One Shot Challenge

Blood spills as easily as tears

This was a end of year school project and I thought I'd put it here.

The topic: write a 500 word short story.

Me: so a one-shot.

My teacher I believe was blown away, because she wrote something about it in the year book so *happy noises*

I put Kit and Caz through so much shit TwT

TW: death, blood, injury, gore, pain, Astra loves torturing her main [space] characters. Astra is ranting about medieval wars and death again.

OG work, (with reference of course!)

Kitana knelt on the ground, her armor discarded to the side. A man held her by her hair, it was short, and dirty from all the times she was pushed into the ground. No longer the beautiful white her mother would fawn over.

Her twin sister, Cazia stood close by, gripping a battle axe in both hands. But the ravenette wouldn't get there in time, not to stop the blade pressed against her sister’s neck. The man and her sister argued, he asked something they couldn’t give, no matter the stakes. Kit knew this, so did Caz, the threat of death weighed in a heavy option. But in the end, the decision was already made, and all that was left was one word.

One word that would take a life, take Caz’s closest and last family member.

The ravenette hesitated, staring at her sister as if her eyes held the answer. But the frosty-haired girl was looking down in defeat. So with a deep breath, she gave the word, rejecting the twisted man’s offer.

Her sister met her gaze, and then didn’t as the serrated edge of the disc took her life in one swift movement.

But the black haired girl had no time to grieve, she had to finish the job. This was war, there was no mercy here, and she brought it all. All of her sadness and grief was turned to anger as the man inspected the disc carefully, as if it was a little toy.

Caz screamed in anguish as she went for the attack. The man unsheathed a sword and blocked her axe. She put her leg out and swept his feet from under him, aiming straight for his heart.

She’d give him a quick death, but not a painless one. He didn't deserve it after all the people he’s murdered. But the man blocked her shot, knocking it off course and she yelped in surprise when her axe still found its mark in skin.

She quickly whipped around, but wasn’t quick enough to block a lunge to her left shoulder. Caz cried out in pain as the blade sunk in, but let the adrenaline block it out for the moment. She quickened her pace, familiar with this deadly game they played, she has spent years perfecting her dance to no music but the clash of metal on metal.

The man was growing sluggish, hindered by the stab in his leg, the ravenette wishes she could differ, but she held the same battle scars as this man. Maybe in another life they would’ve been friends, twin warriors in a golden light. 

Caz went to sweep the man’s feet from under him again, but he was prepared this time and struck her left side. The blade made no contact, other than with the ravenette’s axe.

She took a throwing knife out of her bandolier and plunged it into his heart. With his sword busy and them being so close, he couldn't stop it. A moment later his arms slackened and Caz pushed him off of her, he knelt on the ground, coughing up blood for a minute before falling silent. She pulled the knife out of his chest, its blade glistening with blood.

A deep set tired, one that ran all the way to her bones, swept through the girl. Her shoulder throbbed as the adrenaline subsided, and she collapsed on the ground, tearing off yet another strip of cloth from her once beautiful skirt to wrap around the new wound. 

When she looked up again, she saw her sister’s body about ten feet away. Her pain was forgotten as she stumbled over to her sister’s body, it lay right where it was left, a red line, almost like a sickening smile, ran across her neck.

Her cheeks were bloodstained, and her hair no longer white. Caz pulled her sister’s body into her lap, cradling it as she ran a thumb across her cheek, almost like a desperate attempt to wipe away the blood. 

She ruffled her sister’s short hair, remembering the day she had cut it, and how upset their mother was, with a mirthless laugh.

Her laugh grew, echoing across the battlefield of those who have died. It was a strangled, bitter laugh, and as she took in the state of her dead sister, it turned to a choked sob.

Tears fell from the girl’s eyes as she cried, hugging her sister’s dead body. Her cries echoed over the valley, but unlike at the beginning when it was a shout of war, no one heard her cry.

A tear fell onto Kit’s face, her eyes stared up at Caz, light blue, and hauntingly empty. The ravenette gently took two fingers and closed her eyes.

They would never open again.

__________________________

Yeah, they were super impressed with this.

Opinion, is this one of my better works? Which one is your favorite and why? (Could be one-shot or book)