It has rained quite a bit here in the UK, which not only depresses me but has also become fertile ground for my microfiction, so I can’t complain too much.
One day, in particular, was especially miserable, and it got me thinking…
Wouldn’t it be interesting if there were a world where the rain never ceased?
A world where, day after day, week after week, year after year, it didn’t stop. No sun, no Spring — just nonstop rain. Then I thought… imagine if a child is born and suddenly the deluge stops and the dark clouds crack to reveal the most beautiful blue skies.
The people would revere him as a prophet, surely?
A son of the divine.
But what if that divine son was merely a mediator between two rivalling gods, the gods of old and the gods of new?
That’s the basis of the following microstory.
Who knows. Perhaps it might turn into a novel one day.
In the meantime, here’s the micro version of it:
The village lay strewn with corpses, some still warm, some still twitching like lame cattle.
A single tear rolled down his cheek as smoke plumed and blocked the gods' line of sight. Good thing, too. He was the Rain King — the boy born on the same day the two-century-long deluge ceased.
The scriptures predicted him; the scholars tried to make sense of him, but the gravest crime of all was that the people revered him.
Oh, the gods of new, have them open their eyes and see the encroaching darkness before there are no more eyes left to be opened, he thought.
Among the rubble and burning debris came a figure. He stumbled out of the blaze with a long beard and a scalp concealed by soot. He coughed and heaved, launching strands of spit on the trampled earth.
When he looked up, their gazes locked.
"Rain King?" he grimaced. "Why… why are you just standing there? Put the fires out!"
The Rain King shook his head. "The old gods are returning, and they are not merciful. They want this kingdom, but I gave them a village. Tomorrow, they will take more."
This will no doubt end up in Tiny Epics: Vol 2, which, for those fresh off the boat around here, is a series of microstories I’ve written over the years. Volume Two is a way off from being published, but before you shed a tear, the clue is in the name.
I already have 141 such tales across fantasy, sci-fi, and a little bit of horror that you can read or listen to right now.
Its name?
Tiny Epics: Vol 1.
And you can get it here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/Tiny-Epics-Vol-1
DJJW