(no subject)
Flavor of the Day - 11/17/08 - adulterate with Hot Fudge
Rating : PG
Timeframe : mid 1250's
Word Count : 639
Word of the Day : adulterate - to add an inferior, impure, or improper substance to something
Kinu folded his arms and waited as the two shuffled into the tiny chamber, Kairn wrinkling his nose at the smell of decay trapped there by the lack of windows, Sethan looking bored as he ever did. Kinu grinned to himself as he pulled the door shut behind him. Sethan would not be bored for long.
Kairn spoke first, words muffled by the hand poised over his nose. “I thought you had more skill than that,” he said, eyes on the construct splayed on the floor. “You’ve got the whole thing tied up with scarves.”
Kinu’s eyes narrowed. Half a dozen snide remarks about the last time he’d seen Kairn animate anything died before they reached his tongue, none of them worth wasting breath on. Kairn knew well enough that his only worth was as Sethan’s shadow.
“Some of these aren’t even connecting anything,” he continued, stooping to tug on a band of red that dangled from the construct’s neck. “It looks like you’ve botched a perfectly good-”
“Hold off,” said Kinu, swatting his hand away. Kairn shrugged and joined Sethan, who was slouched against the wall, looking as if he just might fall asleep in place. “They’re not there to hold it together. They’re- Well, you’ll see soon enough.”
He laid his hands over the chalk marks on the floor, with a grin as he glanced at the now yawning Sethan and a very curious Kairn from the corner of his eye. The lines flared and the creature stirred. Kinu hurried to his feet and out of the way as the construct rose from the floor.
The demon stood on shaky legs, the scarves dangling from its neck and shoulders like a rainbow-colored mane. “I still don’t see,” said Kairn. Sethan shushed him with a hand laid gently on his arm.
The construct shook its head and the scarves rose in the air, twisting and writhing with a life of their own. Kairn floundered for breath and even Sethan raised a brow. Kinu beamed at the mass of twisting and darting strips of cloth that danced like snakes around the beast’s head.
“Well?” he said.
Kairn stuttered something unintelligible. “Impressive,” said Sethan, the corner of his mouth turning slightly.
Kinu sniffed. “Of course it is,” he said.
“Didn’t know you had it in you.” Kinu folded his arms again, the other man’s dry tone grating on him. “I suppose this will make things more interesting.” He flicked a hand and Kinu followed the gesture to a shelf high on the wall.
The wood tore itself from its brackets, sloughing its contents onto the floor with a thud and a smash. Kinu’s jaw dropped, and whatever Kairn thought to say escaped him in a strangled squeek. The shelf slid down the wall and crossed the room, bending and wobbling from side to side in an awkward approximation of walking.
It righted itself on one end before the demon, who regarded the thing with empty eyes, paused for a moment. The shelf then swung into the air, striking the demon across the face with a force that knocked the head clean from its body. Another gesture from Sethan and it clattered to the floor along with the heap of the construct’s flesh and bones.
Sethan stooped to gather the skull that had rolled to his feet, while the other two gaped at him and the, once again, lifeless piece of wood. He turned the thing slowly over in his hand, eying the silk that trailed behind it. “Yes, interesting indeed,” he said with a smirk as he deposited the skull in Kinu’s hands.
Kinu stood sputtering as Sethan turned and opened the door and Kairn hurried to follow him out of the room. The door banged shut and he hurled the skull into the mess that now covered the floor.
Rating : PG
Timeframe : mid 1250's
Word Count : 639
Word of the Day : adulterate - to add an inferior, impure, or improper substance to something
Kinu folded his arms and waited as the two shuffled into the tiny chamber, Kairn wrinkling his nose at the smell of decay trapped there by the lack of windows, Sethan looking bored as he ever did. Kinu grinned to himself as he pulled the door shut behind him. Sethan would not be bored for long.
Kairn spoke first, words muffled by the hand poised over his nose. “I thought you had more skill than that,” he said, eyes on the construct splayed on the floor. “You’ve got the whole thing tied up with scarves.”
Kinu’s eyes narrowed. Half a dozen snide remarks about the last time he’d seen Kairn animate anything died before they reached his tongue, none of them worth wasting breath on. Kairn knew well enough that his only worth was as Sethan’s shadow.
“Some of these aren’t even connecting anything,” he continued, stooping to tug on a band of red that dangled from the construct’s neck. “It looks like you’ve botched a perfectly good-”
“Hold off,” said Kinu, swatting his hand away. Kairn shrugged and joined Sethan, who was slouched against the wall, looking as if he just might fall asleep in place. “They’re not there to hold it together. They’re- Well, you’ll see soon enough.”
He laid his hands over the chalk marks on the floor, with a grin as he glanced at the now yawning Sethan and a very curious Kairn from the corner of his eye. The lines flared and the creature stirred. Kinu hurried to his feet and out of the way as the construct rose from the floor.
The demon stood on shaky legs, the scarves dangling from its neck and shoulders like a rainbow-colored mane. “I still don’t see,” said Kairn. Sethan shushed him with a hand laid gently on his arm.
The construct shook its head and the scarves rose in the air, twisting and writhing with a life of their own. Kairn floundered for breath and even Sethan raised a brow. Kinu beamed at the mass of twisting and darting strips of cloth that danced like snakes around the beast’s head.
“Well?” he said.
Kairn stuttered something unintelligible. “Impressive,” said Sethan, the corner of his mouth turning slightly.
Kinu sniffed. “Of course it is,” he said.
“Didn’t know you had it in you.” Kinu folded his arms again, the other man’s dry tone grating on him. “I suppose this will make things more interesting.” He flicked a hand and Kinu followed the gesture to a shelf high on the wall.
The wood tore itself from its brackets, sloughing its contents onto the floor with a thud and a smash. Kinu’s jaw dropped, and whatever Kairn thought to say escaped him in a strangled squeek. The shelf slid down the wall and crossed the room, bending and wobbling from side to side in an awkward approximation of walking.
It righted itself on one end before the demon, who regarded the thing with empty eyes, paused for a moment. The shelf then swung into the air, striking the demon across the face with a force that knocked the head clean from its body. Another gesture from Sethan and it clattered to the floor along with the heap of the construct’s flesh and bones.
Sethan stooped to gather the skull that had rolled to his feet, while the other two gaped at him and the, once again, lifeless piece of wood. He turned the thing slowly over in his hand, eying the silk that trailed behind it. “Yes, interesting indeed,” he said with a smirk as he deposited the skull in Kinu’s hands.
Kinu stood sputtering as Sethan turned and opened the door and Kairn hurried to follow him out of the room. The door banged shut and he hurled the skull into the mess that now covered the floor.