Creative Corner

[rule] [center][font=century][size=7] - D A Y - S E V E N - [rule] [item=Squirming Tentacle] [i][font=century][size=4]Seafood - 30 to 40 matches.[/i][/center] [rule] [center][font=century][size=4]@Wakener @SariStar[/center] [rule] [font=century][size=4]They were two days away now, Vioska had told Anari that morning with what little energy she had left. He had been told to dab some weird, gooey plant stuff on her wound right after, at which Vioska had obviously been trying to hold in her pain. Seeing her that way made Anari very nervous. Her old, unbreakable exterior had given way to the weak excuse for his mother that now stood before him, wobbling along. He hoped deeply that they would be able to make it to the hospital in time. As they trekked along the thick underbrush, Anari could feel Vioska stop short. A shot of panic blazed through his veins. Had she finally reached the end of her energy? But one look at his mother's face told him otherwise. She was alert, more than she had been all day. Her frills bristled angrily, and her head swiveled cleanly from left to right, almost as if she... A loud crash sounded through the forest, followed by a screech of fury. Instantly, she lowered herself against a cluster of ferns, practically falling to the ground. Anari followed suit, leaping into a pile of leaves to hide his bright blue hide. From where he was crouched, the only thing that could be seen of him was the tip of his horns and his tiny green eyes. Anari nearly jumped from his spot as a pair of birdlike creatures tumbled into the clearing, screaming and biting. One fluttered barely out of the other's reach, raking it's claws across the other's beak. The second seemed to be half mouse, diving just away from the bird - creature's pecking maw. Both, luckily, were so consumed by the fight that they didn't notice the two dragons laying in the grass only a few steps away. Almost instantly, another mouse - bird sprang from the top of a bamboo shoot, catching the bird by surprise and dragging it down to the point that its silver talons brushed the ground. Screaming and kicking, the bird was soon covered by a crowd of mouse - birds that had slunk into the battle and gone unnoticed. In only a few seconds, the bird was a pile of dust, surrounded by a semicircle of the mouse - birds, still chittering rabidly. Anari had never seen such a show of savagery in his whole life. The only thing that kept him still was his complete and utter fear, freezing him from his ears to the tips of his claws. It only strengthened as he watched the circle disperse, wandering reluctantly into the forest from whence they came. A pair of them barely brushed past him, sending a spiral of leaves in their wake. After a few minutes, though, the grassy patch was clean of dust and blood, as if nothing had even happened. Gingerly, Anari pushed himself up, shaking leaves from his mane and wings. Quickly, he scanned the treeline; no more mouse - birds in sight. Sighing with relief, he finally shook off the last of the greenery and approached his mother. The fear in her eyes terrified him. Worried that he had accidentally hurt himself, Anari examined himself from head to tailtip. Nothing was wrong. Another glance at Vioska, though, revealed that she was not looking at him, but past him. Spinning around, he only barely saw a flash of red and yellow as the mouse - bird pounced right on him.

