Writing Disbelief
- Thread starter Zyflair
- Start date
The reason is simple, CMP. It's because I haven't wrote one since my return until now. ^_^"
As flattered as I am, I lack the flexibility to write any differently than this, no matter how hard I try. Then again, there's nothing wrong about having a straightforward storyline that notoriously slowly describes itself along the way. If there's one thing I learned, don't make the introduction sound like an introduction, and that's the best piece of advice I'll likely ever give in my lifetime concerning writing. But yes, describing while not hindering the flow is something I can do. |3
Thanks for reading!
As flattered as I am, I lack the flexibility to write any differently than this, no matter how hard I try. Then again, there's nothing wrong about having a straightforward storyline that notoriously slowly describes itself along the way. If there's one thing I learned, don't make the introduction sound like an introduction, and that's the best piece of advice I'll likely ever give in my lifetime concerning writing. But yes, describing while not hindering the flow is something I can do. |3
Thanks for reading!
First of all, I hope you're all having a great Christmas Eve!
Second, though I have told some, I want to officially make it clear: Disbelief is updated weekly on Sundays. So Chapter One is going to be posted tomorrow, Chapter Two will be posted on the following Sunday, and so on.
12/25 EDIT:
Merry Christmas! Chapter One has been posted. Unfortunately, it's a bit (to me) slow. I might as well have called it Prologue Part Two since it's still busy setting up the background. No matter. The action will pick up at Chapter Two, so it won't be too long a wait. ^^"
Second, though I have told some, I want to officially make it clear: Disbelief is updated weekly on Sundays. So Chapter One is going to be posted tomorrow, Chapter Two will be posted on the following Sunday, and so on.
12/25 EDIT:
Merry Christmas! Chapter One has been posted. Unfortunately, it's a bit (to me) slow. I might as well have called it Prologue Part Two since it's still busy setting up the background. No matter. The action will pick up at Chapter Two, so it won't be too long a wait. ^^"
Chapter One
"You fool. I expected more of you," Garwin snapped at the Houndour lying on the ground, moaning in pain. "Charging down at me like a mad Bouffalant just because you thought I have bad eyesight. Foolish."
Collyn, being in physical agony, had no desire to respond. Everything from the beginning lead up to this shameful moment. Collyn was never surer of it than now. Garwin intentionally ignored him when he went into the house. The Mienshao asked questions as if he was almost blind, searched through the drawers for a long time as if he could only find the armor by touching it. All to deceive him at the moment of battle, and it worked flawlessly against him.
Being called a "fool" was humiliatingly deserving of how stupid he acted. If this was a real match, he would have died without even laying a scratch on his enemy. Every single doubt on his assigned Accum relocated, some of it just disappearing, some of it placed on himself. He was tricked, and quite honestly, it was not even that subtle of a trick. Knowing how to fight did not mean you can win them. He was already aware of that, but clearly not aware enough. Stupid. Stupid. He was the blind one, not Garwin.
"How long are you going to rest on the floor?" Garwin continued, his old voice significantly sharper than before. It was a harsh lesson for the Houndour, but it was the fastest way for him to learn. Unfortunately for the teenage pup, it wouldn't be the only lesson for today. "It's been at least half a minute. Get up."
Groaning, Collyn struggled to rise on his hind two. Garwin had made sure that the fall was to be damaging. By forcing Collyn to spin in the air, the Mienshao assured Collyn's inability to control his landing onto the ground. Lessons of how to properly fall by teching a roll was useless at that point. They were almost back at square one, technically in different places but at opposite ends of each other once more.
Sword gripped in paw, he tried to stabilize his position and ignore the lingering pain.
The problem is that he had no idea how to close in on Garwin now. Simply charging ahead proved to be a disaster... unless he tried it when he was close enough. Collyn was not sure just how far those fur whips could reach, but he did know that his ankle was snagged within two yards of Garwin. If he were to go for a safe estimate, he'd guess that Garwin had no more than a three-yard reach around him. Collyn could probably clear that distance in under a second, but Garwin could most likely still react by then.
Then there's the other case of Garwin deciding to attack. The Houndour was able to rush forward exceptionally well, but going backwards was a different story. If it came to that, it would mean Collyn would be forced to charge headlong in as well. Taking that into account, it would be better for Garwin to attack first; if they both moved towards each other, then the distance between the two would shorten even more quickly. Collyn moved forward towards Garwin much more cautiously, constantly keeping track of the distance between them. Garwin grinned, moving in response. The two circled around the yard, looking for some sort of time to strike.
