Dear mods: Please lock.

[BucketORandomness]

Well, Hello there!
Welcome to the Bucket >^.^< Realistically, this is going to be a place of random bits and pieces of story, but there will occasionally be longer works and other bits mixed in. Below, I will have a list of links to various pieces organized by length/type, and possibly by a common link. In each entry, I will have the possible prompt and title at the top, the actual piece, and then my personal thoughts and possibility of a continuation at the bottom. I hope you enjoy reading, and I wish you a pleasant day.

This will bring you back here >>> ⇉⟰⇇

shorter bits
Unnamed
The Campfire
Stone
Unnamed
Banana Cream
The Barn
Brian Stoll
Memorial Encounter
Trapped
Stray
Magetree
Grey Stains
Gloves
Individual Mindscape
Sugarbee

longer bits
The Journal
Lost
Oddities
Five Seconds
Enlightening
Star Crossed

PTEN
Copper I
Copper II
Nickel I
Copper III
Nickel II
Dedicated Thread

Luoma
Fierce Protection
The Journey
Majus-vat: Homecoming
Packing Up
To Evolve

other
Passion
Asher
Dirt
Spooks
Participation

And now, let the randomness ensue!!

Sci-Fi
Red Rover 1
Red Rover 2
Red Rover 3

[BucketORandomness]

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The amazing prompt
Fierce Protection

xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict where humans and elves and dragons all fought, though no one could remember why anymore. All that was left was the fighting. The blood soaked the earth, and cries filled the night like water in a cup. Somehow, in all the turmoil and pain, in all the chaos and death, there was life. From opposing sides came a love to inspire tales, though it ended in nothing more than claws and teeth and swords. So goes the story of old.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxI awoke to bright sunlight and a boot to the ribs. The rest of the unit was already up and about, but I had somehow missed the roll call. My ribs smarted and my ears rang with the sounds of insults accompanied by a handful of orders. Breakfast was eaten quickly and silently, then we moved out.
xxxxxThe marching was not as much patrolling the Kingdom borders as it was mechanical movement over and over again. It gave everyone too much time to think. How were our families back home? Were the dragons gone yet, or had we hunted the last of them? Most of the others would be wondering when the elves would just give up and hand over their majiks. Me? I wondered what the weather would be like.
xxxxxFighting was nothing new to me. My earliest memories involve blood, guts and gore. As I grew up, the others despised me because of my parents. Who knew when I would turn my halfling mind against them? I certainly never dreamt of such traitorous actions, though that never stopped the others from taking out their issues on me. These thoughts and more ran through my head as the leagues passed by underfoot.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict, but love somehow found its way into the war. A young man and woman came together on the battlefield, fighting against a common and scaly foe. There, the two found companionship beyond that which their respective peoples thought possible in a world where the largest worries were to protect your own skin. But these two were much different. They ran away from the battles, the blood, the fights. They ran to a quiet and peaceful place to raise a child. And yet, even there, the war found them, and it did not find them kindly. So goes the story of old.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxWhat was that?! The whisper carried around me in a nonsensical echo. What was that? The mysterious sound drummed against my eardrums in a familiar pattern. I prepared my weapons even before the commanding officer ordered it. Apparently, we had not managed to hunt them all. This one, though, would definitely join its fellows.
xxxxxI ducked behind a tree for cover as the rest of the patrol scattered. Heat blasted the earth and burst in all directions, propelled by the enormous bellows of leather wings. A roar shattered the sky as my troop began to fire, some with trepidation, others fear. My aim remained steady, and my mind cold as ice.
xxxxxIn a sudden fit of motion, the dragon spun with a blast of flames. Screams sounded around me, and the fires began eating every living thing. A harsh snap, and a tree began to fall somewhere very close.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict where even the strongest bonds of love could not survive. Even as it ran, the conflict devoured all, even a little cottage for three in a secluded valley. Fires ate at the timbers lovingly carved into a home, and strangers trampled the remains. The three who lived there were not spared, and the father died saving the child from the burning home. The mother protected the halfling child, though she was killed on principle alone. Young though it was, the child became part of the service that had just created an orphaned halfling. So goes the story of old.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxBright lights blinded me as I opened my eyes. Before I could try to sit up, a hand pushed me back down into something soft and warm. Hurried conversation commenced in a hushed corner as the doctor explained what happened. Apparently that tree had fallen closer than anticipated. Most of the wood shards had been successfully removed as I slept, but there was one in my leg the others apparently could not get out. This all felt rather familiar.
xxxxxAfter some convincing, I was allowed outside to sit in the sun and relative quiet. Whispers followed me in an unusually large number, but I could have sworn there were even more hostile looks than normal. Whatever had happened while I was unconscious had not helped these people trust the likes of me.
xxxxxThe sun was warm, and I tilted my face towards its light. My superiors should be here soon, so I might as well take advantage of this respite while it lasted.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict that devoured every soul. Young and old, male and female, innocent and guilty, warrior and family, human and elf, the conflict devoured them all. Some lost their souls in the blood, some in the punishment of early death. For some, though, the punishment was life. The life of a halfling was as much punishment as the death of its parents, for the life of this child was despised by both sides. It was forced to act like a warrior long before most others would have. So goes the story of old.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxI awoke to a not so gentle prodding. When my eyes opened, they looked upon the visage of a young girl dressed in a homespun tunic of red and blue. Her short brown hair had a single braided lock that almost hid in her straight bob.
xxxxx“You snore,” she said earnestly before giggling and skipping away. I watched after the girl, confused. Most of the adults around glared at me from behind raised hands, giving the familiar sign to ward against evil. Whatever the little girl had wanted, I laid back, unconcerned and wanting rest.
xxxxx“Aren’t you going to chase me?” a familiar young voice asked. I looked around and spotted a small brown bob quickly disappear behind the building’s corner. “The others said you would chase me,” she said again, sounding a bit disappointed.
xxxxx“Now, why would I chase you, fair maiden?” I called out, resting my head once again against the wall. The answering reply was faint, and slightly grumpy. I laughed a small laugh and painfully got to my feet, using the side of the building as support to make my way toward the girl’s corner.
xxxxxWhen I reached the corner, I leaned down, slowly poked my head around, and quietly said “Boo!” to the three or four children gathered there. They all went squealing away, and I smiled broadly at their innocence. I straightened and turned around, almost running into the chest of a very large and very angry villager.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict where only the strong survived. Strong in strength, the dragons commanded fear. Strong in majik, the elves demanded respect. Strong in arms, the humans dominated all. Strong in wit, the halfling avoided destruction. Strong in heart, the child asked for trust. The strong arms, majik, and strength thought nothing of the strong heart or the strong wit and discarded them to be trampled underfoot. The strong wit noticed this, and thought to better itself by becoming strong in arms, but none would take its plea, and so the strong heart was all that was left. So goes the story of old.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxMy wrists hurt. My throat was parched. I swear, these stockades were built too low to kneel and too high to sit. Sadly, they had become regular friends of mine as of late, as had Alice. The sight of the brown bobbed girl made me smile.
xxxxx“I brought a key!” she said happily. She always brought random keys when I was here, which had been fairly often since the army no longer wanted me and I had nowhere to go.
xxxxx“Why don’t we go give it back?” I suggested, letting her try the key before lifting the stocks off. I’d served my time already, so there was really no need to wait for the magister.
xxxxxWe walked through the village holding hands. She said it was for me, since I still limped quite a bit, but I went along with it. The village adults would not hurt me while the girl was present anyway, so it kept pain away for a while.
xxxxxToday, the key belonged to Alice’s mother, a surprise I was not entirely prepared for. The furious female of the large farmhouse came barreling out of the house, almost instantly chastising her daughter for a myriad of things, stealing, shirking of duties, and outright disobedience among the long list. I marveled at the words that flew from the woman’s mouth, and in my stunned state did not react in time.
xxxxxWith a sudden vengeance, the portly woman lashed out at her daughter. Alice did not cry out as the loud smack resounded, but the redness forming on her face gave testament to the strength behind the blow. As the angry woman raised her hand once more, I moved. I did not think, but simply stood staring in defiance at the suddenly flabbergasted woman.
xxxxx“I don’t know where she gets it,” I said quietly. How could such a wonderful child come from such a terrible woman? I turned and held out my hand. “Could you help me back?” I asked Alice. Her eyes darted from me to her mother before she quietly took my hand. As we started walking, I asked, “Is that where all those bruises come from?”
xxxxxAlice shook her head. “Sometimes Papa gets mad at Mama and me,” she said, “and sometimes I just fall.” I tightened my grip on the young girl’s hand. I couldn’t leave the child in such a household. It reminded me too much of my own childhood after the fires.
xxxxx“I have an idea,” I said, dropping to my uninjured knee so we could be eye level. Alice had to stop, but she didn’t look entirely at me as I continued. “If I said I could find us a place without bruises or angry Papas, would you come with me?” I asked quietly. This one girl had been the first to show me kindness in a long time, and I wanted to do something in return.
xxxxxAlice shifted on her feet, and I worried slightly. Would this innocent child come with me? I did not want to leave her, but I did not want to force her to go, either. Finally, she said, “Don’t tell Mama.” When she looked me in the eyes, hers were filled with tears, so I quietly reached up and brushed them away.
xxxxx“Alright,” I said, “I will take you to a place without bruises.” She smiled at me, but as she looked over my shoulder, her face blanched. I never knew what hit me.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict, and it destroyed the dreams of many. The strong lost dreams of peace as they fought, and the weak lost dreams of grandeur as devastation rocked the world. Somehow, a small dream began to form. A dream of peace and safety, of place where a halfling and a child could go without pain. The halfling vowed, and the strong of heart trusted. So goes the story of old.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxPain. That single sensation blocked out all semblance of thought. Agony burned away all other feeling. Torment, all focused on one place. I think i cried out, but the only thing in the world was the pain. Why? Hands held me down as I tried to escape the pain, then it moved away and I was allowed to pick up the pieces of myself that had been shattered. Suddenly, more pain, though not as intense as before. Why?
xxxxxI was roughly thrown into a stone cold room, and the sound of old metal creaked and clanged behind me. Rough voices called behind me, and curses about majik and kidnapping echoed around the dark cell until a heavy door thundered shut somewhere high above. The pain faded, though it remained present as ever. Why? I crawled to a pool of water fed by a leak and looked down. What I saw by the torchlight took my breath away.
xxxxxAngry and red, a mark stood boldly in the center of my forehead. It was crude, but the symbol was there. It was the symbol of traitors and miscreants and possessors. A large dot stood at the center with four pointed arms reaching for my brows and hairline. Just below my eyes were knife slits, the blood coagulating as I stared, incredulous. Had the mark not been enough?
xxxxxI crawled pitifully back from the light, wincing as my injured leg took my weight. What of Alice? Was she alright? I needed to get out, to fulfil my promise, but I didn’t try. What would she do if she saw me like this? I no longer looked like the halfling she had befriended. Could I stand it if she rejected me now? No. I couldn’t.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict where dreams were few and prejudices high. Every action was read twice and thrice over through muddy pools of popular beliefs. Elves were evil, conniving thieves to all but the elves. Dragons were power hungry war mongers to all but the dragons. Humans were ungrateful plotters to all but the humans. And what of the halfling? The halfling was judged to be both human and elf, though none of the glories of either. So goes the story of old.

