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You look around in wonder as you take in the dark beauty of the Tangled Woods all lit up for the Trickmurk Circus. A soft rustling alerts you to the presence of a dark Nocturne. The Nocturne, clad in dark silks and brambles gestures for you to follow them.
As you walk through the darkness of the Tangled Woods, the form of the Nocturne never leaves your sight. You begin to see a soft glow of candlelight in the distance and your steps begin to quicken.
As you enter the candle lit glade, the Nocturne turns to greet you 'Welcome to the Palais Shadow, Shadow's answer to the Globe theater. I am your hostess for the night, Nisha.' Nisha then gestured towards the many piles of soft looking cushions around the glade, many with dragons on them. 'Please take a seat, you are the last guest to arrive'
As you hasten to take a seat upon the comfy looking mound of cushions, Nisha takes a seat upon a pile of her own. 'Welcome one and all to the Palais Shadow. Tonight we have a guest speaker from a Shadow clan to tell you lucky visitors tales. Please do enjoy yourselves.'
As you look around in confusion, Nisha gestures to the figure of a dragon hidden in the darkness beyond the candlelight. The dragon glides forward and begins to speak.
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You look around in wonder as you take in the dark beauty of the Tangled Woods all lit up for the Trickmurk Circus. A soft rustling alerts you to the presence of a dark Nocturne. The Nocturne, clad in dark silks and brambles gestures for you to follow them.
As you walk through the darkness of the Tangled Woods, the form of the Nocturne never leaves your sight. You begin to see a soft glow of candlelight in the distance and your steps begin to quicken.
As you enter the candle lit glade, the Nocturne turns to greet you 'Welcome to the Palais Shadow, Shadow's answer to the Globe theater. I am your hostess for the night, Nisha.' Nisha then gestured towards the many piles of soft looking cushions around the glade, many with dragons on them. 'Please take a seat, you are the last guest to arrive'
As you hasten to take a seat upon the comfy looking mound of cushions, Nisha takes a seat upon a pile of her own. 'Welcome one and all to the Palais Shadow. Tonight we have a guest speaker from a Shadow clan to tell you lucky visitors tales. Please do enjoy yourselves.'
As you look around in confusion, Nisha gestures to the figure of a dragon hidden in the darkness beyond the candlelight. The dragon glides forward and begins to speak.
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Day 1: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2377035#post_31807901]post[/url]
Day 3: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2377035#post_31839145]post[/url]
Day 5: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2377035/1#post_31879773]post[/url]
Day 7: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2377035/2#post_31899164]post[/url]
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Day 1: post
Day 3: post
Day 5: post
Day 7: post
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Day 1: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2377035/2#post_31916641]post[/url]
Day 3: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2377035/2#post_31947268]post[/url]
Day 5: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2377035/2#post_31974538]post[/url]
Day 7: [url]temp[/url]
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Day 1: post
Day 3: post
Day 5: post
Day 7: temp
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My thanks go to @ElectriWinter for the lovely headers and @Gloomy for the awesome banners!!
Big, big thanks to all the writers participating in this, you guys rock!!
And the last thanks goes to @RedWilla for inspiring me to actually do this thing and for kicking my butt into gear!!
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[center][img]https://s29.postimg.org/73nl88ouv/Divider-_Horizontal.png[/img][/center]
My thanks go to @ElectriWinter for the lovely headers and @Gloomy for the awesome banners!!
Big, big thanks to all the writers participating in this, you guys rock!!
And the last thanks goes to @RedWilla for inspiring me to actually do this thing and for kicking my butt into gear!!
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/rX9E3zM.png[/img][/center]
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Rogue knew she wasn’t like most Mirrors, but the more and more she hung around Elle and Luna, the more obvious it became, and she was thankful for the help she could get from the others in the clan, as infrequent as it could be at times. Elle was just young, the poor girl, and Rogue wasn’t even sure she could tell the difference between a Satin Mouse and a Downy Mouse, but she certainly tried. Luna was, well, Luna. Luna was what some of the clan would call a “typical” Mirror, speaking in broken sentences and getting into constant trouble. She meant well, but her feral smile and utterance of “friend” while waving needle-sharp claws made even the bravest of dragons shy away.
Keeping an eye on both Elle and Luna— who were chasing a stone around on the ground; honestly— Rogue listened to the dragon in front of her as they explained what it was that she and the other two were going to need to do. Prepare food for how many dragons? What party? How did she get roped into this? There had to be better suited dragons to take care of such an important task, she knew it. Oh, well; she’d figure it out somehow.
