Zebra Wizard
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2015
- Messages
- 164
As I near finishing my first draft I'm still wrestling with my opening pages. So here is what I have right now, I snipped the first 1000ish words so it ends abruptly. Have at it.
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Part One
Before his execution, my father called me a monster. Not in a spiteful way, at least not the way I remembered it, but as a matter of fact with an undertone of pity. Now that I think about it, he was a bit of a ****, but I still loved him. I remember the look of resignation when he shoved the babe into my hands along with his book of writings and just told me to run and hide. It wasn’t very specific but I was a bright kid. I knew where the best place to hide, I was just too naïve to know how hard it would be.
That was ten years ago and still his damned writings haunted me. I was in my basement checking the results of another failed experiment from the previous night, my quill casting long shadows from the single shard within the lantern, along with the cold damp, it gave the illusion it was still night.
I stretched and yawned, wondering what I was doing with my life as my probing hands searched to find a small wooden box under scattered papers, clustered somewhere among the vials and mixtures that bubbled away under small heaters. I grabbed a handful of the red crystals from the box and tossed them into the brazier nearby, the red crystals sparked to life as they made contact with its copper interior. Heat waves began to rise, clean and smokeless.
“Feel better now, fella?” I said, turning my attention to the only occupied cage. I picked up the fire poker resting on the side of the brazier and rattled against the flat iron bars. The curled up figure did not respond. I peered closer to assess the patches of discoloured skin covering his arms. “You’ll get better... Soon. Maybe.”
“He looks dead” A voice came from behind.
I startled in surprise and whirled on my sister. “sh*t! Can you stop sneaking around like that.” I swatted at her with the fire poker.
Aki giggled as she darted away, delighting in her small triumph. She tilted her head and leaned in closer to inspect the cage man. “Darjl says you should always be alert, or someone will come and make you dead.” She snatched the fire poker from my hand with little resistance and began prodding the caged man with childish glee, her short hair and clothes made her look like a poor beggar boy.
“Darjl is right. Probably should attach a bell to the hatch.” I admitted, peering at the glint of jewel on her earlobe. “What’s that on your ear?”
She shrugged.
I grabbed the back of her neck with one hand, her squirming ceasing as my grip tightened. “Aki, are you trying to get yourself killed?!” I said, releasing my grip. “After all I’ve done, why do you act so reckless?”
“But I’m a girl. I don’t wanna look like this,” she argued, covering her ears protectively. “I’m tired of being Scull.”
I took her wrist roughly and lowered them, tapping our matching brand the back of her hand. “This is what we are. It can’t be changed. Even with dirt in your face and that hair, you’re still too pretty to be here.” I squeezed her wrist gently “You understand? I can’t let them take you.”
“It’s not fair!” She spat out angrily.
“Now tell me who gave these to you.”
“I found them!”
My eyes narrowed. “Aki…”
“Okay okay!” Her angry expression dropping like a mask. “Can I keep them? I won’t wear them again I promise.” She pleaded.
“Aki!” I snapped impatiently.
Finally admitting defeat, her voice came out in a whisper, “It was Sim. He gave it to me. It’s not his fault I swear.”
“One of the Butcher’s boys?” I said, rubbing my chin in thought. “I’m going to have to have a word with the little sh*t. Now put them away and never wear them in public. I thought you were smarter than this.” The last thing I needed was to worry about horny pubescent boys pining over my little sister.
“I’m sorry Korv. Please, don’t hurt him. He was only trying to be nice,” She said solemnly, returning to harass the caged man as if the recent exchange never happened. It didn’t take long before the caged man buckled under the relentless onslaught and moaned in annoyance. Aki jumped back with a victorious yelp.
Heavy footsteps sounded above before Darjl opened the basement hatch. He was no longer the dark skinned runt when we first met, instead broad and muscled, wearing a simple brown worker’s jerkin over a linen shirt, matching britches and a solid pair of boots. Even if you caught Darjl wearing pauper’s garb, he would still be wearing a good pair of shoes. Looking poor is one thing, but the difference between looking poor and feeling poor were some good soles under your feet.
“Korv! You coming or what?” he called out, stopping half way down the stairs. “Josef’s waiting out back.”
“What?! When did… sh*t.” I scrambled for some pliers and began removing the glowing aether crystals sitting on their small bronze platforms under each bubbling flask, dropping them into a nearby stone bowl. “Aki! Why…” When I turned around she was nowhere to be seen. With all the crystals now sitting in the bowl inert, I scrambled up the stairs to join Darjl.
“He ain’t happy bout waiting.”
“Of course he isn’t.” I grumbled.
When entering an apothecary the first thing that hits you is the scent. The plants, roots and foul smelling poultices all mixed into one heavy indistinguishable aroma, this was my trade and what I was born to do. There was little I knew that Aki could not grasp either, mastering most of what I could teach in an enviously short amount of time. In the eyes of the Kin, this place was a sh*t hole, but I couldn’t help being proud of what I had accomplished.
Aki was already by Teressa’s side at the store front, a frail old woman with a face of a cabbage. We owed much of our early years in the ghetto to her kindness and as dim-witted and irritating she could be, I always paid back in full. It was already getting busy, the perks of being the only Scull apothecary.
