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UNOFFICIAL Iron Quill (the message): the New Challenger


Brewmaster

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This one's more for me so I can keep my writing skills up. This is NOT an official Iron Quill entry, but commentary is appreciated.

 

It was the twisting and shaking of the pig that woke him up first, followed by the cold stone floor nuzzling his face. Lenny’s eyes opened to Creamcup staring at him with the loving stare only a pig could muster, her wet nose checking to see if his face was edible. “C’mon hon. Youse know I ain’t eatins. Dem’s little’ns job.” Dull thuds of pain rolled around on his body; fortunately most of them were in his head. What was bugging him was the fact that he couldn’t recollect the “before-this”. It usually took Lenny a bit to remember things that didn’t involve raising Creamcup or hitting stuff the Boss S’omer said needed hitting, but he could usually follow the breadcrumbs back to the beginning. No such luck here.

 

Lenny sat down cross-legged, gently holding Creamcup in his lap. “Dis heah be right mess of pickle, girl. Healp me do some tinkin den.” Creamcup snuffled out a thoughtful suggestion as she curled up. “Mmm, fair ‘nough girl. I didsn’t be tinking on dat one.” Lenny idly scratched behind Creamcup’s ears with both hands as he walked through the steps of the day. The breakfast was thick cuts of bacon that had a couple of teeth stuck in them from the punch Lenny gave to the fool Tomcat who thought Lenny wasn’t looking when he stole the bacon. Lenny then took Creamcup on a walk, where he found 5 frogs, 2 alligators, and punched them all. Lenny couldn’t be too careful around smaller creatures what with their devious thinking processes.

 

Lenny’s nose distracted him from thinking with a pungent burning smell. It was a smell that occasionally followed ‘Raida when she came around to tell Boss S’omer what she wanted. Chewing on his lip, Lenny finally stood up, tucking Creamcup under one arm. “Less see what dis nonsense is.” Lenny followed the smell through several stone rooms with bits of moss clinging to the walls. Lenny could hear a bubbling sound as he got closer to the smell that seemed to be coming from a small room off to the side. Creamcup squirmed and jumped out of his grasp, scrabbling into the room. “’Ey! Get’s back heah!” Lenny shouted, chasing after him.

 

Lenny paused as he saw a Gremlin hunched over a tarnished teapot balanced over a small fire by three horseshoes. The Gremlin was covered in thick burlap clothes, and wearing a precariously balanced hat that could complete with Boss S’omer. “Well now… Seems Fish Eye soup WAS the key. Glad to see you’re up.” The Gremlin continued to stir the mix for a bit. “You know who I am, right?” Lenny frowned as he crossed his arms, running through the names of the Gremlins he knew.

 

“Lacroix… Youse da Lacroix whats be workin wid ‘Raida.” Lenny finally said after a surprisingly fast 4 minutes. The Gremlin chuckled, then plopped a bird beak into the mix.

 

“Sammi. And ‘Working With’ is a strong statement.” Sammi replied. “Let’s say… I’m a fan.”

 

“Fine and dandy. Now… whachu want. Boss S’omer  always says ’never trust the honeyed words of a silver tongue’, and youse seeming likes you gots a whole set of silverware in dere. ” Sammi turned to Lenny and let out a belly laugh, causing Creamcup to look up from the biscuit she had been nibbling at.

 

“Rather succinct. Fine, guess I can make this quick.” Sammi responded. “It’s time for you to change.” Lenny stared blankly at Sammi, visible signs of trying to process the statement sitting on Lenny’s face. Creamcup snuffled around the teapot as Sammi sat quietly, sneezing after she got a full smell of what Sammi was cooking. As the minutes passed, Sammi finally said, “Do… I need to explain this more?” Lenny crossed his arms and frowned.

 

“NO!... But best youse should healp Creamcup unnastand. She’s a bit slow to get runnin.” Lenny responded, scooping up his pet and sitting near Sammi, wiping Creamcup’s nose clean with his shirt. Sammi paused for a moment, shrugged, then turned to the pot.

 

“You are at an important point in your life Lenny. The river you’ve been on has taken many twists and turns, and has finally reached a branch. You need to pick the right path.” Lenny nodded as he scratched Creamcup behind the ears.

