Notices by Micro SF/F stories by O Westin (microsff@mastodon.social), page 25

A spaceship landed, and an alien emerged. It hammered down a post, and mounted a sign: "Robot reservation, no organics allowed."
On Earth, NASA's controllers watched the video feed from the Curiosity rover in disbelief.
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

@nate
That makes me really happy!

** The 2017 story Buri and the Winter dark": http://microsff.com/buri-and-the-winter-dark
The 2016 story "Unn and the cold fire": http://microsff.com/unn-and-the-cold-fire
The 2015 story "Gry and the Mountain King": http://microsff.com/gry-and-the-mountain-king
The 2014 story "Moa and the lost sun": http://microsff.com/moa-and-the-lost-sun
The 2013 story "Tam and Lin and the Queen in the heart of the forest": http://microsff.com/tam-and-lin-and-the-queen-in-the-heart-of-the-forest
**

The 2017 story Buri and the Winter dark": http://microsff.com/buri-and-the-winter-dark
The 2016 story "Unn and the cold fire": http://microsff.com/unn-and-the-cold-fire
The 2015 story "Gry and the Mountain King": http://microsff.com/gry-and-the-mountain-king
The 2014 story "Moa and the lost sun": http://microsff.com/moa-and-the-lost-sun
The 2013 story "Tam and Lin and the Queen in the heart of the forest": http://microsff.com/tam-and-lin-and-the-queen-in-the-heart-of-the-forest

** You can read the complete 2018 story "Orum and the dragon" here: http://microsff.com/orum-and-the-dragon **

** Many apologies for messing up the scheduling this year. **

Orum came home late that night.
"Did you smelt that lump?" his father asked.
"He did," the dragon answered from the sled.
#AdvenTale 25/25

"Would you gift it to me?" the dragon said.
Orum weighed the lump in his hand. "You need it."
"Your kindness has no limit."
#AdvenTale 24/25

The dragon craned its neck to sniff. "You seek fire, carrying that? It holds fire in its heart!"
"Oh. Could you use it?"
#AdvenTale 23/25

"What is it like to be human?" the visiting alien asked.
"What is it like to be an alien?"
"Bewildering, feeling you don't fit in."
"Same."
"But interesting, and there are times you do fit in."
"Yeah."
"So... It's like being people?"
"It's like being people."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Is there," he said, showing the star metal, "any gold in this?"
"Bah. I would smell gold. That's just... What is that?"
#AdvenTale 22/25

"Are you in pain?" Orum asked.
"Much."
A simple answer, which brought silence to the cave. Orum looked in the crucible.
#AdvenTale 21/25

"Gold is..." the dragon hesitated. "You lack the word. Absorbent? We transfer aches and pains into gold. To die easier."
#AdvenTale 20/25

"Oh." Orum sat down next to the dragon.
"At least I wasn't murdered for my gold."
"What do dragons need gold for, anyway?"
#AdvenTale 19/25

The ancient abomination woke from its dreamless sleep, swam to the the shore and walked to the nearest town.
"You," it roared at a terrified dog-walker, "what year is it?"
"Uh. 2018."
"Still? It's been ages," the abomination grumbled. "I'll be back when I can make a difference."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Dragons grow, in power and size, until our fire fades, and then we diminish."
"You are dying?"
"Not doing anything else."
#AdvenTale 18/25

"Right," Orum said, "so with the right kindling we-"
The dragon snorted again. "I am far too old for such hope, smithling."
#AdvenTale 17/25

"You are but a spark," the dragon said, "you are no threat."
Orum bit back his objections. "And you?"
"Me? I am an ember."
#AdvenTale 16/25

Orum leaned the spear against the wall. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For being impolite, and threatening."
The dragon snorted.
#AdvenTale 15/25

"This is a costume party," the sheep said.
"I know," said the wolf and took off its mask.
"That's a wolf mask."
"Yes?"
"You are dressed up as a wolf."
"Yes?"
"But you are a wolf."
"Yes? Look at this mask, it's not me, is it?"
"Um..."
"Really, Clarence? Do we all look the same?"
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories