Friday 4 October 2013

War

This is the final war of man. There are more warriors than can be counted, more wounds than can ever be healed, more corpses than can ever be buried.

The world is wreathed in discord. Rage, anger, pain, strain, desperation and despair.

At the centre of it all, two kings clash, wielding mighty swords stolen from an abandoned heaven. Steel rings on steel. Sparks fly. With each blow a shockwave of fire roars outwards, incinerating ally and enemy alike.

The kings fight on, enthralled, as their armies burn.

The winter of man approaches. From the ashes, forgotten gods will rise.



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Another 100 words, loosely inspired by the themes 'phoenix' and 'Autumn', which I was trying to explore in a less than straight forward manner. (I know, right... me, less than straight forward? Shocking.)

For more drabbles on those themes - check out the September issue of 101 Fiction.

Themes for the December issue will be announced next week with submissions opening on 15th October.

13 comments:

  1. nice, love how vivid the story is despite its shortness, blessings!

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  2. Very powerful. Love how they're so oblivious of the destruction they're wreaking. Maybe revenge of those forgotten gods?

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    1. Thanks, Catherine. =)

      Those dastardly gods are playing the long game... Booby-trapped magical artefacts and the sacrifice of a whole race to power the resurrection of an ancient one...

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  3. This is how I feel every time I mow the lawn.

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    1. Ha! Watch out for those enchanted lawn mowers... they seem like a great idea at the time... ;)

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  4. It's an awesome drabble, but it also feels a bit like a back-of-book blurb, like there's more to come.

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    1. Thanks, Katherine. =) I know what you mean, it lacks that close up character detail.

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  5. Wow! As always, brilliant visual imagery.

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  6. Give me the rising of those forgotten gods! That would be such an epic scenery, John!

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    1. Thanks, Cindy. =)

      One day maybe, if not these gods then others. I love the idea of immense power, forgotten, biding its time, plotting. For good or ill...

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  7. "War" has just been published in Polish translation by The Literary Stroller:

    http://spacerowiczliteracki.blogspot.com/2014/01/john-xero-wojna.html

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