Creative Corner

[center][columns][color=transparent]....................[/color][nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/if0JBo8.png[/img][nextcol][color=transparent]...[nextcol][center][size=7][size=4][font=sylfaen][color=#97af8b]all[/color] [color=#697f67]that[/color] [color=#414e33]r e m a i n s[/color][/font][/size][/size][nextcol][color=transparent]...[nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/xm1sIQ8.png[/img][nextcol][color=transparent]....................[/color][/columns][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/knAKSRM.png[/img] ----- [color=#697f67]introduction[/color] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_31954918]status[/url] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_31954924]rules[/color] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32007721]first chapter[/url] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982/4#post_33071847]latest chapter[/url] ----- [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]In the wake of a great wildfire, a lone wildclaw is left with almost nothing... and around her, the forest - once her home and sanctuary - is changing. In the darkness, beastclan marauders gather their forces in preparation for war. Far to the west, a creature of death grows hungry for new prey. And closer to home, a strange sickness corrupts the local wildlife, far older and deadlier than any plague. This forest is changing... but it's the only home she has.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#97af8b]...I figure it's about time I start a new writing project. It's been a while since I've done anything like this so I'm pretty rusty, but I'm kinda excited to start writing regularly again. :D I'm doing a pinkerlocke type thing, but I've heavily modified the rules to make it more challenging and also allow for me to put more time into writing. On that note, I do have a (vague) plot planned for this, so hopefully it'll end up being kinda interesting! I love working with FR's lore. [b]Content warning:[/b] violence, mild horror, death, general unpleasantness (Within FR's guidelines, ofc) [b]Pinglist:[/b] @/Digimon11 @/Geminisun @/Petall @/Delmaria @/Gachou @/gbot13 @/terrellini @/NocturnistheDark @/TropicalDiamonds[/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]Chapter one: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32007721]nightmare[/url] Chapter two: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32331988]promise[/url] Chapter three: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32638391]stranger[/url] Chapter four: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32668719]seed[/url] Chapter five: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982/2#post_32709861]hunters[/url] Chapter six: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982/3#post_32758392]hunted[/url] Chapter seven: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982/4#post_33071847]trails[/url][/size][/font][/color] ----- ----- [img]https://imgur.com/VyWeIOk.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/knAKSRM.png[/img] ----- [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_2386982]introduction[/url] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [color=#697f67]status[/color] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_31954924]rules[/url] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32007721]first chapter[/url] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32007721]latest chapter[/url] ----- [color=#697f67]I will use this post to keep track of the current status of my clan; I'm calculating everything manually (including hunger, age, and personal additions such as battle limits) so that I don't necessarily have to use a Turn every day. [b]Warning: this section may contain spoilers[/b][/color] ~o~ [color=#414e33][font=sylfaen][size=5]Those Who Remain[/size] [size=4]Current Turn:: [b]4[/b][/size] [size=4]Current active dragons :: [b]3[/b][/size][/font][/color][/center] [columns][color=transparent].....[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=39562405][img]https://imgur.com/ZE73gPf.png[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]...[/color][nextcol][color=#414e33][b]Firefly[/b] | [/color] [color=#697f67]survivor, co-leader[/color] [color=#414e33]Level:[/color] [color=#697f67]4[/color] [color=#414e33]Hunger:[/color] [color=#697f67]0/20[/color] [color=#414e33]Battles used:[/color] [color=#697f67]0/30[/color] [color=#414e33][b]Turns taken:[/b][/color] [color=#697f67]4[/color][/columns] [columns][color=transparent].....[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=39668069][img]https://imgur.com/HNndHcV.png[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]...