Part 2 Sharla’s story
Over the next several months Sharla continued to feel restless as she performed as lead singer with the punk band Purple Kale. Walking home late on a Thursday night she kicked a stone with her boot. It tumbled down the street and dropped into a sewer drain. She shouted out, “Something is missing from my life!” Her boot kicked another stone into a building so hard it broke. She reached up and place her hands over her face and stood quietly. After a few moments she looked around her and wondered, “But what? Why do I feel like this when everything is going so well?” Nothing in any direction moved or made a sound so she walked the rest of the way home in silence.
The next morning the venue for their weekend show informed the band they wouldn’t be open. The group decided to not reschedule somewhere else and instead they would all take some much needed days off.
Sharla sat outside a cafe along the Chronomancer’s Riviera on Saturday morning. The taste of her black tea made her eyes close as she inhaled the aroma. Sitting the cup down she looked up at the mountains off to the southeast. Muscle Mountain towered over the rest of the peaks and the entire landscape was beautiful as the recent rains gave life to the wildflowers. Sharla felt a sudden need to go and hike up the mountain. “Some fresh air and meditation will do me good,” she thought as she finished her tea and left for home to find her hiking boots.
Entered by: 0x7BB5…3E05
Part 3-Later in the afternoon Sharla sat down on a short cliff on Muscle Mountain and focused on her breathing. The wind touched her face and the sun kept her warm.
Thirty minutes later shouting erupted and she looked down to see a male and female warrior in a battle on a plateau below. A group of warriors sat in a large circle around them calling out pros and cons. Watching the combat Sharla leaned in to study the different tactics and strategies. The female warrior kept missing her hits and had difficulty with counter attacks. A leader yelled, “Truce,” and the sparring ended. The female warrior’s face wrinkled as her opponent was named the winner. They both walked up to each other, shook hands, and exchanged a few words.
The rest of the group formed two rows across from each other and took out their swords. A bell rang as the warriors practiced battle maneuvers like a dance.
Later when the bell rang again the entire group sat on the ground. A female leader led a short discussion with a few demonstrations. Sharla tried to hear what was being said but the wind had picked up. Afterwards the group got up and walked down the mountain except the trainer and the warrior who had lost. They talked for a few minutes until the young gal smiled and nodded her head. She made a slight bow towards her mentor and walked between some large boulders a short distance from the path. Sharla watched the trainer leave until she could no longer see her.
Picking up a stick and standing up she took a fighting stance and pretended to battle. She was winning until a voice called, “Hey there, do you want to be a warrior?” Sharla quickly pivoted around to find the young woman standing in front of her.
“Um, no, hmmm… I don’t know?” she answered while dropping the stick.
The warrior replied, “No worries! I am Serena Bloodletter. Who are you?”
“I am Sharla. I hope I wasn’t causing any trouble?”
“No you weren’t. People stop by to watch us train often. We are used to it. Can I sit and talk with you for a bit?”
Sharla smiled and said, “Sure.”
The two talked until the sun went lower in the sky. Afterwards they both went down the mountain together. In the future one would become a legend on Muscle Mountain and be awarded the Gold Herald Shield. The other would leave to find a new calling.
Entered by: 0x7BB5…3E05
