One of the writer Discords I am in has started a daily image prompt this month. Today’s spoke to me and some of the characters my wife and I have plans for doing something with one day. I’ll post the image below, as well as the snippet that popped into my head.
“What are you looking at, orc?” Zarra poked at the fire. Mazul had gone silent somewhere in there, which was worrisome in its own right. What was the lug getting up to while she cooked dinner? After another few moments of hearing nothing but the crackle of the fire and the distant sounds of the City, she looked around the small campsite they had made in the giant park.
No, that wasn’t right. Zarra realized she heard nothing but the crackle of the fire. All of it was gone. From the blaring horns, the staccato beats of gunfire, and the unceasing chatter of the heartbeat of the City, silence had fallen.
“Mazzy?” She was on her feet already and had her sword out. “Where did you go?”
“Shhh,” she finally heard him say. “Come here.” His words came from the other side of the trees as she rolled her eyes.
“I swear if this is some trick, I’m going to drop a fireball right on your face.” Zarra followed the sound of his voice into the trees, back towards the edge of the park. She did not make it far, though, before she almost ran into him. “You make a fine tree,” she grunted and pushed past him. “What is it?”
“Do you see that?” His voice was still quiet, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Mazul pointed towards the tower.
“No, see what?”
“Look up, Zarra.” She almost bit at his hand as he tilted her chin up with a gentle touch of those calloused green fingers. She could smell their recent battle on him still, from scorched metal to the acrid scent of gun powder. She let him guide her gaze upwards, and she saw what he pointed at there in the sky.
“What are those?” The whisper left her lips, but she barely heard it. The eerie silence broke as quickly as it had descended as strangled keening rent through the sky. She saw the forms, undulating through the sky, bleeding with colors that she had never seen before and could not begin to name.
“I don’t have a clue, but I’m glad we’re out here.”
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