[/color][nextcol][color=#414e33][b]Arafius[/b] | [/color] [color=#697f67]survivor, co-leader[/color] [color=#414e33]Level:[/color] [color=#697f67]4[/color] [color=#414e33]Hunger:[/color] [color=#697f67]0/20[/color] [color=#414e33]Battles used:[/color] [color=#697f67]0/30[/color] [color=#414e33][b]Turns taken:[/b][/color] [color=#697f67]4[/color][/columns] [columns][color=transparent].....[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=40861912][img]https://imgur.com/taCwmWy.png[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]...[/color][nextcol][color=#414e33][b]Luna[/b] | [/color] [color=#697f67]foundling, child[/color] [color=#414e33]Level:[/color] [color=#697f67]1[/color] [color=#414e33]Hunger:[/color] [color=#697f67]0/20[/color] [color=#414e33]Battles used:[/color] [color=#697f67]0/30[/color] [color=#414e33][b]Turns taken:[/b][/color] [color=#697f67]4[/color][/columns] [center]~o~ [color=#414e33][font=sylfaen][size=5]All They Possess[/size] [size=4][img]http://flightrising.com/images/layout/icon_insect.png[/img] x 39 [color=transparent]...[/color] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/layout/icon_meat.png[/img] x 0 [color=transparent]...[/color] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/layout/icon_seafood.png[/img] x 9 [color=transparent]...[/color] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/layout/icon_plant.png[/img] x 0 [item=berserker][item=health potion] x 9 ----- ----- [img]https://imgur.com/VyWeIOk.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/knAKSRM.png[/img] ----- [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_2386982]introduction[/url] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_31954918]status[/url] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [color=#697f67]rules[/color] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32007721]first chapter[/url] [color=#414e33]|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32007721]latest chapter[/url] ----- [color=#97af8b]Rather that following FR's canonical days passing, this 'locke operates based on Turns taken. When a Turn is taken, every dragons' hunger is set to 20, and their battle count is reset to 0. Turns also act as the "age" of dragons hatched within the clan; for example, a hatching must be 5 turns old to battle. Storywise, a Turn doesn't equal a certain amount of time, and I'll probably end up writing more than one chapter for each Turn used. This system is in place because all the previous times I attempted a 'locke, I ended up overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything that was happening! Despite maybe sounding a bit complicated, this system actually makes tracking/keeping on top of the clan easier for me. All of this clan's inventory, such as food, battlestones and familiars, will be tracked completely separate from the rest of my clan. They can only use items that are within their inventory, and items can only enter their inventory via using the Coliseum, receiving items from Baldwin, or through gifts. The exception to this is apparel items, which I can give them freely as long as it's explainable in the story. [b]Edit:[/b] just want to mention, donations are welcome~ Beware - if you donate a dragon, I'll remove all their genes.[/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=5]The Rules[/size] [size=4]Dragon Acquisition[/size][/font][/color] [color=#97af8b][size=2]1. Dragons can only be bought in specific situations, as follows: - If you get three dragons to level 25, you may buy one dragon. - If you get a familiar from Pinkerton, you may buy one dragon. - If you find an unhatched egg, you may buy one hatchling. - For every 20 turns taken, you may buy a dragon. 2. Bought dragons must be triple basic, untrained and unbred. 3. Bought dragons cannot cost more than 10kt. 4. If there are no triple-basic dragons under 10kt, buy a gened dragon and use gene removal scrolls.[/size][/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]Dragon Breeding[/size][/font][/color] [color=#97af8b][size=2]1. Dragons can only be bred if you get an apparel item from Pinkerton. 2. To be eligible to breed, both dragons must be within an appropriate size of each other (or be the same breed), and must have at least two genes each. 3. Normal nuzlocke hatching rules apply: - For every hatchling, flip a coin. - If tails, the hatchling died. Exalt, or give away. - If heads, you have a survivor.[/size][/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]Coliseum[/size][/font][/color] [color=#97af8b][size=2]1. If a dragon faints in the coliseum, it's dead. Exalt, or give away. 2. Each dragon can do a maximum of 30 battles per turn. 3. Dragons cannot [i]train[/i] in areas lower than their current level; they can grind in areas where they gain no XP, but doing so counts towards their battle limit. 4. Dragons can only use battlestones that are in the clan's inventory. 5. No refreshing the coli; you must use the flee button. Fleeing uses no energy and doesn't count towards the dragons' battle limit.