Etude 11: Allegro ma non troppo
So. Long time no writing. *grimace* >___< You may notice that I'm not so great at writing combat. Also this seems like an awfully random encounter (imagines rolling 2d10 and looking up the chart for what monster uses that result). *whistles idly* Dum-de-dum...
As Sarah and Armand pressed on, the forest grew thicker and darker. The trees seemed to lose the aspects of spring time and take on the aspects of autumn instead. Red and orange leaves were strewn across their path, and the branches were a blaze of color. Both had grown more accustomed to sleeping out of doors, and hiking through the day. Armand had still not told Sarah about the sword; he felt it was something she didn't especially need to know. It was the sword that warned him when the attack came. It thrummed at his side, a sharp vibration different from the gentle rhythm he'd become used to. He put his hand to the hilt, and felt a strong sense that danger was approaching them. "Sarah?"
She turned, surprised. "What?"
"There's something dangerous around here, and it's coming closer."
"How would you know? You're just -- eek!" A wolf had come into view. It was entirely black, with huge, sickly yellow eyes. Its red tongue lolled from its mouth, slobbering over long, deadly sharp fangs. It tensed its muscles for a moment, like springs waiting for release, and then sprang at Sarah.
...
"Stop!" She screamed. And the wolf froze in mid-air, dangling there for a moment, before gravity took over and it fell down to the ground. That was enough to break Sarah's hold over it, and it stood up again, whining slightly. It shook its head as if confused, then lunged at Sarah again. And somehow, Armand came between them with the Sword of Peace blazing bright in his hands. The wolf shrieked at the glare and shied away, blinded. It tried to circle around and make for Sarah again, but the sword's glow expanded into a brilliant blue bubble that surrounded the two of them. The wolf dashed at the barrier, but found itself slipping around it. After a few more tries, it backed away, then sat on his haunches and howled mournfully. The sound was piercing, and seemed to invade the ears. And then, as suddenly as it had come, the wolf was gone. Armand waited until the sharp vibrations from the sword relaxed before he sheathed it, dissolving the protective bubble.
"Armand, what was that?!"
He looked at Sarah, looking strangely contemplative. "That was the Sword of Peace. The Spring Flower lent it to me before we left. Meranes gave me the scabbard for it."
"How did you -- what did you -- how..."
"The sword has some amount of awareness, and that's how I can use it. The rest is none of your business."
"Um, okay." Armand started walking. "Wait."
"What is it?" He seemed to be back to his usual grumpy self.
"Thank you for saving me back there."
He shrugged. "It would probably have gone for me next."
"Still, I appreciate it." She paused, trying to dredge up the words. Armand looked at her expectantly, arms crossed. "I'm sorry I laughed at you in the Butterfly Realm. It's just... I thought you looked silly, but I should have kept it to myself, especially after everything that's happened to you because of me. So... I'm sorry."
"I, um. Thanks." He looked for a moment as if he were going to say more, but he just shook his head and kept on walking. Sarah stared after him for a while, confused, and then rushed to follow. I still kind of wish he'd apologize... I guess that's asking too much.
Armand noticed that Sarah was keeping a little distance between them after the encounter with the wolf. That suited him just fine. Why did I save her, anyway? I didn't even really think about it or the consequences... He smiled wryly to himself. And I didn't think my reflexes were that fast. He snuck a glance behind him to see Sarah looking around expectantly. Well, I guess I can try asking the sword. His hand moved downwards to the hilt of the sword and rested there. The faint thrumming was relaxing, and he again felt the slight tingling in his hand. He tried to let his awareness slide into the tingling -- an exercise that was becoming easier to him as he practiced it more often with the sword --and then a blue tint settled over the world, and he felt the sword's presence in his mind.
"You called me, Awakener?"
"Yeah," he muttered under his breath, so that Sarah wouldn't hear.
"You seem troubled."
"Kinda. Yeah."
"What is the matter?"
"I saved that girl and I don't know why. And I did it instinctively, without thinking about it."
"Your motivations are not something I can divine for you. I can tell you, however, that I am at my most effective when defending others."
"Yeah, I figured. It's kinda in character for you and everything."
"I have noticed that your kind fight a great deal even when there is no need to. You, in particular, do this more than the others who have Awakened me."
"You mean starting wars and stuff?"
"No, this is something more personal. I do not think I am at liberty to just tell you what it is."
"What! Why not?" Armand's hand squeezed the hilt.
