Yet another story preview!

Edit: Hey folks! Thank y'all for the feedback, I'll let you know that I've set this part aside and I'm reworking on it. So thank you all for your help!

This is an excerpt from... yet-to-be-named-feudal-Japan-story (isn't the title simply fantastic?)

It's the introduction of the fourth and final MC, this guy named Sora. Yoru, another MC, kindly agreed to help me with this...
I actually like this scene, but I cannot be impartial in judging my own writing. So I have questions but, to avoid spoilers, I'll put them in the end.
Also, be aware that the story contains some spoilers (revealing the nature of the magic used in the book)

Heavy, black smoke arose from a nearby house, while flames engulfed the wood that . A large crowd had gathered and was trying to put out the fire.

Sora, though, was running in the opposite direction.

A thief. And not an ordinary thief, it seemed. He set a nearby house on fire, waited until everyone was focused on it, then grabbed the weapons from his family’s store.

And he might have gotten away with it, too, if Sora hadn’t turned around at the last moment.

How dare he! How dare he steal, and even worse, damage someone’s house just to steal a weapon!

There he was! Sora recognized a minute figure running away, dressed completely in black, locks of black hair escaped from his bun and flying in the wind.

Sora accelerated, catching up on the thief. He was fast, but no one was faster than Sora. He  ran so fast it seemed his feet didn’t even touch the ground.
The world around him became blurry, all his attention on the running boy. In a few seconds, he covered the entire distance that separated them, and reached out to the thief. Sora’s fingers grabbed his kimono’s cape, causing the escapee to lose his balance and fall on the young merchant. He grabbed the boy’s wrist, before staring at him in complete surprise.

It was a girl. nothing more than a little girl, no older than him. Cute, even, if it wasn’t for the scar that ran across her nose. Just a little girl.

Ugh, no. It did not matter if she was a girl. She was always a thief. He should just bring her back, and let her have her right punishment.

The thief grinned and the next thing Sora knew was that he was on the ground, his head aching and the thief running away.

How could she! For an instant, Sora’s vision became blue, a shocking blue that enveloped everything else. A moment later, he was flying over the roofs, over the village, his eyes still focused on the thief who was escaping. He dove, his long, sinuous tail drawing spirals in the air, and forced the thief to the ground with his long claws. She struggled to free herself, but his grip was too powerful. The villagers were looking at him, astounded. He stared at his hand - no, his paw. A tapered, blue paw, ending in long, sharp, black claws. The longer he looked at it, however, the more human it seemed to him - until it was a perfectly normal, human hand, no different than it should have been. He gazed at it in awe, before remembering the thief.
She cursed heavily for a few minutes, and Sora let her do as she pleased, albeit wincing at her language. When she finally calmed down, he loosened her grip and rose, preparing to take her wrist and guide her to his house.

But she wasn’t there anymore.

“Damn it!”

He quickly started running in her direction. She was faster, this time, though, and Sora immediately lost sight of her.

Doooone! Now, the questions - was it confusing? I obviously know what's going on, but you don't (nyah-nyah!), so was it somehow understandable?

The Storyteller's Challenge - Summary

Whew, it's DONE! And I won the Challenge, yay! It was fun I might do it again... not before a couple of months, though.
Now, first of all, I was not the only one. Other writers participated in this Challenge. Unfortunately, right now I can remember only two of them, who linked their stories to me, but if one of the participants I forgot wants me to include him in this post, just say it! Send me a link to your blog or wherever you wrote the stories, and I'll gladly put it here.
The ones I remember were Dominic Lowery (http://writerscometolife.blogspot.com/) and Miles Nagaharu (http://writingnagaharu.blogspot.com/), give them an applause!
Now, back to my part of the challenge.

- Day 1 - Rain
Did I like this one? Yes, I did. It was fun to write, and both characters wouldn't stop talking. They basically wrote the story themselves.
What have I learned from this? Trust your characters. They know better. Also, grumpy characters are fun to write.
- Day 2 - Town of the Beginning and the End
Did I like this one? Yes! It felt like a prologue, but Josè and Tonino were refreshing characters for me. I can't remember the last time my characters were so cheerful and innocent, and I really enjoyed it, both writing and reading. And the idea was nice, so this one may be one of my favorites.
What have I learned from this? I can't write a decent short story without making it feel like a prologue. It happened more than once, actually. Also, children are fun to write, and I should do it more often.
- Day 3 - The solitude of Darkness
Did I like this one? The first part, yes. The second, not much. It was different from what I usually wrote, but I'm glad I tried. It was totally worth it.
What did I learn from this? As Jessica Fry commented, "one story can be complete in a very short span". I should have stopped after the first part, but, oh, well, you learn by making mistakes, right? (I'm gonna further explore this concept in Day 5... -.-)
- Day 4 - A storyteller's name
Did I like this one? Meh. I think the basic concept was nice, but I wasn't capable of transforming that idea into a story. That means more training for me! Write, write, write!
What have I learned from this? If inspiration isn't there, the story isn't good. But I don't blame this entirely on inspiration. I need to get my mind working on translating a concept into words. I don't know how, but I need to. Any advice?
- Day 5 - The dancing shadows
Did I like this one? No comment. Don't get me started.
What have I learned from this? I CAN'T FIND AN INTERESTING IMAGE, THINK OF A STORY (and a title) AND WRITE IT DOWN IN FIFTEEN MINUTES! Not if I want it to be at least decent. But, as I said, I'm going to learn from my previous mistakes. Have to train more and become a great ninja err, writer.
- Day 6 - Dangers (not) lurking beneath the sea
Did I like this one? Yes, I did! It was a nice change, from no-inspiration-quick-writing-boring-story to this light-hearted story which actually had somewhat of a plot. It was also my first attempt on writing some humor. Don't know if it was good, by I found it enjoyable, at least.
What have I learned from this? I've learned to recognize what makes me laugh in a story, how is the punchline delivered, why do I find it funny, etcetera, etcetera, and to apply it to my own stories. Like I said, it was a first attempt, and I'm satisfied with what I've achieved.
- Day 7 - Sincerely
Did I like this one? Yessssss! It was adorable writing as Junko and Gabriel, and I'm going to stop there because I could talk for about an hour (or several pages) about everything I liked.
What have I learned from this? I enjoy writing letters, and every moment of my everyday life is potential inspiration. In fact, I decided to write "Sincerely" while chatting. Ha! Aaand, I've also learned that I really need to know when a previously read story was "inspiring" and when I used too much of its concepts. The story I was inspired from was also called "Sincerely", and talked about two boys writing to each other. I used both the concept of a boy being mistaken for a girl because of his name and this person telling about violent acts to protect a sibling, and asking to the other if he hated him. The characters personalities, preferences, etc., though were original, not like I copied the story!

