15 May 2024

This poem is loosely based on a prompt I found on Tumblr through Catelyn Winona; a fantastic short story author, by the way. She wrote her own story based on it, and it got me thinking. I always like it when there’s at least one person who can see both sides.

Notes: For the sake of the meter, I considered “Family” to be 3 syllables and “general” to be 2.

“For what didst thou believe I journeyed here?

Whose fault, pray tell, that I am wrenched from home?

The beast is slain; here lies the demon felled.

And yet thou darest ask yet more of me?

My family to never see again,

Instead to aid the ones that plucked me hence?

If asked of thee, thou wouldst then hail me mad!”

The prince enraged, at first did think to duel

But blessed grace, the general intervened.

He bowed his head; “We thank you for your aid.

Please go in peace. I’ll handle matters here.”

The hero gone, the prince at once exclaimed,

“What treach’ry this? Our country could have saved,

Rebuilt, renewed, but now, the relic lost.”

The general raised a brow and waved behind.

“What’s there to see that’s left of palace yon?

How did it fall? What pow’r did that require?

In face of such, could thou a moment stand?

What fool, pray tell, would trade one foe for worse?

What’s more, he spoke the truth; canst thou deny?

Whate’er our wish, in truth we’ve done him ill.

What reason should he yield his hopes to us?”

Like fish on land, the prince gaped at the mouth.

The general clapped his back and turned. “Well, come.

There’s still much work to build our country new.”

29 April 2023 Notes

No main story for this date; I only brainstormed.

I am wiped. I did get the major assignment for my marketing class finished, though.

So where do I go today, then? It’s late and I want to keep this short… What else do I know or can I see about the Goddess of Battle story?

As I thought about it more, the idea of a modern fantasy take on the world when Kyra wakes up might not be so bad. Fit the aesthetic I first pictured her as… but I’m not sure.

jDon’t really have time to consider how the world evolved during her timeskip, though. Do I want to write about beating the demon lord in the first place? What did happen? Did they manage to knock him unconscious? Did they kill him, but his death wasn’t supposed to be permanent for some reason? …I like that. Did Kyra steal that ability from him somehow?

Who else was in the party? Kyra was a fighter/melee type; Fera was the cleric/healer priestess type; was there a prince? …Not likely. Probably a rogue–might even be Fera’s love interest–and a tank. Big knight/paladin type…

Decided I’m going to count my brainstorming today as my writing. So I’ll keep at it a little bit longer. Kyra was definitely not the leader; that was probably Fera, or maybe her and the paladin both. I’m thinking the paladin is surprisingly easy going, and soft-spoken. The sturdy, supportive type.

The rogue, though… What kind of rogue is he? Explicitly Robin Hood-y, or does he (try to) play everything off as for his own benefit? Considering the risks involved with facing this demon king, if he were truly selfish I don’t think he’d be there, but I don’t want him to just be a standard rogue, either. Hmm… Is he actually a cop with a roguish skill set? I’ll have to ponder that idea more…

What bits about the past, of Kyra’s mortal life pre-sealing, are actually relevant to the story? Defeating the demon king, of course, and losing her family. Does her dynamic with the other party members affect the present timeline at all? Or Kyra’s choices here? I’ll have to think on that…