tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46192512065951547452024-02-22T03:55:40.458+05:30The WriterBloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-18016878742419982542020-05-25T18:46:00.001+05:302020-05-25T18:46:20.077+05:30A New Beginning (Part Twenty-Five)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Hunch <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre: </b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word count:</b> 45 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tornado
vanished. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raven froze as
realization hit him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raven looked at the
web and smiled. He walked past the scorched floor streaked with green. He bent
down next to the pile of clothes draped over human bones. He picked the bow and
stepped out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-62095317502096162682020-05-25T18:44:00.003+05:302020-05-25T18:44:59.607+05:30Fenced Out (Part Twenty-Four)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Fence <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre: </b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word count:</b> 200 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <i>Drengr</i>
saw the arrow a second before it cracked through its forehead and squelched
through its contents. The <i>Thrall</i> surrounding the tree collapsed as one
the moment the <i>Drengr</i> hit the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr surveyed the
ground under him. When it remained silent, he climbed down the tree. Picking
his way over the <i>Thrall</i>, he headed towards the cave.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Raven and F</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">á</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">la stood opposite each
other.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A tornado swirled
around them, trapping them within its eye.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You thought you
could keep her safe from me?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raven didn’t speak.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">F</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">á</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">la smirked, “I found
your little cave, <i>crow.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Noooo!” Raven
attacked.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The smell of rot
and blood hit her nose as she stepped into the cave. A ball of green light came
to life a foot away from her palm. The light reflected off the damp walls,
giving the cave an eerie green hue. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She followed the smell of blood into the
cave. It led her to a woman, breathing her last.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Where’s your
child?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The woman smiled, “You
can’t follow where she’s gone, Witch!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">F</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">á</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">la shot a streak of
green light towards the woman even as she pulled out the dagger sticking out </span>from her back. Turning, she faced the man.</span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-44316870208326778712020-05-25T18:32:00.002+05:302020-05-25T18:32:43.067+05:30The Clock is Ticking (Part Twenty-Three)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Prompt: </b>Fifty-four
|
<b>Genre: </b>Fantasy | <b>Word count:</b> 120 words</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“She’ll be safe
with her, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You’ve asked me
this fifty-four times already!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Fifty-four?!
That’s just ridiculous!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raven shrugged.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Maybe three, or
four...”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Shhhhh....”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The horizon turned
gray. Slowly, the gray carpet moved closer. A pair of glowing red eyes flashed
at its forefront. Pinpricks of red flickered into life across the carpet of <i>Thralls</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You’re beautiful.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spider shivered.
She looked down at her human hands, “I hate this form! You could do so much
more with eight legs!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Runa screamed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You don’t need to
scream! Eight legs are not scary.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Runa huffed and
screamed again, “My baby... she’s coming!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-60590820204190404672020-05-25T18:26:00.000+05:302020-05-25T18:26:45.390+05:30It's Time (Part Twenty-Two)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Vaccine <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre: </b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word count:</b> 75 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Drink this.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“What is it?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“It’s a vaccine.
For the baby. Two more weeks she needs. But </span>Fála will be here anytime.
We need to get her out before that. This vaccine will keep her safe.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Runa looked at Einarr. He seemed to look as scared as she
felt. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She looked back at Raven. Blood dripped from his forehead
into his eyes. “I trust you”, she took the vial from him and gulped it down.</span></div>
<br />Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-53817109052712214832020-05-25T18:16:00.003+05:302020-05-25T18:16:59.739+05:30The Battle in the Forest (Part Twenty-One)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Prompt:</b> Agenda | <b>Genre:</b> Fantasy | <b>Word
count:</b> 750 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over his laboured breaths, Einarr heard something whistle
closer. Glancing back as he ran, he saw a burning ball arc slowly towards them.
