Monday, December 15, 2008
Topic: Love
So it is up to me, once again, to bring you our bi-monthly topic. Posting a topic like "Christmas" is too predictable, considering the time of year. I'm going to keep it a little more open by making the topic "Love" which is, among other things, one of the very foundations of Christmas. I wanted to post a topic that didn't necessarily have to include Christmas but was easy enough to make into a Christmas-themed work. So it's time to open our hearts and let the love (and tears) flow! A very Merry Christmas to you all! Ja ne.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
WINTER
There is nothing but grey whiteness. Of course, he has to admit to himself, this is because the snow is deeper than he is tall. He is a Dwarf.
Korth was tunneling more than trudging. Korth is dressed warmly in furs. Living in the northern mountains, has taught the Dwarves how to deal with the snow. Occasionally, he would come across an air pocket and the snow from above would bury him. He'd climb out and trudge until the snow was deep enough to tunnel again.
Although, his tunneling was different from that of other Dwarves. Instead of the scoops used to move and pack snow, Korth blows fire. The flames were such that they melt and ice the snow. This allows quick passage, and the ice prevents the snow from falling in.
Eventually, he came to a cave. A way in. He stamped the snow from his boots, brushed himself off and entered the tunnel in the back. Glowing light orbs clung to the ceiling about thirty apart.
He exited the tunnel into a large well-lit cavern, in which was a Dwarf town. He walked down one of the back streets and into a different tunnel. He came out of this second tunnel into a larger town that was half inside the cave, half outside. Through the large opening many of the Dwarf houses were buried in snow. There was a huge bonfire in the town square. Korth joined the crowd around it.
"Haven't seen this much snow in nearly five hundred years," said the wrinkled white-bearded Dwarf beside him.
Korth nodded. No use in arguing with the elderly. They remember their childhoods like it was happening now. Most of them lived it. Just last week he had seen an old grandmother crying because Suli took her jumprope.
He acquired a mug of hot cider and watched the snow fall outside. This time, he figured the old Dwarf was right. He had certainly never seen it snow like this.
Fara, his wife joined him. She was barely sorter than he was. "How was your trip?"
"Glad to see you're not snowed in." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. To give her anything more would have been frowned upon by the other Dwarves around them. Dwarves don't believe in showing excess affection in public. "The snow isn't natural."
"What do you mean?"
"When I went to the next peak, there was only one cloud over our mountain, and it wasn't snowing."
"Then someone must be causing the snow."
"That's what I figured."
"Why would someone do that?"
"I have an inkling."
"You do?"
He nods. "I'm going just as soon as I finish this cider."
"I'll come with you."
They finished their drinks and returned their mugs. They tunneled to their house, gathered a few supplies, and tunneled back to the cavern. They went through another tunnel up the mountain.
After traveling for a long time, they came to the top of the mountain. There was an opening to the peak, through which could be seen a long golden tail.
"A Dragon!" said Fara.
Korth nods. "It's Guria."
Fara stares at him. "You know her?"
He nods and goes to the tail and tugs on it.
A moment later, a large golden head appears. Guria grins and comes the rest of the way into the cave. "Long time no see Korth," she said.
"Stop the snow."
"What? With not so much as a 'How do you do?'"
"I don't care how you do."
Her golden eyes flash. "There was a time you cared very much."
"That was before I found out what you were really like. Hungry for power, but gained it through petty torment of others."
Her eyes narrow. "You know what happens to evil Dragons."
Fara asks her husband, "What happens?"
"Dragons who become evil lose their power."
Guria glares at Fara. "This little Dwarf is what you have chosen over me?" she asks Korth.
"She uses her power to help others, not herself."
"Can she command the weather? Can she change shape?" Guria's claws dig into the rock, leaving deep grooves.
"She's an empath. She can heal others by giving of herself."
Guria's glare intensifies. "Then she can give by dying!" Guria's mouth opens and a ball of fire flares toward the two Dwarves.
Korth throws himself over his wife. Fara's eyes widen in fear and shock. She opens her mouth to say something. They hit the ground and they turn to stone. The fireball engulfs them.
Korth separates himself from his wife of stone. He grows in size and changes into a silver Dragon. "That is the way of it, is it? Fine."
He lunges at Guria. They tumble out of the cave and into the air. They tumble end over end in the air. They flame and claw each other. Guria becomes visibly weaker. She loses momentum and crashes. Avalanches cascade down the mountain. Korth lands next to her and brushes the snow off her face.
"It doesn't have to be this way," he said.
"You were born to rule the sky, not dwell in the earth," she said.
"I'm a silver Dragon. Stone is my life force."
There is a long pause. "Am I so evil that I have become weak?"
"You're only as evil as you choose to be."
"I loved you, Korth. I wanted us to be one."
"I know you did, but I made my choice. I love Fara. You can't want me to be one with you when my heart is elsewhere."