❯᛫❮

xxxxxMany days passed, marked only by the progressively longer periods of time between one gruel and the next. My face had now mostly healed, though I no longer looked to the puddle, for fear of the deadly scars left behind.
xxxxxAn elder hurried to my cell, carrying a bright torch. He asked for my help in a desperate voice, to which I responded with silence. He offered freedom, wealth, anything I desired. I finally consented, and he dragged me into bright sunlight.
xxxxxThe scene was complete chaos. Men running everywhere, and others dashing for supplies. A familiar booming sound drummed my ears, and I looked with trepidation at the sky. Another dragon was coming.
xxxxxThe resulting conflict was terrible. The uneducated farmhands were slaughtered mercilessly, becoming obstacles for me as I sliced with my borrowed sword. One strike to the shoulder struck to bone, and the sword stuck as the dragon pulled away with a bellow of rage. It began stampeding, and I limped quickly, terrified at the direction it had taken.
xxxxxThe dragon’s talons crashed through the roof of the shelter, crushing stone and bone alike. Children wailed in the sudden confusion, and those unable to fight scattered from beneath the beast. Alice was not among them.
xxxxxI limped under the dragon, searching for and finally finding the brown bob and red tunic. Quickly, I tore her away from the sight of corpses, and together, we rolled to safety. Now, without a weapon and a terrified Alice cradled to my chest, the dragon turned.
xxxxxThere was no one left to fight it, and the only thing I could do was stare death in the eye.The dragon lowered its head and looked at us before it rumbled, “Don’t you fear death?”
xxxxxThe question was unexpected, and I hesitated in replying, “Great dragon, I have faced death my whole life. It no longer holds importance to me.” Alice trembled in my grasp, and I tightened my grip. “Spare this innocent! Her spirit has not been crushed by this accursed war!” I called out, protecting the child as much as I could. I had to do something for her.
xxxxxA strange look came over the dragon. It was something like regret mixed with resignation. Once more, it spoke. “May this be my final act in this war,” it trumpeted to the sky, “To spare a life instead of take it. This I, Majus, declare before the gods!”
xxxxxA sudden rush of wind created by wings, and the beast was gone. It flew with the weight of an entire village’s snuffed out souls, yet somehow its wings were light from the sparing of two. After a long silence for the realization to set in, I looked down to Alice in my arms and said quietly, “Ready to go on an adventure?”
xxxxxThe young girl reached up and gently traced the scar imprinted on my face, and I winced, having forgotten they were there. “Fierce protector,” she mumbled quietly, then stronger, “Let’s find the place with no bruises.”

❯᛫❮

xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict. No one cares to deny it. It was long and full of pain. It was shortly filled with times of love. It was harsh and souls barely survived. It was a never ending tide of dying dreams. But, amidst the chaos and the prejudice, the world moved on. Dragons were defeated and elves driven off the continent. Time moved on, and a halfling grew into a fierce protector, chasing a dream of peace and safety with the strongest heart determined to find the light in the dark. So goes the story of old.

((AN: I really enjoyed writing this one. It was difficult to get the "storyteller" sections to transfer from the past to the present and then into the future, but I think it actually worked pretty well! I may or may not follow the halfling and Alice at a later date, but at the moment, it's just this))

[BucketORandomness]

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Another amazing prompt by the same user/thread
The Journey

xxxxxDarkness clung to the walls like some possessive creature, reaching out to pull the Civati back into its protective safety. The darkness seemed to know of the terror lying above the ground, the danger hiding within the light. Of course, the Civati did not listen. She knew that her purpose here was more important than staying safe with her people. She wound through the tunnel as it twisted and turned, confident in the darkness. At the last corner, the darkness grudgingly gave up its hold on the being, though it stretched as far as it could until it dissolved into a hazy grey.
xxxxxThe being that stepped into the hazy light was dressed in a simple light grey tunic. In her hand was a walking cane of purest black, harvested from the grove of trees where her people lived. Across her shoulder rested a horn of purest silver, and it was with this horn that she marked her errand. The Civati raised a paper white hand, blemished only by a midnight blue insignia, and shielded her large, pale blue eyes from the alien and ghostly light. Her long hair hung straight down her back, its color reminiscent of the darkness she had lived in since birth. After a moment, she pulled a veil of the same cloth as her tunic over her eyes and carefully climbed up the rocks to the high spire that jutted out into the cavern.
xxxxx“Zemni-vat, envoy of the Civati people, hath come as requested by Majus, beast of the heavens. Upon what dost thou desire to converse?” the being announced into the cavern in a sonorous contralto. Zemni’s voice echoed in the aching emptiness, and for a moment it felt to her as if nothing existed but her voice and the stone beneath her bare feet. The echo faded away before a raspy rustling could be heard far below.
xxxxx“You came,” a rumbling voice replied, shaking the very stones with its vibrations. “I almost thought you would leave me. Zemni, I wish to discuss a pact of sorts.” Majus paused, nervously resettling his torn wings. Zemni stood, silently prodding him to continue. “I search for shelter, hopefully indefinitely,” he said, a hint of desperation entering his voice.
xxxxx“Majus, beast of the heavens, thou knowest to seek indefinite asylum with the Civati is akin to shunning the heavens themselves,” Zemni reproached gently. “No beast of heaven can truly be contented among us.” Why would one of the Overworld request sanctuary within the caverns and crevasses of The Mount? It was unheard of thus far in history.
xxxxx“Beast of the heavens,” Majus spat, a shower of sparks falling from his jaws, “The heavens shunned me first. My kind have started a war, and I am tired of fighting in it. The Civati are the only place left untouched. I ask again, please give me shelter.” An old wound flared in the fighter’s shoulder, and he acutely felt the tears within the membrane of his wings that would never let him fly again. “Please,” he whispered, “This is my last chance.”
xxxxxZemni stepped closer to the edge of the precipice and leaned out, shielding her eyes to get a better look at the dragon. Through her veil, she saw light fall through Majus’ wings, and a dark scar seemed to pulsate at his shoulder. Dark tales came with those scars. “Majus, thou hast acknowledged the Civati neutrality in matters pertaining to the Overworld. Wouldst thou be capable of refraining from bias as well? Wouldst thou be a valuable constituent of the Civati people?”
xxxxxMajus ground his teeth together. He had not anticipated such questions. “Zemni, I cannot lie. I still hold bias against certain others in my world, but I can also help. I can protect the Civati from outsiders, and I can heat your homes and melt metals. I can be a barrier once my scales harden finally at my eleventy-first hatching day. I can move mighty loads and help to build,” he said after a pause for thought.
xxxxxZemni looked silently at Majus standing before her with his head bowed in supplication. He had told the truth, which is all she had wanted from him. With a smooth motion, she brought the horn from her side to her lips and blew into it. The sound that came out was as pure as the silver it came from. Long, straight, and simple, the single note reverberated around the cavern, shaking stalactites into a vibrating chorus of tones. Among the glorious music came the distinct sound of stone sliding against stone. One side of the cavern had split apart to reveal a large tunnel sloping steeply down and into the safety of darkness.
xxxxxThe horn left her lips, and when the sound faded, she announced in a strong voice that carried to the heart of the earth, “Welcome, Majus-vat, member of the Civati!” Majus raised his head, stunned, and watched as the small Zemni agily made her way to the floor of the cavern. She motioned for him to follow, a grin peeking out from under her veil. Carefully, Majus followed the little Zemni, shortening his steps to keep her within sight. This became exponentially more difficult as the wall closed behind them, cutting off the outside light.
xxxxxZemni paused to remove her veil, glad to be back within the protective darkness. “This way,” she said before starting forward on quiet feet. Her brow furrowed in thought as she contemplated how to explain this to the others. Peku-vat most certainly would object.

↜↭↝

xxxxxThe tunnel emptied out into a large cave barely illuminated by softly glowing mosses and worms, the gentle tinkling of water providing a calming backdrop. At the center of the cave stood a small group of figures dressed in a style similar to Zemni. One of them stepped forward, his bushy red brows low over angry eyes.
xxxxx“Zemni-vat, what hast thou done? Is thine own mind with thee today? Thou knowest of the war and our neutrality, yet thou hast returned with one who participated in the fighting!” the man exclaimed, waving his arms emphatically. He then turned to the others still huddled behind him and declared, “I ascertained thusly before Zemni-vat’s election, did I not? She is not fit to be Guide!”
xxxxx“Peku-vat, neither jealousy nor pride become thee. I have Guided the Civati thus far, and shall continue as best I am able,” Zemni said, gently putting a hand on the peeved man’s shoulder. Turning to the rest of the gathered, she said, “Welcome Majus-vat. He hath offered to Guard.”
xxxxxThe gathered, including Peku, gasped, and whispers broke out to join the water’s cheerful bubbling. Majus carefully lowered his head and rumbled quietly, “Is something wrong?” Zemni patted the dragon’s snout and made a hushing gesture before turning to the others gathered before them.
xxxxx“Allow us passage, and the Civati will be Guarded once more,” she said. The group before her quickly parted, albeit Peku reluctantly.

↜↭↝

xxxxx“The Civati began as a people of the Overworld who dwelt with the moon instead of the sun,” Zemni explained as they walked down a corridor almost too small for Majus. “Born of the dreams of others, they reveled in the newness of night, where possibilities are endless.” The corridor definitely felt endless to Majus, but he held his tongue.
xxxxx“Others shunned and despised the Civati because of their strangeness, and eventually we came to dwell here, within the protection of The Mount,” Zemni continued, waiting for Majus ahead in the tunnel. “They soon discovered our origins and exploited our weakness, as our dreams are our physical lifelines, closely akin to a beating heart,” she said, pulling out an orb that pulsed slowly with an ethereal midnight blue light. Zemni turned and placed her dream against the wall, and the outline of a large door began to glow with the same ethereal light.
xxxxxWhen the doors opened, a rainbow of soft light cascaded from a large and long corridor. The walls were carved with shelves, and all of them were filled with pulsating orbs like the one Zemni held. “The Civati of old ordained a Guard to protect all their dreams, though none hath come forth to reclaim the position since the last one bequeathed their dream to another. This is what thou wilst protect for the endurance of thine stay, Majus-vat” she said, squinting up at him.

↜↭↝

xxxxxOf course, Majus did not start by guarding the Dream Vault. He started by guarding the main entrance and learning the customs of the people. The Civati enjoyed both Silence and Song, and times were set up specifically for both. After some stern instruction from the rigid Peku, Majus learned to walk lightly during Silence, and he even joined his reverberating bass to the harmonies of the Civati during Song.
xxxxxHis diet consisted of mostly fungus and plants now, with the occasional fish thrown in for flavor. Majus quickly realized that asking for anything more resulted in flinty glares and whispered remarks of “mongrel dragons.” He desperately missed the taste of venison, and occasionally he thought of sneaking back to the Overworld to just get a taste. Reason luckily kept him under the mountain.