It hit a tree at the edge of the forest with a thud, the fire turning into thick
smoke. The ball of smoke fell through rustling leaves, cracking branches. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr grinned. But not for long. “Run!!”, he pulled Runa,
shielding her with his arm over her shoulder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thousands of burning projectiles whistled behind them. They
hit the forest floor like heavy hailstones. Einarr turned to look. The stench
of burning flesh hit him, “Holy Gods! They are moving!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Don’t waste your arrows on them.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr held the arrow as he watched Raven spread out his
arms. They turned into large, black iridescent wings. He flapped them once.
Twice. Thrice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A gust blasted out from him. It hurtled back the burning
creatures, dousing out their fire. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr plugged his ears to stop it from ringing. The world
fell silent. Frowning, he looked up. The gust was gathering force. It slowly
began to recoil. Alarmed, Einarr ran towards Runa. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His feet slid over the
leaves strewn on the forest floor. He used the momentum to steer, landing
beside her. He braced himself over Runa right before...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thump.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr raised his head to peek. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raven stood tall, his wings spread out. Before him shimmered
a wall of air. A storm of dust and leaves hammered it on the other side.
Through the transparent wall, he saw small fires flicker back into life. A
tornado stood in their midst. When it began to move, the fires followed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Go!” Raven said, staring straight at the tornado.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“But...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I said go!!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr picked Runa up. Running, he peeked behind. The
tornado faced Raven on the other side of the wall. For a moment, it swirled
away to reveal a woman’s face. She glowered at </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Runa’s back. Einarr blinked. The
face was gone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scuttling sounds echoed in the dank space.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr felt Runa squeeze his hand, “I’m scared.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her whisper sounded too loud. He squeezed her clammy hand
back, “Rest a while. The child....”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Our child.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr didn’t respond. The unsaid words hung heavy in the
dark.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He let himself rest against the cold wall. He felt Runa
shuffle across the stone floor, to huddle close. He put his arm around her and
held her close.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somewhere far to his left, he heard the sound of dripping
water.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s because of the Spring of the Gods.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“What?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Our child. Raven told me. She’ll grow in only nine weeks....”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s unnatural.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The world needs...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“That doesn’t change anything. Who knows what <i>it</i>...?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“She!!” her voice rang across the enclosed space.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Runa!” he whispered urgently. “We can’t....” his voice cut
off, as the scuttling noises came closer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He felt Runa clutch his arm. He held his breath, the silence
pounding in his ears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s a good thing you came here”, he heard a woman say. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Your voice... it doesn’t echo.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Of course, it doesn’t. This is my lair.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Green and yellow flames rose around them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raven flung to his right. A stream of green light whistled
right past his ear. As he fell to the ground, he threw an orb of yellow flame.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fála flicked
her hand to throw it off. It hit a tree. The tree burst into flames.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You’ve lost your touch....”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A blast of yellow flames hit her face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She flew back and slammed against the burning tree.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raven got up. So did Fála.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Engulfed in flames, Einarr could only see her eyes. They
glowed red.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I won’t let you take what’s mine!”, she raised her arms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raven planted his feet and faced her. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You want us to go through that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They stared at the large web.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Not you. Just her”, Spider pointed to Runa’s belly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Runa stepped behind Einarr, “You won’t have my baby!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“If you want her to live, you have to give her away.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr put his arm behind to shield Runa, “How can we trust
you?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“How can <i>I</i> trust <i>you</i>?” Spider spat. “You... who have
always taken. Your greed fading us </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">out... one species at a time! Even now....”
she stumbled, pale blue liquid oozing out from her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We didn’t ...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Your kind did! What did <i>we</i>
do to <i>your</i> kind?!” Spider crawled
closer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr nocked an arrow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Is that a threat, human?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr stepped back, “I’ve to protect my family.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Then to protect mine, maybe I should just spin you both...”</span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Spider!”
