[Mkguild] Birth IV & V

[Alex Green]

On Fri, Dec 5, 2014 at 6:08 PM, Jack Moore <jackthefrilledlizard at yahoo.com>
wrote:

> AN: This would have gone up days ago but...life. Due to formatting
> problems with IV, resubmitting it. This is the end of it.
>
> March 17th, 707
>
> "Is he awake?"
>
> "I think so."
>
> I could hear voices. I scrunched my eyes closed as hard as I could. Wait,
> how can I feel this? I had been in a room with a ragman, now I felt like I
> was waking up.
>

Congratulations, you're alive.


>
> "Yep awake. Let's say hello."
>
> "You'll scare him. Let him wake up naturally." Two voices and I recognize
> neither. My sleepy brain filled in the blanks for me. Obviously, I'd been
> kidnapped and was being held hostage by two people for reasons I did not
> know.
>
> Now when you think you've been kidnapped, there is an easy way to tell. If
> for example, you are laying in a soft bed with your head wound treated,
> you've probably not been kidnapped.
>
> Statements like this are what qualify me to control a city.
>

I'm glad to see there are at least some standards.


>
> I could still feel my arms, but not move them. The two voices were talking
> but I felt a barrier between us.
>
> If you think you're qualified and your kidnappers are torturing you by
> putting you in a warm soft bed, you have several options. You can scream
> for help, that's always a popular one. You can try to escape. Or you can
> stealthily throw your arm around looking for something to hit them with.
>

If I can't see them, they can't see me.


>
> "What is he doing?"
>
> "I think he's looking for something to hit you with."
>
> [...]
>
> I felt the urge to open my eyes but tried to suppress it. Hot breath
> rolled across my face, I scrunched my nose. The urge to see what
> overwhelming. Can't keep the world out anymore. I opened my eyes.
>
> "Hi." A massive green scaled thing stared back at me. Okay, no need to
> panic James. Just react the most calm and rational way you can.
> "Die!"
>

The calm rational thoughts of a future ruler.


>
> I threw up my arms and reigned blows upon him.
>

Go future lord. Rule over those blows. (It's rained, in fact Google's
example sentence for the word is almost exactly this sentence minus the
first clause)


>
> I put all of my energy into every punch, making sure he felt my pain.
> "Feel the agony!" The green lizard man looked at the other figure and
> shrugged. "Why won't you die?"
>

Because he's not quite as fragile as you are.


>
> "A few reasons." I pounded away at the invincible lizard man. "You can
> stop now."
>
> "Never! I will escape this kidnapping!"
>
> "We're not kidnapping you." The lizard said.
>
> "Lies!"
>

Stick to the classics when it comes to uncomfortable truths. Deny
everything! You'll make a great leader.


>
> "Why would we want to?" The raccoon man asked. I tired pounding the
> lizard's
> face now. My problems included having no energy to fight, no plan of
> attack, no
> experience in fighting and no hope in general. "Cope knock him back down,
> he's going
> to hurt himself."
>
> "Alright." The lizard placed one finger between my eyes and pushed me
> down. I
> struggled valiantly under that finger.
>
> "Do not touch me!"
>

That's right, make lots of noise. Maybe you'll scare it off.


>
> "He's a grateful patient." The second speaker came closer, this one a
> raccoon
> an. 'Maybe I can beat him to death.'
>
> [...]
> When someone has done something nice for you like say, healed your nearly
> fatal
> head wound, there are several ways to react. The right way is to show
> gratitude. The
> wrong way is to follow my example.
>

Really? But you've been setting such an excellent example so far.


>
> "I'm done resting and this place smells like a barnyard." Because you
> usually see
> lizards and raccoons around barns moron.
>

Hey! It's no fun picking on you if you're just going to do it for me. (Also
not really relevant, but Chrome's spellchecker doesn't think "raccoons" is
a word and is suggesting I replace it with "accordions".)


> "I want to leave and I want to leave now.
> Where is this place?"
>
> "This is Metamor Keep, you—
>
> "I do not want to hear anything else!" I snapped. "This is the cursed
> place!"
>

Yes, that has been established. Good to see that your head wound is
healing.


>
> "Well yes and—
>
> "You will escort me out now." I said. "I won't hear another word!"
>
> "You're going to have too." The raccoon said. "My name is—
>
> "Don't care."
>

No wonder you're so bad with names.