-----
Part One
Before his execution, my father called me a monster. Not in a spiteful way, at least not the way I remembered it, but as a matter of fact with an undertone of pity. Now that I think about it, he was a bit of a ****, but I still loved him. I remember the look of resignation when he shoved the babe into my hands along with his book of writings and just told me to run and hide. It wasn’t very specific but I was a bright kid. I knew where the best place to hide, I was just too naïve to know how hard it would be.
That was ten years ago and still his damned writings haunted me. I was in my basement checking the results of another failed experiment from the previous night, my quill casting long shadows from the single shard within the lantern, along with the cold damp, it gave the illusion it was still night.
I stretched and yawned, wondering what I was doing with my life as my probing hands searched to find a small wooden box under scattered papers, clustered somewhere among the vials and mixtures that bubbled away under small heaters. I grabbed a handful of the red crystals from the box and tossed them into the brazier nearby, the red crystals sparked to life as they made contact with its copper interior. Heat waves began to rise, clean and smokeless.
“Feel better now, fella?” I said, turning my attention to the only occupied cage. I picked up the fire poker resting on the side of the brazier and rattled against the flat iron bars. The curled up figure did not respond. I peered closer to assess the patches of discoloured skin covering his arms. “You’ll get better... Soon. Maybe.”
“He looks dead” A voice came from behind.
I startled in surprise and whirled on my sister. “sh*t! Can you stop sneaking around like that.” I swatted at her with the fire poker.
Aki giggled as she darted away, delighting in her small triumph. She tilted her head and leaned in closer to inspect the cage man. “Darjl says you should always be alert, or someone will come and make you dead.” She snatched the fire poker from my hand with little resistance and began prodding the caged man with childish glee, her short hair and clothes made her look like a poor beggar boy.
“Darjl is right. Probably should attach a bell to the hatch.” I admitted, peering at the glint of jewel on her earlobe. “What’s that on your ear?”
She shrugged.
I grabbed the back of her neck with one hand, her squirming ceasing as my grip tightened. “Aki, are you trying to get yourself killed?!” I said, releasing my grip. “After all I’ve done, why do you act so reckless?”
“But I’m a girl. I don’t wanna look like this,” she argued, covering her ears protectively. “I’m tired of being Scull.”
I took her wrist roughly and lowered them, tapping our matching brand the back of her hand. “This is what we are. It can’t be changed. Even with dirt in your face and that hair, you’re still too pretty to be here.” I squeezed her wrist gently “You understand? I can’t let them take you.”
“It’s not fair!” She spat out angrily.
“Now tell me who gave these to you.”
“I found them!”
My eyes narrowed. “Aki…”
“Okay okay!” Her angry expression dropping like a mask. “Can I keep them? I won’t wear them again I promise.” She pleaded.
“Aki!” I snapped impatiently.
Finally admitting defeat, her voice came out in a whisper, “It was Sim. He gave it to me. It’s not his fault I swear.”
“One of the Butcher’s boys?” I said, rubbing my chin in thought. “I’m going to have to have a word with the little sh*t. Now put them away and never wear them in public. I thought you were smarter than this.” The last thing I needed was to worry about horny pubescent boys pining over my little sister.
“I’m sorry Korv. Please, don’t hurt him. He was only trying to be nice,” She said solemnly, returning to harass the caged man as if the recent exchange never happened. It didn’t take long before the caged man buckled under the relentless onslaught and moaned in annoyance. Aki jumped back with a victorious yelp.
Heavy footsteps sounded above before Darjl opened the basement hatch. He was no longer the dark skinned runt when we first met, instead broad and muscled, wearing a simple brown worker’s jerkin over a linen shirt, matching britches and a solid pair of boots. Even if you caught Darjl wearing pauper’s garb, he would still be wearing a good pair of shoes. Looking poor is one thing, but the difference between looking poor and feeling poor were some good soles under your feet.
“Korv! You coming or what?” he called out, stopping half way down the stairs. “Josef’s waiting out back.”
“What?! When did… sh*t.” I scrambled for some pliers and began removing the glowing aether crystals sitting on their small bronze platforms under each bubbling flask, dropping them into a nearby stone bowl. “Aki! Why…” When I turned around she was nowhere to be seen. With all the crystals now sitting in the bowl inert, I scrambled up the stairs to join Darjl.
“He ain’t happy bout waiting.”
“Of course he isn’t.” I grumbled.
When entering an apothecary the first thing that hits you is the scent. The plants, roots and foul smelling poultices all mixed into one heavy indistinguishable aroma, this was my trade and what I was born to do. There was little I knew that Aki could not grasp either, mastering most of what I could teach in an enviously short amount of time. In the eyes of the Kin, this place was a sh*t hole, but I couldn’t help being proud of what I had accomplished.
Aki was already by Teressa’s side at the store front, a frail old woman with a face of a cabbage. We owed much of our early years in the ghetto to her kindness and as dim-witted and irritating she could be, I always paid back in full. It was already getting busy, the perks of being the only Scull apothecary.
