Post by Lorpius Prime on Oct 6, 2007 2:22:40 GMT -5
John Garvan Duggan - In the Hall of the Mountain King
Jack had been shot once before, it was the worst feeling of his life. For a brief moment, there wasn’t any pain, just a sharp sense of impact. But the pain had come soon enough that first time, augmented by a broken collarbone when he fell off his horse.
The second time hurt much less. The first shot felt like someone had punched him hard in the chest, and breathing suddenly became much more difficult. He found it impossible to remain standing, and fell sideways onto the ground instead. Mud cushioned his fall and Jack’s face nestled into the damp grass.
He felt the smack of two more bullets, and suddenly he felt very light-headed, there was no pain at all, and the sense of worry and dread left him in an instant. A booted foot rolled Jack over onto his back, and he was aware of a bayonet sliding between his ribs to pierce his other lung. He couldn’t breathe at all now, but Jack didn’t care.
Jack smiled up at the five figures standing over him. Four of them were soldiers, the ones who had shot him, they were hard-faced and muttering amongst one another. The fifth smiled back at Jack. He was wrapped in a black cloak and hood, his face was craggy and browned with age. A long, crooked nose hung over his mouth, which showed a mismatched set of yellowed teeth. The soldiers didn’t seem as if they could see him.
The hooded man, who had one green eye and one blue eye, reached down to offer Jack a hand. It was a friendly gesture, and Jack grasped the thin, pointed fingers in his own.
And the world ceased to be.
The one which replaced it was bright and richly colored. Jack found himself sitting near the bank of a small clear brook, on either side of which grew fields of wildflowers in bloom. The transition seemed entirely proper, and Jack thought little of it, except to admire the beauty of the scene.
He stood up and brushed some stray debris from his coat. Blood leaked from several holes in his chest, but it wasn’t a concern, and the wounds did not hurt at all.
Jack found that the man who had brought him here was still before him. Standing, Jack could see that he was much smaller than he had appeared earlier, perhaps only half of Jack’s height.
The little man was dressed differently now. His black cloak and hood had been replaced by green traveling robes and, Jack cocked his head in curiosity, a golden crown. The crown ringed a lumpy head nearly bare except for a few wispy strands of grayed black hair. The ears on which the crown rested were large and pointed.
The odd creature produced a gnarled wooden walking stick from beneath its robes, then grinned at Jack from beneath its crooked nose. He held out his hand once more and beckoned for Jack to follow, and Jack did.
A great mountain rose out of the earth at the edge of the field of flowers. At the base of the slope, they came across a young girl, seated and picking flowers to place in a basket. As they passed, she sprang to her feet and Jack saw that she was the same kind of creature as his guide. She looked up at Jack and smiled and her entire face seemed to glow with a golden light as she did so. Then she and the little man embraced and Jack could see that he must be her father. She set into some kind of twirling dance of joy while his guide indicated that they should carry on.
They came to a pair of willow trees which guarded the mouth of a cave, an entrance into the mountain. Jack knew that this is where they were going, and indeed his guide held up his arms in a wide gesture, and the hanging branches parted like curtains to allow them inside. Still following his dwarfish companion, Jack stepped into the dark portal.
There was a heavy clang behind them, and Jack looked back to find that the entrance had been sealed by two massive wooden doors. Each was inlaid with silver in the image of a great willow tree.
He turned forward again to find the little man facing Jack and leaning on his walking stick. Once more, he bared his crooked teeth in a smile.
“Welcome,” he said. The voice had an odd rattling quality to it, like someone was shaking a bundle of wooden sticks inside his throat.
The interior of the cavern was lit in the soft orange glow of two ranks of torches, which proceeded from the doorway to light a path towards a raised platform. The light intensified as Jack’s guide gestured around the chamber.
“This is my kingdom.”
Jack nodded appreciatively.
It was a palace, a palace beneath the mountain, and this was a grand chamber. The walls, which stretched up and far out of sight, were each a single enormous piece of marble carved with strange runes which ran vertically into the dark heights of the cavern.
