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TOPIC | [LORE] The Tower of Drabel
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24664798_350.png
This dragon has no lore yet,
but feel free to click him anyway for an exhaustive description of the lair. It has pictures! :D


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Disillusionist's Lore & More .. {Free} bio resourcesLF Affiliates
female / INTJ / Capricorn / +16 FR time
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Please check the spelling of my name when pinging me: @Disillusionist. Thanks!
[center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/3#post_32433271]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433323]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center] ----- [columns][color=transparent]......[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25303706][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/battlesprites/253038/25303706.png[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]...[/color][nextcol][font=Garamond][size=7][size=5][color=#73C4C4]melufina[/color][/size] [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] #25303706[/size][/font] [b]Bio:[/b] No [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] [b]Lore:[/b] Yes [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] [b]Art:[/b] Yes [b]Jump to lore:[/b] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433292](untitled story)[/url] [b]Factions:[/b] (none) [b]Possible Connections in:[/b] (none)[/columns] [list][*] Named after an OC, a mermaid who left the sea for love of a surface-dweller. [s]It did not end well.[/s] [*] Part of an experiment engineered by Maren who live off the coast of the Ruins: a simulacrum of a dragon was created, and Melufina-the-Maren's consciousness was implanted into it. The experiment went wrong (because of course it did), and her memories were erased, replaced by the dragon's instincts. She broke free and swam up to the surface and was washed ashore. [*] Polosim found her. It was shortly after Regius had had his accident, so Rhian was busy nursing him. Pol looked after Melufina instead. Things proceeded in a not-uncommon fashion, and soon they were a mated pair. [*] Pol regards her warily, and the rest of the lair has some suspicions about her past. But she is not interested in following up on them. She is content with her life now. [*] Their children wound up a bit weird, however, with some very odd, fishy tendencies.... [*] Adept at manipulating water, but not over a large scope. She can coax small quantities of it into intricate shapes, mostly for the amusement of herself and others. She doesn't really like to swim, though, especially in the sea. [/list] ----- [center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/3#post_32433271]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433323]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center]
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...... 25303706.png ... melufina | #25303706
Bio: No | Lore: Yes | Art: Yes
Jump to lore: (untitled story)

Factions: (none)
Possible Connections in: (none)
  • Named after an OC, a mermaid who left the sea for love of a surface-dweller. It did not end well.
  • Part of an experiment engineered by Maren who live off the coast of the Ruins: a simulacrum of a dragon was created, and Melufina-the-Maren's consciousness was implanted into it. The experiment went wrong (because of course it did), and her memories were erased, replaced by the dragon's instincts. She broke free and swam up to the surface and was washed ashore.
  • Polosim found her. It was shortly after Regius had had his accident, so Rhian was busy nursing him. Pol looked after Melufina instead. Things proceeded in a not-uncommon fashion, and soon they were a mated pair.
  • Pol regards her warily, and the rest of the lair has some suspicions about her past. But she is not interested in following up on them. She is content with her life now.
  • Their children wound up a bit weird, however, with some very odd, fishy tendencies....
  • Adept at manipulating water, but not over a large scope. She can coax small quantities of it into intricate shapes, mostly for the amusement of herself and others. She doesn't really like to swim, though, especially in the sea.


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Disillusionist's Lore & More .. {Free} bio resourcesLF Affiliates
female / INTJ / Capricorn / +16 FR time
Clan: FAQ | Stats | Lore Thread | Directory | Avatar
Wishlists: outfits & genes | general | familiars
Please check the spelling of my name when pinging me: @Disillusionist. Thanks!
[center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/3#post_32433271]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433323]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center] ----- [right][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25303706][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/253038/25303706.png[/img][/url] [size=2][color=#9494A9][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25303706]profile[/url] • back to[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433288]main post[/url][/right] [columns][center][item=maren scout][nextcol][color=transparent]..[/color][nextcol][color=#73C4C4][font=garamond][size=7][size=4]{ a story for melufina }[/size][/size][/font][/color] [size=2]written by Disillusionist haikus by TheOtherKirby [color=#9494A9]535 words[/color][/size][/columns] [center][font=Garamond][color=#158E67][size=5][i]Unknown origins, Visions of another life, And memories gone.[/i][/size][/color][/font][/center] [color=#0B2D47]The lair was nothing more than a single edifice, barely enough to contain the two Guardians and three Imperials who'd made their home in it. As the sun rose, [/color][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24664798][font=Calibri]Polosim[/url] [color=#0B2D47]the terraformer went down to the beach, checking to see if they could expand their territory further. And there she was. Sprawled at the water's edge, her great body snaking among the tidepools. He ran to her, all the while calling back to his lair for help, and as she opened her eyes, the other dragons saw that they were as golden as the sun, as Light. She was one of them. Or was she? She did not remember anything: her parents, her name, her life, her self. "Get some sleep," the drakes said. Their faces were fraught with concern. They were a fledgling clan and were unsure whom to reach out to for help. "Maybe then", they said, "you will remember." So she slept, and then she dreamed.[/color] [color=#0B2D47]The name she now carries may or may not be the one she was born with. It came to her in a dream -- along with images of webbed hands and long, dark hair melting away before advancing scales. There were other dreams, too: a dragon like herself encased in crystal, eyes wide with terror. She drew nearer, nearer...and suddenly she [i]was[/i] the dragon in the cage and she needed to break out, to get away to the light. So up she went, and up some more, to this unfamiliar land. She does resemble some dragons of the Sunbeam Ruins, but she cannot be sure if they are her kin. Perhaps none of them truly are. Where did she come from? Where will she go? What was she made from? And what will she be? [i]Whoever fights dragons must beware, for they, too, may become dragons themselves....[/i][/color] [center][color=#73C4C4]~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~[/color][/center] [center][font=Garamond][color=#158E67][size=5][i]She's now at home here, But echoes of former self Call ever softly.[/i][/size][/color][/font][/center] [color=#0B2D47]She grew to love the terraformer who had found her, and he joked that their union was like a beach, the water meeting the land. They had three children, and it was soon apparent that there was something...[i]off[/i] about them. One of them seemed fine, but there were two, almost twins, who were quite aggressive, distrustful of the dragons around them. The only times they were calm were when they were floating in the sea. They let the waves rock them to sleep, and their dark blue scales blended with the deeper waters. Slowly, as they grew, so did their power. The water trembled and twined itself into strange shapes at their command, and even the beasts of the sea stopped and listened. They were as unpredictable and tempestuous as the ocean itself....Still, they found good homes. On the edges of Sornieth, where the water met the land...There they were most comfortable. Curled up with her mate, in a now-towering edifice bathed each day by the sun, Melufina continues to wonder about the world around her. Her memories still have not returned. And the dreams, too, grow vaguer and vaguer each night. She does not mind much. Perhaps it is best this way.[/color] [right][font=Copperplate Gothic Light][color=#73C4C4][size=5][b]~ The End[/b][/color][/size][/font][/right] ----- [center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/3#post_32433271]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433323]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center]
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25303706.png
profile • back to main post
Maren Scout
.. { a story for melufina }
written by Disillusionist
haikus by TheOtherKirby
535 words
Unknown origins,
Visions of another life,
And memories gone.

The lair was nothing more than a single edifice, barely enough to contain the two Guardians and three Imperials who'd made their home in it. As the sun rose, Polosim the terraformer went down to the beach, checking to see if they could expand their territory further. And there she was. Sprawled at the water's edge, her great body snaking among the tidepools. He ran to her, all the while calling back to his lair for help, and as she opened her eyes, the other dragons saw that they were as golden as the sun, as Light. She was one of them.

Or was she?

She did not remember anything: her parents, her name, her life, her self. "Get some sleep," the drakes said. Their faces were fraught with concern. They were a fledgling clan and were unsure whom to reach out to for help. "Maybe then", they said, "you will remember." So she slept, and then she dreamed.


The name she now carries may or may not be the one she was born with. It came to her in a dream -- along with images of webbed hands and long, dark hair melting away before advancing scales. There were other dreams, too: a dragon like herself encased in crystal, eyes wide with terror. She drew nearer, nearer...and suddenly she was the dragon in the cage and she needed to break out, to get away to the light. So up she went, and up some more, to this unfamiliar land.

She does resemble some dragons of the Sunbeam Ruins, but she cannot be sure if they are her kin. Perhaps none of them truly are. Where did she come from? Where will she go?

What was she made from? And what will she be?

Whoever fights dragons must beware, for they, too, may become dragons themselves....
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She's now at home here,
But echoes of former self
Call ever softly.

She grew to love the terraformer who had found her, and he joked that their union was like a beach, the water meeting the land. They had three children, and it was soon apparent that there was something...off about them.