Tears trickle down her golden snout. "No."
He leaves her and flies back up to the cave where he had left Fara. Korth's eyes glow silver, and Fara is no longer stone.
"What happened?" she asks.
"Nothing much. The weather should return to normal now. Let's go home."
Elizabeth Williamson Copyright © 2008
Korth was tunneling more than trudging. Korth is dressed warmly in furs. Living in the northern mountains, has taught the Dwarves how to deal with the snow. Occasionally, he would come across an air pocket and the snow from above would bury him. He'd climb out and trudge until the snow was deep enough to tunnel again.
Although, his tunneling was different from that of other Dwarves. Instead of the scoops used to move and pack snow, Korth blows fire. The flames were such that they melt and ice the snow. This allows quick passage, and the ice prevents the snow from falling in.
Eventually, he came to a cave. A way in. He stamped the snow from his boots, brushed himself off and entered the tunnel in the back. Glowing light orbs clung to the ceiling about thirty apart.
He exited the tunnel into a large well-lit cavern, in which was a Dwarf town. He walked down one of the back streets and into a different tunnel. He came out of this second tunnel into a larger town that was half inside the cave, half outside. Through the large opening many of the Dwarf houses were buried in snow. There was a huge bonfire in the town square. Korth joined the crowd around it.
"Haven't seen this much snow in nearly five hundred years," said the wrinkled white-bearded Dwarf beside him.
Korth nodded. No use in arguing with the elderly. They remember their childhoods like it was happening now. Most of them lived it. Just last week he had seen an old grandmother crying because Suli took her jumprope.
He acquired a mug of hot cider and watched the snow fall outside. This time, he figured the old Dwarf was right. He had certainly never seen it snow like this.
Fara, his wife joined him. She was barely sorter than he was. "How was your trip?"
"Glad to see you're not snowed in." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. To give her anything more would have been frowned upon by the other Dwarves around them. Dwarves don't believe in showing excess affection in public. "The snow isn't natural."
"What do you mean?"
"When I went to the next peak, there was only one cloud over our mountain, and it wasn't snowing."
"Then someone must be causing the snow."
"That's what I figured."
"Why would someone do that?"
"I have an inkling."
"You do?"
He nods. "I'm going just as soon as I finish this cider."
"I'll come with you."
They finished their drinks and returned their mugs. They tunneled to their house, gathered a few supplies, and tunneled back to the cavern. They went through another tunnel up the mountain.
After traveling for a long time, they came to the top of the mountain. There was an opening to the peak, through which could be seen a long golden tail.
"A Dragon!" said Fara.
Korth nods. "It's Guria."
Fara stares at him. "You know her?"
He nods and goes to the tail and tugs on it.
A moment later, a large golden head appears. Guria grins and comes the rest of the way into the cave. "Long time no see Korth," she said.
"Stop the snow."
"What? With not so much as a 'How do you do?'"
"I don't care how you do."
Her golden eyes flash. "There was a time you cared very much."
"That was before I found out what you were really like. Hungry for power, but gained it through petty torment of others."
Her eyes narrow. "You know what happens to evil Dragons."
Fara asks her husband, "What happens?"
"Dragons who become evil lose their power."
Guria glares at Fara. "This little Dwarf is what you have chosen over me?" she asks Korth.
"She uses her power to help others, not herself."
"Can she command the weather? Can she change shape?" Guria's claws dig into the rock, leaving deep grooves.
"She's an empath. She can heal others by giving of herself."
Guria's glare intensifies. "Then she can give by dying!" Guria's mouth opens and a ball of fire flares toward the two Dwarves.
Korth throws himself over his wife. Fara's eyes widen in fear and shock. She opens her mouth to say something. They hit the ground and they turn to stone. The fireball engulfs them.
Korth separates himself from his wife of stone. He grows in size and changes into a silver Dragon. "That is the way of it, is it? Fine."
He lunges at Guria. They tumble out of the cave and into the air. They tumble end over end in the air. They flame and claw each other. Guria becomes visibly weaker. She loses momentum and crashes. Avalanches cascade down the mountain. Korth lands next to her and brushes the snow off her face.
"It doesn't have to be this way," he said.
"You were born to rule the sky, not dwell in the earth," she said.
"I'm a silver Dragon. Stone is my life force."
There is a long pause. "Am I so evil that I have become weak?"
"You're only as evil as you choose to be."
"I loved you, Korth. I wanted us to be one."
"I know you did, but I made my choice. I love Fara. You can't want me to be one with you when my heart is elsewhere."
Tears trickle down her golden snout. "No."
He leaves her and flies back up to the cave where he had left Fara. Korth's eyes glow silver, and Fara is no longer stone.
"What happened?" she asks.
"Nothing much. The weather should return to normal now. Let's go home."
Elizabeth Williamson Copyright © 2008
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