Short Story Competition: Day Off

[Dm]

Short Story Competition: Day Off

"Avoid using the word "very" because it's lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don't use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women - and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It will also not do in your essays."



Everything has a story. Yes, it started out somewhere and it met it's end somehow - But it lives. And how it lives is, no doubt, important. Even in Elements, there are indeed many ways to live. How would the day of a Green Nymph go if, by chance, she stumbled upon Wings that allowed her to fly instead of staying on field? Does Lava Golem rampage across villages setting them on fire? Or perhaps, the daily life of our Lava Golem is much quieter than we'd believe? Any creature; even permanents and spells, will spend their life somehow. But how?

We don't know. Or, well, we didn't. That's where you come in.

Rules and Requirements:

• Pick any card. And then, write a Short Story about how the card lives. How the card spends it's day. Just let your imagination take off and write a story about one day in the life of that card. Whether you're writing about how that card spends it's days normally, or if the card somehow got summoned into the battlefield, or about an incredibly innovative day of that card is up to you. Of course, it may be harder to write about a spell. Or a permanent. But well; your choice.
• Yeah, writing is fun. But we're not writing trilogies or sagas here. Likewise, three lines aren't exactly a story. Our Lava Golem isn't so bland to the point that it's daily life would be "Eat some earth, go to sleep. Rinse repeat." Make your submissions ranging from 250 to 1000 words; no less than 250 and no more than 1000. How many exactly is up to you; and you can check here how many you wrote. And while we're on this topic, only one submission per person.
• Keep the story age appropriate. This means: avoid excessive violence, refrain from any sexually suggestive material, so on. Likewise, don't post anything offensive either.
• Submissions must be in English. Yeah, I know; maybe English really isn't your best language to write with, but it's what most of the forum uses and understands. And there are sites that can spellcheck for you.
• We've had our fair share of short story competitions - Plagiarism will result in disqualification from the competition. Don't do it.
• There are many cards in the game. Try not to write about a card that has already been written about; it's more fun that way.
• You'll obviously have one main card as your theme. This does not mean it is impossible for you to write about or mention other cards in the story - Just make sure to be clear in your story which card has the biggest role and is the one you're writing about.
• Submissions will go in this very thread. Place your submissions between the [.spoiler] tags. If you want to place a header on your spoiler, then use [.spoiler=(Card name)] - story - [./spoiler].

To submit your Short Story, there is no time left!

[dragtom]

• There are many cards in the game. Try not to write about a card that has already been written about; it's more fun that way.

a list of what has already been written about?

[Dm]

• There are many cards in the game. Try not to write about a card that has already been written about; it's more fun that way.

a list of what has already been written about?

If I posted right now a story with focus on Lava Golem, that'd mean Lava Golem has been written about. I'm not talking whole forum; just over this competition. And of course, you don't -need- to write a different card; it's just more interesting if there are many different entries.

[dark ripper]

Well here is my submission, I couldnt even think I could write such an imagination story! xd Sorry Dm you have to read it;p

Spoiler for Abomination:

(This story is now narrated by Morgan Freeman in your head)

