All he had in his life was honor.
In the corner of his small bedchamber, a smoldering ancestral votive with notes of incense, jasmine, and wildflower fought the stench of the world beyond. It was a futile effort. Moonlight reflected off his sword reverently held between two wooden pedestals. It was his father’s blade, cooled with honor by blood of the Emperor’s enemies.
He knelt, eyes closed and mind clear, as they taught him when he was a boy long ago. The bowl of rice lay empty; he deserved neither fish nor vegetables. The last maggot-like grains lay there on the bowl’s gently curving white porcelain… just like her skin…
He chased away such thoughts, seeking clarity in the monsoon raging around his body and soul. There must be a path.
Surrounded by darkness, too windy to allow for open flame lest he risk his home burning to the ground, he undid the silken sash around his torso, letting the white robe fall to the ground.
Cold air licked his naked body. Must the entire world remind him of his sins? Sin. He had no knowledge of that word until they came on their ships with black sails. Now, she filled his nights and his days with the memory of her screams. The memory of those sins.
Besides the empty bowl and blade sat a quill and parchment. With hand shaking, he left a short note.
Upon springtime winds
They spoke of God's salvation
Her skin condemns me
He was never much of a poet. There was beauty in such things, beauty reserved for better beings.
All he had in his life was honor, and therefore all was now forfeit.
He barely comprehended his body hitting the ground, blood from the narrow slit in his navel staining the white floor.
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A/N:
If you've enjoyed this, please leave a like and an insight below. If you really enjoyed this, tips to fuel my coffee addiction are always appreciated. All formatting is designed for desktops. Want to read more? Below are the best of the very best of my works:
About the Creator
Matthew J. Fromm
Full-time nerd, history enthusiast, and proprietor of arcane knowledge.
Here there be dragons, knights, castles, and quests (plus the occasional dose of absurdity).
I can be reached at [email protected]
Keep reading
More stories from Matthew J. Fromm and writers in Fiction and other communities.
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By Matthew J. FrommExclusive • 2 years ago
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Comments (24)
This is excellent! ⚡💙 Bill⚡
Congrats! Deserving to be one ^^
Having just canceled my V+ renewal, it seems fitting that I helped cement your 1st Place Leaderboard ranking with some of the last comments/replies I made before becoming a second-class citizen 🤝
This was so beautifully written with such vivid imagery. Congratulations on Top Story and your Leaderboard placement.
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Congrats on your leader board win and highly deserved for such a wonderful piece of writing. Well done
Nice! Looks like your self-confident nudge pushed this story right where it belongs! At the Top of the Leaderboard! Congrats buddy!
Circling back around to say congrats on getting first in this week's leaderboard!!! 🎉
LEADERBOARD WINNER congratulations young man. I bow ( but not too low, bad back and all)
A tragic tale. I feel like you set the mood for the ending perfectly and yet it was still a surprise for me. Congrats on Top Story!
It just kept getting darker and more tragic!! A well earned top story, Matthew!!
Beautifully written, so poetic...congrats.
Well well well. Wellity wellity wellity. Wellity doneity. Congrats bud on Top Story and financial recuperation by Johann the third Vocal.
Well look at who got a top story….so happy to see this one . Would have been shocked if we didn’t. Congratulations
Even the Vocal Overlords must acknowledge that Matt Fromm is a Matt of honor
Sad ending but a delightful read. So vivid I could see it in my head like a movie. You found the perfect image to let the imagination get into the picture and the added haiku, well, what can I say. 😁 Lovely story, Mathew.
-The last maggot-like grains lay there on the bowl’s gently curving white porcelain… just like her skin…- 🤩 And wow!!! That ending was perfect! I could never be a Shogun for that very detail in the SOP's, lol.
Casually drops an original haiku in to complete the world building like the craftsman he is 👏
Whoa that was intense and beautifully cinematic! I swear I could almost smell the incense and hear the silence before the final act. Heavy but powerful stuff! ✨
Ah the lament before death! Brilliantly captured Matthew!
I love these stories, but you killed me with the suspense!
Man…. Why did you do that to me so early in the morning. Right from the beginning lines read of a different kind of beauty, one that holds the reader in a spell until the very end. Matthew I do believe this is one of your finest.
so sad....but I vividly "saw" the picture your words painted!
Woah. You are such a spectacular writer when you are on fire. which is most of the time, my friend. What I found quietly ironic from a meta-commentary type way was this line "He was never much of a poet. There was beauty in such things, beauty reserved for better beings." To me this sums you up as a writer - you may not believe you're a poet as such, but it runs through you. This whole piece was beautiful, thoughtful, deep and intriguing. Left me wanting more with the narrator. Well wrought, my guy!