This is my entry into Steem Monsters Common Card Fantasy Story Contest! // Week 11
![0HMpOq3[1].png](https://images.ecency.com/p/6VvuHGsoU2QBt9MXeXNdDuyd4Bmd63j7zJymDTWgdcJjnzpJJVhevpwD6iBtyS86jfavKxDMdyDS4aWdncoMv2yaxE1zKud9t4v7em6E6f2btVwzqqHTE8vJX2SQMk.png?format=match&mode=fit)
High up in the mountains where the snow falls year round is a remote, massive, cave in the tundra with walls made of stalagmite extending down 600 hundred feet. At the bottom is a lush green forest. The inside of the cave is kept warm by the lava flow. The toxic gasses have a natural vent they escape from so that life can sustain itself. Underground trenches keep the place from being overrun by lava. The heat of from the lava melts the snow, which creates the tropical cave environment.
Females of our kind go back to the place they were birthed when the times comes to mate with a male. Male's follow the female to the nesting ground.
I am the second to hatch out of the four eggs. I take a look at my brother who hatched and watch the other two come out, two sisters. We will be together until the day we leave our jungle cave.
It was a particularly violent winter this year. A snow dome was made to cover the main entrance of the cave because of the falling far below the normal extreme temperatures. A little amount of sunlight comes through the snow dome and air chambers are made to keep the air circulating to keep the inhabitants alive for as long as possible.
Because of the massive size of adult rocs, mother and father were not finding enough food to sustain them both. Most of the animals in the cave are small; therefore, it is easy to avoid death by ducking where a roc cannot reach on the account of its size. The four of us hatchlings can survive with what is available in the cave once we can fly. Until then, all food is gathered by the mother or the father and regurgitated to her/his babies.
A week after my birth I see mother is resting next to the nest with a stomach growling and four babies crying. My mother took my perched, sleeping father by the neck with her bill and twisted, snapping his neck as if it was a twig. She had made the calculation that taking him out was best for all of their survival. My father's meat did not go to waste. It kept us chicks fed for about two months.
Mother broke through the snow dome when she knew there was no longer food large enough to sustain her. By this time, the weather had crept back to normal. This is the last time I saw her.
Me, my brother and sisters could now fly. We weren't strong enough to leave the cave a great distance yet so we learned to hunt the game we were surrounded by.
Our favorite kills were the small settlements of humans we would find on the mountain. We would play games like lawn darts (played with small trees and thrown by the feet toward the target), bowling pins (played with large game and thrown in a bowling fashion toward the target) or house fly (grab a tree and swat target).
Some humans figured out that leaving us a large tribute of food would get us to leave them alone and alive. Having a steady supply of food allowed us to play our games. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you unless the hand stops feeding" is our motto.
The day came about one and a half years later when a pull towards the north direction pulsed through our brains. There was nothing that me, my brother or sisters could do about it. The urge to leave the nest was too strong. We left that night in the direction we were being pulled toward with no clue as to where we were going or why we were being pulled there. We all split up, following the pull in the direction we are meant to go.
I cover a great distance before I see a blinking light through the fog. When I see the tower clearly, the fog has receded. I land down by the water's edge on the soft sand. Out walks a human man who has a map in hand. I would have moved to kill this human who brought me here but nothing happens when I impulsively go to strike. It is like the electric signal is being blocked. The human smiles.
I pick up his thoughts. He needs me to demoralize a decent sized town so that he can take over the military position. He lacks the ability to get over their giant wall on his own. Once the town is begging for a savior to walk in and save the day, he is going to release me until the next time he needs me.
Like a servant, I look at the map when he places it down on the ground. My keen vision magnifies the small targets on the map. I'm instructed to take out (1) a group of houses, (2) Supply train, and (3) a dam - in this order.
I leave at dawn.
