Hi everyone! I’ve the pleasure of hosting Friday Fiction this week. Feel free to jump in and join the fun. Just add your link to the gadget below. You don’t have to have your own blog, as long as you have a story to share and a comment section, join us by linking up below!
Author’s Ramblings: This week’s assigned writing exercise was to describe six characters through dialogue or to at least craft six different personalities in under 1000 words. This is my attempt to do so, I tried to smooth the ending a touch so it would read more like a story. It covers six friends on the same journey for different reasons and that’s about as far as I got with it. I think it has some potential, perhaps for this year’s NaNo? Enjoy the read and thanks for stopping by!
“I don’t know, there’s something off about her.” Ken
shrugged, twirling his broadsword experimentally. “There’s only so much madness
the human mind can take.”
shrugged, twirling his broadsword experimentally. “There’s only so much madness
the human mind can take.”
“She isn’t entirely human.” Charles reminded him. “She’s
half that and half something else. Her pain tolerance is on another level.”
half that and half something else. Her pain tolerance is on another level.”
“I don’t think that’s anything to brag about.” Iola
chewed one plump pink lip, worrying it slightly between her oversized teeth. “I
mean, she’s awfully small.”
chewed one plump pink lip, worrying it slightly between her oversized teeth. “I
mean, she’s awfully small.”
“Size’s got nothing to do with it.” Terran sighed. “Can
we please talk about something else?”
we please talk about something else?”
“Why? Afraid she’s stronger than you?” Ken teased. “The
great King’s Champion is afraid of a living Ko’ial artifact?”
great King’s Champion is afraid of a living Ko’ial artifact?”
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| I found this lovely shot through Google Images. Thought it fit. |
“She’s the most powerful artifact in existence, the
fact that she’s in a half-human form only adds to it. I would be a foolish
Knight, if I did not consider myself to be-”
fact that she’s in a half-human form only adds to it. I would be a foolish
Knight, if I did not consider myself to be-”
“Oh good grief, make him shut up, Charles!” Iola
pouted. “He’s talking all formal again. It took me, like, forever, to get him
to stop blathering on in his whole typical medieval-esque type-”
pouted. “He’s talking all formal again. It took me, like, forever, to get him
to stop blathering on in his whole typical medieval-esque type-”
“It isn’t like your speech is any better.” Charles
sighed. “This quest is all wrong.”
sighed. “This quest is all wrong.”
“It could be worse.” Ken grinned, offering a hearty
slap to the back. “Think about it, we made it out of that pit unscathed.”
slap to the back. “Think about it, we made it out of that pit unscathed.”
“Speak for yourself.” Marielle growled, the first
words the empath had dared to speak since they’d left the cursed city behind
them. “exactly what could be worse?” She winced, gripping her head. “Never
mind, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
words the empath had dared to speak since they’d left the cursed city behind
them. “exactly what could be worse?” She winced, gripping her head. “Never
mind, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
“Mari?” Iola leaned backwards, almost stumbling into
the armored knight. “Ow! Terran, don’t just, ow, that hurt.”
the armored knight. “Ow! Terran, don’t just, ow, that hurt.”
“Iola?” Marielle frowned. “I thought you said you
were fine.”
were fine.”
“It’s just a scratch.” The bubbly blonde rolled her
eyes. “A teensy scratch. Everyone else had way bigger injuries than me, they
were more important.”
eyes. “A teensy scratch. Everyone else had way bigger injuries than me, they
were more important.”
“You’re all important!” Marielle roared. “Sit down
right there. Terran! Charles!”
right there. Terran! Charles!”
The rag-tag troupe froze.
A wave of darkened, raw energy rippled up the hill
as the empath stomped over to tend to the surprised girl. “That was a cursed
city.” Marielle spoke through her teeth, her dark eyes flashing. “Everything
down there was cursed, you have no idea what could’ve happened to you with even
the slightest of-”
as the empath stomped over to tend to the surprised girl. “That was a cursed
city.” Marielle spoke through her teeth, her dark eyes flashing. “Everything
down there was cursed, you have no idea what could’ve happened to you with even
the slightest of-”
“But the artifact got a nosebleed and no one paid
any-”
any-”
“That was her own doing.” Marielle retorted. “Terran,
hold her still. Good heavens, child, can’t you stay still?”
hold her still. Good heavens, child, can’t you stay still?”
“You’re not that much older than me and I can too!”
Iola huffed. “Ow. Terran!”
Iola huffed. “Ow. Terran!”
“Terran’s barely touching you.” Ken observed,
standing over the trio. “Charles?”
standing over the trio. “Charles?”
“Her name’s Suley, she’s not just an artifact. She has
feelings.”
feelings.”
“Right, right.” Iola pouted. “Suley the artifact has
feelings. I get it already!”
feelings. I get it already!”
“I highly doubt that.” Marielle muttered, beginning
to bandage a large bruise on the girl’s shoulder, having used her healing
energy to negate the effects of any possible curses. “You’ll have to drink
antidotes when we camp tonight.” She said, at last, tying off the bandage.
to bandage a large bruise on the girl’s shoulder, having used her healing
energy to negate the effects of any possible curses. “You’ll have to drink
antidotes when we camp tonight.” She said, at last, tying off the bandage.
“What? But how come none of the others-?”
“The others were tended to immediately. I was able
to handle it. Your wound—it had time for something to sink into your system. I
can’t be sure that I’ve got everything.”
to handle it. Your wound—it had time for something to sink into your system. I
can’t be sure that I’ve got everything.”
“Can’t be sure? What kind of empath are you?”
