Flash Stories & Poetry Day 38: Gothic Legend "The Old Oath"

 

Hey, everyone.

Sorry this is going up so late again today. It was another weird day. See, I had already spun the wheel so I knew what I was working with, so I was avoiding this because my brain refused to come up with story. Finally, I re-spun it to replace one of the genres hoping I could get something I wouldn't be so afraid of working with. And I did. So, let's see if I can finally get this done.

Wheel of Genres, turn, turn, turn! Tell me the genre I will discern!





Today's genre is... Crossover. And as with the last crossover, which two genres will I be crossing over? ... Gothic and... Legend.

Now, as I already explained, I've already re-spun this a few times. First time, I got Gothic and Drama, but turns out "Drama" is just a word meaning "play," and I had no idea how to come up with a Gothic play. I then got Religious and thought I could use that, but I was afraid I might come too close to my magnum opus Remnants of Chaos in terms of tone, so I passed it up. Now, I have Gothic and Legend, and I think I can use this. It'll be like a prequel for another idea I had just like that one horror legend I wrote. So, let's see if I can do this.

Thirty minutes on the clock: 30:00. And... go!

Many years before I was born, the land of Lustweis was renowned for being the pinnacle of society. People from all over the world came to Lustweis for trade, work, and even for advanced medical care. But then came the Old Oath.

A group of wizened mystics came from the hinterlands claiming to follow a creed known as the Old Oath. It was one that required spiritual submission from all believers, but promised to open the ways of redemption, salvation, and transmundane evolution. Anacreon, the most decorated general of Lustweis and its greatest warrior, converted and obeyed to uphold the precepts of the Old Oath.

Within a span of only five years, Anacreon rose to the head of the order and became known as Aistan Anacreon, or Revered Anacreon, and had converted all citizens of the Citadel, the fortress city that had acted as Lustweis' capital. And then only three years after that, all of Lustweis converted and came under the Faith of the Old Oath.

All those who refused to convert were labelled as pagans or heathens and cast out into the wilderness. Lustweis lost its luster and became the world's largest and most powerful theocracy with Aistan Anacreon at its head. Those on the outside told stories of the purges that were taken up to cleanse the world of the pagans and the great atrocities carried out in the name of the Old Oath. But whatever evil its believers may have perpetrated, Lustweis' power continued to grow and soon its spiritual domination was beyond any doubt. Other forces in the world refused to war with Lustweis and evangelists found willing converts in neighboring lands. But the Old Oath's believers were soldiers first, and believers second. Everyone fought for the cause, even the mystics and priests.

The most effective method of evangelization dreamt up by Anacreon were his Hunters. Created in response to a vision from the Great Seer, Alured, who could speak directly to the Ancient One. Alured saw another entity, just as old and as powerful, recruiting followers to his creed and requiring unspeakably dark acts and other sins from them for the power they desired. These cultists were called Demoniacs, and so Anacreon created his Hunters to go out into the world and slay them all, including the monsters the Demoniacs became once they finished a ritual. The Faith of the Old Oath grew with each successful evangelization, but the Hunters themselves would eventually go mad from the eldritch and unearthly things they saw.

Two renowned Hunters of the Old Oath, Logarius and Hiram, went out on a mission to end a Demoniac cult and never returned. Hiram disappeared and Logarius is said to have fallen. That is where I come into the story.

***

 

And, I'm going to have to stop it there. It's a bit clunky, but it does get at what I'm trying to get at. For those of you who read my flash fiction story Old Oath, I decided to take that build it up into an actual novel. This here is the prologue of what that story is supposed to be about. I know it isn't technically a legend, not the way I wrote it anyway, but I needed to get this out of me. And it feels good to have done so. Anyway, if you want, you can read the Old Oath here on my blog. You might have to search for it though as I don't know where it is, but just so you know, it is based off the video game Bloodborne.

 

But anyway, that's it for today. If you want to use the wheel I made, you should be able to access it here. And if you have the time, please check out my books for sale on Amazon which you can find through my author page. The link is below. Also, I reworked my Patreon page, so why not give it a look and consider becoming my patron. I would appreciate it.