This isn't a story about princes and princesses, neither it is about a happy ending; this story is about the reality of a so called creature which was created by a mistake. The life of a little boy, a "creature" that is full of strong emotions which noone can think of. His true name was James-that was the name that his parents were to give him- until the day that he actually was born. In the sight of his weird-shaped body his parents gave him straight away for adoption. In his new house as he grew up, James was mocked by the other children and especially their "rightful" leader, Tom,  due to his looks thus giving him a new nickname "The abomination". He had no friends, noone there to watch his back, noone to care for him. James was watching other kids being adopted by new families, and blaming his self for not being adopted, praying everyday to the great RNG, he wished for a new family to watch out for him, to be loved at last. One day, a fine gentleman walked in the house looking for a kid, saying that he wanted to adopt one to his beloved, large family; his name was Zanzarino. That man, didnt chase the beauty or the talent but he craved an individual with pure intentions, good heart and will. So, he declared a task in which the winner would be the new member of his family. The task was simple,
-"I want you to find the great collection of shards" Zanzarino said.
Now according to the legend, Shards would be revealed to the man with the most pure heart.
All kids in the house directly were assigned with this great task, and James was one of them, as was Tom. The task began right away, as children run through different directions searching for the great collection of shards. After days, of search noone had a clew were the shards were, so didnt James. Exhausted, he sat under a tree to rest so he could continue his adventure. Not more than five minutes passed and he heard a strange sound. It was the Mighty Purple Nymph that had revealed herself to James. All of a sudden, James started to run away, then he stopped; turned back to see if she was real: -close your eyes- she said,
-"close your eyes and you will see that Im real". James was shocked, but took a moment and finally closed his eyes
-"yes I can see, now I can actually see", he said and reached to his pocket to find that he had the 12 shards.
-"Those are the shards that you look for, and with these you will finally have the family that you so want", Purple Nymph said,
-"Yes, that is my desire thank you so much"
-"This is your destiny, James, you will be strong, you will from now on answer to the name of Abomination, your true identity will be forever hidden"
-"But, but why miss? why? I have questions, what's your name? Why do you help me? Miss? Miss?
james was left with unsolved questions and the so wanted 12 shard collection to his posession. Sceptical he started to get back, but suddenly, Tom and his gang showed up.
-"Well, well, well, what do we have hear? Its the abomination, and look! his has the shards!" , Tom said.
-"Erhm, I, I, I.... ", James cried.
-"Hand out the collection and we will spare you.", Tom said.
A strange sound sounded again, and a pack of creatures showed up.
-"Leave him alone, now", they said, and Tom and his pals started to run immediately.
-"Thank you so much, but who are you?" James asked as they started to walk back to the house.
*music started to play*
-"Oh WE HAVE A WINNER!", Zanzarino said. "And I suspect you met some of my family members, let my introduce you: Graviton guard, Otyugh, Lycanthrope and on the back is Purple dragon."
-"Hello all, and thank you so much for everything." James shouted.
-"And may I ask what is the name of our winner"?, Zanzarino said.
A little pause followed,
-"Ehmm, my name is Abomination,sir."
-"Then, Abomination, welcome to our beloved family of Elements!"
 Then a feist, followed in the new house of James, as a welcome to their new member.
-"Sir.."
-"You can call me Zanzarino"
-"S.. ehm Zanzarino, I saw a purple lady, back in the forest, a beautiful lady, a-and she talked to me, and I wonder if you know who she is."
-"Oh! Abomination, I think you talk about Purple Nymph! You're so lucky to meet her! She's one of the great 12 nymphs. The 12 creators of our family!", Zanzarino said.
-"Oh...".
 James never revealed his true identity and now lives happily with his new family but never forgotten his life-changing acquitance with the almighty Purple Nymph.

Its actually 836 words xd Enjoy;p

[Opsinis]

Spoiler for Relic:

Just Outside the Field

          A useless block of stone stands at the edge of a forest that opens to a field. Butterflies land on it, resting for a tiresome journey ahead, while women of the earth dance around this upright remnant of beauty. No wind can topple it, no man can move it, no power can destroy it, for it will always remain overlooking a field.

          The Relic sees no line between a day of work and a day of rest. It stands, everyday, no more erect than the day before; no less erect than the day after. A second and a month are equally endured, unnoticed by the relics. Time passes for everything but the relics, who see time as an infinite mockery of their inabilities. Relics exist for everyone else, constantly acting as reminders of how beauty can change. How designers can wipe away a beautiful face with the stroke of a pen, much like artists covering their canvas creations with a solid sheet of fire.

          Relics see only white, the purest white of a solar eclipse, contrasting black and white only to intensify and burn the retina. Relics hear nothing. No sound, no vibration can communicate anything to them, and they don’t really mind. A relic would rather not hear action or conflict, for it couldn’t do anything even if it wanted. Conversely, relics say nothing. They don’t fear being ignored, nor do they concern themselves with what others would think, but time has stolen their expression. Once they became relics, their time for freedom and individuality was over. Each relic is exactly the same, a repulsively and perfectly-ordered pattern of nostalgic figures.

          Lacking essentially all senses, relics can process thought. Every once and a while they get the feeling that someone is using them. Whether or not this is even possible, the relics don’t know, but they find enjoyment regardless. They know that they are a drain of resources, an eternally downhill battle, and a permanent vice squeezing the hearts of elementals. This does not sadden the relics, but forces them to keep existing, as if they actually had a choice. Oddly, relics are also aware of their popularity among their world. Many creatures and people don’t understand relics, and this is surprising to the relics themselves, because there is nothing to understand. They are simply broken pieces of a once golden visage, and now they exist to simply be. For some unfathomable reason though, they are always under close inspection. For a moment, a relic is a prized-possession and the next it is the piece of a puzzle that never fits. Daily, the relic struggles for a sense of place, not because it actually cares where it belongs, but because it has nothing else to struggle over.
   