Taking the offered list of Do’s and Don’ts When Preparing a Feast for the Masses, Rogue tucked it away before trotting over to enlist the help of her fellow Mirrors. Flicking the rock away with her tail, Rogue blinked her eyes as both Luna and Elle expressed their sadness at having the rock flung away. “Listen up,” she started, trying her best to mimic the clan leader’s “authority voice.” To their credit, both Luna and Elle gave Rogue their complete attention. “We’ve been put in charge of gathering and cooking for this Mask— this Mausk— the Big Party!” Rogue nodded sharply. “So we need to collect the things on this list.” Raising her claw, she shook the list in the air. “Okay?”
“Is rock on list,” Luna asked, her words halting and broken, sounding awkward coming from her mouth.
Next to her, Ella laughed. “You can’t eat rocks, Luna.”
“Luna eat rock. How break tooth. See.” Opening her mouth, Luna tried to show Rogue, shoving her open mouth in her face and almost poking out one of her eyes.
“Yes, that’s great.” Pushing Luna back, Rogue unrolled the list. “We have to collect the things here. Plants for those who eat them.”
“Plant is yuck.”
“Yes, Luna.” Rogue resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Meat for—”
“Meat good. Fishies best.” Nodding sharply, Luna sat down on her haunches and started to dig in the dirt under her claws.
Rogue took a deep breath and rolled the list back up. “Ya know what, why don’t we just go to the river then and go fishing. I’m sure there are some plants there I can collect. Maybe even some bugs.”
“Bug also yuck. Go squish under claw.” Luna stood back up, shaking her entire body and turning for the river. “Go fish,” she asked, one claw raised toward the river.
“Yeah, let’s go fishing!” Elle jumped up and ran to Luna’s side. “Are you coming, Rogue?”
“Don’t have much of a choice,” Rogue grumbled under her breath, following along behind the other two as they ran down the path toward the river’s edge. She could hear them laughing and splashing and Rogue was sure she wasn’t going to get any fishing accomplished while those two were around. Maybe she could turn it into a game. The one who catches the most fish gets to pick one from the pile they caught. That could work; it would certainly keep Luna busy and Elle would follow right along. It would also give Rogue a chance to collect some plants and hopefully some bugs. That would leave getting meat, but Rogue was pretty sure she could try the same plan, with some minor adjustments, there as well. Whoever caught the most could decide what they ate for dinner that night.
Rounding the bend in the path, the river came into view. Luna and Elle were playing in the shallows, but Rogue could see large fish in the deeper waters of the broad river. Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as she first thought it was gonna be. Luna, Elle and herself could easily collect enough food for this party and it would be the best masquer-whats-it-called ever!
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Rogue knew she wasn’t like most Mirrors, but the more and more she hung around Elle and Luna, the more obvious it became, and she was thankful for the help she could get from the others in the clan, as infrequent as it could be at times. Elle was just young, the poor girl, and Rogue wasn’t even sure she could tell the difference between a Satin Mouse and a Downy Mouse, but she certainly tried. Luna was, well, Luna. Luna was what some of the clan would call a “typical” Mirror, speaking in broken sentences and getting into constant trouble. She meant well, but her feral smile and utterance of “friend” while waving needle-sharp claws made even the bravest of dragons shy away.
Keeping an eye on both Elle and Luna— who were chasing a stone around on the ground; honestly— Rogue listened to the dragon in front of her as they explained what it was that she and the other two were going to need to do. Prepare food for how many dragons? What party? How did she get roped into this? There had to be better suited dragons to take care of such an important task, she knew it. Oh, well; she’d figure it out somehow.
Taking the offered list of Do’s and Don’ts When Preparing a Feast for the Masses, Rogue tucked it away before trotting over to enlist the help of her fellow Mirrors. Flicking the rock away with her tail, Rogue blinked her eyes as both Luna and Elle expressed their sadness at having the rock flung away. “Listen up,” she started, trying her best to mimic the clan leader’s “authority voice.” To their credit, both Luna and Elle gave Rogue their complete attention. “We’ve been put in charge of gathering and cooking for this Mask— this Mausk— the Big Party!” Rogue nodded sharply. “So we need to collect the things on this list.” Raising her claw, she shook the list in the air. “Okay?”
“Is rock on list,” Luna asked, her words halting and broken, sounding awkward coming from her mouth.
Next to her, Ella laughed. “You can’t eat rocks, Luna.”
“Luna eat rock. How break tooth. See.” Opening her mouth, Luna tried to show Rogue, shoving her open mouth in her face and almost poking out one of her eyes.
