Live by the Sword
Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 11:26 pm
Hey guys been a while since I've posted here. Years in fact... yikes time sure flies. Anyway, the year's been rough and I kinda felt burnt out. But lately, I've been thinking I want to go back to doing this stuff because it's fun and it takes my mind off of things. So first off. This isn't what I was working on before mostly cause I kinda felt stuck and wasn't sure how to continue. Maybe I will someday or maybe I won't. For now, I just want to try and get back into the swing of things.
This was going to be something to familiarize myself with how I write again but I had two potential stories and didn't know which one to pursue. So I decided why not do like a pilot of sorts to see which one I was more excited about writing. And by the pilot, I meant the beginning arc cause it's hard to tell which one gets me more excited with just one chapter. I based the story structure around Valerio's posts back in the day cause to get some inspiration back I reread a good portion of his fic. (if you haven't read/didn't know about his fic I highly recommend it)
Anyway, this is one of the two potential fics I wanted to try writing. I'll finish this one first before moving on to the second one.
Pilot Episode: Askal
Chapter 01
Askal was not having the best day.
And that’s saying something for a street dog trying to survive in a bustling city. The usual spots he would check for food had either been already raided or had nothing safe to eat. Today’s weather called for clear skies, but that meant blistering heat in a tropical country like his. Thankfully his patchwork brown and white fur were on the shorter end for dogs, but it did very little to relieve him from the heat.
Exhausted, all the little Askal could do was drop to his tail in the shade of the city’s numerous skyscrapers to catch his breath. Sometimes he wished his nose wasn't so sensitive. Many streets in the city reeked of garbage and smog but it's not like he could do anything about it.
His stomach growled once again, begging for what wasn’t there, to begin with. “I know, I know.” Askal grumbled to himself, “I’m doing the best that I can.”
“Rough day, huh?” came a voice from just above him
A Second dog was leaning casually on the fire escape. This was one with a mix of brown and black fur. The newcomer’s ears were pointed straight up, and he had the slyest grin.
“Kuya Datu?” Askal mumbled in his hunger-induced haze as the dog above jumped down from the fire escape and landed like a professional
“The one and only.” he chuckled as he looked down on the younger dog, “Looks like you could use a pick me up.”
He tossed a brown paper bag onto Askal’s lap without another word. The moment his nose cleared out the smell of garbage, Askal instantly knew what was inside the bag. No hesitation. The bag was torn to shreds in mere seconds to reveal a burger, still wrapped too. Not a second later, the wrapper was gone, and it was halfway through his mouth, and poor Askal was gagging on his meal.
“Slow down!” Datu laughed as he took a seat next to the gagging dog and slapped his back. “You’ve got to enjoy it.” Datu even handed him a drink, wet from being too cold in a hot environment
“Hang on,” Askal said through a full mouth of burger meat. “This is still warm!” he sipped through the drink’s straw. “And this still has ice in it! How did you get these?”
“Oh, you know.” Datu oozed false innocence. “There was this new hire taking food out to a car. One well-placed distraction and presto.”
“I thought you told me not to steal because I could get sent to the shelter.”
“Correction! I told you not to steal AND get caught because it would get you sent to the shelter. Big difference!”
“Okay, and how is that any better?”
“Because! We are a dime a dozen. If you’ve seen one Askal, you’ve seen them all! Hard to catch a specific stray when you can’t tell them apart.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Of course, I’m sure! I’ve been at this way longer than you have, pup. Resorting to… those methods are still too advanced for a stray of your caliber.”
Askal managed to finish his meal despite being unsure of Datu’s methods. It wasn’t much, but it was a full course meal to a street dog. If only… The meal at best held him until dinner before he would feel hungry again. Askal didn’t feel like going to bed hungry for the third time this week, but he didn’t have a lot of options. He wasn’t particularly graceful when it came to… acquiring food.
“So, any dinner plans?” Datu poked jokingly as he strolled alongside Askal
With a roll of his eyes, Askal responded while still walking, “Maybe I’ll stalk the nearest Mc’Do for anything they throw away. If I can just get to it before the other strays do, maybe I finally won’t go hungry tonight.”
