Dragon Grass Monologue
The lady at the counter was watching the people who were walking around her shop and smiled very nicely each time one of the customers made eye contact with her. A boy came up to the counter and she tousled his hair and said, “Andrew, are you here to buy dragon grass for your father again?”
Dragon grass was a herb that had no magical properties as far as anyone could figure out but once you smoked it, it helped with having a good night’s sleep and because of that many actually believed it was magical, in and of itself, no matter what anyone said.
The boy nodded. It was a lie, of course, that it was for his father. May knew very well that it was his mother who was the one in need of the herb, more than anyone else. She was the healer with the most magical power, and the kindest heart, in the entire town. But since the job involved a rather long exposure to the death and suffering of patients, many of which she couldn’t completely cure, it was inevitable that her dreams would be plagued by nightmares involving demons, gore and deathly screams. How could she tell her patients that she couldn’t stand the thought of even looking at them anymore? So, she endured the nightmares and each day she would smile the same bright smile she always had, all for her patients that didn’t even know she was suffering the most. …show more content…
‘A kind heart is truly a hard thing to bear in this world we live in.
Only fools would care so much for a complete stranger’ thought May as she gave the boy an extra bundle of dragon grass and a few sweets. The boy smiled and she tousled his hair again. ‘But then again I’m just as much a fool as she
was.’
She sighed. She could almost hear her father screaming the fact that she was driving his business into the ground.
“You lost 3 silvers in this exchange. Are you trying to run for public office? Are you trying to gain favour? Or are you just being a fool again?” That was his favorite word for her. Fool. He would call any act of kindness stupid and tell her over and over again that any selfless act is just that. An act.
“I always tell you, we don’t live in a kind world May. Do not show weakness. Do not show your back to anyone. And never believe anyone at face value because once you do, you are inviting people to take advantage of you and they’ll do it in the most unexpected and cruel way.“
And again, of course, she didn’t listen to him. She took too much after her mother, the last healer of this small town. She was more powerful than Andrew’s mother, and twice as kind. She once told her, “Kindness is as important as the food we eat and water we drink. We can’t live without it. Those that do, become only empty shells of their former selves.”
She was right, she reconed. A few years ago, when May was only 10 years old, bandits broke into her mother’s clinic. She always left the door opened for any who needed her help and that left her vulnerable the attack. Her body was found the next morning. Unspeakable things were done to her and her father had to bury her in a hurry. Since then, a shadow loomed over her family and her town. Those who smiled, smiled less. Trust became as rare as dragon horns and sober dwarves. And her kind and generous father became this shadow of his former self, hellbent on seeing only the worst that humanity has to offer.
She knew that her father loved her but deep down, she couldn’t help but resent him for denying everything her mother ever believed to be right and true. Deep down, she hated him ever so slightly, each time he called her a fool.
Time flew by while she was working. Eventually closing time came. Not many customers came to do business at such hours. It was a silence that contrasted with the bustling and energetic mood during the day and it made the atmosphere very eerie, uncomfortable even. But tonight, it felt even more so. She couldn’t tell what was bothering her until she realized it was too quiet. No sound could be heard outside. No birds or insects. Not even people. It was late, but it wasn’t that late. Something wasn’t quite right.
‘When was the last time it was so quiet?’ she thought to herself but she couldn’t remember. This was the first time that she could describe her town with the word silent.
She left the shop and saw that, outside, a dark red cloud hovered over the town. ‘What is going on? There is no light. Not even the stars above are shining.’ Darkness as far as she could see.
In the middle of the town she finally saw people. It looked as if the whole town was gathered here for some kind of strange get-together . She saw her father in a corner of the plaza and she wanted to make haste to ask what was going on. But something caught her attention. It was the place that everyone was staring at. Up in the sky, atop a dark red cloud, three people shrouded in black cloaks were staring at them. The moment she looked at them, she couldn’t move or speak. Her instincts were telling her that if she moved, she would die. Even if she was ten times braver she was petrified in her place by some arcane forces.
One of the cloaked figures moved forward and spoke.
“The hero was born.”
“Wretched”, “Damnable” said the other two cloaked people.
The voice of the first one was apathetic and tired while the other two sounded enraged. But the thing they all had in common was that their voices sounded like whispers in the wind, spoken in a hushed voice that you could barely hear.
