The picture is generated by @wakeupkitty on behalf of pic1000
"What be that, Ma?" A young boy asked in whispers, clutching his mother's hand with one hand and pointing to a hooded figure cloaked in feathers walking along the cobblestone streets with another hand. Its steps were light, almost as if they were floating, as they were carried by a mist that swirled around its feet. A dark bird circled overhead, its caws echoing through the still-night air. The townsfolk only watched from behind shuttered windows, hearts pounding with fear.
"Hush, child," she murmured, her eyes wide with terror. "That be the Harbinger; it's come to claim what's owed."
"What's owed? What does that mean, mother?" The little boy seemed curious.
"Hush! I say child!"
The figure stopped beneath the shadow of their towering castle, its hollow gaze fixed on the almost moonlit sky. The bird landed on its outstretched hand, its eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intelligence.
"Mortal men of Gaplewood, long ago, during the time of the Great War, your forefathers made a pact with me that I protect this town, and in return, every decade I come back to choose a soul as a peace offering, my reward. And for centuries, I have protected this town from external interference. So tonight, I come for what's mine. Tonight, I feast before the rise of the moon, for I am no lover of the moon,Tonight I come for souls ripe for the taking." the figure whispered, her voice like the rustle of dead leaves yet so loud that it could tear eardrums.
The townsfolk held their breath, knowing that tonight the Harbinger would claim its toll. But one among them, a brave soul named Kellan, dared to defy the darkness.
"No, not tonight," a voice echoed from the deserted streets.
There was a huge gasp of disbelief from the people. For several decades, the Harbinger has come for its souls; no mortal man has ever challenged or talked back to it in such a manner.
"Who's that mere mortal that dares to speak back at me?" The Harbinger said this in anger, bringing thunder in its wake. "Show your face, you ingrate!"
"We can't let you take us again without a fight. You made a pact with our forefathers, not with us. The Great War is over, and so is the deal too.," the voice said again, emerging from its hiding place. Kellan, the farmer, trying to rally the frightened villagers. "If only we'd stand together against this evil that haunts our streets. It's scared of the moon, and it's a few minutes to moonlight. If only we fight a little longer before moonlight, we could stop it from taking an innocent soul tonight."
It felt like the words pierced the villagers' minds. Gently, with their torches ablaze and hearts afire with courage, the villagers gathered in the town square, determination in their faces, ready to face the Harbinger.
Gradually, the moon reached its zenith, and the mist thickened. The figure let out a defeated scream, then, with its avian companion, it vanished into the night, leaving only whispers in their wake. "I'll be back with my army in the next decade. I'll be back," it's voice echoing through the streets of Gapleswood.
"What just happened, Ma?" The little boy asked, her voice trembling.
"No one knows, child," his mother replied, her gaze haunted. "But mark my words; the Harbinger will return. And when it does, we'll be ready.
I loved reading you...I wonder about the other comment. Did you post elsewhere?
Likewise , I love the prompts here. It pushes my beyond. And no it was only here.
I make sure to avoid AI while writing my articles, only when I need to do some research or check my grammars. I've noticed this issue always happens whenever I use quilbot grammar checker. From now on, even if my grammars are wrong I'll not use grammar checker to check my write-ups again. I rather get low voting than that flagged as using AI.
I'm sorry if my content looks AI but it was only quilbot. @freewritehouse