Instant Story

Flash fiction fresh from my fingers to your mind!

Challenge #04041-K023: The View From the Bottom

The king was cruel and bitter, his heir, was gaining a hard heart. The heir got lost, was badly hurt, and and yet tried to boss around the person who found them. But soon learned the life of that "peasant". When the heir returned, they realized, under their reign, kindness and warmth needed to rule, or they'd never survive. -- Anon Guest

It hurt to be alive. The prince Tarabaya couldn't move without more pain. After the fall from the upper highway. After the bandits rolled him for everything he had on him, he was lucky to still be breathing. He did not feel so lucky.

Alone. Unattended. He could die here, unremarked. Unburied. Food for the scavengers.

He couldn't even form the words to pray to the gods for their mercy. All that came out of him was an unintelligible garble. At a volume he could barely hear above his own rasping breaths. He could not bemoan his fate. Only moan weakly.

That was why it was such a miracle that Dawn found him.

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Challenge #04040-K022: With Great Gratitude

A village got together to make a gift package for Wraithvine and friends. New ever-lasting boots that would be warmer in winter and cooler in summer, new clothing again, warm in winter, cool in summer, and bags of holding enchanted to not only hold.. ... well a lot, but also so foodstuffs could never spoil while within, and drinks could never spill while within. -- The New Guy

The thing about immortality is, even when something is made to last for centuries, those

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Challenge #04039-K021: The Scapegoat Bites Back

The planet was polluted, the oceans were half-dead, the air was hazardous. The CRC were about to send in Pax Humanis to "begin the cleanup" when something ... strange happened. The planet was getting cleaned up, healthcare reform was happening, and people had proper equipment to survive the toxins. And who ordered this? Of all people, the NEW CEO who'd just taken over! -- Fighting Fit

The finger had been on the metaphorical trigger when the change in regime happened. It wasn't announced

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Challenge #04038-K020: Met Along the Way

A small band of human merchants come to the village. The village has never seen humans before, and were afraid, due to all the horrible things said that humans do to people like the ones here. These humans were not what they expected, in fact, they were really very kind. -- Anon Guest

To call it a village might have been something of an exaggeration. Most of the buildings were temporary structures to keep the wind away from the cooking fires or

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Challenge #04037-K019: They Love a Challenge

The station is the height for entertainment. However, the odd part is, the most popular area is the areas tend to be where there are board games, rather than the electronic games, including very realistic VR's.

One human sets up a class for teaching people how to play chess, and havenworlders seem to not only have a knack for it, but find they often beat even quite skilled human players. They love it. -- Anon Guest

Most stations exist as places to

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Challenge #04036-K018: Stay Sharp

Multiple CEO's get together and put a major bounty on the heads of known Pax Humanis members. The Pax Humanis is a too effective weapon for the CRC. They are determined to slow it down. -- Fighting Fit

Several critical misunderstandings were involved in the resulting mess. First, that Pax Humanis was smaller than it truly was. Second, that eliminating the members they knew about would end the threat to themselves. Third, that the bounty hunter they tried to hire was not

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Challenge #04035-K017: Conflict Resolution Strategies

Two individuals are arguing fiercely. They are so close they are nearly twins. A powerful wizard forces them to be chained together until these two are able to realize they are more alike than they think. Before blood ends up spilled. -- Lessons

Of all the things to argue about, this had to be one of the more ridiculous ones. One was shouting "Mustard!" while the other responded, "Mayo!" Since they were both Harukh, the argument was about to have an area

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Challenge #04034-K016: Balanced Beloved

I've a powerful case of good luck, my poor spouse has a severe case of bad luck. Together, we balance each other out and have a good, if not always peaceful, life. -- The New Guy

Do you know what a Lucker is? I bet a lot of people think it's the people who have insanely good luck. The people who have the cheat codes to the universe, if you will. It's not always that way. There are those who have good

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Challenge #04033-K015: Kindness Grows

They leave gifts for the Faekindred kind known as Brauniin. Small desserts, bottles of fruit juice, honey cakes, etc. Why? Because these kind faerie were there for them, and stopped them from hurting themselves when they were at their deepest despair, and helped them recover. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Might be reference to this: https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03957-j305-faerie-retribution ]

It began with a loaf of bread. A baker took pity on Trash and pressed a small loaf into the young Hellkin's

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Challenge #04032-K014: Going Undercover

May we see the mission to the lands where ones such as this young human escaped from? And what became of the lands, and the cruel slave owners?

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03947-j295-a-whisp-of-hope -- Lessons

Vaphambryl. Picturesque Archduchy renowned for its fine arts and gloriously beautiful farms. Even those who visit rarely wonder where all the workshops are. There might be a few little hobbyists here and there, but they aren't producing the quality of detail evident in their exports.

Those

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Challenge #04031-K013: The Most Unlikely Rescue

It's snowing heavily and windy. But it's warm here, a fire is going, and I am very relaxed. -- Anon Guest

The howling of the wind, and perhaps some wolves, reached me first. Woke me up. Startled me into at least opening my eyes.

White.

It was deadly dangerous to fall asleep in snow. I had to get up. Had to find or make a shelter. Had to get my--

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Challenge #04030-K012: Double Down Defeat

The Pax Humanis member decides not to kill the young CEO they were sent to investigate. Instead, they begin a proper education, after first killing those that lead hir astray. The cruelty was due to ignorance and inexperience, not deliberate. -- Anon Guest

People hear "Pax Humanis" and think of bloodthirsty maniacs that need to be contained for everyone's safety. They're not wrong, but there's also those among the organization who are a lot less extreme. The Justices, as we call ourselves.

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Challenge #04029-K011: For Want of a Nail

They're a workaholic, it seems. They were not a deregger, though their great-grandparents were. They just had this bad habit of working nonstop and forgetting to take breaks to rest once in a while. Problem is, this lead to health issues from overwork. -- Anon Guest

Generational trauma is a hell of a thing. As a Human Companion, it's vital to understand the contributing factors that create hazards to your Human's health. Thus, a well-trained Human Companion is the first responder and

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Challenge #04028-K010: Orphaned Plotline Adoption

A creature, once evil, cruel, corrupt, now greatly changed, comes up to Wraithvine offering a white rose. A peace offering. -- Anon Guest

It had been at least a millennium since the last time they'd met the immortal Wizard. Zygorguk the Imp had received hir mercy and had their entire existence changed. For a start, they could never go back to the Plane of Torment.

Demons could not return to their origin realm if they appreciated kindness. It's all about the relativity

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Challenge #04027-K009: Planet-wide Intervention

A: leave this forest you are a plague to the realm.

B: first off, rude. Secondly I’m just observing the night sky. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.

A: You are nothing but weeds that need to go.

B: look I can see that “Miasma” and “demons” are invading this forest why don’t ask the neighbouring kingdoms to help? Hell even the “Human” sacred magic might help.

A: the orc and dwarf are too brutish and drunk to help and

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