At last, Garwin quickly stepped forward towards Collyn, readying his arm to strike. Realizing that this was his opportunity, Collyn gripped his sword tightly, dashing at Garwin once again. To his surprise, Garwin turned ninety degrees and swiftly took a step back so that he would be out of the Houndour's reach... while letting Collyn end up right in front of him, in his striking zone. Showing no mercy, he cracked his fur whip onto Collyn's left ear, sending him into the ground once more.
"Don't bother trying to get back up," Garwin said, looking down at the suffering teenager. Even if Collyn were to overcome the pain, the immense dizziness that accompanied it made him nauseous enough to almost throw up. He had known that strikes to the ears disorientate the enemy as they were the organ responsible for balance, but he had never experienced it firsthand until now. He wanted to rise to his hind paws, but he could barely distinguish which direction was towards the ground. Nevertheless, he straightened out his back before stumbling several steps back, about to fall back down.
However, Garwin lashed out his fur whip, catching Collyn's wrist. Though not expecting any help, the Houndour instinctively grabbed onto the fur with his other paw. Slowly, his ear recovered, and he was able to remain standing by himself. With that, Garwin concluded the spar as over.
~~~
"Garwin?"
"Yes, Collyn?" The two were back inside the blacksmith's house. The fire dog was sitting in a wooden antique: an armchair (the only chair in the room) fashioned of oak, cracks and thin layers of dust evident all over it. He observed Garwin stuffing supplies in some sort of bizarre layout, such as arbitrarily placing bandages on top a case of a shard flint and then shoving it all in.
"I'm sorry for underestimating you..." he muttered, becoming almost inaudible. Fortunately, Garwin's hearing was perfectly fine and capable of picking up the embarrassed Houndour's apology. He chuckled.
"Despite my lashings earlier, Collyn, I must admit that you're the best of the young'un I've been an Accum for." The unexpected compliment got Collyn's head to rise, no longer looking at Garwin's packing hands, but at his face. The ermine did not notice the reaction, still staring down to supervise his own packing.
"You're perceptive and calculating. No other young'un really thought about how poor my sight was, let alone attempt to use it against me." The implications of that statement stunned Collyn.
"J-just a moment, sir!"
"Garwin."
"Garwin, you... you're really..."
"You're asking me if I was faking poor vision? If only that were the case," he sighed, now filling the side pockets of the hemp backpack.
"So this house is so dark because it doesn't make a difference to you?" the Houndour asked, still incredulous that he wasn't tricked by Garwin at all. Rather, he tricked himself into thinking he was going to have an easy win.
"Aye. But when you arrived, I simply wanted to get some sort of picture of you, so I opened the window anyway."
"B-but...."
"Yes, Collyn?"
"I don't understand. You didn't even notice the sword I was carrying."
"Aye."
"Then how could you use those fur whips so well? If you can't see a sword, then how could you grab me right at the ankle?" Garwin smiled, getting a leather strap for some reason.
"You're also the most curious out of the bunch, Collyn. Well, since I can't depend on my sight, I have to use my hearing and feeling."
"Feeling?"
"Depending on the ground, every movement would send minute vibrations. It's not easy to pick up, but I've learned how to gauge distance instantly with each step." Using the clip on a leather canteen, Garwin attached the leather strap to it as he spoke. "So when you got close enough, I only had to aim for the spot you stepped on."
"You're lying," Collyn brazenly replied. The accusation earned the Houndour Garwin's laughter. Oh, how amusing this young'un was!
"Now, what in Rogu got you that idea?"
"You grabbed my ankle the instant my foot touched the ground, so I couldn't do anything to avoid it. But that means you had to use the whip before I touched the ground at all. You couldn't have determined the area I stepped on by feeling it."
"Right again!" Garwin laughed, his hands holding his chest as if he was making sure his lungs wouldn't explode from his laughing. "I guessed."
"... excuse me, sir?"
"It's Garwin. Make that a habit already. To say I 'guessed' is inaccurate. You had already taken quite a few steps when you were running at me, so I knew how large your steps were. Since you were going quite well into my range, even if I was off by some inches, I would have got a clean grab on you."
"I could have slowed down or even stopped to avoid you!" Collyn protested, baffled and frustrated.
"You weren't going to."
"What?"
"If you were going to slow down, I would have noticed it in the last few steps. They would have hit the ground more softly because you wouldn't be pushing yourself forward as much. On the other hand, if you were stopping your dash, you would have jammed your foot forward and made erratic steps forward. You did neither, so I knew you were still dashing forward."
