Storyteller Saturday: Your OCs are taking a walk in a park or wilderness area and then suddenly a dinosaur cones running out at them, but before it reaches them, a loud booming crack cuts the air and it falls. After that, a group of young girl scouts comes out and demands an explanation for their trespassing on a hunting preserve!
Ok, so I guess I just say I’m doing STS and I’m doing it? I don’t need an invitation or anything? Cool! I’m doing STS.
Ginzaekh might be more surprised by the girl scouts than the dinosaur, to be honest, since he’s a dragon, but it’s not like the dinosaur still wouldn’t be shocking. Same goes for Ash and Gazi. Ginzaekh would react by doing his best to be levelheaded, probably won’t acknowledge how weird it is even though the fact that he’s baffled clearly shows on his face. Gazi would ask for someone to explain what’s going on, while Ash would just stand there going, “What in the...”
Scalba would tell them he was tracking someone and demand they not interfere with his mission. That would likely not go well. He’s prepared to fight if necessary. An older, more mature Scalba would likely just try to pay them off to continue his hunt instead of immediately getting confrontational.
Gabriel would apologize and leave. Unless he needed to be there specifically, in which case he would cite direct, divine revelation and insist on staying. (Most likely to build a giant wooden boat for a flood nobody thinks can happen.)
Com would apologize and try to understand their situation. Leela would too. Apollon would become awkwardly confused. Portia would tell them she’s just passing through and didn’t mean any harm.
That question was really out there. Worked my brain a little bit!
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That was the message that was carried on the wing throughout Khriza from its eponymous capital. From city to city, it was noised about by heralds, chatted about between friends and whispered in the darkest corners of seedy taverns. In a matter of days, the whole empire was searching for the stone, spurred on by the promise of the grand reward.
Indeed, as you can well imagine, the news had spread faster than wildfire.
And in a dragon empire, wildfire spread very fast.
A funny exchange:
“Where did you find it?” asked Ash.
“It was in the river,” Ginzaekh said. “I saw it when I stuck my head in.”
“How did it end up so far south?” asked Gazi.
“It floated,” Ash shrugged.
“It floated down the Anarin, all the way from Khriza, and decided to sink in the mud for Ginzaekh to find?” Gazi raised her eyebrow.
“Well, not Ginzaekh, specifically,” Ash replied.
“Enzarite doesn’t float in the first place,” Gazi pointed out.
“Well maybe it’s magic or something,” Ash said sarcastically.
A shippy passage (for context, Ginzaekh is diagramming a hunting strategy. Due to a disability, he can’t breathe fire. So Gazi helps. Ginzaekh truly appreciates her help, more than she knows, but he also hates feeling dependent. He tries to hide the latter sentiment after letting it get the better of him momentarily.)
Ginzaekh got on his knees. “Agar, Ris, pay attention. Here’s the plan.” He began to trace in the air above the grass, but stopped.
“Give me a moment. It’s better if you can see it without my gesturing.” Ginzaekh began pulling clumps from the ground, exposing soil.
They watched him do this for a few seconds before Ash said, “Here, Ginzaekh, let me make that easier for you.” He took a deep breath.
Gazi clamped a hand around his snout. “Do you want to burn down the whole forest? Let me do it.” She removed her flask from her belt and poured a ring of water around the area Ginzaekh was trying to clear.
“That was all your water,” said Ginzaekh, staring at the wet circle. “You didn’t have to do that for me.”
Gazi’s ears flattened against the sides of her head. “Well, I. . . wanted to,” she mumbled, scratching one ear self-consciously. She cleared her throat and stooped, snout low. She blew into the circle until the ground was engulfed in flame.
Ginzaekh watched the flames burn. He stared at the edges, where they stopped against the wet earth.
At length he abruptly began to stamp on the flames as they grew smaller. “We don’t have all day.” He scraped the last of the embers from the dirt and bent down.
Gazi bit her lip and stooped next to him. They all gathered round, watching Ginzaekh as he erased with the side of his hand the scratches his talons had made. Ginzaekh traced a claw in the dirt, crudely approximating the forest edge.
(after everyone else has flown off to their various positions)
Gazi scratched her arm. “Ginzaekh.”
Ginzaekh turned to her. “Thank you,” he said. “For helping me with the grass.”
“I didn’t make you feel. . .?” Gazi asked, her throat catching uncomfortably.
Ginzaekh smiled. “No,” he lied. “Now go.”
He launched into the air. Gazi followed him up with her eyes, then whirled around and flew into position.
I’m counting that as one passage.
A character introduction:
It was Kharrin, and he had really tried not to be late. He would have preferred to get through this meeting as soon as possible. Meeting with the emperor always gave him a headache.
Later in the scene:
“Call them off,” Zarakharn interrupted.
Kharrin’s eyebrow twitched. “My lord?”
“Call them off,” Zarakharn repeated. “The Inquisitorius is compromised.”
“That is impossible, my liege,” Kharrin growled. “The Inquisitorius cannot be compromised so completely that I cannot trust it to search for an insignificant tri--“
Zarakharn twisted his ring, the plain one on his left middle finger. A sharp pain flashed through Kharrin’s skull like lightning. He winced. Zarakharn spoke before he could regain his composure and continue.
And one of my favorite villain lines from Zarakharn:
“Oh, Kharda?” Zarakharn added. “Eras would prefer that you not kill him.”
“What would you prefer?” asked Kharda.
“He is replaceable,” Zarakharn shrugged, walking away.
And one from Scalba of the Talanari:
“Sparsuna, you’re the one always seizing the opportunity to get what you want,” I said. “I want revenge, and I’ll take any risk to get it. You would do the same.”
So what is your OC going to do when they realize they are locked out of the house?
Ginzaekh would sit and think and try not to let his frustration show, although it will definitely boil hotly if he’s still locked out after ten minutes. Scalba would see if he could break the door down. Gabriel would pray and either find his keys by revelation or open the door by the miraculous power of the Allfather. Thanks for the ask!
Tagged by @radiowrites This is from Swordfist, the proto-The Emperor’s Stone. This WIP is so old, Ash was called Zash. This is not only the most recent line in that draft, but the last line in that draft, because it was actually a complete 36,000 word manuscript. It’s full of absolute cringe and handwaving and doesn’t have the complexity of The Emperor’s Stone... at all. There’s no Kharrin or Sar. Vazared was a completely different character called Zakar and he wasn’t an Inquisitor (but Khazardi was. Also, the Inquisitors weren’t a thing yet; they were just the police.) Zarakharn is... pathetic as a villain, keeps getting captured by his own men over and over again. Also, the dialogue doesn’t sound like fantasy at all and is full of anachronisms. And there was a weird prophecy that was supposed to be the catalyst for Zarakharn’s death... Actually, dropping that prophecy was the whole reason I changed it to The Emperor’s Stone.
But enough about my old writing. You probably want to see some of it. Here’s the last line of Swordfist.
Gazi and Ginzaekh both laughed, looked at each other, laughed again, and ran after him. (Him being Zash, which was Ash’s old name.)
And here’s the last line I ever wrote for that series, before I decided I needed to completely rewrite it.
Dalgak put on a disappointed face while Gama went to fetch soup and a blanket. Then he slinked off upstairs.
Who’s Dalgak? Who’s Gama? Well, Dalgak is... difficult to explain, and Gama is a character who only appears in that one scene. So, um, yeah.
Tagging @blueinkblot, @inkspilledqueen, @el-queen, @agentorange-writes and @pen-and-sword-writing. Dig up your old WIPs!
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Tension flares between the protagonists...
Ash circled again. Any moment Ginzaekh’s brothers would emerge from the forest, chasing the prey into the open.
Suddenly he spotted movement in the distance. Someone was flying toward the cart!
Ash veered from his post toward the cart.
“I thought we told you to flap off!” Ash roared, wings pounding the air.
The dragon yelped and tried flying around him. Ash zoomed after him. He could see now it wasn’t Tark, but Ginzaekh had lots of enemies.
Ash could see him flying toward the forest. “Get away from there!” he shouted. “You can’t just fly through our hunting grounds!”
Ash heard his name being called. He ignored it. He had to deal with the intruder.
Ash gained on the other dragon and snatched at his tail. The dragon snarled and began to dive and dodge. “Leave me alone!” he snarled. “What are you doing?”
Ash blew a jet of flame at him. Roaring, he plummeted into the other dragon, tackling him to the ground.
“Ash!” Gazi was calling. “Ash!”
Ginzaekh landed beside him. “Ash!” he exploded. “What in the Rishnaran’s name are you doing?”
“He was trying to steal our kills!” Ash shouted. “I had to stop him!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” yelled the stranger furiously. “I’m flying to Shankar! I was visiting my brother Gardak and now I’ve been accosted by adolescent ruffians on my way home!”
