Gratitude

A 12-post collection

Challenge #04691-L307: In the Hour of Greatest Need

An apprentice healer saves a mysterious stranger from a fever. The thankful stranger gives the healer a box, promising that when the time comes, the box will open and the debt will be repaid. -- Deathshead419

Devryq never knew the stranger's name. They were just a fellow traveler at the waystation-house. One in need, because they were deep in a fever. Deveryq hadn't thought of rewards, just of the need ze could see to.

It didn't matter that the stranger was a Hellkin. Nor that this was one of the most inhospitable waystation-houses on any given roadway.

What mattered was that one more life had a chance. That might be why the Hellkin pressed the box into hir hands. Their grasp of the Trader's Tongue was weak. "You take. No money, me. You take. When open? Is pay."

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Challenge #04666-L282: Room to Fly

A young human who could tell the gnome Bribrid was actually a dragon asked in a soft whisper. "Could I please have two small scales? I want to make my moms necklaces for their birthdays." He showed several very small pieces of metal already shaped similar to a butterfly's body. "My mom's wife has silver wings." The other necklace was already done, this one was a small blue and yellow agate shaped like a kitten. "And my mom loves cats." -- Anon

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Challenge #04639-L255: The Kindness Cut

The comments from you both make me want to turn it into a prompt.

A haven world the humans turned into a massive farm planet with tons of crops and lots of well-kept and cared for farm animals. Heh, and that "small amount"?

"We just want around 2% of the total harvest to feed the needy in return for this, if that's ok?"/"Only 2%? Hell take 5%!"

"You sure? That's a lot."/"It's only 5% of the total harvest, not as

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Challenge #04275-K257: A Little Death

There is a terrible condition some humans are born with. Slowly, over time, they lose the ability to sleep. And when their body does pass out, they do not remain that way long, and there are no dreams. A human that remains awake for more than 11 days straight, almost always dies. Desperately they seek someone, anyone, for help. Magic, or medicine, they didn't care. They didn't have long left to live. -- Anon Guest

[AN: My research shows that people don't

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Challenge #04086-K068: Gifts According to Skill

Un fabricante de muñecas hace muñecas Wraithvine y amigos como regalos. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Translated - A doll maker makes Wraithvine and friends dolls as gifts.]

The good news was... the village was saved. The bad news was that the heroes who did it had to be dragged back on stretchers. Well. Mostly stretchers. One had to be hauled back on a cart.

Things were much easier when the potion of Giant's Force wore off and Zygorguk returned to their normal

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Challenge #03984-J332: Early Access

A young mage just learning her magic makes a set of lovely gifts for Wraithvine, Gikka, Lilbit, and their traveling companions. What are they? A special bracelet, or for Lilbit a collar, that scares away all biting insects, fleas, mites, and other such vermin. A great thing for traveling near waterways in warm months when the mosquitoes were getting bad. -- Anon Guest

"It's not much, but it's the best I can do in gratitude," they young mage presented a set of

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Challenge #03777-J124: Promises, Promises

You helped me when I needed it most. You may be a killer, but if you ever loose strength, to where you think you can't go on, I will be there for you. If you cannot walk, I will be your legs. This I promise you. -- Anon Guest

They were all poor, weak, and struggling masses yearning to break free. The typical Deregger escapees. The fact that their pilot was a jump-and-dump mass murderer for profit, and the fact that she

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Challenge #03301-I013: To Preserve Life

Despite the Alliance's best efforts, not all meteors are spotted in time. They were by a Pax Humanis sanctuary world when one is nearly to the point of striking. Not thinking of their lives, only of those on the planet, their ship plowed into the meteor, the resulting explosion knocking the meteor well off course and toward the solar system's primary while they, in their lifepod and very, very badly injured, plunge to the surface with the lifepod crashing into the heart

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Challenge #03288-I001: Well-Met by Firelight

A young child is lost deep in the forests. The parents were frantically searching, not knowing where their child was. They'd only taken their eyes off the little one for a short time while doing chores on the farm. But, kids wander away quickly. Fortunately, the "monster" found the child, and, soothing them kindly, brought them back to their home, much to the relief of parents who, when they first saw who was carrying their child, were terrified to start with. Now,

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Challenge #03263-H354: A Debt of Life

A few years after the first encounter, the humans return to Lilli Station, they come in large, new, ships. They do not dock but, instead, make contact. They offer to reinforce the station to protect the inhabitants. To assign humans to guard the cogniscents there. The inhabitants of this station helped them, saved them, in their hour of desperate need, and, despite the gift given, never asked for anything in return. The humans were grateful to the ones that saved them. And

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Challenge #01649-D188: What a God Wants

I was destined to be the priestess of a mad God. What they didn't tell me was that instead of slaughtering people I'd be making Him a nice cup of tea and telling him it would be all right. -- Knitnan

I'd always wondered why the High Holies of the Mad God Zhyruq selected the kind and sympathetic to be their acolytes. Every year, they chose amongst their number the trainee they found to be the kindest, most generous, and most sympathetic.

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Dawn breaks...

Not literally. No. This is a metaphorical dawn. A dawn in the mind.

Followers of my ramblings - the ones who aren’t bots - will know I recently discovered the anti-joy of having a spur in my heel.

It’s painful to walk, most of the time. So I have gained a new appreciation of being able to walk without pain.

And last night… I cooked a meal for the first time in four fargnaxing weeks.

It was

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