“Yes, that’s great.” Pushing Luna back, Rogue unrolled the list. “We have to collect the things here. Plants for those who eat them.”
“Plant is yuck.”
“Yes, Luna.” Rogue resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Meat for—”
“Meat good. Fishies best.” Nodding sharply, Luna sat down on her haunches and started to dig in the dirt under her claws.
Rogue took a deep breath and rolled the list back up. “Ya know what, why don’t we just go to the river then and go fishing. I’m sure there are some plants there I can collect. Maybe even some bugs.”
“Bug also yuck. Go squish under claw.” Luna stood back up, shaking her entire body and turning for the river. “Go fish,” she asked, one claw raised toward the river.
“Yeah, let’s go fishing!” Elle jumped up and ran to Luna’s side. “Are you coming, Rogue?”
“Don’t have much of a choice,” Rogue grumbled under her breath, following along behind the other two as they ran down the path toward the river’s edge. She could hear them laughing and splashing and Rogue was sure she wasn’t going to get any fishing accomplished while those two were around. Maybe she could turn it into a game. The one who catches the most fish gets to pick one from the pile they caught. That could work; it would certainly keep Luna busy and Elle would follow right along. It would also give Rogue a chance to collect some plants and hopefully some bugs. That would leave getting meat, but Rogue was pretty sure she could try the same plan, with some minor adjustments, there as well. Whoever caught the most could decide what they ate for dinner that night.
Rounding the bend in the path, the river came into view. Luna and Elle were playing in the shallows, but Rogue could see large fish in the deeper waters of the broad river. Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as she first thought it was gonna be. Luna, Elle and herself could easily collect enough food for this party and it would be the best masquer-whats-it-called ever!
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As she observed the hustle and bustle around her, Solstice grinned. Her clan mates were busy locating and retrieving the various items that were on the lists of decorations that Solstice and George gave to each pair of dragons. They would need them all to decorate the Forum and it’s surroundings for the upcoming Masquerade. She on the other hand, due to her size had been delegated to assistant to the clan’s party planner, George. Solstice really enjoyed spending time with George, so she wasn’t at all annoyed to be basically shunted to a planning position.
Solstice and George were looking at their maps of the Forum and pointing out to each other where each planned decoration would look best, arguing about it and then jotting the details down onto the maps. Solstice was pointing to where she thought the rose and thorns garlands would look best when there was a loud noise similar to a ‘thump’ from just outside. Solstice and George both jumped to their feet and rushed outside to see what had happened. As they took in the sight before them, they both burst into laughter.
Willow and Wisp, a pair of mated Spirals were sprawled on the ground, twined together and covered in flowers. Solstice hurried over to them and helped them to untangle themselves. As the dizzy spirals got up, Solstice asked them what happened. Willow shook his head “Wisp was carrying too many flowers and didn’t see me standing still, taking a short breather. She then crashed into me and we both fell down” Wisp nuzzled into Willow’s side and apologised in a soft voice. Willow nuzzled Wisp in return and forgave her. Both spirals began to collect the spilled flowers and the watching nocturnes waved and bid them goodbye and good luck; turned and went back inside to continue their planning.
As Solstice and George happily bickered over the decoration placements and colours, their clan mates continued to collect the decorations on their lists. As everyone finally finished their duties, Coulson rang the dinner bell calling everyone to the clan dining hall for lunch. After everyone gobbled down their lunch they all got up and went to the clan’s meeting hall for the final briefing. Solstice and George started to hand out the maps with the decorations placements on them to each pair of dragons. As each pair accepted their map either Solstice or George would explain quickly what they would be doing.
The clan departed to the Forum to begin the decorating process. Many, many long hours went by, with Solstice flitting from pair to pair, chatting with them and keeping dragon’s spirits up. George was also flitting around, but he was delivering drinks and snacks to the decorators. When all the decorations were finally up, the tired group of dragons cheered loudly. Solstice smiled at her clan mates and said, “Good work guys, now it’s time to rest up and dream of the coming Masquerade.” As her tired clan mates took to the skies to return to their dens, Solstice paused to take in the fully decorated Forum. The glowshrooms glittered in every nook, the fairies flitted around the trees they’d been asked to make glow and the rest of the flowers, thorns and garlands made the area look like a fairy wonderland. Solstice just could not wait to see Sornieth’s reaction to her clan’s decorating skills!!
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As she observed the hustle and bustle around her, Solstice grinned. Her clan mates were busy locating and retrieving the various items that were on the lists of decorations that Solstice and George gave to each pair of dragons. They would need them all to decorate the Forum and it’s surroundings for the upcoming Masquerade. She on the other hand, due to her size had been delegated to assistant to the clan’s party planner, George. Solstice really enjoyed spending time with George, so she wasn’t at all annoyed to be basically shunted to a planning position.