[rule] [center][font=century][size=7] - D A Y - E I G H T - [/center] [rule] [center][item=Sunfish] [i][font=century][size=4]Seafood - 30 - 40 rounds in the coliseum.[/i][/center] [rule] [center][font=century][size=4]@Wakener @Saristar[/center] [rule] [font=century][size=4]Vioska pounced, roaring, onto the Yellow Sparrowmouse. It was tiny compared to her, but with a few moment's notice it was on top of her, tearing into her back where she couldn't reach. Twisting her neck around, she barely nicked the monster's feathered plume before it darted away again. Leaping from her back, the beast swerved away from her swiping claws and approached Anari, laying unconscious in a patch of leaves. [b]"Get away from him, or I'll rip you to shreds!" [/b]Vioska howled. The Sparrowmouse, only mildly surprised by her yelling, grabbed Anari's mane gently in its beak. Vioska craned her neck forward to snap it shut on the monster, but by then the Sparrowmouse had dashed off into the underbrush, Anari in tow. Spitting curses, Vioska charged after the beast, all illnesses forgotten. However fast she went, though, the Sparrowmouse was always just a step ahead, a flash of moving foliage in the underbrush. Vioska pushed herself even harder. Suddenly, the Sparrowmouse stopped short. Vioska watched from the cover of a thick bush as he dropped Anari from his jaws and trotted forward. [i]"Good Plaguebringer, there's a whole pack of them!"[/i] Vioska thought to herself. And there was; a semicircle of Sparrowmice surrounded the first, eyes focused on his new catch. Clicking and chirping, the group seemed excited over the new trinket that had just arrived. Vioska resisted the urge to attack the monsters right then and there. But she was well aware that it was far too early for that; with a whole pack of these things, she would hardly stand a chance. She would wait until nightfall, she decided. That was when all but the Dark Sparrowmice would be awake, guarding their camp. With the element of surprise, they would hardly be a match for her. It was final, then. That was when she would strike. But one look at Anari, so weak and helpless, and she began to wonder. [rule] [font=century][size=4]The moon shone bright above the Sparrowmouse camp, its light giving Vioska's wings a slight glow. She had looked on as the monsters dragged Anari into a small cave opening in a rocky ledge, and as the Dark Sparrowmice emerged from their beds of grass to pace sleepily along the perimeters of their territory. It was a dark and cloudy night, luckily. Vioska watched eagerly as the clouds floated past, waiting for one to obscure the moon. Once the clearing was completely devoid of even the moon's cold light, she would carry out her plan. A strong gust of wind buffeted Vioska's feathers. Glancing up, she spotted a dark group of clouds, pushed onward by the sudden squall. He anticipation grew as she watched the moon be completely eaten up by the hungry jaws of the darkness. [b]"Finally,"[/b]Vioska whispered to herself, these idiots would get what they deserved. Without giving herself another moment to think, Vioska reached out and dragged a Sparrowmouse guard into the brush. It didn't even have time to scream before she sliced at its throat, vanishing into a pile of sand that was quickly blown away by the wind. Slinking back into her previous position, Vioska crawled stealthily towards where the other guard sat, keenly examining the quiet forest. It didn't even notice Vioska as she ducked into the cluster of ferns just in front of it, and didn't made a sound as Vioska shredded apart its glossy stomach. That was the easy part, for certain. The creatures that sat perched upon the rocky ledge would be a different story entirely. [b]"Now for Phase Two,"[/b] Vioska whispered proudly to herself. Creeping away from the brush in which she was hidden, Vioska reached the edge of the forest, where it gave way to a rocky outcropping. She lay down closer to the ground, her red eyes narrowed. Neither of the guards could see her from this angle, she was sure. With a dash, she leapt up the large stones, small pebbles slipping out from beneath her feet, and clawed her way up to the very top. Her fever, which had been eating away at her ever since that afternoon, came crashing down on her like a massive wave. Exhausted, she allowed herself a few moments of rest. Everything about the place where she lay; the soft tufts of grass, the gentle breeze, lured her into closing her eyes. But she fought the urge. She would sleep later, when an innocent hatchling wasn't in danger. Warily pushing herself to her feet, she peered from the grassy edge to the flat clearing below. She could easily see where the guards were perched, stationed on juts of rock just below her. It only took her a few moments to decide which one she would take first; the one on the top seemed to be the easiest, as she wouldn't be seen by the other until she jumped down on top of it. Leaping silently down from the ledge, she pinned the Sparrowmouse and sliced it apart, turning it into dust under her claws. The dust blew in a cloud around her. Unfortunately, the Sparrowmouse down below could make out the sandy remains, as well as Vioska's shadowy form preparing to leap atop it. Screaming an alarm call, the beast scrambled down to the ground below and raced into the cave. Vioska, muttering a wide array of curses, charged after it, all possibility of surprise forgotten. Luckily, the Sparrowmice seemed unwilling to awake; they drowsily roused themselves from where Vioska could see at the top of the cave, barely able to stand on their own four feet. A shock of adrenaline shook through her as she spotted Anari at the center of the cave, on a flat slab of rock that rose slightly above the surface of the cave. Upon seeing Vioska, some of the Sparrowmice rose at attention, screeching in fear and trying feebly to escape. Taking advantage of the moment, she charged over the sleeping bodies of the monsters and seized Anari by his scruff. Just as quickly, she tripped rather ungracefully back, a small cluster of Sparrowmice already attacking her legs and wings. Running her fastest, the Sparrowmouse camp becoming small in the distance, Vioska allowed herself a small victory in her escape. But a group of the beasts, chattering angrily, still followed on her trail, and they were gaining fast. One, two, three tiny beaks grabbed onto her tail, grappled onto her back and clambered onto her stomach. [i]"I can't make it on foot!"[/i] Vioska realized, a slight twinge of pain coursing through her as she perceived the only other option. Flexing her injured wing, which still coursed with pain, she unfurled both and flapped feebly. At first nothing seemed to happen. She forced herself to beat harder, her wings moving quickly on either side of her. To her surprise she began to lift slightly off the ground. The splicing agony that seared her hardly registered as she soared far above the reach of the Sparrowmice. Finally, she and Anari were back on course.

