Sleepless

Grey couldn't sleep. She very seldom could. As she and Blue settled for the night she would watch the stars above them, far above the tree tops. She would see them lit one by one and after hours of darkness with only the glimmering diamonds that the stars were on the night sky Grey would see them go out, overshadowed by the great sun. A new day would begin and Grey wouldn't have slept at all.
Some evenings Blue would give her a special drink that would make her drowsy but would also make her dream. And Grey didn't like dreams. Most of the time she turned him down, promising Blue she could sleep just fine without that drink. He never believed her but he let her be. He didn't like her dreams either. Not when she woke up either crying or screaming. Blue didn't know what was the worst. When it was at its worst he would rock her to sleep after a nightmare but none of them were comfortable with that solution. Especially not Grey, she couldn't handle skinship very well. Even so she tolerated Blue with great patience. But sometimes she reacted on impulse, she would flinch or even hit him when he gently put his hand on her shoulder.

The Sapphire Brothers

Kapella's scarp: Meeting with the dream

He grabbed the thief's scarf and when the moon appeared from behind the clouds stood they gazing at each other for the first time. The thief's hair spread in the wind, it was long and red like a flaming wildfire. His heart beat faster, it wasn't a dream. She was real.

It couldn't be true, she wanted to disappear through the ground, he couldn't be true. He was a dream, a profetia too impossible to be true, he didn't really exist! Her breath quickened. Her cheeks flushed, everything she'd dreamt about him. No. NO!

She throw herself backwards, away from him. He didn't exist, he couldn't exist!

He didn't try to catch her, they would still meet again. His destiny had caught up with him, all the times he had seen her in his dreams and visions. He knew what it meant and he had tried not to think about her, tried to not fall for her. But now he was here and his feelings couldn't be stopped, it was already to late.

As they had finished packing a group of people appeared from nowhere. They stopped away from the camp and one man dressed in uniform walked up to them. He observed each of the members before he walked up to Lespan and deeply bowing delivered a scroll. Lespan read through it quickly.

-We are apparently welcomed to stay at the royal family Kapella's residence during our visit in the city Kapella.

-Hello, but have you seen any castle around here, any less a city?! Thirsty exclaimed.

-Do you except the invitation? The guard asked Lespan while ignoring Thirsty's snide comment.

Lespan looked at his friends, they were all tired and worn out.

-Yes.

They were let into the throne room which was surprisingly large. In the back stood two thrones, both carved from boulders with the same sandy colour as the plain. They closed in and bowed infront of the king who were seated in one of the thrones. Beside him sat a young woman with the same red hair as the king.

-This is my daughter, Kapella Mardina, the king said.

-Is it after you they named the scarp? Thirsty asked.

-No, it's after a myth about a woman who threw herself down the scarp to save her country and lover, Mardina emphasised the last part. -Her lover named their daughter with the same name and so it countinued.

The king cleared his throat.

-I have asked you to come because...

-I'd like my scarf back, thank you, the princess interrupted.

Lespan took a step forward and handed her the scarf. Mardina took it and gave Lespan a beautiful necklace.

-We're even, she said and looked bored at him.

-So you had the neckalce afterall?

-No, some petty thieves that took it.

Mardina turned her back on him and returned to her throne. Lespan went bakc to his friends.

-As I was about to say, the king seemed fairly unaffected by the intrusion, I have asked you to come here. I am honored to even meet the Sapphire Warriors during my lifetime, that you even do us the great honor of staying here in our country and at our residence is unimaginable.

Yes, his name is really Thirsty.^^ This is one of my stories that I consider as the first "book"-stories I've ever written. Mind you, I didn't even came as far as the first chapter but it was the first story I thought that this could be a book and for a really long time I thought this was going to be my first book.

I begun to write it approximately 8 years ago. It begun as project with my friends, we created one character each and I was the one to write the story. My charater was Lespan, he's a very quiet guy with very serious thoughts in his mind. Thirsty was created by one of my friends. He, Thisrty, if I remember correctly, acts more on impulses and is full of humour. When my friend thought of the name she just thought of what sounded okay to her and in the end it became Thirsty. I think it suits him, I think of him as a character that is thirsty of life, knowledge and warmth.

Ok, so I'm going to try to explain the scene above. The group that camps on the plain are Lespan, who's sort of their leader as he is levelheaded compared to the others, then there is Thirsty and Rasty. Those three lads are the Sapphire Brothers or Warriors, whatever you like, and they are famous and all. In the group there's also Marka. They are going to the city Kapella but don't know where it is. So they've walked on the plain till they came to a scarp, Kapella's scarp. During their trip Marka looses her necklace and they think they're being ambushed by thieves. And so one night when Lespan guards Mardina appear. They are each others fates and both have had dreams and vision about each other and their future. And as Lespan's future isn't that bright (he dies) Mardina is terrified when she actually meets him, she always thought they were just dreams. The same goes for Lespan. When he meet Mardina he knows he's going to die. It's very sad.

So I don't think I need to explain anything else... Hopefully not but if you have questions ask away!

//J.L.Frick

Pub scene

-Blue, Grey whispered and poked him with her elbow.