Overall, did I enjoy the Storyteller's Challenge? Of course! I think I've learned much from it, and am satisfied of 5 stories out of 7 which is a good number. I knew from the beginning I would have ups and downs, so I expected more or less a similar result. Also, I proved to be able to write a different story everyday, without taking breaks! It's a good way of boosting self-confidence.
What about you? Did you enjoy the Storyteller's Challenge, and which stories were the ones you liked the most? Thank you for coping with me as I had writer's block and wrote ridiculously long stories, as I blabbered about just anything, etcetera, etcetera.
See you next time! *Goes back to writing a longer story*

The Storyteller's Challenge n. 7 - Sincerely

The last day, WOW! Done! A special story today! The last one! Be sure to check in tomorrow for the epilogue/summary/whateverjustreaditokay!

You know the drill.

Hello, Gabriel.                                                                                                21/3/2000
Our teacher told us to write a letter to someone from your school, and I got your name when we picked the paper slips from the box. So hello! I'm Junko, I'm 8. How old are you? I'm from Japan, and you?
The teacher told us to write about what we like. I like eating! And I like reading, too. I wanna find a job where I can read books all the day, when I grow up. What about you?
Sincerely,
Junko

Hi, Junko!                                                                                                      25/3/2000
Yeah, they told us about a pen friend project. Ya look like a nerd, but I mean it as a compliment.
I'm 9, I'm from Italy. Japan, that's so cool! The address is from around here, though, do ya live here?
I like eating, too! What's your favorite food? Mine are chips! I don't exactly like reading books, but I like comics! Especially the ones with Batman! I wanna be a superhero, when I grow up! Have ya ever done anything to help other people?
Sincerely,
Gabriel

Hello, Gabriel.                                                                                               30/3/2000
Yes, I live here. I suppose you do, too, as the address is from around here.
Italian, wow! Can you make a pizza?
My favorite food is sashimi! I remember eating it a lot, when I was little. I don't usually read comics, are they nice?
Yes, I do help people! I always help the old people in the neighborhood carry their bags, and I also help the dogs to fly  the little birds that fall from their nests! I pick them up with a net and climb the tree to put them back. I'm very careful, because if I touch them, their moms won't want them anymore.
Uhm... would you get angry at me if I said I beat other people? I'm not violent! It's just that those bullies pick on my little sister, and I can't stand it! 
Sincerely,
Junko

Hey, Junko!                                                                                                     3/4/2000
No, I can't cook at all! I even burned some already-prepared popcorn, that's how bad I am at cooking! Sashimi, what's that?
Ya really defend your sister from bullies? Wow, that's so COOL! And that's also very gentle of you, you're a good person! I believe ya when you say you're not violent! I don' have a sibling, but I have two friends who are weaker than me. Sometimes people insult 'em, and I defend 'em, but it never comes to beatin' each other!
Woah, I didn't know that bird moms don' want their children back if they've touched humans. Do they hate us that much? They get angry when their kids play with us? 
Ya know, you're pretty cool, for being a girl! You know so much things and are also strong!
Ya never read comics?!? Here, my teacher told me how to send other things. I sent ya some of my favorite comics, so treat 'em carefully! And keep them, they're a gift!
This letter thing is turning out to be awesome!!
Sincerely,
Gabriel
P.S: What's that about flying dogs?
Hi, Gabriel,                                                                                                   7/4/2000
I'M NOT A GIRL! I'm a BOY!
I'm glad you think I'm cool, though. People usually hate me. You don't hate me, right?
These comics are great! Thank you, thank you very much! I love the stories, and the drawing is pretty. At first, though, I read them wrong! I though they were like manga, right to left, but they're not.
That's nice of you, protecting your friends. You should be glad it doesn't come to beating, it's not good! I take karate lessons, so I'm strong, but sometimes they land hits on me and it hurts a lot.
That flying dog thing was written by my older brother! He always plays pranks on me, but I never hurt him, even when I'm angry.
Sashimi is raw fish! You can eat it in Japanese restaurants, if you want to try.
Mama birds don't hate us, but they recognize their babies by their smell. If we touch them, we leave our scent on them and mama birds think they're not their babies because they smell different.
I actually thought pretty hard about what to send, because I also want to give you something. I decided to send you my favorite books! Tell me if you want more!
Sincerely,
Junko

Hi, Junko...                                                                                                 11/4/2000
Sorry, sorry, SORRY! My teacher told me Junko was a girl's name, so I thought ya were a girl! Sorry again!
Of course I don't hate ya, don't be silly! People are really ridiculous most of the time. You've done nothing wrong! We're friends, right?
I like these books! I haven't finished any, though, because they're super-long!
Raw fish?! EWW! No, thanks!
Ooh, that's what it was! You're pretty smart knowing all that stuff on birds.
You have also a brother? Cool! I've no siblings at all, I really want I would! I love my parents, though.
Karate lessons, so cool! You're like those people with white clothes and a black belt?
Sincerely,
your friend Gabriel.


