Sequel to The Red Day, you will need to read it first. ----------------------------- I carved out a niche for myself in that jungle, a large tree to sleep up which kept me away from bugs, a stream flowing through it for water. I wasn't the only thing in the jungle that was thirsty though, both predator and prey ventured there, and I would respond accordingly. The lizardfolk were foremost on my mind, every day I would pray to Maylar for strength and every day his blessing seemed to course stronger in my veins. Soon I wasn't drinking anything but the blood of what I killed, I tested myself on larger game always victorious, and as the seasons rolled by, my strength increased. I knew my plan would take time, but I also knew I would have one chance at those lizardfolk. I started roaming the jungle looking for what I needed. It took me many seasons to find it, that hulking lizard that had roamed the battlefield on the red day, yes I had encountered a few. I had followed their trails but it didn't help, they were the only foe I wasn't ready to face, but they were the only one that I needed. That hulking lizard, with its huge legs and tiny arms, it seemed to be something direct from Maylar himself. If a lizardfolk could learn to ride it, I would too. Finally I found the baby hulking lizard I had long searched for, I called him Hulk At first he saw me as prey, and charged, slowing down when he realised I wasn't going to flee. I slapped him as hard as I could and he stood still for a moment, maybe stunned, probably thinking that if that was the best I could do this would be a quick fight. I threw him some dry meat which he was happy to bite down, however he didn't eat what he had dropped, still sensing we were locked in conflict. Suddenly he charged me, I locked my arms around his head and rode him into the ground. I held him there for hours, hoping nothing larger would show and disrupt the bond we were forming. Every time he struggled I would increase the pressure, and when he tired I would relax. Soon he would think he was free and struggle again, and I would lock in my arms and squeeze. It took him hours to realise that the path to freedom was to submit – the key domination is to have iron will. From then on Hulk followed me around and I fed him, hunted with him, beat him if he tried to roam too far, rewarded him if he attacked other things on my command. Rewarding good behaviour with food and punishing bad with a slap wasn't much different than how I raised my young children, at least before the lizardfolk slaughtered them. It was only a few seasons before Hulk could support my weight, but many before he was fully grown. I tell you, the joy I felt on those hunts, when I tested myself against an harmless antok was nothing compared to riding Hulk through the jungle – I was alpha, the king of that jungle, and anything that looked at me knew it. When the time to find the lizardfolk came, it didn't take me long to discover an outpost. I knew I would only get one chance at this, but what could I do? That red day had taught me what true beauty was, Maylar had shown me that only the strong survive. I don't know why the lizards destroyed Turochilitan, but why should I care? They set me free. The strong prevails, and they were strong – Kayishen had been a fool not to see that. And what was a soldier without an army? What was I to do, roam the jungles fighting moronic beasts and helpless animals? I would demonstrate to the lizardfolk my strength, I would join them, and together we would strike down all that oppose us. It had been a while since I had seen skinks, as I approached them they reacted as I thought they would, scared, screaming for help. I strode up confidently and began to talk, straight away the javelins came at me, and more skinks began to appear, and two giant lizardfolk nearly as tall as Hulk. Through the attacks I managed to keep Hulk under control and screamed “I COME TO JOIN YOU” which settled most of them, as I began to explain who I was, what I could do – “take me to your leader” I told them, “we will hunt together, we will kill together, I will strike down all who oppose your will”. When I finished my speech, I tore my shirt off to demonstrate my power, the huge black mark on my chest, the cross with the triangle, the blessing of Maylar, proof that I was everything I said: strong, fearsome, valuable, powerful, and a hunter. Suddenly the javelins rained down, one went straight through my leg and more into Hulk, I couldn't hold him back any more, not that I tried, these stinking lizard wanted to see me in battle, fine. I charged the three in front of them and Hulk bit them in two with a single movement, the two giant lizards tried to bite me, neither could, my spear went into one throat three times and dropped it, the other just once and it reeled backwards unsure whether to fight or try to stop the blood gushing out. Hulk was suddenly away, biting those small skinks as they tried to circle, my spear finding ones that tried to take me down. As the tall lizard's feet gave out the skinks suddenly fled to the trees, I thought we were done for, Hulk had a javelin through the back of his ear which was causing one eye to bleed, yet the skinks ran away. I ran too, as fast as Hulk could manage, through the jungle, it wouldn't take much to track us, my only hope was to put as much distance between us as possible, and maybe they wouldn't follow. I am sure their reinforcements weren't far off, but we would need time to rest, time to heal, and time to plan. ----------------------------- Concluded in The Black Day (part three).
The story is great, but since I've been corresponding with Spawning of Bob, my brain is rebelling when I read stories. The name "Green Day" is distracting. Your protagonist, I can envision him now He walks a lonely road The only one that he's ever known Don't know where it goes But it's home to him and he walks alone He walks this empty street On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams The temple city sleeps And he's the only one and he walks alone I probably need help...
Oooh I didn't think of that!! Red was blood, black was death, green was supposed to be the colour of the lizards, but I definitely need to rename it now.
It's fine, I was just being silly. Since it's sandwiched between the Red and Black Days it's quite clear what the intent is. You could use a synonym like "emerald" or "jade" but synonyms of green are all pretty formal sounding. Red, black, and green are all simple, straightforward monosyllabic words that mesh well with your protagonist's straight forward and non-nonsense view of the world. I'd probably leave it as is.
I was definitely going to change it until I realised I didn't have any better titles... I guess he was so damn bored in that jungle he was going blind, and he smelt like shhhhhhiiiii