A day at the beach

[cryptomancer]

I slipped past the gate, lost in the music from the minidisc, screaming its lullaby into my mind. Today for my amusement the mixed variants of metal, jazz, pop, and a portion of techno, mainstream stuff, nothing to obscure, just the normal everyday listening of a young mind. The energetic finger tapped guitar of Eddie rang clear as ‘hot for teacher’ danced my eardrums across the wooded floor of thought. Escapism in music, again, well, I enjoy it, and that is what I want right now. By the time van Halen had given way to Duran Duran, (No no, notorious) 80’s synth moving my feet as much as I was, the paved sidewalk had given in to the tangled scrub, a headland loomed alongside my path and I jumped the seawall, landing on the shell strewn beach. Five k around the point before the tide traps me, time starts now. Moving with practiced easy over the rocks at the edge of the cliff face, I descended to the network of trails and hurdles that made this so much fun. Shirt off, my signature 501s and an unpolished pair of military boots, music and sea air, hell this was my paradise. Timing the song choice, I was good, thoughts and music combined, ‘…an acre of land, between salt water and the sea shore …’ I laughed at the stupidity of making true love jump hoops for you, good movie though, should watch it again.

 

The rocks gave way to the first of the empty coves, an shelter of beach in the cliff face, mine for now, nobody come here unless they liked the thought of being trapped for the turning tides duration. Sanctuary for a day, as far as it was known I was out, they stopped asking after I spent a day on the rock off Music Point, flat and sun drenched, good fishing, and after the lecture on telling them my ETA, I learned to be vague in all but the time of my arrival home. It was 9am; I said I would be home about 8. More than enough time to find myself trapped, alone on a deserted beach. But not this one, my target waited around the point, better move, before the water had me swimming the last half.

 

The beginnings of summer had the normal effect on the locals, two k up the point and the stairs cut into the cliff gave fishing access to the rock, to crowded now, every man and a few dogs too, a beach resort for the fishing inclined. I left the sunbathing girls at the foot of the stairs, the one in black, mmm nice, flirtatiousness calling me to take her with, music moving me away, today it was just me. I said hi, as I rounded their perch, and smiled my charisma at them, they would there again, I could flirt later.

 

East side, no wind, thanks to the prevailing westerly, I laughed at my nature, and took my dancing to the rocky terrain again, 1 k and I was there. Safety in my secluded rest, alone till the tide drew back from the cliffs again. I could train. My stash of collected items sat in the cave in the first turn of beach. Still there, untouched, I dug it out of the oilcloth coverings and after the third layer withdrew the katana from its home. The blade catching the light of summer and reflecting it into the deep brown of my eyes as I admired its live edge and bronzed guard, traditional black hilt, and sheath, strong enough to use in combat if needed. The other items I took time examining, leather bound notebook, hand made, and the pouch of coins, three gems (diamond, ruby, and a sapphire) and a single silver wand, engraved with the triple dual names of my life.

The last unit of solitude was measured in the chainmail, dropping to mid thigh as it settled onto my body, lined with polar fleece, worn as a tunic, one part modern materials, one part old school fighter. Modern alloy, strong and light, lined and warm, but breathable, it came to letting me sweat. The tide sealed me off from the city, now for the tricks of my training. Drawing the wand, I wrote the nine symbols of my dual names in the ether, letting them glow with the life of summoned thought, I whispered the request to the circle they formed and spinning together they gave the answer I wished for, passage. I was known, here I was known.

 

Into the portal I stepped, my passage marked by the falling of boots onto iridescent sand, reflecting the energy, melting to glass under the straining of power. Silver threads of the paths radiated from my doorway, my memory calling the mapped lines of my bedroom wall, the scribbled notes, and the quoted rumors. Three left, second fork, turn right at the crossing of the sixth line, enchant the rhyme, exit the void, new world awaits.

 

Walking this place was a matter of thought, following a path was just, knowing it well, travel was instant, think and you shall be there, hesitate and loose yourself. I stepped twice, and boots imprinted themselves in the soft grass of Serach, meadow of the Cathedral Cave, arena of the chosen. I walked to my third test, my tutor and the ancients watched my movement along the contoured ground, the crowds gathered, and waited, outworlders were a commodity, and the fights were worth the cramped conditions.

 

Acknowledgement given, I waited, the blade housed in its confines, awaiting my call, the diamond in my palm, ready to unleash the rune carved into its heart. “Third you shall be tested with the fire of desert storms.” Silence, “the challenge commences” the roar of the crowds fall deaf to my ears, as the twin opponents enter. Fire of desert, Dragon, very small, red hard fight for one, but manageable, the second, a red robed figure, staff, no blade, a cleric, interesting, test of magic, this will be hard.