          A normal day isn’t recognized by the relics. It has no routine, no scheduled appointments, and no planned reactions to stimuli. They are rooted to the earth, masterfully placed just outside of anything with meaning. Any given day a relic is standing; possibly enduring a frostbitten winter or bathing in the sun or shielding nymphs from the rain. Today, or maybe it was yesterday, will be tomorrow’s forgotten memory of the day before that, in an endless stream of vague happenings just outside the field.

[Fippe94]

Done:

Spoiler for The Crusader:

The Lone Warrior

The man looked down at the village from a nearby hill. It was already Nightfall, but he could see he was not too late. They had not yet been attacked. He knew he didn’t have much time, but he was still calm and methodic. Put on the Armor. Take the Weapons. Plan his strategy.

The Lone Warrior some called him. Or the Wielder of Justice. Or even The Savior of Light. But all that was just titles he didn’t think he deserved. No, in his own mind, he was simply the Crusader.He didn’t look for praise or reward. All he wanted was to help the ones in need.

Once he was all done, he could hear sounds from below. A group of creatures had left the forest and headed for the village. He ran down the hill, trying to put himself between the creatures and the village. He could hear and see that there was already panic in the village when he got closer. But when he reached the road which the creatures were traveling on and turned towards them, it all became Silence. Both the villagers and the creatures just stopped in their tracks, looking at this figure of Light.

“I am the Crusader and this village now lies under my protection. You are free to leave this place at once, but be aware I will give you no second chances.”

He could hear the whispers behind him: “It’s him!” “Is he going to save us?”. He smiled under his helmet, knowing he had restored their Hope. In front of him he could only hear Silence until one of the creatures, a large Vampire, spoke: 

“We aren’t afraid of you, Lone Warrior. This village is ours and you cannot stop us!”

The other creatures roared as if agreeing, and they started heading towards him. The Crusader was not afraid however. His grip on his hammer, the Titan, was steady. He had never fled a battle before, and he wasn’t going to start now.
The Devourers reached him first, jumping at him, trying to drain his energy. But they never reached him, his Titan crushed them all, as if Unstoppable. Next came the Parasites, the Minor Vampires, and the Gargoyles. The Dark horde seemed endless. Luckily, the Crusader had weapons for every occasion. The Lobotomizer made sure the Parasites could not poison him. The Arsenic stopped their fastest creature in their tracks before they could reach the village. The Owl’s Eye was for those thinking they could fly past him. They were many, many more than the Crusader had thought. At last when the Crusader almost collapsed of fatigue, there were no monsters left. Except one. The large Vampire who had originally spoken still stood at the same spot as if nothing had happened.

“And now, I will take your life, Warrior, as you have taken ours.”

The Crusader’s weapon was on the ground around him, and he was too tired to wield any one of them now. But there was one weapon left. One he had stolen from a Dark Nymph long ago. How fitting, he thought. And as the Vampire got close, believing the Crusader to be helpless, he drew the Vampire Dagger and stabbed the Vampire in his heart. The Vampire screamed in pain and surprise, and the Crusader could feel his strength returning thanks to the Dagger.

And as the last creature of Darkness fell, the villagers rushed forward to thank the man who had saved them all. A Hero, they called him. Their Protector. Or even the Light Bearer. But in his own mind, he was none of that. He was simply the Crusader.

[eljoemo]

Finished this. Probably sucks in comparison but what the heck. Sorry for making it so long

Spoiler for Steam Machine:

I awake to the familiar feeling of steam powering through my body. I am S.T.E.A.M. Machine code 7h2: Advanced Battle Combatant. I am designed to locate and neutralized enemy threat in a CCQ situation. But beyond that, I know nothing of who I am or even what I am.

A Pegasus charges towards me. I dodge to the left and strike down on the creature’s hind. It topples and cries out in pain but a few yards from me. With one swift action, the cries are silenced.

“Attack!” a voice commands. I charge forwards to the commanding figure of the opposition, gaining power and momentum as I run. I land hit after hit on my target, decimating his shield into nothing but worthless shards. Soon, his cries also cease.