Keep writing, my friends.

More About Bryan C. Laesch:

My Works:

Amazon: My Author Page, My Influencer Page
Facebook: Bryan C. Laesch, Bawdy Scholar
Patreon: Bryan C. Laesch
Twitter: BryanofallTrade
Youtube: Bryan C. Laesch, Bawdy Scholar

Flash Stories & Poetry Day 31: Mystery/Fantasy Crossover "Detective Jykk"

 

Hey, everyone.

Sorry this is coming out so late in the day. My uncle came over early today and stayed for three hours and then I needed to work out and then there was dinner and several other distractions. Anyway, I'm here to work now. Also, I'm thinking about launching my career as a poet. What does that mean? Well, if you need a poem written, think about hitting me up. Just leave a comment on this post for now. Eventually, I'll start taking inquiries through my email. I just need to iron out the details. Anyway...

Wheel of Genres, turn, turn, turn! Tell me the genre I will discern!





Today's genre is... Crossover!

What's a crossover? Well, "crossover" is typically a word used in the fan-fiction scene to denote a piece of work that crosses over two or more fandoms. Here, I mean to use it as a method of writing something that had two different genres in it. For instance, Star Wars is actually a sci-fi fantasy crossover and Stephen King's The Gunslinger is a western fantasy crossover.

Problem is, I don't know which two genres to use. So, I'll spin the wheel of genres two more times to get my crossover. First genre is Mystery, and the second is Fantasy. So, a detective story with magic and junk. Alright, let's see what I can come up with.

Thirty minutes on the clock: 30:00. And... go!

Detective Jykk kneeled over the body. He touched the victim's face and said a small incantation. The immediate aura of the spell turned a light blue; the victim had only been dead for a few hours, but it was already stone cold. He lifted the victim's arm to see if he could determine the cause of death, and there stuck in the body's chest was a knife. Jykk moved his hand near the knife and it crackled with purple electricity--he wouldn't be touching that knife until CSI arrived and used the proper disarming charm on it. But there was a bit of luck. Jykk thought that if the murderer had slipped up and used their bare hands to drive in the knife, there might be traces of DNA, or better yet, a magical trace.

Jykk wiggled his fingers and spoke a slow enchantment. Yellow sparkles materialized in the air and shot down to the ground to form a set of footprints. One foot was slightly ahead of the other and had its heel lifted. The attacker had stepped forward to violently drive the knife through the vic's chest, or maybe the attacker had been of a smaller stature. Jykk wiggled his fingers more and blew on the footprints. A trail of gold footprints manifested on the ground. Before following them, the detective cast a quick sealing spell on the body and area to cordon it off.

Jykk trotted after the trail out of the alley. Every so many yards he had to wiggle his fingers and blow again, but the bigger problem was that the footprints were fading fast. Whoever the attacker was, they must have known they might leave a magic trace and did their best to disrupt it.

The trail eventually went cold down another alley. Jykk quickly cast a reveal charm, but no one other than rats were in the alleyway. Before the footprints could disappear, Jykk turned and traced their outline with a bit of chalk. Maybe they could analyze the tracks and get a rough idea on the height and gender of the suspect from the size of the feet and the size of their gait. The detective then started inspecting the alley. He looked for anything suspicious: trap doors, stalls or dumpsters that looked out of place, and even scraps of clothing that might have been torn off the suspect's clothing. None of these were found, but the detective did do a quick scan and found some fingerprints. In order to take a proper sample, he'd have to wait for CSI with a kit, but Jykk went ahead and made a crystalline imprint of the fingerprints. He dropped them into his hand and examined them.

The fingers weren't very long, but they were slender. A slight mark beyond the finger pad seemed to suggest long, well-manicured nails. Jykk went back tot he footprints he traced and found the step of the perpetrator to be shorter and narrower than his own. It seemed likely he was after a woman. Jykk wrapped the crystalline prints a in cloth and pocketed them. He then waved his hand through the air and inhaled deeply. A subtle, violet mist filled the air. The scent of a perfume and pheromones were both magnetized dozens of times. Jykk almost got high off the smell and almost forgot that he was looking for a crook; the more primitive parts of his brain and body had responded immediately.

