Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

AShellfishLover t1_iufj7p6 wrote

Reply to comment by AShellfishLover in [WP] You’re exploring a remote area, when you find a guy chained to a rock getting his liver eaten by birds. You, not having the slightest knowledge of Greek mythological, decide to help. by brainthinkin

There were three of the beastwomen, and it was just me and Spot. Don't get me wrong, Spot is a survivor. I found him hurt years ago, and the scars on his muzzle and flank told a tale of a bad life, but he'd always been a gentle giant of a beast.

But I'd never taken him as a fighter until that day. Spot stood firmly by my side. I never knew what they meant about hackles being up until I saw my sweet little boy ready for war.

We charged the shrieking birdwomen as they started flapping their wings, and I got lucky. A swift overhead strike, like you use to chop down a thick rope, and the first one was down in a pool of inky black blood. For my trouble I took a gash to the arm, and Spot circled to my back, barking and snapping at one of the beasts while I squared against the other.

The beast in front of me swiped at my face, forcing me to back away and trip up short of Spot. I spun and swung high, and caught the monster's clawed hand on their backstroke.

With a flick of its wrist the creature snatched the blade, and I knew I was screwed. I always though the whole life flashing before your eyes thing was a lie, then I saw it all.

my father hitting me, drunk and terrible, but it was better than hitting my little sister. This was the last time, when i hit back, not like..

the first night with Angie, drunk on strawberry wine, the demon not yet in me, her hands warm and hair so soft, smelling like...

dandelions, twined into a crown. She was dressed in a shift, no, a toga, a witch, the laughter of women in my ears, the sounds of the wind chattering like...

birds, in the trees. Running away, Kerberos at my heels, hot bread in my hands. A good boy, named after the spots across his back, after the three headed hound, a monster, like a hydra, like...

harpies. Monstrous women, cursed by Zeus. I went with my sword to dispatch them, to save the King and return home, prideful like...

a peacock, her favorite, the Mother of Gods, sending me to find the Fleece, to save the kingdom, her hands pressing

A sword. The harpy flapped away from me then, baring fangs and screeching.

It felt right. I knew the blade, every nick and worry from hilt to tip. Its weight felt natural in my hand, and I knew what I had to do.

My body went into autopilot, and I went to killing the harpies with a will. Spot was my shadow, keeping the surviving shade from me, snapping in all directions. We worked together, and made quick work of the challenge. And as the last fell I heard the Stranger scream, and then those screams were replaced by moans of pain.

233

AShellfishLover t1_iufss5t wrote

The Stranger's captive was no longer tied to the stone, and the bird that had been tearing at the captive's stomach had disappeared along with the arena. The wounds I had seen before were gone, replaced with a mass of scars across his chest and stomach. The captive curled into the fetal position, and I went to check on the man I just saved.

His face was rugged. While the Stranger and his watchers' faces were handsome in their perfection, the captive's features were more primitive, carved from clay rather than marble. Lines marked his mouth, as if finally relaxed after a permanent scream. I rubbed his back as I had countless friends in pain before, and the captive relaxed, turning over on his back.

"Thank you, kind sir. You cannot know how long it has been that I was held there by the Tartarean." the free man whispered. "If there is anything I can do, any gift I can offer, I'd give it gladly."

"Heh, I don't think you have much to offer, friend, but th—"

He grabbed my arm and I looked into the captive's eyes.

"Fire. Knowledge. I have much to give. So, so many things... lessons from the Gods. Your people learned to harness the power of Zeus, to sail across Poseidon's great seas, to hammer out weapons that would make Haephestus weep and Ares slaver in jealousy. You have gained a way to transfer Gnosis through nets of fine wire, but why stop there?"

Then the visions came. A world without death. A world without want. A world perfect and ablaze with the passions of intellect.

And above them all I sat, sitting in a Throne of twisted bronze. But it wasn't me. The eyes, those cruel and vicious eyes

I felt Spot licking me through my torn pants, and it was the only thing that saved me. The captive had wrapped me in his embrace, his eyes wild and staring into mine, spittle running out of the corners of his mouth.

The blade slid in clean. His eyes clouded, and I let his body fall back to the slab.

I dug the grave shallow, my small trench shovel ill-equipped for the work in this gravelly mess. I wrapped his body in the shroud he had risen in as my lantern cast strange shadows in the clearing. I saw my fate in a thousand shadows, a hundred deaths, a hundred happy endings.

But each was mine.

300

Equal-Researcher-329 t1_iuftgpf wrote

I love that the dogs named spot, just makes me think Jason’s walking around with Cerberus

97

AShellfishLover t1_iufv7me wrote

Yep, that was the tie-in. I liked the idea of a sort of reincarnation vibe so I went there. If I had spent more time in the sprint I would have worked more out

59

cjrw32 t1_iufu6i1 wrote

That was a great read.

23

AShellfishLover t1_iufucbf wrote

Thanks! If you ignore my posts in magictcg you'll find a bunch of prompts, these are some of the last before I tuck in for nanowrimo

21

Gruuler t1_iug7shn wrote

No, don’t ignore the mtg posts! Join us everyone!

Great job on the story, this was excellent!

11

lestairwellwit t1_iugirr4 wrote

Completely haiku-esque (is that a word? I mean it's only three syllables... )

The metaphor, simile and more is fantastic

Thank you for this

12

AShellfishLover t1_iugj4zn wrote

A whole prompt written in haiku but presented in prose could be a fun one.

10

lestairwellwit t1_iugl7vm wrote

In a smokey haze

Fabled and so forgotten

Stone tied and tortured

--

His crime, fire to man

Just a flame meant to protect

His fault was to uplift

--

Yes, Prometheus

We stand on smoldering stone

Us, to the future

16

Grafenbrgr t1_iuh7o4z wrote

Fuck. I thoroughly enjoyed that. Great stuff.

6

ThehellHound01 t1_iuihb9u wrote

So is he the reincarnation of the actual Jason?

2

AShellfishLover t1_iuihgx4 wrote

I leave it open-ended as to whether it's the case but wanted to give the reincarnation vibe as a little nod to the concept of the eternal champion.

8

Omen224 t1_iuj7pk5 wrote

My congratulations!

1

AShellfishLover t1_iuj7vvz wrote

What am I being congratulated for? 😄

2

Omen224 t1_iujb72x wrote

Sorry, it must not have gone through the first time. Hold on.

1

AShellfishLover t1_iujbf0j wrote

Aww, thank you so much! If you wanna check out my other stuff I have other prompts in my profile!

2