© JS Brand
It’s a tourist attraction now, but they still tell the stories, all ending with the heroic victory over a powerful enemy, perpetually frozen in their equine warrior form. But humans were the invaders, twelve colony ships, master guidance control damaged. AI was smart enough to detect the problem but not repair it, so it found an alternate world.
Unfortunately, it belonged to the Aulegren.
The colonists, being human, “discovered” the land, pretended to adapt, then multiplied like rabbits, taking over every natural resource.
The Aulegren first came as fair lasses and handsome paramours, hoping to use love to found peace.
When humans started raping them and taking what they wanted anyway, Aulegren declared war.
They might have won, but they always restricted their population, living harmoniously with the environment. Humans bred and bred, and with both superior technology, and stolen Aulegren magicks (some humans were gifted with the sight), the colonists won. That’s the official story, anyway.
A few were born of Human-Aulegren pairings and we have to stay hidden, lest we ire the pure bloods. Perhaps someday there’ll be enough of us, but to what end? Live in anxious peace with the conquerors, or begin the war anew?
I wrote this for the Sunday Photo Fiction Challenge of November 11, 2018 hosted by Susan. The idea is to use the image above as the prompt for crafting a piece of flash fiction no more than 200 words long. My word count is 199.
A quick Google image search led me to this site and the legend of the Kelpie, shape-shifting water spirits who can appear as beautiful women.
I adapted the story to weave my own little tale of conquest and subjucation, with a hint of hope at the end.
To read other stories based on the prompt, visit InLinkz.com.
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Great imagination! 😊
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Thanks.
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It reminded me a bit of our relationship with Native Americans. Excellent piece, James.
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That was intentional. Thanks, Susan.
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Is there anything humans won’t destroy?
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Nope.
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A really good story James. At first sight it looks like fantasy/sci-fi, but it’s allegorical.
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It’s both. SciFi is a good vehicle for commenting on current events.
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Loved the story. Leave it to humans to destroy everything.
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Yes, we certainly do, although (hopefully) stories like this one illustrate that we can also build, at least in our ideals.
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Yes, James, hopefully. It’s always better to look at brighter side of things.
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This is true. Thank you.
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We sound like rabbits, but worse.
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Like the rabbit in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
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Ooh, I really like your twist on the kelpie legends! And such a sadly human thing to do, to colonize and subject the native peoples. It makes me hope that the Aulegren will find some way to persevere and prosper in the end.
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Well, there are an underground group of “halflings,” so who knows?
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Are there really? Even better!
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A tale sadly told too often in the reality, James.
Excellent portrayal of our rapacious nature.
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Thank you.
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An imaginative story. Nicely done.
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Thanks, Abhijit.
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