Instant Story

Challenge #04507-L123: Low Made High

An elderly person living alone in a hovel had but one wish. To live, if but for a little while, somewhere warm in their old age. They awoke one morning to find themselves in an enchanted wizard's tower, that was also part retirement home, that moved through the lands. And the kind wizard helping them, and other elderly, find solace and companionship in their twilight years. -- Lessons

For the longest time, the only care for the elderly was their younger family members. If the aged person was entirely lucky, they might be able to rely on the kindness of a temple or, if the realm was particularly good, the kindness of strangers.

Didra did not have any of those. He had a hovel in the Tumbledowns, where everyone was out for their own selves. The instant he died, there would be at least three people trying to pry the teeth from his mouth or saw the hair off his head. They'd steal the pitiful belongings from his hut, and throw his body into the midden so they could steal his deathbed.

That was why Didra sewed himself into his own shroud when he bedded down for the night. If he should die before he woke, he would at least have some fragment of dignity in his disposal. If the gods would answer him, they would gift him a safe and comfortable place to live out his last days. All he wanted was the intangible things out of his reach. Little things. Mercy. Dignity. And the aforementioned comfort and safety. Just one would do. Please.

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Challenge #04506-L122: A Very Special Exemption

One would think the CRC would stomp on a workplace making their people work 50 hour weeks and weekends. But the employees knew this would happen, they're told clearly about it up front before they agree to be hired, for only about 3 months out every year before going back to normal work hours. And honestly? The overtime pay was VERY much worth it! -- Anon Guest

It took some significant effort to come up with Galactic Standard Time, the Galactic Standard

Challenge #04505-L121: Utility of Blades

Why do you have so many knives, surely you don't need more than one? -- She Who Knits

"Oh I need all of them," said Human Mar, "and don't call me Shirley." Currently in the midst of sharpening one, he checked the blade's sharpness against his thumbnail.

"Pardon?" said Companion Gij, her feathers half-fluffed in anxiety. "I did not do that."

"Ancient Terran joke. Never mind." The knife passed its odd inspection and returned to its sheath, then to its place on

Challenge #04504-L120: Unarmed? Unlikely

The pirates corner the human space-trucker and grabs the human's pup as a hostage The human's pup doesn't fight back with teeth, but the odor that soon incapacitates the pirates is one all dog owners know all too well. -- Anon Guest

[AN: For a handful of seconds, I thought you were talking about a Human infant]

Trucking is a boring job, so it's no shock that truckers in any environment find things to do during their work hours. For life on

Challenge #04503-L119: So Long, and Thanks...

"If you're listening to this, I told the Last Lie. Please don't cry. You are all my family and you rescued me from a fate worse than whatever it is I faced before the end. Instead, remember me with joy, and tell people about me. So that, through you, I can keep living." -- Anon Guest

The eyescreen portion of his livesuit helmet told him his survival chances had dropped to a fraction of a percent. It also told him that the

Challenge #04502-L118: Just a Passing Miracle

"Wraithvine? Yes I knew hir. Met 'em when I was a little. My favorite memory? Fixed my eyes so I got to see a rainbow." -- Anon Guest

Red-rash had taken my sight, but I had learned from the bats. I couldn't squeak as high as they could, but I could click. It took me a while, but I became used to a world of echoes. On noisy market days, I used the stick. People either tried to rob me or tried

Challenge #04501-L117: Reward Greater Than Gold

An enchanted set of letters all put together to be shaped as a dove finds Wraithvine and Bribrid, batted into the elf's lap by the fluffy Lilbit. It was set of letters written by children. All thanking them. Some with drawings, some with words, some with little flowers. Their teachers helped send the gift. -- Anon Guest

It had been an exhausting slog of a rescue. Wraithvine used all hir spells and most of hir energy saving as many lives as possible.