He looked confused at her but she nodded to the other side of the bar. Leaning against the bar stood a middle-aged man with a foxy appearance. His clothes were in perfect shape despite the horrid weather and on the bar lay his top hat in the same beige colour as his suit. On the chair beside him lay big heap of dark clothe, supposingly the cape that had covered the man from the heavy rain. His shoes were somewhat smudgy but no one would look at his shoes as he distracted them with his dramaticly waving hands demonstrating something.

-He looks familiar, Grey said quietly across the table.

Blue wrinkled his eyebrows and looked closer at the man by the bar. He couldn't find anything familiar about him at all. That was until he mentioned the Land of the Silver Trees.

-Oh sure, it rains there as it does everywhere in this world but the rain is like silver when it falls among the silver trees. It's a beautiful land and silver trees everywhere! The man at the bar told the other guests of his adventures. -And you know what? The war hasn't reached it yet! In fact, their land is so unspoiled I don't think the war has even touched it.

-Not touched it?! What's this fairyland you talk of? There isn't one part of the world the war hasn't touched and destroyed at some point in our bloody history! A man exclaimed.

-Surely they've taken part of the war somehow?

-Taken part of, yes, you're right, their men has fought in our wars. Did you know some of this war's finest assassins and mercenaries actually come from the Silver Trees?

-Like who?

-Oh, you'd be suprised. The man with the beige suit waited to prolong the suspense. -Are you familiar with Grey and Blue?

-I heard their working for the our army now.

-Does this mean they're on our side?

-Stupid! They're mercenaries, they get paid to fight on our side.

-Blue, we need to leave, Grey said.

-But he knows us, if he sees us...

-Now!

But the man dressed in beige wasn't done yet.

-And.... the Shadow.

That sent the pub buzzing. Many men draw their breaths. The Shadow was well known and feared. An assassin that moved through the shadows, at least so was the myth. How could you kill a man who hid in the shadows?

Grey stopped and stood completely still. Sure she had heard about the Shadow before but never had she heard about him being from the Land of the Silver Trees. Maybe this Shadow was the man she was looking for?

I'm sorry for not posting anything lately (and with lately I mean months, SORRY!). To be honest the Merula-story wasn't going the in the direction I had hoped for so I had to stop and think. So I've been doing some thinking and I've come up with nothing. Oh well, not nothing just not anything good enough. So Merula is for now put on hold.

This scene above is from a story I've been working on for the last month, although the characters and the basic plot were created years ago. So the main characters are Grey and Blue, which of course aren't their real names as they work as mercenaries in a foreign country in a time of bitter war. Their true intent with their work is to find a certain man... and kill him.

I'm not revealing why in case I'll post something later on. Hope you enjoyed this little bit, although is was only a draft, it still has a lot of work to be done.

//J.L.Frick

The Sun God (idea)

-Are you trying to fool me into believing that you're the Sun God?
-Yes!... Well, not fool you, he put on a disturbed face. -But... I am the Sun God.
He throws his arms around as if to prove it. She looks at him suspiciously.
-I don't believe you, she says.
His wide smile fades away, he looks sad.
-Why not? (dog eyes)
-Well, everybody knows the Sun God shines like the sun and not even one insy bit of you shine. If you were bold perhaps your head would shine, but in comparison to the Sun God...
-But I do shine! It's just that I can't shine all the time and especially not when I'm visiting ordinary people. They'd go nuts if I showed up shining all over the place. They would think the sun was crushing into the planet or something. And you'd probably get blind as well.
-Well if you ain't shining I won't believe you.
He sits down, loosing fate in how to convince her. Then he shines up.
-There is a place on my body that always shines.
He starts taking off his gloves. A bright yellow light fills the room. She is amazed.
-I don't know why it's only the hands, a mistake I suppose, but it came in handy now anyway. Hah! Did you hear, come in handy. God, I'm funny. Hah! I did it again, GOD I'm funny, you know?
He puts his gloves back on.
-So now you know who I am.
She's too amazed and doesn't utter one word at all.
-Now that I think of it, I don't know you, he says.
She gets herself together and respond to his question.
-Oh, what a surprise, you don't know me, she says dryly.
-Well, I don't recognise you either. Don't think I've ever seen you. Who are you?
-I'm... What a stupid question, how could you know me? she questions him upset.
-I know everybody, he answer completely honest.
-Impossible.
-Not at all. I see the lot of you everyday. I know everyone from the time they were born until the day they die. But not you.
She turns away, ignoring the question hanging in the air. She can feel his eyes looking at her.
-Well I don't visit the temples that often, she says as an excuse.
-That I don't care for, go if you like, I'll see you anyway. Except you.
He looks around and sees a black coat hanging on a hook on the wall.
-Is that your by any chance? he asks.
She follows his outstretched finger and realise it's her coat he's pointing at.
-No, she answers shortly and puts it away.
-You're one of those anti-people, he realises and stares at her with fear.
She sighs deeply.
-Not exactly, she says glum.
He rise his eyebrows questiongly.
-It's complicated, she says even more sullen.


I think an explanation is in order. This little thing you've just read is just a draft of an idea to a story, which I thought I should share as I found it funny. Don't expect more of this story in particualr but I might post other short stories like this, stories that makes me smile. Also this is a way for me to practice other writing techniques and see how they fit me or the story. As usual, if you have any questions feel free to comment.

//J.L.Frick