Solstice and George were looking at their maps of the Forum and pointing out to each other where each planned decoration would look best, arguing about it and then jotting the details down onto the maps. Solstice was pointing to where she thought the rose and thorns garlands would look best when there was a loud noise similar to a ‘thump’ from just outside. Solstice and George both jumped to their feet and rushed outside to see what had happened. As they took in the sight before them, they both burst into laughter.
Willow and Wisp, a pair of mated Spirals were sprawled on the ground, twined together and covered in flowers. Solstice hurried over to them and helped them to untangle themselves. As the dizzy spirals got up, Solstice asked them what happened. Willow shook his head “Wisp was carrying too many flowers and didn’t see me standing still, taking a short breather. She then crashed into me and we both fell down” Wisp nuzzled into Willow’s side and apologised in a soft voice. Willow nuzzled Wisp in return and forgave her. Both spirals began to collect the spilled flowers and the watching nocturnes waved and bid them goodbye and good luck; turned and went back inside to continue their planning.
As Solstice and George happily bickered over the decoration placements and colours, their clan mates continued to collect the decorations on their lists. As everyone finally finished their duties, Coulson rang the dinner bell calling everyone to the clan dining hall for lunch. After everyone gobbled down their lunch they all got up and went to the clan’s meeting hall for the final briefing. Solstice and George started to hand out the maps with the decorations placements on them to each pair of dragons. As each pair accepted their map either Solstice or George would explain quickly what they would be doing.
The clan departed to the Forum to begin the decorating process. Many, many long hours went by, with Solstice flitting from pair to pair, chatting with them and keeping dragon’s spirits up. George was also flitting around, but he was delivering drinks and snacks to the decorators. When all the decorations were finally up, the tired group of dragons cheered loudly. Solstice smiled at her clan mates and said, “Good work guys, now it’s time to rest up and dream of the coming Masquerade.” As her tired clan mates took to the skies to return to their dens, Solstice paused to take in the fully decorated Forum. The glowshrooms glittered in every nook, the fairies flitted around the trees they’d been asked to make glow and the rest of the flowers, thorns and garlands made the area look like a fairy wonderland. Solstice just could not wait to see Sornieth’s reaction to her clan’s decorating skills!!
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@
Gravebloom
A new lore piece has just been posted :)
@
Gravebloom
A new lore piece has just been posted :)
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The daybreak found Misty staring out her door. Pacing. Waiting. Again. She didn’t believe anyone would come. The answer, of course, was to step out of the workshop and find someone. But the warmth of the sun covered the gardens in a soft pink color, the rain faded to a drizzle, and the mushrooms quit their glow, and there was no way, this far past night, that even one clanmate would be awake. Not a chance. So, again, Misty retreated indoors.
And everything was still in its place, almost exactly as it was when she began. The envelopes, the wax, the candles and the seals were arranged neatly in an assembly-line format for quick packaging. The invitations themselves were absent, though. They didn’t exist at all, not counting a pile of sketches on a table to the side and bits of crumpled paper in a trash bin nearby. It’s at this table that Misty sat and picked up work, sweeping the old sketches off and starting anew on a fresh sheet of paper. She drew and painted and tossed away the failures. Too plain. Too lopsided. Too crowded. Again.
[i]‘Kay, look, Misty,[/i] she thought, [i]You are not an artist. You need help. Got that? You can’t do this on your own. Get up and find someone.[/i] She shoved herself away from the table, opened the door yet again and shielded her eyes from the brilliant light. The tip-tap of the rain reminded her of the persistent ticking of a clock. A humid mist now clung to her skin. The ice dragon wanted nothing to do with [i]outside[/i]; not right now, anyway.
[i]You’re going in circles. Just go back inside, give another sketch a go.[/i]
She hesitated, gritting her teeth. Before the thoughts of retreat returned, before she restarted the cycle, she sprinted. Hopped between the cover of trees, keeping her eyes alert and her body low to the ground as she scanned her village for life. [i]It’s got to be easier than you think,[/i] she said to herself. Just like hunting, but… [i]no, that’s not right. Hunting what, invisible dragons? You don’t hunt friends anyway. It’s all stupid any way you look at it.[/i] And so she quit looking.
She slowed to a prowl as she entered the marketplace, keeping to the shadows of trees. Never has she seen the stalls so empty. The streets looked enormous without the usual hubbub and festival glam. The sound of the rain echoed alone. A deep loneliness sat heavy on her heart.