Raven stumbled into the cave.</span></span>Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-19280664199856600842020-05-25T17:59:00.005+05:302020-05-25T17:59:55.719+05:30Facing the Foe (Part Twenty)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Secret <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre: </b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word count:</b> 120 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“Aaaah Raven. So we
meet again. After all these years.” </span>Fála looked around her,<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> “But your taste in decor hasn’t changed at
all. All this... <i>white</i>”, she made a face.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“What do you want?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“Oooohh, so<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>serious! I like that! I got a surprise for
you”, </span>Fála <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">threw down a bag. A
head rolled out of it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Spider!!” Raven
bent down to pick it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Her ruse was pretty sneaky. But I’m sneakier”, Fála smirked.
She sashayed to him to stand so close, he could feel the heat of her breath on
his face, “There’s still time. Come with me. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rule the world alongside me”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The world is not yours, Witch.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raven’s eyes
cleared, “Move! Get deeper into the forest! Now!”</span></span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-89546498789226821522020-05-25T17:57:00.002+05:302020-05-25T17:57:19.282+05:30Run (Part Nineteen)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Prompt: </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Canopy
|
<b>Genre: </b>Fantasy | <b>Word count:</b> 200 words</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“She’s tired! We should find someplace to rest!” the man
said holding the hunched-over woman as she reached.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Fála is on our trail,” Raven said softly to the woman.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her eyes widened. Straightening up, she held the man’s hand,
“I’m fine. We should move.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fála walked along the edge of the circle of light. Bending
down, she picked up some dirt and smelled it. Her eyes shot up to a tall dead
tree, some fifty feet away. “Raven”, she smiled to herself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">”Runa! Look!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Runa looked up from the ground to see Einarr pointing
forward. Turning, she saw it too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A line of trees.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A tear rolled down her face. She put her hand on her belly,
“That’s home, dear.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fála stood on the hillock. The Magnolia tree stood tall and
proud in the meadow before her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her lips bulled back when she saw the army of
creatures behind her, cowering in fear. She nodded to one of the humans, “Burn
that tree to the ground!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The human stepped down into the meadow toward the
century-old tree.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Einarr smiled as his breath rose into the shallow canopy of
trees, “Are we safe now?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“No”, Raven looked behind, his eyes glassy.</span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-81850186284124199692020-05-25T17:54:00.003+05:302020-05-25T17:58:12.720+05:30The Council of the Elves (Part Eighteen)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Prompt: </b>Elves
| <b>Genre:
</b>Fantasy | <b>Word
count:</b> 100 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><b>Glossary:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Æsir Vár: Spring of the Gods</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heilagr Jǫrđ Fjǫr: Sacred Land of the Spirits</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“How far along is
the woman?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“Six weeks.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“The <i>Æsir Vár</i>
is working?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Spider nodded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The Council
discussed among themselves. The Chief of the Elves<i> </i>finally nodded
and turned to Spider, “Our reports confirm that Fála will reach them in five
days.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“Five?! But...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The Chief<i> </i>raised
her hand, “Our ruse will gain us another three days. Raven must bring the woman
to the threshold of the <i>Heilagr Jǫrđ Fjǫr</i> in seven days’ time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Spider opened her
mouth to speak but the Council rose as one and addressed her, “Dally here no
more, Spider. Or the world will be doomed.”</span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-20365106295037100222020-05-25T17:30:00.000+05:302020-05-25T17:55:11.413+05:30The Hunt Begins (Part Seventeen)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Prompt: </b>Website
| <b>Genre:
</b>Fantasy | <b>Word
count:</b> 300 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She wrinkled her nose at the sight of the <i>Thrall</i> scrubbing off the remains of the
dead creature, “Darling, you can’t just kill off a <i>Drengr</i> every time they bring in bad news.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I can always make more.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Really? You <i>are</i>
aware we’re running out, aren’t you?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Then I’ll dig more!”, he slammed his fist on the table.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Stop being a baby.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“How dare...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“You know as well as I do, that “digging more” is pointless.
