Story Lottery: Prompt: Fire: The Tower of Zatim [2/2]
Title: The Tower of Zatim (Part Two)
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Rating: PG
Prompt: fire @ story_lottery
Summary: A young nobleman goes on a perilous journey to save a beautiful princess from the clutches of an evil magician.
Word Count: 1,465 words
Disclaimer: All characters, plot points, words, etc., are my own and I infringe on no known copyrights. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is sheer coincidence.
A/N: The second part of the epic. Part Two was written with the hero's inner fire and determination in mind. Also, it might be a load of crap. I can't tell, because it's late, and I'm sick, and also because I was forced to limit my time and thus, things were pretty rushed. I'm... not upset with it though. I may expand on the idea when I have more time.
A few feet from where he stood,
A stone gate barred the only apparent entrance to the fortress.
As tall as seven men, the gate offered no clue
As to what lay behind it’s glossed surface.
Alexei studied the door. It was smooth and immovable,
With not a single notch or hook to grab hold of. He didn’t think
Even a knock would alert anyone inside to his presence.
“You’re going to need some help, I think,” came an eerie voice at his feet.
He jumped, startled, searching the ground for the speaker.
“I’m up here, now.” The voice said belittlingly. “Handsome, but
Not too bright.” Alexei looked up to the left of the entryway,
Where a large, emerald snake coiled around a stray branch
Jutting out of the cliff side. “Ah… There we go.” It blinked at him
Haughtily, but without menace, as one might speak to a
Particularly dense child who has finally understood.
“And… you are going to help me?” Alexei asked.
He had never encountered a speaking snake before,
But then again, he’d never broken into an evil magician’s castle either.
“Perhaps,” the snake lilted. “It would be nice to get that
Princess out.” Alexei could nearly hear the snake roll its eyes.
“Always carrying on, crying, fussing. It’s enough to drive
A snake mad. You are here to rescue her, aren’t you?”
Alexei nodded. “Good,” said the snake. It slithered down to his feet
And pointed its diamond-shaped head to the center of the door.
“Go to the middle of the gate.
If you ask politely, it will probably let you in.”
“Ask who?” Alexei wondered, but the snake had vanished.
He walked hesitantly up to the solid entrance and cleared his throat.
“Excuse me.” At the sound of his voice, there appeared in the stone
A single, violet eye. It whirled to look at him and settled unsettlingly on
His face. “Excuse me,” he repeated uncertainly, “may I please come inside?”
The eye blinked and scanned him, leaving Alexei with
A strange, intrusive feeling on his skin. With a last blink,
The eye disappeared and the stone gate stood blank once more.
Alexei frowned and sighed. He turned to head left, around the castle,
When he heard a soft thud. From the door, he heard clicks
And whirs and bumps, as though many mechanical insects
Ran through the stonework. After several moments,
The door crept open slowly and Alexei entered the fortress of Prince Zatim.
At first there was nothing to see, save for the ominous flickering of
Several torches left abandoned in the wall sconces.
At his left, there stood a narrow stairway
Leading down into the depths of the fortress. At the right, a
Wide, more decorative staircase leading up to what
Was assumably the living and entertaining portion of the castle.
If I were an evil lord, Alexei thought,
I would probably leave my prisoners to rot in my dungeon.
Down the left stairwell, there were no torches,
Only pitch blackness. Every step upon the stone stairs
Echoed dully in the dark, cushioning Alexei’s hearing
Until all he could sense was the damp chill of the walls
And the faint footfalls of his steps.
“You’re going the wrong way.”
The snake was back, its voice shivering through Alexei’s body.
“You should have gone right.” Alexei stopped.
“Right? Where are you? I can’t see anything.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s too late now.” The voice was getting farther away.
“It’s too bad, really,” the snake whispered as it slipped
Into the belly of the lair,
“You and that girl would have made such a cute couple.”
Alexei panicked and spun back up the stairs,
But alas, the snake had been right; it was too late, and Alexei
Realized this only as a dense, suffocated cloud encompassed him
And dragged him into unconsciousness.
When the world decided to cease spinning,
Alexei began trying to make sense of the harsh voices
Above him. He lay, bound and blindfolded, on the rocky floor of the dungeon
And several gruff voices seemed to be discussing him
In terms he never thought he’d face.