[i]Well. As expected, a ghost town. What a waste of time, when I coulda been doing the project on my own. Might as well turn arou-[/i]
Something had run into her while she was lost in thought and Misty, still in hunting mode, swung her whole body around and hissed on instinct.
To her surprise, it was Sprite, a clanmate, who flinched, tossing her hands up by her collar bone. A basket filled with litter fell with a hard [i]thunk[/i] on the floor. Sprite didn’t notice it, but Misty did, her gaze switching between her friend and the basket as she struggled to sort out her thoughts and calm herself. Sprite also took a moment to process the situation, but once what she thought and what she saw clicked in her mind, her ears perked up and she smiled.
“Hi!”
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Only now did Misty think to relax and use a less intimidating pose.
“Sorry. Been a while.”
“Oh, I [i]know[/i]!,” said Sprite. “Hey, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you out at all! I mean, uh, in? Like, in the village?” She giggled and snorted as she reached down to put any scattered trash back in the basket. “There was a huge storm last night, brought in by the sea, did you hear it?” She rambled on about weather fronts and missing clanmates, but Misty’s mind was still racing, trying to make sense of the conversation. What did any of that have to do with anything?
“And you?” She looked up at Misty and gave a playful little grin, snapping Misty back into the conversation. “What are you up to? I saw you sneaking about!”
“Er…” was all Misty could say in that moment. Now that she’s had a moment to calm down, thoughts of her project and the anxiety that came with it creeped back to her. Here’s the perfect opportunity to pitch her project and land an assistant. But her eyes flickered to the basket and back, and then her crests fell a little. Sprite was busy. There’s no way. “Nothing. Just a walk.”
“Hah! As if!” Sprite burst into giggles, and some trash spilled out of the basket again. “Shall we play three guesses? I bet you’re out to seek a secret lover!”
Misty leaned away in disgust. “NO.”
“Kidding, kidding!” This time, Sprite used her magic to pick up the trash, levitating all the pieces into the basket at once and sealing the top with a barrier. “I’m picking up trash and stuff, but it’s boring, you know? So tell me all the drama.” She held out her hand expectantly.
[i]Boring[/i] - the word sends a surge of optimism back into Misty’s mind. [i]If she thinks what she’s doing is boring,[/i] (and it is characteristic of the Will-O’-Wisp clan to like to work), [i]then there’s a chance she’d join me! Well… if it isn’t equally boring. Which I guess it is. Nevermind.[/i] “I’m practicing my huntin’,” is what she ended up saying. “You seen any frogs of unusual size?”
Sprite cackled. “It’s the Tangled Wood, Misty! You think [i]anything[/i] wakes up in the day?”
She waited for an answer, but Misty looked away, distracted. Sprite’s ears fell back slightly.
She put her basket back on her back slowly, giving time for Misty to fill the silence. Misty dug her claws into the ground, looking around with discomfort. She still couldn’t decide if she should head back or risk asking. So Sprite continued, “Well, I better get back on it! Hey, have fun, uh, learning to hunt, or whatever. ‘Kay?”
She turned and began walking away. Though she was a huge dragon, with no one else around, the environment seemed to spread out around her, minimizing her presence, yet framing her, like a ghost about to fade to the otherworld. Misty grew increasingly aware of the distance growing between them, of the nothingness in that space. Her heart pounded. [i]What if this is my only chance? Are you going back alone? You think you’re gonna change something with that wasted time?[/i]
[i]Not a chance.[/i] She gritted her teeth, using the new determination in her to call out.
“Actually, I could use some help with something. If you have time.” Misty’s voice was much quieter than she expected. The courage had existed only in that moment. So, if Sprite didn’t respond… then she had definitely failed. And she looked down, unable to face the result.
But it was quiet in the village, and Sprite [i]did[/i] hear her. She turned and bounced back in one leap, using such force that Misty jumped backwards and met Sprite’s eyes full of delight.
Sprite whispered excitedly, “Do you need help finding frogs to hunt?”
Misty’s mood dropped. “No.” But Sprite’s words had lightened her mood. “Trickmurk is coming up.”
“Just a week left!”
“I have a problem.”
“A problem… with Trickmurk?”
Misty wasn’t interested in giving a long explanation. She led the way back to the workshop. This time, she took a more relaxed stride with her head up a little higher, content to hear a second set of footsteps tapping with the beat of the drizzle.
Everything was as she left it. But this time, Sprite was there, puzzling over the sketches as Misty explained the project.
