(( I took two prompts this week and mashed them together. One prompt was to write a story about an artist, and the other was to write a story about a contest. I already have an artist character, so I decided to give him a contest to participate in. ))
Dragons. Beautiful bronze dragons. Thatās what filled Vaildorās canvas. Three of them were in the painting he was working on. It wasnāt just any painting either. It was for a contest at his art school. He paid attention to the reflects in the scales, from multiple light sources in the picture adding hues of blue and gold where appropriate. They were fighting a lone mage who stood in front of a sunset casting spells. One of the dragons had already fallen, the other two were in the process of dodging the mageās glowing arcane bolts.
It was a scene done from memory, a greatly elaborated memory, but a memory all the same. It wasnāt something he could speak about with many people, not without being looked at like he was crazy. Those he could talk to seemed happier when it seemed he was forgetting what had happened to him in the past. He was allowed to paint whatever he wanted without having to talk about it- most of the time. There were a couple of questionable paintings he had done of dead dragons that the Confessor had taken him into his office to talk about.
Vaildor did like dragons, but the mage he used to live with was, in a way, at war with them. He had seen him slay dragons numerous times. Usually, he had stayed hidden away to be safe, but that didnāt mean he didnāt peek. Vaildor wished it hadnāt happened, but he also realized the mage had kept him safe for all of the years he had been with him. In fact, he wouldnāt even be alive if it werenāt for the mage taking him in the first place. He painted dragons the same way he had seen them for years, as the enemy, though he knew that wasnāt true now. Dragons were allies unless you pissed them off.
The mage had pissed them off.
Vaildor painted a thin light line down the middle of the arcane bolt. It almost looked as though it was glowing on the canvas. He stepped back to look at it. He was quite proud of his work, and felt it at least had a chance of winning the contest. He bent forward and signed his name in the bottom corner, then hurried to the kitchen to work on starting supper before his adoptive parents finished with their work.
#
A week later, Vaildor stood in the hall of the school. Many of the students had entered the contest. The top three prizes were scholarships to the school after all, and Vaildor knew how much it cost to send him here, even part-time. Paintings lined the hall on both sides. A few of the classroom doors were open to rooms where sculptures had been put on display. Vaildor was glad he didnāt mess with sculpting. He already got yelled at enough for leaving his paints out where his baby sister could reach.
He had been able to convince Lani, his minnāda, to come with him, even if it was a weekday. Normally, she would be in the office at the clinic in the front of their house, but she had taken the day off and left Isandri and Esladra to fill in for her. She stood nearby looking at some of the other pieces of art hanging in the hall. He had already seen the judges walk by his some time ago. Had they finished looking at the others yet? He looked up and down the hallway. He didnāt see them anywhere.
āRelax. You know yours is wonderful. That wonāt change whether it wins a prize or not.ā Minnāda said, putting her hand on his shoulder.
He was going to reply that if he wanted to make a living doing paintings, then he had to be better than other people who wanted to do the same thing. He was sure the answer would be that he had lots of time to improve yet. He wanted to be better at it now. However, as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, he saw the contest judges walking down the hallway. He merely twitched an ear instead, and watched as the judges stopped at one of the paintings. One of them placed a blue ribbon on the frame as another shook the hand of the student who had painted it. Vaildor frowned slightly as he clapped. It was nice for the other student, but he wished he had gotten first.
The judges moved on to another painting, placing a red ribbon on it, and shaking another studentās hand. He didnāt get second either. Third was also out of reach as the judges walked all the way to the other end of the hall to put the yellow ribbon on the frame of a painting there.
Vaildorās ears drooped.
āVaildor, your painting is great. Iām sure the winners are more senior students who have been painting for decades. Youāll get plenty more chances to win. I promise.ā
One of Vaildorās drooped ears twitched a little. āI know.ā He mumbled.
