{"id":251,"date":"2017-03-01T14:30:53","date_gmt":"2017-03-01T14:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/montyake.pirat.uk\/?p=251"},"modified":"2020-05-14T15:31:24","modified_gmt":"2020-05-14T15:31:24","slug":"the-way-wailer-in-the-wall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montyake.pirat.uk\/?p=251","title":{"rendered":"The Way-Wailer in the Wall"},"content":{"rendered":"

(This has now been adapted into a campfire story here<\/a><\/em>)<\/p>\n

I was given the prompt, \u201cThe Road Less Travelled\u201d, to create any 500-word piece. An idea came to mind in a fantasy setting. As I haven\u2019t established a fantasy world of my own yet, I pictured this little scene happening in Analand<\/em>, a region of Titan<\/em> from Steve Jackson\u2019s Fighting Fantasy<\/em> series.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>ORK<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The voice was gravel and dirt; a long-grinding syllable from the cracked and weathered lips of the stone mouth, which hung eternally open below unblinking eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dextruss and Poyntluss looked at each other, perplexed, then back to the Way-Wailer. The face in the rock looked back through them, not giving any further advisement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs that it?\u201d asked Dextruss to his companion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did it say?\u201d responded Poyntluss, \u201c<\/span>Walk<\/span><\/i>?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh yes, maybe that\u2019s it. Let\u2019s try again.\u201d Dextruss lifted the butt of his staff from the ground, gingerly tapped the Way-Wailer\u2019s forehead with its tip, and then pointed it up the northern fork. The emerald stone at its end gave a faint pulse, and the granite eyes in the wall glowed and dimmed in response.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>ORK<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Walk<\/span><\/i>,\u201d confirmed Dextruss, \u201cthat sounds about right. But the northern path through the Shamutanti Hills will take us further from the Kakhabad Sea, surely. How are we ever going to reach the Copperstone Caves by heading <\/span>towards<\/span><\/i> Khar\u00e9?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Poyntluss emitted a hum of contemplation and grabbed absently at his chin. He turned to face the south-bound fork and gazed over the rolling hills and trees that seemed to come to an abrupt stop a dozen or so miles down; a sure sign of the sea interrupting the landscape. \u201cThe Elders\u2019 advice could always be interpreted or ignored, Dex, but I reckon we should believe them nonetheless; they taught us that Way-Wailers never lie, so north it must be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dextruss nodded along in agreement, then stopped and considered their options once more. \u201cWell, my friend, let\u2019s see what it has to say about the south road, just to be sure.\u201d He once again tapped the jewel to the stone face\u2019s brow, but then pointed his staff down the southward fork. Again, the tip gave a faint green light and the carved eyes illuminated in reply.<\/span><\/p>\n

The deep noise that rasped grittily through the thick grey lips was this time disyllabic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>NO<\/span><\/i>…<\/span>ORK<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The two travellers looked at each other again, each expecting the other to confirm what the wall had uttered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>No walk<\/span><\/i>?\u201d offered Poyntluss with a shrug.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, <\/span>walk<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>no walk.<\/span><\/i>..\u201d Dextruss repeated, pointing his staff in each direction to illustrate, \u201cSeems simple enough to me! There must be some concealed grotesque awaiting us down the south road.\u201d Dextruss continued with confidence, \u201cWell translated, Poyntluss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Poyntluss beamed at the praise, and slotted his thumbs under the straps of his pack in readiness to continue their journey.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dextruss gave the Way-Wailer a curt nod and tapped it on the nose with his staff, which he then pointed with finality up the north fork. \u201cWalk!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The two plodded on in-step with one another, leaving the fork behind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Neither of them heard the Mountain Orc that stealthily padded out from behind a hollowed oak tree and crushed their skulls like crow eggs, one in each hand, simultaneously.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Dextruss\u2019 staff of power hit the ground, its emerald tip knocked on a half-buried rock, causing the gem to produce a gentle glow. A short distance behind them, at the fork in the road, came the response;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cORK\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(This has now been adapted into a campfire story here<\/a><\/em>)<\/p>\n

I was given the prompt, \u201cThe Road Less Travelled\u201d, to create any 500-word piece. An idea came to mind in a fantasy setting. As I haven\u2019t established a fantasy world of my own yet, I pictured this little scene happening in Analand<\/em>, a region of Titan<\/em> from Steve Jackson\u2019s Fighting Fantasy<\/em> series.<\/span><\/p>\n

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