One of them seemed fine, but there were two, almost twins, who were quite aggressive, distrustful of the dragons around them. The only times they were calm were when they were floating in the sea. They let the waves rock them to sleep, and their dark blue scales blended with the deeper waters. Slowly, as they grew, so did their power. The water trembled and twined itself into strange shapes at their command, and even the beasts of the sea stopped and listened.

They were as unpredictable and tempestuous as the ocean itself....Still, they found good homes. On the edges of Sornieth, where the water met the land...There they were most comfortable.

Curled up with her mate, in a now-towering edifice bathed each day by the sun, Melufina continues to wonder about the world around her. Her memories still have not returned. And the dreams, too, grow vaguer and vaguer each night. She does not mind much. Perhaps it is best this way.


~ The End


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Disillusionist's Lore & More .. {Free} bio resourcesLF Affiliates
female / INTJ / Capricorn / +16 FR time
Clan: FAQ | Stats | Lore Thread | Directory | Avatar
Wishlists: outfits & genes | general | familiars
Please check the spelling of my name when pinging me: @Disillusionist. Thanks!
[center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433288]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433349]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center] ----- [columns][color=transparent]......[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25113812][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/battlesprites/251139/25113812.png[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]...[/color][nextcol][font=Garamond][size=7][size=5][color=#2D237B]deune[/color][/size] [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] #25113812[/size][/font] [b]Bio:[/b] No [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] [b]Lore:[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25113812]Not really?[/url] [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] [b]Art:[/b] Featured in another player's video! :D [b]Jump to lore:[/b] (none yet) [b]Factions:[/b] (none) [b]Possible Connections in:[/b] (none)[/columns] [list][*] named after an OC, a soldier who has more confidence the Deune the dragon does [*] Memory tells her that she joined the Disillusionists as part of a new clan-helping program. Official records confirm it, but odd dreams and flashes of memory suggest otherwise. [size=2]so mysterious. much mystery. wow[/size] [*] She was born into a wealthy clan. Parents were traveling merchants, and she recalls that they used to wear beautiful silks and satins. But now she can't seem to find them.... [*] She's not demonstrative and acts painfully shy around other dragons. Her closest friend in the clan is Hemera, whom she still cannot bring herself to trust. (This is not a reflection of Hemera's character. Deune doesn't trust [i]anybody[/i].) [*] She is deeply in love with Headsman but is not very demonstrative towards him, either. About the best she can manage is a gentle smile. [*] She will probably wind up becoming a ninja or something someday. [/list] ----- [center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433288]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433349]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center]
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...... 25113812.png ... deune | #25113812
Bio: No | Lore: Not really? | Art: Featured in another player's video! :D
Jump to lore: (none yet)

Factions: (none)
Possible Connections in: (none)
  • named after an OC, a soldier who has more confidence the Deune the dragon does
  • Memory tells her that she joined the Disillusionists as part of a new clan-helping program. Official records confirm it, but odd dreams and flashes of memory suggest otherwise. so mysterious. much mystery. wow
  • She was born into a wealthy clan. Parents were traveling merchants, and she recalls that they used to wear beautiful silks and satins. But now she can't seem to find them....
  • She's not demonstrative and acts painfully shy around other dragons. Her closest friend in the clan is Hemera, whom she still cannot bring herself to trust. (This is not a reflection of Hemera's character. Deune doesn't trust anybody.)
  • She is deeply in love with Headsman but is not very demonstrative towards him, either. About the best she can manage is a gentle smile.
  • She will probably wind up becoming a ninja or something someday.


PREV. Dragon | Contents • Characters A-M N-ZStories Pt. 1 | NEXT Dragon
Disillusionist's Lore & More .. {Free} bio resourcesLF Affiliates
female / INTJ / Capricorn / +16 FR time
Clan: FAQ | Stats | Lore Thread | Directory | Avatar
Wishlists: outfits & genes | general | familiars
Please check the spelling of my name when pinging me: @Disillusionist. Thanks!
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25113812_350.png

This dragon has no lore yet.


PREV. Dragon | Contents • Characters A-M N-ZStories Pt. 1 | NEXT Dragon
Disillusionist's Lore & More .. {Free} bio resourcesLF Affiliates
female / INTJ / Capricorn / +16 FR time
Clan: FAQ | Stats | Lore Thread | Directory | Avatar
Wishlists: outfits & genes | general | familiars
Please check the spelling of my name when pinging me: @Disillusionist. Thanks!
[center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433323]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433374]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center] ----- [columns][color=transparent]......[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24999387][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/battlesprites/249994/24999387.png[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]...[/color][nextcol][font=Garamond][size=7][size=5][color=#687F67]adrastos[/color][/size] [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] #24999387[/size][/font] [b]Bio:[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24999387]Projects wishlist[/url] [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] [b]Lore:[/b] Yes [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] [b]Art:[/b] No [b]Jump to lore:[/b] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433351]Meet the Neighbors[/url], [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433377]Thief of Hearts[/url] [b]Factions:[/b] (none) [b]Possible Connections in:[/b] (none)[/columns] [list][*] I picked him up because I thought he had an awesome name. Not really fond of his colors at first, but they grew on me after a while, and he turned out to be a lot of fun to dress. [*] Clan Wishmaster -- He doesn't grant wishes, he makes them. Boy howdy, does he make them. [*] Not so much a miser as he is a kleptomaniac. It's worse with him than with most other Ridgebacks. The wishlist is a way to help him cope with it: He writes down everything he wants to steal/acquire and then goes over the list later on, asking himself, "Do I really want this? Why?" This way, he can weed out stuff that he can't or shouldn't have. (Lore-wise, the wishlist you see is what it looks like after Dras has trimmed it.) [*] He's also one of the clan's fishers. Typically goes out at dusk; uses light or fire to lure fish to the nets. He sometimes goes out gathering with the rest of the clan. [*] Also a very good digger. He sometimes helps out with lair renovations, albeit under heavy supervision, as he tends to go overboard. [*] Best buddies with Headsman. They have an irritable sort of bromance going on. Headsman is one of those voices of reason who helps him trim the wishlist further. [*] Can be very forbidding and intimidating to other dragons, but dotes on his mate. He occasionally picks up stuff for her (legally -- he knows she dislikes it when he steals). [*] Is rather wary of Deune and is unsure how to treat her -- he gets the feeling she is keeping many secrets. Nobody else seems to have the same suspicions, so he is warily civil towards her. [*] He was born and raised in the Sunbeam Ruins and is proud that so many of his children have been deemed worthy of exaltation. But he treats his remaining daughter with particular care, as he knows how sensitive she can be. He also has a great deal of respect for her because of her job as Remembrancer. [/list] ----- [center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433323]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433374]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center]
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...... 24999387.png ... adrastos | #24999387
Bio: Projects wishlist | Lore: Yes | Art: No
Jump to lore: Meet the Neighbors, Thief of Hearts

Factions: (none)
Possible Connections in: (none)
  • I picked him up because I thought he had an awesome name. Not really fond of his colors at first, but they grew on me after a while, and he turned out to be a lot of fun to dress.
  • Clan Wishmaster -- He doesn't grant wishes, he makes them. Boy howdy, does he make them.
  • Not so much a miser as he is a kleptomaniac. It's worse with him than with most other Ridgebacks. The wishlist is a way to help him cope with it: He writes down everything he wants to steal/acquire and then goes over the list later on, asking himself, "Do I really want this? Why?" This way, he can weed out stuff that he can't or shouldn't have. (Lore-wise, the wishlist you see is what it looks like after Dras has trimmed it.)
  • He's also one of the clan's fishers. Typically goes out at dusk; uses light or fire to lure fish to the nets. He sometimes goes out gathering with the rest of the clan.
  • Also a very good digger. He sometimes helps out with lair renovations, albeit under heavy supervision, as he tends to go overboard.
  • Best buddies with Headsman. They have an irritable sort of bromance going on. Headsman is one of those voices of reason who helps him trim the wishlist further.
  • Can be very forbidding and intimidating to other dragons, but dotes on his mate. He occasionally picks up stuff for her (legally -- he knows she dislikes it when he steals).
  • Is rather wary of Deune and is unsure how to treat her -- he gets the feeling she is keeping many secrets. Nobody else seems to have the same suspicions, so he is warily civil towards her.
  • He was born and raised in the Sunbeam Ruins and is proud that so many of his children have been deemed worthy of exaltation. But he treats his remaining daughter with particular care, as he knows how sensitive she can be. He also has a great deal of respect for her because of her job as Remembrancer.