Minnāda pulled him in for a hug. Vaildor glanced around at the other students hoping they werenāt looking at him. He loved his minnāda, but he didnāt want hugs from her in front of everyone! Then he saw the judges walking back their direction in the hall. They stopped at a painting nearby and placed a white ribbon on it. They shook hands with the student who had painted the scene of a bridge over a small stream, and continued on, stopping at Vaildorās painting. Vaildor broke away from Minnāda, and approached the judges. He watched as one of them put a white ribbon on it.
āVaildor Lightmist?ā
The headmaster of the school was also the head judge. Vaildor had only seen him a few times. He stepped forward and nodded, āThatās me.ā
The headmaster shook his hand, āYour painting is being recognized for excellence in our class of part-time students. Congratulations, and keep painting. Youāre fast on your way to becoming a master painter. This is one of the best from someone your age that Iāve seen in years.ā
Vaildor beamed with pride. āThank you.ā
The headmaster nodded as the other judges shook Vaildorās hand and congratulated him before moving further down the hall to hand out the next white ribbon.
Vaildor turned back to his Minnāda, this time he was the one who hugged her. āDid you hear what they said?ā
āI did. Iām so proud of you. We should head home and let the Confessor know the good news.ā
Vaildor nodded, āCan we stop by that really good bakery first?ā
His minnāda smiled, āWeāre supposed to meet up with Hethurin for our portal back home. Why donāt we go there and ask if Terellion will make a cake for the occasion instead?ā
āI love cake!ā Vaildor hurried ahead of her out of the art school. He was content to have recognition and cake after all.
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Iām supposed to write an essay about everything Iāve learned this year, but I donāt remember everything all at once so I hope I remember enough right now. I think I donāt remember some because I wasnāt here for it because I go to art school two days each week. Iāve learned a lot in art school. We do a lot of practice where we get to draw someone, but we only have a couple of minutes to do it!ā¦
I guess itās been an okay week. Iām still kind of figuring out what to think about what happened last night. Lani made me sit in the sitting room with her, and I thought we were just going to talk about school or something. Ā I thought maybe I failed a test, but that wasnāt it at all. She and the Confessor are going to have a baby.
I know itās supposed to be a happy thing, but this affects me too.ā¦
Reading and writing is boring, and I donāt like math much either. Ā History is boring because all that is just more reading, but they disguise it by calling it something else. Ā Sometimes the science lessons arenāt so bad. Ā Thereās all sorts of different kinds of trees and rocks and stuff and they all have names and ways to identify them. Ā I kind of like that, but having to read books about it isā¦
This week was a lot better than last week. Ā Last week, I didnāt have to write one of these things, which is good because I donāt think I would have been able to! Ā It was very upsetting, and Iām still upset about it, but Iām not supposed to talk about it to everyone either, so I donāt really feel comfortable writing it down. Ā Someone could read it! Ā So Iāll just have to say it was an upsettingā¦
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Vaildor Lightmist awoke, startled by a loud noise. Ā He saw the cause of the noise immediately uponā¦
Vaildor Lightmist awoke, startled by a loud noise. Ā He saw the cause of the noise immediately upon sitting up in bed. Ā He drew his knees up to his chest, and huddled close to the wall next to his bed. Ā āWhat are you doing here?ā He wouldnāt have spoke if the other person hadnāt already looked his way.
Sanimir finished casting a spell before answering, āIāve come to say goodbye.ā
After the ceremony, Hethurin accompanied Vaildor back to the tables set up where they would eat. Ā They had sat near the back during the ceremony, along with Terellion, the other teachers and the students. Ā Hethurin felt it was best if Vaildor was kept away from his mother and sisters during the actual ceremony, and so, had chosen strategic seating in the middle of people from the school. Ā Rennerā¦
This week has been a little different from the usual. Ā I guess I should get used to it being different. Ā The building in town is done now so I wonāt be waking up here and going there anymore. Ā Weāre going to be moving really soon, just after the wedding.
Iām a little worried about moving because I havenāt lived in another building before. Ā I mean, I guess I have, but I donāt remember being aā¦