“Hidden from birth.”, “Hidden no more.”, “The coward will die.”, “Bring him to us.”, “Tear down his flesh”, “Rip out his throat.”, “Save your selves.”, “Or die.”, “Die.”, “Die.”.
The words continued to be spoken with more and more rage as the smell of iron whiffed it’s way to her nose. She then realized that the red cloud was made of blood which sent a shiver down her spine. ‘Where did all this blood come from?’
As if to answer her question, one by one people started falling. A stream of blood was flying from their mouth, ears, nose and eyes, creating a scarlet thunder cloud that forshaw their end. A harbinger of death led by three rippers, intent on finding the hero and killing him.
“Potions for sale. Discount if you buy more than three. Swords and armor for sale or rental. Really cheap and high quality. Don’t have enough money? Then just put a little soul in it. We can cut a deal or bargain. This is one vendor you can trust to always have what you need.”
In the madness that was brought forth by the three people atop the cloud of blood, a voice that sounded out of place was heard. It was cheerful and nonchalant as if the scene in front of him was an everyday occurrence.
“You sir,” he said to one of the petrified people, “do you not want an umbrella on this cloudy day? Or perhaps you are interested more in my beverages and food samples? A bit of foundation for your pale face? No? Well if you change your mind, come and look for me.”
He went around, asking people if they want his items. May almost admired this person. He was true to the spirit of a merchant. Make money wherever you are. If he wasn’t so abnormal as to not realize what was going on, May would have had the desire to scream at him to save her, to save them, to save as many as he could or to just save himself. But he was the only one able to move and, even if May wanted to, she couldn’t move a muscle, let alone speak.
“What about you miss? What does a girl like you desire?”
The vendor was standing in front of May. With black hair, black eyes and a charming smile, he used a hand to move her face ever so slightly so that their eyes could met and with that her petrification was broken. When that happened the three figures looked toward May with curiosity, than puzzlement, that excitement and finally rage.
“Vendor of hell!”, “Betrayer of kin!”, “Whore of the underworld!” said the three figures. In response, the vendor just said, “Silence” and as if the whole world listened, everything stopped moving. The three men were trapped in place. The other people in the plaza were as unmoving as before but blood stopped coming out of them. Only May and the vendor were able to move, as if they were the center of the whole world.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am the ‘Vendor of Hell’, the ‘Merchant of the Underworld’, the ‘Duke of Bargaining and Trade’, the devil known as Amon. It’s a pleasure to meet the hero known as May Aphoom, the hope of humanity.”
May was unable to react. She was the hero? Why was there a demon here? How could she be the hero? Why was this demon here? Wasn’t this just a misunderstanding? She couldn’t be the real hero, could she? She couldn’t be a hero any more than she could be a princess or a knight. She never even won a mock battle with a sword nor did she knew any spells beside the general spells for everyday life. How was she hero material?
But the demon was convinced she was the hero and more so his eyes showed that it was a certainty, not guesswork that prompted that statement. He was actually more surprised by her reaction at finding out he was a demon. ‘After listing all my titles she still looks unsurprised? This just goes to show I have a lot more to learn about speechcraft.’ Of course he didn’t truly believe he could scare the hero but not even a gasp or a weird look. This was truly disappointing.
“What is your wish? What is your desire? What is the thing that keeps you up at night? What do you want more than anything in the world? Has someone claimed your heart but refused to offer his? Maybe you wish for a different life, one where you are rich? Is it talent you want? Or maybe knowledge? The power of kings? Magic so powerful people would worship you as god? Just say the word and anything and everything is possible.”
May looked at Amon and her thoughts calmed down. She knew he was a devil but she was tempted by his offer, if only just a little. If someone offered you a hand when you were in trouble, would it matter that he was the devil?
“What is the price of salvation?” she asked.
“Your soul.” he answered.
“What about strong magic? Strong enough to kill those demons?”
“Your soul.”
“Talent for the sword?”
“Your soul.”
“What about…”
“Your soul. The answer will always be your soul.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s the only thing I desire from you.”
“I refuse then. You can go back from where you came from, devil.” she said with a bit of disgust.
“Really? Not even to save you father?”