We need to get to the <i>Heilagr Jǫrđ Fjǫr</i>, before that child does.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“You don’t really
believe that prophecy?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She raised an eyebrow. His eyes shied away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“There’s no scent, no trace. Only the <i>fjǫr</i> hold that power. Your creatures are
powerless against them. I’ll have to hunt them myself. I need a team of your
best humans.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“We don’t have
enough...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“You won’t have <i>any</i>
if we let them go,” her eyes burned into him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I... I’ll arrange
it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Good.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Fála herself is on the hunt.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Are you sure?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“You doubt my source, Raven?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Raven laughed, “No my dear friend! Your web is cast
everywhere.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Except <i>there</i>!”
Spider shook herself, her web swaying with her. “Such a filthy place!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I feast on Death. But what they’ve created....”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They looked at the man and woman, sitting on a tree trunk.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Why should we help them? After all they’ve done?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“We need them to stop the curse.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spider looked at the woman’s belly, “It’s not yet time.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I’ll have to buy some,” Raven looked pointedly at her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She nodded, “I’ll pass on the news.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Thank you. Be careful. Fála knows how important you are.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spider nodded.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Farewell, Spider. We shall meet again at <i>Heilagr Jǫrđ</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“We shall meet
again,” she said before scrambling up to the centre of her web and disappearing
right through it.</span></span>Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-49986656572133110662020-04-18T11:01:00.004+05:302020-04-18T11:01:56.168+05:30Tough Lessons (Part Sixteen)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Teach
|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre:
</b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word
count:</b> 150 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The targets dropped, one after another, an arrow piercing
through their centre. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Hmmm... not bad. Keep practicing,” Raven encouraged.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven placed his hand over her head. Runa sucked in air,
surfacing back to reality.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Why? I can’t take it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He sat down beside her, “You have to. She must learn through
you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“She’s just a child!”, Runa shielded her belly with her
arms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“She won’t always be.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“How can you be so cruel?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He raised an eyebrow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her eyes skirted his gaze, “She’s innocent.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven snorted, “So was the rest of the world.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“What do you mean you can’t trace them?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“There’s no... scent.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“So are you saying they just disappeared into thin air? Oh!
Look at it! That’s exactly what it’s saying!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A shot rang in the air.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Darling...”, she drawled, her finger trailing along his
shoulder, “...maybe there’s some truth in it.” When he frowned, she added,
“Magic.”</span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-77383775875124476012020-04-18T10:59:00.001+05:302020-04-18T10:59:25.100+05:30Voices in Her Head (Part Fifteen)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Prompt: </b>Africa
| <b>Genre:
</b>Fantasy | <b>Word
count:</b> 100 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Are you worried,
sweets?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Huh?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“You are rolling your Frigga’s ring,” he nodded at her hand
over her belly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Africas?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Sweetheart, what’s happening? You’ve been... lost since we left
that Magnolia tree. What...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“They died. All of them. Even the children!”, she shivered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“What are you talking about?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We killed them. We...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Runa!” Einarr shook her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She gasped for air, her eyes finally latching onto him.
“Pull me out!! I’m drowning!”, but her eyes glazed over again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr turned to Raven.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“She saw... things. It needs time. But time is
what she doesn’t have,” Raven’s eyes moved to her belly.</span></span>Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-3122706353153320712020-04-18T10:57:00.002+05:302020-04-18T10:58:00.372+05:30Chased by Spectres (Part Fourteen)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Prompt: </b>Sunshine
| <b>Genre:
</b>Fantasy | <b>Word
count:</b> 250 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr glanced at her furtively. When he heard the sound of
flapping wings approach him, he busied himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Why don’t you talk to her?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr snorted, “Now you sound just like her.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Oh you humans are such big fools! I wonder why we even
bother.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr rounded on him, “Then why did you?! She was....” He
looked back at her, clenched his fist, “We were fine before you came. But now?
