Avatar

Tale of the Champions

@the-tale-of-the-champions / the-tale-of-the-champions.tumblr.com

Bee | 20 | ♀ | Icon by @cryptidsp00n | Bg by @ witchofnope
Avatar
Avatar
maxknightley
me, the eldest sibling in a fairy tale: hey idiots, watch me own the hell out of the Devil. I’m gonna be so good at it
me, ten days later, draped over my youngest sibling’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes as they saunter out of Hell: I will admit that mistakes were made.
Avatar
Avatar
jawsandbones

Eleanor and Simon will be a bi-weekly series of short stories. Come along with them and their dog Rufus, as they solve problems for mythical creatures, one at a time. 

Really, they should have gotten rid of it by now. There’s an unsettling rattle as they drive down the dirt path, and the groceries in the back bump and bounce together. The car is much too small for them, practically as old as they are, and there’s a sheen of rust on the left side that annoys Eleanor so. Poor Rufus, nestled between the groceries, the sword underneath his paws. His grey little beard moves this way and that, as he sniffs at the packages of bacon, and hamburgers. Eleanor holds Simon’s cane in her lap as he drives, leaning forward, deftly guiding the car towards the lake.

The radio station is permanently fixed on the oldies station, the dial having never moved since they first set it. Doris Day croons about giving her heart away, but even her voice can’t disguise the way twigs and rocks bounce off the tires, against the car, giving it more scratches and dents. “Maybe next time we should walk,” Eleanor says as she adjusts the thick glasses perched at the tip of her nose, “I’m sure Rufus would enjoy it.” Ears perk up at the sound of his name.

“Dearest, you’re holding my cane,” Simon says.

“A walk might do you some good,” she says.

“Or finally put me in the grave.” He cackles as she gives his arm a playful swat. The windows are rolled down a crack, the car having no air conditioning to speak of. A cool pine breeze sweeps through, and something of the earth itself. Strong, rich, so soon after rain. The lake itself is hidden underneath a canopy of trees, surrounded by moss and vine. They park some distance away, as close as they can get. The moment the door is opened, Rufus runs through their legs, begins to sniff at the rocks and insects nearby. Eleanor gives Simon his cane. He leans on it with one hand, carries the sword in the other.

You are using an unsupported browser and things might not work as intended. Please make sure you're using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.