aj-ortega

[aj-ortega]

Blizzard-Born

Much to the surprise of no one, I drew the shortest stick. Ill luck has been my steadfast companion since the night my mother gave birth to me during a blizzard. She wrapped me in her cloak and shielded me with her body. When the sun rose, only one of us still drew breath. I was found by the wandering wizard, Tafari Phoenix-Talon, who brought me up as his son. We both share dark brown skin, so people tend to assume that I am his grandson.

Tafari has always admonished me to ignore my ill fortunes, but it is difficult to ignore that which clings to you like a shadow. Even now, as I ride off to be fitted for my molten armour by the mermen of the Boiled Sea, I cannot help dreading what fate has in store for me in the Wildlands. 

All legends, no matter how fantastic, contain grains of truth. And although no one has seen the Dragon of the Wildlands in over five centuries, I have an inkling that he is still there.

I simply wish I hadn't been chosen for this task.

***

I take the road through the Desert of Parehn to test the warmth of my armour. A smile graces my face as the biting, frigid wind makes the runes on my breastplate glow gold. In an instant, all the metal on my body warms me like a piping cup of ginger root tea. Rayo's armour also appears to be keeping out the cold—if the toasty saddle warming my buns is any indication.

At least we won't be completely frozen when we die.

The snow-dusted sand mounds give way to the vast forests of the Wildlands. The evergreen trees are weighed down by thick layers of fluffy snow. Rayo's gallop would have slowed to a crawl if he hadn't those runic horseshoes which melt the snow with steaming hisses. 

I pull on the reigns, and the black stallion halts his advance. My eyes scan our surroundings. There is no sign that any deer, fox or rabbit inhabit this place. The snow-covered terrain is devoid of any tracks save for Rayo's. I hold my breath to listen. An eerie silence hangs in the air—not even the song of the frost-billed nightingale can be heard.

Fear of the creature likely hiding under this wintry cloak has driven them from this land. But we must press on.

The further we go, the more the wind howls. I narrow my eyes, straining through the slit in my helmet under the snowy deluge. The weather breaks suddenly; all becomes clear. A frozen lake appears on my left. On its far shore looms the cave that duty and honour compel me to check; the sinking pit in my bowels says otherwise.

Rayo chops along the lake's edge; his enchanted horseshoes make crossing the icy surface a deadly risk that could also betray our approach. Eventually, we arrive at the mouth of the cave. A deep growl emanates from within, prickling my flesh. I leap off Rayo's back; my feet hit the snow with a crunch. I pull the shield off my back and yank my sword from its sheath.

"I tasted your entrance to my realm on the air," rumbles the dragon. "Your weapons might as well be twigs and thistles for the good they'll do."

"Show yourself and let my heated blade decide," I say.

He chuckles. "Smells like wizardry: equally useless."

The ground quakes as booming footsteps grow louder and louder. A mountain-size head protrudes from the shadowy cave, attached to a neck that dwarfs the Bison River. Snow falls off the silvery, white scales of the dragon while his sapphire-blue underbelly shimmers like diamonds in the sun. Every bone within me is rattling.

Well, as I suspected, the dragon's still here. God, I detest being right sometimes.

The beast looks down at me with a wide grin that shows jagged teeth. "A knight from Solenmere; how quaint. After I'm done devouring you and your horse, I think I'll go pay your king a visit; his ancestors and I go a long ways back," the dragon laughs with frosted air spilling out of his nostrils.

"Rayo!" I yell. "Run!"

But my steed simply neighs and shakes its head.

"Stubborn fool—now's not the time to show that you're part ass," I huff. "Leave!"

"Don't bother," growls the dragon, outstretching his wings that all but block out the sun. "He won't get far."

A battle cry erupts from my chest as I charge the overgrown snake with my sword and shield at the ready. The dragon inhales, and a roar of frigid air strikes me with the force of a hurricane. My arms and feet are numb and stiff. Piercing shards of ice approach my heart. Day melts into night.

Snowy winds whip and wail as a woman's tender voice sings to me. The language is foreign, but somehow...I grasp its meaning:

Beloved child of blizzard's birth You are my heart, my hope, my joy. Hear now this mystic song of mirth; Become one with winter, blest boy. Turn bone to ice, change skin to snow. Let bleak blood flow to chill you thrice.

The cold within me recedes. But, still, the dragon's booming breath fills my ears. My heart drums in my chest as fluidity returns to my limps. The freezing air washes over my body like crisp waters from a roaring waterfall. I stand firm as he who has become one with ice and snow. My true name has dawned: Malik Blizzard-Born.