Challenge #04500-L116: One Favour

(I wish to add to this lovely tale, if I may)

When asked what she would like in return for saving Wraithvine, and Bibrid she said she needed nothing. She was just glad she saved them, that was good enough. They, at least partially, refuse that idea. For her kindness, they help her find a good job where she can do what she loves best. Helping others.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04482-l098-one-good-turn -- Anon Guest

It was like a dream, some

Challenge #04499-L115: Application For Adviser

They are poor, they are ragged, they are tired. They manage to sneak into the kitchens of whitekeep castle, steal some leftover soup and bread, and are found curled up on the floor by the fireplace fast asleep. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Whitekeep has laws to protect its citizens from that level of poverty. It's in the starting tenets of the realm. So... to make this work, it's A Whitekeep castle. Not THE Whitekeep castle. In this case, one of the freshly-conquered

Challenge #04498-L114: Harder Heartstrings

They were young, but their heart was failing. One last adventure found a magic artifact that buried itself into their chest replacing the heart that had been damaged by long bouts of illness. However, unlike other artifacts similar to it, it did not try to change their usually kind, and gentle, nature. It simply acted as a replacement heart. -- Anon Guest

"One adventure," said Fennel. "All I need is to find a Hartsoke seed before it's too late." She was a

Challenge #04497-L113: Tiny Teaching Moment

A small child once again tried to swipe Wraithvine's hat. A common enough occurrence. What was uncommon was how protective the tiny dragon that lived on hir hat with it's tiny 'hoard' of a single gold coin, got of the child. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Corrected Wraithvine's gender in this prompt]

Walking sticks and wizards' hats are irresistably attractive to small children. Many is the king or other holder of a crown who has had to shoo a tiny toddler off the

Challenge #04496-L112: Little Friends

The large galactic laughed when the human told them about an eagle that was their best friend. A bird? A fluffy thing with no brains?

Then the person opened the carrier of the napping bird. It was a Harpy Eagle.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uK2eh7GOXz4 -- The New Guy

[AN: I am doing zero research into whether Harpy Eagles can be trained like falcons]

Horg was always amused by Humans and their pets. The dinky little Deathworlders had a knack for

Challenge #04495-L111: Fated Family

The caravan they came upon was destroyed, the family was dead. In the wreckage, Bribrid, a silvery eternal dragon in the guise of a gnome, finds a baby still alive and crying. Wraithvine, Bribrid, and their fluffy cat now have a child to raise. -- Anon Guest

They found the caravan too late to save it from the bandits. All that remained to do was inter the bodies and organise what salvage they could. At least until Bibrid heard the weak cry.

Challenge #04494-L110: Agreement on Amends

Beneath the glow of the full moon, Count [REDACTED] gazed longingly into his lover's eyes. “My darling, my eternal flame, my heart’s joy taken human form. I’m begging you to drink more water your blood tastes like shit.” -- Anon Guest

[AN: This prompt has been altered to skip merrily around other people's IP. I try to avoid copyrighted material around here]

Compte Dragomyr couldn't keep it to himself any longer. He had to tell her. Yet he could not

Challenge #04493-L109: Purity Flaw

They wanted their population sick enough to be too tired to fight back, but strong enough to work. Then someone introduced the immunoflu and when they tried desperately to stop the spread, their secret came out. -- Anon Guest

Any time a polity's leader starts going on about 'purity' and the strength derived from it, you know that polity is in for a bad time. And so are its people. Not just the ones who are deemed imperfect or impure.

Worse still

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Challenge #04507-L123: Low Made High

Challenge #04506-L122: A Very Special Exemption

Challenge #04505-L121: Utility of Blades

Challenge #04504-L120: Unarmed? Unlikely

Challenge #04503-L119: So Long, and Thanks...

Challenge #04502-L118: Just a Passing Miracle

Challenge #04501-L117: Reward Greater Than Gold

Challenge #04500-L116: One Favour

Challenge #04498-L114: Harder Heartstrings

Challenge #04497-L113: Tiny Teaching Moment

Challenge #04496-L112: Little Friends

Challenge #04495-L111: Fated Family

Challenge #04494-L110: Agreement on Amends

Challenge #04493-L109: Purity Flaw