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Disillusionist's Lore & More .. {Free} bio resourcesLF Affiliates
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[center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433323]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433374]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center] ----- [right][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24999387][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/249994/24999387.png[/img][/url] [size=2][color=#9494A9][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24999387]profile[/url] • back to[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433349]main post[/url][/right] [columns][center][item=rusty pickaxe][nextcol][color=transparent]..[/color][nextcol][color=#687F67][font=garamond][size=7][size=4][b]meet the neighbors[/b][/size][/size][/font][/color] [size=2]written by Disillusionist [color=#9494A9]2,485 words[/color][/size][/columns] [color=#613F3D]As a guest in the Disillusionists' Clan, Headsman had been given a small but comfortable berth in the center hall. He had slept well there. Upon his marriage to Deune, though, he'd moved in with her, and her choice of neighbor left a great deal to be desired: Deune's neighbor was a Ridgeback. Her name was [/color][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25197371]Hemera[/url][color=#613F3D], and she was a great deal like Veritas: absolutely enormous, with a sleek white body and wings of creamy maize. Whereas Veritas' hide was almost completely unmarked, though, Hemera's was striped and blotched in gray and deep purple. It suited her personality perfectly, for though she could be as loud as Veritas, her energy was a bit wilder -- but she was also sweeter. It was for this reason that the shy, secretive Deune had made a home next to her. Hemera seemed almost perpetually cheerful and energetic. She talked a lot in a loud, bright voice and always tried to engage Deune in conversation even when Headsman (to his great shame) had given up for the rest of the day. Hemera liked to dig. She was a Ridgeback; it was a necessary evil, or at least that was how Headsman thought of it. In his old home, he'd been allowed to get up well past sunrise. Here, he got up at the crack of dawn to escape Hemera's incessant digging. It was a horrible sound. He didn't know how Deune could sleep through it. He spent the rest of the day gathering, keeping himself busy, but there were always times when he had nothing to do, and during these moments, he couldn't go back to the lair and face [i]more digging[/i]. He didn't have anyone he could complain to: he was too afraid to talk to Veritas, and [/color][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25521458]Nachtstreiter[/url][color=#613F3D] had patiently (and uselessly) explained, "She's a Ridgeback, Headsman. Ridgebacks [i]dig[/i]." As a result, he'd fallen into the habit of parking himself somewhere and complaining to himself. He was in the process of doing this when he heard a low, unwelcome growl: "And what have [i]you[/i] got against us digging, hm?" Headsman steeled himself before turning around. There was only one other Ridgeback in the lair, and sure enough, there he was: [/color][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24999387]Adrastos[/url][color=#613F3D]. He was a little smaller than Hemera but was a great deal more muscular. Like her, he shared a tremendous proclivity for digging. Headsman thought the world would have been fairer if he had shared Hemera's good humor instead; unfortunately, Adrastos didn't have much humor to begin with. Headsman grimly postulated that if he prodded Adrastos enough, the Ridgeback would simply stomp on him with one huge foot and that would be the end of it. Headsman was unhappy with life, but not [i]that[/i] unhappy, and damned if he would leave it because he'd gotten himself stepped on by a Ridgeback. He muttered something inoffensive and then skulked off. As he wandered away, he started thinking back to his studies in his previous clan. For some time he'd been suppressing them, because memories of his previous life were painful....But right here, right now, he needed to remember what he could about Ridgebacks. They liked to dig. And they hated water....There was that underground pool inhabited by the reclusive artist, [/color][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25261821]Regius[/url][color=#613F3D]; Headsman briefly toyed with the idea of shoving Adrastos into the pool, but decided it would wake Regius up. He barely spoke with Regius but also didn't think Regius deserved something like that; also, he wasn't strong enough to push Adrastos [i]anywhere[/i] in the first place. And there was something else about Ridgebacks. Something important... Headsman arrived back at his den. Deune had woken up and gone out for the day, and the apartment was empty. Hemera had stopped digging for one reason or another, and Headsman stood near the entrance for a while, just drinking in the silence. He was covered in dirt and grime from foraging, and he now went to dig up the things he needed to wash himself with. He couldn't find them. He bumbled around the apartment in an exhausted, sleep-deprived stupor before [i]it[/i] hit his memory like a hammer. He sat down hard in the middle of the cave and let out a noise that was a collision between a roar and a groan. The thought that had hit his mind was this: Ridgebacks liked to [i]borrow[/i] things. To other breeds, including Pearlcatchers like Headsman, this was known as [i]stealing[/i]. [center][img]http://68.media.tumblr.com/d705ca2256fbaa95e02aca70b3034e7a/tumblr_inline_o23jkkOsuG1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] [color=#613F3D]It had been close to two months since Headsman had joined the Disillusionists. Since that time, he had been working hard and carefully watching his disagreeable neighbors. All right, so maybe Hemera wasn't that bad, but he really couldn't stand Adrastos. The towering Ridgeback had his lair next to Hemera's, and though he dug less often, Headsman disliked him a whole lot more, because -- [i]it was confirmed![/i] -- Adrastos liked to steal things. Headsman had learned not to be hasty. He had bided his time, watching carefully, subtly changing his gathering habits so that the thief would let their guard down and he could catch them unaware. And more than once he had caught that stuffy Ridgeback snaking his long neck around the side of the lair and using his nose-horn (Headsman wanted to use the word "snoot" but considered it too undignified) to carefully tip things onto the floor and then roll them back to where he waited, claws greedily outstretched. Just thinking about it made Headsman's ears heat up all over again. He had thought about going straight to the clan leaders, but he had annoyed Veritas once and didn't think she now looked upon him kindly. And besides, he didn't have any physical evidence. He would have to seek out Adrastos' private hoard, discover its location, and then bring back another member of the clan to bear witness to his neighbor's thievery. Today was the day he'd accomplish that first step: seeking out the Ridgeback's hoard. Adrastos always went out at dusk to go fishing. He took lanterns or torches with him and lit them as he bent over the stream, where he'd then tickle the fish out with his wicked claws. Headsman waited until the Ridgeback was a distant shadow, and then he slunk away. He had about a half-hour before the other gatherers returned; he hoped to have slipped back out of Adrastos' lair by then. The entrance to Adrastos' lair was a little ways to the right of Hemera's. It was always covered by a thick woven mat of bark and plant fibers, and Headsman had never seen the inside. Still, Adrastos was a bit small, as Ridgebacks went. [i]"His lair won't be big, so it shouldn't take me that long,"[/i] Headsman thought as he wiggled inside. He paused and looked around. The room was small, all right, but it was just the first part of the lair. At the back was a huge tunnel that looked as though it snaked down into the ground -- and quite a long way, too. No wonder Adrastos didn't dig as much as Hemera did -- he'd already finished! [i]"Ridgebacks like to dig, Headsman,"[/i] Nachtstreiter crooned again, in that annoyingly mellow way he had, in the vaults of Headsman's memory. The Pearlcatcher sat down and bit back a howl even as the Guardian said, over and over again, in his imagination: [i]"That's what Ridgebacks do. They dig. They [/i]dig[i], Headsman. They dig lots and lots and [/i]lots[i]."[/i] Headsman quickly roused himself and shook his head. He didn't have time to feel sorry for himself, especially since his little mission would take a lot longer than he'd thought it would. He wrapped his tail around his pearl and carried it with him into the dimness. The tunnel was dimly lit by pockets of glowing stones and fungi. By their light, he saw that the tunnel always sloped down, down...and down. It took a while, but soon Headsman's patience was rewarded. He started to see shelves, carved a bit lower into the walls, each of them festooned with various knickknacks. Bones from tiny animals...glittering rocks...even lumps of rare metal. The hoard grew bigger the farther down the tunnel Headsman went, and soon the random knickknacks were joined by less random things. Things he [i]recognized[/i]. Headsman started to dawdle, matching stolen things to their owners. Some things were easily identifiable, others less so. He opened the lid of a wooden box and saw a delicate chain of flowers, a bit like the one Veritas wore. But the flowers here were wilting and had gathered dust, and a cloud of it wafted into Headsman's face. He sneezed. His precious pearl popped out of his grasp, and it rolled away down the tunnel. Headsman yelled, a sound of pure panic -- he couldn't lose his pearl. He couldn't! He left the hoard behind him as he barreled on all fours down the passageway after the pearl. Headsman's eyes were so fixed on it that when the pearl finally dropped out of sight, it was too late for him to stop. He skidded off a ledge -- to Adrastos, it would have been a low step, but to the smaller Pearlcatcher, it was a great drop. He thudded, quite hard, onto the stone floor. Headsman lay there for a few moments, dazed but otherwise unharmed. He dusted himself off and looked around. He was in Adrastos' actual lair, a huge subterranean cave, considerably less cluttered than the tunnel he'd gone through. Adrastos' personal belongings (he assumed they were [i]only[/i] Adrastos' belongings) were neatly organized on shelves and in piles. The place smelled of fish, but otherwise didn't seem so bad. Nevertheless... [i]"I should go,"[/i] he thought -- he had already located Adrastos' hoard and proof that he'd been nipping things from his clanmates; all Headsman had to do now was bring someone else down here. Heturned to look at the ledge and ground his teeth: the ledge was too high for him to jump onto, and its sides were too smooth for him to climb. He flapped his wings, but the air down here was dead and didn't provide any lift. He slumped back down, his pearl at his side. He bustled around the room, picking up bits and pieces, pushing them together to form steps going up to the ledge. He worked quickly, but it was too late -- scarcely a few minutes had passed when he heard the slow tread of someone coming down the passageway. It was undoubtedly Adrastos, and sure enough, as Headsman backed away, the Ridgeback entered the room, his snout preceding him magnificently. For a moment, none of them spoke. They just looked askance at each other. And then Adrastos grunted and strode the rest of the way into the room. "Small one," he boomed, "what are you doing here?" "I got lost," Headsman answered lamely. He sat down on the floor, his tail curled protectively around his pearl. Adrastos wasn't buying the lie, either; he tilted his head, and then he pointed down the tunnel with his snout. "There's only one way in and out of this place. How did you manage to lose [i]that[/i]?" "The same way the others 'lost' their things," Headsman snapped. It just slipped out. He was tired and sore and it had been a long day and he had been working nonstop since coming here and he was wondering if he'd made some irreparable mistakes and a lot of other bad things had happened before that and he just wanted to forget about them [i]and he didn't need this, he really didn't[/i]. He bellowed up at the Ridgeback, "What have you been doing?! You've been [i]stealing[/i] things! I've been hearing stories about how all sorts of things are disappearing, and it turns out it's you. It was you all along! I figured it was you because one day I needed some things, but they weren't there. So I hung around my place a few times, and I always caught you -- [i]you[/i], you sneaky, snoot-pointed scoundrel. You've been hiding all our possessions down here like an overgrown ferret with a hoarding problem, and I can't believe anyone would steal from his own clanmates! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" And he was -- well, that is to say, Headsman was. As soon as the last words left his jaws, he thought to himself, [i]"I've made a terrible mistake."[/i] Adrastos sat down. His tail twitched again, a bit more gently this time, as he mumbled, "I'm sorry." "[i]Oh gods, please don't step on[/i]...Wait, what? You're [i]sorry[/i]?" "Yes, I am." The Ridgeback's golden eyes narrowed. "And don't think I didn't hear you the first time, either. Why would I [i]step[/i] on you? That's a disgusting thought." He looked down at a forepaw, and a shiver rippled through his hide as he scraped his paw against the ledge. Headsman pretend not to notice. He continued carefully, "Why did you take our things? Do you need them?" "I don't see why I should tell you. Why [i]would[/i] I tell you, anyway?" "Well, I would have to keep it a secret because otherwise you would step on me," Headsman said dryly. Adrastos growled in protest, but the Pearlcatcher rambled on, "You wouldn't even have to do it on purpose: just one small slip on a fish you didn't throw away properly, and [i]splork[/i]." "'Splork'?!" Adrastos let out a great bark of laughter. Headsman's own lips twitched until he found himself grinning back. "Or [i]splortch[/i]," he added, "or maybe [i]squarch[/i] or even [i]kerblooey[/i]. Endless possibilities waiting to be discovered." Adrastos was laughing now, rocking back and forth, his tail thudding on the floor. Headsman started to relax. And so when he heard a loud voice calling down from above, he nudged Adrastos to answer. The Ridgeback roused himself and bellowed back, "All is well. Headsman dropped by for a visit." He gave Headsman a meaningful glare. "We're all right, Lord Nachtstreiter. We're just chatting, that's all." "Ah. I was wondering where you'd gone. I'll go tell Deune you're down here, then." And with that, the great Guardian moved away. The two dragons listened as Nachtstreiter's footsteps receded, and then they looked at each other. Adrastos sighed and sprawled on the floor. And so, while Headsman waited patiently, his pearl between his paws, the Ridgeback explained why he had taken the other dragons' things. Headsman's regard of him changed from contempt, to irritation, to exasperation, and finally to sympathy. At the end of it all, when Adrastos was silent and had nothing more to say, Headsman looked up at the ceiling of the cave. Searching, thinking deeply about an answer. He didn't like Adrastos much, but now... "Pick your snoot up off the ground," Headsman told him. Memories of his own life tumbled through his mind, one after the other, swirling into a plan. At the core of them all was that triumphant note...[i]"[/i]Everyone [i]deserves a second chance."[/i][/color] [right][font=Copperplate Gothic Light][color=#687F67][size=5][b]continued[/b][/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433377][b]>[/b][/url][/size][/font][/right] ----- [center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433323]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433374]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center]
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24999387.png
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Rusty Pickaxe
.. meet the neighbors
written by Disillusionist
2,485 words
As a guest in the Disillusionists' Clan, Headsman had been given a small but comfortable berth in the center hall. He had slept well there. Upon his marriage to Deune, though, he'd moved in with her, and her choice of neighbor left a great deal to be desired: Deune's neighbor was a Ridgeback.

