Tag: sacrifice

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Excerpts Fun Hops IWSG

Horrible Harvest #WEPFF Challenge featuring Familia Bond #amwriting #flashfiction

Click here to see all the winners! Read my entry below.

Familia Bond

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Danube

This has been the most cheerful harvest in recent history, with cool days and clear nights. I was put in charge of my first field this Spring and have worked more and harder than I have in years past, finally understanding pride in a job well done. I never before understood putting so much care into food I’d never eat.

As the youngest, male Field Leader in over a century, the anticipation of tonight’s celebration has me on edge, in the best possible way. I’m so honored to be able to attend the formal this year. Being around so many prestigious female leaders will surely increase my chances of establishing a pair-bond, especially if the Harvest Celebration goes as well as planned.

For decades, I’ve imagined the grandeur, etiquette, and politics of the Harvest Celebration, knowing how important it is to our survival. I should have been able to take part in the celebration many times over- I’ve been of the proper age for some time now, but the attendance of the celebration has been restricted as of late. As Josiah puts it, “The balancing of a population is a delicate endeavor. No matter how great our harvest may be, without good numbers, it mostly goes to waste.” I have been fortunate to have Josiah looking after me all these years and am even more grateful for a chance to repay his guidance and education.

I and two others, another male and a female, were sent out to dwell among the citizens to help influence them and protect them from their own ignorance. For a score, we blended into their society and corrected their assumptions, improved their methods, and fortified their medicines and rations. With our help, the citizens have thrived. In the Spring of this year, we were all called home to take charge of fields and prepare for harvest time. This will be the first Harvest Celebration in over a decade with an attendance that reaches beyond the capacity of our Great Hall. We don’t know the exact number of the population, it’s not our way to interfere directly with the citizens, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Now, we’re all highly anticipating the arrival of the citizens to the Harvest Celebration.

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Milsa

Tonight is the night. I have been preparing for this, it seems an eon. Year after year, I’ve attended the celebration, but being the youngest of the elders, I’ve always missed my opportunity to choose a pair. The citizens’ numbers have been so low that there were never any descent Chosen left to present by the end. Not this year though.

I’ve heard wonderful reports from the citizen spies. The citizens are healthier than ever, and their numbers have almost doubled. Josiah was wise to restrict the invitation to the celebration this last score. He will be the savior of us all if this Harvest Celebration is the success we all hope it will be.

It’s foolish really, but the anticipation of this Harvest Celebration makes me feel like a girl again. It’s been so long since I was a mere girl, but even one such as myself does not forget that feeling of excitement, that thrill of mating and reproduction. I know I’m ready for tonight’s ceremony.

After the other citizens have departed with their bounty, our gift to the locals for their sacrifice, the Field Leaders will mesmerize their chosen progeny and then drain them to the brink of death. The other Elders and I will then choose, in ranking order, the Leaders and progeny we deem worthy of the Familia Bond. I will select a young, strong male who has chosen to present a daughter. I will feed his chosen progeny from my wrist and then I shall drink from his heart to replenish my own strength. The servants will clean our bodies, drape us in silk, and bury us together under the harvest moon.

Tonight is the night I finally obtain the family I’ve longed for, for far too long.

Josiah

Oh, this burden I’ve taken on, this great struggle to perpetuate our species has finally begun to lift. My plan to send out our youngest day walkers has served us well. Many disputed my decision, refusing to take in the severity of the problem. It is true the Vmpyrs have never directly interfered with the lives of the humans, the citizens of this land, but if they are to continue serving as our breeding ground, we could not afford to stand by and let them die from starvation, famine, and plague.

My decision to restrict the invitation to the Harvest Celebration was also unpopular. When an elder, female Vmpyrs is ready for the Familia Bond, she’s ready. Convincing the Elder clans to alternate the years in which their females could choose new pairs and progeny almost cost me my life. An angry Vmpyra can easily withstand the charge of ten Vmpyro, no matter how old or well-trained they are. Vmpyra live for the day they can start the Familia Bond, but with the humans’ numbers dwindling so, there just weren’t any new progeny available.

I myself had given up the prospect of presenting a progeny at the Celebration for the past decade to ensure that others would have a chance. But I am happy to have a chance to participate this year. My favorite and most talented pupil, Danube, has blessed us with a great report of the citizen’s health and numbers. Tonight, he and I will stand before the elders and finally have our chance at eternal bliss. I know Danube has longed for a daughter; perhaps I shall present a son.

I regret now that I once looked down on the Familia Bond, thinking an eternity as a bachelor was the bliss I wanted. After being a bachelor Vympyro for more than three hundred years, I deserve to have the Familia Bond.

This will indeed be the best Harvest Celebration ever.

~

FCA- 994-words- Familia Bond 2019 Copyright © Toinette J. Thomas

Please visit other entries in this hop and enjoy some funny, scary, touching, and thought-provoking stories. You’ll be so glad you did.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Fun Hops IWSG

Ribbons and Candles #WEPFF Challenge featuring Tilly and The Arbol Tree #amwriting #flashfiction

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Tilly and The Arbol Tree

Lucy was the last Griffin to light the Arbol Tree and that was over a century ago. The Arbol tree has been good to the people of Meiland, with its aquatic borders and intimate population of five distinct tribes, each made of five ancient families. The Arbol Tree glows bright green throughout the year, taking only one night of rest. The light of the Arbol Tree warms and nurtures the soil, alternates and regulates the weather, and produces the Arbol Fruit. The Arbol’s red seeds, green leaves, pink flowers, yellow to orange fruit, and even its violet bark are used in all Meiland meals and because of this, the people remain youthful and spirited until they greet their long sleep.