A sense of guilt overcame May. She couldn’t help but look in the direction of her father. If she agreed she could save them all, not just her father, but without her soul she was just a meat puppet. If sh
Dragon grass was a herb that had no magical properties as far as anyone could figure out but once you smoked it, it helped with having a good night’s sleep and because of that many actually believed it was magical, in and of itself, no matter what anyone said.
The boy nodded. It was a lie, of course, that it was for his father. May knew very well that it was his mother who was the one in need of the herb, more than anyone else. She was the healer with the most magical power, and the kindest heart, in the entire town. But since the job involved a rather long exposure to the death and suffering of patients, many of which she couldn’t completely cure, it was inevitable that her dreams would be plagued by nightmares involving demons, gore and deathly screams. How could she tell her patients that she couldn’t stand the thought of even looking at them anymore? So, she endured the nightmares and each day she would smile the same bright smile she always had, all for her patients that didn’t even know she was suffering the most. …show more content…
‘A kind heart is truly a hard thing to bear in this world we live in.
Only fools would care so much for a complete stranger’ thought May as she gave the boy an extra bundle of dragon grass and a few sweets. The boy smiled and she tousled his hair again. ‘But then again I’m just as much a fool as she
was.’
She sighed. She could almost hear her father screaming the fact that she was driving his business into the ground.
“You lost 3 silvers in this exchange. Are you trying to run for public office? Are you trying to gain favour? Or are you just being a fool again?” That was his favorite word for her. Fool. He would call any act of kindness stupid and tell her over and over again that any selfless act is just that. An act.
“I always tell you, we don’t live in a kind world May. Do not show weakness. Do not show your back to anyone. And never believe anyone at face value because once you do, you are inviting people to take advantage of you and they’ll do it in the most unexpected and cruel way.“
And again, of course, she didn’t listen to him. She took too much after her mother, the last healer of this small town. She was more powerful than Andrew’s mother, and twice as kind. She once told her, “Kindness is as important as the food we eat and water we drink. We can’t live without it. Those that do, become only empty shells of their former selves.”
She was right, she reconed. A few years ago, when May was only 10 years old, bandits broke into her mother’s clinic. She always left the door opened for any who needed her help and that left her vulnerable the attack. Her body was found the next morning. Unspeakable things were done to her and her father had to bury her in a hurry. Since then, a shadow loomed over her family and her town. Those who smiled, smiled less. Trust became as rare as dragon horns and sober dwarves. And her kind and generous father became this shadow of his former self, hellbent on seeing only the worst that humanity has to offer.
She knew that her father loved her but deep down, she couldn’t help but resent him for denying everything her mother ever believed to be right and true. Deep down, she hated him ever so slightly, each time he called her a fool.
Time flew by while she was working. Eventually closing time came. Not many customers came to do business at such hours. It was a silence that contrasted with the bustling and energetic mood during the day and it made the atmosphere very eerie, uncomfortable even. But tonight, it felt even more so. She couldn’t tell what was bothering her until she realized it was too quiet. No sound could be heard outside. No birds or insects. Not even people. It was late, but it wasn’t that late. Something wasn’t quite right.
‘When was the last time it was so quiet?’ she thought to herself but she couldn’t remember. This was the first time that she could describe her town with the word silent.
She left the shop and saw that, outside, a dark red cloud hovered over the town. ‘What is going on? There is no light. Not even the stars above are shining.’ Darkness as far as she could see.
In the middle of the town she finally saw people. It looked as if the whole town was gathered here for some kind of strange get-together . She saw her father in a corner of the plaza and she wanted to make haste to ask what was going on. But something caught her attention. It was the place that everyone was staring at. Up in the sky, atop a dark red cloud, three people shrouded in black cloaks were staring at them. The moment she looked at them, she couldn’t move or speak. Her instincts were telling her that if she moved, she would die. Even if she was ten times braver she was petrified in her place by some arcane forces.
One of the cloaked figures moved forward and spoke.
“The hero was born.”
“Wretched”, “Damnable” said the other two cloaked people.
The voice of the first one was apathetic and tired while the other two sounded enraged. But the thing they all had in common was that their voices sounded like whispers in the wind, spoken in a hushed voice that you could barely hear.