And then the battle is over. I find myself surrounded by corpses, both ally and foe. No-one stirs amongst the bloodied battlefield. “What now?” I think, “I am still powered. What are my orders? What am I to do?” Looking about, an outcrop of forest surrounds most of the grasslands. The sun shines brightly as the day is still in its prime. “If my orders are complete, perhaps I am free.” I hesitate before sprinting towards the wall of trees, the earth shaking with every heavy stride I take.

Far into the forest, I come upon a gentle brook flowing. I decide to stop, as I feel less energized after running through the woods. I look into the water and see a heavy metal shell looking back. Two small sunken eyes shine out with a brilliant blue light. I am shocked by my vast contrast to the nature that surrounds me. It strikes me that I never knew what I looked like. I realized I still know very little about myself; I remember nothing before waking in the field except my name, code and purpose. I suppose I will now have to find my own purpose.

Just then I hear a rustling noise behind me. Instinctively, I whirl around, ready to fight of the attacker. Standing before me is another Pegasus, its head lowered, ready to charge. I prepare to hold my ground from the beast. “I will slay it like its kin on the battlefield. Just wait for it to charge.”

But it does not charge. Its lowered head grazes the fresh grass in the clearing. It looks at me, swallows then continues eating, regardless of my presence. I lower my guard and examine the beast; such a beautiful creature. Its white body glistens and shines in the afternoon sun. Its mane flows across its body like a golden river. I think back to the one at the battle; the one that had seemed so menacing. But now it seems impossible to imagine myself causing such a magnificent creature such harm.

From the shrubbery, I see some kind of projectile hurtling towards me. I shield my inner mechanics and brace for impact. I close my eyes.
I hear the familiar cry of a Pegasus. I look to see a 6ft spear protruding from its side. “Nearly got ‘er, throw another one!”, I hear over the agonising shrieks of pain. Rage boils in my pipes as I scour the area for the attackers.

When the huntsman rose to aim, he never stood a chance.

I charged towards him and swung my arm into his torso. The sound of shattering bone accompanied him as his body was projected aside. Three more men stood in awe as their companion came to rest at the base of a tree. I dashed for the first and grab him before he has a chance to draw a weapon. I lift him off his feet before slamming him into the ground and stomping on him for good measure. An arrow hits my metal shell as a turn to see the second hunter reload his cross-bow. He shoots again before I reach him, and then rolls beneath my swipe. He launches another arrow which deflects of my solid frame and falls to the undergrowth. I swing my arm again and this time hit the target as he falls to the ground. He tries to stand up again but I slam my fist down onto him. The third man has already started to flee. I pick up an abandoned spear and take aim. I hurl the spear forward, but to my surprise it falls short. My rage and strength has left me.

I return to the Pegasus, but am too late. It is dead. I am overcome with despair and failure.” I let this creature die. I could have done something instead of exacting vengeance.” With nothing else to do, I run.

My body cannot carry me forward as fast as I wish. I want to put the past behind me, but I cannot escape it. Fleeing will not make this go away, I need to face this.

“I caused the death of two Pegasi. Their blood is on my hands.”

I feel myself slowing, losing momentum. “But I can change. I must change, for the sake of myself I must.” My legs give way beneath me and I slam hard into the ground, but the pain is not important. I try to rise but fail. I am too weak. “I am not a killer. I don’t have to be.” I try to support myself but movement fails me. I can feel my components seizing up. “I am different.” The world grows dark. “I … am … differ-.”

I awake to the familiar feeling of steam powering through my body. I am S.T.E.A.M. Machine code 7h2: Advanced Battle Combatant. I am designed to locate and neutralized enemy threat in a CCQ situation. But beyond that, I know nothing of who I am or even what I am...

[iloveashley3]

Done:

Spoiler for The Crusader:

The Lone Warrior

The man looked down at the village from a nearby hill. It was already Nightfall, but he could see he was not too late. They had not yet been attacked. He knew he didn’t have much time, but he was still calm and methodic. Put on the Armor. Take the Weapons. Plan his strategy.

The Lone Warrior some called him. Or the Wielder of Justice. Or even The Savior of Light. But all that was just titles he didn’t think he deserved. No, in his own mind, he was simply the Crusader.He didn’t look for praise or reward. All he wanted was to help the ones in need.

Once he was all done, he could hear sounds from below. A group of creatures had left the forest and headed for the village. He ran down the hill, trying to put himself between the creatures and the village. He could hear and see that there was already panic in the village when he got closer. But when he reached the road which the creatures were traveling on and turned towards them, it all became Silence. Both the villagers and the creatures just stopped in their tracks, looking at this figure of Light.

