Hey everyone, Action Sauce here. Some of you may know me, I used to write horror stories on this site a while ago. Well I'm glad to say that I'm back, and I'm also glad to say that I'm not planning to write any more horror.
Why? Well for starters, all I've really been doing in the horror genre is recycling the same set of premade plots I've come up with. It's difficult to come up with something both scary and original, and that's why I've decided to leave the genre alone for a little. The other reason is that I don't find it enjoyable any more, and I'm finding that this type of story is more suited to me.
What is this type, you ask? Well, just this type. Not horror, that is. In case you're wondering if I'm competent at writing something that isn't scary, I promise you I won't disappoint.
So, well, that's all I have to say. Read, review and enjoy.
Jass stood in the stone watchtower, his bow held loose at his side. A worn steel helmet too small for him perched atop his head like a comical hat, his dirty blond hair spilling out from under it. His leather tabard was dyed red and gold. His legs and feet were covered in ornamented leather as well, the tight material molding to his form. He personally despised the combination, but all guards in the town were forced to wear them to represent their status as soldiers of Dominar, their home country.
He chewed idly on a piece of wheat, staring off into the distance. The sun was slipping beneath the mountain range in the distance, a large, red disk in the sky. The streets behind him slowly began to grow quiet, most of the residents having already retreated into their domiciles. Only guards and Golems strode the streets, wary of any mob that may threaten the city.
Jass hated the golems ever since he first moved into the city. Their dark, emotionless eyes and grotesque noses had always sent a shiver down his spine. Not to mention one of their solid steel arms could break a man's neck in one swipe. It was part of why he chose sentry duty; just to get away from those metallic monsters below.
Sentry duty was really kind of underrated here. Many of the guards avoided it due to the endless hours of time spent in the watchtowers. Jass thought them idiots; getting paid for sitting in a chair and watching the horizon was about as good as life got, for him. Not to mention the spectacular view of both the city and the vast, forested expanse to the west.
Jass sighed, and turned back to the city. It was almost completely dark now, the moon's pale face lurking over the edge of the firmament. The orange glow of torches lit the windows of houses, spilling out into the gravel roads. Now, the only struggle for him would be to stay awake. The night shifts were typically long and tedious, but also nice in their own way.
Sighing, he turned back to the mountains, when he suddenly beheld the unthinkable.
A dark figure shot out from behind the mountains, two enormous wings trailing behind it. Jass squinted at the figure, instinctively reaching for his arrows. Was it a bird? It was difficult to make out anything in the night.
The figure began growing in size as it got closer, bigger and bigger. It was now far too large to be any ordinary bird. A sense of premonition coursed through Jass as he regarded the flying creature. Could it be?
A deafening roar resounded through the woods, rustling leaves and startling crows. Jass froze in shock when it hit him, nearly dropping his bow. His heartbeat skipped like a rabbit, and he began to hyperventilate, gasping for air.
Come on, think! A voice inside him said. Jass snapped out of his trance, and turned, rushing down the ladder of the watchtower. He vaulted onto the city wall, running as fast as he could. The bell tower wasn't far; he had to make it in time.
Jass ran faster, knocking over a guard as he sprinted across the battlements. "Sorry!" he cried, as the man plummeted over the edge. He didn't wait to see the man's fate as he reached the bell tower, kicking down the wooden door.
Two guards sat inside at a table, playing a game of cards. "Hey, what the hell-" one of them began, but Jass rushed right past him, grabbing the stick off the wall. He whacked at the large, copper bell that hung suspended in the middle of the chamber.
The sound was deafening. Jass and the two other guards doubled over onto the ground as waves of seemingly solid noise crashed around the room, reverberating into the air above the city. Several heads poked out of windows, wondering what all the commotion was about.
Without a second to waste, Jass ran to the edge of the wall. "Dragon!" he shouted. "Dragon! Call in the reinforcements!"
The panic spread across the city in ripples as the word was repeated, in whispers and shouts. Soon, the streets were full of people, scrambling to get out of the city. City guards in uniform rushed about, trying to coordinate a defense. It was a scene of utter chaos.
Jass turned around, and staggered back at what he saw.
A great red beast hung in the air above him. Its entire body was covered in glistening red scales, each one larger than a man's hand. Its wingspan spread over a length of thirty blocks, each wingbeat sending waves of wind coursing around him. Two malevolent green eyes peered at him from behind a snout contorted in fury.
Jass's eyes widened. What he saw before him was no simple beast; it was a demon, raised from the Nether itself, come to wreak havoc upon the lands of men. For what purpose, he didn't know, but he did know that they would stand no chance. Swords would break, arrows would fail, against the sheer, crushing might of this embodiment of the apocalypse.
The great wyvern , revealing rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth. A great bout of white-hot flame burst from the dragon's jaws. Jass opened his mouth to scream.
The scream never came.