@ScarletTheDragon

Yes! They got away :D Very intense.

[rule] [center][font=century][size=7] - D A Y - N I N E - [/center] [rule] [center][item=Sanded Birch Plank] [i][font=century][size=4]Trinket - Do some art for your Pinkerlocke.[/i][/center] [rule] [center][font=century][size=4]@Wakener @SariStar[/center] [rule] [font=century][size=4]When Anari awoke, it was to Vioska's wide, pondering eyes. She was incredibly blurry, and he had to blink the mist from his eyes to make out all her features; red plague eyes, quivering crests, and the sweat condensing lightly on her feathers. The relief on her face after she realized he was awake was obvious. [b]"Thank the Plaguebringer you're finally awake,"[/b] she murmured grumpily, clearly trying to hide her happiness. Anari tried feebly to right himself, scrambling at the ground with his claws, but Vioska nudged him back down with her snout. [b]'Save your energy, kid. You're still recovering, and you'll need all of your energy for tomorrow."[/b] Anari tilted his head. Suddenly, all the memories of the previous day flooded into his mind. The terror, the anxiety. All he could manage was a tiny, [b]"Oh,"[/b] in response before finally giving up and resting his head on the softly blowing tufts of grass beneath him. He could almost feel Vioska's warm smile, rarely given but always worth the wait, as she hoisted him onto her back. Feeling her warm, motherly feathers tickling his underbelly and tail, Anari almost instantly felt his energy return. Once again, Vioska set off in the familiar way that Anari had gotten very used to; slinging her satchel over her shoulder and taking care to get rid of what they had left for the night, she started forward and began the very first steps of that day's journey. For a while, Anari was content with perching upon Vioska's back and looking out at the sights as they passed. He couldn't help but notice the sheer amount of pools and wetlands that sat stagnantly all around, or the embers that floated occasionally through the air. All of these made Anari recall something that Vioska had said earlier. [b]"What's so special that's happening today?"[/b] he queried, rolling playfully in Vioska's down. Vioska subconsciously fanned out her injured wing. [b]"Well, today's finally the day that we get this deity forsaken thing done with,"[/b] she responded, glancing back to her injured wing. Although Anari had seen it almost every day, it still surprised him every time he saw it; pus and scabs had gathered all over the wound, and it had swollen to at least twice a wing's normal size. Anari was immediately relieved. With his mother getting sicker and sicker with each passing day, getting that taken care of was a load off both of their minds. Satisfied, Anari coiled up around his pearl and allowed himself to drift off into relaxation. [rule]

[rule] [center][font=century][size=7] - D A Y - T E N - [/center] [rule] [center][item=Chrome Laser Head] [i][font=century][size=4]Materials - Flex your creative muscles.[/i][/center] [rule] [center][font=century][size=4]@Wakener @SariStar[/center] [rule] [font=century][size=4]Vioska could clearly see the city of Aegan, a port of the Ashblown Sea, even in the dead of night, a small dot on the horizon that shimmered with dragonflame and electronic lights. The slight taste of salt filled her throat and nostrils, and the heat that had been growing ever since the past day sank into her feathers. As if in protest of the sight, her injury smarted painfully on her arm. She eagerly shook it away. They were close, so very close to getting this whole thing cleaned up for good. Trotting at a modest pace along the marshy ground, Vioska could already hear the loud sounds of merchant's wares being dragged around, and the patter of dragon's feet on the streets. Luckily, Anari slept on obliviously, perched on Vioska's back. [i]"Thank goodness," [/i]Vioska couldn't help but think. But a strange urge told her to wake him, so that they could see the sights together. She shook it aside, but it still remained, nagging slightly on the edge of her consciousness. Soon enough, Vioska stood at the city walls. From far away they had seemed tiny, but now they towered over her, at least a few hundred clawprints tall. Guards were perched at the top of the structure, pacing endlessly and occasionally glancing down to inspect the crowd below. Hoping and praying to the Plaguebringer that they wouldn't recognize her, she approached the city gate, casting firelight into the empty darkness outside. The spiral that sat beside it, thumbing through a dusty tome, merely glanced up at her and pushed the gates open. Giving a quick nod to the guard, she slid quickly through before he had a chance to change his mind. Within an instant, the noise that had been muted by the thick walls came crashing down on her. Crowds of dragons, so many that Vioska could hardly see a claw's length in front of her, swarmed endlessly through the cobbled streets, some with their merchandise handing from their necks and claws. Small, shabby booths for merchants to hawk their wares had been set up alongside the edges of the buildings lining the road, with dragons of all breeds leaning from them desperately and yelling advertisements for their products. Beside them sat small clusters of beggars, cowering around the side of an empty tin. [b]"Good Plaguebringer,"[/b] Vioska murmured, her voice lost in the din, [b]"I can hardly hear myself think in here!"[/b] Quickly pushing through the crowd, Vioska searched for any sign of a hospital. Nothing. Even if there was some arrow pointing in the direction of one, she guessed, she wouldn't be able to see it with the amount of things going on here. Word of mouth tended to be the best directions in this kind of place. Approaching a lonely beggar hidden away in an alley, she decided to test her theory. She had to shout and repeat herself for the old Pearlcatcher to hear her (he later apologized for his poor hearing; his ears didn't work as well as he used to), but finally he directed her with a feeble claw to a squat grey building a few blocks away. Giving him a few fish for his efforts, she started off. The hospital appeared like a vision in the desert, the cluster of dragons seemingly breaking away before it. Vioska half skipped, half ran, to the glassy doors of the blessed place. Finally, all her worries were over.