Collyn's face paled greatly, his mind reeling in incomprehensible stupor. What complexity Garwin's awareness demanded! To be able to read so much in short time... how much training did this blacksmith have? Just exactly how vast was the difference in experience between the two? Even more...
"Garwin?"
"You..." Collyn bit his tongue (painfully. It probably drew a bit of blood too), trying to word the question as well as he could. "Why did you become a blacksmith?"
"Hm? Because I like being one." Garwin looked up at Collyn, putting on the backpack. "Why did you ask that?"
"What about fighting?" he asked back, staring at Garwin in the eyes seriously. "Do you care for it?"
"Not as much as blacksmithing."
"Aren't you better at fighting?"
"Does it matter which one I'm better at?"
"Of course it does!" Collyn cried out, frustrated. "Doesn't it matter for your success, Garwin?!"
Garwin stared at the exasperated Houndour for a few moments in silence. He then turned away as he slung the canteen around his shoulder. Sighing, he closed any open drawer as he gave Collyn the following answer: "I wish for your sake that someday soon, you learn of things more valuable to your life than success."
Collyn frowned harshly at the unsatisfactory answer, but he knew better than to press on that. Garwin definitely did not seem like he would say anything more about the topic. Still, not having his questions answered troubled him greatly. How is success not the most valuable thing in life? He didn't doubt that Garwin believed in something else, but why wouldn't he just tell Collyn what it was?
"... alright, Garwin."
"Good. You're not getting tired for having that armor on you the entire time, are you?"
"No."
"Good," Garwin repeated. walking across the filthy floor to the door. He grabbed the handle as Collyn got off of the chair, moving over to his Accum. Neither of them wanted to - nor did they - speak of anything that was necessary, due to the tension caused by their latest conversation. The door was opened, letting the view to the town of Yokkon come into sight.
~~~
Garwin shielded his eyes from the sunlight as he looked down. The uneven dirt path from the door to his house shortly wound downhill till it met the shabby wooden bridge arched over the river separating them from the rest of the town.
Standing on the unattended field of weeds in front of the brick shack, Collyn surveyed the land below, trying to locate his father on the streets. He didn't expect such a busy person as Father to stick around though. They already bid each other farewell, so he would have headed south as soon as they parted. No, he was searching for his father in an attempt to free himself of those questions boiling in his head.
What does enjoyment have to do with selecting an occupation? He can't understand it at all. Why did it bother him? Why was the lack of the answer nagging at him painfully?
"Where are we going first?" Collyn asked Garwin, breaking the silence in an attempt to distract himself from the troubling thoughts. The Mienshao looked up a bit, naturally grabbing his chin as he thought. His fur whip draped down in front of his body.
"Hm... the starting place... would be the tavern." Collyn simply nodded to the decision. The bartenders had always been a well-known source of information. Townsfolk and merchants alike visit the cheerful areas to speak and discuss of any news. If the town was large enough (and Yokkon was not exactly a small settlement), musicians were also normally present there as well to spice up the atmosphere. Since there were no objections, the two went down the path, off the hill, and into the main part of town.
As they neared the buildings, the dirt path was abruptly replaced by a stone path that would travel through all of the lanes within Yokkon to the other edges. Masons spend much of their effort keeping these roads in top condition. Transportation of goods by carriage was staple to the commerce of this town on the border of Rogu. The main road cutting across the center spanned out a good six yards to be able to hold high volume traffic, especially during some nights.
Most of the buildings were mostly constructed out of wood for mainly aesthetics, but there would be almost no difference if they had used stone instead. Foreign travelers would often note of the durability of Rogu trees. The bark of these trees has a hardness that could resist even a Pinsir's horns. In addition to the fact that the bark is waterproof, the walls could last for decades as long as the inner wood didsn't crack severely.
Once the wood walls were in place for the house, a few weeks would be spent to coat them with tung oil, from the tung tree native to Rogu. The oil would be applied to the wall then thinned out by sanding to dry for two to three days. Such a process would be repeated up to even seven times until the wall had a golden satin finish. The oil coating also effectively kept moss and mold alike from growing on the walls, leaving the walls an appearance to last for quite some time.
"Focus, Collyn," Garwin chuckled. The Houndour took his eyes off of the walls, nodding silently. They had already reached the tavern, somewhat lacking of crowds. Only a few tables were fully occupied. Two men were seated up at the counter: a hooded Persian silently drinking, and a Sandslash chatting with the bartender, a Pidgeot, drying his wings.
"But when you think about it, the fact that Kahan's at least- Garwin! Good morning!" The Pidgeot waved at the two customers entering the tavern.
"Morning," Garwin greeted back, grinning from good mood he was in. "The usual please."
