[Fanfic] Old Kingdom drabbles (parts 9 & 10)
Part 9
Title: Awakening
Prompt: 4 First
Mirelle handed the wet dishes to the person next to her. Lazily, her eyes drifted down to the water basin. The chatter of the room faded away and was replaced by two people arguing as they sailed down the wide Ratterlin.
The vision snapped away leaving Mirelle feel like she was finally seeing the world for the first time.
She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. It was one of the senior Clayr. She wore a smile, “Come, daughter, we must prepare for your Ceremony.”
In the background, Mirelle could hear the announcement of her awakening of the Sight.
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Title: Choices
Prompt: 94 Solstice
The Free Magic sorcerer stood stock still in front of the dark well. The air around him was saturated with Free Magic, burning the Abhorsen's throat.
The Abhorsen had been watching the sorcerer for the past few minutes, trying to come to a decision. He was unsure if killing the sorcerer was the best solution. There was a chance that killing the sorcerer would unleash whatever he was trying to create or summon. He could bind him but that might trigger Free Magic 'watchdogs'.
The Abhorsen decided killing the sorcerer would be best because the solstice was about to begin.
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Title: Wallmaker
Prompt: 80 Healing
Sam smiled as the last charter mark sank into the pile of bandages before him. The marks sat quiescent. He knew that would change as soon as they were lain upon an open wound.
The spell contained in the marks would drive out the disease caused by bites of the Dead and prevent disease all around.
The idea came to him one day when both Sabriel and Lirael returned, injured in a fight with some Dead because they had used healing magic to heal earlier wounds with a necromancer.
Now, they would not need to use healing magic right away.
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Title: Clacking
Prompt: 37 Sound
The bones of the Dead made clacking noises as they ambled along the base of the cliff, searching for the Life they could sense above them.
The small party climbing the steps breathed a slight sigh of relief that they were only being pursued by Dead Hands and not something worse like Shadow Hands. Dead Hands would not find the entrance to the steps without guidance.
The sound of a pebble falling down followed by the sound of footsteps caused them to tense.
A voice drifted down. “Be at ease. I am the Abhorsen and will send the Dead on.”
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Title: Vinegar
Prompt: 60 Drink
Sabriel gulped down her wine, trying not to taste it. It had obviously turned and was not fit to be drank but it was all that was left in the abandoned village and she dared not drink the well water. One of the dying villagers told her how the water had a curious taint to it and all who drank it died.
Judging by the dead wildlife, the stream was not fit to drink either. So, her only option was what was on hand, hence the bad wine.
She could sense Free Magic and knew the source must be upstream.
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Part 10
Title: Target
Prompt: 55 Spirit
King Anstyr laughed to himself as he, well, skipped down the hall of the castle. The occasional maid that saw him would quickly disappear. The king's sense of humor was... legendary and his current mood boded ill for his target. He had not targeted a maid yet but there was no sense in tempting him.
The head scribe froze when his king skipped into the room like a joyful spirit. Don't look at me, don't look at me, his assistants could almost hear him think.
The king's eyes landed on the scribe and a grin stretched from ear to ear.
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Title: Reason
Prompt: 93 Thanksgiving
Touchstone gave his advisor a blank look, “A what?”
“A day of thanksgiving. People want to be celebrate the return of a bloodline, to show their thankfulness for the return of order,” the advisor elaborated.
“Hmmm. When do they want to celebrate this... thanksgiving?” he asked.
“The concensous is to do it on the day the last Dead was banished from Belisaere.” He could see the hesitation on his king's face. “Sire, I know you are tired of celebrations but there has not been much to celebrate for many years.”
“You're correct on both counts. But... another celebration won't hurt.”
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Title: Infection
Prompt: 78 Disease
The captain watched with fascination and horror at the wounds sustained by the private from the attack by the Dead creature. The skin on the private's arm seemed to turn green and fall off before his eyes.
Only years of experience and self control enabled him to hold back the shudder of revulsion. To think that a Dead possessed rat was responsible was frightening.
The doctor kneeling over the patient looked at the arm a minute more before signaling to his assistant for the syringe with anesthesia.
The captain almost sighed with relief at the sight of the surgical saw.
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Title: Foes
Prompt: 22 Enemies
Kerrigor smiled down at the young Abhorsen in his grasp. She struggled, even thrusting the Wallmaker's creation into his body. He wanted to laugh at her pitiful attempts. What could she do against one of the Greater Dead who still possessed the ability to preform Free Magic?
He enjoyed her struggles. He would now rule after years of work. The Old Kingdom would finally fall to him!
But what was this? What was this ring around him? No! He would not be defeated by a dead line! To be enslaved by the Wallmakers and their pet was the ultimate humiliation!
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Title: Homesickness
Prompt: 8 Weeks
The first weeks of Sabriel's school brought extensive homesickness. The school head was very nice to her and that put off the homesickness for a time. But, after a few weeks, the shine of being in a new place wore off and she began to miss the caravan and all the people in it.
And she always missed her father while he was away but she had always been around people she knew before, now, she was around strangers. Some of them were not so nice.
School was tough until she made a friends with a few of her classmates.