Calvino

art by cobaltstorm
{full size}

Blue Ring Octopus

Seafood

Considered quite the feat to catch and eat, these octopuses are caught by foolish young dragons seeking to impress their friends. One mistake can be fatal, as the venom of these creatures is powerful and can be fatal to smaller dragons.

50

6

A little too small to capsize me, I think.

// Snek, BSJ 2019 //


It is standing in the open under the blazing sun that Calvino realizes the merit of unfinished stories.

He’s never been one for them- there is no ending, after all; the tale could go any which way, and its heroes have not won yet. In the unfinished story, they may never win at all.

But the thing about unfinished stories is this: even set before the bleakest of circumstances, with the smallest chance of victory, there is still hope. There is risk, as there always is, but there is hope that cannot be found in something complete. Something over.

The unfinished is the caller of optimism. Here in the Ashfall Waste, Calvino watches this clan living their own story, and it is and always will be incomplete: they face the war of their lives, and Calvino will not be here to witness it.

He will never know its ending. He will walk away from this scorching heartland of the world, and he may never return. This clan will continue to fight their fight, and he knows that they may all die.

But he also knows that they may survive; because this story in unfinished, there is hope. It has no ending, and for him it will never have an ending, but there is still a glint of light on the horizon. They have hope, this clan embroiled in a war they don’t understand, and isn’t that the most important part.

The day he walks away from the fire, Calvino does not look back. He thinks, instead, on the merit of unfinished stories, and the nature of hope itself.



Brightshine Jubilee is just about over, but the dragons here in Scatterspark Outpost won't let it go out without a bang. The marketplace is adorned with banners and strings of lamps, bright even in midday, and music rings out from radios placed here and there. The dragons are jubilant, singing and dancing and chattering and playing in the town center, celebrating the end of the festival with as much energy as they celebrated the beginning.

There's so much to see and so many interesting dragons to talk to, but Calvino's attention is drawn first to a large banner near the inn:


"Hello, hello! Welcome, traveler!" A shining golden Coatl is stationed beneath the banner, waving Calvino over. "How are you, this lovely day? Enjoying the festival?"

"Ah, hello!" Calvino returns, approaching the Coatl. "I just arrived, but I'm sure I will. Your town looks so festive."

"Oh, it certainly is!" says the Coatl, fluttering his sunset-red wings. "We love a good party here in Scatterspark. And Brightshine Jubilee is the best party of all. Say, are you an archaeologist? We've had many such visitors this week, it's been absolutely delightful."

The Coatl's friendly, chatty nature makes Calvino smile. "I'm no archaeologist," he says, "but my interests are similar. I'm a writer. I'm exploring Sornieth for inspiration for my next novel. My name's Calvino."

"A writer!" The Coatl's expression shifts to one of delight, and he claps his paws together excitedly. "How marvelous! I'm an illuminator, an artist. I work at the printworks just over there," he says, waving to a large building down the street. "We must talk. My name is Remy!"

Remy and Calvino bond at once over their related professions, and Remy offers to show the Imperial around the outpost. All the while, they chat back and forth about books. Remy wants to know all about the stories Calvino has written, what they're about, where to buy them, who published them. And in return, he chatters on and on about binding and paper and illustrations. After a tour of the market, Remy takes him to the printworks, eager to show off the custom machinery and spellwork they have there.

"And look at this marvelous thing! With a simple spell, it'll print the same manuscript in any number of sizes, for the smallest dragons to the largest!"

The Coatl shows off his own work, too: beautiful, flowing illustrations and calligraphy, illuminating simple stories and important documents alike. "When you've finished your next story, send me the manuscript," he requests, "and I'll spice it up for you. No charge, just as a friend!"

When Calvino admits again that he isn't sure yet what his next story will be, and that he's out traveling in hopes of finding inspiration, Remy immediately takes him out to meet some of the outpost's "most interesting dragons". There's an exiled prince, the leader of the local trading company, an archaeologist, and any number of other fascinating characters besides. Several of them have interesting stories that they're more than happy to share with Calvino, and he takes down notes in his journal while they talk.

It's a wonderful day, all in all; Calvino gets a good dose of inspiration from all the dragons he gets to meet, and at the end of the day, the festivities are capped off with a magnificent fireworks display. As he curls up in bed that night, his mind spins with possibilities, turning over many potential stories. A wonderful day indeed.

________ Certificate Awarded To: Calvino TroubleinSevens's Lair Level: 2nd Place Winner Windy Words __________________________ __________________________________ MJ2024 Contest Entries: ____Story: Windy Words _____Big Universe, Small World ____Poetry: Wee Wordy Things _____Sveglia ____Story: Big Wide Wingy Things _____I Feel You, Johanna

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