Gardak was the tavernmaster of the Brown Buck. Everyone in Rer knew Gardak.
“What’s wrong with you, Ash?” asked Gazi. “You can’t just go picking fights with every dragon in the area.”
“What was I supposed to do, let him take our kills?” Ash demanded.
“I couldn’t care less about your kills!” Gardak’s brother shouted. “I’m just trying to fly home, but apparently I can’t do so in a straight line without getting tackled out of the sky!”
“Well how was I supposed to know?” Ash retorted indignantly. “From a distance you looked like a thief instead of a harmless old worm!”
“I’m ninety-four!” Gardak’s brother snarled.
“Well, Gardak’s ninety-nine and that’s old,”Ash muttered.
“No it isn’t,” Gazi hissed.
“We’re very sorry for the confusion,” said Ginzaekh. “Please accept our apology and be on your way.”
Gardak’s brother grumbled and flapped off. Ginzaekh and Gazi both gave Ash a look.
Ash swished his tail. “Um, Ginzaekh, where are your brothers?”
“What did we miss?” asked Ris, landing behind Gazi.
“The does,” said Agar dryly.
“It wasn’t my fault! Ginzaekh was supposed to catch them!” Ris retorted indignantly.
“No, Ash was supposed to catch them,” said Ginzaekh. “But he decided to break from the strategy to attack an old worm.”
“I told you ninety-four was old!” said Ash triumphantly to Gazi.
“No it’s not,” Ginzaekh growled, gritting his teeth. “My uncle’s nearing a hundred and ten and he’s still not old.”
Ash blinked. “Then why did you say--”
“Because I’m frustrated!” Ginzaekh snapped.
“Ginzaekh! Ash!” Gazi shouted. She stood between them and spread their wings. “We can’t afford to have a quarrel. We need to be as united as ever if we’re going to get the reward.”
Ginzaekh lowered his eyes. “Sorry, Gaz.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” said Gazi, jerking her horns behind her.
“Ash,” said Ginzaekh, “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
Gazi snaked her head behind her, lowering one of her wings slightly so she could see over it.
Ash scratched the grass with his talon. “Apology accepted.”
Gazi continued to stare at him.
Ash’s eyes darted back and forth. He blinked.
Gazi coughed loudly.
“I’m sorry I abandoned my post,” said Ash.
Gazi nodded and folded her wings.
“But in my defense--”
“Apology accepted, Ash,” said Ginzaekh firmly, smiling. “Now let’s get back to the hunt.”
“I’ll watch the cart,” said Gazi.
“No, you don’t have to do that,” said Ginzaekh, shaking his head. “I’ll have Ris or Agar do it.”
“This is their first hunt,” Gazi pointed out as the twins protested. “Don’t stick them with cart duty.”
Ginzaekh smiled. “Alright, Gazi. Thanks.”
“Anything,” Gazi smiled back, launching into the sky.
Ginzaekh clapped his hands. “The day is freshly hatched,” he said. “Let’s get chasing before its horns are sharp.”
You can find all previous chapters in the chapters tag!
Taglist: @inkspilledqueen @inkwellprincess @agentorange-writes @adventuresdooccur @mastery-in-procrastination @maabonwrites (If I’ve forgotten you or you want to be added, please let me know!)
Now that the first two chapters are out of the way, there are way more scene breaks. Honestly I might not even have to bother with a cut, to be honest. Anyway, in this scene, the authenticity of the stone is verified.
Ginzaekh turned to his brothers. “Wait here,” he said. “I’m not sure how long this will take. I’ll take you hunting afterward.”
Ginzaekh took a deep breath and flapped upward, lifting the door he was standing on. Releasing his talons from the handle and taking a moment to compose himself, he plunged into the tall stone building.
A dragon sitting next to a writing desk looked up as Ginzaekh strode up. “Hello,” he said. “What brings you here?”
“I need to meet with the chief of the townsguard immediately,” said Ginzaekh.
“What could possibly be so important?” asked the clerk.
Ginzaekh pulled the stone from his bag.
The clerk’s eyes widened. “I will notify him immediately.”
As the clerk rushed down the column to the bottom level, Ginzaekh began pacing. In a few short moments, he would know if the stone was the same the emperor was looking for.
He didn’t know what he would do if he’d gotten his hopes up, again, for nothing.
It’s real.
The clerk rushed in with two other dragons. The three of them barely made it through the column as they swarmed through it all at once. Breathlessly, they landed in front of Ginzaekh.