↜↭↝

xxxxxMajus walked through a few of the hastily enlarged tunnels on his way to the most recent building project. Many Civati had been spawned since his coming, and the cave system needed to be expanded to accommodate the growing population. His constant hard work had earned him the favor of most of the Civati, and he tried to repay their kindness of sanctuary as best he could.
xxxxx“Didst thou hear of the elven cousins?” one Civati whispered, perking Majus’s ears in curiosity. “A tragedy,” another whispered. It felt as if the conversation would continue, but the silver horn sounded the start of Silence, and the conversation stopped quickly. The tone reminded Majus of the first time he had heard the sound of that silver horn. Zemni still visited him on occasion, though recently they had been drifting further apart.
xxxxxMajus finished his labor and traversed back to his now regular post by the Dream Vault. The passage had been widened by the friction of his scales against the rock until it was smooth.
xxxxxHe learned that the personality of a Civati could be traced back to the kind of dream they came from. Peku’s was a fairly violent dream, and some of the happier dreams spawned optimistic Civati. Zemni’s, though, was special. Majus had examined every orb within the Vault and had yet to see one the color of midnight blue.
xxxxxEchoes came from down the corridor, and words eventually became apparent in the general din that was the earth moving. That particular sound was magnified during Silence, and it put his teeth on edge to hear the rocks over his head resettle or the layers under his feet shift.
xxxxx“All gone,” said the echoes, “The fault is their own! . . . Be not offensive, honored one.” One of the voices sounded like Peku, one of the Civati who still begrudged Majus his trust. The dragon wondered what he could be talking about briefly before his staple meal arrived with one of the happier Civati, though her smile seemed slightly forced.
xxxxxMany years passed, though the passing of time was lost on Majus. Sometime in the duration of his stay, his eleventy-first hatch day had passed, marked only by a noticeable stiffening in his scales. The Mount groaned more often, and the Dream Vault was expanded. Majus was counting the softly glowing orbs as he had begun to do on a regular basis when a polite cough came from the front of the Vault.
xxxxxThere stood a tall Civati with a simple light grey tunic. In her hand was a walking cane of purest black, harvested from the grove of trees that grew nearby. Across her shoulder rested a horn of purest silver. The Civati raised a wrinkled white hand, blemished only by a midnight blue insignia, and shielded her large, pale blue eyes from the light of so many dreams. Her long hair hung straight down her back, its color so white it almost glowed.
xxxxx“Majus-vat,” she said, her voice no longer clear, but still as strong as the day she had called him. Zemni-vat? When had she gotten to be so aged? “Majus-vat, there is a thing I need to discuss with thee,” she said.
xxxxxMajus sat and lowered his head to her level in respect. “What is it you wish to converse about, Zemni?” he asked softly. It must be important for her to break Silence like this.
xxxxxZemni paused before continuing. “Majus-vat, thou hast served us Civati well. My dream hath begun to grow cold, and I fear I will no longer be able to Guide the Civati.” Zemni paused for breath and pulled out her midnight blue dream. It’s pulsing glow was now fluttering and barely lit up Zemni’s hand.
xxxxx“The Civati hath grown beyond that which The Mount can sustain,” she said. “The Mount groans, and soon will fall in on all the Civati if we do not relocate.” Zemni looked at Majus carefully, pain in her eyes. “The Civati must leave The Mount to inhabit somewhere new, but I will not survive to see it happen,” she said, caressing the guttering orb.
xxxxx“Mine own dream is unique,” Zemni said. Majus was confused by the change in subject, but he let it be. “It is an ominous dream, one that giveth premonitions of the future.” After a moment, she slowly moved to Majus’s side. She reached a tired hand and held the dream on Majus’s forehead, then moved the silver horn to her lips.
xxxxxInstead of the pure tone from their first encounter, the sound that came from the horn was three wailing blasts that reverberated around the Vault. In a flash of light, Zemni’s dream melded itself to Majus’ forehead, and in the following echo, a small voice said from far, far away, “Majus, I bequeath mine own dream to thee. Guard faithfully and Guide wisely.”
xxxxxFutures lay before Majus, and he scampered to his feet, trying to understand them all. He quickly collected the Civati and gave them their dreams to carry. It took some time, but he convinced them to leave. They all packed what they thought they would need for the journey in the Overworld and headed to the surface, veils drawn protectively over their eyes. Majus was the last to leave, a small horn of purest silver clutched in his claws and some few precious seeds taken from the grove of black trees. With a glance over his shoulder, he trumpeted a call of nine in hurried succession, and the Civati traversed the night of the Overworld for the first time in millennia. The Mount crumbled behind them days later, compromised by all the tunnels and caverns created during Majus’ duties as Guard.
xxxxxMajus-vat led the Civati for many generations, and the positions of Guide and Guard merged into one. Majus held the first position with the help of Zemni’s dream until he could no longer protect the Civati in their new home from the war that still raged in the Overworld. Now, all male holders are named Majus-vat, and those females who take up the position are named Zemni-vat in memory of the two who began the journey to find a new home for the Civati. All are spawned of a midnight blue dream and carry a horn of purest silver, whose sound echoes through the ages to that first encounter long, long ago.

((AN: This story was actually difficult to write. I originally had it ending with the "Welcom, Majus-vat" bit, but my editor thought there was definitely something I could have done after that, and it challenged my brain to come up with something after I had finished it. Yes, this is the same Majus from the last story. This one, though, was written before that one, even if it falls here chronologically. This is another possible story set I could follow should I ever so choose. The Chronicles of Majus or something. Mayhaps at a later date I shall write about what happened between Fierce Protection and The Journey. Also, yes, I am in the process of making a Civati adoptable on the Oekaki. I as of yet have not started it, however, but the idea is there.))

[BucketORandomness]

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The off-site prompt
[insert amazing title here]

xxxxxThe hot air feels heavy under the canopy attempting to act as shade. It was not working too well, but at least I am not laboring in the pit today. Of course, that does mean I have to stay up here and answer dull questions from ignorant fops who think highly enough of themselves to fund my dig. Another dull question, another upturned nose, and too many suits. I sincerely hope these ignoramuses do not think I am going to provide air conditioning for them. Did these fools expect the wilderness to cater to their comfort?
xxxxxAn old friend comes stumbling in then, a little breathless and wild-eyed. “Supervisor,” Stephano says, using my official position title, “you need to come see this!” Curiosity is one of my shortcomings, but I suppose it is what got me interested in archeology in the first place. At least I am not a cat.
xxxxxI make a few drab excuses and follow Stephano down into the dig site. Completely by accident, my team had found a series of ancient cities, towns, and villages built on top of each other, and we are close to thirty-five feet deep now. The trip to the bottom is not especially long, but the incline is steep. At the bottom, I can see a crowd of archaeologists gathered at one end of the site. My curiosity increases immensely at what could divert so many dedicated archaeologists all at once.
xxxxxMy friend leads me through, the throng parting at his request. At the front, I see the foundations someone has been working to excavate. In the exact center stands a hole. I pull out my flashlight and shine it into the strangely perfect square and reveal inside it a set of curving steps. They seemed in pristine condition, and I feel the urge to explore and find out more.
xxxxx“Follow me,” I say to Stephano as I carefully descend into the darkness. He adds his light to mine, and soon we are at the bottom. A door of perfectly preserved wood and intricate engravings greets us as my friend pulls out his notebook. “Akkadian,” he mutters as he begins to translate. “Read nu gig, but is,” Stephano intones. “Nu gig does not have a translation yet,” he explains before I can think to ask. Slowly, we work the door open, and a rush of stale air greets us.
xxxxxWith a glance, we decide to move in, shining our lights around the interior of the next chamber. The walls are illuminated, and I inhale sharply at what is revealed. Parchment and tablets fill the honeycombed stone walls, and I gingerly walk over and look at the collection. It was a treasure trove, and archaeologist’s dream come true! Here was an entire library preserved for thousands of years documenting an entire community’s way of life, practices, beliefs, everything!
xxxxxAs I slowly reach out as if to touch the fragile parchments, Stephano calls out behind me. I turn and see his light trained on an alcove. In the alcove stood a single parchment on display. We both move towards it and find writing in a much older tongue than the Akkadian on the door. I scan my eyes over the mysterious words, desparately wondering what they say.
xxxxxThe sound I hear is like a ripping, clawing sound. In the quiet, such a small sound travels fast. Quickly, I spin around and see, to my horror, one of the precious parchments on the floor, slowly tearing itself in two as a hideous creature emerges from the tear. More tearing sounds come from around the room as each parchment decides to give up its contents. Tablets fall to the floor and shatter, their pieces reforming into hideous monsters of their own.
xxxxxThe sounds intensify as the creatures find their voices. At first, it is just snuffling and shuffling, then it turns to cries and roars as the creatures realize their individual imprisonments. In a sudden rage, the creatures tear at their literature and at each other with fangs and talons. I would have stared at the creatures indefinitely, thinking this all some kind of dream gone wrong had it not been for my friend’s cry of pain.
xxxxxI spin again and see my friend clasped in the grasp of a terrifying vine. The thorns impale the meat of his leg, and his veins bloom black in a terrifying flower around the point of contact. I backpedal and follow the path of the vine with my eyes. There! Their source was the parchment displayed in the alcove!
xxxxxI dash to the parchment. Maybe if I tear it to shreds, the vines will disappear. To my dismay, as soon as I touch the parchment, more vines sprout to wrap around my wrist and a strange, luminous blue rose sprouts. Pain engulfs me as I pull away, dropping my light and cradling my already black arm.
xxxxxAn echoing crash and a distant scream later, the door is closed and my friend lies on the floor. Or is he standing above one of the monsters? When did my friend pull out a sword? Wherever he had found it, it needed to be cataloged.
xxxxxThe flowers quickly fill the small room with a heady aroma as the thorny vines continue reaching, probing. Suddenly, I am on the floor, staring at a set of gleaming teeth as more vines wrap around my arms and legs.
xxxxxIn a daze, I hear a strangely pronounced clinking. Looking around, my eyes find a manacle attached to the monster on top of me. I dimly follow its path back into the parchment from whence the creature had emerged. “Strange,” I say, or maybe I only think it, “Chains.”

*&*&*

xxxxxThe archaeological dig-site is a barren wasteland now. Those who had once worked it now live at home, telling their grandchildren of the time two of their number descended into the dark, never to return. When an investigation had been sent to discover the fates of the Supervisor and Stephano later that evening, all they recovered were claw marks on the door, some blood on the floor, and one flashlight amidst a room of torn parchments and fractured tablets. Today, the door to that chamber lies buried once more, its warning gleaming blood red, “Read what is not evil, but is.” Now, a new inscription burns itself into the floor of the cursed chamber, picked out by the wavering beam of a long-dead flashlight: “Curiosity killed the cat.”