"Certainly! Now, where was I- ah yes." The avian bartender turned around to the shelves of alcoholic beverages. "Making Kahan get more open with others was a wise choice on the king's part."
"Of course!" the Sandslash replied, his claws gripping the glass handle of the mug tightly. "Even that conceited fox Dasan knows that all he owns now is nothing but a big pile of sand."
"Then why was he intent on getting the throne?" the bartender shot back.
"He wasn't. He was just a sorcerer assigned on some assassination job to kill off the royal family. But he seemed to let one of them live. Some sort of sorceress, I think. She got revenge on whoever ordered the assassination."
"Sorceress?" Collyn asked the Sandslash, curious.
"Never heard of them? They're users of sorcery, which I guess could be considered their own version of magic."
"What's different about it?"
"Only that it's a barbaric system of capturing the souls of the dead as the energy source to fuel spells," the Sandslash scoffed, downing the rest of the beer in his mug. Collyn looked down at the table, something Garwin took note of. However, he looked elsewhere soon as a glass bottle of wine was placed in front of him. He smiled, taking it and storing it into the almost-filled pack of his as he thanked the bartender. That quickly got Collyn's attention, looking over at the bottle of wine with wide eyes. He's getting the whole bottle? Just how much was Garwin planning to drink?
"Here's the coins," Garwin said, placing a few circular pieces of copper on the table. While the bartender took them, the blacksmith went ahead to ask some questions as the financial transaction took place. "How's the road?" was first to start with.
"Not bad, actually," the Sandslash replied. "Fall's almost over so there's not another festival to come for a few days. And, of course, that means no company for bandits and highwaymen to rob from. You're one of the Accums right?"
"I am."
"Never really understood the strange rituals around here. Traveling over to that temple from Yokkon takes what, three days?" The Sandslash pushed the mug near the bartender, who started getting it a refill.
"Normally four on foot."
"Hm... Hey, what's your name, kid?"
"Collyn," he stammered, wishing he didn't go look at the Sandslash, staring at him so intently. Most people around here knew better than to give such an impolite glare, but this traveler was obscenely gruff.
"Collyn," the Sandslash repeated, looking away as he tried to hold onto the name a bit longer to let it sink into memory. "The journey won't last a week, but try to make it as long as you can."
"I... will, sir," Collyn replied, not sure on what the Sandslash meant by that at all.
"On the road to become a Rogu knight..." the Sandslash continued. "They called those rituals 'accolades' in the ancient days. In addition to the training, they would have sort of challenges to complete in order to reach knighthood."
"Why is that?"
"Just to prove that they're worthy. It sometimes costs a few lives, but that just shows they weren't ready." Collyn remained silent from that point, unable to find some sort of appropriate response to that. Garwin bailed him out by telling him it was time to go, saying farewell to the bartender and the nameless Sandslash before going out of the tavern.
"Take care!" the bartender said, handing back the refilled mug to the Sandslash. Not long after Garwin and Collyn had left did the Persian get up, throwing some coins to the counter before taking his leave. "So, Minatzu," the bartender spoke up to the Sandslash, wiping the counter again. "What do you think about him?"
"His heart's been closed," Minatzu sighed, trying the beer a few sips first. "Makes me wonder how he became like that in such a cheerful land. No matter, he is young, and he will learn."
"Aye. But he is talented, no?"
"Gifted, perhaps, but he does not possess talent. That strict mind of him will keep him from unlocking any potential he has. Well, I'll just see how he fares from this point on." The Sandslash mischievously grinned. "Hopefully, that young'un will be promising enough to stay alive to the end of the trip. Here the coins." The clatter of silver coins falling upon the counter did not end until he had already reached the exit of the tavern. By the time the bartender looked outside, Minatzu was nowhere in sight.
"You fool. I expected more of you," Garwin snapped at the Houndour lying on the ground, moaning in pain. "Charging down at me like a mad Bouffalant just because you thought I have bad eyesight. Foolish."
Collyn, being in physical agony, had no desire to respond. Everything from the beginning lead up to this shameful moment. Collyn was never surer of it than now. Garwin intentionally ignored him when he went into the house. The Mienshao asked questions as if he was almost blind, searched through the drawers for a long time as if he could only find the armor by touching it. All to deceive him at the moment of battle, and it worked flawlessly against him.
Being called a "fool" was humiliatingly deserving of how stupid he acted. If this was a real match, he would have died without even laying a scratch on his enemy. Every single doubt on his assigned Accum relocated, some of it just disappearing, some of it placed on himself. He was tricked, and quite honestly, it was not even that subtle of a trick. Knowing how to fight did not mean you can win them. He was already aware of that, but clearly not aware enough. Stupid. Stupid. He was the blind one, not Garwin.