We are on the run for weeks! She is... what <i>is</i>
she staring at all day?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven straightened himself, his head arched. Einarr gulped.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“You need to grow up, boy. Her life depends on it,” he said
before flying away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr gaped. He looked back at her, his heart fluttering.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She felt someone shake her. Startled, she turned around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Let’s go.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She nodded. Got up. Followed him. But the voices didn’t
leave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bright red berries glistened in the sunlight that streamed
in through the perfect circle in the clouds. But the house was silent. No trace
of any footprints. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“When did that open up?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We... we don’t know, sir.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He arched his brow, “You don’t know? It’s your job to know.
Do you know what I do to those who don’t do their jobs?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The <i>rotta</i> that
wasn’t a <i>rotta</i> quivered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The man kicked the pathetic animal into the circle of light.
It screamed as its skin hissed and burned to ashes.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Find them. And bring them back alive. If you
don’t...” he pointed to the pile of ash.</span></span>Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-37077167309218711942020-04-18T10:55:00.000+05:302020-04-18T10:55:36.250+05:30The Visions (Part Thirteen)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Wishbone
|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre:
</b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word
count:</b> 300 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Heat pulsed under her palm, the edges translucent and red,
like glowing embers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Don’t run away from who you are, child,” Raven said softly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Runa looked down at her hand, cradled against her breast,
her heart beating hard against it. Slowly, she let go and reached out to the
tree. The heat spread from her palm like streams of light that flowed into the
curves, the flowers, the runes, to finally reach the other side. Light filled
up the design until only a palm-shaped space remained dark, at the exact
opposite spot where Runa’s palm was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Where are you going?”, Runa asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“To complete the circle.” Raven stared, his eyes piercing
right into her, “Your strength would fail you only if you give in to fear.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Runa squared her shoulders and looked straight ahead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven stood before the dark space, pulsating light
surrounding it. He placed his palm on the tree, the empty space an exact fit.
Dark tendrils flowed out from his palm into the grooves that cradled the lit
design, until they approached Runa.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Runa gasped. The light flickered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">‘<i>Your strength would fail you only if you give in to fear</i>’,
Raven’s words echoed in her mind.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She braced herself and the light glowed brightly again. The
tendrils reached her palm and flowed under it through the grooves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Silence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dark tendrils flowed into Runa’s eyes, drowning them up,
turning her eyes into pools of midnight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Streams of light flowed into Raven’s eyes, lighting them up,
turning them into orbs of fire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A wave of energy blasted away from the tree, blowing away
everything into winds of dust.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Except them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She stood in a field of bluewings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A raven flew ahead. She took a step to follow him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The scene shifted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She screamed, scene after scene flitting before her.</span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-15111591936579048392020-04-18T10:52:00.000+05:302020-04-18T10:52:54.849+05:30The Old Tongue (Part Twelve)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Elaborate
|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre:
</b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word
count:</b> 120 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The carpet of flowers tickled her bare feet as she padded
towards the tree. Circling it, her hand traced the rough bark, the canopy
casting a pink glow on her upturned face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Something nagged her. She looked down to examine the bark
under her hand. Her eyes widened and she scoured the area. Astonished, she
stepped back. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The tree was covered in an elaborate floral design interspersed
with runes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Can you read the Old Tongue?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Startled, Runa stumbled back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Humans”, Raven muttered as he morphed into a man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Runa bent low in the Old Way.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven smiled, “Your father taught you well.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“You knew my father?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He didn’t answer. Instead, he took her hand and placed it on
the tree.</span></div>
<br />Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-77606771822472995082020-04-18T10:46:00.003+05:302020-04-18T10:46:47.597+05:30The Magnolia Tree (Part Eleven)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Magnolia
|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre:
</b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word
count:</b> 85 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I... can’t...!” Runa panted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Just a little more, sweets. We’re almost there.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Where?” she hunched, breathing hard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr looked back. A raven cawed, fluttering its wings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We need to hurry. Come,” he pulled her up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They jogged in silence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Isn’t that a raven?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“But aren’t they...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Yes, he is.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Runa gasped, “What are you not telling me?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I’ll tell you everything. But not now. Come.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They stepped over a small hillock and felt their jaws drop.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A giant Magnolia tree stood in full bloom.</span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-34878176575296681012020-04-18T10:46:00.001+05:302020-04-18T10:46:44.674+05:30The Magnolia Tree (Part Eleven)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Magnolia