“Oh, dang, you’re cutting it close, huh?” Sprite said with a chuckle. “Let me see what I can do!”
Misty watched as Sprite sketched a clean design from one of the prototypes with light, confident strokes. She carved leaves and curls into different rubber blocks and used them as stamps with purple and gold ink. The intricate design of the stamps layered over each other and created a feeling of glamour without extra decorations like stones or ribbons that Misty usually saw in celebration invitations. She hummed happily at the result. How Sprite came up with this made no sense to her, but it was pretty and appeared effortless, so she agreed with it right away.
“This makes it easier,” said Sprite, handing Misty a few of the stamps and a stack of fresh paper. “So, you do these stamps first. Make sure they’re aligned with the paper. Then hand it to me, and I’ll do the calligraphy. Sound good?”
“Got it.” A wave of relief calmed Misty enough to focus on the work. Without looking up, she said, “Thanks. For dropping your work and helping me with this.” She slid the first half-completed flier across the table.
“Aww, Misty!” said Sprite as she caught the paper. She didn’t begin writing - she rambled about how large the scope of the project appeared, something like that; Misty didn’t want to pay attention. Instead, she slid two completed cards across the table. They bounced off of Sprite’s hand, startling her. She looked down and, after a pause to think, scrambled to get the calligraphy done while she chatted.
The rain persisted through to moonrise. The urgency faded as the sounds of clanmates calling to each other and scrambling about filled the air. Soon the invitations were completed and set out to dry. With a sigh, Misty curled into a corner of the workshop and dragged her hand down her face. “Good,” was all she could say.
“Good work,” Sprite echoed, yawning and nodding softly towards their work. “What’s next?”
“Next is packaging and delivering the fliers,” Misty said so softly that she might have been talking to herself. “That doesn’t take much time. The real problem is delivery. I can only carry so much, so I’ll need to make multiple trips.” She paused. “I’ll sleep now and start another marathon tomorrow.”
“[i]Marathon?[/i] Hah!” Sprite said. “Funny joke. Hey, why don’t you let me help out again?”
Misty blinked and rubbed her eyes. “Wait. You say somethin’?”
“Yeah, I said let me hang onto this project a bit longer. I mean, I’m a giant dragon with some mean wings.” Sprite stretched her wings so the tips touched the ceiling. “I could cover a lot more ground than you can running alone. Just saying.”
“Er…” Misty had never planned for receiving so much help. Wasn’t Sprite already busy? “What about picking up the litter?”
Sprite opened her mouth to speak, but a loud noise interrupted her. Her ears stood up and she whipped her head to look towards the door. A few clanmates ran past just outside in a flurry of footsteps and splashing water. “You kidding me?” someone said. “Since when do we get hurricanes? What clan even has this much junk out where the wind can carry it?” “Thank the Shadowbinder we aren’t hosting the festival this time,” said another. The chatter continued with arguing over division of work and faded into the distance.
“I think they got it,” said Sprite.
Misty watched Sprite circle in place and curl up in the opposite corner and look back at Misty. “Well, what do you think?” Sprite said at last.
“I think,” said Misty, “That I need to redo the plan for delivery routes and go over it with you. If all goes well, we could finish early.”
Sprite gasped and grinned. Misty returned a soft smile. Sprite started to list what she thinks needs to be done, but Misty shushed her and turned away.
“Don’t want to think about that right now. [i]Sleep[/i].”
“Oh! Yeah, yeah.” Sprite yawned and put her head down, too.
For the first time since she started the project, Misty felt she had control. The project would go as planned. She would send the invitations out on time and with a friend by her side. She tried to focus on just this happiness, tuning out to the rhythm of the rain which still fell.
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The daybreak found Misty staring out her door. Pacing. Waiting. Again. She didn’t believe anyone would come. The answer, of course, was to step out of the workshop and find someone. But the warmth of the sun covered the gardens in a soft pink color, the rain faded to a drizzle, and the mushrooms quit their glow, and there was no way, this far past night, that even one clanmate would be awake. Not a chance. So, again, Misty retreated indoors.
And everything was still in its place, almost exactly as it was when she began. The envelopes, the wax, the candles and the seals were arranged neatly in an assembly-line format for quick packaging. The invitations themselves were absent, though. They didn’t exist at all, not counting a pile of sketches on a table to the side and bits of crumpled paper in a trash bin nearby. It’s at this table that Misty sat and picked up work, sweeping the old sketches off and starting anew on a fresh sheet of paper. She drew and painted and tossed away the failures. Too plain. Too lopsided. Too crowded. Again.