“I think,” the first voice stated assertively, “we should forget the lake
And carve him up a bit. It’s been so long
Since we’ve had good meat out here.”
“Yeah,” said the second voice, “just stupid fish.”
A third voice broke in, lower and more dangerous
Than the others. “Orders are orders. If the prince finds out
We didn’t chuck him in the lake,
We’ll be the one’s trussed up and dispatched.”
The other two voices grumbled in agreement
And Alexei felt five hands and what seemed to be a claw
Grab hold of him. They heaved him across the
Cold room and out of the castle completely.
“From here, you think?” the first voice asked lazily.
“We don’t have to go all the way down to the shore
Just to drown him.”
Alexei’s captives checked the security of the ropes
Binding his feet and hands before promptly swinging him
Mightily over the windy side of a very sheer cliff.
Alexei felt his heart stop, his life-beat suspended for the
Few agonizing moments he dropped through the air, and
When at last he hit the water with a crippling crack,
He almost felt he welcomed death, which was preferable to failure.
Fortunately for the young lord,
Death was not yet waiting for him. Suddenly,
As he descended into the icy darkness of the lake,
A pair of enormous hands seized his tied legs
And lugged his body up to the surface.
His bonds were cut and he threw himself on the shore,
Heaving dreadfully and gasping for air.
Alexei rolled onto his back and stared up at his savior,
Who loomed over him with a bemused frown.
“Mikhail!” Alexei cried. Mikhail grinned and held out his
Large hand, dragging the nobleman to his feet.
“I thought you’d turned back.”
Mikhail shook his head, “No, I thought, maybe on the way home,
You might be needed me, after you rescued the princess.
A lady shouldn’t have to walk through those
Sharp fields and I thought, I don’t know, maybe I could
Carry her for a bit or something.”
Alexei laughed with relief. “Excellent thinking, my friend.
I certainly hadn’t thought of that.” His smile faded.
“But I haven’t rescued Yelena. And now Prince Zatim
Knows my intent on saving her. How can I hope to achieve anything?”
Mikhail considered the situation. “Well,” he said slowly,
“I’m not exactly sure, but I think they probably took her to that big tower
Up there.” He pointed to the tallest tower, which housed
The only visible light in the castle.
“But how do we get up there?” Alexei asked.
Mikhail smiled once more. “I’m not very smart, my lord, but there are
Some things I do know; climbing is one of them.”
And so it happened that Alexei clambered onto Mikhail’s bear-like back
And the two made the perilous climb up the cliff.
As they reached the top of the tower,
The first bleak rays of sun colored the sky royal blue.
Alexei stepped gingerly through the narrow tower window.
There, cast delicately onto a silken bed, lay Princess Yelena,
Her tear-stained cheeks rosy and her black hair cascading across the pillows.
Alexei breathed a sigh of relief; there were no guards in
The room.
“Princess,” he whispered. She sat straight up, her dark eyes wide with fright,
But she quickly recognized him and jumped up,
Embracing him heartily.
“Your highness, we must leave quickly-“
Before Alexei could finish his sentence,
Prince Zatim himself strode furiously into the tower room.
He drew his sword, the razor sharp blade gleaming in the firelight.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t know what
Was going on in my own castle?
Did you really hope to save the day?” Zatim spat hideously
At Alexei, who drew his own sword and pointed it at the evil prince.
The two seethed at each other silently.
Zatim made the first strike, his blade flying out skillfully
And nearly catching Alexei on the shoulder.
Alexei lunged in reaction, but his sword hit stone wall
As Zatim swiped nimbly to the side.
With all his strength, Alexei swung his blade in a wide arch,
Removing his opponent’s right hand cleanly from his wrist.
Zatim shrieked with surprise and pain,
But only for a moment, as the next swing of Alexei’s sword
silenced him forever.
Yelena stood, horrified, by the tower window.
She stared at her rescuer blankly and then collapsed onto the floor.
Mikhail caught her effortlessly.
“It’s much easier this way, you know,” He remarked, “if she’s not moving about.”
With the princess over his shoulder,
The giant man climbed down from the tower,
An exhausted Northern nobleman in his wake.