“A very talented one.” Suley’s soft voice caught
their ears as the petite girl finally came into view. “I almost lost you all.” Her
smile was heartbreaking. “I’m so glad you stopped for a rest. I’m exhausted.”
their ears as the petite girl finally came into view. “I almost lost you all.” Her
smile was heartbreaking. “I’m so glad you stopped for a rest. I’m exhausted.”
“We didn’t stop for a rest.” Terran frowned. “In
fact-”
fact-”
“Iola forgot she hurt her shoulder.” Ken flashed a
grin. “We stopped so Marielle could help her. You okay, kid?”
grin. “We stopped so Marielle could help her. You okay, kid?”
The curly head of pale lilac hair bobbed quickly in
answer. “Yup-yup.” She clapped her hands together. “I got it.”
answer. “Yup-yup.” She clapped her hands together. “I got it.”
“She really acts like a kid.” Iola swallowed. “That’s
so weird.”
so weird.”
“She can hear you.” Charles snapped. “Would it kill
you be nice?”
you be nice?”
“Maybe!” Iola stuck her tongue out. Terran released
her, hauling her up to her feet with one strong hand. “Ow. Thanks.” She pushed
him away, standing unsteadily for a moment. “Whoa—what’d you do to me, Mari?”
her, hauling her up to her feet with one strong hand. “Ow. Thanks.” She pushed
him away, standing unsteadily for a moment. “Whoa—what’d you do to me, Mari?”
“What’s the matter with, Iola?” Charles appeared
over her shoulder, his worry showing on his face. “Marielle?”
over her shoulder, his worry showing on his face. “Marielle?”
“I didn’t do anything to her.” The empath frowned. “Surely
there wasn’t something that could incubate so quickly and-”
there wasn’t something that could incubate so quickly and-”
“Incubate?” Ken’s eyes grew round.
Terran growled low in his throat. “What kind of
thing are we talking about?”
thing are we talking about?”
“Something very bad.” Suley’s sweet voice cut in. “Something
very, very bad.” Her thin body jerked and twisted, convulsing before it flopped
face-first to the ground.
very, very bad.” Her thin body jerked and twisted, convulsing before it flopped
face-first to the ground.
“Suley?” Charles started towards her as Iola began
to move, suddenly clawing at her throat. “Iola!”
to move, suddenly clawing at her throat. “Iola!”
“Ahhh, get it off me! Get it away from me!” Iola
shrieked, throwing her head back for one long, loud, bloodcurdling scream. Her
blue eyes searched wildly, catching the eye of their unofficial leader. She
tried to speak, gasping, reaching. “Mamaneh!” She choked out. “Mamaneh!”
shrieked, throwing her head back for one long, loud, bloodcurdling scream. Her
blue eyes searched wildly, catching the eye of their unofficial leader. She
tried to speak, gasping, reaching. “Mamaneh!” She choked out. “Mamaneh!”
Charles felt the blood in his body turn to ice, the
first touch of his gift drawing him back to the present. “Alzeki Blizzard!” He
screamed out the attack, throwing a thick, deliberate coating of ice over his
entire team.
first touch of his gift drawing him back to the present. “Alzeki Blizzard!” He
screamed out the attack, throwing a thick, deliberate coating of ice over his
entire team.
“Mamaneh?” Suley’s whisper reached his ears.
He crumpled to his knees beside her, hands
stretching tentatively towards the prone boedy. “Suley-!”
stretching tentatively towards the prone boedy. “Suley-!”
“Told you.” She whispered. “Told you they would find
me.”
me.”
“M-maybe.” He settled for holding her hand. Her hand
was colder than his ice. “Maybe they did find us, but that doesn’t mean we have
to give in. I promised I’d protect you. I promised I’d protect this world, that
I’d help everyone. I’m not going to give up.”
was colder than his ice. “Maybe they did find us, but that doesn’t mean we have
to give in. I promised I’d protect you. I promised I’d protect this world, that
I’d help everyone. I’m not going to give up.”
“Mamaneh’s—curse.” Suley breathed. “It’s a bad one.”
“Bad one?” Charles bit his lip, turning back to his
frozen comrades. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d had to freeze them and he
had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last, but there was something just wrong about
it this time. Something was wrong enough that it screamed at his very soul as
he placed a careful hand over Suley’s face.
frozen comrades. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d had to freeze them and he
had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last, but there was something just wrong about
it this time. Something was wrong enough that it screamed at his very soul as
he placed a careful hand over Suley’s face.
So trusting. Too trusting.
Three middle fingers rested on her forehead, his
thumb on her right cheekbone, his pinky on her left. He pressed, gently,
applying the ice in a thin sheet, watching as her eyes lost the light and her
body succumbed to the ice.
thumb on her right cheekbone, his pinky on her left. He pressed, gently,
applying the ice in a thin sheet, watching as her eyes lost the light and her
body succumbed to the ice.
The silence filled his ears until Charles couldn’t
take it anymore. “I failed alright!” He shouted, jerking to his feet, hands
fisted at his sides. “Are you happy now? You were right! I couldn’t save them
all and right now, I can’t even save them!”
take it anymore. “I failed alright!” He shouted, jerking to his feet, hands
fisted at his sides. “Are you happy now? You were right! I couldn’t save them
all and right now, I can’t even save them!”
A pale golden light slowly formed, taking on a
feminine shape. The shining figure breathed a warm sigh into the chilled air. “Charles.”
She intoned. “Dear, dear, Charles, I did warn you.”
feminine shape. The shining figure breathed a warm sigh into the chilled air. “Charles.”
She intoned. “Dear, dear, Charles, I did warn you.”
“I couldn’t just let them die!”
“You can’t save everyone.”
“No, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try!”
© Sara Harricharan