‘Kay, look, Misty, she thought, You are not an artist. You need help. Got that? You can’t do this on your own. Get up and find someone. She shoved herself away from the table, opened the door yet again and shielded her eyes from the brilliant light. The tip-tap of the rain reminded her of the persistent ticking of a clock. A humid mist now clung to her skin. The ice dragon wanted nothing to do with outside; not right now, anyway.
You’re going in circles. Just go back inside, give another sketch a go.
She hesitated, gritting her teeth. Before the thoughts of retreat returned, before she restarted the cycle, she sprinted. Hopped between the cover of trees, keeping her eyes alert and her body low to the ground as she scanned her village for life. It’s got to be easier than you think, she said to herself. Just like hunting, but… no, that’s not right. Hunting what, invisible dragons? You don’t hunt friends anyway. It’s all stupid any way you look at it. And so she quit looking.
She slowed to a prowl as she entered the marketplace, keeping to the shadows of trees. Never has she seen the stalls so empty. The streets looked enormous without the usual hubbub and festival glam. The sound of the rain echoed alone. A deep loneliness sat heavy on her heart.
Well. As expected, a ghost town. What a waste of time, when I coulda been doing the project on my own. Might as well turn arou-
Something had run into her while she was lost in thought and Misty, still in hunting mode, swung her whole body around and hissed on instinct.
To her surprise, it was Sprite, a clanmate, who flinched, tossing her hands up by her collar bone. A basket filled with litter fell with a hard thunk on the floor. Sprite didn’t notice it, but Misty did, her gaze switching between her friend and the basket as she struggled to sort out her thoughts and calm herself. Sprite also took a moment to process the situation, but once what she thought and what she saw clicked in her mind, her ears perked up and she smiled.
“Hi!”
Only now did Misty think to relax and use a less intimidating pose.
“Sorry. Been a while.”
“Oh, I know!,” said Sprite. “Hey, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you out at all! I mean, uh, in? Like, in the village?” She giggled and snorted as she reached down to put any scattered trash back in the basket. “There was a huge storm last night, brought in by the sea, did you hear it?” She rambled on about weather fronts and missing clanmates, but Misty’s mind was still racing, trying to make sense of the conversation. What did any of that have to do with anything?
“And you?” She looked up at Misty and gave a playful little grin, snapping Misty back into the conversation. “What are you up to? I saw you sneaking about!”
“Er…” was all Misty could say in that moment. Now that she’s had a moment to calm down, thoughts of her project and the anxiety that came with it creeped back to her. Here’s the perfect opportunity to pitch her project and land an assistant. But her eyes flickered to the basket and back, and then her crests fell a little. Sprite was busy. There’s no way. “Nothing. Just a walk.”
“Hah! As if!” Sprite burst into giggles, and some trash spilled out of the basket again. “Shall we play three guesses? I bet you’re out to seek a secret lover!”
Misty leaned away in disgust. “NO.”
“Kidding, kidding!” This time, Sprite used her magic to pick up the trash, levitating all the pieces into the basket at once and sealing the top with a barrier. “I’m picking up trash and stuff, but it’s boring, you know? So tell me all the drama.” She held out her hand expectantly.
Boring - the word sends a surge of optimism back into Misty’s mind. If she thinks what she’s doing is boring, (and it is characteristic of the Will-O’-Wisp clan to like to work), then there’s a chance she’d join me! Well… if it isn’t equally boring. Which I guess it is. Nevermind. “I’m practicing my huntin’,” is what she ended up saying. “You seen any frogs of unusual size?”
Sprite cackled. “It’s the Tangled Wood, Misty! You think anything wakes up in the day?”
She waited for an answer, but Misty looked away, distracted. Sprite’s ears fell back slightly.
She put her basket back on her back slowly, giving time for Misty to fill the silence. Misty dug her claws into the ground, looking around with discomfort. She still couldn’t decide if she should head back or risk asking. So Sprite continued, “Well, I better get back on it! Hey, have fun, uh, learning to hunt, or whatever. ‘Kay?”
She turned and began walking away. Though she was a huge dragon, with no one else around, the environment seemed to spread out around her, minimizing her presence, yet framing her, like a ghost about to fade to the otherworld. Misty grew increasingly aware of the distance growing between them, of the nothingness in that space. Her heart pounded. What if this is my only chance? Are you going back alone? You think you’re gonna change something with that wasted time?
Not a chance. She gritted her teeth, using the new determination in her to call out.
“Actually, I could use some help with something. If you have time.” Misty’s voice was much quieter than she expected. The courage had existed only in that moment. So, if Sprite didn’t respond… then she had definitely failed. And she looked down, unable to face the result.
