Vines entangled the crumbling temple, holding its shattered pieces intact. Trees that stood high above, casted massive shadows beneath. Their thick trunks could have stood there for a millenia. Daniel stood on a rocky patio, far overgrown with grass and weeds. In reality though, it was probably more foliage than rock. In a moment, he fell from exhaustion, and sighed as he stared up at the leaves and branches a mile up.
It had been almost 2 days of climbing. They called the mountain “Tevers Trial”. A massive flight of stairs that never seemed to end. There were no beasts, nor serious weather threats, but the size of the stairs had merely been enough to qualify as an obstacle.
After a short rest, catching his breath in the thin and high air, Daniel stood up, staggering at the same time. Wearily, he stepped towards the temple before him, and peered inside a giant hole that probably acted as a door. In the darkness of the building, he could make out a figure, and cautiously stepped inside. The air was cooler, thicker, and struck Daniel unexpectedly. As he began to greet the figure, he paused midway through the first word.
Rather than an old man, time touched by years of war and knowledge, the figure seemed to be a young boy. He sat atop a stone box, eyes shut in a meditation, and didnt seem to notice Daniels entrance. Confusion arose in Daniels mind, and he stood blankly as he recollected his thought. He clearly remembered the scrolls stating that his master would be atleast 500 years old at this point.
“Um, h-hello?”, Daniel called out, “Is Master Kuzchico available?” He struggled to pronounce the name properly. The boy opened a singular eye, then smiled, and singled Daniel over.
“You must be Daniel. My messengers told me about you”, His voice struck a dissonant chord, and seemed off putting. Part of it remained almost jarringly high and childish, however it seemed as if authority and wisdom had been intertwined through every word.
“Yes I am.”, Daniel stated, feeling uncertain as he spoke to the child instead of a great old man. “Who are you?”
“Your tone is brash, young one” The boy said slyly, casting a simple grin. He seemed to put extra emphasis on the word ‘young’. “Haven’t you learned to respect your elders, let alone your master? I am the master Kuzchico you speak of!”
For a fleeting second Daniel stared dumbstruck. “That’s about the common response” The boy said flatly.
“But aren’t you supposed to be over 500 years old?”
Master Kuzchico squinted at Daniel, as if that were a stupid question.
“When you say that, you do speak the truth. I understand your confusion, but let me tell you about myself. At the young age of 13, as I look right now, I was struck with a curse that could never let me die. Immortality. But It wasn’t as great of a tale that the people would have liked to hear. Scholars and adventurers like yourself had been searching for the cure to life for well over 1000 years. Young me had simply stumbled upon it while exploring a hidden grotto in the Westerland Passes. “
But I was still destined to be a great master, as my young self was training to get this position. I come from a long line of people who train adventurers to save the world from evil. I’ve taught others, but none have made it. It has been a long long time since my last disciple. Boredom has really struck me, my child. I don’t even need to eat or drink. ”
“But,” he said softly, “I suppose that takes us here…”
Master Kuzchico had begun to stand, bones cracking as he shifted and stretched his body. He staggered, his body in a torpor state, having gotten used to staying still. He grabbed a walking stick of warped wood from the side of the stone box he had been sitting on. With short steps he slowly made his way towards Daniel.
“Your eyes glow cyan in the dusk, like the native Haepherion flower.”
“Sorry, what?” Daniel replied.
“Its a resilient flower, but I don’t know if I can say the same about you.” Master Kuzchico said wickedly, and Daniel seemed taken aback. “However, don’t worry my friend, I can feel something in you.” He began to walk again, but this time went past Daniel without looking back.
“Don’t you know? Your eyes speak something about you that your words do not. Still, you, look respect, even in common conversation. Therefore I’ve got to beat some sense into you.?” Master Kuzchico said in the doorway of the temple. He turned around, facing Daniel once again.
“Come on, my child. “ Master Kuzchico said smiling, his face obscured by the bright sunlight cast behind him. “I’ve got a disrespectful child to train. And you have a world to save.”
This is a short story inspired by the prompt:
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Story Source:
[WP] The hero stared at the boy who was supposed to be his wise old master. “Word of advice. If you ever achieve immortality then wait till you’re at least 20”, he said in a high pitched voice.
byu/Reasonable-Disaster inWritingPrompts
Image Source
This Crazy Concept Art Is For A Fantasy Samurai Movie Made With Puppets
The image is a piece of concept art for a short film called The Haunted Swordsman.