>
> Now they both were looking annoyed.
>
> "You may call me Coe." The raccoon mumbled something else under his
> breath.
>
> "I'm a raccoon morph as you can tell, kind of a—
>
> "Don't care!"
>

Excellent people skills.


>
> [...]
>
> "I do not have to speak to you." I said. Yep James, just keep working
> those
> people skills. That'll endear you to many a reader.
>

Stop stealing my thunder.


>
> "I want to leave and you will escort
> me out immediately."
>
> "Okay your family will be coming here." The lizard said. "You just have to
> wait.
> My name is Copernicus, yours is James correct?"
>

At least someone in this room can remember names.


>
> "James of House Dorothea, oldest child, servant of the empire and future
> lord of Isenport."
> I said. Copernicus smiled. He was actually there for a reason, but we'll
> get to that later.
> "You will not address me; I do not wish to speak to you." I forced the
> covers off my
> body and gave a shriek. "What am I wearing!?"
>

Um... I don't know, how about clothes?


>
> "A tunic and pants." Coe said. I gripped the bed to avoid passing out. The
> feeling of this rough, ugly and dull cloth made my skin crawl. "What?"
>
> [...]
>
> "This is terrible!" I said. "The stitching on these pants are wretched, I
> could do a
> better job than this. I have done a better job than this! And why will you
> not explore
> colors outside of the beige spectrum?"
>

You show 'em what a manly modern man the future Lord of Isenport is. (Also,
the stitching 'is' wretched, not are.)


>
> "[...]
>
> "We thought you were dead!"
>
> "I'd rather have been than in this place." I said.
>

Careful what you wish for.


>
> [...]
>
> 'Their eyes are on you James. Show them you are strong.'
>
> I forced one foot forward. Then another. One two, one two over to a chair
> against the wall. Finally I collapsed, panting hard. "Ha!"
>

That'll show 'em. You made it all the way across the room before falling
over.


>
> "Was he supposed to be able to do that?" Copernicus asked.
>
> "Not as far as I know."
>
> [...]
>
> "You know, if you want to get out of here" Coe said, "Cope sometimes gives
> tours of this place." Cope shot the raccoon a death glare.
>
> "Why would I want to spend more time in this place with either of you?" I
> asked.
> "Ugh, it'll get me out of this room, I accept." That's so kind of you
> moron boy.
>

That's my line narrator.


>
> "Well I used to do tours." Copernicus said, "Uh not had the time anymore.
> Besides, aren't you too weak to be standing up?"
>
> "Are you trying to avoid me?" I asked. "I just said I'd allow you to show
> me
> around this backwater stain." Was I really this obnoxious?
>

Absolutely.


>
> "Can't imagine where you got that I idea." The lizard said. "Do you really
> think
> you're strong enough?"
>
> "I know it!"
>

No you don't.


>
> "Alright I can show you around." Cope, being far nice than I would have
> been,
> helped me too my feet and lead me out. He started talking I believe but I
> immediately
> blocked him out.
>

^comma after but.


>
> I moved through sheer force of will. Every step was labored and my muscles
> were virtually frozen. 'Can't let them see me look weak.'
>

It's not like they saw you covered in blood and nearly dead and fighting
for consciousness over the past two weeks or anything.


>
> [...]
>
> Isenport is not small. I'm used to seeing buildings stretching out in all
> directions
> with people crammed into them. What I wasn't used too was the image of a
> wolf on two
> legs and an utterly beautiful woman walking in front of me while
> discussing something.
>
> "…wow." I whispered. Cope smiled.
>

Finally, speechless.


>
> [...]
>
> "Done gawking?"
>
> "I wasn't gawking." I stammered. "Just wondering why we stopped moving. I
> don't want to just sit on my ass doing nothing." The smile was replaced by
> a frown. "Is
> there anywhere I can get very drunk while waiting?"
>
> "You could show some gratitude."
>

Him? I don't think he knows how.


>
> "Not to any of you." What an ass. "In fact I can't wait to leave this
> place. I bet
> you can't too." He shook his head. "What's that for? You're never going to
> see me
> again and thankfully I'll never see you."
>
> "You were in a bed for two weeks!" Cope said.
>
> "Yes we've established that."
>

You remembered something! You'll be over that head wound in no time.