@ScarletTheDragon
VIOSKA!!11!!
OMGGEEEE CAN U ADD MOI TO DEM PINGLIST
i'm sorry

@o0cosmiclatte0o

YASS!1!! SooO glAd u asked!1!

[rule] [center][font=century][size=7] - D A Y - E L E V E N - [/center] [rule] [center][item=Onyx] [i][font=century][size=4]Materials - Flex your creative muscles.[/i][/center] [rule] [center][font=century][size=4]@Wakener @SariStar @QueenCobra @o0cosmiclatte0o[/center] [rule] [font=century][size=4]Anari didn't like the hospital. Something about the walls pristine whiteness and the sickly sweet scents mingled together to form a sense of foreboding. Vioska had described this as a place of healing, he recalled. Maybe it was, but it most certainly was not the most pleasant place to be. The most disturbing sight of all, though, was his mother laid out miserably on the steel cart that they used to wheel dragons around. She seemed so helpless, in comparison to her usual protective and powerful self. Needles protruded from her like thorns, and thick, clear pipes entangled her. Anari wondered what purpose all of this could possibly serve. [b]"What is he doing here?"[/b] Anari turned to see a group of two dragons approaching the stretcher. They were half-whispering, as if they didn't think he could hear them. [b]"She wouldn't let him wait in the lobby,"[/b] the other muttered, casting a glance at him. [b]"Says she's his mother."[/b] The other dragon narrowed her eyes. [b]"A triple Ice? I don't know what kind of crazy luck you'd have to have for that."[/b] As they approached him, they immediately switched their conversation to something incomprehensible about implants. [b]"Well, well, what have we got here?"[/b] the white Pearlcatcher mused, ruffling through a pile of papers beside Vioska. He tutted as soon as he reached the end of the stack. [b]"Good Gladekeeper, what was she doing to get that kind of infection?"[/b] He leaned over to the Wildclaw. [b]"Reserve Room 305 for me, will you?"[/b] he said rather quietly. She nodded and quickly made her way down the corridor to the left. [b]"Right,"[/b] he began, gathering himself. [b]Well, I am Nurse Bartlett, and I will be assisting in your treatment today."[/b] Vioska groaned in response. Nurse Bartlett seemed to be used to that kind of thing, because he continued right on. [b]"Before we begin, would you like to tell us how you injured your wing?"[/b] Vioska stared off for a moment, contemplating her answer. [b]"A wild pack of Centaurs attacked the two of us while we were out in the forest"[/b] she finally decided. [b]"Took me a while to get over here, but I managed."[/b] Nurse Bartlett nodded absently, jotting down notes in a notepad that he produced from his lab coat. [b]"Alright. How long have you had this infection?"[/b] Vioska shrugged. [b]"Two, three weeks. Give or take."[/b] The nurse looked down at her suspiciously, but finally resigned to writing that down, too. [b]"You'll need stitches, medicinal care, injections, and a hospital stay,"[/b] Bartlett concluded, tucking his quill back into his uniform. [b]"That would be around nine thousand treasure."[/b] Vioska groaned even more loudly. Bartlett grinned, bemused, and added,[b]"But if you have an application to Draconicare or the Dominance forces, that'd be 30% off." [/b] Of course, Vioska did not, so Bartlett grabbed onto the handle of the stretcher and pushed her down the hall. Anari couldn't help but notice how intricate the whole place was, almost like a maze. But as the nurse pushed them further down, the corridors became narrower and narrower and they finally came to a single set of white, almost gleaming doors. Glancing up and down the hall, Bartlett pushed one open with his free claw, wheeling Vioska and Anari behind him. [rule]