((AN: This was the first entry in a competition on the other site, and it was surprisingly difficult to write. I normally write fantasy worlds with dragons and stuff, but this one I tried to make into a more modern-ish time set, which also came out kinda rough around the edges >.< I really can't see anything that could continue from this, unless it is an explanation of what the scrolls and tablet were, but that kinda feels like it would be more of a historical report instead of a story. The competition is currently "in-progress" though the rules keep changing, so I'm not sure it still counts as the same competition.))

[BucketORandomness]

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The interesting prompt ((off-site))
The Campfire

Hello! I was pretty proud of this one, so I've moved it over to my Deviantart account. Sad to miss it? I'm using the same username, so let me know if you come find me >^.^< Remember, y'all are lovely people.

((AN: So, this was round 2 of the aforementioned writing competition. It's one of my mom's my peers' favorite stories because of the perspective, and I might, possibly, make a story based on maybe a traveler finding the remains and/or baby, though the actual probability of that happening is realistically nearing zero. I really enjoyed writing this one. Might try the inanimate object perspective again sometime!))

[BucketORandomness]

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The Shadow King's Prompt

The Journal

The library was dusty, dark, and full of secrets. The main one Carmani found was a surplus of packrat dens, which she had to break down regularly. Really, when she had signed up to become to capital’s assistant librarian, she hadn't expected she would be working through the Preparation. Halloween season was almost here, and she was so busy dusting shelves, she couldn't even make a pumpkin lantern! Angrily, she snatched a random book off the top shelf, desperately needing a distraction. She took the old, hand bound book to one of the well lit reading nooks spread throughout the library and turned to the first page.
»!?!«
Journal entry £€¥:
Today was wonderful! I helped make some decorations for Halloween season, and I even finished my chores early! I went to town and explored some of the other houses. Hermalon’s house seems to be focusing on scaring the villagers this year instead of the foreign figures that always come on the last day. That’s always been my favorite part—watching the figures walk around town. The King calls them “humans,” but most of the others call them “apparitions.” Anyway, I stayed at Hermalon’s place for a while and got to help them test out some new treats. I even managed to swipe their famous recipe! I can't wait to try it out later. Between me and the pages, Hermalon is really cute. I know he and his family moved to the village just a couple of years ago, but he’s so nice, and the way shadows just roll right to him is so incredible! I stayed a bit late and had to run home through The Mist. It glowed really strangely, but I made it home alright. My caretakers were worried, but I wasn't hurt. What’s up with this fog, anyway? Sure, it glows, but can it really be as bad as they say?
~Mordue~
»¡¿¡«
The small book trembled in Carmani’s hand, and she dropped it, surprised. It fell to the floor by her feet, and a blurry mass seeped from the pages and began to glow slightly, hovering above the book. Carmani tried to pick up the book again, but a slight hissing made her pull back. The pages turned on an unseen breeze, and the mass above the book began to speak in a juvenile voice.
»?!?«
Journal entry £€€:
The village has gotten really quiet lately. Sure, while the light outside is strong and everyone is awake, there is chatter and laughter, but it all feels forced. It's as if the adults are trying to pretend people aren't going missing. Well, I can't do that. They say it's some elaborate trick by the Borek bunch, but then why would Hermalon go with them? He’s always been subdued and more treat-oriented than the rest of his family, but he’s the one who disappears? He would never do that! It’s still a long ways off until he was ready to start making costumes for when the humans come, and he would never leave his treats unfinished like he did! I don’t get it! I don't care what the adults say—I know something happened to Hermalon, and I’m going to find him!
~Mordue~
»¿¡¿«
The apparition on top of the book grew some definition. Whoever was being projected looked to be some kind of shade. They were definitely a denizen of the shadow realm, and the way they talked about this Hermalon figure… “Mordue,” Carmani whispered, “This was written by Mordue?” She was puzzled, for she thought she knew the name. Her mind continued to contemplate that name as the book flipped to a new entry and began reading again.
»!?!«
Journal entry €£¥:
Basilisk eggs, chimera milk, wolfbane butter, sugar drops, waterflour, and a chocolate whisp. Those are the ingredients for Hermalon's treats. Where in the world did they even get these ingredients? I went out into the forest to look for something like chimera or basilisk tracks, but I couldn't find anything like those. The trip to the woods was fairly boring, except The Mist rolled in while I wasn't looking. It glows green now. Last time it was a pumpkin-y color, but today it was green. That, and I heard voices in it out there in the woods. Something about going in tomorrow, talking to “The Head” or something, and a weird poem thing. I think it went: “Day into night, taverns of light, the fog rolls slowly in. Pumpkins and cats, cider and bats. Here's where the fun begins. Ebony down blankets the town as shadows flit to and fro. An arrow shaft cuts off a laugh, shot from an ethereal bow.” I wish the King were here. He would know how to solve this problem, and he could find Hermalon. But, since the King is away on kingdom business, I’m going to pack some treats and go after those voices in the fog tomorrow. They might know where my friend is.
~Mordue~
»¡¿¡«
As the pages of the journal turned once more, the figure hovering above the pages resolved into a vampire boy standing amidst a swirling mass of fog that gave off an eerie purple light. He was dressed in simple jeans, ripped and obviously mended many times over with care. Over a dirt stained shirt the figure wore a thick black cloak and hood designed for long travel. Carmani gasped. She knew that head of spiked red hair! “Mordue!” she exclaimed, putting her hands to her mouth, “Of course!” Sure, the image she knew depicted him as quite a bit older, this had to be the same Mordue that saved the second shadow King so many thousands of years ago! How could this journal be in the library? It needed to be in the current King’s own hands! She quickly reached down to grab the book, but pulled back with a cry of pain as the pages began to turn again.
»?!?«
Journal entry €£€:
I followed The Mist today. When I stopped for a treat, a few figures walked out of the glowing wall. I was so surprised, I almost didn't recognize the youngest of the Boreks was one of them. They didn’t look exactly solid, and they all carried bows and strangely vacant expressions. A column of The Mist broke off and began to lead the ones with bows, so I followed. If this was a Borek trick, they were going to extreme lengths to perform it. Either way, we walked through the forest for a long ways and came across what looks like a Mirror lake. The Mist column stopped at the edge and a voice said
”The drifting mist
Does not desist
and the victims become one of those
serving a thing
With velvet wings
and shooting with ethereal bows
He and his friends
Run ‘till it ends—
all paths converge to one—
The spot they have gone
sits next to the dawn.
Go see the pompous sun.”
I am going to follow these figures into the lake, now. I will leave this journal here, in case I can't come back from the dawn. Should I survive, I will write down what transpired in the Mirror lake.
~Mordue~
»¿¡¿«
Carmani sat, shivering, as the image of Mordue grew. It both grew in size and maturity until it resembled the portrait hanging in every museum in the kingdom, albeit with more bloodstains on his now too small clothes. The librarian whimpered in pain as she looked at her hands. They were severely burned, and now she feared what else this book might do. The pages turned once more, and Carmani watched in amazement as the words the projected Mordue spoke etched themselves in a red deeper than crimson.
»!?!«
The Mirror lake is a dangerous place. I am afraid I must ask you to go to it. Quickly now. Each Mirror lake leads to a different place, and this one has a terrible secret—one that seeks to take over our own—and I’m positive it will make its move soon. When I went in, everything glowed a painful gold and red, orange and yellow mixed in, and everything was so hot. I followed the Borek youngling and the others to a castle made entirely of glass, and it shone so brightly, I could hardly look at it. Even so, I followed the figures inside, and eventually to the throne room. It was tall and massive and every step echoed in its vastness. Sitting on the throne was a figure black as a shade. The light seemed to bend toward him in an attempt to make his blackness brighter. It failed, and so it seemed the figure ate the light around him. The figures that I had been following fell to their knees and offered up their bows to him. The figure on the throne stood, and his silhouette stretched. He walked down to those kneeling, and my blood stilled at the voice of that man as he thanked them for their service. He turned to the column of The Mist that had followed us through and made a gesture, to which the column responded by jumping on and enveloping the kneeling supplicants. When it lifted and returned to its previous position, all that remained were the bows and a few drops of blood. The shadow figure chastised the column for making such a mess and touched it. The screams that came from The Mist were many voices crying out in agony, and the figure’s touch absorbed the column of mist entirely. “I am sorry, your Majesty,” the shadow said, and it was only then that I realized that the Shadow King sat proudly in a gilded cage, swaying softly from the ceiling so high up. I cried out involuntarily, and both of them heard me. The shadow laughed, and my King looked away indifferently. “It seems we still have some fun,” it said in a slithering voice. I ran, cowardly, and the shadow simply walked after me with its chilling words. “Do please take care. I meant to scare, but it’s so fun when they run.” The castle of glass is large, and I got lost in it many times. At some point, I burst through a door and found myself on a balcony overlooking the throne room from above. I saw the King’s cage, and I heard the shadow behind me, so I jumped. I almost didn't make it, but somehow I managed to grab onto the cage’s bars on my way by. The King looked surprised, and I quickly apologized as I crawled around the cage. The door was right below me—I could get out!—but the King was still locked away. I hurriedly found the door to the King’s cage and found it locked. Using a trick from home, I inserted one of my teeth into the keyhole and began working at it to undo the lock. Just as I finished, the shadow came in and surprised me. I jerked away, breaking my tooth in the process. At least the King was free, and we both jumped down to the floor of the throne room and ran for the exit, the shadow close behind. As we came close to the door, the shadow jumped in front of us. “Payment I seek. Please don’t be meek. Only one will leave alive,” it said. I contemplated giving the King back, but instead stepped forward. “Fine then, take me,” I said, “Let the King leave!” The shadow nodded and stepped aside as the King hastily left the blinding castle. “Now you will always be mine,” the shadow whispered, but I did something he did not expect. I jumped at him and sunk my remaining tooth into the shadow’s form. We struggled there in that castle, but I persevered, even as velveteen wings and seering claws tore at me. Much like what I do to feed, I pulled at the shadow’s form, drinking its essence as I would blood. Since it was only one tooth, though, it was not a true vampire bite, so the figure died by my hands. The shadow, though, lives on, and it searches for another like Hermalon.
~Mordue~
»¡¿¡«
With a shuddering flash, Carmani found herself stumbling into a foreign room. It was carpeted in a style she hadn't seen before, and there seemed to be miniature suns embedded into the low ceiling. Slowly she opened the only door she could see and walked into a similar room. With a start, she realized the current shadow King was there, and she bowed hastily. “Your Majesty,” she said shakily. She realized she held a book in her hands, old and small and hand bound, and she gasped. “Your Majesty, urgent news from the castle!” Carmani said, holding out the Journal of Mordue.