[/size][/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]Food[/size][/font][/color] [color=#97af8b][size=2]1. Food cannot be gathered; it must be obtained through the Coliseum. 2. Each dragon needs to eat 20 food per Turn; a dragon can survive up to three Turns without food (i.e. 60/20 hunger). 3. If a dragon reaches 60/20 hunger, it has starved to death. Exalt or give away. 4. As per canon lore introduced [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?p=wiki&article=92]here[/url], dragons can eat food outside of their normal food groups. However, that food is less nourishing to them, therefore they have to eat 50% more of it to satisfy their hunger.[/size][/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]Genes, Breeds and Scatters[/size][/font][/color] [color=#97af8b][size=2]1. Dragons can only be given genes when they reach certain levels. - A tertiary gene at level 10. - A secondary gene at level 15. - A primary gene at level 20. 2. Only G1 dragons can be scattered and/or breed-changed, and only at the moment of hatching.[/size][/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]Pinkerton[/size][/font][/color] [color=#97af8b][size=2]For each Turn taken, the item received from Pinkerton on that day cause certain "special events" to occur (as typical for a Pinkerlocke). [i]Familiars[/i]: buy the cheapest triple-basic dragon of a certain breed from the auction house. Use a random number generator, between 1-14, to determine which breed you get. 1. Fae 2. Guardian 3. Mirror 4. Pearlcatcher 5. Ridgeback 6. Tundra 7. Spiral 8. Imperial 9. Snapper 10. Wildclaw 11. Nocturne 12. Coatl 13. Skydancer 14. Bogsneak [i]Apparel[/i]: breed two of your dragons. This only applies if you have a breedable pair with at least two genes; if not, nothing happens. Dragons can only be bred when an apparel piece is received. [i]Battle items[/i]: flip a coin. - If tails, crisis averted. Nothing happens. - If heads, death streak. Death streak rules: select three dragons using a random number generator. Go to the venue that corresponds with the highest level dragon of that group, and fight for ten consecutive rounds, quitting midway if a dragon dies. Death streaks can only happen if the clan has five or more adult members.[/size][/color] ----- ----- [img]https://imgur.com/VyWeIOk.png[/img][/center]

reserve (just in case)

[columns][color=transparent]...........................[/color][nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/if0JBo8.png[/img][nextcol][color=transparent]...[nextcol][center][font=sylfaen][size=6][color=#97af8b]chapter one[/color][/size] [size=7][size=4][color=#697f67]n i g h t m a r e[/color][/size][/size][/font][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]...[nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/xm1sIQ8.png[/img][nextcol][color=transparent]...........................[/color][/columns][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/knAKSRM.png[/img] ----- [color=#414e33]|o|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32331988]next chapter >[/url] ----- [color=#97af8b][b]Turn:[/b] 0[/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=39562405][img]https://imgur.com/McppTVQ.png[/img][/url] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]It was so hard to make sense of anything. It felt like one moment she had been asleep, and the next... [i]chaos[/i]. Shouts, roars, and... [i]screams[/i] had seemed to press down on her from every direction - a disorienting cacophony of desperate yelling and forlorn wailing. And the smoke; the smoke clogging her lungs, stinging her eyes so she could barely see... A single, terrifying idea echoed, stark and alone, in her mind. [i]Fire[/i]. But how could there be a fire? How could it have gotten so out of control? It licked and gnawed at the bark of every tree, devoured every leaf, chewed up everything the clan had built - generations of work - and spat out nothing but ash. And so fast... so fast... they couldn't stop it. It seemed like they had been surrounded by it before they'd even known it was there. [i]This can't be real... this is a nightmare. It's just a bad dream. I'll wake up and everything will be fine... I'm sure it will...[/i] She ran around desperately, trying to find someone - anyone - who could tell her what was going on, what she needed to do. Following the distant cries seemed to always lead her to walls of flame, until the panic of being trapped began to settle in her bones. The walls themselves were ablaze. She was surrounded. She coughed painfully as smoke filled her lungs. Her eyes stung so much she could barely force herself to keep them open. Her muscles felt weak. Her head spun. Breathe... breathe... [i]I'm suffocating[/i]. The thought hit her like a rock. Scampering around as she had, she'd wasted all her energy... and now she could barely walk, let alone fly. She made one ditch attempt to push herself off the ground, but the effort (combined with another coughing fit) knocked her to the dirt instead. This was it. She knew in that moment that she was going to die. The last thing she'd see was the ruins of her home as it was razed. Hundreds of years of history and sanctuary reduced to rubble. She was going to die... just because she ran instead of flew. [i]It's ironic,[/i] she thought to herself as she lay on the ground, savouring those precious few inches of clean, breathable air. [i]Because... they call me Firefly. Haha... ha... ha...