Curiosity Killed the Cat – Turtleduck Press

Posts tagged "Curiosity Killed the Cat"

Curiosity Killed the Cat–Part 8

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Wrapped in a net, carried by jeweled crabs, Srivasi and his companion traveled through dark passageways. They angled down for a ways—then up, in what felt like tight spirals. Once, the whole bunch swayed like seagrass in the tide, clicking loudly, then the journey resumed—back the way they’d come. No turning, just walking the other way. “Can we just get this over with?” Dasid groaned. “Be careful what you wish for,” Srivasi said, as the crabs picked up speed in their new direction, though the longer they went unharmed the more he was inclined to believe the creatures meant no harm. Why else capture them in a net, after all? “To feed us to their crablings,” Dasid said when Srivasi pointed that out. He was so young to be so cynical! A few crabs brought out glowing rocks, and Srivasi and Dasid were carried through a corridor that caught and split the light, refracting and multiplying, until the colors danced and swam about them and even Dasid gasped in wonder. Then they passed through a grey stone arch into a tunnel so low that Srivasi’s whiskers brushed the roof. It was remarkably uncomfortable until he turned his head. His nose, luckily, was not as long as the whiskers. From the close tunnel, they passed into a great chamber of rock and columns and connections, arches and spirals. The crabs headed straight for the edge of the rock, for…

Curiosity Killed the Cat–Part 7

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Standing before another puzzle with the standard three answers, Jhi Bo decided she was becoming heartily sick of doors. Gerda muttered behind her, and Jhi Bo added that to the list of things making her want to pull her braids out—the incoherent mutterings of her companion. Though she doubted being able to understand would have been better. The girl was probably not thrilled with the competence on display by the heroes she must have thought would save the day with a quick bit of magic and perhaps a small swordfight. At least after their trek outside the maze, they had a lantern for their second attempt, though the girl still tended to let it droop by her side so that at every door Jhi Bo opened, the interior had a woman-holding-a-sword shaped shadow. And they had food, so when they caught up—Jhi Bo shook her head. When they caught up to that fool Srivasi, she would let Gerda feed her brother, but she would not offer food to that blasted mage. Why hadn’t he just waited for her? Because of the questions, she was sure. Srivasi needed to know and surely no maze could tempt him like one so clearly made by one like him—someone with that quest for any and all knowledge, no matter how useless or obscure. Jhi Bo opened a door, her sword at the ready since she couldn’t read the question, let alone guess the correct…

Curiosity Killed the Cat–Part 6

by KD Sarge Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 In the dark of a few dim dancing lights, tens of eyes stared from the bottom of the stairs at Srivasi and Dasid. For a moment Srivasi tried to count them, but the eyestalks and the lights both swayed as if to an unheard music, and some of each dropped down as others popped up and—and far more important were the claws, great pincers as thick as his forearm. One for each creature—the opposing pincer was half the size. Wide bodies built low, pincers—crabs. Giant—for crabs, the tallest would come up to Srivasi’s waist, but the leg-span was huge, and they were armored with—or possibly made of—rock? Dasid moved to put the gem in his shirt. The crab-shaped rock creatures swayed forward. “Stop,” Srivasi murmured. “Don’t move.” Dasid froze. “I was just—” “Put your hand down.” Dasid lowered his hand. The creatures swayed back, like sea grass as a wave ran out. “What, do they think it’s a weapon?” Dasid asked, moving the gem slowly behind his back. “It’s—” The creatures leaned forward again, as if a wave pushed them, but a little closer, each wave bringing the tide farther up the beach. “Hold it in front of you,” Srivasi breathed. Was it theirs? Were these the book thieves? That couldn’t be. But what other candidates did he have? “I’m trying to protect it from those things!” Dasid snarled, but he held the gem in front of him. The…

Curiosity Killed the Cat — Part 5

by KD Sarge Read previous installments: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 After a time sitting in the dark by the dripping stone, Srivasi sighed and lit his wand again. “Warn a fellow,” Dasid grumbled. He sat with his head leaned back and his eyes closed. He looked very young and very dirty. No, that wasn’t—well, yes, he was dirty. But his eyes looked bruised from lack of sleep, not dirt. He’d been stuck in that room at least a day before Srivasi dropped in, so he must be hungry too, though he didn’t complain. Srivasi knew well that at Dasid’s age, he himself would have been a whiny, sniveling mess who probably would have demanded to be carried by the poor adult who found him. “Your turn for the water,” Dasid murmured. The curved rock was full. Srivasi drank the water and replaced the rock. The drops were coming a little faster now. Srivasi leaned his head back and wondered why Jhi Bo didn’t come. She was trying, he was sure. She just—had a lot of places to look. And, probably, monsters to fight. She knew many things, but he didn’t think she could read Aduli, or answer a number of other questions he’d seen… Too late, Srivasi knew he should have just stayed in that first room, just pulled up a cushion and waited. She would have come soon…and maybe they’d still be lost and going in circles, but he’d have Jhi Bo with him, and that was worth…