((AN: Ok. This honestly makes a lot more sense if you read the prompt. The user who writes these off-site competition prompts refers to himself a lot as "The Shadow King" so Carmani is talking directly to that particular user in our world at the end. Also, for those who didn't catch my admittedly subtle hints, Hermalon was possessed by the shadow. At least, that's what it was supposed to be. I think I've gotten better at the hinting thing with my more recent stories, and this one is admittedly rough. I see no future in continuing this story line at the current time, even though Carmani is a fantabulous name >^.^<))

[BucketORandomness]

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((This is going to be a huge work in progress whose inspiration was from a dream, so hey! Who knows what'll happen next? >^.^< As always, advice is appreciated))
((Edit: This is still a WIP, but it's a lot longer and more developed than this. I didn't want to post it all as one giant and too-long post. If you would like to read more, I have a few things scattered in the coming posts, or you could check out the thread linked at the top of the page))
Copper

xxxxxx"Copper! What are you doing?! This isn't like you!" A voice cried out beside me as I dragged the stumbling Noble along. He tried to stop. To pull back. To let go. I refused, and I felt the metal around me coming alive at my touch and tying his hand to mine. "Please, Copper! Let's go back to Camp!" He wasn't running. Why wasn't he running?!
xxxxxx"I am going to see the sky, Noble!" I cried, heaving him forward once more, "I'm not going back to that prison!" Finally! I had enough metal! As we ran, I began constructing an orb of living metal spread out in a web-like pattern. Artificial lighting flew by as the orb started to get the idea and began running, Noble and I bouncing inside.
xxxxxxSirens blared behind us. I glanced back through the artificial night and my flying green and blue hair. I really should have tied it before running! "IB.11-29, release your hostage, VIIIA.18-2! You are surrounded!" I looked at the weight on my arm as Noble started trying to reason with me again.
xxxxxx"Fine, Commander!" I called over my shoulder. I kindly smiled at Noble for the last time and dropped him as I jumped. My metal orb became a springboard that catapulted me towards that dark dome so far above. Shots fired beneath me. My metal became a shield instead. It quickly lost contact and fell toward the ground now far, far below. A lifeless slab.
xxxxxx"Noble!" I cried. It was falling right toward Noble! I had no more time to think, though. I hit the dome. The metal support beams came alive at my touch. Soon we had rent a hole large enough to escape through, though the chase wasn't over yet. Cries and gunshots followed me as I escaped through the wasteland surrounding Camp, gathering the bits and pieces of scrap metal from the ground as I fled. Oh! I hope Noble is alright!

𒃽🜤

xxxxxxThe day was warm and the sun was bright as it shone through the protective webbing of the Living Orb. It seemed to Sirius that the web was a little stiffer than normal today, and he wondered about the phenomenon as he gathered in the nuts that had recently fallen from the trees at the Orb's base. Reverently, he pushed a spare piece of metal into the huge column connected to the Orb. There was some resistance at first, but then the column gave way, and it felt as if Sirius was suddenly pushing through water.
xxxxxxWhen his ancestors had first found the Orb, they had attempted to remove it from their herds' pasture. Their bullets were just absorbed, and even one of their guns became part of the Orb. Soon enough, though, another herdsman appeared and tried to fight for one of the last places left for animals after the War to Destroy Worlds. Apparently, way back then, people had bombs that could hurt long years after detonation, and because so many of them went off in the war, things on the surface were just now becoming what the history books said the world had once been.
xxxxxxParents always told their children of the terrors of too much too quickly, though most people around most of the world still thought of it as a fable. Sirius and the others in his community, though, had the Living Orb as proof of what could happen if things got too out of hand. The Orb ate metal and absorbed some other substances, then turned the concoction into a living...thing that seemed to have a mind of its own. Looking up once more at the Orb, Sirius contemplated what it could have been designed for. Probably not this, since the War had made the Orb, and all it did now was protect a valley and the surrounding mountains.
xxxxxxThe Living Orb really was a sight to behold. Supported by the main column in the center of the valley, the Orb was suspended high into the air, with large spoke-like beams of metal jutting out of it and into the surrounding mountains. Somewhere between the beams and the mountains rose a web-like wall of living metal that seemed to reach through the very heavens.
xxxxxxSirius shuddered slightly at the memory of a daring outsider who had tried to fly over the wall. The Living Orb had given off a strange whistle, the wall had bent, and a terrified pilot and been gently let down the wall, screaming something about his plane dissolving. Sometimes, the wall shudders, and more strange plastic-like scraps are found at the base of the wall as testament that more goes on beyond the clouds than what can be seen.
xxxxxxWith a quick glance around, Sirius placed his gathered supplies at the base of the main column and readied himself. Today would definitely be the day! After backing up for a running start and another cursory look around, Sirius ran at the column and leaped. He made it higher than normal, but the slick metal was impossible to get a grip on, and he soon fell to the ground below.
xxxxxxThe second try at climbing the column ended much the same way. So did the third. Sirius was about to give up when the ground vibrated briefly, and a set of rungs appeared on the column. Dumbfounded, Sirius grabbed one and tested his weight. Small metal tendrils hesitantly reached out for his hand, but they pulled back when he did. How strange.
xxxxxxA quick contemplation was not entirely forgone as Sirius climbed the ladder the Orb itself had created for him. What in the world could this mean? As far as he knew, the Living Orb had never interacted in such a way as it was now. A little more than curious, Sirius climbed. Though it was a long way up, he seemed to make it to the top of the column in no time at all. Had the Orb been helping him?
xxxxxxExhilarated as he was, Sirius now felt stuck. When he looked down, there were no more rungs to climb down, but there was nowhere left to climb when he looked up. It was in his growing panic that the Orb chimed softly above his head. A tendril snaked out from the Orb proper and cautiously felt his hand once more. Sirius knew he had no choice but to wait if he didn't want to fall to his death.
xxxxxxA moment of exploration led to a gentle but insistent pull on his hand. The rung he was holding on to began to move on its own, and the tendril gently tied his hand to it. More tendrils came out, and before he had even thought to be terrified, he was kneeling on one of the beams radiating from the Orb. The metal was still wrapped around his hand, though it felt more securing than confining.
xxxxxxCautious of sudden movement, Sirius leaned over and placed his hand carefully on the Living Orb. His eyes widened as the Orb vibrated softly, then began to give way. Was it going to eat him?! The thought made him stop his hand's movement. The metal around his skin began to heat up, then it began to flow. It wasn't the easy water consistency of absorbing metal, but more akin to syrup on a hot day.
xxxxxxTo his amazement, once the metal made it to his wrist, he felt nothing but empty air inside the Orb. When he thought he couldn't get any more surprised, something very warm and very familiar held his hand, exploring his fingers like a child. With surprise, he realized there must be a whole body on the inside of the Orb. What if they needed help and couldn't get out?!
xxxxxxThe next time those curious fingers met his, he grabbed at them and tried to pull them out. The Orb vibrated a panicked tone as the hand inside pulled itself away, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground once more, gathered nuts in hand, and facing distinctly away from the Living Orb. What had that been about?

𒃽🜤

xxxxxxWhat had that been about? It had felt kind of like a bear ran into my--
xxxxxxA shudder passed through my living metal once more, and I stumbled slightly. A third time? Was something trying to tear down my metal? Maybe...I told the metal beneath me to see if the thing running into my metal wanted to climb. It was the only reasonable explanation I could think of for the thing down below to keep at it. If, of course, the thing could reason.
xxxxxxA slight tug on what I assume is the ladder caught my curiosity. This grip was strong! The being at the base of my metal began to climb, but it was taking so long, and my own curiosity had been peeked. Quietly, I pulled the rungs up as the being climbed. I also told the rungs below to sink back in and help me move the creature. What would want to climb my metal so badly as to run itself into my metal multiple times?
xxxxxxWhen the thing reached my protective orb, I paused. Last time I had let someone in was...I can't even remember the last time I did this! My confused curiosity was echoed by my metal, and the resulting chime was something almost soothing. I stretched out once more to explore the thing hanging by my cocoon of safety.
xxxxxxMy metal moved before I thought I knew what I wanted, and I hurriedly moved the metal closest to the being outside to cradle it onto a more secure surface. It was much bigger than I had anticipated, so I kept my metal carefully tied to it in case something happened. What the creature outside actually did was quite surprising to say the least.
xxxxxxMy metal wanted me to let this creature push its way into my protective sphere, but I hesitated as memories filled me with doubt.

xxxxxx"Keep going! We must penetrate the barrier created by IB.11-29." So many voices. Grinding. Invasion. Danger! "The experiment is going better than planned, Commander!"
xxxxxxA sudden stop. A hand. Soon, a face. "Noble?" I ask. The face smiles gratefully and offers me a hand out.

xxxxxxNoble? Could it really be Noble? I grudgingly let the hand through, careful to keep the rest of the being outside. Cautiously, I reach out and touch the fingers, one by one. They definitely felt real! But, these fingers...they were too dark for Noble. Could he have gotten tanned? I tried putting my hand against theirs for a size comparison when the hand suddenly grabbed at mine!

xxxxxx"Copper! What are you doing?! This isn't like you. Please, Copper! Let's go back to Camp!"

"I'm not going back to that prison!"

xxxxxx"No!" I cried, and I pulled away frantically. Not again! They can't have found me!
xxxxxxMy metal responded quickly, sounding a wavering alarm that made me anxious. I quickly made a net with my metal and dropped the person outside to the ground. Another wavering tone, and my metal worked on its own and brought the human something, spun it, and retreated with a calming tremor.
xxxxxxI sat, huddled in my orb and surrounded by the cords of my metal. "Noble," I whispered, and only then did I realize how wet my face had become.

𒃽🜤

xxxxxxSirius attempted to climb the column of the Living Orb for many days after his incident. No matter what he did, however, the metal seemed to slip and slide under his hands and run away from him. It confused him to no end. Why would a person be inside that orb, yet not want to come out? That, and how in the heavens someone could survive inside the Orb was beyond him. Maybe that person inside was what powered the Orb? Sirius shook his head emphatically. That reason made even less sense. No person could survive out here from before the air was safe and still be alive today!
xxxxxxHe gave up and traversed back to the main square of his small city. Apparently, outsiders had come today while he was at the column, and everyone was busy making gifts and goods. A spoon here, a small statue there. Really, those outsiders were messing up things in the small city. Nobody ever made frugal things like they were now before the traders came from across the wall. What kind of traders carried no goods to find customers in the middle of nowhere?
xxxxxxSirius was coerced into carving statuettes for the trade, and he resigned himself to his fate. Time seemed to move at once too fast and too slow. Talk and stories went around circles of similar and worn out topics. Rumors of these traders and their metal bits rotated amidst the groups, and it was to these whispers that Sirius listened most intently.
xxxxxxHis comrades said that the outsiders had brought large machines they were willing to trade for, and that all they were really looking for in return was a special ore. Something stronger than the typical magnesium alloy used in the War. These claims of a mysterious ore sounded implausible, especially to the older members of the small city.
xxxxxxSirius sighed and looked at his creation. It hadn't turned out as expected. Instead of the bird he had been attempting, it had turned into more of a stylistic arc. After a moment of contemplation, Sirius slipped the failed bird into a pocket and rose from his sitting position. A few excuses later, and he was quickly jogging his way to the main column of the Living Orb. He paused along the way and brought out his carving knife. Maybe he could go with the arc theme. Sirius, now walking, began to carve a few more details into what was becoming a swirling pattern on the arc. He stopped at the base of the column and looked at the piece of wood in his hand. Would this even work?
xxxxxxDubiously, Sirius stepped up to the pillar and pushed the carving into the column, as if it were a piece of metal for the Orb. The metal absorbed the carving like it would metal, but it didn't stay there. Sirius chuckled softly as the carving was hesitantly pushed out again, as if to say, "Excuse me, but are you sure you meant this thing?"
xxxxxxSirius gripped the carving and once more pushed it into the column, gently moving his hand in a tossing motion as if he were throwing the carving up the column. His movement was at first slowed to the same syrup consistency from his time with the Orb proper. The carving left his hand, though, and it didn't come out again, so Sirius took that as a good sign. He left with a smile and a quiet tune humming on his lips.
xxxxxxNew rumors spread about at his return, though; something about an emissary who could contact the Orb and declare its intentions to those living within its protection. However rampant and hushed these new rumors were, there was always more work to be done. The rest of the day was spent getting ready for a trade attempt through the wall. Sirius was somewhat doubtful that anything would go through the Orb's wall, especially those metal bits and pieces the outsiders were offering as payment.