"Because if I did tell you, I doubt that you would reach peace." And then the blue glow faded from everything, and Armand knew that the sword would tell him nothing more.
As Sarah and Armand pressed on, the forest grew thicker and darker. The trees seemed to lose the aspects of spring time and take on the aspects of autumn instead. Red and orange leaves were strewn across their path, and the branches were a blaze of color. Both had grown more accustomed to sleeping out of doors, and hiking through the day. Armand had still not told Sarah about the sword; he felt it was something she didn't especially need to know. It was the sword that warned him when the attack came. It thrummed at his side, a sharp vibration different from the gentle rhythm he'd become used to. He put his hand to the hilt, and felt a strong sense that danger was approaching them. "Sarah?"
She turned, surprised. "What?"
"There's something dangerous around here, and it's coming closer."
"How would you know? You're just -- eek!" A wolf had come into view. It was entirely black, with huge, sickly yellow eyes. Its red tongue lolled from its mouth, slobbering over long, deadly sharp fangs. It tensed its muscles for a moment, like springs waiting for release, and then sprang at Sarah.
...
"Stop!" She screamed. And the wolf froze in mid-air, dangling there for a moment, before gravity took over and it fell down to the ground. That was enough to break Sarah's hold over it, and it stood up again, whining slightly. It shook its head as if confused, then lunged at Sarah again. And somehow, Armand came between them with the Sword of Peace blazing bright in his hands. The wolf shrieked at the glare and shied away, blinded. It tried to circle around and make for Sarah again, but the sword's glow expanded into a brilliant blue bubble that surrounded the two of them. The wolf dashed at the barrier, but found itself slipping around it. After a few more tries, it backed away, then sat on his haunches and howled mournfully. The sound was piercing, and seemed to invade the ears. And then, as suddenly as it had come, the wolf was gone. Armand waited until the sharp vibrations from the sword relaxed before he sheathed it, dissolving the protective bubble.
"Armand, what was that?!"
He looked at Sarah, looking strangely contemplative. "That was the Sword of Peace. The Spring Flower lent it to me before we left. Meranes gave me the scabbard for it."
"How did you -- what did you -- how..."
"The sword has some amount of awareness, and that's how I can use it. The rest is none of your business."
"Um, okay." Armand started walking. "Wait."
"What is it?" He seemed to be back to his usual grumpy self.
"Thank you for saving me back there."
He shrugged. "It would probably have gone for me next."
"Still, I appreciate it." She paused, trying to dredge up the words. Armand looked at her expectantly, arms crossed. "I'm sorry I laughed at you in the Butterfly Realm. It's just... I thought you looked silly, but I should have kept it to myself, especially after everything that's happened to you because of me. So... I'm sorry."
"I, um. Thanks." He looked for a moment as if he were going to say more, but he just shook his head and kept on walking. Sarah stared after him for a while, confused, and then rushed to follow. I still kind of wish he'd apologize... I guess that's asking too much.
Armand noticed that Sarah was keeping a little distance between them after the encounter with the wolf. That suited him just fine. Why did I save her, anyway? I didn't even really think about it or the consequences... He smiled wryly to himself. And I didn't think my reflexes were that fast. He snuck a glance behind him to see Sarah looking around expectantly. Well, I guess I can try asking the sword. His hand moved downwards to the hilt of the sword and rested there. The faint thrumming was relaxing, and he again felt the slight tingling in his hand. He tried to let his awareness slide into the tingling -- an exercise that was becoming easier to him as he practiced it more often with the sword --and then a blue tint settled over the world, and he felt the sword's presence in his mind.
"You called me, Awakener?"
"Yeah," he muttered under his breath, so that Sarah wouldn't hear.
"You seem troubled."
"Kinda. Yeah."
"What is the matter?"
"I saved that girl and I don't know why. And I did it instinctively, without thinking about it."
"Your motivations are not something I can divine for you. I can tell you, however, that I am at my most effective when defending others."
"Yeah, I figured. It's kinda in character for you and everything."
"I have noticed that your kind fight a great deal even when there is no need to. You, in particular, do this more than the others who have Awakened me."
"You mean starting wars and stuff?"
"No, this is something more personal. I do not think I am at liberty to just tell you what it is."
"What! Why not?" Armand's hand squeezed the hilt.
"Because if I did tell you, I doubt that you would reach peace." And then the blue glow faded from everything, and Armand knew that the sword would tell him nothing more.
posted by Selene at 6:03 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home