Hello Gabriel!                                                                                              15/4/2000
I can't be angry with you... it's my parents' fault for giving me such a girly name.
I'm happy we're friends! I really like you, and I'm glad you don't hate me!
Take your time with those books, you must read them slowly to appreciate them!
Yeah, I have a sister and a brother. I love my family, too! They're the most precious thing I have.
Black belt? No! I'm yellow. If I was black, I could kill people if I wanted to. That's not what karate is for, though, it's for defending people!
I'm happy we're friends, really! Thank you!
Sincerely!
Your friend Junko


Hey Junko, you're alright?                                                                 25/10/2006
Been reading  through our old letters. Do you remember when I used ta think ya were a girl? You WERE pretty girly, though, back then, both in writing and in those photos you sent, tehehe..
I've been wonderin', why do we never write emails? They wouldn't take days to arrive. But actually I don' wanna e-mail ya, even if I don' know why...
Same for meetin' ya. I really like ya, but I'm sort of nervous at the thought of meetin'cha. Dunno why, but I am.
Hey, have you noticed how we never used another word? It's always 'sincerely'. And I don't wanna stop using it. I sincerely mean what I write ta ya!
Sincerely,
Gabriel

Hello ya dork!                                                                                         30/10/2006
You rubbed that thing on me, that 'ya' of yours... oh, well...
It's pretty obvious to me. You can't collect old e-mails and keep them on your desk! And why would we want to meet each other? We're pen friends, that's the beauty of it. I can talk to ya about anything, and you can do the same. Can't do that in real life. Talking is awkward, anyways.
''Sincerely' is the perfect word. We both mean whatever we say. Never lied to ya, never will, promise.
Sincerely,
Junko

The Storyteller's Challenge n. 6 - Dangers (not) lurking beneath the sea

Inspiration is BAAACKKKK! Yay! This one is just a funny story, forget that sad stuff I did until now. And tomorrow's the last day! After that, I'll be having a post where I sum up the week, tell you about other writers who accepted the Storyteller's Challenge, what I learned from this experience, etcetera. Be sure to be here on Monday!

Do I look like an artist to you? No? Then I clearly don't own this image. 

Philip slowly opened his eyes. He thought he heard something. In something much shorter than a second, the sound of moving water and a laughter ringing completely woke him up, which, combined with a cheerful young face appearing in his field of vision, almost gave him a heart attack. Luckily, he was used to it.
"Good morning, Philip!"
The dolphin squealed in protest.
"Oh, come on, don't be such a drama queen!"
More squealing.
"Tch! Fine, my fault, sorry! Now, come on, let's go to the graveyard!" Kiemi grabbed Philip's tail and started swimming towards what was a real graveyard of sunken ships. Broken masts lay on the ground, fallen under the pressure of the ocean. Fish swam in in the holes that time had inflicted upon the sails, and algae grew on the abandoned decks.
All in all, the whole vision was that of a playground, to Kiemi's eyes.
She giggled, excited, and sprinted towards a caravel which was broken in half, with Philip following her and desperately wishing he had a saner friend. Those were sunken ships. Full of lurking dangers, only waiting for the right moment to strike you. Like nails. And splinters!
Kiemi, though, obviously couldn't care less about those horrible traps that awaited her in those infernal sunken labyrinths, and launched herself toward a hole in the deck, screaming excitedly when she came out from the opposite side of the ship.
Philip squealed loudly.
"Philip, it's not dangerous! Look!" She did it again, making the dolphin squeal even louder.
"Come see for yourself, you wimp!" She grabbed the dolphin's tail again and dragged him towards the hole.
When nothing happened, the dolphin relaxed. No splinters. What a relief!
At first sceptical, when he found himself chasing Kiemi in the sail holes, Philip had to admit he was having fun and maybe - just maybe - it was not that dangerous after all. Sure there was always the possibility that another mast would break down and squish them under its weight, or at least leave them starving because they were trapped under a sail which got stuck in a coral nearby, burying them alive...
but it shouldn't happen, right?
A mast breaking down, though, was the last of Kiemi's thoughts at the moment. Screaming shrilly, she entered in one of the cabins, and Philip followed her, worried she might get lost, or get eaten by a kraken, or get a splinter in her tail.
Kiemi was nowhere to be found.
He was right! Oh, no, Kiemi! Was she kidnapped by a shark? Did the roof collapse and trap her under a pile of rubble?!
Philip was squaling frantically as he swam through that infernal chamber. Kiemi was far more important than his life, he would risk it to find her, and would finally make her understand why it was so dangerous coming in these places.
He shivered.
There was a shadow towering over him.
He turned around to face it, and, as sound travels much faster in water than it does in air, a soft giggle came to his ears before he could see Kiemi sticking out her tongue at him.
"Scared ya! Scared ya, didn't I! Nyah, nyah!"
What follows has been censored from most books.
If you asked the right fish, though, for the right amount of worms, he could reveal that it involved a dolphin with a sword in his beak and a splinter in his tail chasing a young mermaid.