[/i] Her eyes closing was a relief. When she relaxed her muscles, the pain and exhaustion faded to something distant and... unimportant. She could feel grass, leaves and roots beneath her wings. She was scared, but... but it was okay. It was okay. Like the shaman always said... her life was only borrowed... now it would feed the forest, like the forest had fed her. Just as she was about to drift into unconsciousness, a thought drifted from deep within the fog of her mind. She just… she just wanted to see the world one more time. Just once, then she could sleep... Her eyes opened a crack. It stung, but she didn't blink. Something was there... right in front of her face... As her vision slowly focused, she recognised it as a moth. Just a moth. Small, green, its wings flickering like falling leaves. It struggled a little, part of its body buried beneath the ash. Oh. Poor thing. Ever so gently, Firefly used one claw to free the tiny creature. For a moment it clung to her fingertip while its wings quivered softly. It seemed so very out of place - a spark of life in the midst of ruin, despair and death. So pure. The wildclaw smiled sadly, admiring it as ash settled like snow on her sprawled wings. Then, after a few seconds of silently thrumming its wings, the moth took to the air - erratic, but graceful in its flight. Surprisingly, the insect didn’t fly skywards as Firefly had expected it would. Instead, it darted towards the sprawling roots of the clan’s Nesting Tree, perhaps the only plant in the region that had yet to catch fire. Her eyes drifted to one of the many tunnels leading beneath the roots of the tree… [i]Of course! The caves![/i] Deep enough to be free from smoke, damp enough that it was unlikely the fire would spread inside… she had a chance. It might be safe. Mustering the last dregs of strength in her, Firefly forced herself to her feet and bounded towards the tunnel entrance. It wasn’t too far… just a little further… She slid between the great tree’s roots and descended further below, further from the madness and destruction above. Slowly the sounds of crackling wood and distant roars faded, replaced by the gentle dripping of moisture from above and the slap of her feet on mud. The end of this tunnel opened out in the nesting chamber, sequestered between the thick roots of this ancient tree. Firefly had planned to see if anyone else had made it there, to find out what was happening and why… but as soon as the rush of terror wore off, the young dragon was overcome with sudden, overwhelming exhaustion. There was no fighting it off this time. Her strength gave out all at once; she didn’t even have the energy to make it to the end of the tunnel. Her legs went limp beneath her - she only just managed to dampen the impact with her arms before her consciousness fled entirely. When her eyes would open again, she would awake feeling as if the whole ordeal was a dream. She would leave the tunnel expecting to find her home intact, and her family waiting for her, laughing about her “sleepwalking antics”. Instead, she’d be faced with cruel, merciless reality. But for now, she could sleep. Sleep, and dream of what once was, and what could never be. A form appeared out of the darkness of the tunnel, its wings a gentle whisper against the stagnant air. Gently it alighted on the nose of the dragon, folding its vibrant wings. It would be watching.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#97af8b]Gonna do three chapters to get the story started before actual pinkerlocke rules come into effect. So no food's been used and there's no chance of anyone dying before I can introduce them. :P [s]Sorry if my writing's sloppy. It's been a while.[/s] ----- [color=#414e33]|o|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32331988]next chapter >[/url] ----- [img]https://imgur.com/VyWeIOk.png[/img][/center]

