Today's story is
a good idea and a fun one. My only regret is that about it is that it
took awhile to brainstorm so I don't have as much time to work on
other stuff. I'm going to be pondering and using CJ's input as I keep
writing my book. It's funny it's probably one of the most surreal
endevaor's I've ever done and the most unique story idea I've
had(including all the ones on this blog) and he told me I may be too
afraid of getting confusing. (Because of the surrealness of my story
I don't want to get confusing. But also the surrealness of my story
is not like Walrus on a bicycle surreal or Alice in Wonderland
surreal. I'd say more, but I don't want to just throw all my ideas
out before the book is out and people take them) But enough about
that, onto the flash fiction, enjoy!
Magic, Songs
and Teamwork
In the lands of
Zeeyu magic was controlled by song. Though even more accurately it
was controlled by the relationships of three kinds of people. The
composers, singers, and the synchronizists. All together these
people made magic possible.
The composers
would make the spells. They would research and create the magic words
for the songs. They were famous for spending days in old library
looking up old spells and figuring out the words in them. They would
learn how to read dead languages just to learn some of the songs in
the books and decode the magic words hidden within. (You couldn't
just say a magic word for it to work. A careful eye and knowledge of
the magical arts was needed to spot one, or just dumb trial and error
in the field after you found some new words in an old book could
work.)
Singers would
sing the words the composer would research. A composer could be the
singer as well. Someone could perform all the roles in the “magical
band” feasibly but they wouldn't have the time to hone their skills
in singing and be able to research all the words at the same time so
people specialized. The singer did not learn the words, but the
syllables. They learned how to make them be said to whatever rhythm
was needed for whatever spell so no matter whatever the composer
threw at them they could say it even if they didn't know what it
meant. The best singers could sing magic from a language they only
learned about a week ago.
Synchronizists
were masters of rhythm and synchronizing. In order for a spell to
select a target it used whatever rhythm the synchronizist was
playing. Targeting a human and targeting a dragon required different
rhythms, this factors in distance too. The singer must pronounce the
words of the spell correctly as well making it go well with the
rhythm of the synchronizist otherwise the spell will be unstable. A
good composer will pick magic words that will make this as easy as
possible for them. This is possible because many language have
magical synonyms. Two different languages can have magical words for
the same kind of magic so the composer has multiple choices for the
same thing so the composer should pick the easiest option. The best
composers are the ones that can do all that when “improvising” a
spell, making one off the top of their head. Synchronizists can get
in this kind of situation too. They can use various instruments to
establish rhythms like drums. Many have favorites. Many pick whatever
is easiest for the spell and for the singers and composers to adapt
to. One famous incident had a skilled synchronizist stuck without an
instrument. Many would clap at that point, but since he thought that
wouldn't match the spell they needed, he decided to click-clack and
smack two small rocks that he found nearby together over and over to
the rhythm he needed.
In this land
magic was music honed in the perfect relationship of people.
“Waffles!?”
the singer screamed with a deep voice unfitting to his teenage age,
“We turned the tree into waffles?”
“I researched
the words for hours!” yelled the composer her face turning red as a
forest fire, “How could you screw them up? I picked the simplest
ones!” The composer then glared at the synchronizist. “And what
we weren't even aiming for the tree. We were aiming for the lead we
set in the field! Thank goodness we were practicing in a field for
safety! We could have hurt someone! Can't believe you missed a hunk
of lead!”
The
synchronizist yelled back, “I wouldn't have had any problem with
the rhythm if you two hadn't botched the song! Turning lead into gold
is the final exam project. If we screw this up my grades will plummet
for sure.” Her grades were so high that it would actually only turn
her grade to a B in that class but it was still horror to her. Out of
horror for the possibility of the outcome she was about to cry under
her thick sunglasses. The way synchronizist was raised was that she
was calm and collected about everything but her grades.
“Each mistake
can be a reward in of itself.” said a voice from behind.
The composer
then said, “Another 'wise saying' it must be Mr. Smith.”
Mr. Smith then
smiled, “Yes, it is I Mr. Smith, inter-dimensional traveler teacher
from Earth!”
The singer then
groaned, “I'm sorry but nobody cares that your from that dumb,
magicless world. Even if you've told everyone, staff and students
included, a thousand times.”
The
synchronizist then asked, “So you said, 'Each mistake can be a
reward in of itself' so what can we learn from this one?”
Mr. Smith then
laughed. “No,no, no. I didn't say you could learn from every
mistake. What I said is that every mistake can be 'rewarding'. Look!”
The teacher said while pointing at their mistake. “You got free
waffles!” He smiled. “Instead of arguing about the fact you
messed up you should enjoy your waffles then start from scratch. No
use arguing right?”
“Actually I
think we did learn something...” said the composer.
“Oh? What's
that?” asked Mr. Smith.
The composer
smiled. “We learned the world's first waffle spell!”
The singer then
said, “If we can replicate it we could keep turning even more trees
into waffles, it would be hilarious! And isn't there an alternate
assignment for the final exam where you invent a spell?”
The
synchronizist then awoke the inner businesswoman in herself. “If I
can make it target any plant we want we can get rid of weeds and
other unwanted plants in people's yards by turning them into waffles
that we could just scoop up instead of having to uproot entire trees!
Or better yet we could also make...waffle farms.”
Mr. Smith
sighed. There were some times he missed the mundane world of Earth.
This work is
copyright Langdon Kennedy you may share this(email it, print it, post
it on your own website, broadcast it etc.) work unaltered as long as
you credit me as the author and share a link to this blog with it and
it is not for profit. If you have any questions and/or are unclear of
these conditions email me at llkenne1@asu.edu
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