I actually had a lot of fun writing this. Not exactly a genius on humor, but I do hope it made someone chuckle. Tell me what you think and SEE YOU TOMORROW FOR THE LAST STORY!!
Woo-hoo! 10 posts, and barely wrote for a couple of weeks. Isn't this Storyteller's Challenge just amazing?
P.S: Those of you who didn't check my previous post "Praising an artist and poems put to music!!!", check it out! Do it! Why are you still reading this stuff?! It doesn't even make any sense! I'm just blabbering! And you're still reading, aren't you?! Well, STOP! AND CHECK IT OUT!!

The Storyteller's Challenge n. 5 - The dancing shadows

This one is a super-short story. Oh well, I did say there are no word limits for the Storyteller's Challenge, so...

No, you already know this image doesn't belong to me, etcetera, etcetera.

The stars that dotted the sky shone as brilliantly as the sun itself, casting their soft glow on the puffy clouds beneath. No wind, no breeze disturbed the sheer quietness of the deep night, no breathing soul dared interrupt the silence that enveloped everything in a magical atmosphere. 

That was, until a delighted laughter broke out. 

They were two humans, racing each other with no goal, giggling from time to time like little kids. Their silouettes stood out, black against the blue sky, as he guided her in a spontaneous dance, without apparent reason. And they continued playing around, running, smiling, as the moon drew its arc in the sky, and the sun, slowly but surely, rised from under the hills. And as soon as the day began its course, the shadows were gone, vanished like the stars at dawn. 

It didn't make much sense, but here it is. As I said before, it's super short, but, oh, well. 'Long' doesn't mean 'better'. Leave a comment and tell me what you think, see y'all tomorrow! ^_^  

The Storyteller's Challenge n. 4 - A storyteller's name

Yay! Fourth day! Only three to go. Now, remember what this challenge is called? The Storyteller's Challenge! Of course you do, it's written on every story title :P Well, today we'll be talking about storytellers!

Before you ask, no, not mine. There we go again *sigh*

"Tell us a story!"
"Yes, sir, tell us a story!"
Said 'sir' chuckled slightly. "Which one will it be tonight, then?"
"A new one!"
"Yes, a new one!"
"Have I told you about the elven queen? The one which beauty rivaled that of every other? Or wait -- how about the Thousand-Year War between the three Ancients? A long time ago there were - and there still are - three great beings. They are so tall, humans mistake them for mountains, but should you look at the sky, you can see the clouds covering their heads. They go by many names: titans, stone giants, but their-"
"Bard, tell us a lighter story, please! I'll have nightmares!"
'Bard' sighed, looking at the kid's frown, then immediately lighted up.
"I know! You know of Freyg, the legendary knight?"
"Of course!"
"Do you know what happened during the years of his absence?" After a long silence, the storyteller clasped his hands together.
"Freyg's deeds were known all over the world, by that time. Tales of his adventures were told by minstrels and, yes, bards like me. Then he suddenly disappeared, one day." He waited a moment, keeping the kids in suspence.
"Tales tell that, one day, he was walking in the forest, as he did everyday. Suddenly, a shadow appeared. It looked a young girl's - but he couldn't be certain. He followed it and..."

Bard grinned gently as he put his cape on the sleeping children.
"Mmh, Bard, sir?" The young girl was awake.
"What is it, Hawk Eyes?"
"What's your name?"
"I won't tell you. Just call me 'Bard.'"
"Why? I need a name to remember you by."
Bard chuckled yet again.
"You won't remember me by my name, but by my stories. My name is not that important."
The little girl frowned and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "It's okay, I guess. Good night, Bard." she yawned.
"Farewell, Hawk Eyes." he murmured.
Then he disappeared into the night, leaving no sign of his existence but the memory of his stories.





It's... not that good. But, oh, I suppose it would be impossible to be satisfied by every story. It's decent, though, right. I might even like it. Meh, I can't distinguish between what is good and what is not, right now. Please tell me what you think of this!
This turned out longer than I had expected it to be. And the characters are all nameless! (Hawk Eyes is not her name!)
This story was also inspired by the great song "The Bard's Song" by Blind Guardian. Go listen to it immediately! It's an order!

The Storyteller's Challenge n. 3 - The solitude of Darkness

Yay! The third day! Enjoy a colorful blabble!

No, this image is not mine, we've been through this already. I would have never thought of something so creative.

"In the beginning, everything was Darkness. 

Wrong. In the beginning, everything was color. Before that there was darkness. But that was not the Beginning. 

Let's start from scratch. In the beginning, everything was Color. Not, Light, that's wrong. It was Color. Light is just a spectrum of colors, as we all know. 

Before the Color, there was Darkness. Come on, we've been over that. Then suddenly the Darkness exploded. A huge outburst of Color. 

There are no certainties as to why. But I have a theory. The Darkness was too... dark. It couldn't bear its own weight. Like a depressed person, it started crying. But the Darkness had no eyes, and what resulted from its despair was an explosion. A huge explosion, made of everything that the Darkness was not. Brightness. Color. Joy. 

And the Darkness did not feel alone, not anymore. Its opposite was also the only thing it could have wished for. Someone to keep it company. And later, Color showed Darkness something else. 

Existence.