|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre:
</b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word
count:</b> 85 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I... can’t...!” Runa panted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Just a little more, sweets. We’re almost there.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Where?” she hunched, breathing hard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr looked back. A raven cawed, fluttering its wings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“We need to hurry. Come,” he pulled her up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They jogged in silence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Isn’t that a raven?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“But aren’t they...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Yes, he is.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Runa gasped, “What are you not telling me?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I’ll tell you everything. But not now. Come.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They stepped over a small hillock and felt their jaws drop.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A giant Magnolia tree stood in full bloom.</span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-74706315081344175402020-04-18T10:44:00.001+05:302020-04-18T10:44:02.460+05:30Coming Undone (Part Ten)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Anchor
|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre:
</b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word
count:</b> 100 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Runa doubled over as she reached. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“That wretched meat!” she grumbled. That’s when she felt it.
Warmth on her head, her arms. She looked up and blinked, shielding her eyes
with her arm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Einarr! Einarr!!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He rushed out of the house and froze. Runa stood there,
bathed all over in golden light. Einarr looked up. Sunlight streamed in through
the.... “Runa! Come! We need to pack!!”, he ran and grabbed her hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Pack?! What are you talking about?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“There’s no time to talk! We need to leave! Now!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I don’t understand!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He pointed to the perfect circle in the clouds.</span></div>
<br />Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-19089875214309686272020-04-18T10:36:00.001+05:302020-04-18T10:36:29.994+05:30When Two Become One (Part Nine)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Prompt: </b>Spring
| <b>Genre:
</b>Fantasy | <b>Word
count:</b> 250 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr blinked. Looked around. Frowned. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He stood up and poked the meat, ‘Tender.’ </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He passed a hand across his face. Shook his head. Smiled to
himself. He turned around still smiling when his eyes fell on the bow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Holy Gods!”</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Runa stared at the meat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr shifted, “I know you don’t like the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rotta</i> but isn’t it better than grubs?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Grubs aren’t evil.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“It’s just meat!!” Einarr pushed away from the table.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She got up and placed her hand on his shoulder, “Love, I’m
not ungrateful. But my father...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Your father is not here! I am!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jolted, she walked out.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She stood shivering in the night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr placed a cloak around her shoulders, “Forgive me,
sweetheart.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She didn’t speak for a while. When she did, he had to lean
in close to hear her. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“My father kept telling them to remember the Oath, the Old
Ways. But they didn’t listen. Yet, when the Plague came, he...”, she sobbed
into her hands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“He’d asked me to take care of you. But I...”, he held her,
his tears drenching her hair.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She turned around in his embrace and they held each other as
they remembered, lived, hoped.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As she washed the meat down her throat, she frowned, “It
tastes like...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“The Spring of the Gods.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They looked at each other and at the pitcher of water.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven watched the lights go out in the little house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bring forth</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The pure, the profane</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Flame and flood,
famine and feast</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As your Peace
Offering!</span></i></blockquote>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-63666490183760303832020-04-18T10:30:00.001+05:302020-04-18T10:30:13.293+05:30The Bow (Part Eight)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Prompt: </b>Vintage | <b>Genre: </b>Fantasy | <b>Word count:</b> 100 words</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Do you know how to use a bow?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I was the best in my village.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven raised his eyebrow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Give me one! I’ll show you!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Boy! This is no contest! I want…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Who do you call a boy?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven didn’t speak. Instead, he grew until he towered over
the man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The man lowered his eyes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven waited. Satisfied the man won’t challenge him again,
he nodded, “Here, take this.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The man peeked through his lashes and gasped, “This is
vintage!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Not vintage, boy!