Her name was
Hemera, and she was a great deal like Veritas: absolutely enormous, with a sleek white body and wings of creamy maize. Whereas Veritas' hide was almost completely unmarked, though, Hemera's was striped and blotched in gray and deep purple. It suited her personality perfectly, for though she could be as loud as Veritas, her energy was a bit wilder -- but she was also sweeter. It was for this reason that the shy, secretive Deune had made a home next to her. Hemera seemed almost perpetually cheerful and energetic. She talked a lot in a loud, bright voice and always tried to engage Deune in conversation even when Headsman (to his great shame) had given up for the rest of the day.

Hemera liked to dig. She was a Ridgeback; it was a necessary evil, or at least that was how Headsman thought of it. In his old home, he'd been allowed to get up well past sunrise. Here, he got up at the crack of dawn to escape Hemera's incessant digging. It was a horrible sound. He didn't know how Deune could sleep through it. He spent the rest of the day gathering, keeping himself busy, but there were always times when he had nothing to do, and during these moments, he couldn't go back to the lair and face more digging. He didn't have anyone he could complain to: he was too afraid to talk to Veritas, and
Nachtstreiter had patiently (and uselessly) explained, "She's a Ridgeback, Headsman. Ridgebacks dig." As a result, he'd fallen into the habit of parking himself somewhere and complaining to himself. He was in the process of doing this when he heard a low, unwelcome growl: "And what have you got against us digging, hm?"

Headsman steeled himself before turning around. There was only one other Ridgeback in the lair, and sure enough, there he was:
Adrastos. He was a little smaller than Hemera but was a great deal more muscular. Like her, he shared a tremendous proclivity for digging. Headsman thought the world would have been fairer if he had shared Hemera's good humor instead; unfortunately, Adrastos didn't have much humor to begin with. Headsman grimly postulated that if he prodded Adrastos enough, the Ridgeback would simply stomp on him with one huge foot and that would be the end of it. Headsman was unhappy with life, but not that unhappy, and damned if he would leave it because he'd gotten himself stepped on by a Ridgeback.

He muttered something inoffensive and then skulked off. As he wandered away, he started thinking back to his studies in his previous clan. For some time he'd been suppressing them, because memories of his previous life were painful....But right here, right now, he needed to remember what he could about Ridgebacks.

They liked to dig. And they hated water....There was that underground pool inhabited by the reclusive artist,
Regius; Headsman briefly toyed with the idea of shoving Adrastos into the pool, but decided it would wake Regius up. He barely spoke with Regius but also didn't think Regius deserved something like that; also, he wasn't strong enough to push Adrastos anywhere in the first place. And there was something else about Ridgebacks. Something important...

Headsman arrived back at his den. Deune had woken up and gone out for the day, and the apartment was empty. Hemera had stopped digging for one reason or another, and Headsman stood near the entrance for a while, just drinking in the silence. He was covered in dirt and grime from foraging, and he now went to dig up the things he needed to wash himself with.

He couldn't find them. He bumbled around the apartment in an exhausted, sleep-deprived stupor before it hit his memory like a hammer. He sat down hard in the middle of the cave and let out a noise that was a collision between a roar and a groan.