It created swirling galaxies and colorful nebulas. It created the stars, red giants and blue dwarfs. It created planets, so unique only a few could support life, and those lives were so different none of them knew of each other. And Darkness created black holes, and shadows, and night. They both reveled at their work, and vowed never to leave each other."

Author's Note: the real story ends here. The following part was a challenge between me and another writer to find as many anime references as possible in each other's stories. So it;s pretty poorly written, and done just for the fun of it. You may want to stop here, or play the game and try to find the references. Just know that the real story was supposed to end at this point. 

Mr. Okumura's eye twitched. 

"What was that, exactly?"

"You asked me what I thought of the Big Bang, Mr. Okumura."

"No sarcasm with me! Whatever was that thing you just said, it certainly wasn't a scientific opinion! I didn't expect this from you, seriously. This is a failing grade."

Cana chuckled and went back to her seat. 

"Equivalent exchange. I get the fun, I pay for it. Well, it was worth it. It was romantic, no?" she whispered to Mikasa, who smiled softly. 

"Yeah. But I started thinking about Darkness' loneliness in the end, so I may have missed one piece of the story."

"What is she, schizophrenic?" someone whispered from the back seats, staring at Cana. 

The girl sighed. "It's a pity I have to tell that boring story to the teachers. This one is much better. No one thinks of the solitude that the Darkness must have felt. They're all obsessed with what famous old people have said."

"Let them be. Do you think that Darkness still loves Color?"

"Of course it does. You know, that's another thing people got wrong... Darkness will be forever with Color. Forever. Because it cannot bear being alone. Theirs is a love that will never end."

Mikasa smiled and went back to reading her notes. 

"I'm up next. I have a sequel to tell."

The Storyteller's Challenge n. 2 - Town of the Beginning and the End

I really enjoyed wrting this story, and it's a pity it had to be so short. Anyway, meet Tonino and Josè as they explore the Town of the Beginning and the End (and no, it's not Loguetown)

This image, again, does not belong to me. Should its owner want it removed, please say so. It was too beautiful not to use!

"Are we there yet?"

"Almost."
"I'm tired, my feet hurt..."

"There! It's over there!" Tonino pointed at a rocky cliff, and started running towards the precipice, followed by a stumbling Josè. 

"Wait, Tonino! Wa- Woah..."
The five-year-old kid widened his dark eyes at the sight before him. 

"This is Asura! Town of the Beginning and the End!"

"Look at this, Tonino! It's so pretty! It's all red and blue and yellow!" Josè screamed excitedly showing a parrot at his brother.

Tonino raised his eyes from the chalk drawing he was making on the floor. 

"He says hi!" The older brother dropped the chalk in his hands.

"You understand him?" 

"Yeah! He says his name's Kali! Hi! I'm Josè and this is my big brother, Tonino!!" Kali squawked loudly and opened his wings at Tonino, who waved, still bewildered. He grabbed his brother's wrist and started dragging him towards a high building, no different than the other sand-colored ones, except for its entrance, which was closed by a heavy double door.
"Open it!" The younger brother looked hesitantly at the solid stone, then pushed it with all his strength, but the heavy door didn't move an inch. Tonino frowned as he softly pushed it with his fingertips. The door slid aside, revealing a shadowed, desert hall. He nodded and waved at the empty room. 

"Tonino, who is it?"

"It's the spirits." The older boy explained as if it was the most natural thing in the world. 

"Ooh! I can't see them, though!"

"I know you can't. Only I can see them." he frowned again. "But I can't speak to Kali."
Said bird squawked outside the hall. 

"He says only I can. Why can't you?"

"They say I shouldn't ask it."

Josè shrugged. Let's play outside! I saw a triangle building, we can climb it! Let's see if we're faster than Kali!" The bird squawked again. "Oh, you are? Then help us up!" Another squawk, followed by an amused laugh and Josè running away, followed by his brother. 

"Josè, Tonino! Where were you? Have you got any idea of how was I worried!"

"Sorry, mom." Tonino muttered. 

"Josè, don't tell it to mommy, okay?"

"Aww, but why not? I want her to see Kali and Luni!" Josè pointed at a white snake, his new friend. 

"Just don't!"

"Mommy, we were in Asura!" The younger boy grabbed his mother's skirt and pulled it. Tonino stopped breathing. Why didn't he never listen? His mother didn't seem angry, though.

"Oh, yes? What is it?"

"It's the Town of the Beginning and the End! There are lots of pretty things, and there was this bird named Kali and a snake called Luni and they were friends, and we played tag all day, then hide-and-seek, but I never found them because they cheated! Kali flied and Luni hided in small holes! Then we climbed a giant triangle and I played with Kali and Luni some more, while Tonino talked with spirits! I can't talk with them, but he can! But he can't understand Kali and Luni." 

Tonino held his breath, but released it when their mother laughed and gently patted him on the head. 

"Is that so? Sounds like you had a lot of fun. But tell me before playing outside next time, okay?" Josè smiled and promised running off in his room to draw Asura at his best. 

"Tonino, where do you play? It isn't anywhere dangerous, is it?"

"No, mom! And I take care of Josè!"

"Of course you do, you're such a good big brother. But be careful yourself, alright?"

Tonino rolled his eyes: "Mom, I'm eight! I'm not a child anymore." The only thing he received in response was another delighted laughter and a pat, then he ran off to their room, exactly like his younger brother. 

"Josè! Josè, wake up!"

The younger brother rubbed his eyes, sleepy. 

"Mmh, I'm tired, it's still dark."

"Just come! I have to show you a thing!" The brother replied with another "mmmhhh", and the older one sighed. 