𒃽🜤

xxxxxxI started slightly at the introduction of a new, quiet rumbling through my metal. Slowly, I uncurled myself and watched in perplexedness as a foreign object made its way through the floor of my orb. I was confused why my metal would chose to bring me this. It was obviously not metal, but the substance was familiar in some strange way. Where had I seen this before? I tried to put my finger on that specific memory as I observed it further. The swirling designs caught the attention of my exploring fingers, and I smiled at their simple beauty.

xxxxxx"A gift for you, Copper! I hope you like it."

xxxxxxMy smile widens, and I gently fasten the small arching gift to my hair with delicate strands of metal from my sphere of protection.
xxxxxxA quiet time passed in which I had too much time to think. Should I go look for Noble? Maybe I could find him and get him away from Commander. The thought amused me, and I imagined how I would go about saving Noble. I always got through the "invading the headquarters and locating Noble" parts, but I was still stuck on what to do after that. Could I even find Commander and the rest of them?
xxxxxxA sudden chime in my metal woke me from my dreaming, and I was instantly filled with alarm. What was going on?! My metal kept sending warning signals up to me, and I could sense anxious shifting towards the outermost parts of my metal. Could it be?!
xxxxxxI hurriedly sent all my spare metal to the area and sealed up the web I had made. This new metal tasted disgustingly familiar.

xxxxxx"Touch it! Make it come alive!" More orders from the men in white robes. I didn’t want to touch this metal, though. It was oily, and it hurt when I tried to move it. And these white robes were annoying! Why can’t I just play with the nails in the lunchroom like I used to? Nails were much friendlier, and they didn’t bite back. “IB.11-29 is not responding, Commander.” Commander was here?! I spun and tried to see through the shaded glass to look at the observers. Could Noble be with them now? I reluctantly reached out and touched the metal weapon on the table before me.

xxxxxxI screamed in my little protective sphere of metal and grabbed at the things holding that familiar weapon, carefully keeping my metal away from the oily surface. The trapped non-metals tried to pull away, but I held fast. This metal was not going to come inside my barrier! Ever!
xxxxxxOne hand let go of the disgusting metal, and I panicked. I pushed the other hand through my web so that the metal could drop outside my web, and then I made my wall so thick, nothing could possibly make it through ever again. They’d found me. Again. I lashed out at the metal surrounding me. How could this happen?! How come they couldn’t just leave me alone?!

𒃽🜤

xxxxxxSirius woke early the next morning and slipped out of his house. A small wooden carving was secured in his pocket, and he had intended to visit the column and give the carving to the person inside the Orb. Unfortunately for him, someone else saw him, and he was dragged into coming along with the trading party. He kept his grumbling to himself as the group traversed to the wall and waited for the outsiders to arrive.
xxxxxxWhen they did arrive, Sirius had to look twice. They were all much taller than anyone from the city, and they all seemed to wear some strange form of white cloak, even though it wasn’t the cold season yet.
xxxxxxThe group outside silently brought out a metal box and an important looking man with a steel gray beard made to push it through one of the larger holes in the webbed design of the wall. Sirius was unceremoniously pushed toward the wall, and he cautiously reached out and grabbed the box. He was prepared for the wall to simply absorb the metal, or for the box not to fit through the hole. What he was not expecting was an ear-piercing screech. His head whipped around to look at the Orb, and he saw something he never thought he would.
xxxxxxThe Orb was glowing a cherry red, and steam was rising from its surface. The beams radiating from the Living Orb shrank dramatically, some even disappearing altogether. Sirius took a step toward the Orb, now precariously perched on a small column, only to find himself stuck in the wall itself. The wall had become thicker, with the gaps in the webbing now too small to pass a hand through. The gray-beard on the other side seemed to be stuck, too, but his face held a chilling smile.
xxxxxx“ Weha vefou ndy ou atla stproje ctIB.11- 29,” the old man seemed to growl. To Sirius, it seemed as if a large predator had been introduced to their peaceful valley. The party on the inside of the wall scattered and made for any metal they could find in hopes of appeasing the Living Orb. The outsiders muttered to themselves and backed away from where the old man and Sirius were still trapped within the wall.
xxxxxx“Have you heard of the AA project?” the old man asked in a strange accent. Sirius quavered under the gaze leveled at him through the wall. The old man bared his teeth in a cruel smile and did something within the wall. Sirius was then pulled by the wall almost up to his shoulder, and in his surprise, he dropped the metal box outside the wall. “Unt il weme eton cemo re,” the old man said as the webbing finally became a solid sheet of metal from the Living Orb.
xxxxxxSirius was left in his predicament for a while, his feet growing tired and his arm going slowly stiff. An idea struck him at about midday, and he pulled out his carving. It looked almost like a sun, and he carefully placed it against the wall still holding him captive. It was still metal connected to the Living Orb, so maybe he could send his carving this way.
xxxxxxThe wall grudgingly accepted the carving, then the metal around his arm seemed to vibrate slightly. A small net of metal reached out from around his arm, and soon Sirius found himself lifted into the air. The metal net caught him and carried him across one of the only remaining beams. When Sirius reached the Orb, his sun carving emerged and was hung in front of him. What was he supposed to do now?
xxxxxxCurious, Sirius wrapped his hand around the little sun carving. The metal around his hand quickly moved toward the Orb until his fisted hand rested against the warm metal. Understanding came in little increments, and Sirius pushed his hand and carving into the orb in front of him. The metal net he was sitting on swayed as he leaned closer, but some of the strands caught hold of the Orb as well and anchored him there.
xxxxxxAt first, it felt like Sirius was pushing into a wall. Nothing gave, and he began wondering if this was the course of action he should have taken. Before he could pull away, though, a small indentation began to form around his hand. Then, the metal began to slowly flow around it. His hand was stopped at the wrist, and Sirius carefully pushed no further. The last thing he wanted to do was spook whoever was inside again and have to start over.
xxxxxxCautious fingers touched his, and he slowly opened his fist. A delighted chime sounded from the Orb, though it felt dampered by something. Sirius felt the carving lift from his hand, and the metal around his wrist began to creep slowly up his arm. It was a disconcerting feeling, but he had nowhere to run to, so Sirius endured it.
xxxxxxThe hand inside the Orb tentatively touched his palm. Sirius resisted the urge to grab at that hand, and was rewarded when a gentle grip held his hand. He slowly wrapped his fingers around the surprisingly small hand and simply held it. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a slight pull came from inside. Sirius at first didn’t move, then carefully pushed his arm deeper into the Orb. The pull became an insistent tug, and the metal around his arm suddenly turned to the consistency of water as Sirius was unceremoniously eaten by the Living Orb.

((Maybe a chapter break here? This is longer than I was anticipating...))


It took Sirius three consecutive moments to comprehend at least slightly what was inside the Living Orb. The first moment was used trying to pick himself up off the curving floor of the Orb. The second moment was used to grow accustomed to the relative dimness of the Orb’s interior. The third moment was spent staring at the girl he saw.

The interior of the Orb was more spacious than Sirius had imagined, with plenty of room for him and the girl. He stood on the sloping floor of the Orb while she seemed to hover on the other side. Her skin was a pale cream, and she wore a simple white shirt with pants as gray as the metal around them. Around her radiated cords and tendrils of metal, all disappearing somewhere beneath her long straight hair. That hair seemed to shimmer and dance in the light that somehow found its way into the Orb, and the color faded between a bright green and a cerulean blue as it cascaded down her back. Up by the strange girl’s ear was something distinctly not metal to hold some of the hair back from the girl’s eyes. With a start, Sirius recognized it as the first carving he had sent up the column.

For the first time, Sirius looked into the eyes of this strange girl. They were a green so bright, they rivaled her hair. Her freckled cheeks turned a slight pink, and her head tilted in an adorable way. Sirius wondered where this girl could have come from. She looked to be a teenager, but Sirius knew he would have remembered a girl this stunning had she ever been in the city.

“Y oua ren otNob le,” the girl said, the question evident in her voice. Sirius was transfixed as she appeared to float to him. This strange girl, with her strangely familiar language. She was taller than he had anticipated, and when she stood directly in front of him, they were almost eye-to-eye. The girl seemed to pause, then she carefully said, “Y oua ren otfamili ar.”

With painstaking slowness, Sirius realized he knew this language. “Do you know that old man from the trading group?” he asked suddenly, bright eyes searching hers. He immediately regretted the question as she backed up with wide eyes. “Sorry, sorry,” he said quietly, trying to take a step back as well to show he meant nothing by the question. The curved walls of the Orb were hard to walk on, though, and he slipped to the bottom in a spread-eagle mess.

“Sorry,” he said again, sheepishly this time, and his response was met by a light tinkling of giggles. The strange and beautiful girl sat beside him on the floor of the Orb, her smile lighting up the whole space. Sirius wanted to talk with this girl more and make her smile. He decided to start simple, hoping that he could gain her trust at least a little. “My name is Sirius,” he said, putting a hand on his chest, “Sirius.” He waited, wondering if his message had gotten through.

After a moment, the girl responded with squinted eyes, “Sirius.” The named man smiled broadly and nodded his head. He sat up and paused. What was he going to do next? “Sirius,” the girl said, pointing to his chest. He nodded once more, and she pointed to herself, “Copp er.”

Sirius smiled and tried to hold in his excitement. He pointed from himself to the girl and said, “Sirius. Copper.” He winced as he butchered the name, knowing he had messed up on the inflection. “Cop per,” he tried again, then, “Copp er.” The girl’s eyes lit up and she pursed her lips.