But it was quiet in the village, and Sprite did hear her. She turned and bounced back in one leap, using such force that Misty jumped backwards and met Sprite’s eyes full of delight.
Sprite whispered excitedly, “Do you need help finding frogs to hunt?”
Misty’s mood dropped. “No.” But Sprite’s words had lightened her mood. “Trickmurk is coming up.”
“Just a week left!”
“I have a problem.”
“A problem… with Trickmurk?”
Misty wasn’t interested in giving a long explanation. She led the way back to the workshop. This time, she took a more relaxed stride with her head up a little higher, content to hear a second set of footsteps tapping with the beat of the drizzle.
Everything was as she left it. But this time, Sprite was there, puzzling over the sketches as Misty explained the project.
“Oh, dang, you’re cutting it close, huh?” Sprite said with a chuckle. “Let me see what I can do!”
Misty watched as Sprite sketched a clean design from one of the prototypes with light, confident strokes. She carved leaves and curls into different rubber blocks and used them as stamps with purple and gold ink. The intricate design of the stamps layered over each other and created a feeling of glamour without extra decorations like stones or ribbons that Misty usually saw in celebration invitations. She hummed happily at the result. How Sprite came up with this made no sense to her, but it was pretty and appeared effortless, so she agreed with it right away.
“This makes it easier,” said Sprite, handing Misty a few of the stamps and a stack of fresh paper. “So, you do these stamps first. Make sure they’re aligned with the paper. Then hand it to me, and I’ll do the calligraphy. Sound good?”
“Got it.” A wave of relief calmed Misty enough to focus on the work. Without looking up, she said, “Thanks. For dropping your work and helping me with this.” She slid the first half-completed flier across the table.
“Aww, Misty!” said Sprite as she caught the paper. She didn’t begin writing - she rambled about how large the scope of the project appeared, something like that; Misty didn’t want to pay attention. Instead, she slid two completed cards across the table. They bounced off of Sprite’s hand, startling her. She looked down and, after a pause to think, scrambled to get the calligraphy done while she chatted.
The rain persisted through to moonrise. The urgency faded as the sounds of clanmates calling to each other and scrambling about filled the air. Soon the invitations were completed and set out to dry. With a sigh, Misty curled into a corner of the workshop and dragged her hand down her face. “Good,” was all she could say.
“Good work,” Sprite echoed, yawning and nodding softly towards their work. “What’s next?”
“Next is packaging and delivering the fliers,” Misty said so softly that she might have been talking to herself. “That doesn’t take much time. The real problem is delivery. I can only carry so much, so I’ll need to make multiple trips.” She paused. “I’ll sleep now and start another marathon tomorrow.”
“Marathon? Hah!” Sprite said. “Funny joke. Hey, why don’t you let me help out again?”
Misty blinked and rubbed her eyes. “Wait. You say somethin’?”
“Yeah, I said let me hang onto this project a bit longer. I mean, I’m a giant dragon with some mean wings.” Sprite stretched her wings so the tips touched the ceiling. “I could cover a lot more ground than you can running alone. Just saying.”
“Er…” Misty had never planned for receiving so much help. Wasn’t Sprite already busy? “What about picking up the litter?”
Sprite opened her mouth to speak, but a loud noise interrupted her. Her ears stood up and she whipped her head to look towards the door. A few clanmates ran past just outside in a flurry of footsteps and splashing water. “You kidding me?” someone said. “Since when do we get hurricanes? What clan even has this much junk out where the wind can carry it?” “Thank the Shadowbinder we aren’t hosting the festival this time,” said another. The chatter continued with arguing over division of work and faded into the distance.
“I think they got it,” said Sprite.
Misty watched Sprite circle in place and curl up in the opposite corner and look back at Misty. “Well, what do you think?” Sprite said at last.
“I think,” said Misty, “That I need to redo the plan for delivery routes and go over it with you. If all goes well, we could finish early.”
Sprite gasped and grinned. Misty returned a soft smile. Sprite started to list what she thinks needs to be done, but Misty shushed her and turned away.
“Don’t want to think about that right now. Sleep.”
“Oh! Yeah, yeah.” Sprite yawned and put her head down, too.
For the first time since she started the project, Misty felt she had control. The project would go as planned. She would send the invitations out on time and with a friend by her side. She tried to focus on just this happiness, tuning out to the rhythm of the rain which still fell.
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@
Gravebloom
A new lore piece has just been posted :)
@
Gravebloom
A new lore piece has just been posted :)