The floor seemed more natural, but no less extraordinary. The torchlit pathway was solid gold and seemed as if it had flowed in molten form from deep inside the mountain and cooled.
The platform set upon the path, which Jack could clearly see now, was black marble. It was a series of broad steps leading to a dais and throne. Two thrones, actually. The slightly smaller one, on the right was occupied. Its occupant was the same sort of creature as the little man, older and more dignified than the girl outside. She glowed slightly, a colorful shine like diamonds. Jack could see that she was the Queen of the Mountain, the wife of his guide.
The little man had straightened his back and turned, and was now marching regally up the path towards his throne. Jack followed, but stopped at the bottom of the steps. He was not allowed to climb them.
His guide, the King, did. And took his seat at the throne. The King and Queen considered him impassively. A little anxious, Jack shifted his weight from one foot to another.
But they seemed to judge him well, for the King clapped his tiny hands together, and the chamber shook from the impressive sound. Jack watched the torches flicker in awe.
From behind the throne platform came another girl like the one Jack had met outside. She carried in her hands an enormous iron cauldron. It was nearly as tall as she was, but she bore the weight seemingly without effort. She set the blackened vessel directly in front of Jack, it reached up to his stomach. Then she retreated to stand at the base of the steps, and smiled so sweetly that Jack could only smile back. He peered into the cauldron, at its bottom was a fine layer of grey ash, in which sat a single bleached-white skull. The empty eye sockets seemed to look up at Jack.
Jack himself, after considering the cauldron‘s contents, raised his own eyes back to his hosts. The girl was still smiling, but the faces of the King and Queen were somber. After a pause, the King clasped his hands in front of him, and nodded.
Jack nodded back, smiled once more at the girl, and knelt in front of the cauldron, holding his head high. The girl, from her white robes, drew out a long silver dagger, its blade curved like a flame. She raised it high in her right hand, and stepped toward Jack.
Book One, Chapter:
-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-
-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40-41-42-
-43-44-45-46-47-48-49-50-51-52-53-54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61-62-
Appendix: -A-B-C-
Jack had been shot once before, it was the worst feeling of his life. For a brief moment, there wasn’t any pain, just a sharp sense of impact. But the pain had come soon enough that first time, augmented by a broken collarbone when he fell off his horse.
The second time hurt much less. The first shot felt like someone had punched him hard in the chest, and breathing suddenly became much more difficult. He found it impossible to remain standing, and fell sideways onto the ground instead. Mud cushioned his fall and Jack’s face nestled into the damp grass.
He felt the smack of two more bullets, and suddenly he felt very light-headed, there was no pain at all, and the sense of worry and dread left him in an instant. A booted foot rolled Jack over onto his back, and he was aware of a bayonet sliding between his ribs to pierce his other lung. He couldn’t breathe at all now, but Jack didn’t care.
Jack smiled up at the five figures standing over him. Four of them were soldiers, the ones who had shot him, they were hard-faced and muttering amongst one another. The fifth smiled back at Jack. He was wrapped in a black cloak and hood, his face was craggy and browned with age. A long, crooked nose hung over his mouth, which showed a mismatched set of yellowed teeth. The soldiers didn’t seem as if they could see him.
The hooded man, who had one green eye and one blue eye, reached down to offer Jack a hand. It was a friendly gesture, and Jack grasped the thin, pointed fingers in his own.
And the world ceased to be.
* * *
The one which replaced it was bright and richly colored. Jack found himself sitting near the bank of a small clear brook, on either side of which grew fields of wildflowers in bloom. The transition seemed entirely proper, and Jack thought little of it, except to admire the beauty of the scene.
He stood up and brushed some stray debris from his coat. Blood leaked from several holes in his chest, but it wasn’t a concern, and the wounds did not hurt at all.
Jack found that the man who had brought him here was still before him. Standing, Jack could see that he was much smaller than he had appeared earlier, perhaps only half of Jack’s height.