The thought that had hit his mind was this: Ridgebacks liked to borrow things. To other breeds, including Pearlcatchers like Headsman, this was known as stealing.
tumblr_inline_o23jkkOsuG1r3lvtf_500.png
It had been close to two months since Headsman had joined the Disillusionists. Since that time, he had been working hard and carefully watching his disagreeable neighbors. All right, so maybe Hemera wasn't that bad, but he really couldn't stand Adrastos. The towering Ridgeback had his lair next to Hemera's, and though he dug less often, Headsman disliked him a whole lot more, because -- it was confirmed! -- Adrastos liked to steal things.

Headsman had learned not to be hasty. He had bided his time, watching carefully, subtly changing his gathering habits so that the thief would let their guard down and he could catch them unaware. And more than once he had caught that stuffy Ridgeback snaking his long neck around the side of the lair and using his nose-horn (Headsman wanted to use the word "snoot" but considered it too undignified) to carefully tip things onto the floor and then roll them back to where he waited, claws greedily outstretched. Just thinking about it made Headsman's ears heat up all over again.

He had thought about going straight to the clan leaders, but he had annoyed Veritas once and didn't think she now looked upon him kindly. And besides, he didn't have any physical evidence. He would have to seek out Adrastos' private hoard, discover its location, and then bring back another member of the clan to bear witness to his neighbor's thievery. Today was the day he'd accomplish that first step: seeking out the Ridgeback's hoard.

Adrastos always went out at dusk to go fishing. He took lanterns or torches with him and lit them as he bent over the stream, where he'd then tickle the fish out with his wicked claws. Headsman waited until the Ridgeback was a distant shadow, and then he slunk away. He had about a half-hour before the other gatherers returned; he hoped to have slipped back out of Adrastos' lair by then.

The entrance to Adrastos' lair was a little ways to the right of Hemera's. It was always covered by a thick woven mat of bark and plant fibers, and Headsman had never seen the inside. Still, Adrastos was a bit small, as Ridgebacks went. "His lair won't be big, so it shouldn't take me that long," Headsman thought as he wiggled inside. He paused and looked around.

The room was small, all right, but it was just the first part of the lair. At the back was a huge tunnel that looked as though it snaked down into the ground -- and quite a long way, too. No wonder Adrastos didn't dig as much as Hemera did -- he'd already finished! "Ridgebacks like to dig, Headsman," Nachtstreiter crooned again, in that annoyingly mellow way he had, in the vaults of Headsman's memory. The Pearlcatcher sat down and bit back a howl even as the Guardian said, over and over again, in his imagination: "That's what Ridgebacks do. They dig. They dig, Headsman. They dig lots and lots and lots."

Headsman quickly roused himself and shook his head. He didn't have time to feel sorry for himself, especially since his little mission would take a lot longer than he'd thought it would. He wrapped his tail around his pearl and carried it with him into the dimness.

The tunnel was dimly lit by pockets of glowing stones and fungi. By their light, he saw that the tunnel always sloped down, down...and down. It took a while, but soon Headsman's patience was rewarded. He started to see shelves, carved a bit lower into the walls, each of them festooned with various knickknacks. Bones from tiny animals...glittering rocks...even lumps of rare metal. The hoard grew bigger the farther down the tunnel Headsman went, and soon the random knickknacks were joined by less random things. Things he recognized. Headsman started to dawdle, matching stolen things to their owners. Some things were easily identifiable, others less so. He opened the lid of a wooden box and saw a delicate chain of flowers, a bit like the one Veritas wore. But the flowers here were wilting and had gathered dust, and a cloud of it wafted into Headsman's face.

He sneezed. His precious pearl popped out of his grasp, and it rolled away down the tunnel. Headsman yelled, a sound of pure panic -- he couldn't lose his pearl. He couldn't! He left the hoard behind him as he barreled on all fours down the passageway after the pearl. Headsman's eyes were so fixed on it that when the pearl finally dropped out of sight, it was too late for him to stop. He skidded off a ledge -- to Adrastos, it would have been a low step, but to the smaller Pearlcatcher, it was a great drop. He thudded, quite hard, onto the stone floor.

Headsman lay there for a few moments, dazed but otherwise unharmed. He dusted himself off and looked around. He was in Adrastos' actual lair, a huge subterranean cave, considerably less cluttered than the tunnel he'd gone through. Adrastos' personal belongings (he assumed they were only Adrastos' belongings) were neatly organized on shelves and in piles. The place smelled of fish, but otherwise didn't seem so bad. Nevertheless...

"I should go," he thought -- he had already located Adrastos' hoard and proof that he'd been nipping things from his clanmates; all Headsman had to do now was bring someone else down here. Heturned to look at the ledge and ground his teeth: the ledge was too high for him to jump onto, and its sides were too smooth for him to climb. He flapped his wings, but the air down here was dead and didn't provide any lift. He slumped back down, his pearl at his side.

He bustled around the room, picking up bits and pieces, pushing them together to form steps going up to the ledge. He worked quickly, but it was too late -- scarcely a few minutes had passed when he heard the slow tread of someone coming down the passageway. It was undoubtedly Adrastos, and sure enough, as Headsman backed away, the Ridgeback entered the room, his snout preceding him magnificently.

For a moment, none of them spoke. They just looked askance at each other. And then Adrastos grunted and strode the rest of the way into the room. "Small one," he boomed, "what are you doing here?"

"I got lost," Headsman answered lamely. He sat down on the floor, his tail curled protectively around his pearl. Adrastos wasn't buying the lie, either; he tilted his head, and then he pointed down the tunnel with his snout. "There's only one way in and out of this place. How did you manage to lose that?"

"The same way the others 'lost' their things," Headsman snapped. It just slipped out. He was tired and sore and it had been a long day and he had been working nonstop since coming here and he was wondering if he'd made some irreparable mistakes and a lot of other bad things had happened before that and he just wanted to forget about them and he didn't need this, he really didn't.

He bellowed up at the Ridgeback, "What have you been doing?! You've been stealing things! I've been hearing stories about how all sorts of things are disappearing, and it turns out it's you. It was you all along! I figured it was you because one day I needed some things, but they weren't there. So I hung around my place a few times, and I always caught you -- you, you sneaky, snoot-pointed scoundrel. You've been hiding all our possessions down here like an overgrown ferret with a hoarding problem, and I can't believe anyone would steal from his own clanmates! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

And he was -- well, that is to say, Headsman was. As soon as the last words left his jaws, he thought to himself, "I've made a terrible mistake."

Adrastos sat down. His tail twitched again, a bit more gently this time, as he mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"Oh gods, please don't step on...Wait, what? You're sorry?"

"Yes, I am." The Ridgeback's golden eyes narrowed. "And don't think I didn't hear you the first time, either. Why would I step on you? That's a disgusting thought." He looked down at a forepaw, and a shiver rippled through his hide as he scraped his paw against the ledge. Headsman pretend not to notice.

He continued carefully, "Why did you take our things? Do you need them?"

"I don't see why I should tell you. Why would I tell you, anyway?"

"Well, I would have to keep it a secret because otherwise you would step on me," Headsman said dryly. Adrastos growled in protest, but the Pearlcatcher rambled on, "You wouldn't even have to do it on purpose: just one small slip on a fish you didn't throw away properly, and splork."

"'Splork'?!" Adrastos let out a great bark of laughter. Headsman's own lips twitched until he found himself grinning back. "Or splortch," he added, "or maybe squarch or even kerblooey. Endless possibilities waiting to be discovered."

Adrastos was laughing now, rocking back and forth, his tail thudding on the floor. Headsman started to relax. And so when he heard a loud voice calling down from above, he nudged Adrastos to answer. The Ridgeback roused himself and bellowed back, "All is well. Headsman dropped by for a visit." He gave Headsman a meaningful glare.

"We're all right, Lord Nachtstreiter. We're just chatting, that's all."

"Ah. I was wondering where you'd gone. I'll go tell Deune you're down here, then." And with that, the great Guardian moved away. The two dragons listened as Nachtstreiter's footsteps receded, and then they looked at each other. Adrastos sighed and sprawled on the floor. And so, while Headsman waited patiently, his pearl between his paws, the Ridgeback explained why he had taken the other dragons' things. Headsman's regard of him changed from contempt, to irritation, to exasperation, and finally to sympathy.

