Post by Tokrochiru on Nov 22, 2012 23:37:47 GMT -5
Even in the dead of night, the landscape is hot and dry.
My carriage rattles slightly as the horses carry it through the commoners' streets. It's never a pleasant sight when I ride through this area. Dressed in clothes made of flax, they perform their daily tasks for the glory of their country, whether they want to or not. They aren't allowed the luxuries that people like myself are. Things like gas-powered stoves, cellular phones, and computers are simply too complex for their simple minds, so they have no choice but to live by the sweat of their brow. It's a pitiful thing, but something that can not be helped. It is Arie's will that they are this way, and his will is ultimate.
There are no gods, the priests say. There is only Arie.
"Is something wrong, m'lady," my fiance asks me, one curious eyebrow raised. I tell him that I am quite alright, and he says he believes me.
Time passes as we pass through the dirty town unhindered. I try to bide my time by imagining what foods I will be served at dinnertime.
....Something doesn't feel right.
I can no longer hear the sounds of pattering hooves or the grind of the wheels moving. Have we stopped? Upon inspecting the window to my left, I confirm my suspicions. Perhaps one of the horses have fallen ill. I reach for the door so that I can investigate, only for my hand to be stopped by my fiance, Steffan. "Wait," he whispers to me. "You shouldn't have to concern yourself with this. I'll see what's the matter."
With that said, Steffan heads out through the door on his right. As soon as he steps out, I can hear shouting. I slip over to his side of the carriage and look out through the open window, allowing my curiosity to get the better of me. Ahead of the carriage, I can see a rather tired-looking, black-haired, mustached man wearing a pancho. He stands mere feet away from the horses that were pulling the carriage.
"Who the hell do you think you are!?" My fiance shouts at the man. "Don't you know better than to halt a wedding carriage!? You're postponing a very, VERY important event to both me and my soon-to-be-wife. I swear to Arie, if you don't explain yourself right now, I'll behead you on the spot!"
The man closes his eyes. His brows visibly furrows, as if he's thinking.
"I challenge you do a dual," the man eventually says. My heart jumps at the sound. My fiance's response is comically appropriate considering the circumstances.
"...What?" Steffan asks him.
"I challenge you to a dual," the man repeats. Even the horses are laughing at this man's ludicrous proclamation.
"A dual!? You? Look at you! You're wearing the same clothes that a widow twice your age would wear! Do...do you even have a sword?"
The man nods and lifts up some of his poncho, exposing his waist and revealing that he does, in fact, has a sword. It looks small, and rusty. It doesn't even have a proper sheathe!
"Alright," Steffan continues. "I'll tell you what. Since you're obviously out of your mind, I'll let you walk away from this alive. I won't have you arrested, or punished. Just walk away from this and I promise you'll be fine. You'll be able to continue living in whatever fantasy world that you want."
"You're a knight aren't you?" The man quickly quips back at Steffan. "Your code of honor prevents you from turning down a dual unless certain prerequisites are met. If you let me go, you'll be breaking your own code. You know this."
All of our smiles quickly fade, and my fiance goes silent.
"Yeah," my soon-to-be husband says. "You're right. And here I took you for another kind of madman altogether. No, you must be the suicidal type."
Is....Is he seriously going to challenge this man? Right now? On our wedding day? My breathing speeds up alongside my nervousness.
The man backs away slowly, and my fiance orders one of the guards to fetch him his sword. Its sheath glistens in the sunlight, displaying its gem-covered beauty for all to see.
"I'll make this quick, whelp," my fiance says.
"3"
"2"
"1"
"Draw!!"
I close my eyes as my fiance draws his sword and charges forward. However, they are startled open by a loud noise. The next thing I see should be making me scream, but all I can do is behold in utter, complete awe. My fiance is...head? ...Is it even a head even more? I can see red and gray fluids where his head should be.
The man is holding a metal device in his hand. A firearm!? How!?
The guards rush toward the man with the intent to kill. The man reaches into his coat, and in but a moment, my eyes feel like they're on fire. I can't see anything, but I can hear a loud bang, followed by the sound of screaming all around me. My voice adds to them as I shout in terror, only to be silenced by something being shoved against my mouth. I feel my feet being dragged against the ground as I kick and scream, panicking like I've never panicked before. I'm scared! I'm so scared!
Eventually my vision slowly returns. I can see my kidnapper is the man who shot my fiance. That bastard! That filthy BASTARD!! I try to wiggle free from his grasp, but it's too strong. I try to bite his skin, only for my tongue to touch something...hard. Smooth, but hard.
I look at what's holding my mouth shut. A long, misshapen black arm, and a hand with point, long fingers. Its shape reminds me of some kind of insect. I look at the man and see two other, normal looking upper arms.
...Arie, Arie, the man has three arms! He's not even human!!
I scream again into his hand. I'm so scared that I feel I'm going to die from shock. I can hear ferocious roars in the distance. I managed to turn my eyes and see several guards approaching, each of them wielding a sword.
"Look away," the man says. Why does he want me to look away? Fearing for my life, I do as he says, and a moment later, I hear another deafeningly loud boom, and feel a strong gust of wind push against my body. I look to where the guards used to be, only to find strange, charred masses, covered with what looked to be some sort of blue flame.
That murderer! He killed them all!
The man eventually drags me through an abandoned, and out a door on the other side. We end up wandering through a long series of doors leading in and out of different run-down structures, until he reaches the end of town, where a strange hooded man on a horse is waiting.
"Gag her."
The man stutters "Y-Yes-s" before the hooded person plugs my nose. I can't breath! I can't even breath! My kidnapper eventually uncovers my mouth, and I immediately inhale as deep as I can. Before I can let out a scream, however, the hooded man ties something around my mouth that muffles my voice. The man in the poncho then binds my hands, lifts me up on another nearby horse. He forces me to ride in back as he rides away from the town, his hooded friend not far behind.
Arie...Arie what's happening?
What's going on?
Why did all this have to happen on my wedding day? Why?
I shed some tears as I ride off in the distance, far away from any comfort or protection. I accept my circumstances begrudgingly as the pitter patter of the horses, over the course of several hours, lull me to sleep.