Monday, March 3, 2014

Aetherra; by Isaac Ostlund; Chapter 1, Mistakes, Part 2

Brant moved quickly through the trees, keeping a constant watch on his surroundings. Strange things were known to happen this far from the Wards and it was risky to leave his campsite. Still, he had never heard of anything like the falling light and wanted to see it firsthand. As he drew near to where it fell he slowed, taking care to keep cover behind trees and in the shadows cast by the glow ahead. He hid behind a large fallen tree and carefully looked into the clearing.
Through settling dust Brant could see a large oval stone resting in the center of a smoldering crater. The strange object was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was smooth like worked granite but was as black as an unlit cellar. Strange patterns of gold light twirled and danced on its surface, casting eerie shadows along the ground. Glowing orbs floated around the clearing, causing the shadows to shift constantly.  Motionless he watched from behind the tree, fascinated with the twisting patterns of light on the stone. He rose from where he hid and crept forward into the crater. Hand outstretched he approached the object. His fingers lightly touched the warm surface when two thoughts crossed his mind. It’s an egg. And then, from a more primal part of him: Run.



2 comments:

  1. This is a very different development than I was expecting. I suppose my mind explored the possibility that there was life about this fire thing, but it was a distant thought. I was just thinking about meteors and meteorites and the impact sizes of various terrestrial objects, and I went as far as searching for impact sites around the same size and scale. I only found a 10 by 40 crater for the moon, which I wouldn't call helpful, considering how much I doubt we're on a moon right now. What a twist that would be!
    Anyway yeah that's more exciting. I'm excited.

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    Replies
    1. Haha, i was hoping for some level of surprise. I'm glad it worked. When i wrote this i was just writing the story for a continuous piece, not for it to be posted sequentially like this. I'm still a little worried something is lost by not having it all down at once, but i guess there is a little more suspense this way.
      As for the nature of the planet... All bets are off.

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