[rule] [center][font=century][size=7] - D A Y - T W E L V E - [/center] [rule] [center][item=Blacktongue Pepper] [i][font=century][size=4]Plant - 10 rounds in the coliseum.[/i][/center] [rule] [center][font=century][size=4] @Wakener @SariStar @QueenCobra @o0cosmiclatte0o[/center] [rule] [center][font=creepster]SLIGHT GORE WARNING[/center] [rule] [font=century][size=4]The room was a clean, sickly white. All around - on the walls, in the cabinets, on the counters - were odd tools, everything from scalpels to needles. Vioska's throat and nose tingled at the sweet, clean scent that radiated from everything. Everything about the hospital was completely and totally unnatural, but it didn't bother Vioska much. If you had to get something done you did it, no matter how unpleasant the place. Nurse Bartlett wheeled her stretcher forward, until she was side by side to the long, silver table that sat in the middle of the room. It was the main focus of the whole place, with long tubes and IV poles surrounding it. Very gently, Bartlett shifted her from the stretcher to the table. [b]"Alrighty,"[/b] Bartlett began, thumbing through his notes, [b]"We'll start with the stitches."[/b] With that, he removed a long needle from the cabinet, followed by a thin roll of twine. With some difficulty, he managed to slide the plastic through the needle's eye. Tying it firmly in a knot, he grasped it in his hand and shifted to Vioska's side of the table, where he crouched over her left wing. On cue, she extended it, so that her wound was fully visible. Vioska could see Anari flinch from where he sat. So did Bartlett, slightly wincing. Nonetheless, he poised himself directly over the bloody spot. [b]"We'll start whenever you're ready, Vioska,"[/b] Bartlett told her, with a calm in his voice that she guessed came from years of nervous patients. Luckily, Vioska was hardly squirmish, and pain was like an old friend. [b]"I'm ready,"[/b] she announced with gritted teeth. The nurse nodded, and called out, [b]"We're ready, Doctor!"[/b] After a few moments, a grey head popped out from behind the door, followed by the thin body of a Wildclaw. [b]"Well, what have we got, Bartlett?"[/b] she queried, peering over at Vioska's infected wound. [b]"Stage Three infection, Doc. We'll be doing stitches first."[/b] The doctor nodded. [b]"I grant that the needle is ready?"[/b] Bartett only handed the prepared needle to her in response. [b]"We'll get this over with as quickly as we can, Vioska. I'll need you to keep your wing open the whole time. Do you think you can do that?"[/b] The grey dragon asked, rather robotically. [b]"Absolutely,"[/b] Vioska half retorted. With that, the doctor poised herself over the wound. She lowered her needle lower and lower until the tip grazed her skin, and her eyes narrowed with focus. [b]"This might sting a bit,"[/b] she warned. And then she drove the needle in. A stab of pain shot through Vioska, followed by and aftershock of feverish shivering. An odd sensation followed as she pulled the thread through, like an itch that she couldn't quite scratch. Once again, without pausing for an instant, the doctor inserted the needle diligently, and once again pulled it through. Vioska could practically feel Anari looking on in terror, trapped between worry and fear. Vioska only jerked slightly at every poke of the needle. Almost as soon as Vioska grew used to the systematic stitching, it stopped. Vioska, raising her head slightly off of the silver table, to see her wound ensnared by a web of plastic threads, woven expertly around the sides of the crater. The sight of her own flesh, so thoroughly pocketed by needle marks, made her shiver slightly. But it was nothing compared to the strange feeling of sharp, resounding pain as the Wildclaw slowly pulled the end of the thread. The strain of her skin as it was forcefully pulled together was enough to make her cry out in pain, but she held it in. It was a good thing, too, because the agony was over as soon as it started. The Wildclaw quickly snapped the end of the string off the roll of thread, and tied it into a tiny knot. Relieved, Vioska rested her head on the cold table, and allowed herself a precious moment of relaxation. [rule]