“Aw, don’t be like that,” Datu said in a tone that hid something he couldn’t wait to share. “I’ve got an idea.”
Askal paused. He knew that Datu’s plans were less than desirable to the humans. Pretty much the only reason why he hasn’t been caught yet was that the only things taken were food. The local law enforcement had more critical tasks than catching hungry strays. Doing nothing, for example. Nobody could do nothing like the local police.
Datu’s ideas required a certain subtlety to them. Askal was almost always left in the dark about what they entailed. But, he had always been told, “the less you know, the better.”. Datu enlisting Askal’s help made him raise a brow. Usually, Datu showed up with food and something safe to drink and told him not to ask questions. Then he’d be missing for most of the day, leaving Askal to wander the streets begging for food from passerby’s.
“Okay, okay.” Datu started with his hands up. “I know this is suspicious, but it’s not hard. I just want you to watch a building for me.”
“A building?” Askal repeated with a head tilt
“You know, somewhere nearby on top of an old church bell tower. To ring if you see anybody approach said building,” he said, trying to hook Askal onto his plan.
“Are you sure about this?” Askal asked again
“Trust me.”
There was a pause. Askal felt a little uneasy about the whole thing, mainly because he knew so little going into it. The instructions he was given, while simple enough were vague when it came to the specifics. However, Askal felt that if he was going to be a part of the plan, he should know a little more than a faint outline.
Shaken by the weight of his decision Askal opened his mouth to speak, “I’m not so….” His words died in his mouth
His stomach rumbled once again. Even though he was sure he had his fill on the burger Askal didn’t realize how hungry he was. Still, Askal tried to remain stalwart. Either he knows more, or he doesn’t participate. Then he heard his stomach rumble again.
“Alright, fine,” Askal said faster than he could think. “All I have to do is ring the bell when anybody gets close, right?”
Datu smiled. “Exactly! Now come on. It’s a little ways off of where we are now, and we should get you situated long before I start so nobody gets suspicious.”
Askal threw up his hands and followed the slightly older dog with an exasperated sigh. It was still a little bit after noon, and Askal didn’t want to trek through the city in such harsh conditions, but there was very little he could do when Datu had that look in his eyes.
Askal didn’t know the city’s name he lived his entire life in. He just knew it was packed. There was no shortage of people and pets from poor to rich. One would think that the number of people in such a condensed area would cause severe friction and dispute, but somehow these people made it work. There were beggars, yes, but there were a good amount of humans who had set up stalls selling everything from phone cases to freshly roasted nuts.
A cascade of jeeps and cars made the streets dangerous for pets and humans, yet there was a routine buried deep underneath the chaos. It didn’t matter if the lights were red or green. People continued to cross the road uninhibited by the fear of getting hit. Years of experience, no doubt. Askal wished it wasn’t so hard to breathe through the smog sometimes.
It had taken a little over an hour, but after numerous intersections, road crossings, and angry car horns, the two strays had finally reached their destination. A run-down church with clear warning tapes on the door marked it as condemned. It was a little sad to look at. Askal had seen his fair share of services from places much like these. It was always filled with people who celebrated their faith but seeing such a place abandoned and alone struck at Askal’s heartstrings.
“Tabi Tabi Po.” Datu said casually as he brushed aside the condemned tape
Askal had done the same. He wasn’t sure why but humans did this every time they had to pass through anywhere old.
“Are you sure this place is safe?” Askal asked as he poked at the door, wondering if it would collapse by his touch alone
Datu gestured for Askal to follow in his unique, carefree way, “Nah, you worry too much. I looked the place over when I planned this. Now come on before anybody notices.” The stray did, albeit reluctantly
Inside, all the pews that typically waited for people to occupy them were missing. All the paintings of religious imagery, among other things, were also gone. The church was truly and utterly abandoned, and it felt hollow. Askal doubted if returning the pews would do anything to fix the hollowness.
Askal was led through stairs that went up two levels, passing through the sides. Each time he took a step, he had kicked up a cloud of dust that irritated his sensitive nose nonstop. Once at the top, Datu pointed at the door at the end of the hall. When opened, Askal was greeted by the balcony he had seen from outside.
