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picture_prompt_funTitle: Where The Road Goes
Fandom: original
Character: original
Length: 402
Rating: G
"Here's a road," caroled Queenie. Her brassy hair glowed in a sunbeam from between the trees, but whatever road she found was invisible
"No telling where it will lead," said Nina, hiking up her pack.
"No one builds a road to nowhere," said Jonnet, and fought down a sigh. Fighting a dragon was bound to be difficult. She trudged over toward Queenie, and then she blinked. Yes, a road lead straight through the trees. A dirt road, one large enough for a car or a cart, completely level, showing no signs of ruts or footprints, and only the fall of leaves, twigs, and acorn giving it any roughness.
"A magically preserved road," said Nina, "suggests an occasionally used road."
"Very occasionally," said Jonnet, dryly. For all the thick growth of the trees, and how their branches blocked out the sun, the forest floor here was a carpet of green, both moss and low-growing ferns. If they could forget their purpose, it would be a pleasant walk in the woods.
Minutes later, she sniffed the air. "Is that smoke?"
The other two women stopped with her.
"It might be from a quenched fire," said Nina, uneasily. "Or a distant one."
"We have a spell to protect from fire," said Queenie briskly. "We had best be ready to cast it as a moment's notice, but with no flames in sight, or hearing -- " She shrugged.
The road turned about a hill, and smoke thickened. A tumbled line of stones marked where once a stone wall had sat. After it, to the right hand, the forest was burnt. Jonnet forced her breath in and out. Not only did the tree trucks still stand, with mighty boughs spreading, but finer branches as well. But not a needle remained on a tree, the forest floor was charred black and silver, and smoke spread about.
It took Jonnet over a minute to say, her mouth dry, "A very magically preserved road."
Queenie and Nina looked uneasily at each other, but they walked on with her. At least the air was not heated.
It was perhaps an hour later when they found where the road led.
"A necropolis," muttered Nina. Vault after vault, and all the ground between them covered with vines, and the trees choked with them, as well. Some did not look too worn, but some stones were tilted, or had even fallen to the ground.
Fandom: original
Character: original
Length: 402
Rating: G
"Here's a road," caroled Queenie. Her brassy hair glowed in a sunbeam from between the trees, but whatever road she found was invisible
"No telling where it will lead," said Nina, hiking up her pack.
"No one builds a road to nowhere," said Jonnet, and fought down a sigh. Fighting a dragon was bound to be difficult. She trudged over toward Queenie, and then she blinked. Yes, a road lead straight through the trees. A dirt road, one large enough for a car or a cart, completely level, showing no signs of ruts or footprints, and only the fall of leaves, twigs, and acorn giving it any roughness.
"A magically preserved road," said Nina, "suggests an occasionally used road."
"Very occasionally," said Jonnet, dryly. For all the thick growth of the trees, and how their branches blocked out the sun, the forest floor here was a carpet of green, both moss and low-growing ferns. If they could forget their purpose, it would be a pleasant walk in the woods.
Minutes later, she sniffed the air. "Is that smoke?"
The other two women stopped with her.
"It might be from a quenched fire," said Nina, uneasily. "Or a distant one."
"We have a spell to protect from fire," said Queenie briskly. "We had best be ready to cast it as a moment's notice, but with no flames in sight, or hearing -- " She shrugged.
The road turned about a hill, and smoke thickened. A tumbled line of stones marked where once a stone wall had sat. After it, to the right hand, the forest was burnt. Jonnet forced her breath in and out. Not only did the tree trucks still stand, with mighty boughs spreading, but finer branches as well. But not a needle remained on a tree, the forest floor was charred black and silver, and smoke spread about.
It took Jonnet over a minute to say, her mouth dry, "A very magically preserved road."
Queenie and Nina looked uneasily at each other, but they walked on with her. At least the air was not heated.
It was perhaps an hour later when they found where the road led.
"A necropolis," muttered Nina. Vault after vault, and all the ground between them covered with vines, and the trees choked with them, as well. Some did not look too worn, but some stones were tilted, or had even fallen to the ground.