On the day the Arbol Tree fizzles out and takes up rest, the Meiland people hold a splendid celebration. The Griffins have provided the silk ribbons for the festival for as long as anyone can remember. With infants dressed as round plump fruits, unpromised youth adorned with leaves, mated couples donning pink flowers over their hearts, and revered elders wrapped in violet shrouds, the entire island marches through streets draped with red ribbons and lit candles burning with white flames.

The Griffins had once been the highest respected family of the Textile tribe. When Lucy was given the honor to light the Arbol Tree, she had won over the Council of Favor by presenting each member with hand stitched silk scarves with detailed Arbol Trees embroidered from one end to the other. No matter the style in which the scarves were worn, the Arbol Tree was always front and center. All few remaining Council members from that time still donned their scarves while those who’ve greeted their long sleep have had them sealed in glass and put on display in their memory. Not since Lucy has any Tree Lighter, especially not a Griffin, impressed the Council of Favor as much or had such a lasting legacy.

Tilly, in her mind, was a lot like Lucy. She too was a silk-shaper, the youngest in history to take on the craft in a professional capacity. Unlike Lucy, Tilly did not yet have a grand plan or idea to win over the Council of Favor, but she was determined that she would light the Arbol Tree and restore the Griffin family to a place of honor. Tilly toyed with ideas such as silk hats decorated with Arbol fruits and sashes painted with Arbol flowers, but she knew these were ideas that had been done before by other members of her tribe. No; Tilly needed to come up with something new, something that had never been done before, and something that would depict the Arbol Tree in the best light throughout the year, and hopefully throughout time.

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The day of the Grand Celebration was a busy one. All five tribes gathered to show off their crafts and share meals and entertaining performances before settling down to meet with the Council of Favor just before midnight. Tilly spent most of her day wrapping ribbons around infant’s heads, unpromised’s wrists, mated’s lapels, and elder’s necks. This was the first year she didn’t join the other unpromised in circle dances or street chanting. No; Tilly wouldn’t celebrate too much. She was too busy keeping a close eye on her offering to the Council and storing up the courage to present it to them.

At the gathering of the Council, Tilly sat near the back, not yet ready to reveal her offering. She had not even proclaimed to her tribe she would be making an offering. The Griffins hadn’t presented an offering in twenty years and the Textile tribe had forgotten to present the previous year, too busy and consumed with making and preparing ribbons for the Grand Celebration.

The Planter tribe presented the Council with decorated packages of delicious rainbow grains with preparation instructions included. The Ore tribe brought smiles to the Council member’s faces when they presented ruby lapel pins carved to look like the Arbol seed. Tilly knew it would be difficult to top that. The Construct tribe presented golden door handles shaped like the Arbol Fruit and the Game tribe presented roasted Meiland; the elusive fish for which the island was named. Before the Council could gather to decide who to grant the honor too, Tilly stepped forward, dragging a large bundle behind her. She proclaimed that the Griffins of the Textile tribe would present an offering.

In a flurry, Tilly began to pull strips of silk, satin, lace, and more from her bundle, dancing around the gathered crowd, folding, bending, twisting, and stitching with fervor. The spectacle of the flying fabric and dancing colors delighted the crowd and brought cheery smiles to the faces of the Council members. When at last Tilly had completed her dance, before each member of the Council stood a miniature Arbol Tree with red seeds inlaid at the roots, a violet trunk supporting green leaves, pink flowers, and yellow fruit. Tilly received a standing ovation.

The Head Council Member stepped toward Tilly with a golden candle bearing the white flame and bid her blessings as she faced the Tree. Taking the candle in hand, Tilly approached the Tree and gazed up at its seemingly unending height before stepping through its thick dry branches and disappearing from sight. Moments later, the Arbol was ablaze, crackling and sparkling; slowly fading into an emerald glow.
~
FCA- 904-words- Tilly and The Arbol Tree 2018 Copyright © Toinette J. Thomas

Please visit other entries in this hop and enjoy some funny, scary, touching, and thought-provoking stories. You’ll be so glad you did.



Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Books

Review: Sacrifice

Sacrifice (Gryphon #3) by Stacey Rourke

I give this book a 4.

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Okay, so the Conduit of the Gryphon has always been terrified of garden gnomes and now she has a reason for it, but I’m jumping ahead of myself.

Let me go ahead and tell you why I didn’t give this great story a five and then move on. Celeste is great, she really is, but her dim-wittedness is starting to drive me crazy…that’s it. I wish the Gryphon would make her smarter.

There is so much I want to say, but I usually make a point not to give away spoilers, so bear with me. I’m just going to list a few things I wish I could elaborate more on.

1. Love continues to be in the air for the Garret family, but not for too long.

2. The title is soooo fitting, it’s almost sad just how much so.

3. Mom finally shows up for a while.

4. There is another really cool conduit to meet, thus my specification in the first sentence. Go back and take a look and see my subtlety.

5. The mystery, or lack thereof, concerning Alex keeps developing…Again, here’s why I wish Celeste was smarter.

6. Titans in this mythology are very different from others I’ve read, but I’m liking them for what they are.

7. There’s something about blondes in this series.

And lastly, I’m ready for this war to finally start.

On a personal note, I’m sad that the book covers are changing with the release of the fourth book. I liked the old covers.

Now back to those gnomes…no that would give too much away.

See my review of book 2 in The Gryphon Series, Embrace.

This review has been posted to GoodReads.

If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords