The Big Peat
Darth Buddha
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2016
- Messages
- 3,760
Hey critty party peoples
This is the first scene of a short story I had planned. Holidays interrupted, I lost steam, I noticed it was longer than I'd meant it to be... so I decided to post it up here, see if it worked, maybe reinvigorate my enthusiasm.
Yes, I know I should be doing my editing rather than more new pieces. But there we go.
Its 1.5k on the nose (slightly rushed the scene ending to make it fit). Thank you all in advance!
edit: P.s. AHA! People, if you paste as plain text, it keeps your formatting (I think...). JOYOUS DAY!
---
Hirano ran. He ran past looming menacing shadows, through rain and branches that whipped back in his face, over the slick leaf mould. He ran as hard as he could, each stride hurting his knees and making his chest shudder. He ran from the soldiers behind him, from the slaughter they’d made and were now planning to finish.
But most of all he ran. Hirano had been the champion of his village before getting conscripted. He knew running was about focus. Nothing mattered but running and everything else should be ignored. Even so, he couldn’t help but note he’d never won a race wearing full armour before, blood sticky against his skin. And that he could hear horses.
He tripped over a tree root, mind and muscles alike betraying him. He caught himself on the trunk, winced, and straightened. He had to start running again. His hand was trembling. Where was he running? Everything was trembling. There! He could see a light off to his left.
Hirano started running again but settled for a fast stumble. His muscles were screaming at him. The light was a hundred yards away. He had to stay strong. There was a cramp starting in his left calf. The thunder of hooves. Fifty yards. He picked his knees up higher, focused entirely on every step and every pain. Twenty.
And then time stopped.
He kept moving, not quite believing it. But the hoof beats had stopped. There was a bird hung motionless above him. Raindrops suspended in mid-air. Time had somehow stopped and Hirano crashed to the floor, panting hard. He turned to see his pursuers, frozen in mid-gallop with swords upraised mere yards behind him, outlined as if light had been shone through quartz.
Hirano slowly sat up, trying to breathe slower. Trying to make sense of the world. This morning he’d been a soldier in the army of Grand Duke Misumo. He’d marched to battle with his comrades, with a spear, a long coat of padded cloth, and a full belly. He’d thrown up all that food back on the battlefield and left the spear there too. As for the cloth armour, it was soaked and cut in a dozen places. Hirano felt at the cuts, cringing when he felt dried blood on his shoulder and ribs. At least they hadn’t wounded his legs. At least he’d be able to escape. Even if it was just into this sorcerer’s trap.
“Hello?” he called out.
The air rang in reply. “Well, hello to you too.”
Hirano covered his ears with a yelp. His head whipped round one way then another but no one was there. This truly was a bad place. As bad as the battlefield though? He glanced at the frozen riders and shivered.
“Who’s there?”
“I might well ask you the same question. This is my home after all, and I really can’t recall inviting you.”
He clutched hold of his trousers this time. There was no excuse for not showing a brave face. Not even to a sorcerer. He forced himself to his feet, limbs still trembling, and bowed.
“I am Hirano, formerly of the Grand Duke’s army, before that of Tishun village. I apologise for disturbing you, friend sorcerer. I saw your light and ran towards it because I was desperate.”
“I’d already gathered that last detail, thank you.” There was a peevish quality to the voice that reminded Hirano of the village tutor. “But you are quite forgiven, friend Hirano. I suggest you close your eyes.”
Hirano opened his mouth to question why then thought better of it. He shut everything as tight as he could. Even so he could see the flash of violet light through his eyelids. Someone whimpered. No. He had whimpered. Tears forced their way out and suddenly he remembered Kashi falling, hands failing to stop blood spurting from his neck. Remembered Grandfather’s howls and painful panting when his liver failed him. Remembered the spear that cut his ribs, the one he’d been sure would end his life.
Every moment of pain. Every moment of violence. And then gone.
“Open your eyes.”
Hirano did as he was told. In front of him was a tall lithe figure with a beautifully angled face and a crimson scarf over the eyes. They wore a crimson gown that covered the whole body and a purple-black aura shifted unevenly around them. The sorcerer stood before a trio of dull dark stones, jutting from the earth at unnatural angles and marked with lettering that still pulsed with violet light. Hirano slid to his knees and made a formal abasement.
“Oh, stand will you?” There was no noise as the sorcerer walked past him. “I am not your Grand Duke or some leader of soldiers. Speaking of which, what we do with these?”
He scrambled up and around to see the Sorcerer feeling the frozen horsemen. “Could you vanish them?”
“I’m afraid that is not the nature of my power. But I could perhaps help you vanquish them.”
Hirano knuckled at his mustache. One way or another, he had to escape these enemies, but he didn’t much like the sound of that offer. Not only was he a reluctant warrior at best, but something about the lilt of the Sorcerer’s voice made him uneasy.
“What do you want for this?” he said.
The sorcerer clapped their hands in glee. “Ah! To the point at last. Friend Hirano, do you see these stones behind me?”
A blind man would have seen those stones. “I see them.”