[columns][color=transparent].................................[/color][nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/if0JBo8.png[/img][nextcol][color=transparent]...[nextcol][center][font=sylfaen][size=6][color=#97af8b]chapter two[/color][/size] [size=7][size=4][color=#697f67]p r o m i s e[/color][/size][/size][/font][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]...[nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/xm1sIQ8.png[/img][nextcol][color=transparent].................................[/color][/columns][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/knAKSRM.png[/img] ----- [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32007721#]< prev chapter[/url] [color=#414e33]|o|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32638391]next chapter >[/url] ----- [color=#97af8b][b]Turn:[/b] 0[/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]Everything seemed to blur together. Her whole life swallowed by this... haze. Nothing felt real anymore; her mind was fogged as in a dream, her body half running on autopilot. It was hard to even recall how she had ended up here. Here... here, in this hollow shaped from the roots of a tree. It was a small but well-kept structure - one of the clan's outposts, right on the border of their territory; here, the trees thinned out, eventually falling away into the great cliffs that marked the western edge of the Gladekeepers realm. It was a day's hard travel from where that fire presumably still raged, insatiable. She could only hope it would die out before it got here. Once more she tried to sort through the events of the last two days. Had-- had it really only been two days? It felt like so much longer... but only one night had passed. So little time for her whole life to fall apart. She still didn't know what started the blaze. She wasn't sure, either, where her clanmates were; she hadn't seen hide nor tail of them since this all began. It was odd. She hadn't expected to be the first to arrive at this outpost, and certainly would've thought someone else would have shown up by now. Even if the others had regrouped and chosen to head to a different one, surely they would have sent someone to gather the stragglers and those who'd ended up elsewhere. But no... the forest was utterly devoid of any trace of her family. A storm of anxiety welled up in her stomach as she started worrying again about their fate. Unconsciously her mind drifted back... back to the caverns beneath the Nesting Tree. Back to the morning after the fire, when she'd awoken - scared and confused - and descended to the clan's great nesting chamber. Entering that venerable hall to find... nothing. Empty nests; nests that had been full the night previous, tended and guarded by devoted parents, now barren as if they'd never been used. Scattered across the floor enough cracked shells to make her sick, but not enough to account for that gaping absence. Perhaps some of her clanmates had managed to rescue the eggs. Even in that chaos, it was possible... surely. That must've been it. Firefly clung fiercely to that idea, trying to ignore the doubts that crept at the periphery of her mind. [i]No. The eggs are safe. The clan saved them. They did.[/i] But then... why-- the wildclaw shuddered as another memory shoved its way to the forefront. The vast, imposing guardian of the nesting cavern - a strong warrior, wholeheartedly dedicated to protecting the clan's young. She had shown up one day, out of nowhere, and with nobody's permission had set herself up as the protector of the Nesting Tree. The clan's elders hadn't exactly [i]approved[/i] of this, but found they were completely unable to remove the guardian short of physically attacking her; and after some discussion, they had decided it wasn't worth the risk, or the bloodshed. Her watch had ended that night. Firefly had found her lifeless form, curled up and bloody, clutching the only surviving egg in her claws. Her wings were torn, her scales marred by injuries no flame could have caused. Tears welled up in the corner of the young dragon's eyes. Her family... her home... her life... All gone. Taken away, faster than she ever could have imagined. And now she was left alone here, and all she really knew... as much as she tried to hide from it, tried to convince herself otherwise... is that the death of her clan was no accident. Somebody started that fire. Somebody killed the guardian. There was a reason she hadn't seen any of her clan members since fleeing her burning home. A quiet tapping snapped her out of her painful reverie. Besides her, the egg quivered slightly. The last legacy of a dragon who gave her life to protect the defenceless; perhaps the last legacy of her entire clan, once so strong and proud. Just a single egg. This was all that was left. She cradled the small, fragile thing in her arms. It was warm, and pulsed faintly with the tiny heartbeat inside. Firefly thought back to her clanmates... her friends, her family, the ones who'd raised her and been there for her all her life. Every happy memory she had, every smile, every laugh - it all coalesced into some kind of fierce resolve even as she sat there sobbing with the egg clutched against her chest. She had lost everything, but she wouldn't let it be for nothing. She wouldn't let her clan's legacy die like this. She would be strong... for the sake of her clan, and for the sake of this one little egg. She would survive, and she would make her ancestors and the Gladekeeper herself proud. She would. She [i]would[/i]. Through the tears and pain, she swore that she would.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#97af8b]About time I updated this! Whoops. >.>[/color] ----- [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32007721#]< prev chapter[/url] [color=#414e33]|o|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32638391]next chapter >[/url] ----- [img]https://imgur.com/VyWeIOk.png[/img][/center]

