Old Debts

With the end nearing the project that has been weighing upon me in sight, I hope that I’ll be able to resume the cadence I want to have with these stories. However, as always, I’m determined not to disappoint my patrons. So, I sat to think about what I was going to write. After much thought, I couldn’t think of a thing. As a result, I reached out to my story cubes and gave them a toss. Thankfully, I pulled three out that formed a logical thought, a well, a cat, and a set of trees. While those formed a thought, my creativity refused to come up with anything. Fortunately, while I was at my day job, I spoke with someone who has enjoyed my writing and he asked me if I’ve used AI in my writing process.

Aside from whatever exists in some of my writing tools, I told him I hadn’t. It didn’t take long for him to recommend that I check it out and see how I could weave it into my workflow. Since I only had a prompt and a desire to use the Puckish character I introduced in Inner Race; I figured I would try. So, I went to ChatGPT and asked it to give me a story that involved the seed and a character inspired by Puck. The result was a somewhat interesting five-hundred-word story. Not one I would ever want to claim as my own, but it gave me a little more substance to work with.

In the end, I delved into the history of this character and his lord. Specifically, Gaius (my Puckish character) seeking to repay a debt for his lord. So, find a comfy spot and join me as we explore this unfolding world.

Having been tasked to repay his lord’s debt, Gaius leaves his lord’s domain to find those who own the debt…

Once upon a time, a slight feline figure emerged from an ancient forest. As its tail swished back and forth, it glided across the ground until it emerged from the ominous shadow of the looming trees. The moment the animal escaped, its back arched towards the sky and basked in the sun’s warmth before striding towards the nearest town. While the creature ventured across the open field, its lips curled into an unnatural smile.

Within a few minutes, the cat caught sight of a young woman hauling water from a deep well. After a shudder coursed through the cat, it raced towards her. When it drew within a stone’s throw of the woman filling her clay jar, the feline creature began rising from the ground as if it were climbing a flight of stairs made from clear glass. “Greetings young maiden, to benefit from this meeting, you must listen.”

With a gasp, the bucket slipped from her grasp and plummeted into the water far below. The young girl’s fingers trembled when she found the tattered feline walking through the air. “What sorcery enables a ragged and gangly cat to walk in midair, let alone speak?”

“Am I disheveled?” Soft laughter wafted out of the animal’s lips as it neared the young woman. Once close enough to touch her, the cat’s body rippled, and its ratty fur evened out. “Hopefully, my inner glow is now revealed. Though I’m looking to provide you and yours with a boon, but you must be careful with your fortune.”

“I want nothing from you.” The woman’s trembling fingers grasped for the water jug behind her, while her eyes followed the strange creature as it circled her.

Undeterred, the cat purred as it pressed a paw upon her forehead. Instantly, the maiden’s tremors slowed, ceasing as the animal drew in a deep breath. With another round of alien laughter, the cat leaped away and perched on an invisible chair. “Elara, this is an offer made free and clear. There will be no obligations to fear.”