Scrivenings of the King-Beyond-The-Wall

Door #15

1.

The morning sun cast a golden glow over the dusty streets of Harrow's Pass, an old west frontier town perched at the edge of civilization. Today was no ordinary day for its residents; excitement buzzed in the air like the electricity of an impending storm. Men, women, and children lined the newly laid tracks, their eyes wide with anticipation and a touch of apprehension. They were there to witness the arrival of the first steam engine powered train, a marvel of modern ingenuity, an iron horse that promised to shrink the vast distances of the wild west.

Ezekiel Thompson, the town's blacksmith, stood with his burly arms crossed, his leathery face split by a skeptical grin. Beside him, his daughter Clara clutched his hand, her other hand shielding her eyes against the morning sun as she peered down the tracks. "Do you really reckon it'll come, Pa?" she asked, her voice a mix of doubt and wonder.

"It'll come," Ezekiel replied, though privately he harbored his own doubts. To him, the idea that a machine could move faster than a horse, powered by nothing but water and fire, seemed a flight of fancy fit for dime novels.

As the appointed hour approached, a distant whistle pierced the air, startling the crowd into silence. Eyes turned and necks craned as the sound grew louder, a mechanical chuffing that heralded the approach of the steam engine. Children squealed, women gasped, and even the most hardened of cowboys felt their hearts skip a beat.

Then, it appeared: a behemoth of iron and steam, billowing thick plumes of white smoke that painted the blue sky grey. The engine, a gleaming beast of black and brass, was unlike anything the townspeople had ever seen. Its massive wheels churned with a steady, powerful rhythm, and the pistons hissed as steam vented with a force that shook the ground.

Clara's grip tightened on her father's hand as the train drew near, its presence overwhelming. The front of the engine bore a face of sorts, with a large headlamp for an eye, casting an intense light that seemed to stare down the spectators. "It's like a dragon, Pa!" Clara exclaimed, her earlier skepticism forgotten, replaced by a sense of awe.

Ezekiel couldn't help but agree as he watched the iron beast slow to a halt with a final, emphatic hiss. The engineer, clad in overalls and a grease-stained cap, leaned out from the cab and tipped his hat to the crowd, his face breaking into a proud grin.

Mayor Johnston stepped forward, his chest puffed out as he prepared to greet the engineer. "Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, his voice carrying over the crowd, "let us welcome the future!"

The townspeople erupted into applause, their initial wariness swept away by the spectacle before them. Even Ezekiel found himself clapping, the sound of the iron horse’s arrival echoing in his chest.

After the ceremony, the curious and the brave were invited to inspect the engine up close. Ezekiel and Clara made their way through the crowd, each step bringing them closer to the mechanical giant. The heat radiating from its steel skin was palpable, and the smell of coal and oil filled the air, a stark reminder of the power it held.

"Can we ride it, Pa?" Clara asked, her eyes wide with wonder as she gazed up at the steam engine.

"One day, soon," Ezekiel replied, his voice tinged with a newfound respect for the machine that stood before them. He knew that the arrival of the steam engine marked a change, a turning point not just for Harrow's Pass but for the entire frontier.


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(607 words)

Prompt: 1. Inventions - Steam Engines (Not part of this fantasy world), explain the invention, show people's reaction, what does royalty think of such an invention? 1500 story word limit.




2.

In all honesty, I think every team is competent. "Game of Thrones"  is an unpredictable activity with a hundred things to do and rules and priorities that can change at any given time. The teams that get out to an early lead don't always stay in the lead, and other teams start slow but find their groove later. Who's the most competent? I suppose that depends on what kind of competency you're talking about. The Targaryens are particularly good at maintaining a high level of steady output. I think the Free Folk are particularly good at strategizing and pivoting to respond to challenges as they arise. The Lannisters are great fundraisers who are able to rally support. And so on.

There is no "most competent" team, and I feel a kinship with all of them. We're all playing this Game of Thrones together and trying to work our way through it. Florent have been good allies to us in particular, as we've helped one another with inter-team tasks when we've needed to, and I also feel a kinship with all the other teams (especially the Night's Watch) who are down a member or two and are struggling to keep going against teams with more members than we have.


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(209 words)


Prompt: 2. Crossroads. You've reached a point of no return. Will you be honest? Which team do you think is the most competent? Which team do you feel a kinship with? Explain.