The dragon's icy breath halts its gusting like the calm following a storm. Frosted mists swirl around me. As they clear, the ground is shown to be solid ice. 

"Impossible," the dragon's arrogant demeanour drains from his face. "Unless...no—Ancient Magic is gone from the world."

"Evidently not," I smirk, resuming my stance. "And this sword is more than capable of piercing your hide now that you can't keep me at a distance with that chilly breath of yours." I aim my blade at the beast. "I have no trouble lopping off your head to have Rayo drag it back to Solenmere to be hung from the castle tower. But, I can be persuaded to show mercy."

"Is that so," says the dragon with an air of sarcasm. "And what does this mercy entail?"

With the tip of my sword, I draw a circle with four triangles, signifying the cardinal points in the ice. Vapours rise as my sketch widens and grows into a massive, silver collar.

The dragon snorts. "A taming band."

"Discerning," I nod. "Now, what say you?"

The beast stares at me as if trying to learn my character. "I will accept on one condition," he finally says.

I tilt my head. "Which is?"

"You must agree to live here, in the Wildlands; I prefer the cold to the perpetual heat of the south."

A smile crosses my face. "I've always preferred the north winds myself. And I'm sure your wings will make all journeys more expedient."

"Then it is done," the beast says, breathing out a frosted breath.

I sheath my sword, return the shield on my back and slide off my helmet as the dragon lowers its head to the ground. Bending down, I retrieve the collar and place it around the beast's neck. The taming band snaps shut and fades out of sight. The ring on my left thumb tightens, confirming our bond.

"What will you name me?" asks the dragon.

I rub my chin, pondering something fitting. "How does Frolohn sound?"

"Fierce," he flashes a wide smile.

"Wonderful," I grin. "Now, Frolohn."

"Yes, master—"

"No," I wave my hand. "You may call me Malik."

"Malik," Frolohn raises his head.

"My friend," I begin. "Would you be up for a flight to the city?"

He flaps his wings with a thunderous clap. " Yes, but will that not frighten the inhabitants?"

"Perhaps. But it will also make for a riotous laugh," I smirk.

He chuckles. "Very well. Climb aboard," Frolohn swings his head towards his back. "And what of the horse?"

"Rayo can decide if he'd like to follow us or wait for our return," I say, mounting Frolohn's back. For now, let us go to the south."

And with one swift snap of his wings, Frolohn blows the snow off dozens of trees and takes us to the sky. I grip the spikes on his back for dear life, cheering and savouring the sight of the world from a dragon's point of view.  ***** I wrote this story based on a Wattpad Aim to Engage 2020 prompt: Everyone wants to hunt a dragon, but what happens when you’re tasked to find a one of a kind beast that only exists in legend?

#short story #poetry #original prose #original writing #my writing #fantasy prompts #fantasy #magic #dragon #wattpad #diversity #Story Time #fiction

[aj-ortega]

Robbing Time

Olivia called me again last night, and I don't know why I picked up. Maybe it's because my heart still races when her name lights up my phone. Or maybe, it's because I'm an idiot who's not ready to move on.

"Raheem," she said with that ache in her voice that makes me weak. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah," I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "What's up?"

She sighed. "I just miss you." 

"I miss you too," I spat out.

My classmate, Jun-ho groaned in the other bed and muttered something under his breath. Suddenly, the bathroom light flicked on along with the tap. A curled towel came floating out towards me. I jumped out of bed and grabbed my backpack to use as a shield against the dripping cloth whipping at me.

"Everything okay?" Olivia asked. 

"If you're gonna let her play you again while keeping me up, get out," Jun-ho yelled as the towel lashed my leg.

"Dang, bro!" I said, feeling the sting on my calf. "Chill, I'm going outside."

"What was that, baby?" Olivia asked.

"Nothing, I was just mumbling—still half asleep," I chuckled.

"Well, try to stay awake for me, okay?" 

"For sure," I slipped out the door. "I'm gonna go get some cold air on my face. But I've gotta be quiet, so Mr. Singh doesn't hear me," I whispered. "Gimme a sec."

"Okay," Olivia giggled.

I tiptoed down the empty hotel hallway until I got around the corner. Then I stopped in front of the door, pulled my hoodie out of my backpack and hauled it on before walking outside. 

Olvia kept chatting with me until I found a bench in front of the river just down the hill from the hotel. As we talked, time stood still. For a while, it seemed like she hadn't broken up with me. The birds singing as the sun rose over the mountains added to the magical feeling floating through the pine-scented air.

Then Olivia stopped talking right after I heard her phone buzz.

"Hello?" I said.

"Sorry," she sounded rushed. "Can I call you back later?"