 

Two step apart, fifty paces from me, no chance of surprise, sword remained in its home, dragon first. Training takes over, tutored skill and instinct intact as they chase the thoughts of failure from my heart, and strengthen the resolve of success. Walk, careful, steady, and then, hands clasp left over right, at my waist, no tricks today, just the approach of conflict. At twenty feet the breath comes, dive, roll, stand, cleric behind dragon and suddenly as I can, the only opponent in my path, shielding his colleague, bears the force of my attack, “ice for the fire, gem for the beast, heart of cold, on the flesh to feast.” The diamond flew true, and the enchantment broke past the walls of crystal, ice gripping the red scales of draconic hide, followed by the bite of blade as, drawing it true, single twist, and the cut opens on the neck, not deep enough, but a good start. Turn, thrust, ducking under the ripping claws, and the beat of wings, ice melting fast on the ground as more breath scorches its grip, charring skin as its lips kiss my flesh. Sapphire, into my mouth it slips, under my tongue, the cool healing of its spell, filling my body. Ruby left, not for today, this is a time for blades, and symbols.

 

Two handed grip, twisting the steel edge to the small circles of twin cuts, up then right, block the claws and then the neck again, deeper this time, next time, maybe, duck the twin strike from the wings and , in the instant dark of draconic embracing, thrust, turning to the right, and exit the blade downwards, death stroke. Too easy, that was not right. This dragon was very young, no training, only instinct, making my test the cleric.

 

Magic verses blade, never a good thing, I dislike the disadvantage it gives me. Ruby for this one, sapphire still has some potency, enough? We see, soon, we shall see.

 

Staff, slowly it raises, slowly the chant reaches my ears, then, six, damn, mirror, not good, six to hit me, only one I can kill, relax, and think, this is a test of the mind. The first two test the body, the third tests the mind, think. The calculations of range, the parry of strikes, counter, hitting air, again, but now only five, two to go then I strike, three rush

Two vanish in a curving arc of metal, under the swing of the staff, the fourth hits my legs. Grounded, flight aborted, ruby in my hand, soon, rolling to the left stopping at the feet of the last, the third and fourth closing in, block, frantic, I hate fighting from my back, pain shoots through the ribs in my right side, the sapphire cools the heat, the pain dulls, and in the aftermath of the strike, the ruby flairs. Flames engulf us all. The three images flail against the feeding energy, imitating the true opponent, two vanish the third left standing, drops to the ground, the charred flesh filling my lungs. The heat of my chain cutting into my skin, my denim scorched to the flesh of my legs, weeping burns across the extent of my frame. Sapphire seeps its cool healing into the damage, freeing my torment a little. The burns dull to an angry red, hair still gone and they wonder why I shave, stops the questions about how I lost all my hair in a day at the beach.

 

I collected my spare 501s from my tutor, he laughed at the self inflicted injury, and told me to travel safe. I got home late, they think I am silly to spend my day in the sun on the beach, without sunscreen, I agreed, that would be silly, that would be very silly.

[Wyvern]

This was an interesting read, cryptomancer. The stream of conscious sentence structure seems similar to a freewrite done in search of inspiration, and the transition from a realistic modern setting to medieval samurai combat halfway through the piece was an unexpected and intriguing developement. I like how the writing streamed from one detail to another.

 

There was one reference in the story that I didn't pick up on which you may want to clarify: the "k" used around the middle of the first paragraph and in the first sentence of the third paragraph. I generally followed the narrators impressions and the plotline, but the use of this letter left me a bit confused.

 

An interesting read, I look forward to more.

[cryptomancer]

The 'k' in context was meant as 'Five k', as in 5 km the distance traveled,

 

I was unsure how to Express the slang phrase, so I left it as a single letter. My thoughts on this were to use the numeral for the five. I think it may have made it clearer if I had.

 

Thanks.

 

[cryptomancer]

Ok, I used the numeral the other time. *grins* Seems it didnt work either.

 

Maybe I need to watch the use of slang.

 

[Mynx]

*grins* don't worry about it, Crypt.

Its just the outlanders who aren't used to the methods of measuring we have in this strange little country.

(no offence meant anyone!)

If it helps...I got it...but then again I don't think I count...

[Ayshela]

bah..

never occurred to me to wonder what that meant.