Askal saw his city’s skyline for the umpteenth time, but he had never really gotten tired of it. When Askal was hungry and couldn’t sleep, he would stare at the skyline, thinking of what lied beyond the high bars that held him in. Askal had a general area he liked to call his territory and wouldn’t stray too far from it so Datu could always find him. This was actually the farthest he had gone from that small area, and Askal’s heart raced at the excitement. It was almost enough to distract him from how hungry he was. Almost…
Askal’s stomach growled again. “Wow, you sure are hungry, huh?” Datu laughed, breaking Askal’s train of thought
“I can’t help it, okay!” Askal whined, “Lately, I’ve just been getting hungrier and hungrier. Like more so than usual. I used to be able to go for much longer before you come back, but it feels like it’s never enough.”
Datu chuckled and spun Askal around. “Do me a favor and stand up straight.”
The older dog rested his hand on Askal’s head. Once he was done, Datu stepped away and chuckled a second time. Much to Askal’s annoyance.
“You’re this tall now,” Datu said with his hand reaching up to his chest. “You used to be this tall.” He lowered his hand by a margin
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Askal growled annoyed
Datu smiled and bent down to Askal’s eye level. “It means that your Kuya has to work overtime to feed his black hole of an Askal.”
Askal tackled Datu without warning. Except it was more of a headbutt than a tackle. The older dog was even unfazed by the meager assault.
“Was that supposed to do something? Cause this is what it’s supposed to look like!”
Datu had done the same thing Askal had done, and the two were on the floor in seconds. Soon the two were wrestling each other with a few play bites here and there. It clearly wasn’t that much of a match-up. Datu had kept most of Askal’s play bites at bay with his long arm length and returned them in kind. The two had continued to fight until Askal had lost his breath and let go of Datu rolling a short distance away before standing up.
“Get some rest.” Datu commanded as he leaned over the railing, “You’re gonna need it.”
Askal wanted to protest, but a yawn drowned out his words. He had gone through an hour’s worth of walking followed by a tussle with Datu. A nap did sound appealing.
“Alright, but our fight isn’t over yet.” Askal yawned “after this food situation is fixed, we’re going to go at it for real.”
“Whatever you say, pup,” Datu said, giving Askal’s face a tender lick.
Chapter 01 End
This was going to be something to familiarize myself with how I write again but I had two potential stories and didn't know which one to pursue. So I decided why not do like a pilot of sorts to see which one I was more excited about writing. And by the pilot, I meant the beginning arc cause it's hard to tell which one gets me more excited with just one chapter. I based the story structure around Valerio's posts back in the day cause to get some inspiration back I reread a good portion of his fic. (if you haven't read/didn't know about his fic I highly recommend it)
Anyway, this is one of the two potential fics I wanted to try writing. I'll finish this one first before moving on to the second one.
Pilot Episode: Askal
Chapter 01
Askal was not having the best day.
And that’s saying something for a street dog trying to survive in a bustling city. The usual spots he would check for food had either been already raided or had nothing safe to eat. Today’s weather called for clear skies, but that meant blistering heat in a tropical country like his. Thankfully his patchwork brown and white fur were on the shorter end for dogs, but it did very little to relieve him from the heat.
Exhausted, all the little Askal could do was drop to his tail in the shade of the city’s numerous skyscrapers to catch his breath. Sometimes he wished his nose wasn't so sensitive. Many streets in the city reeked of garbage and smog but it's not like he could do anything about it.
His stomach growled once again, begging for what wasn’t there, to begin with. “I know, I know.” Askal grumbled to himself, “I’m doing the best that I can.”
“Rough day, huh?” came a voice from just above him
A Second dog was leaning casually on the fire escape. This was one with a mix of brown and black fur. The newcomer’s ears were pointed straight up, and he had the slyest grin.
“Kuya Datu?” Askal mumbled in his hunger-induced haze as the dog above jumped down from the fire escape and landed like a professional
“The one and only.” he chuckled as he looked down on the younger dog, “Looks like you could use a pick me up.”