"How long are you going to rest on the floor?" Garwin continued, his old voice significantly sharper than before. It was a harsh lesson for the Houndour, but it was the fastest way for him to learn. Unfortunately for the teenage pup, it wouldn't be the only lesson for today. "It's been at least half a minute. Get up."
Groaning, Collyn struggled to rise on his hind two. Garwin had made sure that the fall was to be damaging. By forcing Collyn to spin in the air, the Mienshao assured Collyn's inability to control his landing onto the ground. Lessons of how to properly fall by teching a roll was useless at that point. They were almost back at square one, technically in different places but at opposite ends of each other once more.
Sword gripped in paw, he tried to stabilize his position and ignore the lingering pain.
The problem is that he had no idea how to close in on Garwin now. Simply charging ahead proved to be a disaster... unless he tried it when he was close enough. Collyn was not sure just how far those fur whips could reach, but he did know that his ankle was snagged within two yards of Garwin. If he were to go for a safe estimate, he'd guess that Garwin had no more than a three-yard reach around him. Collyn could probably clear that distance in under a second, but Garwin could most likely still react by then.
Then there's the other case of Garwin deciding to attack. The Houndour was able to rush forward exceptionally well, but going backwards was a different story. If it came to that, it would mean Collyn would be forced to charge headlong in as well. Taking that into account, it would be better for Garwin to attack first; if they both moved towards each other, then the distance between the two would shorten even more quickly. Collyn moved forward towards Garwin much more cautiously, constantly keeping track of the distance between them. Garwin grinned, moving in response. The two circled around the yard, looking for some sort of time to strike.
At last, Garwin quickly stepped forward towards Collyn, readying his arm to strike. Realizing that this was his opportunity, Collyn gripped his sword tightly, dashing at Garwin once again. To his surprise, Garwin turned ninety degrees and swiftly took a step back so that he would be out of the Houndour's reach... while letting Collyn end up right in front of him, in his striking zone. Showing no mercy, he cracked his fur whip onto Collyn's left ear, sending him into the ground once more.
"Don't bother trying to get back up," Garwin said, looking down at the suffering teenager. Even if Collyn were to overcome the pain, the immense dizziness that accompanied it made him nauseous enough to almost throw up. He had known that strikes to the ears disorientate the enemy as they were the organ responsible for balance, but he had never experienced it firsthand until now. He wanted to rise to his hind paws, but he could barely distinguish which direction was towards the ground. Nevertheless, he straightened out his back before stumbling several steps back, about to fall back down.
However, Garwin lashed out his fur whip, catching Collyn's wrist. Though not expecting any help, the Houndour instinctively grabbed onto the fur with his other paw. Slowly, his ear recovered, and he was able to remain standing by himself. With that, Garwin concluded the spar as over.
~~~
"Garwin?"
"Yes, Collyn?" The two were back inside the blacksmith's house. The fire dog was sitting in a wooden antique: an armchair (the only chair in the room) fashioned of oak, cracks and thin layers of dust evident all over it. He observed Garwin stuffing supplies in some sort of bizarre layout, such as arbitrarily placing bandages on top a case of a shard flint and then shoving it all in.
"I'm sorry for underestimating you..." he muttered, becoming almost inaudible. Fortunately, Garwin's hearing was perfectly fine and capable of picking up the embarrassed Houndour's apology. He chuckled.
"Despite my lashings earlier, Collyn, I must admit that you're the best of the young'un I've been an Accum for." The unexpected compliment got Collyn's head to rise, no longer looking at Garwin's packing hands, but at his face. The ermine did not notice the reaction, still staring down to supervise his own packing.
"You're perceptive and calculating. No other young'un really thought about how poor my sight was, let alone attempt to use it against me." The implications of that statement stunned Collyn.
"J-just a moment, sir!"
"Garwin."
"Garwin, you... you're really..."
"You're asking me if I was faking poor vision? If only that were the case," he sighed, now filling the side pockets of the hemp backpack.
"So this house is so dark because it doesn't make a difference to you?" the Houndour asked, still incredulous that he wasn't tricked by Garwin at all. Rather, he tricked himself into thinking he was going to have an easy win.
"Aye. But when you arrived, I simply wanted to get some sort of picture of you, so I opened the window anyway."
"B-but...."
"Yes, Collyn?"
"I don't understand. You didn't even notice the sword I was carrying."
"Aye."