At the end of it all, when Adrastos was silent and had nothing more to say, Headsman looked up at the ceiling of the cave. Searching, thinking deeply about an answer. He didn't like Adrastos much, but now... "Pick your snoot up off the ground," Headsman told him. Memories of his own life tumbled through his mind, one after the other, swirling into a plan. At the core of them all was that triumphant note..."Everyone deserves a second chance."

continued >


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[center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433349]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433402]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center] ----- [columns][color=transparent]......[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25197371][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/battlesprites/251974/25197371.png[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]...[/color][nextcol][font=Garamond][size=7][size=5][color=#332B65]hemera[/color][/size] [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] #25197371[/size][/font] [b]Bio:[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25197371]General-Use Wishlist[/url] [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] [b]Lore:[/b] Yes [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] [b]Art:[/b] No [b]Jump to lore:[/b] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433377]Thief of Hearts[/url] [b]Factions:[/b] (none) [b]Possible Connections in:[/b] (none)[/columns] [list][*] Picked up at the same time as Adrastos. She's named after another OC, who is a [i]lot[/i] more tragic than she is. Like, on the completely distant opposite end of the scale from Hemera in terms of tragic-ness. [*] Hemera also maintains a different version of the wishlist; lore-wise, it's explained as her being less obsessive about picking up stuff than her mate is. Her chief responsibility in the clan is taking and managing inventory. [*] Also does some cooking and cleaning -- the latter is second nature to her as an inventorist. Things need to be organized for them to be properly inventoried. If something goes missing, she's the first dragon to ask. If it turns out Adrastos impulsively nicked it, she can get him to return it straightaway. [*] Occasionally does gathering as a digger. She is not the clan's first choice for the role, as she tends to take a long time and/or sometimes brings back animal friends to care for instead of eat. [*] A humongous sucker for cute things and sob stories. Is especially fond of hatchlings and likes to tickle them (very, very carefully). [/list] ----- [center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433349]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433402]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center]
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...... 25197371.png ... hemera | #25197371
Bio: General-Use Wishlist | Lore: Yes | Art: No
Jump to lore: Thief of Hearts

Factions: (none)
Possible Connections in: (none)
  • Picked up at the same time as Adrastos. She's named after another OC, who is a lot more tragic than she is. Like, on the completely distant opposite end of the scale from Hemera in terms of tragic-ness.
  • Hemera also maintains a different version of the wishlist; lore-wise, it's explained as her being less obsessive about picking up stuff than her mate is. Her chief responsibility in the clan is taking and managing inventory.
  • Also does some cooking and cleaning -- the latter is second nature to her as an inventorist. Things need to be organized for them to be properly inventoried. If something goes missing, she's the first dragon to ask. If it turns out Adrastos impulsively nicked it, she can get him to return it straightaway.
  • Occasionally does gathering as a digger. She is not the clan's first choice for the role, as she tends to take a long time and/or sometimes brings back animal friends to care for instead of eat.
  • A humongous sucker for cute things and sob stories. Is especially fond of hatchlings and likes to tickle them (very, very carefully).


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[center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433349]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433402]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center] ----- [right][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25197371][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/251974/25197371.png[/img][/url] [size=2][color=#9494A9][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25197371]profile[/url] • back to[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433374]main post[/url][/right] [columns][center][item=potted peacevine][nextcol][color=transparent]..[/color][nextcol][color=#2D237B][font=garamond][size=7][size=4][b]thief of hearts[/b][/size][/size][/font][/color] [size=2]written by Disillusionist [color=#9494A9]1,972 words[/color][/size][/columns] [color=#332B65]The Disillusionists' Clan had grown rapidly, and soon Veritas and Nachtstreiter had started recruiting specialists who could help keep the clan running. Two of the positions they advertised for were [i]fisher[/i] and [i]inventorist[/i]. Adrastos had filled one position, Hemera the other. They had arrived at roughly the same time, from different clans in Light. It must be said that Adrastos hadn't made a good impression on Hemera. When the two had been introduced to each other, he had muttered "Hi," and that had been all. Hemera had said, "Pleased to meet you," but he hadn't seemed at all pleased, and it'd sort of put a damper on things. Still, Hemera had realized that they would be working together, and so she had always treated him well. Hemera was a cheerful dragon who liked trying to draw others into conversation, but Adrastos had struck her as the kind of dragon who didn't want to be talked to. So instead, she had tried getting to know her other neighbor, Deune, a small and graceful Pearlcatcher who looked like a patch of night. She was about the size of Hemera's foot and also as shy as a field mouse, and so Hemera often got down on all fours to talk to her. Her voice was normally as loud as a trumpet, but she always spoke softly to the Pearlcatcher. Shy, reclusive Deune slowly learned to trust her enormous new neighbor, and over time the monologues evolved into actual conversations. "Yet she has secrets she won't share," Hemera commented to Adrastos one day. The other Ridgeback had returned from fishing, and he was cleaning his catch, his claws whisking away the scales as Hemera calculated the quantity of food. He paused, looked down his long nose at her, and answered that yes, everybody had their secrets, "And it really isn't any business of ours." "I never said it was. It's just...she seems so troubled about something. She doesn't have to tell her secrets, but she should...let them go." Hemera shrugged her armored shoulders. "I think she would be happier then." Adrastos asked, obviously confused, if it was important to Hemera. She answered him, genuinely surprised, "Of course it is! We are clanmates. Clanmates should strive to make each other happy." It was something for Adrastos to think about carefully -- and he did, he really did. Over time, their relationship improved, and Hemera came to understand that he was naturally brusque and there was no changing that. She realized that he did not actively dislike her, and she continued her business of taking care of the clan's hoard. Months passed. More dragons arrived, including a handsome Pearlcatcher named Headsman. Hemera watched him and Deune grow closer, and she felt a little burst of joy. If she were to be entirely honest with herself, her cheerful chatter had not done much to draw Deune out. Headsman was quiet and steady, and perhaps that was what Deune needed. Hemera nodded in satisfaction before forcing herself to think about something else, some other thing to worry about: lost things, disappearing things. Hemera was a Ridgeback, but she always borrowed after asking permission. In her previous clan, she had learned that other dragons did not take kindly to things being borrowed without permission. Hemera thought it was a bit sad. Borrowing was good. It showed that you trusted your clanmates. It meant that who owned what didn't matter, as long as it could be used to help other dragons. "But then, I guess it's different for everybody...." She talked to Veritas about it, but the clan leader didn't seem particularly concerned. "None of the things that were stolen were very valuable," she explained to Hemera, "and there's no pressing need for them. You don't need to go and find them." And then she gave Hemera a look that surprised the Ridgeback somewhat: it was a warm and sympathetic look. She declared, "Nobody suspects you. Nachtstreiter and I recruited you ourselves. You have been here for some time and we believe you can be trusted. If the problem gets out of hand, we will do something about it, but for now, there's no need to go around inviting trouble." Veritas had hit upon that troubling idea: that the other dragons would distrust Hemera because she was a Ridgeback. She needed to talk things over with someone else she could trust, and Adrastos, the only other Ridgeback, was probably the best one to commiserate with. Unfortunately, it seemed that he was also feeling as defensive as she was. "Most of what the others own are not things I would choose for myself," he declared, his neck bristling. "And furthermore, what would I do with such a hoard? What would [i]you[/i] do? Would you like that sort of thing?" Hemera shook her head: an emphatic [i]no[/i]. "We Ridgebacks like to borrow, but the others don't like it. It makes them feel insecure. I wouldn't feel comfortable using or keeping anything I'd borrowed without permission." And then, because Adrastos seemed so belligerent, she excused herself and scooted away. She didn't see the relief -- and the "oh [i]no[/i]" expression that flitted across his face. Some days later, the clan had a surprise: Adrastos gave up the hoard he'd amassed. "I have taken from each and every one of you, and I am sorry," he announced, spreading his claws peaceably. "It is a problem I am working to control. Fortunately I have had help here" -- he indicated the Pearlcatcher standing next to his foot -- "from my most excellent friend, the Chief." Headsman frowned. "That isn't my name." "You aren't a Headsman of anything, either. Why not change your name?" "Or what?" "Or I'll step on you." Adrastos smirked. "[i]Splork[/i]." The other dragons drew nearer, looking through the hoard. They retrieved clothing, tools, and various other knickknacks. But the atmosphere was one of relief rather than anger, and soon a few laughs broke out as Headsman and Adrastos continued to argue. Near the back of the crowd, Hemera sat down in relief. There had been Ridgebacks who'd been driven from their clans because they'd been suspected of stealing things, and she had been very afraid that that would happen to her. It didn't seem like it would happen now. Adrastos might have caused the problem, but he had also saved them both from it. There was something to be said for that. Her relief masked her other emotions, and so she didn't realize: she was the only dragon Adrastos hadn't stolen anything from.[/color] [center][img]http://68.media.tumblr.com/d705ca2256fbaa95e02aca70b3034e7a/tumblr_inline_o23jkkOsuG1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] [color=#332B65]Adrastos did have problems, the main one being: he was a terrible kleptomaniac. Once the problem had been identified, though, it was easy to mitigate. Clan members took note of items that were disappearing and filed formal complaints with Hemera. She made notes and tucked them away. At the end of the week -- or the end of the day, if the item in question was really important -- she would arm herself with those complaint slips and go to Adrastos. She would present them to him, and he'd surrender the items he'd carried off. He couldn't help taking them -- but he didn't need to keep them. He would load them onto his back and follow Hemera around the lair, returning each thing to its owner, and the process would start all over again. In time, it became a game. "Adrastos, have you seen my books?" "Dras, where are my mushrooms?" "Hey, Dras, have you got an extra pair of gloves I can borrow?" Adrastos, who had previously been an annoyance, was now regarded as the manager of the clan's hoard. He worked closely with Hemera, who was, after all, in charge of keeping track of things that had vanished. It was on one of their walks that Hemera broached the idea of Adrastos keeping a list of things he wanted. Perhaps if he had a list of things he could concentrate on saving treasure for, he wouldn't feel the pressing need to rifle through his clanmates' lairs. "A [/color][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24999387]wishlist[/url][color=#332B65], you mean?" Adrastos inquired. He seemed interested. "I shall have to look into that. [/color][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25197371]Perhaps you could help me.[/url][color=#332B65]" Hemera agreed. She and Adrastos discussed the project further, but after a while he seemed to lose interest, clearly thinking about something else. Hemera, believing that perhaps the idea didn't appeal to him as much as she'd thought, carefully dropped the topic. She was a bit disappointed. She would have liked an opportunity to work more closely with Adrastos. One day, Hemera realized that she hadn't received any complaint slips for some time. No one was looking for anything. No one had lost anything...had they? Perhaps everyone had grown tired of asking Adrastos for their things back and had simply decided to let him store them. She asked Deune about this, and the Pearlcatcher gave one of her rare and lovely smiles. "Nobody has lost anything, Mera. Dras is behaving very well." Hemera laughed at this, but thought she would miss going around with Adrastos, shuttling things back and forth. It had been a very good opportunity to talk with the others, and even if they hadn't been in their dens at those times, Adrastos had always been willing to talk. He had come a long way since joining the clan -- well, they both had. Deune watched her walk away, and the secretive Pearlcatcher smiled softly and gently. Hemera had been right; she [i]did[/i] have secrets she wouldn't share -- and with very, very good reason. One sunny morning, another clan meeting was called. They gathered in front of the lair where, many months before, Adrastos had given up his hoard and told them he was sorry. It looked like there was another hoard here, too, a pile hidden under a canvas tarp. Hemera squinted at it; it looked bigger than last time. "What has Adrastos been up to?" she wondered. Adrastos heard her, and now he strode to the front. He thanked the clan for once again being so kind and cooperative....At this last word, a few of the dragons chuckled. Adrastos politely waited for them to finish, and then he looked at Hemera. "You wondered what I was up to," he said, and Hemera wondered how he'd known. "I have kept many secrets...and you've kept yours. I still don't know your mind. Yet we have worked well together and on many occasions, laughed together, and so now I would ask you to tell me one secret...." He bent down, sticking his horn into the tarp. With a graceful twist, he yanked it up and away, and the dragons bellowed in delight. And there they were! All manner of objects, taken -- no, [i]borrowed[/i] for certain this time, with actual permission! -- arranged in a sparkling little bower. The more beautiful objects, the flowers and shining gems, had been arranged to spell a question:[/color] [color=#332B65][center][i][b]Would you be my mate?[/b][/i][/center][/color] [color=#332B65]"Would", not "will". He was asking if she would be willing to talk about it first. And Hemera, indeed, was willing....[i]More[/i] than willing. Headsman looked on with a satisfied smile; the brusque and practical Adrastos would never have come up with this idea. But he had deserved to have it; his intentions were pure. Perhaps he and Hemera hadn't gotten along well at first, but now... [i]"Everybody deserves a second chance,"[/i] Headsman repeated to himself. One more time, one more chance...They could try again. If the two strange and difficult Ridgebacks could get along together, then there was hope for himself and Deune, enigmatic though she was. And impulsive though he was. He was no longer afraid of hard work, and he was willing to make this work, too. He stepped up beside Deune, noticing her soft, shy smile, and the two of them stepped forward to congratulate Hemera and Adrastos.[/color] [right][font=Copperplate Gothic Light][color=#2D237B][size=5][b]~ The End[/b][/color][/size][/font][/right] ----- [center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433349]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433402]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center]
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Potted Peacevine
.. thief of hearts
written by Disillusionist
1,972 words
The Disillusionists' Clan had grown rapidly, and soon Veritas and Nachtstreiter had started recruiting specialists who could help keep the clan running. Two of the positions they advertised for were fisher and inventorist. Adrastos had filled one position, Hemera the other. They had arrived at roughly the same time, from different clans in Light. It must be said that Adrastos hadn't made a good impression on Hemera. When the two had been introduced to each other, he had muttered "Hi," and that had been all. Hemera had said, "Pleased to meet you," but he hadn't seemed at all pleased, and it'd sort of put a damper on things.

