Bloody platter of siege

Seize each and every opportunity, for it may be your last.

Lila had never been in a battle of this scale before. Her heart was pounding in her chest as enemies and allies alike dropped dead around her. Her clothes where covered in blood and she didn't even know if they were winning.  She and her officers were stationed not too far from the enemy wall, but just far enough to avoid being pierced by arrows. Not long into the battle, the news came that they were greatly outnumbered and defeat was imminent. It was an ill prepared siege and the defending forces had received reinforcements just before the attack. Lila had no overview whatsoever and didn't even know her officers by name. They despised her, they didn't like her orders and even laughed at her when she proposed a retreat. Apparently, Rebels do not retreat in the face of danger. Ever. 

In this case though, Lila saw no danger, only failure. She sighed. One of the officers had enough of her attitude. He walked up to her to show her what it was like to be a Rebel and raised his sword. Lila saw no danger again and her eyes gathered a lilac glow. At that moment, a spear pierced the officer's heart. Immediately after, another one joined him in death. About thirty men had made it to her band of six officers. The lilac glow was already empowering her soul and she smiled. The officers turned into gigantic black bears because of her magic and their berserk mode defended her and her pride. Skin was torn, limbs snatched off and heads smashed to bloody pieces. Some bears wouldn't make the retreat, but the ones that did, would survive the day. She'd rather be a living coward, able to prove herself another day, than an heroic corpse, lying in the mud.

(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 14 of the web story)

The enemy of my enemy

When a treachery proposal is the only possible one, it becomes considerable.

The fatty man sat down on a strong chair made out of stone. He smiled mysteriously.
"My little mice tell me your powers are without limits. Tell me more about them, child."
Lila grinned.
"Well, I am a Reaper and the souls I collect grant me my powers. With those, I can control people's actions. Necromancers and other Reapers are the exception, as they pay their own souls to Death in order to be able to release others. The sad thing is that every power is limited. If I don't free souls, then my powers diminish."
The Soulless rose and slapped her in the face and continued with contempt.
"You things do not free souls. You enslave and kill them. They are a natural element in this world."
Lila rubbed her sore cheek and eye before she answered.
"How can you be sure? I believe something else."
He grabbed her throat and looked her in the eye.
"I think you don't even have a clue what you're talking about and I should kill you on the spot."
Lila pushed away his hand and rose too. She started walking back to her prison cell until the Soulless pushed her against the wall. He came very close, which gave Lila a close-up of his fat face. She was clearly disgusted by it, which the Soulless seemed to take as a compliment. He smiled.
"Still, I know you only have enemies. And those happen to be my enemies too. I heard you're able to enhance Rebel bears' strength. I'll get you the necessary feed, and in return, you help me to create a safe place for the souls. You command and strengthen my warriors. I could use your powers and you could be mighty. "
"You want me to kill my own kind and become a master of your army?"
He pushed her back into the cell.
"Think about the power."

A blood red square

When you can't go on or back, stand tall and fight with the weapons you possess.

She started running without hesitation, but some black bears stood in her way very quickly. The lilac glow filled her eyes. The bears did not know what happened to them and they started fighting among each other. As she looked around, some soul enslaving Necromancers started to advance towards her. She sighed. The two bears charged them and fought viciously. The square was filled with confusion and chaos. A band of soldiers came rushing towards the fight and turned against the Necromancers too. They were no ordinary ones though, as their army of souls was massive and easily cut through her converted bears and humans. Blood colored the streets and the smell of death was everywhere. Another few Necromancers joined the fight, and that's when the man from before joined the battle. He took Lila by her arm and created a magical shield around them, deflecting every projectile swung at them. Her eyes brightened and she turned her magic towards the man. His magic exploded and the whole square was hit by the huge shockwave this created. Souls incinerated, people were thrown in the air and windows shattered. Lila took the surprised man by his hand and together they ran towards the house. There, Lila realized she was too late. The mistress of the house, who was still under the remnants of Lila's spell, was sitting on the ground, weeping over the recently murdered boy. Lila walked closer and put her hand on the woman's head. She let hers down quietly.

(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 10 of the web story)

A birthday and festvity

Thou shalt not steal... in an better world.

