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CONTRAST - 38

EVERYDAY CONVERSATION

BY KATHERINE KISSEL

Have you ever ridden on the back of a dragon?
Soared through the skies with nothing between you and the wind,
with only the horizon in front of you and all the world before you
just waiting to be explored?
Maybe you're more of a Pegasus person.
You know, the white horse with
the giant feathered wings who's really
more of a best friend than the wise dragon ever could be?
Unlike the dragon, the Pegasus will laugh at you.
Laugh with you, too, when you play jokes together
on the unsuspecting masses. He'll be a shoulder to cry on
without all the snippy bits of advice from the dragon.
Is that what you need in your life?
No?

How about casting a spell?
Have you ever summoned up a demon
or a storm or even some pretty sparkles
just for show because you need to impress
that guy you just met who looks like he'd like that?
And then, you know, it turns out he's working for the
evil queen and you've just given yourself away. Oops!
Or maybe you've called up a bit of wind
so that your coat will billow behind you
when you turn, dramatic, in the dark of the night.
I guess that's really not your thing,
is it?

You have to wonder about something! Anything!
Maybe you've thought about how hot a phoenix's flame is?
Or how sharp the horn of a unicorn might be?
How big a cat might need to be if you're planning
on having the heroes ride it like a pony?
What about what sort of meat goes into the stew that
the heroes are always eating on the road?
Are rabbits still called rabbits in a fantasy world?
And what about clothing?
Like, what do heroes even wear?
If it's leather, is it really leather, or is it dragon skin?
Or, I don't know, maybe it's the skin of giant lizard.
Oh. Wait. That is a dragon.
And if it's armor, ugh!
How heavy is that stuff anyway?
How far can you travel in full-on plate mail in a day?
What about if you throw a horse in the mix?