"Then how could you use those fur whips so well? If you can't see a sword, then how could you grab me right at the ankle?" Garwin smiled, getting a leather strap for some reason.
"You're also the most curious out of the bunch, Collyn. Well, since I can't depend on my sight, I have to use my hearing and feeling."
"Feeling?"
"Depending on the ground, every movement would send minute vibrations. It's not easy to pick up, but I've learned how to gauge distance instantly with each step." Using the clip on a leather canteen, Garwin attached the leather strap to it as he spoke. "So when you got close enough, I only had to aim for the spot you stepped on."
"You're lying," Collyn brazenly replied. The accusation earned the Houndour Garwin's laughter. Oh, how amusing this young'un was!
"Now, what in Rogu got you that idea?"
"You grabbed my ankle the instant my foot touched the ground, so I couldn't do anything to avoid it. But that means you had to use the whip before I touched the ground at all. You couldn't have determined the area I stepped on by feeling it."
"Right again!" Garwin laughed, his hands holding his chest as if he was making sure his lungs wouldn't explode from his laughing. "I guessed."
"... excuse me, sir?"
"It's Garwin. Make that a habit already. To say I 'guessed' is inaccurate. You had already taken quite a few steps when you were running at me, so I knew how large your steps were. Since you were going quite well into my range, even if I was off by some inches, I would have got a clean grab on you."
"I could have slowed down or even stopped to avoid you!" Collyn protested, baffled and frustrated.
"You weren't going to."
"What?"
"If you were going to slow down, I would have noticed it in the last few steps. They would have hit the ground more softly because you wouldn't be pushing yourself forward as much. On the other hand, if you were stopping your dash, you would have jammed your foot forward and made erratic steps forward. You did neither, so I knew you were still dashing forward."
Collyn's face paled greatly, his mind reeling in incomprehensible stupor. What complexity Garwin's awareness demanded! To be able to read so much in short time... how much training did this blacksmith have? Just exactly how vast was the difference in experience between the two? Even more...
"Garwin?"
"You..." Collyn bit his tongue (painfully. It probably drew a bit of blood too), trying to word the question as well as he could. "Why did you become a blacksmith?"
"Hm? Because I like being one." Garwin looked up at Collyn, putting on the backpack. "Why did you ask that?"
"What about fighting?" he asked back, staring at Garwin in the eyes seriously. "Do you care for it?"
"Not as much as blacksmithing."
"Aren't you better at fighting?"
"Does it matter which one I'm better at?"
"Of course it does!" Collyn cried out, frustrated. "Doesn't it matter for your success, Garwin?!"
Garwin stared at the exasperated Houndour for a few moments in silence. He then turned away as he slung the canteen around his shoulder. Sighing, he closed any open drawer as he gave Collyn the following answer: "I wish for your sake that someday soon, you learn of things more valuable to your life than success."
Collyn frowned harshly at the unsatisfactory answer, but he knew better than to press on that. Garwin definitely did not seem like he would say anything more about the topic. Still, not having his questions answered troubled him greatly. How is success not the most valuable thing in life? He didn't doubt that Garwin believed in something else, but why wouldn't he just tell Collyn what it was?
"... alright, Garwin."
"Good. You're not getting tired for having that armor on you the entire time, are you?"
"No."
"Good," Garwin repeated. walking across the filthy floor to the door. He grabbed the handle as Collyn got off of the chair, moving over to his Accum. Neither of them wanted to - nor did they - speak of anything that was necessary, due to the tension caused by their latest conversation. The door was opened, letting the view to the town of Yokkon come into sight.
~~~
Garwin shielded his eyes from the sunlight as he looked down. The uneven dirt path from the door to his house shortly wound downhill till it met the shabby wooden bridge arched over the river separating them from the rest of the town.
Standing on the unattended field of weeds in front of the brick shack, Collyn surveyed the land below, trying to locate his father on the streets. He didn't expect such a busy person as Father to stick around though. They already bid each other farewell, so he would have headed south as soon as they parted. No, he was searching for his father in an attempt to free himself of those questions boiling in his head.
What does enjoyment have to do with selecting an occupation? He can't understand it at all. Why did it bother him? Why was the lack of the answer nagging at him painfully?
"Where are we going first?" Collyn asked Garwin, breaking the silence in an attempt to distract himself from the troubling thoughts. The Mienshao looked up a bit, naturally grabbing his chin as he thought. His fur whip draped down in front of his body.
