Callan hangs precariously from the rope dangling from the hole in the domed ceiling. The treasure is only an arm’s length away. The large glowing crystal in the center of the pillar softly illuminates a seething floor. Insects, poisonous blood beetles, skitter around the sandy floor.
Even as he reaches for the crystal, a booming voice calls down from the hole above. “I changed my mind Cal. The priests offer was better. Sorry!”
Knowing, a moment before the rope looses, what is going to happen Callan swings his feet under him. The tension fails in the rope and Callan drops onto the foot wide pedestal. He knocks the crystal from its set and the light goes out. In the darkness, as he tries to keep his balance he hears a distant alarm sound. Callan sighs, thinking about the nature of long days.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
A Long Day - Short III
Callan wins another dice roll. His companions, a band of scurrilous Shemite raiders, look at him with undeniable envy as he pulls his winnings toward him.
“Mitra looks favorably upon you this night,” one of the raiders suggests, “and you have cleaned me out.”
“We are done! We should rest tonight before seeking more loot in the morning,” says another.
Everyone moves away from the campfire. Callan finds his spot under a simple awning by his horse. His head swims from the wine he has imbibed. He quickly settles into a restless sleep.
As he awakens, anger quickly rises in him as he takes in his surroundings. His head is pounding and he has been deserted in the night. His horse, his water and his winnings have been stolen. He is in the middle of the desert in Shem. So much for Mitra, Callan thinks to himself. It was going to be a long day.
“Mitra looks favorably upon you this night,” one of the raiders suggests, “and you have cleaned me out.”
“We are done! We should rest tonight before seeking more loot in the morning,” says another.
Everyone moves away from the campfire. Callan finds his spot under a simple awning by his horse. His head swims from the wine he has imbibed. He quickly settles into a restless sleep.
As he awakens, anger quickly rises in him as he takes in his surroundings. His head is pounding and he has been deserted in the night. His horse, his water and his winnings have been stolen. He is in the middle of the desert in Shem. So much for Mitra, Callan thinks to himself. It was going to be a long day.
A Long Day - Short II
Callan runs desperately across the ridge seeking some way to escape. Ahead, he sees the ridge end in a sheer drop. Beyond, another cliff and a wild old oak growing out from its side are Callan’s only hope. With a burst of will and speed he leaps the gaps and crashes into the tree. He grabs frantically for branches as they wickedly scratch at his face and arms. As he manages to pull himself up into the tree he hears a crack and thump as his assailant lands in the tree closer to the cliff wall. Glancing down, Callan sees that the fall is about forty feet into a shallow stream.
The spotted cat recovers from its somewhat graceless landing and seeks once more for its prey. It begins to stalk its way further along the old tree trunk towards the struggling creature on the outer limbs.
Callan sets his feet on the trunk and grabs a branch above him for balance. He pulls out a long wicked looking curved knife and watches the leopard approach.
The leopard lunges at Callan. Its razor claws, slice through his outer clothing and shear across his mail shirt. The impact breaks one of Callan’s ribs and he gasps as he struggles to maintain his precarious position. He lashes down with his knife. Blood plumes through the beasts fur as the knife slices through its upper neck muscles. Before it has a chance to move, Callan sits heavily and wraps his legs around the tree trunk. He lets go of the branch above and pushes the knife deeper with both hands. The leopard struggles for a few moments longer and then topples and snags on a few larger branches almost taking Callan with it.
Callan takes a moment to catch his breath. He then begins to move along the trunk seeking a path off this cliff. The tree shifts and he realizes with trepidation that the tree roots are beginning to break away from the stone wall. Today is going to be a long day.
The spotted cat recovers from its somewhat graceless landing and seeks once more for its prey. It begins to stalk its way further along the old tree trunk towards the struggling creature on the outer limbs.
Callan sets his feet on the trunk and grabs a branch above him for balance. He pulls out a long wicked looking curved knife and watches the leopard approach.
The leopard lunges at Callan. Its razor claws, slice through his outer clothing and shear across his mail shirt. The impact breaks one of Callan’s ribs and he gasps as he struggles to maintain his precarious position. He lashes down with his knife. Blood plumes through the beasts fur as the knife slices through its upper neck muscles. Before it has a chance to move, Callan sits heavily and wraps his legs around the tree trunk. He lets go of the branch above and pushes the knife deeper with both hands. The leopard struggles for a few moments longer and then topples and snags on a few larger branches almost taking Callan with it.
Callan takes a moment to catch his breath. He then begins to move along the trunk seeking a path off this cliff. The tree shifts and he realizes with trepidation that the tree roots are beginning to break away from the stone wall. Today is going to be a long day.
A long day - short I
Callan struggled for the next hand hold above him. Arrows sliced through the air around him, too close for comfort. He could feel the ledge with his left hand. An arrow struck that arm and bounced off the light mail shirt he was wearing. He grimaced through the pain maintaining his hold, and then pulled himself onto the ledge. The ledge was, at most, six feet wide and maybe twice that length along the cliff wall. He expeditiously moved away from the edge allowing the ledge to give him some protection from the barrage of arrows. He drew his long knives. He could hear the sounds of Turanian mercenaries scrabbling up the cliff wall after him.
The sun was appearing over the mesa across from him, bathing the gorge and this ledge in fiery orange morning light. It was time for him to prepare an ambush. Today was going to be a long day.
The sun was appearing over the mesa across from him, bathing the gorge and this ledge in fiery orange morning light. It was time for him to prepare an ambush. Today was going to be a long day.
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