Still, Hemera had realized that they would be working together, and so she had always treated him well. Hemera was a cheerful dragon who liked trying to draw others into conversation, but Adrastos had struck her as the kind of dragon who didn't want to be talked to. So instead, she had tried getting to know her other neighbor, Deune, a small and graceful Pearlcatcher who looked like a patch of night. She was about the size of Hemera's foot and also as shy as a field mouse, and so Hemera often got down on all fours to talk to her. Her voice was normally as loud as a trumpet, but she always spoke softly to the Pearlcatcher. Shy, reclusive Deune slowly learned to trust her enormous new neighbor, and over time the monologues evolved into actual conversations.

"Yet she has secrets she won't share," Hemera commented to Adrastos one day. The other Ridgeback had returned from fishing, and he was cleaning his catch, his claws whisking away the scales as Hemera calculated the quantity of food. He paused, looked down his long nose at her, and answered that yes, everybody had their secrets, "And it really isn't any business of ours."

"I never said it was. It's just...she seems so troubled about something. She doesn't have to tell her secrets, but she should...let them go." Hemera shrugged her armored shoulders. "I think she would be happier then."

Adrastos asked, obviously confused, if it was important to Hemera. She answered him, genuinely surprised, "Of course it is! We are clanmates. Clanmates should strive to make each other happy."

It was something for Adrastos to think about carefully -- and he did, he really did. Over time, their relationship improved, and Hemera came to understand that he was naturally brusque and there was no changing that. She realized that he did not actively dislike her, and she continued her business of taking care of the clan's hoard.

Months passed. More dragons arrived, including a handsome Pearlcatcher named Headsman. Hemera watched him and Deune grow closer, and she felt a little burst of joy. If she were to be entirely honest with herself, her cheerful chatter had not done much to draw Deune out. Headsman was quiet and steady, and perhaps that was what Deune needed. Hemera nodded in satisfaction before forcing herself to think about something else, some other thing to worry about: lost things, disappearing things. Hemera was a Ridgeback, but she always borrowed after asking permission. In her previous clan, she had learned that other dragons did not take kindly to things being borrowed without permission. Hemera thought it was a bit sad. Borrowing was good. It showed that you trusted your clanmates. It meant that who owned what didn't matter, as long as it could be used to help other dragons. "But then, I guess it's different for everybody...."

She talked to Veritas about it, but the clan leader didn't seem particularly concerned. "None of the things that were stolen were very valuable," she explained to Hemera, "and there's no pressing need for them. You don't need to go and find them." And then she gave Hemera a look that surprised the Ridgeback somewhat: it was a warm and sympathetic look. She declared, "Nobody suspects you. Nachtstreiter and I recruited you ourselves. You have been here for some time and we believe you can be trusted. If the problem gets out of hand, we will do something about it, but for now, there's no need to go around inviting trouble."

Veritas had hit upon that troubling idea: that the other dragons would distrust Hemera because she was a Ridgeback. She needed to talk things over with someone else she could trust, and Adrastos, the only other Ridgeback, was probably the best one to commiserate with. Unfortunately, it seemed that he was also feeling as defensive as she was. "Most of what the others own are not things I would choose for myself," he declared, his neck bristling. "And furthermore, what would I do with such a hoard? What would you do? Would you like that sort of thing?"

Hemera shook her head: an emphatic no. "We Ridgebacks like to borrow, but the others don't like it. It makes them feel insecure. I wouldn't feel comfortable using or keeping anything I'd borrowed without permission." And then, because Adrastos seemed so belligerent, she excused herself and scooted away. She didn't see the relief -- and the "oh no" expression that flitted across his face.

Some days later, the clan had a surprise: Adrastos gave up the hoard he'd amassed. "I have taken from each and every one of you, and I am sorry," he announced, spreading his claws peaceably. "It is a problem I am working to control. Fortunately I have had help here" -- he indicated the Pearlcatcher standing next to his foot -- "from my most excellent friend, the Chief."

