What is it with me and story dreams?
I love them and I hate them. They make me want to write out the story, but I can only remember bits and pieces by the time I'm in a position to do so. Let's see what I can remember from last night's dream, shall I?
I was a Prince. I do not know the exact time period of the setting, location, or just how 'high fantasy' it really was. I don't recall magic, but there might have been some. I was about eight or nine, crowned Prince with a younger sister. Our 'nanny' or 'nurse' or whatever was watching over us, sitting and playing tea party or something with my sister while I just did whatever. I think I was just exploring the area. We were at some sort of summer cottage or something, fully made of stonework, three walled room with ceiling and stone floor, kind of like a medieval patio? I was bit by a spider...
Cute time passes in the dream...
Basically, I was pronounced dead. My sister's betrothed was now to be crowned king when our father died. I was raised in hiding, told that someone was trying to kill me, and it was just best that they were able to fake my death. After all, without whoever was raising me's help, I would have died, because such a bite from a black widow is fatal.
I grew up. I became... well, I don't know what I became. I wasn't a thief or anything like that. Wasn't an assassain. I was almost like a mercenary or guard, except way more skilled than I should have been, and I didn't look like I should be skilled. I was an adult, finally and fully, and I had the intent of seeing my sister because I missed her dearly.
I remember my main weapon was something that, really? Wasn't considered much of a weapon. Was deadly, but only in the hand of the very, very skilled, of which in the world there were only a handful. They were true assassains, and they were highly respected. Yes, they were feared, but it wasn't an "under cover" kind of gig. They weren't illegal. They were like hired mercenaries, but far more skilled, and using this weapon was their trademark. The weapon was a fairly common item, though, something akin to a knife one would use to cut food. Everyone had one--only assassains and young bravos (that is to say, boys who wanted to be more, and had no clue what they were doing... usually the boisterous types that got themselves killed) had more than one.
Basically they were like a knife and scissors mixed. Think of the handle of scissors when they're closed, now make it so they can never open. The blade doesn't narrow to a point so much as... it's about the same width most of the way, then comes to a sharp point at the end. Like a letter opener, almost. Insanely sharp, and about as long as a letter opener. It had a handle that was kind of like scisors handles, but obviously didn't open, and both 'holes' were the same size. They were made of metal through and through, with no proper 'hilt' material. And the 'holes' weren't flat, but kind of like they were made out of thick wire, so one didn't hurt their hands. They were fairly large, so one's hand could slide around, and the weapon could be wielded from various angles of attack and in various ways. Obviously, it was a slashing/stabbing weapon.
Anyway... I had more than one, and at first didn't know enough to keep the extra(s) hidden. I recall there being some sort of contest in a tavern or something, and I was trying to figure out what was going on, but something led me to want to be alone. Wandered into a back room only to find a drunk... except he wasn't really drunk. He was pretending to be drunk to keep himself safe, because nobody would steal from a drunkard, as they don't have any coin. He first pinned me as a bravo, then realized I was more, and kind of 'took me under his wing' to get me a bit more world wise, while I kind of took care of him coin and protection wise. We entered the contest thinger, and he kept having to tell me to act as if I wasn't quite as good as I was, so that I won, but not by so much that I'd be considered assassain level, which I was. The contest had something to do with the Princess/kingdom/rulers.
Anyway, I don't remember much after that, but I recall that I wandered around the 'summer home' or whatever where I was bit, and it was basically abandoned. Spooky. Kind of the "bad things happened here so nobody goes here anymore" kind of feel, and that made me sad.
Either there, or shortly after I left there, I ran into my sister. I think it might have been there, as I think she missed me, and came there from time to time to mourn. She didn't believe me when I said who I was, but I convinced her. Basically, they didn't say "the prince was bit by a black widow and died." They said "the prince took ill, and after a certain amount of time, he was unable to be healed, and the sickness took him." So nobody knew the real story unless they were there. Instead of just saying "The prince was killed by a black widow spider," I remember that I pulled up the back of my shirt, baring my back at her. I had gotten a tattoo of the black widow hour glass thinger on my back, because it had a good deal of meaning to me.
Beyond that, I really don't remember anything. I think it was her betrothed's mother that was trying to kill me when I was a kid, because she wanted him to be king, and it was a marriage of reward to their family, so they didn't have much stature, and instead of having her son become a prince she wanted him to become king, or something like that...
