Relic

[sterling]

Title: Relic
Challenge/Prompt: Symbol
Original Fiction
Rating: G
Warnings: None

The sword had lost its lustrous shine years ago. Just how long ago was almost impossible to discern. Like its wielder, the blade looked as though it was as old as time itself: A relic of a forgotten age, when things were different, and honor meant something.

Yet, the stranger exuded confidence as he walked down the street, as if he knew that everyone watching had a healthy dose of respect for the fact that his weapon was not just a decoration. Even the thugs steered clear of him. In this neighborhood, that's not only unheard of, it's a miracle.

Comments

[ieune]

How interesting! I especially lke the last line, with the impression the setting is current time, and that the stranger may not be, although that inference may say more about me than your character. ;)

[sterling]

Hmm... I think you're onto me! ^_^ I'm glad you found it interesting.

Thank you for commenting!

[thewickedquill]

I saw ieune's comment and at first I thought along the same lines - that it was set in present time (though I totally didn't pick up on the possibility that the individual in question might have been out of his own time period...interesting!)

However, I then noticed that the sentence was in the same paragraph as a whole group written in past tense and I wondered if it weren't just a slip.

Overall, I really enjoyed this little snippet.

[sterling]

The use of present tense in that sentence is deliberate. When the narrator speaks of his neighborhood, it's a situation that is "present" to him, as he still lives there and things are currently as he is describing them. It's a bit experimental, as I wanted a fresh way to bring the "modern day-present time" setting feel into the story quickly, without having to write a long drawn out background (as a drabble wouldn't allow me).

I'm sure if I was writing a longer story, I'd go about it much differently. ^_^

Thanks for your comments!

[thewickedquill]

No worries :) and you're welcome.

Reviewing is an exercise in its own right. And I understand the limitations would make it difficult to present facts and settings easily. I suppose it threw me because it was all in the same paragraph. I've never really encountered (or noticed, perhaps?) a mix of tenses outside of narrative and dialogue, if you get me?

One learns something new every day :) And if this is something really common, I'll feel stupid, but at least I got it now :P :D

[meoryn]

There is definately a sense of the urban-fantasy feel for this one. Lots of clues here to what the character might have been ... once and where he is going.

[sterling]

Excellent. I'm glad I was able to convey the setting. ^_^

Thanks for commenting!

[iamfiction]

Urban fantasy is love.

Love the line about honor. How true. How true.