"It's Asura! We have to go there!" Josè instantly threw aside his covers, fully awake. 

"Really! Now?!" He shouted. 

"Shhh, you'll wake mom!" Tonino put a finger to his lips, while putting on a small jacket with the other hand. 

"Mom said to tell her first." Josè protested, but kept his voice low. 

"Mom wouldn't let us go out now! But I have to show you something, it's important!"

Josè didn't say anything, and hesitantly followed his older brother as he jumped out of the low window.

They quickly made their way through the desert terrain until they arrived at the cliff. 

Tonino stopped and sitted on the edge, and Josè imitated him. 

"What is there? I can't even see Asura from here, aren't we going in?"

Tonino was looking at the sky absent-mindedly. "You would find nothing there."

"What?" Josè was about to cry. "There are Kali and Luni!"

"No, they aren't. It has ended."

"What?" Tonino just motioned at the sky. For a while nothing happened. 

Then Josè let out a scream of excitement, pointing at a beam of light coming from a cloud. 

"It's so pretty! It's a big moon!" 

Pretty indeed, thought Tonino. The sky itself was a giant rainbow, blue clouds over their heads contrasting with the ones below, that had assumed the same orange shade of the sandy terrain. An abnormally large moon was peeking from above the city's ruins. A storm of birds flew over their heads, and Tonino's smile faded.

The ground shook violently. Josè almost fell over, but the older brother grabbed him by his shirt. 

He watched with a solemn expression as the city was enveloped in the ground, slowly. 

"No! Kali, Luni! What's happening, Tonino? Why is Asura going away?"

Tonino didn't answer, instead nervously biting his lip. Josè jumped down the cliff, followed by his older brother. 

"What happened, Tonino?"

"It ended. The Town of Beginning and the End, remember?"

"Wha- but!"

"It's somewhere else, now. In another part of the world." 

Josè's face lighted up, unexpectedly. 

"Really, is that so? Then it's okay!"

Tonino watched curiously his younger brother, who picked a fallen tree branch and waved it as a sword. 

"I'll grow up and travel the whole world! Then I'll find Asura again and play with Kali and Luni! They'll wait for me, right?"

Tonino laughed. "Then I'll come with you! Asura always begins somewhere else! We'll find it everytime!" 

That didn't end as expected. Well, I knew Asura would disappear, but not that Tonino and Josè would decide to follow it. And I thought Kali was going to die (being it the City of the End), but then be reborn the next day (the Beginning), but I ended up cutting that scene, becuase it's supposed to be a short story! Anyway, tell me what you think of it (and point out typos)! :)

The Storyteller's Challenge n. 1 - Rain

I wrote this entire short story at school. Or more precisely, I wrote it down at school, but the characters started talking in my head while I was waiting for the gate to open. So this entire short story is my morning, but described by a much grumpier and annoyed person, and her slighty-more-social-but-still-hates-people friend. The image I'm putting here isn't the one that sparked the story, but the closest I could find. I didn't break the rules, though, becase the story was indeed born from an image: the one that my nameless MC describes carefully at the beginning. Then the voices in my head just started talking and... voilà! Enjoy!

This image doesn't belong to me. Should its owner want it removed, please let me know.

It's so beautiful.
Sitting on my schoolbag, the umbrella over my head repairing me from rain, my eyes won't stop looking around, trying to absorb every single bit of this sheer beauty. I look at a small water pool, the rain drops constantly froming circles which then disappear in a few instants. The earth, what little soil isn't covered by asphalt, is wet, a vivid brown, and those few blades of grass bow to the weight of water falling from the sky. A lone tree raises its dead branches against the plumber sky.
And then there's... silence. A beautiful silence. Nothing but the rain. Drip, drip, drop, at a fascinatingly rapid rate.
Minutes pass, and I do nothing but stare at the water pool and the tree. Nothing but marvel at this beautiful silence and loneliness. After a few minutes two girls come, but I ignore them. They're too far for me to hear their voices or acknowledge their presence. I want to enjoy this while it lasts.
Which isn't long, as the bus stops and they get out. Tens of them, tens of loud, colorful, uncivilized kids get out of the bus in a barbaric fashion. I grit my teeth and try to ignore them, but it's impossible. Their abnormally large or incredibly minute bodies stand in my field of vision, in front of the dead tree, over the pool of water. Their voices drive me mad. Why must they be so loud? Why can't human beings just shut up and enjoy the rain?
"...Maths homework was..."
"...he's so cute and..."
"...look at that little nerd!"
"...it didn't rain this much at the park..."
I clench my fists, desperately trying to shut off their voices. Futile attempt, but still worth it. Stupid human beings. Why must they be so loud, and noisy, and intrusive?
"They're ruining the color balance." Kate throws down her backpack and sits on it, exactly like me.
"These colorful umbrellas are driving me mad. They always wear gray and black on sunny days. Why can't they just keep them on when the color balance is perfect?" I don't reply, but I know I'll have to. She folds her hands behind her head and leans against the gate.
"Stupid human beings must always be so loud. They must ruin everything."
I grunt and nod. Kate always knows exactly what I'm thinking. Their chit-chat is getting on my nerves. They're noisy and their voices raise by the second to surpass each other. Shut up! Shut up and let me enjoy the rain. Why don't you disappear? Disappear and let me enjoy the dead tree branches and the little hops rain drops make when they fall in pools of water?
I shift my feet uneasily. Kate, of course, notices it and questioningly raises her eyebrows.
"My socks are freezing wet." I explain. My voice feels gruff after being neglected for so long.
She smiles. "It's very cold."
"I don't mind cold."
"Of course you don't." The corners of her lips curve slightly upwards. She got me to talk in the end.
"I wish they'd all just disappear. Disappear and let me alone." Her smile widens even more, but she doesn't say anything, perfectly aware that now that she got me to talk, I won't shut up.
"I want to write."
"I want to draw." Her quick reply is followed by an emotionless face.
"That's the only downside of the rain. What'd it be like if rain didn't get things wet?" She unflods her hand and crouches, the exact same moment I rest my head on the gate, ignoring the pain of thin metal sticks against my flesh. We both smile at our mirroring movements, before we put on our emotionless masks again.
"It wouldn't be rain, then." It wasn't a question, or more exactly, I already knew the answer, and she knew that I knew. I nod anyways, staring blankly at those annoying people standing in my field of vision.
"I guess."

The Storyteller's Challenge

Let's play a game! I challenge you! The Storyteller's Challenge! 
Have you ever heard of it? I suppose not, I invented it a few days ago. Well, it's simple enough: starting Monday, I challenge you to write a short story,  (short story) every day for a week. You must pick an image, a random image, and write a short story based on it. There aren't any word limits or similar, but the images and stories must be different every day. Who's up? 
Me, of course! I'll do it here, on this blog-thingy. See you all on Monday!

"Lexie" preview

Here is a part of a currently-unknown-length story I’m writing! It’s called “Lexie” and it’s a science fiction that takes place in about two centuries from now. Why? Because I needed a different society and it talks about science. I’m not a scientist and I tend to overly worry about whether what I’ve written is correct or not. In 200 years science will be different and I can say every stupid thing I need to fit the story. Why? Don’t question the writer! Oh, right, Simus’ character lacks of a description, because that’s in an earlier point in the story. It was all science talk, anyway so I cut it for this preview.

 

(Kina)

I catch a movement with the corner of my eye, and in a few seconds my claws have passed through the enemy’s heart.

Hihihihi. I love this technology the smart ones invented.

Kina Yorukaze, age 14, hired assassin, that’s what’s written on that card I have to show people after missions. Hand-to-hand expert fighter, officially, because the higher-ups don’t like admitting they hired someone who stabs her victims to death without having taken any blade lessons. Ah, and lately, I’ve also been a cyborg. I love this project.

Another one, on my right. He lifts his sword and tries to strike me. As if I was still there. Before he is even able to realize it, my teeth have sliced through his throat. Again, cyborg stuff. Wolf teeth, love them.

<<OK.>> What? We’re already done? I glance at the man who’s watching me from a glass panel above. I don’t wanna go.

<<No.>> My simple denial throws him in a panic. I smile as he tries to maintain control. He can’t fool me, though. His pupils dilate and he bites his lip nervously. Kina is scary, eh? Hihihihi!

Yay, I can stay here! And kill people, and watch their blood run down my hand. It doesn’t feel as real blood, though. It isn’t warm, nor viscous. Maybe I should just kill that guy.

Nah, not now. I’ll just kill some people here, then that guy over there. It’s even better than my work! I get to kill people and I don’t have to hide. They don’t scream as my victims, though. Victims are funnier to kill, they spill a lot more blood. I’m so glad I’m a genius! If I wasn’t, I’d still be at military academy now. But I’m a genius, and I get to kill people, hihihihihi!

<<Yorukaze. We’re done.>> I look at the glass panel and I see the admiral. The great illustrious bastard has come to ruin my fun! That’s awful!

I take off those thingies they have placed on me to absorb my strength or something. They itch and limit my movements, I’m glad I can take them off. Better be fast, though, Mr. I’m-so-high-and-mighty looks pretty angry.

Oops, he knows about it.

I slowly open the door and watch as the lights go off and the room becomes dark. There’s no need to be quick, is there? If I’m to be punished, I might as well unnerve him some more.

<<Yorukaze!>> Alright, alright, I’m coming! I wait with a bored expression as he collects his breath before talking. I already know what he’s going to say.

<<You didn’t go to yesterday’s training session.>>

<<Of course I didn’t, there was nothing new that idiot could teach me.>>

<<Yes, of course.>> Even he has to admit I’m a genius <<But the so-called idiot didn’t go either.>>

Hihihihi, I bet he didn’t! How could he? There was so much blood. So warm! He was annoying me, anyway. And the blood was so warm and red!

<<That’s your fifth time in three months.>> Aw, damn! Five times is not good. Not good at all!

<<Another unauthorized murder will force us to take measures.>> Oh.

What the hell?

Hihihi. Hihihihihihi! This project must be really important, if they are willing to tolerate my fifth unauthorized killing. I probably could kill as many people as I want and they wouldn’t do anything. I stare at the admiral, who is walking away, then at the scars on my arms.

Better not to take any unnecessary risks. It wouldn’t be nice if they took measures.

<<Go to your training session, tomorrow. It’s an order.>> Yeah, yeah, if I’ll want to, I’ll go. No training today, though? Of course, silly me, there’s no teacher.

Well, that means I have a free day. What should I do? I’m bored.

I should just return to my quarters and play a game. Games are fun, even though not as much fun as killing people.

I suddenly hear a scream. A horrible, high-pitched scream. It was so faint any normal ears wouldn’t have heard it, but my cyborg ears heard it, and it was beautiful. Certainly no human’s scream, though. An animal’s scream.

That’s great!

My heart beats faster, adrenaline rushes in my veins. No one misses animals. I could kill animals, because they’re worthless. They would never know anything, and I get to kill something. Hihihihihi!