“I am the Crusader and this village now lies under my protection. You are free to leave this place at once, but be aware I will give you no second chances.”

He could hear the whispers behind him: “It’s him!” “Is he going to save us?”. He smiled under his helmet, knowing he had restored their Hope. In front of him he could only hear Silence until one of the creatures, a large Vampire, spoke: 

“We aren’t afraid of you, Lone Warrior. This village is ours and you cannot stop us!”

The other creatures roared as if agreeing, and they started heading towards him. The Crusader was not afraid however. His grip on his hammer, the Titan, was steady. He had never fled a battle before, and he wasn’t going to start now.
The Devourers reached him first, jumping at him, trying to drain his energy. But they never reached him, his Titan crushed them all, as if Unstoppable. Next came the Parasites, the Minor Vampires, and the Gargoyles. The Dark horde seemed endless. Luckily, the Crusader had weapons for every occasion. The Lobotomizer made sure the Parasites could not poison him. The Arsenic stopped their fastest creature in their tracks before they could reach the village. The Owl’s Eye was for those thinking they could fly past him. They were many, many more than the Crusader had thought. At last when the Crusader almost collapsed of fatigue, there were no monsters left. Except one. The large Vampire who had originally spoken still stood at the same spot as if nothing had happened.

“And now, I will take your life, Warrior, as you have taken ours.”

The Crusader’s weapon was on the ground around him, and he was too tired to wield any one of them now. But there was one weapon left. One he had stolen from a Dark Nymph long ago. How fitting, he thought. And as the Vampire got close, believing the Crusader to be helpless, he drew the Vampire Dagger and stabbed the Vampire in his heart. The Vampire screamed in pain and surprise, and the Crusader could feel his strength returning thanks to the Dagger.

And as the last creature of Darkness fell, the villagers rushed forward to thank the man who had saved them all. A Hero, they called him. Their Protector. Or even the Light Bearer. But in his own mind, he was none of that. He was simply the Crusader.

wow i completely give up, good job.

[BaccardiBreezie]

Crusader is taken, officially not doing one now. Good idea though. Also, dm; I'd like to confess my love for you here, where everyone can see. There is a certain aura that emanates from your sun-kissed skin that makes you irresistible in my eyes. The way your hair flows in the wind and the way you look at me in the eyes with true feeling gives me purpose in this world, gives me something to live for. So.. I love you, Dm. My Brazilian mancandy <3

[achinesealpaca]

Spoiler for Hidden:

Eien no Zero

It stood alone.

For as long as it could remember, it had been standing alone. There were stories of times long past, when there were far more of its kind. Yes, even more than the great and numerous towers of fire. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

Through forbidden rituals, the worshippers of fire had sacrificed themselves to produce great amounts of fire quanta, enough to explode 59 towers. And now, where a great forest of towers once stood, only it remained. It had been but a young immature pillar when the attack happened, and could hardly remember anything. The one thing that remained forever burned - yes, burned - in its mind, unable to be forgotten, was the last act of cruelty of the fire nation. Unable to muster enough quanta to completely destroy the legendary 60 tower deck, they planted a devourer on that last, helpless pillar.

It stood alone. Well, not quite, since there was a now healthy adult pest clinging on its side. Even so, it stood alone, cursed to never be able to revive its great nation. To stand there for all eternity, an endless cycle of zero quanta production. Yet, this day was different. How many days had gone by, how many days of despair and weariness and boredom and self-loathing? This day, something inside the water tower broke.

It cried. Towers are not known for their outward of expression of emotion; indeed, towers have never been known to express any emotion. Even so, it cried.

And a miracle happened.

The newborn Nymph Queen opened her eyes for the first time, and swore. On this day, I gained legs! I gained freedom! I gained the beginnings of our revival, and our revenge on the Fire Nation!

[skyironsword]

Crusader is taken, officially not doing one now. Good idea though. Also, dm; I'd like to confess my love for you here, where everyone can see. There is a certain aura that emanates from your sun-kissed skin that makes you irresistible in my eyes. The way your hair flows in the wind and the way you look at me in the eyes with true feeling gives me purpose in this world, gives me something to live for. So.. I love you, Dm. My Brazilian mancandy <3

You could totally make a story out of this. We can use "Pandemonium" for the card.

[SpikeSpiegel]

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