"Sure," I shook my head, and the line went dead.

God, I'm stupid.

It was him. Olivia always gets like that when he calls. I got up and made tracks towards the hotel, kicking myself with every step. As luck would have it, the bus was gone. My phone was on three per cent, and the change in my pocket counted up to five whole dollars. I exhaled deeply and stormed off towards the woods. 

Once there, I made sure no one could see me and chanted this spell:

"A thief must steal to earn his name. Hours, minutes and seconds I claim; I will to rob a crook called Time. Take me back to when chance was prime."

A whirlwind engulfed me.

I woke up back in my hotel room right before Olivia called, and turned off my phone. I slept like a log that night.

*****

I wrote this story based on a Wattpad Aim to Engage 2020 prompt: School trips are meant to be fun, right? What happens when the bus leaves you stranded? All you have is a backpack of clothes, a phone that’s almost dead, and five dollars? Word limit: 500 Word count: 499

#Story Time #flash fiction #wattpad #urban fantasy #diversity #time travel #moving on #magic #poetry #fiction #original writing #original fiction #original prose #prose

[aj-ortega]

That Time of Year

It’s that time of year again. And I’m not talking about people prematurely decking halls—though we all know they already out and about—no, I’m talking about NaNoWriMo. For those outside the Internet writing world, NaNoWriMo is when people inside the Internet writing world get on a roller coaster called: 50,000 Words in One Month. And let me tell you, this ride ain’t for the faint of heart. This beast of a writing trip has more twists than an M. Night Shyamalan movie and more peaks and valleys than my past relationships.

If you choose to climb on board, you can be sure that anxiety is gonna hop into the seat right next to you. And it’s going to clutch your arm tighter than an overly attached girlfriend meme. Together, you’ll barrel towards those 50,000 words at breakneck speeds or crumble into a pile of rubble, complete with a salty moat filled your tears. Actually, all of that is technically possible no matter the outcome.

So if this sounds like your cup of Vodka, then fasten your seatbelts and grab on to your Oh Shit Handles. And be warned, the NaNoWriMo train ain’t got no breaks. I’ll be watching from a safe distance while quietly hoping everyone on the coaster makes it to the end in one piece. So to answer the question, no, I’m not doing NaNoWriMo. But good luck to everyone else. 

AJ

#story time #nanowrimo #writers on tumblr #amwriting #writers #writing #blog post

[aj-ortega]

I was not ready.

I feel like Kanye is that one guy you don’t invite to parties... but he still finds out about the party..

*House Party jamming*

-Kanye pulls up with Bound 2 blasting in his car-

Sza- damn it! who told this nigga we were having a party?

Chance the Rapper- i swear i didn’t tweet anything this time

Jayz- *in a corner acting mad suspect* 

*kanye knocks on the door*

Kanye- Hey gang, i heard you guys were having a little get together

Childish Gambino- Yeaa.. kinda, but we’re about to shut things down in a bit.. sooo..

Kanye- *shoves his way in* nonsense Gambino o pal, the party is just getting started 

Childish Gambino- did this nigga just call me…..

Kanye- wow, looks like everyone really is here, thats great!

Kanye- you guys mind if i play one of my new songs, its straight fire.

Beyonce- oh no kanye sweetheart, like Donald said we’re about to shut things down and go soon..

Kanye- it’ll just be one song, i want you guys to leave here just as inspired as i am *plugs his phone into the AUX cord*

SchoolBoy Q- This nigga crazy for real huh

-Kanye plays poop di scoop on a 10 min loop-

Childish Gambino-

Kevin Hart- *peeks around the corner*

Rihanna- 

Chance the Rapper-

Kendrick Lamar-

Schoolboy Q-

Kanye-

Kid Cudi-

[aj-ortega]

Hello World (Tumblr)

As a young adult on the verge of the freshman fifteen, I heard tales told of a mysterious place called Tumblr. I was a noob at the time and hadn’t developed a taste for the finer spaces on the world wide web. But now that I’m older and probably fifteen pounds heavier (give or take), I’ve decided to join the ranks of those who tumble.  And with that, all I have left to say is: hi, I’m A.J. Ortega. I’m an aspiring writer; as we speak, most of things I’ve put down on digital paper live on Wattpad. However, I wanted join the blogging scene and share some of my writing here as well. I am still fresh off the email verification, so give me a minute (or more) to learn the lay of the land, and I’ll start posting stuff here that people might actually stand. In the immortal words of Porky Pig: “That’s all folks!” (for now). Cheers, AJ

#my writing #writers #writers on tumblr #writers of wattpad #wattpad #poc #canada #writing #intro #writeblr #amwriting