I let out a fearsome call that rings the town's bells. Startled by the sound, the guards grab their sticks and bang on the bells to signal an attack is coming. Bows are drawn and arrows are let loose on the release. I barrel roll, avoiding the attack. To them, I look like a giant ball of flame about to start as massive wall fire.
I heard straight to the zoo where they keep the elephants and take the biggest one, which I spotted from way up high, with my black talons. The men's jaw drops as they get a glimpse of my spectacular size and strength. I circle back around to get a good shot at the house, lining them up in a straight line. I'm going for a strike (I don't like doing things twice).
I throw the elephant with tremendous force. When it first touches the ground, it sends a shockwave, which knocks men off their feet. The elephant rolls into the targetted houses. Woman and children fall from the upper stories down on the ground. I would have stopped for a snack if I wasn't pressed from time.
I spot the billowing smoke made by the supply train that is coming in to resupply the town. I turn just in time to catch a large ground to air stake with my feet. It has a rope attached to its end. The rope snaps when the rope is beyond its breaking point. The rope whips like a snake taking out a couple of the men's legs.
I grab a tree and rip it up from the roots. I then fly to where the train is. The conductor looks out the small window. I throw both the projectiles I have fifty feet in front of the train, which hit the bullseye I had imagined on the ground. The conductor's face goes pale as the train is now on an unavoidable collision course.
I land on the ground to watch the inevitable happen. That is when I feel a net grip my body. In my moment of furry, men are yanked up from the ground as they desperately hold on for dear life. They don't have the strength to hold down a giant of my size. The men hit the ground, breaking legs, arms, and rib bones. After throwing off the net, I grab one of the wounded with my beak, toss him in the air, and catch him in my mouth as gravity brings him down. One swallow takes care of him. I slurp up another man before taking flight.
I grab one of the cars from the train crash and hed to the dam. Before I let the car fly toward the dam, a flash of bright light like that of the sun gets into my eye. I drop the car to the ground and land. I use the edge of a building to rub my eyes.
I hear the voice of the human who called me for his bidding chanting at me as if he has powerful magic. He creates a spectacle while dancing a foreign dance. The onlookers cheer him on. The human continues his assault with words on me.
Keeping my eyes low, I let out a cry, which rings the bells once again. At that moment, I no longer feel kept here by my lack of will. I am free to go. My purpose has been fulfilled. I leave in haste.
I fly around the world causing destruction wherever I go. Humans are my preferred snack. I would eat every last one of them if I could figure out how they control me and stop them from doing so.
I follow a female to her mating grounds. This time, the winter is normal, which means her and I stand a chance of survival for the long hall. I'll get to live out my years. Until I am called again by a human who needs something done, I raise my babies and sleep with one eye open.
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| Steemmonsters | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Svoke - The Divine Healer | Skeleton Assassin |
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@mctiller twenty-four hour short story - You gotta be quick to get this one posted in time. He posts the contest on Sunday (usually) and ends it about 48 hours later. This contest has a 2000 word limit.
@bananafish Finish the Story Contest - The contest begins on Wednesday (usually) and end 5 days later. This contest will test your write skills with something a little different each week. Pletty of time to write something around the 500 word mark.
@kristyglas Random Games - Yes, random. She will put this contest out on Thursdays (usually) and end it after post pay out (usually). This is challenging because you don't know what you are going to get.
@steemmonsters Steem Monsters Common Card Fantasy Story Contest! - Coming out roughly every week. If you enjoy card games like Magic, Yugio, and others like it, you might like this game. Write a fictional tale about the card they present in the contest and your entry just might be the one they choose to showcase.
@calluna Tell A Story To Me, And Win 5 SBD! Writing Contest - Kind of random when it comes out but don't worry. You will have two weeks to complete your work of art from the given prompt. Have fun!
@vdux Haiku - These are coming out every couple days or so. If you stuggle with rhymes, no worries. Haikus don't have to rhyme. All you need to make a haiku is five syllable on the first, seven syllables in the second line, and again back to five syllable for the last line. So easy it makes me think I'm being super product. LOL