He tossed a brown paper bag onto Askal’s lap without another word. The moment his nose cleared out the smell of garbage, Askal instantly knew what was inside the bag. No hesitation. The bag was torn to shreds in mere seconds to reveal a burger, still wrapped too. Not a second later, the wrapper was gone, and it was halfway through his mouth, and poor Askal was gagging on his meal.
“Slow down!” Datu laughed as he took a seat next to the gagging dog and slapped his back. “You’ve got to enjoy it.” Datu even handed him a drink, wet from being too cold in a hot environment
“Hang on,” Askal said through a full mouth of burger meat. “This is still warm!” he sipped through the drink’s straw. “And this still has ice in it! How did you get these?”
“Oh, you know.” Datu oozed false innocence. “There was this new hire taking food out to a car. One well-placed distraction and presto.”
“I thought you told me not to steal because I could get sent to the shelter.”
“Correction! I told you not to steal AND get caught because it would get you sent to the shelter. Big difference!”
“Okay, and how is that any better?”
“Because! We are a dime a dozen. If you’ve seen one Askal, you’ve seen them all! Hard to catch a specific stray when you can’t tell them apart.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Of course, I’m sure! I’ve been at this way longer than you have, pup. Resorting to… those methods are still too advanced for a stray of your caliber.”
Askal managed to finish his meal despite being unsure of Datu’s methods. It wasn’t much, but it was a full course meal to a street dog. If only… The meal at best held him until dinner before he would feel hungry again. Askal didn’t feel like going to bed hungry for the third time this week, but he didn’t have a lot of options. He wasn’t particularly graceful when it came to… acquiring food.
“So, any dinner plans?” Datu poked jokingly as he strolled alongside Askal
With a roll of his eyes, Askal responded while still walking, “Maybe I’ll stalk the nearest Mc’Do for anything they throw away. If I can just get to it before the other strays do, maybe I finally won’t go hungry tonight.”
“Aw, don’t be like that,” Datu said in a tone that hid something he couldn’t wait to share. “I’ve got an idea.”
Askal paused. He knew that Datu’s plans were less than desirable to the humans. Pretty much the only reason why he hasn’t been caught yet was that the only things taken were food. The local law enforcement had more critical tasks than catching hungry strays. Doing nothing, for example. Nobody could do nothing like the local police.
Datu’s ideas required a certain subtlety to them. Askal was almost always left in the dark about what they entailed. But, he had always been told, “the less you know, the better.”. Datu enlisting Askal’s help made him raise a brow. Usually, Datu showed up with food and something safe to drink and told him not to ask questions. Then he’d be missing for most of the day, leaving Askal to wander the streets begging for food from passerby’s.
“Okay, okay.” Datu started with his hands up. “I know this is suspicious, but it’s not hard. I just want you to watch a building for me.”
“A building?” Askal repeated with a head tilt
“You know, somewhere nearby on top of an old church bell tower. To ring if you see anybody approach said building,” he said, trying to hook Askal onto his plan.
“Are you sure about this?” Askal asked again
“Trust me.”
There was a pause. Askal felt a little uneasy about the whole thing, mainly because he knew so little going into it. The instructions he was given, while simple enough were vague when it came to the specifics. However, Askal felt that if he was going to be a part of the plan, he should know a little more than a faint outline.
Shaken by the weight of his decision Askal opened his mouth to speak, “I’m not so….” His words died in his mouth
His stomach rumbled once again. Even though he was sure he had his fill on the burger Askal didn’t realize how hungry he was. Still, Askal tried to remain stalwart. Either he knows more, or he doesn’t participate. Then he heard his stomach rumble again.
“Alright, fine,” Askal said faster than he could think. “All I have to do is ring the bell when anybody gets close, right?”
Datu smiled. “Exactly! Now come on. It’s a little ways off of where we are now, and we should get you situated long before I start so nobody gets suspicious.”
Askal threw up his hands and followed the slightly older dog with an exasperated sigh. It was still a little bit after noon, and Askal didn’t want to trek through the city in such harsh conditions, but there was very little he could do when Datu had that look in his eyes.