“Copper,” she said, pointing to herself, “Copp er.” To Sirius, it looked like she was trying on different clothes with the ways she said her name. The two of them sat inside the Orb for a long time, sometimes communicating, other times just repeating random words at each other until they were blue in the face. Sirius enjoyed his time with the strange girl in the Orb, but eventually, something had to happen.

“Unt il weme eton cemo re,” she said sadly, carefully placing the sun carving in Sirius’ hand.

“Unt il weme eton cemo re,” Sirius replied, having had practice with the inflections a bit. He wasn’t entirely sure what it could mean, it seemed to make Copper smile. Sirius smiled in return and held on tightly to the carved sun as the Living Orb gently lowered him down the center column and into the half-light of evening.

Sirius walked back to his house in a kind of half-daze, starting to doubt that he had actually been inside the Living Orb and talked with a beautiful girl all day. His neighbors were all surprised that he had not only freed himself from the wall, but also come home from a completely different direction. As he laid his head to rest that night, more and more rumors spread of the boy who moved with the wall, the boy who could talk to the Living Orb.

𒃽🜤

I rampaged at the metal around me. Why couldn’t they just leave me alone?! Al some point, though, my rampage turned into more of a desolate quietness. Everything was still, and something somehow felt off inside. My chest felt heavier than normal, and my head pounded.

Without realizing it, I had curled up into myself at the bottom of my protective orb. My metal would protect me.

”IB.11-29, your task today is to defend. Got that?” The man wore an annoying white coat. His smile was really annoying, too. Why did I have to do this? There were plenty of others modified like me. Why couldn’t they ask one of the others from the IB.11 bunker?

I was shoved outside into a wasteland. I tried to turn back, to go to VIIIB.10-28 and complain like always, but the outside of the dome reflected something bright and blue. I looked up to see what it was, and almost screamed. What was up there?! It couldn’t be so big! Nothing could!

I focused on the ground at my feet and negligently tapped the remains of a vehicle. The metal leached out of it, and I wondered what could have eaten something like that. I most certainly did not look at the big blue thing above my head. It just couldn’t be there forever, right? I continued collecting metal, first creating an umbrella over my head, then eventually making a cocoon, and finally spreading out.

Someone opened a door and screamed something, but the sound didn’t get through my metal in time. This was more metal than any of them had ever let me collect! It was wonderful! I sensed something large and metal falling from above somewhere and reached my metal toward it. Maybe I could catch it and save it from scattering all its metal everywhere!

I touched it. At least, I think I did. It was hat. Really hot. I was boiling inside my cocoon. More metal! That would ward off the heat! More! More! It wasn’t getting any cooler! Where could I get more?! I reached out. More metal! It had to be around somewhere! More! More!

It worked! My metal got cooler. It wasn’t so hot anymore. I waited. Would it still be hot outside? I didn’t want to get cooked. Something outside tapped my metal, kind of like those people in white coats. Could they be here to reward her? Sometimes they did. I cautiously opened a bit of my metal, wondering if something could really be out there in that heat.

“Commander! This one’s alive!” Someone was out there! I opened more, wondering if it was a white coat person. I was greeted with a young face who looked at once surprised and happy. “Commander! It’s a girl, Commander!” Who was this Commander fellow the kid kept yelling at?

“I’m project VIIIA.18-2, but my friends back at Camp call me Noble.” Noble, huh? That was a nice name.

My metal was warm when I woke up, quietly reminding me that I was safe. For now, anyway. I sat up and stretched. A slight tug on my metal brought my thoughts down to earth. What was that?

Something pressed against my cocoon. What?! An invasion? I tried to keep it out, whatever it was, but my metal vibrated quietly. Well...My metal seemed to trust whoever this was. Maybe I could, too?

I carefully let a little bit of whatever it was into my cocoon. It was that hand! The one from before! I stared at it a little in disbelief, then flinched back as it opened slowly. Was that a carving? Gently, I lifted the wood out of the hand without making skin contact. This carving was so beautiful! It looked like a swirling sun, like the ways the others used to draw fancy suns on papers back…home…

Maybe this hand belonged to a friend. I carefully touched the hand, ready to pull back if it tried to pull me out from my protection again. It didn’t, which surprised me, and I slowly wrapped my fingers around its large mass. I wanted it to belong to a friend, but I needed to see their face to be sure. Maybe if I pulled them in? They didn’t seem to not want to come in.

When I pulled a little harder, my metal decided to help, and I backed up to the other side of my orb in surprise. It was a boy. His hair looked like a rusty iron kettle whose warm coffee had spilled over and stained the rest of him. And his eyes! They were so warm, like the coffee had pooled there and they were just staring at her. Wait.

It was embarrassing to be caught staring, and I think I may have blushed a little. I nodded in a kind of hello and looked at what the boy was wearing instead. His pants were ripped at the knees and a strange steel-blue color, and his shirt looked about as red as his hair. He was barefoot, like me, though he was a bit dustier than me.

“You are not Noble,” I concluded out loud. It was a bit disappointing, but that’s what I get for hoping the impossible would happen. I moved toward the boy, wondering if I did know him from somewhere. I pretended that it didn’t bug me, but the fact that he was ever so slightly taller than me was a bit of an annoyance. And he seemed to be older than me. How annoying.

”Everyone! We’re back!” Noble seemed in high spirits as we entered a room with a lot more people than back at the IB.11 barracks. Where had all these people come from? “This is our new friend, IB.11-29. Does anyone have any good ideas for names?” What? Me, have a name? I wondered if it would be like Noble’s.

Lots of faces went by, each suggesting their own name for me. At some point, someone very familiar came up and said they were called Nicki. The name she suggested sounded pretty nice, and Noble must have seen it on my face. “OK, everyone! Let’s call out new friend Copper!”

No...This boy did not look like any of the others I know, and everyone had been at Camp. “You are not familiar,” I said, contemplating who this stranger could be.

Suddenly, the boy leaned forward and said, “Do yo ukn owth atol dgu yfr omth etr adinggr oup?”
I was startled, and quickly backed away from the boy. He seemed to realize this and backed up, too, but I suppose he wasn’t used to walking on curved surfaces. Whatever he muttered from the bottom of my orb sounded rather funny, and I found myself giggling at the way he spoke.

He couldn’t be too much of a threat down there on the floor, so I sat next to him, knees brought up to my chest. This boy was very strange, and his little mistakes were endearing in a surprising sort of way.

“My na meis Si rius,” the boy said suddenly, putting a hand on his chest, “Si rius.” I wondered what he could be up to, but he seemed to be waiting for something. Did he want me to repeat?

“Si rius,” I said slowly, hoping I wasn’t giving any permission for something. The boy seemed to brighten when she said that, but then his brow wrinkled. That expression really didn’t fit his face. “Si rius,” I tried again, pointing to the boy. He nodded, and I wondered what I had been saying. Was it his name? It seemed to make sense with the gestures, so I pointed to myself and tried my own name.

The way Si rius said my name was strange, like there was some kind of rock in his mouth. Maybe it was a strange dialect? I tried my name his way and my way, wondering if they were really the same thing. My version definitely felt more familiar, but his seemed to have more confidence behind it. They both felt like me, and I wondered if I could live up to both. I also wondered about his name. Could Si rius be the same as Sirius?

We sat for a while, only sort of having conversation. Mostly, we just repeated words back and forth until the sounds made no sense, but I definitely had fun. I may not have known him for very long, but I enjoyed Sirius’ company. Unfortunately, it was getting harder to reflect light through my metal, which probably meant the sun was going down. That meant my new friend had to leave.

Reluctantly, I brought out the new carving he had given me. Maybe this could act as a kind of key? That way, I would know that it was Sirius next time my metal tried to introduce me to new people. Sadly, I put the sun in his hand. “Until we meet once more,” I said, sincerely hoping there would be a next time.

To my surprise, Sirius said, “Until we meet once more.” We had been talking for a rather long time, trading words and such, but this was still a pleasant surprise. I carefully helped my metal lower Sirius down to earth when a thought struck me. That metal from earlier could come from anywhere around the perimeter, but I didn’t have enough metal to keep it out all the way around. But I didn’t want to leave my new friend unprotected if I tried to decrease my boundaries.

I thought a long time about how I could protect him and myself. My metal seemed to sense my mood, and I did my best to keep it stable.

I wondered how to protect myself and Sirius. I had all this metal. Maybe I could just carry it all here and make one big cocoon for us. If I did that, we’d both definitely be safe! The plan sounded fine, until I considered that maybe Sirius might not like not being able to see the sky. The sky is important to see every once in a while, but once I made us a big cocoon of my metal, the sky would vanish for who knows how long. I had to come up with a better solution! Maybe, if I just pulled everything in a little everywhere and moved my center closer to Sirius. That way, the sky would still be there, my metal could make better walls, and Sirius would still be protected from the bad metal. With this new plan in mind, I spent some time moving metal and non-metal bits and pieces around. I hope Sirius doesn’t mind!

𒃽🜤

((dotdotdot. There is more to come. This feels really awkward, I know, but it gets smoother in my opinion. Promise.))

[BucketORandomness]

⇉⟰⇇

The prompt can be found on this thread. Again.
Passion

Twists and turns and certain doom
Escalate and rise into
The sky above and heart alike
Of him who made this crystal night.

All talk is hushed inside this maze,
Under an almost certain gaze
From somewhere in the sky above,
Where one heart seeks something like love.

The Tower here, for ages past,
Has stood so tall and ever fast
Against the hoards of mighty foes,
Deflecting all their mighty blows.

Until, one day, a girl ascends,
To see that his loneliness ends.
Through the corridors and walls
An angel walks these very halls.

The tower then shimmered with light
As its creator’s interest ignites.
Through each challenge sent to scare
She presses on without a care.

Twists and turns, avoiding doom,
The female rises deep into
The sky above and heart alike
Of him who made this crystal night.

((AN: Not sure, but this sounds better as a poem in my head than as a short story. Not sure I'll be doing it as a short story any time soon, especially considering my other project *Looks at previous post* I am terrible at romance, so I probably won't follow the possible relationship development arc I could possibly do...))

[BucketORandomness]

⇉⟰⇇

Ze amzin' prompt
Lost

xxxxxxThey came with the autumn mists. Down through the mountains and past a small village of terraced farms and simple stone buildings. Their aged faces and majestic figures filled the valley passes between the largest mountains in the world, wings pressed against their sides or the rocky slopes. Their scales brushed the mountains on their way through the mountains, and their young scampered about the claws of elder dragons on this peaceful march, waiting for the day when they could fly over the mountains themselves. It was a peaceful time for human and dragon. That is, it used to be.

