New and diving in mid-serial? You're welcome to start right from the beginning of Season 2 (once it releases), using this post as a recap. I know it’s hard to catch up on longer series, so I thought I’d give this time of between-seasons recap a try.
You can find the first chapter of Torn Asunder - Season 1 here.
This post is a part of Bradley Ramsey ‘s Flash Fiction February!
Prompt: Write a story or poem about two lovers who find themselves on opposing sides of a large-scale battle.
Event Directory:
XXX Wails of L’Sunder: Temple XXX, Theophor - Year XXX
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L’SUNDER
A lone ship descended upon the temple’s courtyard, its sleek white body cutting through clouds of storm and feather, appearing alien against the ancient cathedral below. One ship. But it was enough to block out the sky.
In spite of the obstruction, the battlefield did not darken. He could clearly see the forces of the pegasus riders below, hunkering down on their horses, bodies and mounts protected by vests of loosely welded scrap metal. They were all staring at him. They could still see him clearly.
Because he was blazing. From the lowering mouth of the ship’s exit ramp, he stood, his militant white cloak billowing as oxygen poured in. The breeze was harsh, but he forced his back to stay straight, his feet anchored down by pure gravity. He couldn’t move - not due to the ship’s gravity fields, but the magic he was using to power them. He felt the fire in his bones, stretching the cells of his body apart, threatening to make his old and weary ribcage burst.
Even the slightest amount of his magic sent an orange glow radiating from him. The shapes of his mask, a moon and star overlapping, were obscured by the light. He took a breath, and let it release, the battlefield brightening like a scorchingly sunny day in the middle of summer.
Because he was the Sun.
That first blast left him winded, black spots dancing before his eyes. They collided together, black holes swelling to reveal visions, wormholes to times that once were…
L’Sunder. Not one person, a title, passed down from various figures of legend said to make peace between the ever-warring Goddess of The Stars, Gi, and the God of The Moon, Theo…
It was once found by a rebellious cleric of Theo, named Festor, who hid his Gi-Blessed at a time when her Blessing was considered Forbidden. His secret society grew in the shadows, hiding from the man who enacted the policies barring Gi-Blessed from the clergy: Davodson Lunik the Fifth.
Images flashed by too fast for L’Sunder to track…
A rising Grandfather. Echoes of other worlds called him a Pope. Five personal advisors. A masked priest. A blonde with black streaking his hair. A letter opener. Davodson Lunik the Fifth. Festor Armston. A terrifying friendship. A fatal handshake…
Words rang in L’Sunder’s ears: “Go for the heart if you have to?”
By Il Luna! What did that mean?
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And then his vision cleared. To see large, mottled gray pegasus sweeping down to land on the ship’s balcony. Its rider was masked, like him, plumes of violet and electric green feathers surrounding their beaklike faceplate. L’Sunder rushed to the edge of the platform, grabbing his moonstone staff. A pulsing white forcefield rippled out from it, blocking the pair from landing.
The air tasted of iron and raspberries. Not a pleasant sweetness, but a sign of The Goddess of Love’s magic gone too far. The Moon’s territory had been brought to ruin below.
And blood. L’Sunder’s stomach plummeted. They’d killed more of his own, hadn’t they?
“Why are you doing this?!” he shouted, his voice hidden by his mask. The rider knew who he was in spite of this. And they knew his power. “I offered you the chance to walk away! All I asked was not to hurt anyone. And you insist on shedding blood…”
“We’re not leaving. Not until we set my love free,” a laser bow clicked as the pegasus’s wings beat against the forcefield.
“That’s what this is about?!” L’Sunder’s staff screeched against the spaceship floor. It hummed with sparks. His steady tone broke - perhaps the Stars’ magic was getting to him. “No. I will not let you shatter my faith again.”
“I know that’s not true! You’re afraid…” the pegasus rider barked. Their mount pulled backwards, then zipped into the forcefield again. Hooves carved into moonlight. The shield shattered.
He was going to need to use that magic again. L’Sunder began preparing another blast, a mixture of hot anger and literal fire gurgling up from the galactic reactor in his body. He heard threads tear. Felt the metal of the staff around his hand start to melt.
The pegasus rider’s mask protected their voice - uncertain if they were male or female, young or old. But one thing came through clearly. Desperation. It wasn’t hostile, but it was relentless, conviction so tight L’Sunder could feel the grip of it tightening over him.
“I won’t believe you until you tell the world who you really are!”
The mage gritted his teeth. He took a step forward, every motion feeling like breaking against the laws of gravity itself. Black spots pulsed over his vision again as magic prepared to unleash. In spite of the first flares of a supernova leaking over him, his shout came out the loudest.
“Ha! Fine, I fell for you! You were charming, and it tested me. But after what you’ve done…”
L’Sunder’s mask clanged against the edge of the spaceship, and fell.
“How could you possibly believe I ever loved you?”
Find fun Extras like guides for making your own cards, browse the full Catalogue of CroXcards games and stories, and visit our Museum for scrapped content and deleted scenes.
I think you did a good job fuffilling the prompt firstly. Your prose is really good as usual and it's technically very well written.
I loved your take on the prompt, and your writing voice is fantastic, drew me right in to your world.✨🦋