Antique!”, Raven brushed a speck off the bow. “Learn to use it well. You will
need it.”</span></div>
<br />Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-21386294136818463202020-04-18T10:25:00.000+05:302020-04-18T10:40:03.244+05:30The Prophecy (Part Seven)<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Prompt: </b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Honesty</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">|</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Genre: </b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Fantasy</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">|</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Word count:</b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> 300 words</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr turned the spit over and stoked the fire. Sparks
flew. Einarr traced their flight as they slowly faded into the night. He
narrowed his eyes and blinked. The night shifted and parted, shades of gray
coalescing into shapes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A raven, larger than him, stared back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr cried out and
scrambled away as fast as he could from the spectre.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“There is no way to leave, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sole warrior</i>.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr looked around. He was in an endless space of white,
no sky, no horizon. Cautiously, he looked down and gasped. He was floating in
air!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Don’t worry, you won’t fall. At least, not until I say so.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Einarr looked back at the raven, his eyes wide. When the raven
glided toward him, he fell back on his hands.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The raven stopped, looked down while spreading out its
wings, and cocked its head. Suddenly, in its place stood a man in a black
cloak, “Is this better?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Who are you?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“That is of no concern to you, mortal.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Why...”, Einarr paused, as the man cocked his head. He
continued, “...what do you want from me?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Aaah! Now that’s a good question. You will help me fulfil a
prophecy.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Prophecy?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Men
shall kill, their greed to fill,<br /> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Soil
the earth, with blood’s stain</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Life
will wail, only death prevail</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Until
Man finds his heart again</span></i></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The words reverberated through Einarr’s bones. Realization
slowly dawned on his face, “I thought that was just old wives’ tales”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“There is much wisdom in old wives’ tales, if only men paused
for a moment to hear them.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Why am <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> here?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The man appeared before Einarr and peered down at his face,
“I’ve been watching you, mortal. You and your wife.” Before Einarr could react,
the man’s eyes glazed over, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The warrior’s
strength, shall mend what’s broken</i>.”</span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-22526520310204496862020-04-18T10:22:00.001+05:302020-04-18T10:22:20.205+05:30The Hunt (Part Six)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Prompt: </b>Doughnuts | <b>Genre: </b>Fantasy | <b>Word count:</b> 150 words</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Note:</b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Doughnut:<b> </b>something (such as a mathematical torus) that has
a round shape like a doughnut (Merriam-Webster)</li>
<li>A smoke ring is a torus-shaped vortex.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The smoke ring rose as Einarr watched it drift away into the
woods. He took another drag, wondering if Runa knew. Maybe she did. But what
can a man do? She was growing thinner. All he could find were grubs and filthy
water.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He spat. He looked at the rolled leaf between his fingers
and smoked again. Death was everywhere. But life…?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A twig snapped. His head spun to the sound. The wood swirled
before him. He shook his head. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Narrowing his eyes, he leaned forward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He stumbled back, startling the animal. It bolted. He
scrambled to pick his knife. The wind slashed his face as he chased the animal.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But then he froze.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The doe shivered before him, cornered. He gripped his blade.