(Simus)

Thomas threw his reader away. <<This is futile! We can’t alter the laws of Physics itself! These charts are nothing but meaningless lines.>> His patience has reached to an end. I surely can’t blame him - my own patience has been running low for a while.

<<Yes.>> They are meaningless. They truly are, but it wouldn’t be wise to say it out loud, especially now. <<But you should think outside the box. Stop looking at the lines, at the charts. What is gravity?>>

<<An unbreakable, sacred law of Physics.>> he barks. I’ve never seen Thomas like this.

<<Rules and laws are meant to be broken.>> I watch him calmly, expecting another nervous outburst. Instead, he looks at me like an alien was seated in my place, then starts laughing uncontrollably.

<<Did I say something funny?>>

<<Who are you, and what did you do of Simus Finn? Did you hide his body anywhere near?>>

<<Thomas? It’s me.>>

<<Oh, it’s evidently you. Seriously, kid, have you never heard a joke in your life? Now, you might want to tell me if you have a second personality. That was so unlike you.>>

<<Huh?>>

<<”Rules and laws are meant to be broken”. Where did you get that from? Simus Finn would have never said that.>>

<<Physics’ laws are unbreakable, but we can elude them. That’s what I mea…>>

<<Yes, yes, I know! Come on, shrimp, let’s get back to work before you try saying anything else. That great mind of yours has a couple of problems, if you ask me.>>

I didn’t ask for your opinion. Well, as long as he goes back to work, it’s fine by me. My mind has no problem at all. I wonder which one of us is really a child.

<<Thomas, Simus! I found a way!>>
<<What?!>> we scream in unison, as Jessie Borderie comes running toward us. His glasses are dangerously in balance on the tip of his nose, which makes me adjust my own glasses. <<A gravitational camp.>> he declares proudly.

Oh, for God’s sake! That’s the sixteenth time.

<<Jessie…>>

<<Shut! Let me finish, first. A gravitational camp that reacts to the Earth core.>>

<<That’s impossible!>> I’m rarely one to say that it’s impossible, but it is.

<<It’s not! About fifty years ago it was confirmed that from the core come magnetic waves of various strengths. That’s why metallic objects tend to fall faster, weight has nothing to do with it.>>

<<I don’t remember reading that last part in any Physics book, Jessie.>> I sigh.

<<’Course not! No one thought of it before.>>

<<That isn’t in any way supported by any scientific proof, nor it is useful to our purpose.>>

<<See, that’s Simus Finn, not the one before.>> interrupts Thomas, clearly enjoying the moment. I give him an emotionless glare.

Jessie doesn’t care about neither of us: <<We can prove it! We will! And if it is true…>>
<<We will use a gravitational camp exactly like the one in here.>> I conclude. It would be simple. That, if his theory is true.

<<Simus, go take an interchangeable magnet in N. 3 Lab. We’re transferring to a 0G1

room!>>

<<Hmm. You’ll have to convince Jane, first.>> Thomas looks like he’s having fun. At the mention of Jane every bit of color disappears from Jessie’s face.

<<I’ll manage, somehow.>> Thomas’ smile is even wider, now.

<<Alright, then. I’ll help you. Shrimp, you going or what?>>

I quickly walk away, overly excited for Jessie’s theory. I’m running down the hall on my way to N. 3 Lab, when I remember it’s been transferred elsewhere. On the other side of the building. Ugh!

I quickly turn around and start running in the opposite direction. That is, until something incredibly heavy hit me in motion.

As I reput on my glasses, which had fallen after the impact, I hear a low sob. Why is this person crying? I watch him carefully. His hair is uncombed and his clothes have multiple scratches on them. But his eyes, his eyes are the most horrible thing. The eyes of someone who has just seen disaster fall upon humanity.

Behind his eyes, I recognize him. Jim something, he was in my university’s Biology course.

<<Jim?>> He looks at me with those eyes and sends shivers down my spine.

<<S-Simus… Simus Finn?>> I nod and help him lean on the wall.

<<Jim, what happened?>> He stares at me, and for a few seconds I don’t know if he recognizes my presence. Then he starts trembling and crying, shaking my arms violently.

<<T-that t-thing… i-it’s n-not h-h-human…>> he sobs.

<<What? What is not human?>>

He ignores me: <<I-it’s their fault… t-they m-made me do i-it! It’s the Alliance’s2

f-fault…>> The Alliance’s fault?

<<T-that t-thing is h-horrible… s-so m-much b-blood…>> Blood?! I tighten my grasp on his shoulders.

<<Where is there blood, Jim? What has happened?>>

He stares at me with those empty eyes. <<It’s the N. 6 L-lab… i-it’s in t-there…>>

N. 6 Lab. Those words are familiar. N. 6 Lab is strictly forbidden to everyone but a few authorized men. I take Jim’s hand and guide him to our laboratory. My colleagues give me alarmed glances, but I can’t think about that, now.

I need to go in the N. 6 Lab.

A couple of notes:

1)”0G” is short for “zero-gravity”

2) The Alliance is explained earlier in the story.  Speria and Ethen are two cities which have hated each other for a long time. Then Rasha, one of the greatest military forces in the world, declares war upon both of them and they are forced to forge an Alliance. Both Kina and Simus (Kina is from Speria, Simus from Ethen, though that will be explained late in the story), along with several hundred people, are employed to work on a project to build a weapon that could contrast Rasha’s power.

I hope you liked it! Leave a comment, be it a positive one or constructive criticism - both are more than welcome :)