There is always work for loggers in war. Stakes must be raised to pierce the flanks of horses; ships must be crafted to raid coastlines; siege engines must be fashioned to penetrate high walls.
But rarely was there demand for so much work as quickly as the Prince asked for. The Serpent Crest raiders had raised a fortress in the center of a low valley, rings of hills and cliffs forming a natural fortification. From there, they struck like stinging wasps at the scattered villages.
The Prince wanted them gone.
“Madness,” one logger said to another as they hewed the forest until the earth was bare.
“Madness,” the lords murmured inside the walls of his city.
The Prince’s will was done, his logs stretching across the river.
“Madness,” the Serpent Crest commander whispered as the flood descended upon the valley, the redirected river sweeping away everything in its path.
Word Count: 148
This is for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. Thanks to Priceless Joy for running the challenge and Loretta Notto for providing the prompt photo!
Great story! Wonderful take on the prompt!
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Thank you!
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An overpowering of helplessness and plunder. Good writing.
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The Prince was smarter than they thought. Nice way to take the prompt and expand it.
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Thanks!
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Great story! THey devastated the forest for wars and fighting and when the floods came there was no trees to stop the flood from devastating the city!
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Thank you!
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Looks like the Serpent Cross got there comeuppance! This was an interesting story which felt like it was part of a larger piece of writing
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Thanks! I actually used characters and concepts I’d had for a longer piece, though I tried to make it a complete flash fiction.
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siege engines must be fashioned to penetrate high walls – reminded me of ancient warriors fashioning weapons and fortress from things they gathered in the forest. brilliant line that set the tone of the story
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Thank you!
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Oh, yes, madness. But how effective madness can be. Now, I hope that only the Serpent Crest fortress was in that valley.
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Madness can be just what one needs to think outside the box. Thanks for commenting!
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Amazing take on the prompt.
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Thank you!
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