Story Fragments / Idea Scraps

[Moonlight]

*Nods.* I agree. And I think I'll be posting more of this uncut material, though not all of it since it -is- a novel.

[Zorayda]

XP Yes, that makes sense. Can't wait til it's finished!

[Moonlight]

*Smiles.* And I can't wait to get the prologue done. Its turning out pretty good, actually.

[Moonlight]

Glas Schild: Battered Freedom

Darkness. Her head was pounding, and her body was screaming in protest when she started to move. Coughing against her arm as she attempted to straighten, pushing herself up on an elbow, the young woman shuddered at the bitter taste of blood. A rib had punctured a lung. That would be buckets of joy while it healed, judging from the last training accident in which it'd happened.

Forcing her eyes open, trying to determine where she was, and a wave of dizziness assaulted the bioroid as she became fully aware of the healing agents at work in her body. The cracked helm made her line of vision fractured, at odd angles. Painfully reaching up, a long umber braid fell out of it as the helmet proceeded to roll along the charred landscape. Mismatched eyes, out of focus with a concussion, returned to the task of figuring out where she was. But blood was staining her Aegis suit in a thick river, a piece of shrapnel lodged in the side of her throat and muscle tissue of her back.

Her vision swam as the bioroid as she slowly pushed herself off the cold desert sands, shivering - The late night temperatures were dropping quickly. And her suit was half shredded, bits of bare skin showing here and there across her toned body. But all of the rips, even if the skin had already healed scratches underneath, were tainted with some amount of blood. Silt brushing against her boots in the ruin-ridden complex, ashes mixing with the every shifting sands. The pale landscape seemed to glow under the light of both moons, cutting across the stark sky overhead. The light made her eyes ache, but the realization had hit her - She was free of the restraints, free of the training rooms. And common sense was telling the half-dead bioroid to move out before someone caught her.

Half stumbling through the wreckage, cradling her ribs as she walked. Each step causing the shattered ribcage to crack audibly, her eyes half clenched shut in attempt to ignore the worsened pain. A hand feebly crawling up her throat after a moment, before jerking the shrapnel out of it - Erupting into a harsh coughing fit, blood unceremoniously spattering the sand. Many lives had been lost in the explosion. That much she knew, as what was considered "normal" had less endurance. But it would be a miracle if even she made it to Ynis Witrin.

[Zorayda]

Oooooh, really captures the scope of how bad explosions are... I like the part about her cracked helmet, I could see that clearly in my mind's eye :3

[Moonlight]

*Grins.* I'm glad that you like it, Zora-chan. Eva is definitely one of my favorite characters, though. So she tends to take a lot of abuse. ^_^"

[Moonlight]

His paws pounded the cold ground. Every breath fogged, coming evening chilling even the lean white frame dashing through the leafless trees. Promise of snow was heavy in the sky, merciless winter upon them. But that promise far from deterred the wolf. Pausing in the scraggly underbrush as a cool breeze sifted through the trees, lifting his head at the scent.

Prey.

Vanishing further into the wood as icy flakes began to fall.

[Moonlight]

Well, a preview of a novel idea. The story has quite a bit of potential, though this is based six years before the current time frame. This is about a third, or perhaps only a quarter, of the scene. However, it is intentional that there isn't a lot of character description at the moment. It comes a little later in the piece. (Though I have to wonder why almost everything I write lately seems to suck ... >_>)

Dragonheart Prelude

Lightning leapt across the sky. Blood spattered the night.

Cold droplets ran down her face as she jerked the glaive from her stunned opponent. Allowing him to fall as she whirled, dual blades catching the saber with a clang. Ren’s jaw clenched when he threw all of his weight against her, boots sliding against the slick stone. She jerked to the side with a sharp twist of her weapon, throwing him off balance.

