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Blood for Blood
Blood Begets Blood
Looking out onto the waters from his canoe, Taima sighed, waiting for his adversary to surface.
"You'll need this," Nitis handed Taima a bow. "It's the only thing powerful enough to damage it. Conventional weaponry's futile."
"What's its components?"
"Mammoth tusk makes the body, and thunderbird heartstring for the string."
"How'd you get thunderbird heartstring?"
"With a plethora of bison to feast upon in the southern areas, they tend not to migrate, but this one came further north. It was found impaled on a mammoth's tusk near some tar pits. Thing's eyes were bigger than its stomach."
"Pride cometh before the fall. Thank you, my friend."
"Avenge our friends, family, and free our land from this tyrant."
Erupting from the waters, breaching the lake's glasslike calmness, Taima's canoe had just grazed the dragon's fang. Thankfully, his hull gained no holes, nor was there a corrosive venom eating away at its integrity.
Drawing his bow, he thought, "I have no arrows."
"You won't need arrows with this. It's too powerful."
"How do you know?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes." He let loose.
A torrent of air struck the serpent's hide, breaking through its underbelly's scaly flames.
"WHO ARE YOU!?" The ventilatious viper hissed.
"Taima! He who crashes thunder! Who are you?" He drew again.
"I am Gaasyendietha, from Cetus. I hear the mating call of your home's leviathan, Jörmungandr. His lover drowned. I'm to comfort him. We shall beget! For I rule the heavens' waters as he reigns them below the sky, and our children shall rain over all."
"Then you should've been breeding instead of feeding," Taima loosed the string.
Successive volleys struck Gaasyendietha, and upon pulling further back, the wind storms cracked her with lightning, clapping thunder. "Go back to your stars." With that final concussive blow, Taima knocked Gaasyendietha back towards her constellation.
Gaasyendietha's blood birthed new beings. One landed behind Taima. Nausea striking him, he turned, firing a blow that split Seelkee's head perfectly in two, the lightning cauterizing its wound.
The recoil launched Taima over mountains. Before crashing, a bed a red lichen grew on the plateau, cushioning his fall.
Awaking, the spirits of his friends and family bowed to him, thanking him for removing their consumer from this world. They departed for the Moon's Land.
Yet, Taima's work wasn't done.
Ogopogos, Memphres, Cressies, Mussies, Caddys, and Seelkees were born. Taima's hunt had just begun.
***
Thavien's Token:
This microfiction has been long overdue. This 400 word story was meant to be the 2nd part of a challenge that Donna Fox and I had given towards one another. She provided me with a plethora of sources to choose from to base my microfiction on. I hope that You've enjoyed it as well.
Her first legend that I provided her with developed into this wonderful top story.
About the Creator
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Comments (28)
👏
Thavien, this was sich an amazingly captivating piece! I love that you found a "mother" for several of the creatures we discussed! This is so clever and so thoughtfully put together!! Great work and congrats on Top story!!
You are so creative. Great job! congrats on your top story
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
"...Taima knocked Gaasyendietha back towards her constellation." I love the imagry of this! Anything with that has to do with the stars is an instant yes for me. Congrats on T.S.!
congratulations
That's original. I could see a world built around this.
Wow, impressive!!🥰❤️❤️
Congratulations!💖💖💓👍🤦♂️
Exceptional effort! Keep up the remarkable work—congratulations!
Back to say, Congrats! Well deserved!
Very well told. I love monster origin mythology. I hope that you plan to continue Taima’s tale of hunting the others down. Congrats on the Top Story!
This is amazing!! I was hooked with the title and picture. But good lord that was a tale to behold
Great myth taking and making. So, the creatures that reside in the deep started this way. I like it.
Congrats on top story!
Congratulations Top Story 🥳🥳🥳
This was incredibly well written. As a Canadian, I'm embarrassed to say the only I've heard of was Ogopogos. I need to check out Donna's story. Do you know what ots called? Also congrats on the TS.
Nice one, Thavien! I love stories that include the constellations - dreamy, surrreal. :)
Nicely written! I always admire fantasy/adventure writers who can create other worlds so smoothly
Nicely made.
Well done on the (entirely unsurprising!) T.S.!
A legend in the making.
I think I'm missing some context or knowledge because I understand what's happening in the story but I don't know who they all are. Since you mentioned that story of Donna's, I'm guessing these are all cryptids/legends. Please correct me if I'm wrong because I probably am 😅
Hi, let's subscribe to each other
Fascinating creativity. Gets to the hunter in me.