“Ginzaekh Arrissa,” said Ginzaekh as he reached to clasp the chief’s wrist.
The chief nodded without accepting the gesture. “You say you have found the emperor’s enzarite stone?”
Ginzaekh nodded. He handed it to the chief.
Instead of taking it, the chief gestured to the dragon next to him. “Ever since Rer was notified of the stone’s disappearance, we’ve had Draven on hand to analyze any claims our residents might bring forth.” Draven took the stone and scrutinized it carefully. “Come with me,” he said.
Ginzaekh followed, dropping through the column to the bottom floor. Draven stopped at a large iron door with seven short, thin metal pipes above the lock, arranged in a hexagonal fashion.
Draven fitted his lips around the top leftmost pipe and something rushed through it. Ginzaekh realized he was breathing fire into the lock. He twisted his armband tightly.
Draven blew through the rightmost and middle pipes, then put the key into the lock. He turned and removed the key, then opened the door.
Ginzaekh followed the chief into the room as Draven took the stone to a small granite table.
“Enzarite is fragile when struck with moderate force,” said Draven, “but an observation of the effect of indris oil and dragon flame produces a conclusive identification.”
Draven dipped a small stick in oil and placed the miniature torch on a metal stand. He blew on the tip of the stick, igniting it with a flame that turned blue as it leapt onto the torch, and placed the crystal on top of the flame.
“I don’t think the emperor wants a scorch on his prized crystal stone,” Ginzaekh fretted.
It will take more than a flame to damage the stone, Ginzaekh thought inexplicably.
Draven chuckled. “Not to worry. If this is truly enzarite, then a flame such as this--”
He lifted the stone from the flame and inspected the end of the stone. “--will not harm it.”
“It matches the description perfectly,” said the chief. “We don’t have a drawing of the stone, but you can check that in Azkir or somewhere closer to Khriza. I am completely confident that this is the stone the emperor is looking for, and if not, it should be a suitable replacement.”
“Excellent!” said Draven. “I will take it to the emperor and ensure that you receive the reward.”
“Talons in the ground, Draven,” said the chief. “The edict specifically instructs the finder of the stone to deliver it personally without interference from any townsguards.”
“Forgive me, it slipped my mind,” Draven apologized to Ginzaekh. “Rest assured I had no corrupt intentions.”
“No, of course not, Draven, but listen to me, young drake,” said the chief, turning to Ginzaekh. “When it comes to this stone, always assume anyone you trust will betray you for the reward. If you’d let Draven take the stone, the reward would never get to you, even if Draven told the emperor of you.”
Ginzaekh nodded, biting his lip. He is right. The fool cannot be trusted.
Why I think that? Ginzaekh wondered.
They exited the room and Ginzaekh went with the chief into his office. The chief took a piece of parchment and a quill.
“I’m going to write a letter ahead of you,” he said. “Tell me everything I should inform the emperor.”
Ginzaekh followed him to a writing room where the chief began to question him. “What did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t,” said Ginzaekh, “but it’s Ginzaekh.”
“Rashname?”
“I was named for my father.”
“Ginzaekh Ginzaekhrash. . .” the chief muttered, scratching it down.
“. . .Arrissa,” Ginzaekh finished for him.
“Ginzaekh Ginzaekhrash Arrissa. And you live here, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And where did you find the stone?”
“In the forest, sir, just south of the village outskirts.”
“Tell me how you found it.”
Ginzaekh related to him how he had stumbled on the stone, giving Ash’s and Gazi’s full names when prompted. He told the chief how he had caught Tark stealing from their cart.
“And did he get away with any of your kills?” asked the chief.
“No, sir, Ash and Gazi scratched him up and he flew away,” said Ginzaekh.
“Ah, good,” The chief replied. “Continue.”
Ginzaekh related in great detail the circumstances in which he had found the stone, how he had taken it home, and the stone’s erratic behavior.
The officer furrowed his brow and snapped a few thoughtful sparks. “Most unusual. As it happens, the emperor warned us of similar properties, though he did not explain them. I can’t make sense of it, but that’s Zarakharn’s business. Is there anything else?”
“No, sir,” said Ginzaekh.
“Then you may be on your way. I will send this letter to Khriza immediately. It should arrive within two days, long before you do.”
“Thank you very much,” said Ginzaekh, clasping the chief’s wrist. This time, he accepted it.
Ginzaekh flapped from the building. His brothers waited on the roof. “It’s real,” he said with a triumphant grin. “Let’s go hunting to celebrate.”