“Hidden from birth.”, “Hidden no more.”, “The coward will die.”, “Bring him to us.”, “Tear down his flesh”, “Rip out his throat.”, “Save your selves.”, “Or die.”, “Die.”, “Die.”.
The words continued to be spoken with more and more rage as the smell of iron whiffed it’s way to her nose. She then realized that the red cloud was made of blood which sent a shiver down her spine. ‘Where did all this blood come from?’
As if to answer her question, one by one people started falling. A stream of blood was flying from their mouth, ears, nose and eyes, creating a scarlet thunder cloud that forshaw their end. A harbinger of death led by three rippers, intent on finding the hero and killing him.
“Potions for sale. Discount if you buy more than three. Swords and armor for sale or rental. Really cheap and high quality. Don’t have enough money? Then just put a little soul in it. We can cut a deal or bargain. This is one vendor you can trust to always have what you need.”
In the madness that was brought forth by the three people atop the cloud of blood, a voice that sounded out of place was heard. It was cheerful and nonchalant as if the scene in front of him was an everyday occurrence.
“You sir,” he said to one of the petrified people, “do you not want an umbrella on this cloudy day? Or perhaps you are interested more in my beverages and food samples? A bit of foundation for your pale face? No? Well if you change your mind, come and look for me.”
He went around, asking people if they want his items. May almost admired this person. He was true to the spirit of a merchant. Make money wherever you are. If he wasn’t so abnormal as to not realize what was going on, May would have had the desire to scream at him to save her, to save them, to save as many as he could or to just save himself. But he was the only one able to move and, even if May wanted to, she couldn’t move a muscle, let alone speak.
“What about you miss? What does a girl like you desire?”
The vendor was standing in front of May. With black hair, black eyes and a charming smile, he used a hand to move her face ever so slightly so that their eyes could met and with that her petrification was broken. When that happened the three figures looked toward May with curiosity, than puzzlement, that excitement and finally rage.
“Vendor of hell!”, “Betrayer of kin!”, “Whore of the underworld!” said the three figures. In response, the vendor just said, “Silence” and as if the whole world listened, everything stopped moving. The three men were trapped in place. The other people in the plaza were as unmoving as before but blood stopped coming out of them. Only May and the vendor were able to move, as if they were the center of the whole world.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am the ‘Vendor of Hell’, the ‘Merchant of the Underworld’, the ‘Duke of Bargaining and Trade’, the devil known as Amon. It’s a pleasure to meet the hero known as May Aphoom, the hope of humanity.”
May was unable to react. She was the hero? Why was there a demon here? How could she be the hero? Why was this demon here? Wasn’t this just a misunderstanding? She couldn’t be the real hero, could she? She couldn’t be a hero any more than she could be a princess or a knight. She never even won a mock battle with a sword nor did she knew any spells beside the general spells for everyday life. How was she hero material?
But the demon was convinced she was the hero and more so his eyes showed that it was a certainty, not guesswork that prompted that statement. He was actually more surprised by her reaction at finding out he was a demon. ‘After listing all my titles she still looks unsurprised? This just goes to show I have a lot more to learn about speechcraft.’ Of course he didn’t truly believe he could scare the hero but not even a gasp or a weird look. This was truly disappointing.
“What is your wish? What is your desire? What is the thing that keeps you up at night? What do you want more than anything in the world? Has someone claimed your heart but refused to offer his? Maybe you wish for a different life, one where you are rich? Is it talent you want? Or maybe knowledge? The power of kings? Magic so powerful people would worship you as god? Just say the word and anything and everything is possible.”
May looked at Amon and her thoughts calmed down. She knew he was a devil but she was tempted by his offer, if only just a little. If someone offered you a hand when you were in trouble, would it matter that he was the devil?
“What is the price of salvation?” she asked.
“Your soul.” he answered.
“What about strong magic? Strong enough to kill those demons?”
“Your soul.”
“Talent for the sword?”
“Your soul.”
“What about…”
“Your soul. The answer will always be your soul.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s the only thing I desire from you.”
“I refuse then. You can go back from where you came from, devil.” she said with a bit of disgust.
“Really? Not even to save you father?”
A sense of guilt overcame May. She couldn’t help but look in the direction of her father. If she agreed she could save them all, not just her father, but without her soul she was just a meat puppet. If sh