A small head poked around her leg to see. “A fawn,” he gasped, dropping his
weapon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They drifted away into smoke, leaving behind a raven.</div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-68291714830246189302020-04-18T10:17:00.001+05:302020-04-18T10:17:31.096+05:30A Long Lost Element (Part Five)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>The Gift<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre: </b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word count:</b> 200 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven watched as the woman stumbled out of her house, clutching
her stomach. She poured water from the vessel by the door into a pitcher and shuffled
towards the berries. She reached low to the base of a tiny shrub, her arms
shaking. Suddenly, she sank down to the ground, setting the pitcher down with
her feeble hands. She sobbed as her robe hung around her shoulders, drowning
her now-thin frame. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Raven watched for a while before grumbling, “Weak as
always.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">About to fly away, he stopped. The woman wiped away her
tears, picked up the pitcher, and used her whole body to support it while she
poured the water. She crawled to the next shrub, and then to the next, until
she watered them all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She let herself collapse on the ground, her sunken eyes
staring into the darkened sky, breathing hard, “New life... after so long...
can’t let it die... I won’t!”</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">* * *</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next morning, she spotted a stone next to the vessel, “Einarr!
Look here! It’s the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">skírr stein</i>! We
can purify the water now!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“But where did it come from? It’s been decades since we last
saw one.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They never noticed the black bird watching them.</span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-65502620001335927692020-04-18T09:59:00.003+05:302020-04-18T10:19:27.259+05:30Water (Part Four)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Foundation<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre: </b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word count:</b> 200 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Runa smiled at the tiny berry shoots poking out of the
ground. She turned around when she heard Einarr trudge along the path that led from
the river. She opened her mouth to greet him but instead rushed to his side,
“What is it, love?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Einarr shook his head and stepped past her into the house.
Runa followed him. He buzzed around the house, his eyes scanning every nook. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“What do you want?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“I’m looking for a clean rag.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Runa went in and got it for him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Placing the cloth over the mouth of a vessel, he said, “Hold
it like this.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Runa bent down and held it as he’d asked. He then lowered
the large waterskin off his back, uncorked it, and poured the water through the
cloth. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The stench hit Runa
like a blow and she doubled over, coughing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Einarr knelt beside her, patting her back, “I should’ve
warned you about the... smell.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When she stopped coughing, he sat on the floor,
leaning his head against the wall, “The place where I used to get the water
from... I think I dug too deep. Or maybe the mud shifted. I don’t know. It just
came crumbling down today.”</span></div>
Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-49426009894864905252020-04-15T21:18:00.004+05:302020-04-15T21:24:46.186+05:30An Ode to Vár (Part Three)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Doodle<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre: </b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word count:</b> 85 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Note:</b> Doodle (alternate meaning): to play music casually</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Einarr leaned against the threshold, his eyes staring off
into the night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“Isn’t that the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heilsa
Vár</i>?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“Huh?”, startled, Einarr looked around in a daze. That’s
when he noticed the harp in his lap. “Oh, I didn’t realize....”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Runa knelt beside him, “Don’t stop, love. It’s been so long
since I heard you play.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He gave her a half-smile and looked out again, “It’s been so
long since Spring was here.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Cloaked in the darkness, Raven’s feathers ruffled as he
grunted, “And your broken Oath...?!”</span></div>
<br />
<br />Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619251206595154745.post-23456726351556459112020-04-15T21:17:00.003+05:302020-04-15T21:20:13.810+05:30A Drop of Sacrifice (Part Two)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prompt: </b>Trees<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre: </b>Fantasy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>|<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Word count:</b> 150 words</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Runa poured water from the pitcher into the small cup. She
got up and picked the cup with both her hands. Her eyes never left the cup as
she slowly made her way out into the garden.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Garden. She could finally call the little patch of land
around her house a garden. She smiled. But then she stumbled over a small stone.
And spilled a third from her cup.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">‘Oh no no no!’ Runa cried, as she looked down at the spot
where the water had fallen. It was already drying up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">‘No matter,’ she told herself as she squared her shoulders.
She rationed out the water to the berries they had planted. She strode back to
the house and brought out another cup of water, “You need it more now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Perched on a dead tree, Raven watched as a single drop fell
from the clouds on the woman’s head.</span></div>
<br />Bloggger on the runhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13676665631875918095noreply@blogger.com0