Instant Story

Challenge #04511-L127: To Choose Peace

"Would you side with these people against me?? You are just like me! Trufel!"

I am nothing like you. I believe in compassion.

"They will hate you and destroy everything you love!"

And I will forgive them.

"WHY??"

Because someone has to be the first to let go of the hate and try something else. -- Anon Guest

[AN: I looked up 'Trufel' and couldn't find more than a corruption of 'truffle' So I'm assuming that's a name]

Trufel took a deep breath to steady their shaking bones. Fearing Akaju's wrath. "I'm going," they said. "You can't stop me."

Akaju seethed, but ze seethed without lashing out. "This ongoing war has killed too many with it's battles. Too many have already been sacrificed in the battles between Elf and Dragon. Between Elf and Troll. Between Elf and D'varuv. Between Elf and Harukh. And you will now throw yourself against the devils they summoned to drive us to extinction?"

Trufel found it increasingly easy to swallow the urge to throw a tantrum about Akaju's speciesism. No Elves had had a whole family for thousands of years. "If someone doesn't try another way," they said, "Who will?"

"I will not bury you," said Akaju. "Take what you think you need, but you are already dead. The devils that the Humans keep will gnaw your bones." Ze cut Trufel dead, returning to taking inventory of their supplies. "May your next incarnation possess more sense."

Support me on Patreon / Buy me a Ko-fi

Prompts remaining: 18 Submit a Prompt!
Ask a question

Challenge #04510-L126: Not So Helpless

I may be in a wheelchair, but I can still kick your tail before you raise that blade. I'm limited, not helpless. -- Fighting Fit

[AN: Tempted to use Kosh's all-terrain wheelchair with caterpillar treads for this one, but nah. Should aim for the normal model]

The streets are paved well, and for that I am grateful. I've seen the perambulatory chair favoured by a noble or two, but that thing is frighteningly complicated. My main wheels are from a velocipede, and

Challenge #04509-L125: The Terror Within

The researchers startled from their tents to hear screaming from the tent belonging to the humans. They see two humans trying to calm the third, who looked terrified. They explained, gently, their friend dealt with night-terrors sometimes, the past was not a gentle one. -- The New Guy

Of all possible rude awakenings, one of the worst has to be waking up to witness your roommate being killed. Leading slightly above that is doing the same with another individual readying their weapon

Challenge #04508-L124: Just Open the Door

They're shy, terrified of talking to others about how they feel, and still suffering, mentally, from all they endured from the polity they were rescued from. The therapist, suggests writing out their feelings instead, since talking about it is so difficult for them. When they admit they are unable to read or write, They are given a diary, a few pencils, and a lesson book, and introduced to another who'd been rescued from that polity, who was willing to teach. -- Lessons

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

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

Menu

Flash fiction fresh from my fingers to your mind!

Challenge #04511-L127: To Choose Peace

Challenge #04510-L126: Not So Helpless

Challenge #04509-L125: The Terror Within

Challenge #04508-L124: Just Open the Door

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