Captain Pringle
18th May 2003, 08:07 PM
Hey kiddies!! :D I was talking to OzAndy today, and he kinda filled me in on what's been going on at TPM lately. Long story short, I've decided to return to TPM, at least to some extent. Most of the newer members will have no idea who I am, but that's fine, lol. ;) I'm glad to see the forum is still really active!
Oh, yeah, so anywayz, I wrote this short story just out of nowhere one day. ^_^; I hope you all enjoy it, and I look forward to your comments! (edited 10-19-03 for minor syntax changes, nothing major).
On the Wind
Princess Sarano stood alone atop the great castle of the City of Winds. The wind blew strong now, but it would not matter. She held her longbow calmly beside her, with eyes closed, and felt the wind embrace her. The great burden on her shoulders seemed to be lifted, and she could sense Prince Hiroshi’s spirit on the western breeze.
The prophecy had gone horribly wrong.
The great beast was to lay siege upon the City of Winds, in a battle that would be spoken of for generations to come. It was known that the beast could not be defeated, even by the armies of a thousand kingdoms. Only a single arrow, fitted with the purest of all gems, and fired from within the City of Winds, would pierce the corrupted heart of the beast, and bring peace to it once more.
That arrow lay at Princess Sarano’s feet.
The beast, though, had been told of this prophecy. By what foul deed of humanity this had come to pass, no one knew. But it was too late, far too late now to do anything but chase the beast as it fled.
In its last act of blind hatred and confused sorrow, the beast had bound its corrupted soul to the young prince of the City of Winds, destined to become king in a matter of days.
His father’s days were few now. Prince Hiroshi had spent much time at his father’s bedside, talking. Listening. For thirty moons now had Prince Hiroshi been a man, and his heart was still as true as anyone could ask of a man. He regretted that he must leave his father’s side for such selfish reasons, but his father would have it no other way.
The spirit of the beast inside Hiroshi grew stronger with each passing of the sun. The beast would not live for much longer. And when it died, Hiroshi would be ripped from the world along with it, for such was the curse placed upon the good prince.
Through closed eyes, Princess Sarano could sense the light of the rising sun flow over the eastern hills and onto the castle. It was time.
Knowing the prophecy, the beast had fled almost to the other side of the world, as far away as possible from the castle where Princess Sarano now stood. For many moons, the armies of the greatest kingdoms had traveled the world in pursuit of the beast. Prince Hiroshi was well known and loved across the lands, and news traveled fast. Kings from even the most distant kingdoms sent their armies to help, in the hopes that they might save the good prince’s life.
Princess Sarano opened her eyes, then knelt down and picked up the arrow. The gem at its tip was of a purity that man could never attain. It shone a bright white, even in the yellow rays of the newly risen sun, as the princess drew the arrow to her bow.
The armies, at long last, had surrounded the beast. Closing in from the deepest seas and the highest mountains, thousands were now gathered around it. Still, the great armies, the combined might of mankind, could do nothing more than restrain the beast. Swords would only succeed in killing the beast, and thus the prince too. And so, huge ropes were thrown over the beast, with hundreds of men pulling on each one.
Peasants stood silent in the valley below the castle, looking up at the princess as she stood alone at the ledge of the castle wall and raised her bow. To the women and children below, her gaze appeared distant. But she no longer looked through her eyes alone, for the wind now carried her sight over kingdoms and oceans, all the way to the other side of the world.
A mighty wind blew from the east across the plain where Prince Hiroshi and the thousands had gathered. Princess Sarano could see it all now, and Prince Hiroshi could feel her spirit on the wind. It brought him great comfort, even as he looked up at the towering beast that had bound itself to him, even unto death.
With the passing of the wind, the beast could sense the arrow in Princess Sarano’s bow. The corruption within the creature awoke a blind rage in the beast, and it fought wildly against the restraints, destroying them with the immense strength of its anger.
Princess Sarano closed her eyes, and saw only through her spirit on the wind now.
Prince Hiroshi closed his eyes, and calmed his soul. He sensed an innocence deep within the beast, one that longed to separate itself from the evil that it had become.
She drew the arrow back. This arrow would have no problem flying half way around the world. But it must pierce the heart of the beast. To save the man she loved, it must.
The beast fought on with an empty rage, and soon ripped apart the huge ropes that held it down. The great armies now had no way of keeping the beast still for Princess Sarano.
Yet Hiroshi was still bound to this creature unto death. And so the prince opened his heart to the spirit of the beast which dwelled inside of him.
Hatred. Sorrow. Anger. Fear. Confusion. Loneliness. Regret. Rage.