Jykk covered his nose with a handkerchief and walked back down through the alley. He watched the violet mist to see how it congregated in the air and followed the thickest part of its trail. It led him to a spot next to a dumpster inhabited by a box that looked to be about three feet. Trying to seem disinterested, he went to pass it up, but a fierce scream and an explosion of pheromones wouldn't let him. Within a split second, the suspect, a nimble, slender woman, hooded and cloaked, jumped from the box and attack him, a dagger forming in her hand.

Jykk quick-stepped out of the way and drew his piece. One snap of the trigger and the dagger popped out of the woman's hand, but she kept coming at him, now with fingernails that were magically enhanced. Jykk juked and jived out of the way. The woman took too enthusiastic of a step toward him and ended up passing him. Jykk danced behind her and delivered a forceful blow to the back of her skull with his piece. The woman fell unconscious immediately and hit the ground with a thud and a flutter.

"Now, then," said Jykk. "Let's see who you are." He bound her hands with a spell, and then pulled back her hood. He gasped.

***

 

Alright, stop the clock! Yes, I know I ended at the good part. That was sort of the point so you can complete the story yourselves. That, and it would've forced me to come up with another name, but I've got a headache right now. I'm really tired. I've gotten used to taking naps in the evening because my sleep schedule is so messed up. But anyway, I have 4:20 left (blaze it!), but that was fun. I actually really enjoyed writing the detective parts. It responded to my very technical side and my need to over explain everything. Maybe I should write a real detective story. 

 

But anyway, that's it for today. If you want to use the wheel I made, you should be able to access it here. And if you have the time, please check out my books for sale on Amazon which you can find through my author page. The link is below. Also, I reworked my Patreon page, so why not give it a look and consider becoming my patron. I would appreciate it.

Keep writing, my friends.

More About Bryan C. Laesch:

My Works:

Amazon: My Author Page, My Influencer Page
Facebook: Bryan C. Laesch, Bawdy Scholar
Patreon: Bryan C. Laesch
Twitter: BryanofallTrade
Youtube: Bryan C. Laesch, Bawdy Scholar

Flash Stories & Poetry Day 19: Fantasy "Travelers"

Hey, everyone.

Well, yesterday was Thanksgiving and it was pretty good for me. I hope it went well for you as well. Before we continue, I must tell you that I injured my finger today, so my typing is a little off.  Excuse any mistakes I make. Anyway, back to business.

Wheel of Genres, turn, turn, turn! Tell me the genre I will discern!





Today's topic is... Fantasy! Hey, how 'bout them apples. I've actually written some fantasy. My book Heroes of Majestia: The Company of Flight is fantasy. I'm also putting together some short stories currently to help fill out the lore, so I am no stranger to fantasy. The trick though is can I tie my a fantasy story in with my high school reunion/days? I know some of you are probably sick of it, but I'm going to go ahead with it. Hmm, maybe I should weekly themes on top of the daily exercises.

Anyway, believe it or not, I totally can tie in my HS days. Here's an idea that's struck me a few days, but I never really thought of developing it. This will be it's trial area.

Thirty minutes on the clock: 30:00. And... go!

Margaret ran through the citadel. She had seen that guy in the hood all over the place. He was following her, but why? And why did she feel like she knew him?

Margaret rounded a corner and almost ran into Anne. "Ah! Anne!"

"Margaret! What're you doing here?"

"I was chasing a man in a hood."

"Was he really tall and wearing a brown cloak?"

"Yeah!"

"He just passed me in the last street."

"Damn! I'll never be able to catch him."

"I don't know about that. That street is a dead end."

The fires of hope were rekindled in Margaret's eyes. "Now's my chance!" she said before running off.

"Wait!" called Anne after her. "He could be dangerous," said Anne, trotting after her.

