Rough Draft Part 3
A stiff-necked people
Welcome to my little corner of the internet! I’m so glad you’re here. Below you’ll find part three of my fantasy short story Rough Draft. It starts like you might expect: our Hero is on a mission to rescue the Princess. I’m excited to show you where it goes from there.
Want to start at the beginning? Here you go:
The storm had subsided slightly since their first journey outside, allowing the princess to see to the edge of the field she stood on. It ended with a steep drop everywhere she could see, except for the steps that Anaxl had climbed to reach her. They curved down and out of sight almost immediately. She walked over, stopping before the first step. There was no way she’d be able to outrun the wolves if they got past Anaxl. And what if he was injured? Shouldn’t she wait for him near the entrance?
No. There had been a look of finality in his eyes. He was giving up his life so that she had a chance to escape.
She began her descent, treading slowly at first, then only briefly touching each step as she became more confident in her footing. She was aware of nothing except the rhythm of her feet against the ground and the feel of the mountain wall beneath her hand. There was no way to tell how long she had been moving, but a glance above her showed a fair amount of distance travelled. She paused, listening for signs of pursuit. Hearing nothing, she starting moving again.
A single howl sounded from far above, nearly making her lose her footing. It was soon echoed by several more. Now the chase began in earnest.
The princess moved as quickly as she could, keeping as far away as possible from the sheer drop to her right. The next plateau was now visible over the side of the stairs, growing larger with each step she took. But what would she do when she got there? She was still high up on the mountain, and her memory remained cloudy about what lay further below.
It was a question that would need to wait. Another chorus of howls, closer than before, made her shiver despite her adrenaline. She rounded another corner and finally stepped onto a larger piece of flat land.
Her momentum carried her a few more steps before she came to a stop and looked around. The snowstorm picked up again, making the princess feel as though she stood atop an island in the middle of a sea of white.
“There you go again,” she said. “What I need right now are ideas, not metaphors.” She walked to the far edge of the platform, led there by the faint impression left by Anaxl’s footsteps. The storm had nearly obliterated them already.
A low growl caused her to turn around. Three wolves padded down the last few steps of the stairs, then fanned out in a straight line. They were all breathing heavily, and the largest of the three was bleeding from a deep gash in its side. At least Anaxl had not given up without a fight. The creatures stared at her, as if waiting for a signal before attacking.
The princess backed away until the heel of her left foot found no more ground beneath. She cautioned a look over her shoulder, but the drop was far enough that she couldn’t see anything below.
“Why do you run?” a voice whispered from right beside her. She whipped her head back around, but saw only the wolves.
“Who said that?”
The voice came again, but this time from further away. “Where can you go that I cannot follow?” It seemed as though it was being carried by the wind.
“Where are you?” the princess yelled. Then she saw it, halfway between her and the wolves. A wisp of smoke at first, then a dark cloud that grew and contorted until it was roughly the size and shape of a person. It solidified into a woman, clothed in all black, from her ankle-length dress to the luxurious wolf-pelt coat that hung about her shoulders. Her face was a porcelain white, and her eyes were an icy blue.
She smiled at the princess as the wolves moved to her side, weaving around her and rubbing against her legs. It was odd to see the wild beasts behave in such a domesticated manner.
“My pets,” the woman said, noting the princess’ confusion. Her voice echoed all around the princess, as though it were part of the wind itself. “They know their place, and so I reward them.” She idly brushed the head of the nearest wolf, not breaking eye contact with the princess. “You are my pet as well. Yet you try to fight.”
“The Witch,” the princess breathed. Then more forcefully, said, “You kidnapped me, trapped me in that cave. Why?”
The woman laughed. It was a sharp sound, like glass breaking. The princess covered her ears against the noise.
“Kidnapped? Does a wave accuse the sea of kidnapping it when it breaks? Does a man kidnap the wages he earns at the end of a long day?” She waved her hand dismissively. “No, I did not kidnap you. I brought you home.”
“I do not understand,” the princess said. “And I do not believe you, sorceress. You have no claim over me.”
“Very well,” the witch replied. “We shall do things the hard way.” She turned and began walking away. “Bring her,” she said to the wolves, then evaporated as quickly as she had first appeared, her smoky trail blending into the snow that whipped around the mountain. The creatures jumped to attention, each one focused on the princess. They moved forward slowly, jagged teeth bared.
Left with no options, the princess turned toward the snowy abyss below her, took a deep breath, and jumped.
“…wait. What?” the princess said. She was inexplicably still standing on the platform.
The princess leaped off the platform heroically!
“I… don’t think so.” She slowly shook her head.
The princess… gracefully stepped off the edge, knowing she was about to be dragged back to her prison by the giant wolves?
“You wouldn’t dare…” she said, again crossing her arms.
A gust of wind blew past the princess, sounding like the sigh of an annoyed parent giving in to the request of their spoiled child. Seconds later, a cry came from the stairs. Everyone, wolves and human alike, turned toward the noise.
Anaxl ran toward them, limping slightly and holding the torch in front of him. The wolves shied back, unsure of how to meet this new challenge.
Instead of engaging with the animals directly, he threw the torch into their midst, then scooped up the princess and threw her over his shoulder.
“Time to go, your Grace” he said. Then he actually, literally, finally jumped off the edge.
Suggested music for Part 3: Frances the Mute (single) by The Mars Volta
Part 4 is now live! Get movin’
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