>
> [...]
>
> "Feel the skin around your eyes." I didn't want to do what he asked, but
> even
> more than that I wanted quiet. So I reached up and touched the area beside
> my left eye.
> 'No no no no' I scrambled away from Cope, moving as fast as my frozen legs
> would carry me. 'Nononono' I stopped at the first window I could find and
> stared at my
> face.
>
> "No…" And golden eyes stared back at me. "No!" Across my nose were scales,
> small pebbles, cool to the touch. "Oh no no no I can't no no no."
>
> [...]
>
> "Am I cursed?" I asked.
>

No.


>
> "Yes."
>
> [...]
>
> "Don't touch me. Don't…damn it I didn't want this." Blood rushing through
> my
> ears blocked out the world and my head dipped between my knees. "I want
> this to stop,
> get me out of here."
>
> "James you—
>

^missing quotation mark.


>
> "Don't talk to me!" I cried. "Don't look at me, don't talk to me, leave me
> alone."
> Copernicus didn't say a word but he did sit beside me. He put an arm
> around me and I
> couldn't knock it off.
>
> For that I am grateful.
>
>
> When your life goes into a stop, you have two options. To try to pull out
> back to
> your previous pitch or to ride along with it until you reach the end.
> Often if you do not
> decide, life will decide for you.
>

^stall? and colon after options.


>
> [...]
>
> Four days passed before the moment I dreaded arrived.
>
> "Your family is here."
>
>
> Why did they leave the edge of the valley? Why did they wait so long? I
> knew
> walking out into the day light I wouldn't receive a satisfactory answer.
>

Maybe it's 'cause they didn't want to be cursed.


>
> [...]
>
> "It's me." I said. "This is me…" No it wasn't. It was a me half mutated
> and a
> flush with scales. This was not the me I had been.
>

Well, the new you can't be any worse than that you.


>
> [...]
>
> "This can't be happening." Father said.
>
> "Sir!" Nemo spoke up. "No matter what, this is your son. Maybe with more
> scales then the last time you saw him, but your oldest son none the less."
>
> "My son is not an animal."
>

Denial: an important trait in a modern man.


>
> [...]
>
> "You're still you no matter what." Muffin said. "What's Metamor Keep like?
> What are the people like?"
>
> "Strange." I said. "You wouldn't like it. They're rude and they don't
> listen to
> you when you talk." Muffin frowned. "What?"
>

No, you're just describing yourself.


>
> "Just surprised. I think this place is amazing."
>
> "Oh what do you know?" I snapped. She sighed.
>

See. She's just trying to help, and you keep brushing her off.


>
> "[...]
>
> "Yes I do." He swallowed. "My son was injured but the injuries were far
> worse
> than we thought."
>
> "…No"
>
> "When we found him, he was bleeding, near death. We got him to Metamor
> Keep
> to be healed but they couldn't do anything."
>
> "No!" The crowd of phantoms took a step away from us, yet kept watching.
>
> "My son died after eighteen days. His body was bloody and broken so we
> buried
> him on the journey."
>

Hey, you did wish you were dead.


>
> "I'm not dead!" I screamed. I lunged at my father but Nemo held me back.
> "Let
> go of me!"
>
> [...]
>
> "I'm not dead!"
>

Just keep denying it.


>
> [...]
>
> They walked out of my life and left me in a city of strangers.
>
> My hand grows tired. I will stop no
>

^now.


>
> We have no control over our first birth but we do over the many little
> births that
> follow. We choose them. We have no control over the many little deaths in
> our life
> though, no more than the final one.
>
> In front of people I would know, I experience my first death. This was to
> be one
> of the lowest points in my life, though not the lowest.
>
> At the time I was terrified. Now it seems foolish of me. This place was
> perfect to
> tame an obstreperous, licentious youth.
>
> I'll close by wishing all readers luck and encouragement. Nothing is as
> hard as it
> seems, not once you've survived your own death. And to you my friend,
> thanks for your
> encouragement to write this. May the blessings of Eli follow you.
>
> Your friend in the South
>
> J.
>
> AN: Thoughts still appreciated
>

Thoughts given.
__________________________________________________

WARNING: The preceding email contained scenes of extreme sarcasm and should
not have been read by individuals of a sensitive disposition.

Ugh, that took hours. No wonder no one does it anymore. Regardless, I
enjoyed the story, and I can't wait for the next one.

-AlexSurikat
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