 

“Right path, right path, yup.” Lenny responded. Sammi sniffed at the mixture, then plucked a hair from Lenny’s arm, tossing it into the mix. A small poof of light purple smoke drifted up from the pot, glowing with an inner light. Lenny and Creamcup’s eyes were transfixed on the rising smoke as Sammi continued.

 

“The Bayou is changing. The days of the biggest hat being in charge are changing. Spoons, hats, guns… the rules are being rewritten. And Boss ‘Raida is gonna write the best rules of them all.” Sammi’s smile grew more. “You can be who you are right now, or you can be someone stronger. Someone better.” Sammi waved a hand over the smoke, and it stretched and rolled into the familiar shape of a small scale Lenny.

 

“Daww… he be lookin likes a baby me!” Lenny exclaimed, holding up Creamcup to let her sniff at the creation. Creamcup offered a contemplative oink, then tried to lick at Lenny’s fingers. “Wait… What’s in dis for youse? Ain’t nobody offer nothing what don’t be wrapped in strings. What’s I be owing you?” Sammi’s grin grew its biggest yet.

 

“What you owe me? What you owe is the fact that you say yes. You agree to follow a path I ask.” Sammi commented, pulling out a small bundle of twine that he began to carefully shape into a humanoid. “The ‘string’ as you put it is agreeing that an idea is more important than you.” Lenny narrowed his eyes.

 

“Youse doin somethin wid mah brain? I don’ts like it when people go dere and I don’ts be figgerin it out. Bugs me.” Lenny said, Creamcup oinking in agreement. Sammi shook her head, then inhaled the purple smoke deeply. Pausing for a moment, she blew the smoke towards Lenny, smiling as his eyes began to blink separately.

 

“You’ll figure out what’s happening. After all, I’m simply helping you to find you.” The room dropped away from Lenny’s eyes as the smoke seeped into him. Lenny could feel Creamcup’s heartbeat, followed by Sammi’s heartbeat. By the time it occurred to Lenny that this was an oddity, a ringing began tolling in his ears. Lenny stood, faintly hearing the oinking of Creamcup as the ringing grew, drawing him like a fish to a worm.

 

Lenny found himself standing in front of a small lacquered box where the ringing was definitely coming from. “You can still back out.” Came the faint voice of Sammi. “You have the power to make that choice. Or you can open the box to see what has been written for you.” Lenny felt the world expand and contract around him, bending and twisting around the box in front of him. Lenny’s mind was filled with multiple thoughts, ones with substance and meaning. Lenny could feel the thoughts branching into bigger and more complex thoughts, all of which would become reality by opening the box. Lenny’s hands wrapped around the box, and he could practically feel the electricity coming from it. Lenny barely heard Sammi’s giggling in the background as one stubby finger moved to the tarnished clasp on the front. The ringing suddenly silenced as Lenny flipped the clasp, Sammi dancing in the corner of his eye.

 

Lenny felt power rush into him as he opened the box to find 4 masks of varying designs. His hands gingerly rested on a red one with gold trim, the fabric feeling like the night time sky. He had never seen these before, but knew they were for him; had been waiting for him. Lenny undid the laces in the back of the mask, the box gingerly tucked in one armpit. “As Lenny, you can be killed; you can be stopped. But as something more, your name lives on.” Sammi said in a solemn, definitive voice. Creamcup rubbed up against Lenny’s leg, an action barely noticeable as Lenny embraced Fate by tugging the mask on.

 

The world felt different to him. Thoughts were there, and what’s more, they were sharp. His shoulders lifted, the pride of his purpose clear like a reflection in a pond to him. “Si.” Came the stronger voice. “I can change things. I must have a new name though. One that represents my new sharpness. One that fits the power I claim with these masks.” Sammi nodded to him, barely contained glee causing her to sway back and forth.

 

“You’re absolutely right. Where Lenny is the anvil weapons are forged upon, Mancha Roja is the hammer that forges them.” Mancha Roja cracked his knuckles, looking between Sammi and Creamcup.

 

“And what do you think, miha? “ Mancha asked Creamcup. The pig blinked then snorted; a response that couldn’t have been clearer. Nodding in agreement, Mancha looked to Sammi.

 

“I’m going to need a cape.”

 

1514 words, all ingredients used.

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