Hmm, I should flesh this out more and write it... I'm particularly intrigued by the weapon and the tattoo. What do you guys think?
I was a Prince. I do not know the exact time period of the setting, location, or just how 'high fantasy' it really was. I don't recall magic, but there might have been some. I was about eight or nine, crowned Prince with a younger sister. Our 'nanny' or 'nurse' or whatever was watching over us, sitting and playing tea party or something with my sister while I just did whatever. I think I was just exploring the area. We were at some sort of summer cottage or something, fully made of stonework, three walled room with ceiling and stone floor, kind of like a medieval patio? I was bit by a spider...
Cute time passes in the dream...
Basically, I was pronounced dead. My sister's betrothed was now to be crowned king when our father died. I was raised in hiding, told that someone was trying to kill me, and it was just best that they were able to fake my death. After all, without whoever was raising me's help, I would have died, because such a bite from a black widow is fatal.
I grew up. I became... well, I don't know what I became. I wasn't a thief or anything like that. Wasn't an assassain. I was almost like a mercenary or guard, except way more skilled than I should have been, and I didn't look like I should be skilled. I was an adult, finally and fully, and I had the intent of seeing my sister because I missed her dearly.
I remember my main weapon was something that, really? Wasn't considered much of a weapon. Was deadly, but only in the hand of the very, very skilled, of which in the world there were only a handful. They were true assassains, and they were highly respected. Yes, they were feared, but it wasn't an "under cover" kind of gig. They weren't illegal. They were like hired mercenaries, but far more skilled, and using this weapon was their trademark. The weapon was a fairly common item, though, something akin to a knife one would use to cut food. Everyone had one--only assassains and young bravos (that is to say, boys who wanted to be more, and had no clue what they were doing... usually the boisterous types that got themselves killed) had more than one.
Basically they were like a knife and scissors mixed. Think of the handle of scissors when they're closed, now make it so they can never open. The blade doesn't narrow to a point so much as... it's about the same width most of the way, then comes to a sharp point at the end. Like a letter opener, almost. Insanely sharp, and about as long as a letter opener. It had a handle that was kind of like scisors handles, but obviously didn't open, and both 'holes' were the same size. They were made of metal through and through, with no proper 'hilt' material. And the 'holes' weren't flat, but kind of like they were made out of thick wire, so one didn't hurt their hands. They were fairly large, so one's hand could slide around, and the weapon could be wielded from various angles of attack and in various ways. Obviously, it was a slashing/stabbing weapon.
Anyway... I had more than one, and at first didn't know enough to keep the extra(s) hidden. I recall there being some sort of contest in a tavern or something, and I was trying to figure out what was going on, but something led me to want to be alone. Wandered into a back room only to find a drunk... except he wasn't really drunk. He was pretending to be drunk to keep himself safe, because nobody would steal from a drunkard, as they don't have any coin. He first pinned me as a bravo, then realized I was more, and kind of 'took me under his wing' to get me a bit more world wise, while I kind of took care of him coin and protection wise. We entered the contest thinger, and he kept having to tell me to act as if I wasn't quite as good as I was, so that I won, but not by so much that I'd be considered assassain level, which I was. The contest had something to do with the Princess/kingdom/rulers.
Anyway, I don't remember much after that, but I recall that I wandered around the 'summer home' or whatever where I was bit, and it was basically abandoned. Spooky. Kind of the "bad things happened here so nobody goes here anymore" kind of feel, and that made me sad.
Either there, or shortly after I left there, I ran into my sister. I think it might have been there, as I think she missed me, and came there from time to time to mourn. She didn't believe me when I said who I was, but I convinced her. Basically, they didn't say "the prince was bit by a black widow and died." They said "the prince took ill, and after a certain amount of time, he was unable to be healed, and the sickness took him." So nobody knew the real story unless they were there. Instead of just saying "The prince was killed by a black widow spider," I remember that I pulled up the back of my shirt, baring my back at her. I had gotten a tattoo of the black widow hour glass thinger on my back, because it had a good deal of meaning to me.
Beyond that, I really don't remember anything. I think it was her betrothed's mother that was trying to kill me when I was a kid, because she wanted him to be king, and it was a marriage of reward to their family, so they didn't have much stature, and instead of having her son become a prince she wanted him to become king, or something like that...
Hmm, I should flesh this out more and write it... I'm particularly intrigued by the weapon and the tattoo. What do you guys think?