"Hm... the starting place... would be the tavern." Collyn simply nodded to the decision. The bartenders had always been a well-known source of information. Townsfolk and merchants alike visit the cheerful areas to speak and discuss of any news. If the town was large enough (and Yokkon was not exactly a small settlement), musicians were also normally present there as well to spice up the atmosphere. Since there were no objections, the two went down the path, off the hill, and into the main part of town.
As they neared the buildings, the dirt path was abruptly replaced by a stone path that would travel through all of the lanes within Yokkon to the other edges. Masons spend much of their effort keeping these roads in top condition. Transportation of goods by carriage was staple to the commerce of this town on the border of Rogu. The main road cutting across the center spanned out a good six yards to be able to hold high volume traffic, especially during some nights.
Most of the buildings were mostly constructed out of wood for mainly aesthetics, but there would be almost no difference if they had used stone instead. Foreign travelers would often note of the durability of Rogu trees. The bark of these trees has a hardness that could resist even a Pinsir's horns. In addition to the fact that the bark is waterproof, the walls could last for decades as long as the inner wood didsn't crack severely.
Once the wood walls were in place for the house, a few weeks would be spent to coat them with tung oil, from the tung tree native to Rogu. The oil would be applied to the wall then thinned out by sanding to dry for two to three days. Such a process would be repeated up to even seven times until the wall had a golden satin finish. The oil coating also effectively kept moss and mold alike from growing on the walls, leaving the walls an appearance to last for quite some time.
"Focus, Collyn," Garwin chuckled. The Houndour took his eyes off of the walls, nodding silently. They had already reached the tavern, somewhat lacking of crowds. Only a few tables were fully occupied. Two men were seated up at the counter: a hooded Persian silently drinking, and a Sandslash chatting with the bartender, a Pidgeot, drying his wings.
"But when you think about it, the fact that Kahan's at least- Garwin! Good morning!" The Pidgeot waved at the two customers entering the tavern.
"Morning," Garwin greeted back, grinning from good mood he was in. "The usual please."
"Certainly! Now, where was I- ah yes." The avian bartender turned around to the shelves of alcoholic beverages. "Making Kahan get more open with others was a wise choice on the king's part."
"Of course!" the Sandslash replied, his claws gripping the glass handle of the mug tightly. "Even that conceited fox Dasan knows that all he owns now is nothing but a big pile of sand."
"Then why was he intent on getting the throne?" the bartender shot back.
"He wasn't. He was just a sorcerer assigned on some assassination job to kill off the royal family. But he seemed to let one of them live. Some sort of sorceress, I think. She got revenge on whoever ordered the assassination."
"Sorceress?" Collyn asked the Sandslash, curious.
"Never heard of them? They're users of sorcery, which I guess could be considered their own version of magic."
"What's different about it?"
"Only that it's a barbaric system of capturing the souls of the dead as the energy source to fuel spells," the Sandslash scoffed, downing the rest of the beer in his mug. Collyn looked down at the table, something Garwin took note of. However, he looked elsewhere soon as a glass bottle of wine was placed in front of him. He smiled, taking it and storing it into the almost-filled pack of his as he thanked the bartender. That quickly got Collyn's attention, looking over at the bottle of wine with wide eyes. He's getting the whole bottle? Just how much was Garwin planning to drink?
"Here's the coins," Garwin said, placing a few circular pieces of copper on the table. While the bartender took them, the blacksmith went ahead to ask some questions as the financial transaction took place. "How's the road?" was first to start with.
"Not bad, actually," the Sandslash replied. "Fall's almost over so there's not another festival to come for a few days. And, of course, that means no company for bandits and highwaymen to rob from. You're one of the Accums right?"
"I am."
"Never really understood the strange rituals around here. Traveling over to that temple from Yokkon takes what, three days?" The Sandslash pushed the mug near the bartender, who started getting it a refill.
"Normally four on foot."
"Hm... Hey, what's your name, kid?"
"Collyn," he stammered, wishing he didn't go look at the Sandslash, staring at him so intently. Most people around here knew better than to give such an impolite glare, but this traveler was obscenely gruff.
"Collyn," the Sandslash repeated, looking away as he tried to hold onto the name a bit longer to let it sink into memory. "The journey won't last a week, but try to make it as long as you can."
"I... will, sir," Collyn replied, not sure on what the Sandslash meant by that at all.
"On the road to become a Rogu knight..." the Sandslash continued. "They called those rituals 'accolades' in the ancient days. In addition to the training, they would have sort of challenges to complete in order to reach knighthood."
"Why is that?"
"Just to prove that they're worthy. It sometimes costs a few lives, but that just shows they weren't ready." Collyn remained silent from that point, unable to find some sort of appropriate response to that. Garwin bailed him out by telling him it was time to go, saying farewell to the bartender and the nameless Sandslash before going out of the tavern.