⭃≫≽❃≼≪⥷

xxxxxxMito and Konto stood guard at their post somewhere high in the mountains. The autumn mists obscured everything below them, and a fair bit around the two sentries. There was no speech on that mountain top. The mist and spindly trees gave an ominous presence as the men listened for the signal. Finally, it arrived! High and low tones blasted out across the mountainscape, shattering the oppressive silence that had hung over the sentries.
xxxxxx“Twelve dragons this year,” Mito said after the last trumpet blast sounded. His attempt at conversation had no effect on his companion, and he sighed, leaning back on his spear. “This will be my first migration year. What do they look like?” he tried again. Konto looked up from the dead branch he had been wheedling down, his eyes glazed with boredom.
xxxxxx“They’re big, scaley monsters,” Konto declared in a near monotone. The senior officer went back to his wheedling, occasionally looking up and glancing into the mist. His eyes quickly darted from landmark to landmark, judging distances and regularities in the mist. Occasionally, he would glance behind the two of them and check that their horses had been tethered securely.
xxxxxx“I know I’m from the Center, but wouldn’t it just be marvelous to meet one?” Mito said, looking off into the mist as well. His eyes played with the mist, making shapes that weren’t there. His attention was momentarily distracted as a horse gave out a small whinny. Turning back, Mito saw, as if emerging from a dream, a large, wedged head parted the mist. It’s scaley hide glistened in the wet that condensed on it, and Mito stared in awe at the dragon before him, noting the large horns and fangs that accompanied it.
xxxxxx“One,” Konto said dispassionately, still seated with his branch. He was disinterested in the sight of another dumb beast after so many years of sentry duty. As more of the beasts came through the mist, though, he continued to count. “Nine… Ten,” he announced, but the numbers cut off with halt as a warbling screech cut through the air.
xxxxxx“Scalers!” the two said in tandem. They quickly mounted their steeds and began a race down the mountain. Their thunderous charge was accompanied by what almost sounded like screaming, and Mito shivered involuntarily. What were they going to find down there?
xxxxxxKonto took the lead as the sentries broke through the layer of fog. For a while, all they had to guide them were the markers left on various trees, but they broke through to the bottom of the fog, racing with other sentries to the bottom of the mountain. What they saw made Mito’s eyes widen in something close to fear.
xxxxxxDown the valley laid a large beast, his horns lost in the low clouds, and his wings flared, tearing against the rocks and trees that covered the mountain sides. At the feet of the dragon stood an array of humans garbed completely in neutral colors. The humans threw large javelins at the large creature, the heads made out of talons from fallen dragons.
xxxxxxMito, Konto, and a sentry set from each of the surrounding mountains converged on the Scalers. The fighting that broke out afterwards would always remind the survivors of a bloodbath. The large dragon swept talons at whoever came close, and the humans fought savagely. When the Scalers finally managed to run off and the sentries had counted to wounded, Mito sat on his lathered horse and just listened. When he opened his eyes to look at the dragon, though, he saw not a living monster of death, but a dying creature of nature.
xxxxxx“The tips were poisoned. There’s nothing we can do for the male.” The words felt harsh on Konto’s lips as he relayed the information to his superior. She looked about as happy as he felt, which was saying something. A dead dragon always brought complications to the village. The Scalers might clean off anything of value from the dragon’s corpse, but the villages in these mountains would suffer many casualties next autumn.
xxxxxxA small and feeble moan sounded somewhere behind the quickly dying male. Mito quickly spun to his partner. “Konto! What number were you on?” he asked insistently. With a shock, the other man realized what Mito was getting at, and he dug his heels into his tired steed. Mito followed, and the insistent moaning grew to a high pitched cry as the two of them made their way past the giant corpse.
xxxxxxBehind the male stood a young dragon barely large enough to be seen above the mist for the counting. It had put its head against the larger dragon’s back, and now it tried to push, as if confused why the large mass no longer moved forward. The cry slowly crescendoed into a wail, and the young dragon tried once more to move the large mass in front of it.
xxxxxxKonto looked on with horror as the beast continued its senseless task. His superior voiced his thoughts as she rode up behind them. “Prepare for the return! The dragons will return to destroy mountains!” she called to the curious string of sentries behind her. It was no idle threat, as the last time a young dragon had been left behind, its elders had extended the plains by about a league where once there was nothing but mountains.
xxxxxxMito looked at his two superiors, terror now evident in his face. “Isn’t there anything we can do?!” he exclaimed, forgetting customary honors in his frantic state. “Can we fight off the elder dragons? Why can’t we just redirect the young one? Would it find its way out?” he said, barreling right over Konto’s words as panic began to set in. The older man let Mito run his course for a moment before reaching up and slapping the young man.
xxxxxx“Thank you,” the female said. “Now, we must first lead the humans away from the plains and draw them towards the Center. Every soldier must report and help the people move north,” she continued, her eyes drifting toward the young dragon. Its cries had died down, and it had sat down, staring at the block in its path.
xxxxxxKonto shivered at the memories of the last time dragons had come for one of their own. “We need to get this dragon out of the mountains,” he said with more emotion than Mito had ever heard out of him.
xxxxxx“We could try to lead it, but who would be willing?” their superior asked. Konto immediately saluted, pointing to himself as a silent volunteer. Mito looked at the young dragon and felt a seed of hope start inside him. He saluted as well, and their commander nodded.

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xxxxxx“We will continue to move the people closer to the Center, but we will wait for you if you return,” she said at the village closest to where the young dragon still sat with the corpse. “It doesn’t appear that the dragon young know how to leave without their elders, so you will have to lead it carefully and quickly. We’re counting on you,” she said, giving the two travel readied men an honorable salute.
xxxxxxMito got the distinct impression that everyone around them didn’t expect him and Konto to ever return. Konto did not mind, but the younger man kept getting chills from the stares.
xxxxxxThey started with an ox. The large beast managed to get the dragon’s attention, and they led the weakened monstrosity away from the corpse and down a side valley. In a surprising burst of speed, the young dragon lunged down and snapped up the ox as a meal in one bite.
xxxxxxMito let out a scream as the dragon leaned down again. When he opened his eyes again, though, the dragon simply nudged him, looking for more food. Konto was warily watching the dragon, though a strange purring sound now emanated from the beast.
xxxxxxFrom there, the trip through the mountains only continued to get stranger for the two men. Rough weather was kept off of them by a suddenly protective canvass wing. Whole herds of deer disappeared over night. Konto disapproved of the whole idea, but Mito even began to connect with the dragon in a strange sort of way. The dragon had decided that these two were a source of food for some reason, and by the time they made it out of the mountains, Mito was spending more time on the dragon than on his horse.
xxxxxxOutside of the mountains, the two men were at a loss for what to do. Konto had not expected to make it this far, and Mito was not the type to plan things out. The dragon took care of the decision making for them.
xxxxxxWhether he liked it or not, Mito recieved a very personal dragon ride at full speed. The young beast he rode ran out into the open plains, Konto struggling valiantly to keep up on his horse behind them. When the horses about collapsed from exhaustion, the young dragon stopped in front of a grey mound about the size of a small mountain.
xxxxxx“Konto! You alright?!” Mito called down to his companion. Konto, out of breath, did not respond, but his eyes widened when he saw the “mountain.” It was not on any map he had ever seen, and he got a very bad feeling looking at it.
xxxxxxThe young dragon the two men had led out of the mountains grumbled softly to the mountain, and as if it had been a magic code, the mountain began to move. First, a little, but quicker and quicker more and more began to move. Soon, the whole mountain had unfolded into an immense dragon, wings spread wide and blocked out the sun. Mito floundered from his place on top of the younger dragon, now more than slightly afraid of the adult dragon in front of him.
xxxxxxThe two dragons were cautiously curious, catching each others’ scent and making small purring noises. When the larger dragon noticed Mito, however, a large growl rocked the landscape. Mito and the young dragon were bowled over by the mountain of scales and anger. The horse under Konto bolted, and he felt no need to stop its mad dash.
xxxxxxThe last Konto ever saw of young Mito was on that dragon, and nobody questioned him when he came back alone through the mountain passes without a horse in tow. After serving for a few more autumns, Konto was allowed to retire to the Center, though he still made a pilgrimage to the edge of the plains each year against the wishes of his friends.

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((AN: Aight. This is really rough. I know it. I hadn't even planned for the moody ending when I started, but I felt the urge to be moody this time around. It kinda feels rushed, but whatever. Not sure if I'll come back to this, but you can look up the names in Google translate. I think "Konto" came from "inkonto" or something that meant "man" while "Mito" means "myth" in whatever language I used. So there's that. Don't think I'll come back to the village or the migration or whatnot. Hope you enjoyed it >^.^<))

[BucketORandomness]

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((This is something for the Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature thing posted earlier in the thread. It might make more sense if that's read first. If you want me to do more of these kinds of things, go ahead and comment! Feedback makes me feel sparkly >^.^< It's some background world building I've done, though I'm not sure I can get everything into the story yet.))
Project IB.11-29 (Copper)

General
Age: Appearance stopped aging somewhere in the late teens, even though many thousand years have passed
Gender: Female
Power: Creation of living metal at physical contact
Appearance
Hair: Straight, down, very long, fades from bright cerulean blue to vibrant neon green
Skin: Pale, stretched, cold/clammy to the touch
Face: Vibrant green eyes, small features, narrow jaw, large forehead
Height: 5'7"
Clothing:
Top--White T-shirt
Bottom--Gray military-issued cloth sweats
Shoes--Barefoot
Other: Cables form at shoulders and connect to activated metal
Personality
General: Inquisitive, curious, cautious, talkative, survivor, hopeful
Likes: Gifts, Noble, learning, choices, her metal
Dislikes: Commander, the AA project, scientists, restrictions, Project IIA.2-20
Habits: Turns metal into protective orb first, absorbs as much metal as possible, bites lip when frustrated
History
Pre-Development:
Grown from a single human cell, Project IB.11-29 was the 29th attempt at Bunker IB.11 to create the perfect metal sensor. Scientists found that Project 29 could easily bend and mold metal with physical contact, and the cause was found to be in the new methods of modification used with the installment of a new head scientist at Buncker IB.11. Other projects modified in the same way have shown evidence of similar abilities.
Development:
Training regimes increased, as did Project 29's abilities. Project 29 could now absorb and modify metals created at other Bunkers involved in the AA project. Some resistance was measured with the new metal, but it was easily overcome. During a drill to test Project 29's abilities in the field, an enemy H-bomb was detected. Project 29 absorbed the metal of the bomb as it detonated. In response, the project absorbed all metal from nearby, including the protective dome from Bunker IB.11. Only three other projects from Bunker IB.11 survived, along with a visiting project from the VIIIB bunkers.
Post-Development:
Project IB.11-29 deactivated and went dormant for a number of years after the explosion. It was recovered and reanimated only when a team from Bunker Element arrived to investigate a lack of reports. Bunker Element took in the surviving projects of Bunker IB.11 and added the prefix to all identification codes, along with code names. Project IB.11-29 was code named "Copper" at Bunker Element. Training was resumed for the reactivated projects. Measurements of resistance from Project IB.11-29 increased in frequency, and reports of fights among the salvaged projects were filed. "Copper" took a hostage code named "Noble" and escaped through the protective dome. Search parties have been sent after the defective project, but the project went dormant and was never recovered. Some of the projects still in Bunker Element appear to be affected by Project IB.11-29's absence.