children huddled close to the tent.

I stepped forward. "No. Where'd you last see it?"

He pointed right. "By Sutter's Creek."

I nodded. "We'll keep a lookout."

He tipped a dusty hat. "Thank you, sir. Watch out for outlaws. They're everywhere,"

He staggered away. I gasped. A knife stood out from his back. He was caked with dried blood.

"Godspeed."

 

[farntfar]

-The Gilded Warrior-

Brukk was tired, bleeding, but with enough left in him, he thought. He had defeated every champion in the region.

The last warrior entered; A man and steed with gilded armor. Brukk pounded his mace on his buckler, "Come on then!". The warrior unmounted his steed, staring at Brukk as he did. "It's been long since I looked at you last...brother."
Brukk's heart sank. He could hardly utter the word, "Torun?"

Torun smiled as he lifted his brightly gilded helm to give his brother a glimpse of his face, "I'm alive, I'm afraid you won't be shortly".

Torun charged.

 

[farntfar]

Melting Point

I hate working at my mother's jewellery store. I wanna be a sorcerer.

I've planned to put her out of business, by casting an enchantment on all the gold.


I stand on our backyard, knowing that at this approximate moment, gold chains, earings and bracelets are becoming so hot they're melting, scorching our customers. I'm patting soil on top of my magic books, hiding all evidence.

I hear squeals from my mother's room. She must be wearing some of the enchanted gold. Good! I hope the it melts down to her heart, I hope it kills her.

 

[farntfar]

Crown Of The Heavens

The King demanded the mage Helsathar produce him a crown that shone in the day as the stars at night.

Helsathar reached to the heavens and with a motion of his hand, pulled a star from the sky. It came crashing to the ground; the mage caught a fragment as the star fell. He forged the shard into a crown.

As he presented it to the king he spoke a warning.

“I have brought the light of stars, gold to the land, all men shall desire it, and they shall fight and kill for it. Wear it at great risk”

 

[farntfar]

Insight

I once saw an ‘X-ray’ in a museum of ancient, long-forgotten technologies...some arcane physical law allowed the viewing of a woman’s skeleton, that hidden scaffolding (darkish areas were organs, though the likeness was too puritanical to reveal her...personal treasures).
I smiled in recognition – I see exactly this when concentrating my unusual sight on people. Neither clothing nor flesh encumbers my covetous scrutiny – their riches glow like burning magnesium against their chalky bones.

A fine Lady passes on the cobbled street. I see her personal treasure – a gold-heavy purse, secreted at the waist. After a moment, I follow her.

 

[farntfar]

Beneath The Mines of Darmiir

Tal pushed himself from the rubble drawing his daggers. Blood thudded in his ears. His heart a drum of fear and glory.

The Wulf-Drakai glared, Obsidian eyes searching the cellar of his soul. Tal tensed, trying to steady his hand.

The Elders never lied, this beasts heart is a priceless jewel.

Tal charged, flinging himself beneath fang and claw. His daggers split it's chest and with a great howl, it fell. Black blood bloomed into the mines gloom.

The heart was no jewel or gold, only flesh. A thousand year's it had beat but no more.

Priceless.

 

[farntfar]

All that glitters

The river sparkles with solid gold.

Straightening my fedora, I stare across the wide expanse. It is near here, I’m told, a miracle has begun. It will change our lives. Our children will grow without malnutrition. We will have enough food.

I walk along the river’s edge. Will I find the evidence? Is it even true?

I have to believe it’s so! For six years our towns have suffered, ever since the curse was thrown upon the life source. Somewhere, out there, the golden river has turned back into water. And I will find it. I have to.