"If he wanted to kill me, he would've done so already. He's had plenty of chances, and in more than enough of them, he and I were alone together."

"Alone?!"

"Last time I saw him, he looked like he was going to say something to me, but he fled when he saw the Court Mage."

"Master Den?"

Margaret rounded the next brick wall and came to the street Anne had mentioned. The walls on either side of her shot up into the darkness. The stalls on either side of the street were abandoned, the merchants weren't allowed to sell their good and wares at this time of night. That would give the mystery man plenty of hiding places.

Margaret took off down one side, walking behind the stalls. "Check that side, Anne."

Anne tentatively walked over to the other side of the street but stopped. Margaret looked back at her sharply.

"I don't like this," said Anne.

"Then you can leave if you want, but I'm getting my answers and I'm getting them today."

"Or you'll get a knife in the belly."

Margaret hesitated. Her heart beat quickened as she turned and said, "At least I'll have my answers then." She turned back to her path and felt her heart hammer inside her chest. She didn't know what she was saying and she was scared, but to tell someone off just for warning her, that was a new step for her. She couldn't remember a time when she had ever done so before.

"You know," began Anne, "Master Den has been teaching me a few spells. I bet we could lure him out."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

Anne shrugged. "I'm not very good at them, but if it'll stop you from killing yourself, I'll try it."

Margaret walked back to Anne as she began to chant in the middle of the street. The words and syllables she used were foreign to Margaret's ears and occasionally a few sparks or waves of light would manifest from Anne's mouth.

Anne lifted her hand to her mouth as if she was about to cough something up. She became quiet, held her hand out down the street, and then snapped her fingers. The snap echoed, and not just because of the closed in street, but also due to some mystical means. As the sound reverberated against the walls and reverberated back, a screaming could be heard as it grew louder. Suddenly, there was a pop and a flash, and a tall man in brown cloak and hood appeared out of thin air right in the middle of the street.

"Um...?" he said. "Bye!" He started moving toward the back of the street, but Anne shot her other hand forward and issued another word of power. Blue circles shot from her hand and they hit the man, bounding him within them. He fell to the ground.

"Got you, now!" said Margaret triumphantly, standing over him.

"Yes," replied the man.

Margaret's vision blurred for a second. His voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember from where.

"Bully for you, Margaret. And well done, Annie."

"Annie?" repeated Anne. "No one's ever called me that before."

"You'd be wrong about that."

"Time to fess up!" said Margaret, striking him in the back. "Who are you and why have you been following me?"

The man struggled to roll over so he could face them. His hood fell off in doing so. Both Margaret and Anne gasped. "Michael!" they said together.

"Yep," said Michael with a sigh. "But I prefer Mike."

"That's so weird!" said Anne. "I suddenly remember you."

"Me, too," said Margaret. "But how?"

"Well, I would've preferred to tell you two under different circumstances, but these are as good a time as any. We are all from a different world."

Margaret and Anne blinked.

"What do you mean?" asked Anne.

"We're not from here. None of us live in the citadel. We're not even from his country! We're from a different world altogether."

Margaret's lip quivered. "I don't believe you!"

"Spoken in denial I see," said Mike. "You both know, deep down, that there's something wrong with this place. That's the reason why it's never felt like home," he said forcefully to Margaret. She jumped. How long had he been following her?

"Where are we from then?" asked Anne.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?! You know we don't belong here but you don't know where we're from?!"

"Yes. All I remember is being in a high school hallway, and I remember seeing you two, standing there next to me, right before we were sucked up into a portal of some sort."

Images flashed through both girls' heads. Anne placed a hand on a stall for balance, while Margaret almost hit the pavement. Both saw the same image as if it were a dream, but realer, in their heads of standing next to Mike and being drawn through a black portal. Margaret remembered she'd been wearing her uniform at the time. That's why her clothes were so different and strange when she woke up at the citadel. And when she thought about it, where had those clothes gone?

"I remember..." said Anne, shaking. She closed her fist and the blue rings holding Mike disbanded.