Curiosity Killed the Cat — Part 4

By KD Sarge Read previous installments: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Jhi Bo slipped through the door and flung herself back, adding her weight to Gerda’s to slam the door. A tentacle thudded against the other side. Maybe two. The door shuddered but held. A few more thuds, then silence. Jhi Bo thumped her head lightly on the door behind her. Idiot! Srivasi wouldn’t have forgotten the proper order for solving an equation. “Inda brofid na?” the girl said, waving at Jhi Bo’s sword. She mimed drawing it and swinging mightily. Jhi Bo scowled at her. Why would she fight the squid if they could escape it? The animal had only defended its lair. Right. So. Solve the equation in the correct order this time, and the door was… Jhi Bo noticed as she stepped forward that the girl stepped back. *** Srivasi hadn’t argued, but Dasid said it again, louder. “It’s a death trap. It’s a stupid lousy—you know what? Sod this.” He plunked down on folded legs, folded his arms in front of his chest. “I’m done. I’m not giving some madman his jollies, watching me run in circles like some trained chicken.” “I thought you wanted to find the gold?” “There is no gold,” Dasid snarled. “There are circles. There are doors, and questions. Answer wrong, and there’s a monster. Answer right, and there’s more doors. Sooner or later you’ll blow it again, and then what if we can’t outrun whatever we find?” “Not saying you’re…

Curiosity Killed the Cat – Part 3

Curiosity Killed the Cat A free fantasy serial by KD Sarge Part 3: Many Doors (Read part 1 here. Part 2 is here.) Srivasi reached for the door and hesitated. He had the right answer now, but there was no guarantee that the correct door led to safety. He looked back, and it was still dark around the corner they’d come from. He could go check, but probably the door was still closed, still hidden by the skill of its builder. Maybe he could find it and force it open, find a way to get back to the surface—and maybe he couldn’t. He wasn’t particularly eager to have the boy see him fail. If— “Oh, fine.” The boy bounced forward and yanked the door open. Leaped back, leaving Srivasi standing before the doorway alone. Only darkness flowed out. Metaphorical flowing, not real, thankfully. “Are you going to make more light?” Dasid demanded. “Or should we just stand here a while first?” Oh. He’d let his wand go out, distracted by running for his life. Srivasi thought of shoving the child through the door and holding it closed, but the boy would make noise and bring anything that might be nearby to attack. Though on the other side of the door… No. If something attacked the child, Srivasi would have to help him. Better to avoid it if he could. Srivasi sighed and lit the tip of his wand. “Huh,” Dasid said. “It looks just like where we are,” Srivasi said. “Yeah,…

Curiosity Killed the Cat – Part 2

Curiosity Killed the Cat A free fantasy serial by KD Sarge Part 2: Before a Closed Door (Read part 1 here) Jhi Bo heard a muffled shout and just knew it wasn’t the child she sought. It was Srivasi. He’d found trouble again. Somehow. Heaven’s truth, she thought, she should just leave him to the consequences, but she was already running as she thought it. The farm girl saw Jhi Bo running and shouted something, her face joyful, as she ran to intersect her path. Jhi Bo ran past her. The girl’s feet thudded behind her; the goats with their bells trotted after. In the middle of two stone-marked circles—multiple warnings, right there, that this place was important and should be left alone—in a dome of marble and glass surrounded by circles, Jhi Bo found nothing of Srivasi but the fading scent of his fear. The dome was glorious; the floor was smooth dirt, patterned and braided as if a river had run over it. In the center of the room stood a twisted pillar of marble with writing chasing over every surface. To Jhi Bo, it was another warning—probably go away, written in a number of scripts—but she knew it was just the thing to attract foolish Srivasi and his all-devouring curiosity. But then why wasn’t he still poring over it? The girl, Gerda, came into the dome, her eyes on the soaring pillar. The goats, wiser than their human, stayed outside. Gerda said something in a questioning tone. She might…

Curiosity Killed the Cat – Part 1

Curiosity Killed the Cat A free fantasy serial by KD Sarge Part 1: Through a Hidden Door A child’s city, Srivasi thought when the horses crested a small rise and below them the forest held back from the edges of oddly short buildings of white stone with golden streaks. Graceful arcs that should have soared, domes that should have stood tall— “His scarf!” Gerda shouted, making Srivasi’s head ring. She wriggled, twisting and shoving and nearly knocking him out of the saddle before she slid off the back of his horse to land on her feet. “I see his scarf!” At the sound of her voice, goats came running to cavort about her. “My darlings, here you are!” She ran to meet them. “But where is Dasid?” she asked the goats. “Small ruins,” Jhi Bo growled in Fwenye as she swung down from her horse. “They are still ruins. Why is it always ruins?” The black warhorse shook his head as if to echo her disgust, bridle-bells jingling. “I warned you,” Jhi Bo muttered as Srivasi scrambled down. “Did I not? Just because a woman weeps…” “She’s a child,” Srivasi argued despite his still-ringing ears and the fact that Gerda was a solidly-built girl not two fingers shorter than he was, who wrestled farm animals and younger siblings every day of her life. “An orphan child, looking for her little brother. How can we not help?” “Easily,” Jhi Bo grumbled, but she dropped one rein to the ground in signal for…

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Tag: Curiosity Killed the Cat