Hiroshi, taking all the corruption of the creature onto himself, was overwhelmed. Letting out a scream that embodied all that the beast was, a scream of something much worse than pain, the prince fell to the ground silent.
The beast was free of its rage, and now stood still among the thousands of men.
Princess Sarano let the arrow fly.
She stepped back from the ledge and was overcome with emotion as her spirit was returned from the wind. She collapsed and started to cry, alone atop the great castle of the City of Wind. It shouldn’t have been like this.
She had aimed her best, but now she could only wait. The wind would do its best to help her, but the shot was just too hard. No one should have had to take it, especially not her.
Princess Sarano closed her eyes and listened to the wind....
From the other side of the world, another scream rang out. It was Hiroshi again, but louder, deeper. Hiroshi’s scream continued for minutes, a sound that carried the beast’s anguish across all the lands of the world.
The princess, crying silently, cringed at the sound.
As she listened to the sounds on the wind, though, she heard another voice, that of a young child. The boy talked calmly, yet the voice could easily be heard over Hiroshi’s agonizing scream.
"Thank... you, Hiroshi. I can finally see clearly again."
The great armies parted for the beast as it walked toward Hiroshi, who was still screaming in agony.
"Even after everything I did, you still sacrificed yourself to save me," the child’s voice said to the corrupted prince. "I know how you feel right now. I also know you’ll forgive me, and I thank you for that."
Out of the hideous beast emerged the translucent image of a young child. The spirit of the boy took Hiroshi’s hand, and lifted him to his feet. And the prince was calmed.
"You certainly didn’t deserve all of that," said the boy’s spirit. "But thanks to you, we can finally get rid of it."
Prince Hiroshi slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the child, and found comfort in his innocent smile. The two of them looked up at the beast, and Hiroshi smiled as he saw the feather of the arrow that had traveled across the world to save him.
Princess Sarano’s arrow had pierced the heart of the great beast, and returned peace to its spirit once more.
As a light eastern breeze blew across the plain, the beast’s hulking, disfigured body was blown away as dust into the wind. The armies of the great kingdoms watched the huge beast -- now just an empty body without a spirit -- dissolve into the light breeze.
On the other side of the world, young Princess Sarano smiled, still crying, but knowing that everything was alright.
Hiroshi looked down to see that the image of the boy was no longer translucent. With his old body, corrupted by hate, now blown away in the wind, the boy was now back in his normal body again.
The boy smiled. "Thank you, Hiroshi."
As they began the long journey back home, King Hiroshi knew that the boy beside him would make the perfect son. Queen Sarano wiped away her tears. Her family was coming home.
Oh, yeah, so anywayz, I wrote this short story just out of nowhere one day. ^_^; I hope you all enjoy it, and I look forward to your comments! (edited 10-19-03 for minor syntax changes, nothing major).
On the Wind
Princess Sarano stood alone atop the great castle of the City of Winds. The wind blew strong now, but it would not matter. She held her longbow calmly beside her, with eyes closed, and felt the wind embrace her. The great burden on her shoulders seemed to be lifted, and she could sense Prince Hiroshi’s spirit on the western breeze.
The prophecy had gone horribly wrong.
The great beast was to lay siege upon the City of Winds, in a battle that would be spoken of for generations to come. It was known that the beast could not be defeated, even by the armies of a thousand kingdoms. Only a single arrow, fitted with the purest of all gems, and fired from within the City of Winds, would pierce the corrupted heart of the beast, and bring peace to it once more.
That arrow lay at Princess Sarano’s feet.
The beast, though, had been told of this prophecy. By what foul deed of humanity this had come to pass, no one knew. But it was too late, far too late now to do anything but chase the beast as it fled.
In its last act of blind hatred and confused sorrow, the beast had bound its corrupted soul to the young prince of the City of Winds, destined to become king in a matter of days.
His father’s days were few now. Prince Hiroshi had spent much time at his father’s bedside, talking. Listening. For thirty moons now had Prince Hiroshi been a man, and his heart was still as true as anyone could ask of a man. He regretted that he must leave his father’s side for such selfish reasons, but his father would have it no other way.
The spirit of the beast inside Hiroshi grew stronger with each passing of the sun. The beast would not live for much longer. And when it died, Hiroshi would be ripped from the world along with it, for such was the curse placed upon the good prince.
Through closed eyes, Princess Sarano could sense the light of the rising sun flow over the eastern hills and onto the castle. It was time.
Knowing the prophecy, the beast had fled almost to the other side of the world, as far away as possible from the castle where Princess Sarano now stood. For many moons, the armies of the greatest kingdoms had traveled the world in pursuit of the beast. Prince Hiroshi was well known and loved across the lands, and news traveled fast. Kings from even the most distant kingdoms sent their armies to help, in the hopes that they might save the good prince’s life.
