DREAMS of a CLOUD
Peruse the many random ramblings of a writer-in-training as I build stories and develop my craft.
25 April 2024
No one is quite certain what spark first lit the blaze. Some claim a madman in A——, Marrue, attacked a young noblewoman and scarred her face. Others say the temple to the Rose in A——, Piege, closed their doors to all but the wealthiest of patrons, cutting the common folk off from their worship.
Whatever the case, the flames of war spread quickly.
18 December 2022
He looked disheveled, with ragged clothes and a patchy beard, but there was a ferocious gleam in his eye as he yelled out to the crowd.
“And what have they done for us? What good do their cries of love, or life, or beauty, do to solve our problems?”
Aislin watched for just a moment, and felt the emotions of the crowd shift and sway with every turn of the man’s words. She hurried away, as lead settled in her stomach.
4 December 2022
“The Lady of the Lost?”
Cordelia nodded. “The twin sister of the Eternal Rose. Some refer to her as the Queen of the Forgotten or the Shadowed Princess, as well, because she’s become the patron goddess of the downtrodden.”
30 October 2022
“It’s such a small thing, I know. But seeing that reminded me that the world is still beautiful, and I could be a part of that.” She placed her hand over the old woman’s. “I can’t promise when it will happen, but you’ll be able to be a part of that again too. I believe the Rose can weave even our pain into something beautiful.”
23 October 2022
One day, in the evening after Aislin had washed up, she entered the main hall and found an older woman, who appeared to be overwhelmed with the grandiose nature of the main hall. With a gentle smile, Aislin approached the older woman. “Good evening. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Oh, um, no, that’s alright.” She looked up at Aislin and relaxed a bit. “I just wanted to think for a moment.”
Aislin studied the woman. “If you prefer, we also have a small garden over this way. It might be easier to think there.”
16 October 2022
The high priestess led Aislin deeper into the temple to a moderately large courtyard garden. At the center, a statue of a beautiful woman extended her right hand to offer a rose, while her left hand rested on a sheathed sword. Around the statue, and even creeping up it, the garden was overgrown, and very much at odds with the carefully arranged design of the rest of the temple.
“No one is allowed in this garden except those who are attempting the trial.”
13 October 2022
Confused, Aislin asked the high priestess, “Is this truly the temple of the Eternal Rose?”
“But of course!” the high priestess replied. “Do you not see the grandeur that surrounds you? To whom else would this temple belong?”
Aislin took another look around the temple. “Certainly, it looks very costly. But what about all this is beautiful?”
9 October 2022
When Aislin (pronounced Ashlynn) lost Matthias, her husband of only two months, she also lost herself. Family and friends offered their condolences; the priests of Father Death offered her what solace they could. Aislin even appreciated it; there was no guarantee she would have made it the next few months without their support.
But nothing really broke through that grayness she felt. Everything seemed meaningless. Rote. Empty. There was a hole where her heart had been, and nothing could help it heal.