The city was filled with markets and festivity. Parades and spectators marched through the streets while Lila was looking for some food. She carried along a small basket and stole some vegetables at different stands. One of the merchants caught her and tried to grab her by the arm. She managed to escape and ran off with a smile on her face. A soldier had witnessed the commotion and chased her. At another square, she came across a parade with an elephant. Lila used her magic on the animal, it left its route and stood between the two. The lonely soldier quaked with fear as the elephant threatened to charge towards him. Lila smirked and walked up to the soldier.
"There's no need to worry, sir. Just let me go cook for a sick child on my birthday."
The soldier backed off but kept staring at the elephant. Lila walked away carefully, but did not help to change the situation. As she was roaming the streets happily, she heard a voice behind her.
"How is the child?"

(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 9 of the web story)

Tearful eyes

When life escalates, responsability becomes a burden to bear.

The boy was in bad shape and Lila had no other choice than to to take care of him. He was the only one who could tell her what was going on. She carried him towards a small house adjacent to a church. An old man opened the door. When he didn't want to let an exhausted looking girl carrying an unconscious boy in, Lila did not hesitate to use her magic to change his mind. But her lilac glow only made him grab a large dagger and summon a bloodred soul to charge Lila. It grew a lion's head and left paw. Lila dropped the boy and dodged an attack. She charged the old man and disarmed him quickly. She tried to dodge another attack dealt by the soul, but it slashed a deep wound into her upper arm. Turning in pain, she saw an opportunity to cut the soul aggressively. In the heat of the moment, she kept going and stabbed the old man, mortally wounding him. As he collapsed, Lila noticed his wife had seen everything. She stood there frozen to the ground, carrying a meatcleaver, ready to help her husband. After a dreadful stare, she used her lilac glow on her, soothing her tearful eyes. Lila carried the boy inside and sat down next to the woman. She put her hand on her shoulder and knew she had won nothing that night...

(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 8 of the web story)

Lost in souls

You don't stop a train of thought without facing the consequences.

She transcended, that's what her father had always told her. She had escaped the boring life as a mere human being to become a Reaper. Her father had taught her everything about being there for the lost souls of Men. Every freed soul would grant her more power. But she should never kill to be able to claim those souls. As she was thinking, she crossed a bridge. At both sides, a man came walking up to her. One of them smirked at her and pulled out a knife. They had noticed the golden necklace around her neck. But when they were within reach, they had a change of heart. Lila used her magic to such great level that the two men walked up to each other and stabbed one another to death for her. She smiled as she hesitated to collect their souls alongside those of their previous victims. Her hand caressed the souls, collecting them slowly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
More souls found peace that day.

(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 6 of the web story)

Another question unanswered

When guilt meets doubt...

Lila's eyes were filled with regret as she gazed upon the blood and flesh hanging from the girl's scratched bones. The black bear's rage did not end just yet as he turned his massive body towards Lila. The lilac glow she emitted took him by surprise. He sat down like a pup, let down his head and slowly turned into a young man. Lila had heard of a movement of people who fought against the ones who collect souls. They possessed the ability to shapeshift and were known to fight for their freedom. All Lila knew was that she set those poor souls free, and that's why they granted her a fraction of their powers to enhance her magic. After a moment of thought, she walked away from the youngster and squatted near the corpse. There was no soul lingering around, nothing to collect and not even a thing to remind her of the girl she chased to her death. She rose back to her feet and started walking South. Away from the forest, with only more sadness and questions roaming her head.
She knew she had to know.



The new Two Steps from Hell album!




(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 5 of the web story)

Friend or savior

How will you achieve absolute freedom?

Wandering through a cold forest for days had frozen up her blood and bones. Lila was determined to find the girl she had met at the village some nights ago. She arrived at a small camp that was obviously abandoned in a rush. She looked how the girl that had run away was reaching out to two wandering souls. She touched them and they changed colors. From white to red. Lila couldn't believe her eyes. What had happened to those poor souls? A loud roar stopped her from advancing. Two big black bears came charging towards the girl. The floating souls charged back at them, obviously commanded by the girl. One of the souls grew arms with claws, the other one an undead unicorn head. They fought viciously and managed to keep one of the bears at bay. The other one was obviously too strong for the girl. Lila ran over and raised her arms while jumping between them. Even though she feared failure, she took a big risk. The bear's eyes were filled with anger, but softened as they gazed upon Lila's aura. As the bear backed down slowly and let down its massive claw, Lila watched how the red souls had slaughtered the other bear and were returning to their master. She closed her eyes and walked away, allowing the bear to strike down the girl she first wanted to protect. As the girl screamed in agony, Lila freed her slave souls. 

She knew they would be free forever now.

(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 5 of the web story)

Life in all its beauty

This lyrics I wrote for my brother were too poetic. So I decided to here them with you all here.

I sure do hope you like them as a poem!

