Writing The Grasshopper Swordsman

[Inculta_Bellum]

[CENTER][COLOR=black][COLOR=black][SIZE=3]The Grasshopper Swordsman[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][SIZE=2]Part 1: The Archer Girl[/SIZE][/COLOR][/CENTER]

[LEFT][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]Strange people walking around in town is usually an excellent topic of dicussion and gossip. Unless you live on a major roadway. In which case strange people bring with them strange, and valuable, merchandise and money. Crossroads are a merchant's natural habitat.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]And at any rate, the young girl buying fruit didn't seem all that strange to the shopkeeper. She was probably in her late teens, a little more than five feet tall, with shoulder-length bronze hair, and a body as slender and lithe as the many arrows in the quiver slung over her shoulder. "Archery is something that most women wouldn't practice." the clerk said as she paid for the goods.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]"Most women don't travel at all, let alone by themselves." she replied. He chuckled. "Besides, these are dangerous times. I don't want to be the victim of some demon."[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]"Alright then, sorry to pester you. Just curious miss."[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]She smiled at the kind old store owner and turned to leave. It was time to get back on the road. But when she reached the door, "You wouldn't be staying for the festival, would you Miss Archer?"[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]She turned and asked, "No, I wasn't. What festival are you celebrating?"[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]"Oh, we're not celebrating anything. It's a competition. A wrestling tournament this town holds every year for the wanderin' folk. I just didn't want yourself getting hurt in it."[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]The young archer became suddenly upset. "What makes you think I couldn't fight in a wrestling tournament? I'll have you know tat I'm plenty strong, stronger than most men in fact!"[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]The shopkeeper's face became grim as he replied, "I've no doubt. You talk about fighting demons, that's not something every man could do. But these aren't ordinary men competeing here. They're like demons themselves. In fact, the champion once killed three demons at once, with his bare hands. Ask anyone in town. It was a public display."[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]A man who could kill three demons, with his bare hands! This could be fun, she thought. Smiling, she asked the question that was burning in her head, "What's his name?"[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[LEFT][/COLOR][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]"Baer."[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[/LEFT]
[CENTER][SIZE=3]Part 2: The Tournament[/SIZE]
[/CENTER]
[LEFT][SIZE=2]A warm noontide sun was beating down on Firdon (which the town was called) and its inhabitants as they gathered in the square. It was a large area, surrounded on all four sides by the most important homes and offices for the waypoint and one cobble-stone road leading out from each compass direction. The main attraction was a massive fountain in the shape of the Angel Lord Gabriel, holding his hands towards the heavens.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Today, the attention of all was not held by the majestic stone structure, but rather by the arena set at its base. It was large and firm, but padded to prevent death or serious injury for the combatants. Onlooker kept a good ten meters between themselves and the edge, partly to get a better view of the fighting and partly to keep from incurring the fighters' wrath.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]In all there were sixteen men standing on the rim of the arena. Each looked like fearsome warriors with their hulking bodies, giant muscles, and grisly hair. The bronze-haired archer thought they looked more like barbarians than warriors. But she'd let them have their fun.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The man called Baer was instantly recognizable. He was the biggest and wildest looking of the lot. "No wonder that's his name. With that forest on his skin he looks exactly like a bear standing on its hind legs." she said aloud. But there was something else about him. His eyes were pitch black, cold, merciless and cruel. He wasn't as ridiculous as the rest. Baer was a man who would take the surest path to victory: kill.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]As the thought raced through her mind an official looking man in some form of ceremonial clothes (it looked like an old lady's dressing gown) made his way to the edge of the arena. He raised his voice to be heard over the crowd, "Everybody knows why we're here! To crown the strongest man on Atlas! You men all know the rules. If you are unconcious or dead, you lose! The winner of each fight will advance to the next round, until only one is left standing! Please try to stay within the ring this time, Baer."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The giant grinned down at the portly figure. "Alright miss. I won't stray this time. Just get on with it and keep my trophy warm." The poor judge shrank back into the crowd and rang a bell. The contestants apparantly knew who was fighting who as two of the brutes stepped into the ring.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]It was a boring ten minutes for the archer, watching two big sweaty men wrestle each other to the ground. If this is sport, she thought, then I'm a chicken. Eventually, one muscle-brained idiot won (after strangling his opponent almost to the death) and the next pair of fighters stepped in.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]This time her interest was piqued. There was a third ogre, but his opponent must have been hidden behind the others' bulk. He was much smaller than his adversary, at least a full head shorter, and was much more lean. She couldn't see any of his features because they were hidden beneath a large, and slightly silly, bright green cloak cast about him. The girl had the sudden image of an angry boar charging a tree. She knew who would win.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The ogre couldn't help but laugh for his luck. He had been given an easy win! He stepped forward slowly and lashed out with impressive speed for one of his size. But all for nought. "Where'd he go?" Then he felt a tremendous pain in his face and was sent flying. Before he hit the ground, the ogre was ko'd.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The crowd was silent for a moment, trying to figure out what they had just witnessed. The green man had leapt clear over the ogre's arm, which had been at his head height! And then proceeded to kick him with enough force to knock him out of the ring. Slowly, cheers began erupting. What an upset! No one could have predicted such a quick battle! Yet one person watching had.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]After five more matches, each exactly the same as the first of the tournament, there came the final match of the first round. The last ogre was up against Baer. And he was frightened. This fight lasted less time than the green man's. Baer simply walked towards his shaking opponent, took his head in both hands, and snapped his neck. It wasn't a fight at all, but sanctioned murder.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The six remaining ogres were visibly unsettled. It was impossible to gauge the green man's reaction, although he had not moved during the whole fight. The archer was disgusted that these people would allow violence, and even use it as entertainment! This is why I avoid civilization, she thought.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The next round went much like the first. The green man dispatched his opponent with a well aimed series of kicks, the ogres wrestled for the longest time, and Baer crushed his opponent's heart with a powerful punch, leaving him to die on his own this time. The third round was exactly the same.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The fourth, and final, round of Firdon's fighting tournament would be between the tiny green-cloaked enigma and the hulking, brown Baer. One thing that everyone watching knew was that only one of the two would be walking out alive.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]*Didn't get too many reviews that first time around! Luckily I've planned most of the story ahead so i should be able to update this again tomorrow. I'm not going to edit Part 1 other than taking the red color off the text. But seriously, please post a review after you've read this. Otherwise it won't get any better!*[/SIZE][/LEFT]