And they lived happily ever after. The End.
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Rating: PG
Prompt: fire @ story_lottery
Summary: A young nobleman goes on a perilous journey to save a beautiful princess from the clutches of an evil magician.
Word Count: 1,465 words
Disclaimer: All characters, plot points, words, etc., are my own and I infringe on no known copyrights. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is sheer coincidence.
A/N: The second part of the epic. Part Two was written with the hero's inner fire and determination in mind. Also, it might be a load of crap. I can't tell, because it's late, and I'm sick, and also because I was forced to limit my time and thus, things were pretty rushed. I'm... not upset with it though. I may expand on the idea when I have more time.
A few feet from where he stood,
A stone gate barred the only apparent entrance to the fortress.
As tall as seven men, the gate offered no clue
As to what lay behind it’s glossed surface.
Alexei studied the door. It was smooth and immovable,
With not a single notch or hook to grab hold of. He didn’t think
Even a knock would alert anyone inside to his presence.
“You’re going to need some help, I think,” came an eerie voice at his feet.
He jumped, startled, searching the ground for the speaker.
“I’m up here, now.” The voice said belittlingly. “Handsome, but
Not too bright.” Alexei looked up to the left of the entryway,
Where a large, emerald snake coiled around a stray branch
Jutting out of the cliff side. “Ah… There we go.” It blinked at him
Haughtily, but without menace, as one might speak to a
Particularly dense child who has finally understood.
“And… you are going to help me?” Alexei asked.
He had never encountered a speaking snake before,
But then again, he’d never broken into an evil magician’s castle either.
“Perhaps,” the snake lilted. “It would be nice to get that
Princess out.” Alexei could nearly hear the snake roll its eyes.
“Always carrying on, crying, fussing. It’s enough to drive
A snake mad. You are here to rescue her, aren’t you?”
Alexei nodded. “Good,” said the snake. It slithered down to his feet
And pointed its diamond-shaped head to the center of the door.
“Go to the middle of the gate.
If you ask politely, it will probably let you in.”
“Ask who?” Alexei wondered, but the snake had vanished.
He walked hesitantly up to the solid entrance and cleared his throat.
“Excuse me.” At the sound of his voice, there appeared in the stone
A single, violet eye. It whirled to look at him and settled unsettlingly on
His face. “Excuse me,” he repeated uncertainly, “may I please come inside?”
The eye blinked and scanned him, leaving Alexei with
A strange, intrusive feeling on his skin. With a last blink,
The eye disappeared and the stone gate stood blank once more.
Alexei frowned and sighed. He turned to head left, around the castle,
When he heard a soft thud. From the door, he heard clicks
And whirs and bumps, as though many mechanical insects
Ran through the stonework. After several moments,
The door crept open slowly and Alexei entered the fortress of Prince Zatim.
At first there was nothing to see, save for the ominous flickering of
Several torches left abandoned in the wall sconces.
At his left, there stood a narrow stairway
Leading down into the depths of the fortress. At the right, a
Wide, more decorative staircase leading up to what
Was assumably the living and entertaining portion of the castle.
If I were an evil lord, Alexei thought,
I would probably leave my prisoners to rot in my dungeon.
Down the left stairwell, there were no torches,
Only pitch blackness. Every step upon the stone stairs
Echoed dully in the dark, cushioning Alexei’s hearing
Until all he could sense was the damp chill of the walls
And the faint footfalls of his steps.
“You’re going the wrong way.”
The snake was back, its voice shivering through Alexei’s body.
“You should have gone right.” Alexei stopped.
“Right? Where are you? I can’t see anything.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s too late now.” The voice was getting farther away.
“It’s too bad, really,” the snake whispered as it slipped
Into the belly of the lair,
“You and that girl would have made such a cute couple.”
Alexei panicked and spun back up the stairs,
But alas, the snake had been right; it was too late, and Alexei
Realized this only as a dense, suffocated cloud encompassed him
And dragged him into unconsciousness.
When the world decided to cease spinning,
Alexei began trying to make sense of the harsh voices
Above him. He lay, bound and blindfolded, on the rocky floor of the dungeon
And several gruff voices seemed to be discussing him
In terms he never thought he’d face.