I

The world in all its beauty

Had never been this empty

When stripped of all its colors

Coated in white covers

When seasons skipped each other

Spring wouldn't even bother

The sun will parch the Earth 

And vaporize the snow

Autumn would cool it down

But all had been burned

I wonder if there will ever 

be another summer?

II

particle accelerator

from lover to hater

atoms shake and shiver

just like our heart's desire

Sudden end to combination

Bring forth a fusion

To the death for one

Another truth undone

Elements together

The beast is bound by tether

Birth of another couple

Evolution is subtle

III

Suddenly heavy rain pours

a strong gust spreads the spores

It's all unpredictable

Yet we think we are able

Rain turning to ice

Heaven is a place of lies

We ask ourselves why

Flowers wither and die

Sunny heat embracing us

evaporating fallen rain

accelerating our decay

Death only knows one way
 

(refr)

Let it rain

Let it shine

Let the world

Keep turning

Let it snow

Let it burn

Let the seasons

Come and go

Let me know

Let me go

Let your life

Be happy now

IV

Let me go

Remember me

My life is yours

To keep

Village of the dead

All the magic you need is inside you.

An abandoned market square in an empty village at night. The souls of the dead linger, mourning over their own death as there's no one left to do it for them. She smiled from afar and saw a great opportunity. As fast as her feet could carry her, she ran towards the square. Those lost souls would find comfort with her, but for the first time something was stopping her from collecting them. She could find no anomaly by inspecting them. Suddenly, a blunt object hit her in the back of her head. She fell to the ground and looked around with hazy eyes. A young woman raised her sword, ready to strike. The girl with the lilac eyes looked at her attacker in fear. No living soul had ever snuck up on her. The lilac magic could not move her opponent, who kept looking in her eyes. When she closed them, the sword went down but missed its target by far. After a minute, the young woman dropped her weapon and ran away. The girl with the lilac eyes did not collect any souls that day, she only shouted: Lila! My name is Lila...

(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 4 of the web story)

When Death comes.

There's a time to live and there's the moment you die.

He came at night, a black cloak floating in the void. His scythe shimmering in the moonlight, his breath cold as ice. She felt his boney, invisible hand on her shoulder. Facing him, she could only whisper his name: Death. He raised his scythe as to collect her soul. The lilac glow in her eyes could not move the One without a soul. He cut her flesh violently, but she did not vanish like the rest of his victims. Instead, a young spirit walked out of her and vanished for her. Another two walked out, protecting her from Death's violent rage. One after the other, they disappeared. Souls ready to protect their savior, their bringer of rest and peace. When Death finally came to a stop, another one hundred souls were ready for him. The girl with the lilac glow looked at him with pity as he stepped back and dissolved into the mist around him. She smiled because she knew her soul would be hers forever.

A soul a day keeps Death away.

(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 3 of the web story)

A man's sins

The blood on your hands can't hide who you really are.

Her eyes were filled with fear as she held on to the ledge, her feet desperately trying to find solid ground. The man on the ledge was wearing a dark fur coat and a big scar hid the fact that he was in serious doubt. He raised his sword, ready to strike. But the lilac glow in her eyes made him reach out his hand instead. She took it and pulled him down as hard as she could, risking her own life. The man lost his balance and fell down into the chasms. His scream pierced the mountain itself, but her smile was full of self esteem. The man who fell down the ledge had paid for his crimes and murders. His victim's souls would be hers forever.

(Sequel to my short writing exercise thanks to Two steps from Hell)
(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 2 of the web story)

Dragon's eye

Even a dragon can be in awe of a great miracle.

The dragon opened his remaining eye in search of his victim. He rose and spotted her rolled up in a defensive position, covering her head with her arms. He opened his mouth and ignited his venom as it charged its target. The girl's body emitted a beautiful lilac light. The fire touched her skin but was unable to burn any of it. She was lying there, waiting to die. Upon witnessing this miracle, the dragon stopped breathing fire and inspected her carefully. Her skin was still as soft as it had always been. The dragon growled and bowed down his head towards her. She opened her eyes very slowly. As she saw the dragon bow down to her, she grabbed her sword and cut off his head. His soul would now be hers forever.

(short writing exercise took me 5 mins thanks to Two steps from Hell)
(Written in Syringa Cross; episode 1 of the web story)

The Craft

I'm reading a great book on storytelling! It's 'Story' by Robert McKee! Learning so much that my next work is bound to be a blast... I hope!

Such is my progression nowadays! Improving my craft.

Official entry submitted: The Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest.