《 sgt entry 》 Hey there! Congrats to everyone who passed the Judges Cuts round and great job to all who entered! For my quarter finals entry, I've written a short story and drawn a piece of art to go with it. This time, I included the process I went through to create the final product. Story ( trigger warning, mentions of death and loss) Anxiety blossomed in Cadence's chest. He felt tight and worried. It had been nearly two months since he had met the goddess Gareh and slain King Raymond III. And still, every time he looked over his shoulder, he expected soldiers to be there with swords and chains. Even in the peaceful glade his heart raced as he forced himself to be still. Wind rustled his hair and a sandhawk called overhead. He let out a sigh of pent up breath and suddenly heard a snap behind him. Leaping to his feet, Cadence stumbled and pulled his sword from the scabbard at his hip. Then he saw who had made the sound. Riven stood before him with his hands raised and a soft smile playing at his lips. His hair fell in his eyes and he showed no sign of fear. Stepping forward, Riven carefully pushed Cadence's sword away with his hand until it hung limply at his side. "It's okay. You're safe." Riven said quietly, pulling Cadence close to him. He stood rigid for a moment then gradually relaxed, allowing the sword to fall from his hand. "I want to show you something. Will you come with me?" Cadence nodded without hesitation and followed as Riven turned and walked at a measured pace across the field and down the hill. They hiked for a few minutes before Cadence began to realize where he was being taken. "No. I don't want to go there. I don't want to see it." He froze suddenly, staring at the ridge of earth ahead of them. It hid what was beyond it, erasing the crime, but Cadence knew what was there. As he began to back away slowly, Riven reached out and grabbed his hand. "Please, Cadence." There was true concern and understanding in his eyes as Riven spoke. "It's not what you think." Shaking his head, Cadence tried to speak. "H- how... I-" He felt his breath quicken again and his hands were clenched into fists. "I promise, it's not the same. Please, come see." Riven forced Cadence to look him straight in the eye. After a long moment, he nodded. Cautiously, he followed Riven up the ridge. When they reached the crest of the hill, he took a deep breath and turned to look. Cadence gasped, his eyes wide. Before him, instead of the rough, dry dirt and ash that had been there months before, there was a beautiful field of flowers. They were pale blue and golden in a sea of bright grasses. In the very center, a column of stone soared into the sky. Still struggling to take it all in, Cadence began to walk towards the column in a sort of trance. As he reached the base, emotion rose in his chest. “See?” Riven said, watching Cadence carefully. “They won’t be forgotten. None of them.” Cadence’s eyes ran down the list of names, the list of the people who lay here beneath his feet. Finally, half-way down, he found it. His mother’s name. It was carved elegantly between two unknown people, etched into the stone forever. She would never fade or be lost, this shrine would be left forevermore as a tribute to those who had died for freedom. Suddenly, tears were coursing down Cadence’s cheeks. The anger and despair did not fully leave him, but it faded. He fell to his knees as he had so many months ago, but this time Riven fell with him. He was there to anchor Cadence so his grief would no longer wash him away, leaving nothing behind. Down by the small stream, Cadence lay beside Riven, thinking. “Who built the column? And the flowers?” Riven smiled, watching a hawk circle above them. “It was the goddess Gareh and her chosen vessel. They came upon dragonback to the village and blessed the fallen. It is rumored that she has honored all those who died, even the king’s soldiers.” They were silent for a long time and Cadence closed his eyes in the late afternoon sun. He felt Riven shift beside him and turn his head so he could whisper in Cadence’s ear. “I love you, Cade.” 《 credits 》 . art . me . code . me . story . me . audio . Better Together by Jack Johnson . characters . Cadence and Riven, who are both mine