“I think,” the first voice stated assertively, “we should forget the lake
And carve him up a bit. It’s been so long
Since we’ve had good meat out here.”
“Yeah,” said the second voice, “just stupid fish.”
A third voice broke in, lower and more dangerous
Than the others. “Orders are orders. If the prince finds out
We didn’t chuck him in the lake,
We’ll be the one’s trussed up and dispatched.”
The other two voices grumbled in agreement
And Alexei felt five hands and what seemed to be a claw
Grab hold of him. They heaved him across the
Cold room and out of the castle completely.
“From here, you think?” the first voice asked lazily.
“We don’t have to go all the way down to the shore
Just to drown him.”
Alexei’s captives checked the security of the ropes
Binding his feet and hands before promptly swinging him
Mightily over the windy side of a very sheer cliff.
Alexei felt his heart stop, his life-beat suspended for the
Few agonizing moments he dropped through the air, and
When at last he hit the water with a crippling crack,
He almost felt he welcomed death, which was preferable to failure.
Fortunately for the young lord,
Death was not yet waiting for him. Suddenly,
As he descended into the icy darkness of the lake,
A pair of enormous hands seized his tied legs
And lugged his body up to the surface.
His bonds were cut and he threw himself on the shore,
Heaving dreadfully and gasping for air.
Alexei rolled onto his back and stared up at his savior,
Who loomed over him with a bemused frown.
“Mikhail!” Alexei cried. Mikhail grinned and held out his
Large hand, dragging the nobleman to his feet.
“I thought you’d turned back.”
Mikhail shook his head, “No, I thought, maybe on the way home,
You might be needed me, after you rescued the princess.
A lady shouldn’t have to walk through those
Sharp fields and I thought, I don’t know, maybe I could
Carry her for a bit or something.”
Alexei laughed with relief. “Excellent thinking, my friend.
I certainly hadn’t thought of that.” His smile faded.
“But I haven’t rescued Yelena. And now Prince Zatim
Knows my intent on saving her. How can I hope to achieve anything?”
Mikhail considered the situation. “Well,” he said slowly,
“I’m not exactly sure, but I think they probably took her to that big tower
Up there.” He pointed to the tallest tower, which housed
The only visible light in the castle.
“But how do we get up there?” Alexei asked.
Mikhail smiled once more. “I’m not very smart, my lord, but there are
Some things I do know; climbing is one of them.”
And so it happened that Alexei clambered onto Mikhail’s bear-like back
And the two made the perilous climb up the cliff.
As they reached the top of the tower,
The first bleak rays of sun colored the sky royal blue.
Alexei stepped gingerly through the narrow tower window.
There, cast delicately onto a silken bed, lay Princess Yelena,
Her tear-stained cheeks rosy and her black hair cascading across the pillows.
Alexei breathed a sigh of relief; there were no guards in
The room.
“Princess,” he whispered. She sat straight up, her dark eyes wide with fright,
But she quickly recognized him and jumped up,
Embracing him heartily.
“Your highness, we must leave quickly-“
Before Alexei could finish his sentence,
Prince Zatim himself strode furiously into the tower room.
He drew his sword, the razor sharp blade gleaming in the firelight.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t know what
Was going on in my own castle?
Did you really hope to save the day?” Zatim spat hideously
At Alexei, who drew his own sword and pointed it at the evil prince.
The two seethed at each other silently.
Zatim made the first strike, his blade flying out skillfully
And nearly catching Alexei on the shoulder.
Alexei lunged in reaction, but his sword hit stone wall
As Zatim swiped nimbly to the side.
With all his strength, Alexei swung his blade in a wide arch,
Removing his opponent’s right hand cleanly from his wrist.
Zatim shrieked with surprise and pain,
But only for a moment, as the next swing of Alexei’s sword
silenced him forever.
Yelena stood, horrified, by the tower window.
She stared at her rescuer blankly and then collapsed onto the floor.
Mikhail caught her effortlessly.
“It’s much easier this way, you know,” He remarked, “if she’s not moving about.”
With the princess over his shoulder,
The giant man climbed down from the tower,
An exhausted Northern nobleman in his wake.
And they lived happily ever after. The End.