Better to Beg Forgiveness: Chapter 1
#1 of Better to Beg Forgiveness
This is chapter one of a story I was previously commissioned to start. Since then, things have changed. It's my writing, so I've chosen to put it up on FA, because i would like to continue writing it. It may go in a different direction, it might not. We'll see what happens~
Please send notes, comments, anything; the more people who drop me even a full-stop, the better. If you're interested, LET ME KNOW! <3
Tarka let out a hiss of surprise as she sat up in bed, breathing heavily, before curling her knees to her chest. A deep breath filled her lungs as she looked down at herself in the light of the moon. Her pebble-like scales barely reflected the light, but they were the faintest red color like this, the reptile's eyes slowly tracing a pattern between the scales that was soon forgotten. She twisted her arm, then looked back to her clawtips, thinking on the dream that woke her up with such a start. her memories were blurry, and she lifted her hands to rub her eyes clear. She scooted herself out of bed and moved to the window, looking outside to the town she lived in.
The town was quiet, and it was more of a settlement than a town, the small, almost recycled looking homes shifting almost imperceptibly whenever the wind changed direction, as old steel windmills churned and noisily squeaked from the effort of turning to get more of the passing breeze. She leaned out of the window, staring up towards the stars and twin moons that lazily soared across the sky. Tarka took in another deep breath, filling her lungs before looking down to watch one of the citizens as they carted a large wheelbarrow of old scrap down the dirt road that lead away from the settlement. Her town was full of scrappers and their like, they found discarded tools, furniture, everything from old tankards to battered and useless armor.
She watches as his scrawny body strained against the weight of the metal he had with him. His claws dug in, and he let out a strained squeak as he pushed uphill, his thin tail slashing through the air soundlessly as he did so. Tarka mused that her fellow kobold brother was trying to train himself up for the great dig that was supposed to come any month now. Or so the elders claimed, and why they had recently moved into the area. Her nostrils flared, and her eye moved from the straining kobold, following the dirt road up towards the smeltery at the end. It was outside of town, it was always placed outside of town, and it was built tall and deep, like a parasite to the world, weather wouldn't affect it, yet it was always easy to disassemble for their migrations.
Thinking about that smeltery, however, gave the kobold a cold shudder however, a terrible vision filling her mind for just a moment, and she shook her head as though to clear her mind. The dream must have had to do with the smelter itself, she figured, and stroked her own shoulder for a moment, comforting herself as she sat back down onto the bed. A deep breath in and out,and she could smell the comforting scent of hot metal, knowing that in the morning, she'd be ready for a fresh day of work, of reshaping and reforming that molten mass into something new, something useful. Not for her brethren, but for her alone.
Several hours passed, filled by restless sleep as Tarka did her best to stay calm. With the lingering memory of the awful dream still in her mind, however, and the anticipation of her project, she found it easier to claw her way out of bed, her tail shaking away the exhaustion in her heavy limbs. The light that let itself into her room from the window made her eyes burn, and she lifted a hand to block out the morning sun. Her brethren were still asleep, always waiting until the sun was higher in the air, but not her. She stretched again, bones popping back into place before she opened her dresser, throwing on a thick leather tunic, modified to allow her more freedom of movement, and a sturdy pair of chaps that would protect her legs.
She left her home quickly, yet quietly, a rolled up piece of parchment held tightly in her grasp. She strode with purpose, heading to the smeltery when no one else was going to see her. She pinned the parchment to a sturdy, metal bench and began her project. Tarka's gloved claws grabbed containers of molten metal, and she carefully poured them into molds she had hidden away, watching as the metal formed into long, thin spikes, with short and thick handles near the ends of each spike. With a bucket of water, she carefully quenched the spikes, tilting her head a bit as she watched the metal cool and send steam into the air.
"Tarka! Didn't expect to see you here this early!"
The red kobold yelped and nearly knocked over the remains of her project, her body shaking noticeably as she realized someone had been watching her. Tarka wheeled around, tearing her blueprint from the desk and jamming it into her tunic. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she realized who had addressed her. "Oh, uh, hello Mr. Pierce," She slightly bows her head to the dark green kobold.
Her brethren slowly walks up to Tarka. "What are you doing here this early?" He asked as he gently places his hand on her shoulder, "I never took ya for the kinda missy to stick around here, jus' the meltin' and the smeltin' type." The green kobold tilts his head, "So...what's that yer workin' on?" He asked, as he slowly moved himself up beside her, looking down into the water. "That some kinda...sewin' needle or somethin'?" He asked, making the red reptile frown, her tail slightly kinking up in frustration.
"Of...course." She murmured in a quiet voice, "Just sewing ne-" She was cut off when the green kobold slapped her wrist like a father who had just found his daughter had stolen sweets from him. Their eyes met for a few quiet, yet intense moments. She puffed out her cheeks, her heart racing, unsure if he'd continue his questioning.
"Tarka, I know better than that. That ain't no sewin' needle. now, I'm not gonna ask you anythin' else about it. Gonna turn a blind eye, but I swear, I swear to the metal goddess, if you do anything, anything, that puts Techru in danger, I will cut yer tail off and make ya eat it, ya understand?" The threat made tarka shudder slightly, but she puffs her chest out with confidence, narrowing her eyes.
"What I'm doing is for the best, Mr. Pierce. I promise."
"Ya best see to it that it is." He replied, coldly.