“If a person touches them in the right way, they can travel to other worlds. My duty is to ensure nobody goes or comes through that shouldn’t, and let me tell you the coming is a lot harder to deal with. There are others who would come here to kill and steal. From time to time, I can get them first.” The sorcerer’s mouth twisted in what could have been smile or grimace. “That is my bargain to you. I will give you the power to kill these men if you go along the world-threads and kill a single man.”
Hirano licked his lips. There was so many questions he didn’t even know which to begin with. The silence stretched on, uninterrupted even by the wind in the trees. The sorcerer cocked their head in question and Hirano turned to look at the soldiers. There were a dozen of them, all of them mounted and armoured in steel plates. No man could hope to win that fight. He stared next at the stones. He didn’t doubt the sorcerer’s word that they could transport him to other worlds, even if he’d never heard of such a thing. He didn’t doubt anything here.
“How would I get back?” he said.
“I’ll give you a stone. As soon as it touches the man’s blood, it will come back here, along with anyone touching it. So don’t lose it!”
“And how will I know who to kill?” he said.
“He will be wearing a mask over his face and a bloodstained apron,” said the sorcerer. “He will be easy to find, believe me.”
“And how will I kill him? I have no weapon,” he said.
“Indeed. No weapon, nor the strength to use it, nor the inclination to do so either. I have seen your mind, Hirano, and you are a decent man. That’s why I’ll help you and help you I can - if you agree to our deal.
He was actually going to go to another world and kill a man. He was actually going to do it. This wasn’t some mad prankster’s joke and it was going to happen. No it wasn’t, said a voice at the back of his mind, but that was quickly silenced. His choice as to kill the sorcerer’s enemy - an enemy of the entire world - or die to his own enemies. And that was no choice at all.
“I will do it,” said Hirano.
“Splendid!” The sorcerer reached inside their robe and handed three items to Hirano. He took them and inspected them as the sorcerer kept speaking.
“A stone for you to travel with. Touch it to the portal to go through, then to the dead man’s blood to return. A weapon for you to kill with. I suspect even a decent man such as yourself knows what to do. And in the vial, the strength to use it. I’d drink it now if I were you.”
Hirano lifted the vial to his eye. The glass was cool but the contents were bubbling away inside. He slowly uncorked it and tipped a little into his mouth. It was - somehow - icy cold and thick.
“I said drink it, not sip it.”
It slid agonisingly down his throat and seethed in his stomach. Nothing happened. He examined the weapon, an abnormally long butterfly knife with a darkened blade. It felt right in his hand.
Then he touched stone to stone.
This is the first scene of a short story I had planned. Holidays interrupted, I lost steam, I noticed it was longer than I'd meant it to be... so I decided to post it up here, see if it worked, maybe reinvigorate my enthusiasm.
Yes, I know I should be doing my editing rather than more new pieces. But there we go.
Its 1.5k on the nose (slightly rushed the scene ending to make it fit). Thank you all in advance!
edit: P.s. AHA! People, if you paste as plain text, it keeps your formatting (I think...). JOYOUS DAY!
---
Hirano ran. He ran past looming menacing shadows, through rain and branches that whipped back in his face, over the slick leaf mould. He ran as hard as he could, each stride hurting his knees and making his chest shudder. He ran from the soldiers behind him, from the slaughter they’d made and were now planning to finish.
But most of all he ran. Hirano had been the champion of his village before getting conscripted. He knew running was about focus. Nothing mattered but running and everything else should be ignored. Even so, he couldn’t help but note he’d never won a race wearing full armour before, blood sticky against his skin. And that he could hear horses.
He tripped over a tree root, mind and muscles alike betraying him. He caught himself on the trunk, winced, and straightened. He had to start running again. His hand was trembling. Where was he running? Everything was trembling. There! He could see a light off to his left.
Hirano started running again but settled for a fast stumble. His muscles were screaming at him. The light was a hundred yards away. He had to stay strong. There was a cramp starting in his left calf. The thunder of hooves. Fifty yards. He picked his knees up higher, focused entirely on every step and every pain. Twenty.
And then time stopped.
He kept moving, not quite believing it. But the hoof beats had stopped. There was a bird hung motionless above him. Raindrops suspended in mid-air. Time had somehow stopped and Hirano crashed to the floor, panting hard. He turned to see his pursuers, frozen in mid-gallop with swords upraised mere yards behind him, outlined as if light had been shone through quartz.
Hirano slowly sat up, trying to breathe slower. Trying to make sense of the world. This morning he’d been a soldier in the army of Grand Duke Misumo. He’d marched to battle with his comrades, with a spear, a long coat of padded cloth, and a full belly. He’d thrown up all that food back on the battlefield and left the spear there too. As for the cloth armour, it was soaked and cut in a dozen places. Hirano felt at the cuts, cringing when he felt dried blood on his shoulder and ribs. At least they hadn’t wounded his legs. At least he’d be able to escape. Even if it was just into this sorcerer’s trap.
“Hello?” he called out.
The air rang in reply. “Well, hello to you too.”