"That's better," he said, standing up. "Glad to see you both have your memories back. Margaret. Annie."

"But," said Annie, "I can't remember where we're from."

"Me, neither," said Margaret. "How did you remember?"

"I used to be one of the castle's servants. I was cleaning the Court Magician's chambers when I knocked over an orb. It hit the ground and I was bathed in a pale blue light. That's when I remembered the portal, and from there I started to remember everything else, but not until I saw everyone first."

"Everyone?" said Margaret.

"That's right. There are more of us here from our world."

Margaret looked off into the distance. Who else did she know from her high school days?

"Why did Master Den's orb give you your memory back?" asked Annie.

"I don't know, but I bet he knows something we don't."

***

 

And that's it. I actually went over time writing that. And before you ask, yes, there was a Margaret, Annie, and Mike in my class at high school. There were a few Mike's, and at least two Anne's, but there was only one Margaret. Anyway, when I started writing that, I was worried it would be too short so some of the intro stuff is filler, but then it ended up being too much. I wanted to get to the point where I implicated the Court Mage is some shady goings-on because otherwise there wouldn't have been a complete story.

But anyway, that's it for today. I hope you enjoyed it. If you want to use the wheel I made, you should be able to access it here. And if you have the time, please check out my books for sale on Amazon which you can find through my author page. The link is below. Also, I reworked my Patreon page, so why not give it a look and consider becoming my patron. I would appreciate it.

Keep writing, my friends.

More About Bryan C. Laesch:

My Works:

Amazon: My Author Page, My Influencer Page
Facebook: Bryan C. Laesch, Bawdy Scholar
Patreon: Bryan C. Laesch
Twitter: BryanofallTrade
Youtube: Bryan C. Laesch, Bawdy Scholar

Transistence

Hi, guys. So here's a short story I wrote just for the fun of it. I may make it a series. The premise of it is that the main character, the narrator, somehow switches places temporarily with someone else at some point in history. In this first part, a guy from the modern age gets transported back to Ancient Egypt. The image used is of Sadie Marquardt, a belly dancing phenomenon. Enjoy!

     One day, I was in need of a change, so I decided to catch a show at my local theater where they were having a belly dance exhibition. I was very impressed with what I saw—the women were beautiful, the costumes were showy, and the music was quite interesting to me.

     As the night wore on, they requested a volunteer. I held up my hand, and they called me up. The MC told the audience that I was to be a guinea pig. He then called out four beautiful girls dressed in four different colors. One was green, one was red, another was purple, and the last was in blue.

     The spotlight hit the stage and centered on me and the band began playing. All four of the girls looked at me and smiled and began to dance. First they started shaking their hips and wiggling their bodies but then they started to dance around me. I found myself in a circle of shifting pelvises, smooth skin, fragrant perfume, and intoxicating pheromones.

     And then, the world changed.

     Everything became a little hazy. I felt myself pulled from my body, away from a world of time and fact, back to a place of magic and mystery. Images of a crocodile, a falcon, a jackal, and a big, bright sun flew past me. I saw a tremendous alabaster city in a sea of sand.

     I then found myself in a stone hall, almost like a temple, and I was aware of a mass of people gathered before me. They were my subjects and a group of men to my left were my advisors. I was dressed in white clothing and wearing gold. The air was dry and hot, and an exotic incense filled my nostrils. Between me and my audience were four beautiful women with sun-kissed skin wearing similar clothing to those of the belly dancers in the theater. There was also a strange music that filled my ears like nothing I had ever heard before.

     This was not my world, not my reality. I don’t know how I knew what I knew, I just did.

     This was something new, and I wasn’t completely sure I wanted to leave it. But as the music began to wind down, and the girls’ dancing began to slow, I found the imagery before me change again. It was hazy and dark, and as I felt myself pulled back into my body, I swore I could feel another presence pass me in the rift.

     When my vision cleared, I found myself back in the present amidst applause and the girls themselves bowing to the audience. As I was escorted off the stage and back to my seat, one of the girls looked at me with a sly smile and winked.
     I wonder; what did she know and what did she do?