literature

Writing Challenge 2014 August

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I stared at the gate. Even sitting on my horse, the gate was far taller than I was. If it had been fully closed, I would have doubted even Sword and I together could have pulled it open.
As it was, the gate was raised half way. This immediately made me question the intelligence of just walking in, which was the bulk of Sword's plan. I trusted my brother with my life, but that hardly meant I was prepared to agree to all of his plans without even questioning them.
Not that it really mattered what I thought, Sword had already dismounted and was walking up to the gate. I hesitated, tightening my hands on the reigns, then swung my leg over and dropped to the ground. I followed quickly.
"Sword, I'm not sure--"
He shushed me, concentrating on what he could see passed the gate.
My brother ducked under the gate and into the main courtyard. Knowing I had no other choice, I did the same.
The couryard looked in more disrepair than I expected. Grass had sprung up between cracked stones while the flowerbeds that should have been elegantly in full bloom were dying. This was a couryard that had suffered years of neglect, not a few weeks.
I was starting to feel more uneasy than ever and I was sure it was more than just the dragon waiting for us inside. I wanted to shake off the feeling but I couldn't decide if that would be a good idea or not.
Sword clearly felt fine about the situation. He was opening the main door and only loosened his weapon from his sheath instead of holding it in his hand.
The door opened onto a room. The tall walls hung with tapestries that had faded and torn. Some had fallen and lay crumpled on the ground. There were large gashes in the floor, claw marks from when the dragon had entered the castle.
There were the remains of a suit of armor on one side. I looked away queasily and hurried to catch up with Sword. I grabbed his sleeve and he looked back at me rather hopelessly. I opened my mouth, however, and he motioned for me to shut up before I spoke. He pointed down the hall he was walking towards. I saw a set of stairs at the end of it, but I was unsure if he meant those were the stairs I was looking for or if that was where we would find the dragon. Most likely it was both.
He pulled my hand off his sleeve and walked a little faster into the hall. I saw more tapestries in the same state of disrepair. And right before the hall ended, right before the hall opened up to allow a grand staircase begin, the wall to our right had a gaping hole. Rubble spewed out of the opening and the stones before us in the hall were blackened.
That was when my feet became stuck. I pitched forward to the ground. I flung my arms out to stop myself but while I was unharmed, my shield crashed against the stone floor.
A horrible screeching ripped through the air. I pushed my hands to my ears, my eyes forced closed by the pain the sound wrought through my entire body. I could have screamed and had no idea. Even if I did scream, the unending screech would have drowned out the sound of fifty men shouting.
I was huddled on the floor still when the screech died away. Before it was gone completely, my brother grabbed me by the tunic and hauled me to my feet. I was shaking so much I could abrely stay standing when he yanked the tapestry that had tripped me from around my feet. He swung me around to face him.
"Just get her and get out. Run!"
"Sword--!"
I was made to turn to the stairs and Sword shoved me as hard as he could towards them. I stumbled forward. Looking back, I watched my brother run through the hole in the wall shouting challanges to the dragon.
His voice was drowned out immediately by another screech that almost sent me back to the floor.
He’s going to die.
I thought, horrified.
I'm going to die. We’re both going to die here.
This was impossible. That dragon had defeated countless knights, seasoned adventurers, and even wizards. There was no way my brother could fight that thing alone. Even if he was the best swordsman in The South Kingdom of the Light, what could that really do against a dragon?
But as I thought of these things, I was running for the stairs.
This was Sword's plan. I had to trust him, no matter how uneasy I was with the situation or how sure I was that we would die.
I just had to run faster. The sooner I got the princess out of the castle the sooner I could go back in and get Sword out as well.
I ran up the stairs three at a time. The stairs turned at a small landing, I pushed off the wall to save momentum and kept running. I heard screeching below me and felt the floor shaking just a little. I was breathign hard after the third staircase and I hated that I was so weak. Sword was fighting the dragon to give me this time, I had to do better than this.
The stairs ended and I was in another hallway. I found the door to the tower easily enough and started climbing the tight steps. I circled around and around, keeping my head ducked because the ceiling was so low.
I came to a door at the end of the stairs. Here, I hesitated. I needed to do something to warn the princess I was here to save her before I simply opened the door. In the end, I knocked.
"Princess! My brother, Sword Calcule, crown prince of the South Kingdom of the Light, and I, Shield Calcule, second son of the South Kingdom of the Light, have come to honor our alliance with the Windfall Kingdom by rescuing you from the dragon below. I am entering the room now!"
I pressed the handle and opened the door just a little.
"Princess?"
I opened the door the rest of the way. The room was much smaller than I expected, though it was furnished for a princess so I was sure this was where she would be. But there was no one that I could see immediately.
What princess would hide from a rescuer?
I swallowed against my uneasiness, rationalizing her actions. Surely since she had been stuck here for so long she would be nervous. Anyone would be nervous of strange men walking into their room. I was just afraid for Sword, I had to calm down. I took a deep breath and noticed the slippered feet from under the window curtain.
"Princess," I said kindly, "I'm here to help. I regret that I am in such a rush, but we really must leave immediately. Please come with my brother and I."
Slowly, she pulled the curtain away from her.
My first impression of her was that she should have been beautiful. That she could have been gorgeous. But there was a sickly pallor to her, and her thin arms looked barely strong enough to push aside the curtain. Instead of beautiful, she looked terrible.
I wondered if the uneasiness I had been feeling was simply pity for what this princess must have gone through. I hoped that was all it was.
"Will you come with me?" I prompted, waiting for some kind of acknowledgment that she would follow.
She nodded slowly.
Relieved, I quickly turned and started down the stairs. I checked over my shoulder so often I forgot to keep my head low and bruised my head against the low ceiling. She was following, if slowly. Already she was clinging to the railing of the stairs for support.
I itched to run but held myself back. If the princess was as sick as she looked, rushing her and worsening whatever illness she had would not help our escape. It certainly would do nothing to help Sword.

Another month…another unfinished scene.

In my defense, my brother was home for a while. And since it’s his job to spend years at a time in other countries, it seemed a bit more important to see him in my limited free time instead of doing the writing challenge. Next year. When I do this challenge next year I swear I’ll be better at actually finishing the scenes.

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