Instant Story

Challenge #04732-L348: One Taste of Home

The camp was quiet save for the soft sound of weeping. Bibrid, in their guise as gnome, sat next to the young individual and asked what was wrong. The person was homesick, but it would be at least another month or more before they got to see home again. He, of course, listened and his best to be soothing. He understood what it was like to miss one's home. -- Anon Guest

It does a child good to spend some time away from the cocoon of home and family. It doesn't always do that good immediately. The lord of the realm had invented a program to teach children how to survive in the wilderness, an education in relatively safe circumstances. How to make a shelter. How to make a fire. How to swim. How to be certain that something was edible more than once.

And how to deal with life without their family.

Too many adventures began with stumbling teens and a freshly tragic backstory. Too many adventurers ended with simple mistakes. Their liege lord did not want his citizens to suffer like that. He could manage the prevention of most tragic events, keeping the peace with neighbouring polities and roaming tribes. And this initiative might do to prevent the simple mistakes.

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Challenge #04730-L346: Improvised Weaponry

The pirates caught the ship's human in their jammies and socks. The human captured them by shuffling feet on soft surfaces and touching the pirates. The touches leaving painful spots. Rumor spread humans could shoot lightning from their fingers. Those that knew better knew it was just static. -- Fighting Fit

Ships' night is normally a strategic time for space pirates to attack. Unfortunately for these pirates, normal and Humans don't mesh. Human Zorq was in their BVD's and socks when the

Challenge #04731-L347: This Will Pass

It's storming and the kids are scared. Wraithvine calls to Lilbit after confirming the kids have no allergies. The soft purring and pets soon have the children sleeping peacefully. -- Anon Guest

It was definitely a dark and stormy night. Between the lightning flashes, it was black as pitch out there. The wind raged against the mountains and the trees. The thunder shook dust loose from the rafters, and the children were hiding under the tables and shrieking at most peals.

Wraithvine

Challenge #04729-L345: The Hardest Thing to Learn

The Master-Healer looks upon their apprentice with sadness. "There is one lesson I must teach you yet."

~What is it Master?~

"The fact... sooner or later, we will fail"

https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=eny9wNGzYAc -- Anon Guest

[AN: in order to take advertising money away from YouTube, I am translating every YouTube link to Invidious. Watch videos ad free]

"This, above all, I will do no harm," recited the trainee Medik, Min. "I will treat my patients with respect and

Challenge #04728-L344: Downtime After the Fray

It's been a long slog, the marines were tired, battered, and just tired of it all. They finally got the word, they were going home. One soldier said all he wanted was a nap, and his favorite snacks. Several havenworlder medics, and some level 1 and 2 deathworlder medics, asked the humans, what kind of snacks? -- Anon Guest

"Roasted, salted cashews," said Marine Blem, who had literally rolled out of her battle-rated livesuit and had yet to extract herself from the

Challenge #04727-L343: Earned Adoption

The human family wept, for illness robbed them of being able to have children. The kobold warren nearby decided to trust them and brought a nest of eggs. They loved the young kobolds as deeply as they would their own flesh and blood. And the sorrow was turned to joy. -- Anon Guest

The good news, such as it was, was that Hirren and Aldin had survived the mumps. The bad news was that it had stolen the young couple's ability to

Challenge #04724-L342: Free as a... Prince?

Wraithvine and anyone ze believes will help with the task (possibly meaning no one) must infiltrate a ball and rescue a prince from the clutches of his evil (yet, alas, overwhelmingly popular and powerful) Queen Mother. All without being recognized or exposed during the escape, and before the clock strikes one in the morning, for some reason… -- Deathshead419

[AN: Pure evil requires dedicated choice, and I don't believe anyone living is pure evil. Not even in fiction. They have motives and

Challenge #04723-L341: La Resistance

An undercover agent deep behind enemy lines. The radio is broken. The phones are dead. The gun is still warm, the crime scene fresh. And the contact is 6 hours late. Has the agent been double crossed, left for dead, or worse? -- Deathshead419