Askal didn’t know the city’s name he lived his entire life in. He just knew it was packed. There was no shortage of people and pets from poor to rich. One would think that the number of people in such a condensed area would cause severe friction and dispute, but somehow these people made it work. There were beggars, yes, but there were a good amount of humans who had set up stalls selling everything from phone cases to freshly roasted nuts.
A cascade of jeeps and cars made the streets dangerous for pets and humans, yet there was a routine buried deep underneath the chaos. It didn’t matter if the lights were red or green. People continued to cross the road uninhibited by the fear of getting hit. Years of experience, no doubt. Askal wished it wasn’t so hard to breathe through the smog sometimes.
It had taken a little over an hour, but after numerous intersections, road crossings, and angry car horns, the two strays had finally reached their destination. A run-down church with clear warning tapes on the door marked it as condemned. It was a little sad to look at. Askal had seen his fair share of services from places much like these. It was always filled with people who celebrated their faith but seeing such a place abandoned and alone struck at Askal’s heartstrings.
“Tabi Tabi Po.” Datu said casually as he brushed aside the condemned tape
Askal had done the same. He wasn’t sure why but humans did this every time they had to pass through anywhere old.
“Are you sure this place is safe?” Askal asked as he poked at the door, wondering if it would collapse by his touch alone
Datu gestured for Askal to follow in his unique, carefree way, “Nah, you worry too much. I looked the place over when I planned this. Now come on before anybody notices.” The stray did, albeit reluctantly
Inside, all the pews that typically waited for people to occupy them were missing. All the paintings of religious imagery, among other things, were also gone. The church was truly and utterly abandoned, and it felt hollow. Askal doubted if returning the pews would do anything to fix the hollowness.
Askal was led through stairs that went up two levels, passing through the sides. Each time he took a step, he had kicked up a cloud of dust that irritated his sensitive nose nonstop. Once at the top, Datu pointed at the door at the end of the hall. When opened, Askal was greeted by the balcony he had seen from outside.
Askal saw his city’s skyline for the umpteenth time, but he had never really gotten tired of it. When Askal was hungry and couldn’t sleep, he would stare at the skyline, thinking of what lied beyond the high bars that held him in. Askal had a general area he liked to call his territory and wouldn’t stray too far from it so Datu could always find him. This was actually the farthest he had gone from that small area, and Askal’s heart raced at the excitement. It was almost enough to distract him from how hungry he was. Almost…
Askal’s stomach growled again. “Wow, you sure are hungry, huh?” Datu laughed, breaking Askal’s train of thought
“I can’t help it, okay!” Askal whined, “Lately, I’ve just been getting hungrier and hungrier. Like more so than usual. I used to be able to go for much longer before you come back, but it feels like it’s never enough.”
Datu chuckled and spun Askal around. “Do me a favor and stand up straight.”
The older dog rested his hand on Askal’s head. Once he was done, Datu stepped away and chuckled a second time. Much to Askal’s annoyance.
“You’re this tall now,” Datu said with his hand reaching up to his chest. “You used to be this tall.” He lowered his hand by a margin
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Askal growled annoyed
Datu smiled and bent down to Askal’s eye level. “It means that your Kuya has to work overtime to feed his black hole of an Askal.”
Askal tackled Datu without warning. Except it was more of a headbutt than a tackle. The older dog was even unfazed by the meager assault.
“Was that supposed to do something? Cause this is what it’s supposed to look like!”
Datu had done the same thing Askal had done, and the two were on the floor in seconds. Soon the two were wrestling each other with a few play bites here and there. It clearly wasn’t that much of a match-up. Datu had kept most of Askal’s play bites at bay with his long arm length and returned them in kind. The two had continued to fight until Askal had lost his breath and let go of Datu rolling a short distance away before standing up.
“Get some rest.” Datu commanded as he leaned over the railing, “You’re gonna need it.”
Askal wanted to protest, but a yawn drowned out his words. He had gone through an hour’s worth of walking followed by a tussle with Datu. A nap did sound appealing.
“Alright, but our fight isn’t over yet.” Askal yawned “after this food situation is fixed, we’re going to go at it for real.”
“Whatever you say, pup,” Datu said, giving Askal’s face a tender lick.
Chapter 01 End