Hirano covered his ears with a yelp. His head whipped round one way then another but no one was there. This truly was a bad place. As bad as the battlefield though? He glanced at the frozen riders and shivered.
“Who’s there?”
“I might well ask you the same question. This is my home after all, and I really can’t recall inviting you.”
He clutched hold of his trousers this time. There was no excuse for not showing a brave face. Not even to a sorcerer. He forced himself to his feet, limbs still trembling, and bowed.
“I am Hirano, formerly of the Grand Duke’s army, before that of Tishun village. I apologise for disturbing you, friend sorcerer. I saw your light and ran towards it because I was desperate.”
“I’d already gathered that last detail, thank you.” There was a peevish quality to the voice that reminded Hirano of the village tutor. “But you are quite forgiven, friend Hirano. I suggest you close your eyes.”
Hirano opened his mouth to question why then thought better of it. He shut everything as tight as he could. Even so he could see the flash of violet light through his eyelids. Someone whimpered. No. He had whimpered. Tears forced their way out and suddenly he remembered Kashi falling, hands failing to stop blood spurting from his neck. Remembered Grandfather’s howls and painful panting when his liver failed him. Remembered the spear that cut his ribs, the one he’d been sure would end his life.
Every moment of pain. Every moment of violence. And then gone.
“Open your eyes.”
Hirano did as he was told. In front of him was a tall lithe figure with a beautifully angled face and a crimson scarf over the eyes. They wore a crimson gown that covered the whole body and a purple-black aura shifted unevenly around them. The sorcerer stood before a trio of dull dark stones, jutting from the earth at unnatural angles and marked with lettering that still pulsed with violet light. Hirano slid to his knees and made a formal abasement.
“Oh, stand will you?” There was no noise as the sorcerer walked past him. “I am not your Grand Duke or some leader of soldiers. Speaking of which, what we do with these?”
He scrambled up and around to see the Sorcerer feeling the frozen horsemen. “Could you vanish them?”
“I’m afraid that is not the nature of my power. But I could perhaps help you vanquish them.”
Hirano knuckled at his mustache. One way or another, he had to escape these enemies, but he didn’t much like the sound of that offer. Not only was he a reluctant warrior at best, but something about the lilt of the Sorcerer’s voice made him uneasy.
“What do you want for this?” he said.
The sorcerer clapped their hands in glee. “Ah! To the point at last. Friend Hirano, do you see these stones behind me?”
A blind man would have seen those stones. “I see them.”
“If a person touches them in the right way, they can travel to other worlds. My duty is to ensure nobody goes or comes through that shouldn’t, and let me tell you the coming is a lot harder to deal with. There are others who would come here to kill and steal. From time to time, I can get them first.” The sorcerer’s mouth twisted in what could have been smile or grimace. “That is my bargain to you. I will give you the power to kill these men if you go along the world-threads and kill a single man.”
Hirano licked his lips. There was so many questions he didn’t even know which to begin with. The silence stretched on, uninterrupted even by the wind in the trees. The sorcerer cocked their head in question and Hirano turned to look at the soldiers. There were a dozen of them, all of them mounted and armoured in steel plates. No man could hope to win that fight. He stared next at the stones. He didn’t doubt the sorcerer’s word that they could transport him to other worlds, even if he’d never heard of such a thing. He didn’t doubt anything here.
“How would I get back?” he said.
“I’ll give you a stone. As soon as it touches the man’s blood, it will come back here, along with anyone touching it. So don’t lose it!”
“And how will I know who to kill?” he said.
“He will be wearing a mask over his face and a bloodstained apron,” said the sorcerer. “He will be easy to find, believe me.”
“And how will I kill him? I have no weapon,” he said.
“Indeed. No weapon, nor the strength to use it, nor the inclination to do so either. I have seen your mind, Hirano, and you are a decent man. That’s why I’ll help you and help you I can - if you agree to our deal.
He was actually going to go to another world and kill a man. He was actually going to do it. This wasn’t some mad prankster’s joke and it was going to happen. No it wasn’t, said a voice at the back of his mind, but that was quickly silenced. His choice as to kill the sorcerer’s enemy - an enemy of the entire world - or die to his own enemies. And that was no choice at all.
“I will do it,” said Hirano.
“Splendid!” The sorcerer reached inside their robe and handed three items to Hirano. He took them and inspected them as the sorcerer kept speaking.
“A stone for you to travel with. Touch it to the portal to go through, then to the dead man’s blood to return. A weapon for you to kill with. I suspect even a decent man such as yourself knows what to do. And in the vial, the strength to use it. I’d drink it now if I were you.”
Hirano lifted the vial to his eye. The glass was cool but the contents were bubbling away inside. He slowly uncorked it and tipped a little into his mouth. It was - somehow - icy cold and thick.
“I said drink it, not sip it.”
It slid agonisingly down his throat and seethed in his stomach. Nothing happened. He examined the weapon, an abnormally long butterfly knife with a darkened blade. It felt right in his hand.
Then he touched stone to stone.