Headsman frowned. "That isn't my name."

"You aren't a Headsman of anything, either. Why not change your name?"

"Or what?"

"Or I'll step on you." Adrastos smirked. "Splork."

The other dragons drew nearer, looking through the hoard. They retrieved clothing, tools, and various other knickknacks. But the atmosphere was one of relief rather than anger, and soon a few laughs broke out as Headsman and Adrastos continued to argue. Near the back of the crowd, Hemera sat down in relief. There had been Ridgebacks who'd been driven from their clans because they'd been suspected of stealing things, and she had been very afraid that that would happen to her. It didn't seem like it would happen now. Adrastos might have caused the problem, but he had also saved them both from it. There was something to be said for that. Her relief masked her other emotions, and so she didn't realize: she was the only dragon Adrastos hadn't stolen anything from.

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Adrastos did have problems, the main one being: he was a terrible kleptomaniac. Once the problem had been identified, though, it was easy to mitigate. Clan members took note of items that were disappearing and filed formal complaints with Hemera. She made notes and tucked them away. At the end of the week -- or the end of the day, if the item in question was really important -- she would arm herself with those complaint slips and go to Adrastos. She would present them to him, and he'd surrender the items he'd carried off. He couldn't help taking them -- but he didn't need to keep them. He would load them onto his back and follow Hemera around the lair, returning each thing to its owner, and the process would start all over again.

In time, it became a game. "Adrastos, have you seen my books?" "Dras, where are my mushrooms?" "Hey, Dras, have you got an extra pair of gloves I can borrow?" Adrastos, who had previously been an annoyance, was now regarded as the manager of the clan's hoard. He worked closely with Hemera, who was, after all, in charge of keeping track of things that had vanished. It was on one of their walks that Hemera broached the idea of Adrastos keeping a list of things he wanted. Perhaps if he had a list of things he could concentrate on saving treasure for, he wouldn't feel the pressing need to rifle through his clanmates' lairs. "A
wishlist, you mean?" Adrastos inquired. He seemed interested. "I shall have to look into that. Perhaps you could help me."

Hemera agreed. She and Adrastos discussed the project further, but after a while he seemed to lose interest, clearly thinking about something else. Hemera, believing that perhaps the idea didn't appeal to him as much as she'd thought, carefully dropped the topic. She was a bit disappointed. She would have liked an opportunity to work more closely with Adrastos.

One day, Hemera realized that she hadn't received any complaint slips for some time. No one was looking for anything. No one had lost anything...had they? Perhaps everyone had grown tired of asking Adrastos for their things back and had simply decided to let him store them. She asked Deune about this, and the Pearlcatcher gave one of her rare and lovely smiles. "Nobody has lost anything, Mera. Dras is behaving very well."

Hemera laughed at this, but thought she would miss going around with Adrastos, shuttling things back and forth. It had been a very good opportunity to talk with the others, and even if they hadn't been in their dens at those times, Adrastos had always been willing to talk. He had come a long way since joining the clan -- well, they both had. Deune watched her walk away, and the secretive Pearlcatcher smiled softly and gently. Hemera had been right; she did have secrets she wouldn't share -- and with very, very good reason.

One sunny morning, another clan meeting was called. They gathered in front of the lair where, many months before, Adrastos had given up his hoard and told them he was sorry. It looked like there was another hoard here, too, a pile hidden under a canvas tarp. Hemera squinted at it; it looked bigger than last time. "What has Adrastos been up to?" she wondered.

Adrastos heard her, and now he strode to the front. He thanked the clan for once again being so kind and cooperative....At this last word, a few of the dragons chuckled. Adrastos politely waited for them to finish, and then he looked at Hemera.

"You wondered what I was up to," he said, and Hemera wondered how he'd known. "I have kept many secrets...and you've kept yours. I still don't know your mind. Yet we have worked well together and on many occasions, laughed together, and so now I would ask you to tell me one secret...."

He bent down, sticking his horn into the tarp. With a graceful twist, he yanked it up and away, and the dragons bellowed in delight.

And there they were! All manner of objects, taken -- no, borrowed for certain this time, with actual permission! -- arranged in a sparkling little bower. The more beautiful objects, the flowers and shining gems, had been arranged to spell a question:


Would you be my mate?


"Would", not "will". He was asking if she would be willing to talk about it first. And Hemera, indeed, was willing....More than willing. Headsman looked on with a satisfied smile; the brusque and practical Adrastos would never have come up with this idea. But he had deserved to have it; his intentions were pure. Perhaps he and Hemera hadn't gotten along well at first, but now...

"Everybody deserves a second chance," Headsman repeated to himself. One more time, one more chance...They could try again. If the two strange and difficult Ridgebacks could get along together, then there was hope for himself and Deune, enigmatic though she was. And impulsive though he was. He was no longer afraid of hard work, and he was willing to make this work, too. He stepped up beside Deune, noticing her soft, shy smile, and the two of them stepped forward to congratulate Hemera and Adrastos.


~ The End


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[center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433374]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/5#post_32433426]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center] ----- [columns][color=transparent]......[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25629153][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/battlesprites/256292/25629153.png[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]...[/color][nextcol][font=Garamond][size=7][size=5][color=#9777BD]gyordan[/color][/size] [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] #25629153[/size][/font] [b]Bio:[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25629153]All my cheatsheets XD[/url] [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] [b]Lore:[/b] No [color=#BBBABF]|[/color] [b]Art:[/b] No [b]Jump to lore:[/b] (none yet) [b]Factions:[/b] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/40#post_40040074]Progen Family[/url] [b]Possible Connections in:[/b] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/46#post_40354133]Records & Literature[/url][/columns] [list][*] Firstborn of Vera and Nacht. For a time, they considered grooming him to be their successor, but Gyordan wound up being very stressed by the idea. He spent most of his adolescence and young adulthood being rather gloomy and pessimistic as a result. [*] Despite this (or perhaps because of it), he is actually very tactful and considerate. He doesn't really have any friends, but somehow manages to get along with everyone. [*] He eventually slipped into the role of Clan Secretary. When it was confirmed that leadership would most likely default to Laurant instead, he cheered up noticeably. He's now more sociable and relaxed. [*] His Charge is the clan's records. It's boring as heck, but doesn't require much brainpower to keep track of, and for Gyordan, that = stress-free. [*] Lore-wise, he keeps track of clan transactions and projects. In actuality, it's a list of my orders, bunches of useful links, and stuff I need to do. [*] Socially awkward, finds it difficult to relax around or talk with other dragons. But he doesn't actually dislike them, so he [i]tries[/i]. Is currently single but hopeful. [i]Ladies...![/i] [/list] ----- [center][color=#BBBABF][size=1][b]PREV.[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/4#post_32433374]Dragon[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_2323941]Contents[/url] • Characters [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507351]A-M[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507353]N-Z[/url] • [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/1#post_30507355]Stories Pt. 1[/url] | [/size][size=1][b]NEXT[/b][/size] [size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2323941/5#post_32433426]Dragon[/url][/color][/size][/center]
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...... 25629153.png ... gyordan | #25629153
Bio: All my cheatsheets XD | Lore: No | Art: No
Jump to lore: (none yet)

Factions: Progen Family
Possible Connections in: Records & Literature
  • Firstborn of Vera and Nacht. For a time, they considered grooming him to be their successor, but Gyordan wound up being very stressed by the idea. He spent most of his adolescence and young adulthood being rather gloomy and pessimistic as a result.
  • Despite this (or perhaps because of it), he is actually very tactful and considerate. He doesn't really have any friends, but somehow manages to get along with everyone.
  • He eventually slipped into the role of Clan Secretary. When it was confirmed that leadership would most likely default to Laurant instead, he cheered up noticeably. He's now more sociable and relaxed.
  • His Charge is the clan's records. It's boring as heck, but doesn't require much brainpower to keep track of, and for Gyordan, that = stress-free.
  • Lore-wise, he keeps track of clan transactions and projects. In actuality, it's a list of my orders, bunches of useful links, and stuff I need to do.
  • Socially awkward, finds it difficult to relax around or talk with other dragons. But he doesn't actually dislike them, so he tries. Is currently single but hopeful. Ladies...!


PREV. Dragon | Contents • Characters A-M N-ZStories Pt. 1 | NEXT Dragon
Disillusionist's Lore & More .. {Free} bio resourcesLF Affiliates
female / INTJ / Capricorn / +16 FR time
Clan: FAQ | Stats | Lore Thread | Directory | Avatar
Wishlists: outfits & genes | general | familiars
Please check the spelling of my name when pinging me: @Disillusionist. Thanks!
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