Last week I wrote a brief scene (probably inspiration for a series of short stories – I’ve never been a prompt person before, but I’m finding it a good way to get writing in when I’m lacking a lot of energy) based on the common prompt:
“He is a weapon, a killer. Don’t forget that. You can use a spear as a walking stick but that will not change its nature.”
Varlet didn’t bother looking up. “That’s a lot better than your last opening line.”
“I was talking about the creature.”
“Oh, him?” She patted the side of the enormous black dog lying underneath her, like a living rug. He was an impressive specimen, no matter what kingdom you hailed from – one of the last Ceberi, a three-headed creature, dog-like if not for the burning red eyes, hellish voice, and the fact it was the size of a king-sized bed. “He’s comfortable. Stop calling him a walking stick.”
“I didn’t call him a walking stick,” said Archimedes, his spectacles sliding down his aristocratic nose.
“Yes, you did.”
“I called him a spear, being used for—” He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. “Nevermind. You know full well what I meant. And it wasn’t an opening line, just an observation.”
“Ah.” She rolled over on her back, thick swaths of Dionyro’s fur warm and soft against the bare skin of her arms. “Well, you should stick to writing plays. I really liked that last one you did – what was it? Smiling Without Teeth?”
“Varl – no! A Sharp-Toothed Smile, and it wasn’t a play, it was a historical retelling of the murder of Praetor Chanice.”
“Oh, right! Sorry. It was excellent.”
“You didn’t even watch it.”
“I did so.”
“You fell asleep eight minutes in. I noticed.”
She sighed and sat up, leaning back on her palms. The monster under her rolled slightly, but didn’t knock her off. All three heads let out a tired grunt. “You have my deepest apologies. I trained all day that day.”
“Naturally,” said Archimedes, tweaking his glasses.
His eyes were twitching, Varlet noticed – they did that when he tried not to roll them. “You might as well just groan and call me hopeless before you give yourself a seizure,” she advised.
He snapped shut the book in his hands and straightened. “Bear in mind what I said, young lady.”
She scoffed. “I’m three years your junior. Should I start calling you Grandpa?”
“Spear,” he said tartly. “Walking stick.” And with that he swept out of the room, his scholar’s robe crinkling like tissue paper as he shut the door behind him.
Varlet rolled off the Cerberi. “Don’t listen to him,” she said.
The massive black shape shifted and shrunk, growing smaller, though still a good bit larger than her. The humanoid figure, still covered in glossy black fur, stretched his legs out next to her. All three of his jackal-heads grinned at her, red tongues caged by white teeth the size of her thumb.
“I won’t,” he said.
