I know it has been quite a while since I've posted anything with general hiatus of the chousens, and working on Baka Youjin in between "real" work and so on. So I decided that I'd actually post a writing sample from one of the stories that I'd like to turn into a novel. It's based upon the setting in my roleplaying-game system. This was the intro to the story I tentatively called "Song of the Soulbreaker".
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Song of the Soulbreaker
by Darrick Herring
A young boy looks out of his window and is welcomed by the dark clouds looming over his house alone. The temperature dropped several degrees because of the sudden strong cool breezes that seemed to stir up from nothingness and drape across his face like a silken scarf. The young boy readjusts his hair back as it was as he looks down at the congregation forming in front of his house pointing. As he heads in away from the window and the gawking, he returns to his seat in the middle of his room. The hairs on the back of his neck were made to stand on end from the haunting dirge that was being played in his room. He takes his seat facing an older gentleman playing the flute that was producing the haunting music. "Master Volim?"
The older man paused his stream of conciousness to respond, "Yes Rail?"
"Must we practice here in my house?" said the boy with a tinge of disdain.
"Is there a reason that we shouldn't?" Volim looked concerned at Rail.
"I understand that what we are doing is important. I know that I need to learn these songs so that I can help continue the traditions of the G'mil da Kulati," Rail began to feel an intense heat around the neck from Volim's expression. "but it's just so embarrassing having dark clouds over only my house. Everyone else has a blue sky. They will all think we're jinxed or something."
At this time Volim's expression transitioned from one of concern to one of abundant amusement. "Young Rail! Ever the self-conscious one you are. It's a part of growing up for the G'mil da Kulati." he guffawed.
"But Master Volim, there are people outstide looking and pointing at the house. They are laughing." Rail exclaimed.
Volim got up and made his way over to the window to look out and gazed upon a couple children jumping around, singing and dancing about the "sad house" of the village. He then pulled out the flute and blew several notes into it just before the lightning bolt arced down and clawed at the ground several feet away from the children, sending them scampering home. Volim glanced out past the clouds into the cobalt horizon and remembered back when he was receiving his training and had similar anxieties. "I don't think you'll have to worry about those kids anytime soon."
Volim turned around and returned to his seat and looked at Rail with a slightly disappointed look. "K'veh! Those were mere toddlers who still smelled like their mothers behind their ears. You are a G'mil da Kulati, a special honor." Volim leaned forward resting his elbow on his knee and continued. "We play an extremely important role in maintaining the quality of life here on this island. You can't let the mere babbling of babies or the barbed comments of ignorant adults convince you otherwise. Do you understand me, Rail?"
Rail lowered his head and grasped his flute as he muttered, "I understand, Master."
Volim and Rail practiced the song for hours repeatedly playing it over and over. All the while, the dark clouds rumbled and roiled, tumbled and toiled. The run off from the storm hydrated the surrounding crops which all of the farmers in the village were glad to have happen. As the two finally finished their practice, the clouds began to dissipate and and revealed a lavender evening sky above the house. There was a knock on the open door frame. It was Rail's mother.
"Lady Gendarme, please enter." Volim said as he turned left to look at the Lady.
"I take it you two are done for the day? You two have been fluting all afternoon." she asked as she stepped in and rested, back against the wall.
"Yes, Lady Gendarme. We are done for the day." Volim replied as he proceeded to gather his belongings.
"How is my boy doing? Is he catching on well." she asked as she glanced over to see Rail cracking his knuckles before finally starting to slouch a little in his seat.
"He's doing quite well when he's not distracted." Volim turned and smiled at Rail. " He's learning the lighter parts of one of our more important songs now. Your son is quite talented."
"What is it? Song of the Salt-shaker? That's a really odd name for a song." Lady Gendarme asked inquisitively.
"Mother! You're embarrassing me! Guh!" Rail exclaimed as he ran and did a flying faceplant into the pillows of his bed.
Volim's face glowed crimson at the absurdity of the supposed title. He started to respond but remembered that he was a representative of the G'mil da Kulati. He cleared his throat, caught his composure and replied, "I believe you mean 'Song of the Soulbreaker'."
Lady Gendarme, as well as most of the people of the island-nation of Yujia were mystified by the G'mil da Kulati's gift they possessed. Most people knew they were a group of people who were able to control the weather through music. The G'mil da Kulati were vital in the climate control of the nation. By playing songs, they could bring about major changes in the environment. Where there was a torrential storm, they could reduce it to an azure sky with multiple rainbows as the clouds dissipated. They had this gift because the songs themselves manipulated the energies of the world itself. The most important was a song that worked like a black hole for life energy. Anything within earshot, would be drained of some of it's life essence. "Oh! I'm sorry. That does make way more sense. This is all still new to me. I just have one question."
"What would that be, Lady?" Volim grabbed his flute and tucked it into his belt pouch.
"If I understand correctly, that's a rather powerful song. Why teach a sixteen year old how to play something that could siphon someone's life essence?" she asked with a slightly perplexed look.
"A valid question indeed, Lady Gendarme. The song siphons a small portion of life energy from anything that in it's presence, living and inanimate. This siphoning produces a sadness, a sorrow. This sorrow is what brings about the rain and the changing of the seasons. Obviously, that is a very powerful thing to be able to manipulate. The G'mil da Kulati are not just a bunch of musicians that can do impressive things with pretty notes. It's a state of mind and a way of life." Volim started to head down the stairs with Lady Gendarme following behind. "We teach respect, responsibility, and charity. We consider what we do to be a gift. Everyone else does as well. We want everyone to continue considering us as having a gift and not a weapon. We are teaching your son how to use this gift for the good of Yujia."
As they arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Lady Gendarme semi-satisfied said, "Okay, Master Volim. So long as my son is learning about the responsibility that comes with this gift."
Volim opens the door and turns to reassure her, "Believe me, Lady Gendarme. I will teach him well. Rail will be fine."
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As is obvious, it goes on from there but this is the setup that I'm trying to use to drive the storyline that ensues.
Hopefully, you find this interesting. I appreciate any questions, comments, constructive criticisms. Please feel free to post. Thank you!