An angered growl tore from the Eitiri warrior’s lips, splashing into the cliff side stream. The soaked warriors regarded one another intently, ire blazing in their eyes. But the Nasim dragoon was far from intimidated, leveling her glaive. The split blade just shy of his throat, upwards curve all but touching it as rainwater dripped from the gleaming steel. “You do not belong here – Your comrades have already fallen, and yet you still persist. It seems your foolishness knows no bounds,” she stated coolly, violet glower fixed upon the foreign warrior. The young woman slowly shifting her stance, adjusting her grip on the polearm.

It seems the two countries’ shaky truce had been divided once more. But his will to continue was strong. Just as, if not stronger than his dedication. He held her gaze, refusing to back down. “Our orders are the same.”

Ren’s eyes narrowed. “No. They are not.”

[Moonlight]

Pokemon: Chronicles of Erana
Prologue

Heavy boots sounded against the filthy concrete, the wearer making no effort to be quiet. A startled squeak came from the nighttime scavenger as he passed, one of the rattata scurrying off. The young man’s pace slowing when he rounded a corner, a hand dropping to the cold steel at his waist. Smooth metal pressed against his palm as he waited, gaze roving around the shadowed alleyways. It seemed that they only thought they were proficient. Offering a high pitched and wavering whistle as clear footsteps reached his ears, idly stroking the dainty dratini lying across his shoulders. Earning soft draconic coo in return for his gesture, briefly nuzzling his hand before raising her head.

His eyes flicking towards the opposite alleyway, before moving forward, stopping short where he could see the entire T’s length. Yet only the barest of smirks curved his lips when the arrivals made themselves visible, dark green eyes withholding nothing but confidence. His lips barely moving as he muttered something to the dragonet. “The saying goes ‘Two is company, three is a crowd’. Isn’t this a bit of overkill?” he asked dryly, casting a careless glance to the other three. Their black slacks and violet jackets blended well with the shadows of the joint alleyway, but the gold thread of their emblem made them plainly visible to the young man.

Yet his bored confidence only earned a scoffing laugh. The brunette’s eyes alight with amusement, rolling a minimized pokeball between her fingers. “Some people just don’t understand ‘no’, Logi-boy,” Susannah said, a wry smile cracking her lips as his jaw clenched, eyebrow twitching. “Shall we try this again?”

His brow slowly arched. “I see no reason to ally my clan with you. Come hell or high water.”

“Pity. Because, as I said,” Susannah began, “F.M. doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Someone might get hurt …” she added softly, her voice barely audible. Striking a raw nerve in him. Testing the Tamer – Signaling her team to move.

He sidestepped, sliding back with their lunge. A fluid parry sending one sprawling behind him, only to flick his hand around an oncoming grab. He jerked another step back, a sharp twist earning a hiss of pain from the subordinate. Only to lash out in attack – His merciless kick to the back of the man’s knee bringing him down to size. Gleaming steel flashing in the moonlight as he tore it from the sheath, sai cupping the man’s throat. A thin red hair offering all the promise they needed.

The third was hesitating. Unwilling to attack the Tamer directly, instead going for his pokemon. Only to be slammed into the ground, a large wolf leaping from the roof above. A rough ‘thud’ was audible, followed by a full throated growl as the mightyena stood on his chest. Hackles raised, bright fangs clearly visible.

The Tamer’s voice was soft when he spoke. “I’m quite honestly in no mood for your idle chatter tonight … So I suggest you retreat. For next time that F.M. tries this bullshit, a few dragons will seem like child’s play.”



~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Okay, so I finished a potential prologue for my original pokemon region. There is still quite a bit of background work to do, yes, but I wanted to write this down. However, as I figure this will come up via reviews:


1) I do not capitalize pokemon species names unless its an actual name, or it has no nickname. Technically proper grammar. (And the introduced pokemon simply weren't addressed by their names.)



2) Personally, I've always seen dratini as something you can put on your shoulders instead of a six foot monstrosity. So in this, they divert a bit from canon sizes. Dragonair and dragonite are of natural sizing, though.


And something unrelated to the above:


3) While it is in-character for the last line to come out of the Tamer's mouth, I'm debating about keeping it. CoE doesn't start out dark, but rather grows into it. I may cut it out if I use the prologue. But that itself I'm still deciding.