MCYT: Short Stories

I: Game of Cards

- Hey! First story here! This is an older short, so I didn't want to delete it because I'm very fond of it (it was my first work published), but I did change one thing about one of the characters (cuz, well...you know).
(Or maybe you don't idk)

These guys are fictional strangers. Remember that, for my sake, and for yours.

Like I said, I did write this a long, long time ago, so this is mainly here to see how much my writing has and will develop over time.
Enjoy!

Characters: TeamCrafted

Warning: Swearing

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Game of Cards
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The dark night fell rather harshly upon the city, the bitter cold of winter billowing through the crisp air and threatening to freeze one's blood if they dared to spend more than one minute in the turmoil of its brutal forces. Heavy snowfall rained down in a blinding flurry upon the natural curves of the land, blanketing the rich green vegetation sprouting from the soil with a thick quilt of a pristine crystal white. The small lanterns lining the icy cobblestone pathways didn't do much to illuminate the roads, due to the hazy and obscured visage of the blizzard that swallowed up the warm golden light the encaged dancing flames radiated. The inhabitants within the city and the kingdom's walls were locked safely inside, snuggled warmly beneath the soft sheets of their beds and pulled deeply into the comforting darkness of slumber.

Perched upon the tops of the city's inner wall, the one standing as the largest protector to the kingdom, men dressed in fluffy winter coats and decked out in gleaming armor patrolled the gates and outer areas, their protective covering reflecting the orange fire that twirled upon the torches they carried. They held tall, diamond-tipped spears proudly in their frost-bitten hands, their metal boots clinking harmoniously in repetitive rhythms on the wooden walkways. Their trained bodies were littered with glinting weapons, ready to use at any moment as their glaring eyes swept over the civilization they swore to protect.

The large castle nestled within the very center of the kingdom stood tall with might and power, its stone brick walls basically impenetrable due to the translucent, glimmering sheen of magic hugging the surface. Large windows revealed partly of what lied inside during the day, for now they were darkened and blocked by thick velvet curtains, which allowed only bits of golden torchlight to peek through. Armored guards patrolled the outskirts of the castle, the gleaming armor they adorned thicker and embroidered with diamonds that not even the heaviest sword could shatter.

Within the castle's walls, members and associates of royalty peacefully slept upon their beds of fine silk and riches, the torches lining the wooden walls twirling in a dance of hunger as they feasted upon their fuel sources. Royal guards attired in the heaviest armor made purely of diamonds and metal, with embellishments of thin gold, posed dutifully outside rooms and halls, faces blank and stoic and tense stances unmoving as they stood guard throughout the night.

The fourth floor, housing the bedrooms for the highest people in power that reigned the kingdom, was otherwise unguarded save for the two armored men that stood guard upon the curving staircase. The floor was bit different from the rest, having varieties of color schemes and diverse decorations. Despite the unmatched tones, it was to the owner's desire.

The large bedrooms making up the fourth floor, eight in total, lied dark and silent except for one, their inhabitants elsewhere. Within a single bedroom, the first to the left, white doorframe engraved with red lines and rubies, emitted muffled voices within the silence of the night. A burnished iron sword hung on the wooden door, its gleaming surface whetted to perfection. Merely for show, but could still be used as a dangerous and deadly weapon if need to be. A polished golden plate rested just above it, a name engraved within its scintillating face. Each bedroom door held a gold plate engraved with a specific name, with a particular decor of choice.