Unpublished.


 

The Baron and the Baroness: Scared To Try

    Is it peace that I seek? Is it fame that I seek? Is it adventure that I seek? Why have I walked the world searching for a figurine? Or am I searching for the part of me that I have lost? But what have I lost that I did not begin with? I do not know but I do care to find out what will set me free and let me soar.

*       *       *

    It ascends into heavens every morning without complaint, without delay, without question giving to the world part of itself without reciprocation. Time and time again, it provided nourishing energy as the men and women walk the lands. When it rises again, the green leaves of the great oak trees spreads itself across the branches capturing the precious energy that gives it life. As the gentle breeze sweep across, ruffling the leaves and scaring the birds, the young man's dark brown hair attempts to escape from the restricting helmet. He walks alone in the forest path, sunlight gleaming brilliantly off his unsheathed blade; yet he walks not with a companion but the squirrels and birds of the trees.

    Not far ahead, a small stream cuts across the placid forest providing a gathering place for the surrounding creatures. Under a large tree, the young man picks his resting-place. Tilting his head upwards, the white cotton clouds are being molded and crafted into majestic shapes, objects, and figures by the skillful hands of the summer breeze.
 

 Scrunching her forehead and raising her eyebrows, Cloud Kitten looks at Sir West questionably and asks, 'The Baroness?'

Realizing his mistake, but too late to recant, he continues, 'You see...'

 The young man holds out his hands before him and begins to use the air as a canvas for his story. The young lady focuses on the storyteller, smiling and frowning at times, as West proceeds to recount the events.

 For several days, the pair traveled together searching throughout the land for the lost figurine, yet the venture was fruitless.
 

    As if suddenly waking a soul lost in a dream world, the young man jumps as a gentle tap comes over his shoulders. Seeing how she had scared the young man, a gentle wisp of a woman fails to hide her giggling face as she clasps her hand to her mouth.

 Relieved to see that he has met her before, the young man bows his head slightly and says with a smile, 'Ah, so we meet again milady.'

 'Konnichi wa m'lord,' says the gentle woman.

    Walking through the forest disturbing neither the birds nor the creatures, her graceful foot steps failed to produce a sound even as twigs litter the forest floor. As a few strands of her long black hair falls over her face, she brushes her hair back beneath the radiant sunlight as if a goddess has unconsciously revealed her true identity.

 'Please, would you join me by my side?' says the young man, 'Every few days I would come alone, abandoning the world at the forest's edge, to clear my mind and lighten my spirits.'

 Picking a spot next the young man, Minako straightens out her white kimono and sits down.

 Beyond the treetops, the clouds glide across the boundless blue sky and the birds fly carefree. As the world continues its bustling routine, time seems to stop a moment for the two.


    This was the last of this story that I wrote. It seems unusually short now that I read it again. By the time I wrote this article, the relationship between West and Minako had flourished. This section attempts to fictionalize and romanticize the way they met. I added the little section up top at the last minute before I submitted it because I wanted to explain the story but didn't have a way of doing it within context. It has also become a habit to start each piece by writing about the sun. The first was a rising sun, the second a setting sun, and finally this one a noon sun. Each represented a different aspect of the character. The rising sun was to depict the ascension of West. The setting sun sought to bring out the despair beneath the glossy happy surface. The noon sun represented the peak of West's life, the love of his life.
    The three sections had titles even before they were written. The first was marked the Beginning. The second was Wanting to Fly. The third, Scared to Try, and the last was to be My Baroness. I don't think I need to go into how Wanting to Fly but Scared to Try form a phrase that we all feel at some point in time. Someone suggested to me that we both hit 100mil and redeem for Baron West and Baroness Minako. The idea sounds great, but in reality we are only symbolized by the Baron and Baroness. West is a knight and a title of Sir would be most appropriate. Minako is his wife or the Medieval term, his mistress, thus a title of Lady would be appropriate. All in all, if I devoted another hundred or two hundred hours to West, we could end up with Sir West and Lady Minako.
Homepage of Sir West | Characters Homepage | LegendMUD | Links
Please email comments or suggestions to: [email protected]