Blue Raja
Descens
Offline
Rediscovering An Ancient Skill
Posts: 217
|
Here is a draft chapter from "Gentleman Zombie Hunter." I am looking for comments and/or critiques. As indicated, two of the characters are accomplished slingers:
Sir Jonah, breathing heavily from the exertion, his brow beaded with sweat despite the cool air, managed an awkward pirouette to bring his last dart to bear on the hulking horror that was closing in on Singh. With this brief respite, Singh managed to draw his kirpan and dispatched three more night creatures with efficient strokes. The alley was littered with their remains, the cobble stones sticky with foul smelling liquids oozing from dismembered parts.
“I fear that I am out of darts, old friend,” Sir Jonah wheezed. “Can barely manage my stick, let alone the sword.”
“Take a rest, Sir Jonah.” Singh crouched in front of him, his kirpan held forward to attain the widest arc of destruction.
Sir Jonah stood back, practicing the breathing technique that Aasa taught him, gathering his strength and vowing to stay by Singh no matter what might transpire. A nerve-grating howl pierced the stillness. Sir Jonah and Singh both ignored it and continued their deliberate breathing.
Sir Jonah raised his right hand to his piezo-electric earpiece. He discerned a whooshing sound, followed by a sharp crack. Out of nowhere, round projectiles flew unerringly into the denizens of darkness, nocking them clean off their shambling feet.
“What manner of …” Sir Jonah gasped as he watched the night horrors felled in rapid succession.
“May I suggest that we accept the gift and not count the teeth?” Singh sprang towards the fallen creatures, his kirpan making short work of them.
Sir Jonah, now greatly recovered, ranged on Singh’s flank, using both stick and sword with renewed vigor.
The projectiles continued to smash into the horrors with deadly accuracy. Another series of piercing howls and the few remaining creatures shambled in retreat.
Sir Jonah and Singh covered each other and waited cautiously until all appeared clear. Sir Jonah held his hand lightly on is hearing piece, his head cocked slightly.
“A girl or young woman, roughly 30 yards, near that shop.” Sir Jonah whispered to Singh.
“To whom do we owe our eternal gratitude?” Singh called to the shadows cast by a willowy figure.
“Is it safe now, Uncle?” Ajinder cautiously stepped forward. “I did everything that you taught me and stayed well back from the fray. I let the sling’s momentum carry the missiles, it was more or less a math problem, much like billiards.”
“Ajinder!” Singh said sharply. “I taught you the sling for an amusement from your studies and as a way of taking some fresh air. Never in my wildest of dreams could I have imagined…” Singh trailed off, exasperated with his niece. “Pray that Auntie does not discover the danger… if you should come to any harm, she would….”
“Save your prayers, Simranjit, Auntie knows all about the foolishness with which you encourage this child.” Aasa stepped forward from the shadows. That Sir Jonah’s hearing piece could not discern her demonstrated her remarkable breath control.
“Aasa,” Singh said incredulously.
“Do not ‘Aasa’ me Simramjit. And be grateful that I discovered your foolishness. You taught the child all wrong. Are you so busy pretending to be English that you managed to forget even the most simplest of things? I had to un-teach her all of your lessons. Fortunately, the child is bright and a quick study.”
Dressed identically in dark clothes with simple leather bags to carry their lead missiles and beautifully crafted slings of finely woven wool and tapered leather thongs, Aasa and Ajinder stood side by side, twin goddesses of destruction.
|