"Take care!" the bartender said, handing back the refilled mug to the Sandslash. Not long after Garwin and Collyn had left did the Persian get up, throwing some coins to the counter before taking his leave. "So, Minatzu," the bartender spoke up to the Sandslash, wiping the counter again. "What do you think about him?"
"His heart's been closed," Minatzu sighed, trying the beer a few sips first. "Makes me wonder how he became like that in such a cheerful land. No matter, he is young, and he will learn."
"Aye. But he is talented, no?"
"Gifted, perhaps, but he does not possess talent. That strict mind of him will keep him from unlocking any potential he has. Well, I'll just see how he fares from this point on." The Sandslash mischievously grinned. "Hopefully, that young'un will be promising enough to stay alive to the end of the trip. Here the coins." The clatter of silver coins falling upon the counter did not end until he had already reached the exit of the tavern. By the time the bartender looked outside, Minatzu was nowhere in sight.
Waitwaitwait. Commander and Minatzu are in here...so everybody on PS is an anthro? I thought only that Shaymin waitress was an anthro DXZyflair said:
Small edit: in the early part of the explanation of Garwin's battle style against Collyn, Collyn 'protest'. Change to 'protested' please.
I wasn't able to finish the chapter, but I read enough to say that I like how it's written and where it's headed. Good job.
~AoH
I wasn't able to finish the chapter, but I read enough to say that I like how it's written and where it's headed. Good job.
~AoH
Awesomely amazing as always, Zy. I look forward to reading more. Also I like how you distinguished the difference between magic and sorcery, something that I do myself.
I do quite like Garwin, though for some reason Collyn is bugging me haha.
I do quite like Garwin, though for some reason Collyn is bugging me haha.
I think I spotted at least 7 mistakes while reading this. Let's see...
doesn't crack -> didn't crack
Also, Sandslash have wings? Since when?
~~~
Eight. Not seven. Go figure.
I also noticed an interesting throwback or two to your past fanfic - the Accounts. Dasan and the sorcery system is mentioned. Does that mean you plan to tie the two stories together? Is this a sequel to the one before? Or do they just take place in the same universe?
Those were all the meaningful observations I have at this time. Now I have to go read something else more important...the Driver's Handbook >_<
Comma -> semicolon
"Young'un" should be one word, as you repeat it as such later.
Is this just educated guessing in regards to real-world logic, or do you actually know this? Just curious.
South -> south
has -> had, or have
Pinser's -> Pinsir's
doesn't crack -> didn't crack
"Two men seated up at the counter" is not a phrase that meshes well with "only a few tables were fully occupied". I think it would need to be something like "...fully occupied. There were also two men seated up..." or something like that.
Also, Sandslash have wings? Since when?
~~~
Eight. Not seven. Go figure.
I also noticed an interesting throwback or two to your past fanfic - the Accounts. Dasan and the sorcery system is mentioned. Does that mean you plan to tie the two stories together? Is this a sequel to the one before? Or do they just take place in the same universe?
Those were all the meaningful observations I have at this time. Now I have to go read something else more important...the Driver's Handbook >_<
@Squirtli - No, you didn't tell me, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. =3
@DNA - Mistakes are now fixed, I believe. As for the throwback, I wanted to make two things clear about the fanfic for readers that have been with me before. One, this takes place after the Accounts (as made evident with Dasan at the throne). Two, just "in case" I had a foreigner in the story, if it was a sorcerer/sorceress, then it would seem really odd with no previous mention of such logic-defying abilities. Thus, I included it.
Also, concerning the weight of steps, this was based off of experiences in sports, particularly tennis. When moving up to reach a short ball, you would generally make shorter steps of less weight. When stopping/changing direction, you'd have to thrust your feet forward more heavily than normal to force a pause (by Newton's Third Law, I suppose).
Thanks for reading!
@DNA - Mistakes are now fixed, I believe. As for the throwback, I wanted to make two things clear about the fanfic for readers that have been with me before. One, this takes place after the Accounts (as made evident with Dasan at the throne). Two, just "in case" I had a foreigner in the story, if it was a sorcerer/sorceress, then it would seem really odd with no previous mention of such logic-defying abilities. Thus, I included it.
Also, concerning the weight of steps, this was based off of experiences in sports, particularly tennis. When moving up to reach a short ball, you would generally make shorter steps of less weight. When stopping/changing direction, you'd have to thrust your feet forward more heavily than normal to force a pause (by Newton's Third Law, I suppose).
Thanks for reading!