The little man was dressed differently now. His black cloak and hood had been replaced by green traveling robes and, Jack cocked his head in curiosity, a golden crown. The crown ringed a lumpy head nearly bare except for a few wispy strands of grayed black hair. The ears on which the crown rested were large and pointed.
The odd creature produced a gnarled wooden walking stick from beneath its robes, then grinned at Jack from beneath its crooked nose. He held out his hand once more and beckoned for Jack to follow, and Jack did.
A great mountain rose out of the earth at the edge of the field of flowers. At the base of the slope, they came across a young girl, seated and picking flowers to place in a basket. As they passed, she sprang to her feet and Jack saw that she was the same kind of creature as his guide. She looked up at Jack and smiled and her entire face seemed to glow with a golden light as she did so. Then she and the little man embraced and Jack could see that he must be her father. She set into some kind of twirling dance of joy while his guide indicated that they should carry on.
They came to a pair of willow trees which guarded the mouth of a cave, an entrance into the mountain. Jack knew that this is where they were going, and indeed his guide held up his arms in a wide gesture, and the hanging branches parted like curtains to allow them inside. Still following his dwarfish companion, Jack stepped into the dark portal.
There was a heavy clang behind them, and Jack looked back to find that the entrance had been sealed by two massive wooden doors. Each was inlaid with silver in the image of a great willow tree.
He turned forward again to find the little man facing Jack and leaning on his walking stick. Once more, he bared his crooked teeth in a smile.
“Welcome,” he said. The voice had an odd rattling quality to it, like someone was shaking a bundle of wooden sticks inside his throat.
The interior of the cavern was lit in the soft orange glow of two ranks of torches, which proceeded from the doorway to light a path towards a raised platform. The light intensified as Jack’s guide gestured around the chamber.
“This is my kingdom.”
Jack nodded appreciatively.
It was a palace, a palace beneath the mountain, and this was a grand chamber. The walls, which stretched up and far out of sight, were each a single enormous piece of marble carved with strange runes which ran vertically into the dark heights of the cavern.
The floor seemed more natural, but no less extraordinary. The torchlit pathway was solid gold and seemed as if it had flowed in molten form from deep inside the mountain and cooled.
The platform set upon the path, which Jack could clearly see now, was black marble. It was a series of broad steps leading to a dais and throne. Two thrones, actually. The slightly smaller one, on the right was occupied. Its occupant was the same sort of creature as the little man, older and more dignified than the girl outside. She glowed slightly, a colorful shine like diamonds. Jack could see that she was the Queen of the Mountain, the wife of his guide.
The little man had straightened his back and turned, and was now marching regally up the path towards his throne. Jack followed, but stopped at the bottom of the steps. He was not allowed to climb them.
His guide, the King, did. And took his seat at the throne. The King and Queen considered him impassively. A little anxious, Jack shifted his weight from one foot to another.
But they seemed to judge him well, for the King clapped his tiny hands together, and the chamber shook from the impressive sound. Jack watched the torches flicker in awe.
From behind the throne platform came another girl like the one Jack had met outside. She carried in her hands an enormous iron cauldron. It was nearly as tall as she was, but she bore the weight seemingly without effort. She set the blackened vessel directly in front of Jack, it reached up to his stomach. Then she retreated to stand at the base of the steps, and smiled so sweetly that Jack could only smile back. He peered into the cauldron, at its bottom was a fine layer of grey ash, in which sat a single bleached-white skull. The empty eye sockets seemed to look up at Jack.
Jack himself, after considering the cauldron‘s contents, raised his own eyes back to his hosts. The girl was still smiling, but the faces of the King and Queen were somber. After a pause, the King clasped his hands in front of him, and nodded.
Jack nodded back, smiled once more at the girl, and knelt in front of the cauldron, holding his head high. The girl, from her white robes, drew out a long silver dagger, its blade curved like a flame. She raised it high in her right hand, and stepped toward Jack.
Book One, Chapter:
-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-
-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40-41-42-
-43-44-45-46-47-48-49-50-51-52-53-54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61-62-
Appendix: -A-B-C-