Good news, bad news, good news... Good news, the gun still had ammo, and she was smart enough to pick it up with gloved hands. If the occupiers were looking for clues, they wouldn't find a hint of

Challenge #04724-L340: One Weakened Link

Whilst in the woods, (alone or with someone(s) at the author’s discretion) Wraithvine comes upon a dying man, a double-crossed messenger with an arrow through his chest. He begs Hir to deliver his letter. But, a dying man is not necessarily a righteous one, not all treasons are unjustified. Wraithvine must decide if fulfilling the promise is correct, and ze does not have much time… -- Deathshead419

On a road less traveled, more of a deer trail, there's only a

Challenge #04723-L339: Unburied

Sluggish movements, unable to think, and forced to work for eternity by a Vodun Sorcerer. Zombies, a metaphor for the nightmare of every slave. After decades of distortion, it would be fitting to tell a tale in the mold of what happened to those unfortunate souls like Clairvius Narcisse… -- Deathshead419

[AN: I usually don't mess with RL people. So this entity will be legally distinct from that person]

I am... stuck. I know I was someone, but I can not remember.

Challenge #04722-L338: Not the Best Laid Plan

When the conspirators are trapped, their plans come to ruin, someone has to be responsible and that one will have to pay the ultimate price for stupidity… -- Deathshead419

It had been a simple enough plan of sorts. Assassinate the new Earl, gain the favour of the old Earl, and perhaps that of the favoured son. It may even gain them the favour of their liege lord for removing an obvious problem. Others who knew of their plot insisted that no good

Challenge #04721-L337: Den of the Unwelcome

Where can someone go when the world is on the hunt and there seems to be no safe harbor? -- Deathshead419

The thing with running was... you had to keep running. Stop and relax, and they would catch up with you. You learned a thousand ways to stay out of sight. You learned a hundred ways to avoid notice. And you had to learn what was safe to eat more than once. Especially if you wanted to survive for one more meal.

Challenge #04720-L336: Learned Something Yet?

It's been twenty and one years. Wraithvine comes to see if the little turd has finally learned some humility. The allied Duke, a peaceful, and honorable elf, joins hir to see his future son-in-law as well. He would never let his daughter wed one who would mistreat her.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04581-l197-attitudes-adjusted-while-you-wait -- Anon Guest

One can wander very far on assorted quests during twenty years. Especially if a few Dragons or deities decided to relocate Wraithvine to different continents.

Challenge #04719-L335: Newfound Family

Come to find out, this a new kind of fae. Magic, it seems, can sometimes spontaneously poof life into existence when there's a sudden buildup, like this youngster. Choosing a name was one thing, but learning how to care for them was another. There was going to be a learning curve for both. First, clothes, then, food, maybe? This very young one was going to be their foundling, but they were also going to be quite an education.

https://peakd.com/fiction/

Challenge #04718-L334: Haunting Recall

An older elf, though far from elderly, spent their days deep in wine and dandelion. Their nights in tears and regret. They had done so many terrible things they were unable to forgive themselves for. The humans asked Wraithvine to help. This elder had only been a child when this all happened, they didn't deserve this kind of sorrow. -- Anon Guest

The Xenophobia Wars were not one war, as evidenced by the plural. They were not one event, nor between one

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Challenge #04732-L348: One Taste of Home

Challenge #04730-L346: Improvised Weaponry

Challenge #04731-L347: This Will Pass

Challenge #04729-L345: The Hardest Thing to Learn

Challenge #04728-L344: Downtime After the Fray

Challenge #04727-L343: Earned Adoption

Challenge #04724-L342: Free as a... Prince?

Challenge #04723-L341: La Resistance

Challenge #04724-L340: One Weakened Link

Challenge #04723-L339: Unburied

Challenge #04722-L338: Not the Best Laid Plan

Challenge #04721-L337: Den of the Unwelcome

Challenge #04720-L336: Learned Something Yet?

Challenge #04719-L335: Newfound Family

Challenge #04718-L334: Haunting Recall