Princess Sarano opened her eyes, then knelt down and picked up the arrow. The gem at its tip was of a purity that man could never attain. It shone a bright white, even in the yellow rays of the newly risen sun, as the princess drew the arrow to her bow.
The armies, at long last, had surrounded the beast. Closing in from the deepest seas and the highest mountains, thousands were now gathered around it. Still, the great armies, the combined might of mankind, could do nothing more than restrain the beast. Swords would only succeed in killing the beast, and thus the prince too. And so, huge ropes were thrown over the beast, with hundreds of men pulling on each one.
Peasants stood silent in the valley below the castle, looking up at the princess as she stood alone at the ledge of the castle wall and raised her bow. To the women and children below, her gaze appeared distant. But she no longer looked through her eyes alone, for the wind now carried her sight over kingdoms and oceans, all the way to the other side of the world.
A mighty wind blew from the east across the plain where Prince Hiroshi and the thousands had gathered. Princess Sarano could see it all now, and Prince Hiroshi could feel her spirit on the wind. It brought him great comfort, even as he looked up at the towering beast that had bound itself to him, even unto death.
With the passing of the wind, the beast could sense the arrow in Princess Sarano’s bow. The corruption within the creature awoke a blind rage in the beast, and it fought wildly against the restraints, destroying them with the immense strength of its anger.
Princess Sarano closed her eyes, and saw only through her spirit on the wind now.
Prince Hiroshi closed his eyes, and calmed his soul. He sensed an innocence deep within the beast, one that longed to separate itself from the evil that it had become.
She drew the arrow back. This arrow would have no problem flying half way around the world. But it must pierce the heart of the beast. To save the man she loved, it must.
The beast fought on with an empty rage, and soon ripped apart the huge ropes that held it down. The great armies now had no way of keeping the beast still for Princess Sarano.
Yet Hiroshi was still bound to this creature unto death. And so the prince opened his heart to the spirit of the beast which dwelled inside of him.
Hatred. Sorrow. Anger. Fear. Confusion. Loneliness. Regret. Rage.
Hiroshi, taking all the corruption of the creature onto himself, was overwhelmed. Letting out a scream that embodied all that the beast was, a scream of something much worse than pain, the prince fell to the ground silent.
The beast was free of its rage, and now stood still among the thousands of men.
Princess Sarano let the arrow fly.
She stepped back from the ledge and was overcome with emotion as her spirit was returned from the wind. She collapsed and started to cry, alone atop the great castle of the City of Wind. It shouldn’t have been like this.
She had aimed her best, but now she could only wait. The wind would do its best to help her, but the shot was just too hard. No one should have had to take it, especially not her.
Princess Sarano closed her eyes and listened to the wind....
From the other side of the world, another scream rang out. It was Hiroshi again, but louder, deeper. Hiroshi’s scream continued for minutes, a sound that carried the beast’s anguish across all the lands of the world.
The princess, crying silently, cringed at the sound.
As she listened to the sounds on the wind, though, she heard another voice, that of a young child. The boy talked calmly, yet the voice could easily be heard over Hiroshi’s agonizing scream.
"Thank... you, Hiroshi. I can finally see clearly again."
The great armies parted for the beast as it walked toward Hiroshi, who was still screaming in agony.
"Even after everything I did, you still sacrificed yourself to save me," the child’s voice said to the corrupted prince. "I know how you feel right now. I also know you’ll forgive me, and I thank you for that."
Out of the hideous beast emerged the translucent image of a young child. The spirit of the boy took Hiroshi’s hand, and lifted him to his feet. And the prince was calmed.
"You certainly didn’t deserve all of that," said the boy’s spirit. "But thanks to you, we can finally get rid of it."
Prince Hiroshi slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the child, and found comfort in his innocent smile. The two of them looked up at the beast, and Hiroshi smiled as he saw the feather of the arrow that had traveled across the world to save him.
Princess Sarano’s arrow had pierced the heart of the great beast, and returned peace to its spirit once more.
As a light eastern breeze blew across the plain, the beast’s hulking, disfigured body was blown away as dust into the wind. The armies of the great kingdoms watched the huge beast -- now just an empty body without a spirit -- dissolve into the light breeze.
On the other side of the world, young Princess Sarano smiled, still crying, but knowing that everything was alright.
Hiroshi looked down to see that the image of the boy was no longer translucent. With his old body, corrupted by hate, now blown away in the wind, the boy was now back in his normal body again.
The boy smiled. "Thank you, Hiroshi."
As they began the long journey back home, King Hiroshi knew that the boy beside him would make the perfect son. Queen Sarano wiped away her tears. Her family was coming home.