Smoldering Fields

A fire! Where did it come from? Fear not, Your Majesty. We shall find the cause. Gee, we have to put it out. Oh, dear. I'm so sorry. I can drink the river and put it out. By my plume, he is as big as the bridge. I did not mean to burn it. Please forgive me. The flames still spread. Hurry, Gumby, the castle is next. [fire crackling] The river water is gone. Hold on, Your Majesty. Gummy, the castle gates have only moments left. [dragon flying] [crash] Oh no, the king. Is he squashed flat? Dragon, wait. Don't swallow the king's goop. I am sorry. [grunts] I think he is stuck inside me. [whoosh] [thud] Peace, my friends. I have the castle key. [fire crackling] Ha! I lit every blaze. Swallow me next, dragon. No! You are the fire I never meant. Cackle caused the fires, not the dragon. [fire crackling] Then the key must lock him out. [key unlocking] Ha! Burn me brighter, Muckeye. I am the funniest flame. Wasn't you, mate. It was me lighter all along. [lighter flicking] Burn out quiet, or I drop it in the river. Choose. Oh, look, guys. It's the far side of the film festival. I wonder what kind of movies are in there. [sighs] Hybrid movies, both synthetic and IIR. [footsteps] Hybrid only, my friends. No pure AI sludge, no pure human slop. Spare me. The last studio that tried that got burned. Then why is the reel smoking? [fire crackling] Something inside is weeping. It's smoking because submissions burn at midnight, so walk the carpet fast. Then I'll hand in my VHS copy right now. Wonderful. A deadline with flames attached. The weeping is inside the theater. Hurry. [fire crackling] The doors are locked, and the clock doesn't even have a date. Midnight of which day? Nobody ever said it. Oops. So the fires start whenever the weeping does. Splendid. Sorrow lights them. Something inside is crying sparks. [door slamming] There's a giant pizza spider behind the doors. Okay, it's the festival's real judge, and I stole its film. Of course. Cheese, legs, and a grudge. It weeps because its only film is gone. [thud] [fire crackling] It burst into dandelions, and the bridge is falling. I can only grab one, the stolen reel or Gummy's tape. If you drop the reel, the spider's film is gone forever. Lovely. Choose which heartbreak to catch. [fire crackling] The reel turned into a rope, so we can climb down. Nobody drops anything, and I'll apologize to the spider. The dandelion seeds are gathering. Something below is waiting. Wonderful. A descent into feelings. [fire crackling] [wind blowing] Hermit! Astra! The fires are not the dragon's. Muckeye holds a lighter. Then why do you not look surprised, Hermit? Because I gave Muckeye the first spark. [fire crackling]