💯 STORY CHALLENGE (28/100)
The Sea Fortress | Fantasy Flash Fiction
Violent storms protect an ancient fortress in the sea, but while one storm weakens, another rises on the horizon.
Waves rise and fall
The fortress endures
Since the beginning of time
The fortress stands tall
A ship sets sail
In times of need
A people’s last hope
Its freight is betrayal
Soon ends the illusion
A first time in aeons
The waves fall silent
They die in confusion
— Prophesy of Aelfdene the Völva
Hafleikr stands guard on the watchtower, looking at the faint silhouettes of ships on the horizon. The stormy sea clouds them, but the armada is waiting in the calmer, open ocean.
Below the sentry, high waves hit the fortress’ walls brutally like a furious beast eager to break into its prey’s burrow. If these walls had mouths, they would laugh at the feeble attempt. They have withstood worse storms for aeons that turned their surface as smooth as the rock they are built on.
Hafleikr knows this by experience. In the 200 years that he guarded this sanctum, he hasn’t seen the walls crumble once.
A giant wave smashes into the wall below the tower, catapulting the water 30 metres up the smooth stone. It barely reaches the balustrade. To Hafleikr, it feels like little more than a flip of a coin — a mundane event he witnessed countless times. These waves seem scary to an outsider, but those who live in the fortress know they are their most vigorous defence.
Despite his better knowledge, the prophecy bothers him. He is even more concerned that the council sent out a ship for supplies — the first time in 178 years. They do not believe in some crazy woman’s poem and smile at Hafleikr’s superstition.
All this doesn’t change the fact that he can see the faint silhouettes of an armada with crimson sails. They are out there beyond the storm — ready and waiting.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but it seemed the storm weakened.
© Jay C Wells, 2022
💯 Story Challenge (28/100)
The sea is an excellent source of inspiration for me. When I look out on the ocean, I am on the right path to realising my writing dream. Why don’t you support that journey by reading my other fictional tales, subscribing to my email list or joining Medium with my referral link?
Are you interested in the 💯 Story Challenge? Check this story by Zane Dickens in Microcosm to learn more.
Like always, I finish by leading you to a personal pick from the 💯 Story Challenge. Here is “Some Things Were Never Meant to Be Hidden” by Bob Merckel.