[columns][color=transparent].................................[/color][nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/if0JBo8.png[/img][nextcol][color=transparent]..[nextcol][center][font=sylfaen][size=6][color=#97af8b]chapter three[/color][/size] [size=7][size=4][color=#697f67]s t r a n g e r[/color][/size][/size][/font][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]..[nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/xm1sIQ8.png[/img][nextcol][color=transparent].................................[/color][/columns][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/knAKSRM.png[/img] ----- [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32331988]< prev chapter[/url] [color=#414e33]|o|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32668719]next chapter >[/url] ----- [color=#97af8b][b]Turn:[/b] 0[/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]Life in the outpost was... okay. Out there in the wilderness, Firefly found it easy to distract herself from the various worries plaguing her mind. She tried to keep herself busy, and daily life saw to that; though there was a stockpile of dried meats stored away in the outpost, she was saving those for an emergency, so hunting took up a good portion of her time. Mostly small game, supplemented with the occasional wild fruits or vegetables. The rest of the time she spent tidying up after herself, tending to the egg and the improvised nest she'd made for it, and reading. Luckily for her, whoever had stocked this place had included a small library in it (probably for the sake of the border guards who, in times of conflict, would temporarily reside in outposts such as this one). It was surprising how easily she fell into a routine. It bothered her to be here, wasting her time instead of trying to track down the other members of her clan... but so long as the egg was in her care, there wasn't much to be done. Even when hunting, she was intensely aware of how far she was from her new "charge", and would rarely go more than an hour without returning to check on it. And of course, every time she did it was still exactly where she'd left it, nestled in a warm pile of old blankets and furs. Occasionally it would rock a little, but it didn't seem ready to hatch just yet. Three days passed uneventfully. Still no sign of any of her clanmates - but, on the bright side, there was no sign of the fire spreading in this direction either. This place was far off the beaten track; visitors were hardly a problem, and the local wildlife kept its distance. It was a safe enough little place to rest up.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]The rain hammered on the canopy of the forest above. It was hard to tell whether night had truly fallen yet; the overcast sky was a uniform grey that blocked out any hint of the sun or moon above it. Rainstorms could turn the brightest day into the darkest night, and this one was no different. Thunder groaned ominously in the distance. The cacophony outside almost drowned out the slight banging noise coming from the entrance to the hut. Firefly nearly fell off her hammock in surprise as she realised it was neither the weather nor a dream. [i]Someone's... knocking?[/i] The banging ceased for a moment, and she thought she could faintly hear a voice outside. It was unnerving, but-- but she had to find out what it was. ...Cautiously, though. She wasn't a fool. She crept closer to the door as silently as possible. The door itself was made of willow woven between branches of some sturdier wood; it was not especially artful, and nobody had bothered to include a window. The only way to see out would be to open it a crack, but that left her vulnerable to whoever -- whatever -- was outside. Firefly took a deep breath. The knocking had stopped, and there was no sound coming from outside but the constant roar of that tropical rainstorm. Maybe... it was her imagination? She thought how silly she'd feel when she opened the door to find nothing there. Of course that's what would happen. That's what she told herself as she finally worked up the courage to see what was out there. Fear spiked up again as she realised that it wasn't her imagination after all. But it wasn’t the kind of fear she had expected. There, lying sodden and exhausted in the mud, breath ragged, was a tundra dragon. His fur was drenched and matted with dirt, and in some areas she could just about see hints of dried blood in the light leaking from the undertree cabin. One of his wings appeared to be bent at an awkward, painful angle, and both were covered in lacerations that made Firefly wince as she noticed them. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=39668069] [img]https://imgur.com/WE2QWFh.png[/img] [/url] Just barely could she make out a rasping voice coming from within the mass of fur and mud. “Please,” he whimpered. “Please help me.” The wildclaw didn’t hesitate. She immediately latched the doors open and did her best to help the injured dragon inside. Luckily she was much larger than the tundra and, as a former guard-in-training, she was muscular too; she could lift the small dragon with ease, but finding a way to do so that wouldn’t hurt him was difficult. Carefully she supported him as he hobbled inside and collapsed heavily on one of the rugs on the floor. “Thank… you…” he whispered weakly as Firefly got to work sparking a small flame in the cabin’s stone firepit. It wasn’t something she was either comfortable or proficient at doing, but she knew the basics; there were already a few lit candles scattered around for lighting, one of which she used to light the kindling she’d found among the outposts’ supplies. There were some branches and small logs stockpiled too, enough to grow the flame into a warm (but carefully controlled) blaze. The tundra dragon shuffled closer to the heat and spread his one good wing to dry, grimacing as he did so. Twigs and brambles were knotted into his fur in some areas. “Hard landing?” Firefly asked, the words coming out quieter than she’d intended. The tundra laughed weakly. “Yeah, you could say that.” “You… hungry? Thirsty?” He hesitated, then nodded. Firefly left to find some food, and returned a moment later with a pouch of dried fruit and nuts, and a shallow bowl of rainwater. “Sorry, haven’t got any fresh plantfood in - I hope this is okay for now”, she said awkwardly as she handed them to the tundra, who looked to have composed himself while she was away. He was now sat upright, and had been working on extricating some stray branches from his mane when she’d returned. Looked up at her and seemed to think for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he began to utter solemnly: “My name is Arafius, son of Arafian, son of Arafi; and I swear by the deepest mines and highest crags of Dragonhome, in the name of the Earthshaker himself, that I will repay you for saving my life, most merciful Daughter of the Wilderness”. He bowed deeply as he finished, though the act obviously pained him. Firefly gaped a little. “You’re a formal one, aren’t you? Well, you don’t have to worry about… any of that… I’m just glad to have the company, honestly. It’s… a little lonely out here…” She went silent for a minute, then yelped. “Oh, I didn’t introduce myself! Sorry-- I don’t have a formal name yet, but you can call me Firefly.” Arafius just nodded, though his eyes were serious. “I meant what I said, Firefly. I will find a way to repay you. I would’ve died out there if not for you.” She just nodded. He wasn’t wrong. This was deep wilderness; with thick fur drenched with cold rain, that dragon would’ve been lucky to survive until morning. It was a miracle he’d happened to stumble here, the one inhabited area for miles around. Silence reigned for a time as the newcomer set himself to removing the last of the debris from his fur and breaking up the matted knots. Firefly left to take stock of how much preserved plantfood was stored away, then returned to tend to the egg, making sure it wasn’t too hot or too cold. Verdant leaves sprouting from the top showed the egg to still be in good health, thankfully. She didn’t know enough to be certain, but by her knowledge it would probably be hatching soon. Maybe even over the next few days. The rain continued to hammer down, relentless. The fire retreated into the depths of the now-ashen woodpile, gave off a few pitiful flickers and died. The last wisp of smoke swirled up through the woven chimney and disappeared into the air above. Arafius, his fur now dry and somewhat less ragged, managed to pull himself up into a hammock; Firefly hopped into another, swinging a little as she got herself comfortable on the woven bed. “Can I ask you a question, Arafius?” She said as she lay there. The other dragon gave a slight nod. “Well, you’re a long way from Dragonhome, you know… how did you end up here, in the middle of nowhere?” Something dismal crept into the tundra’s voice as he replied, “I don’t know.”[/size][/font][/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#97af8b]LOOK A CHAPTER. Jeez I'm bad at doing this regularly. Said I was gonna have this done days ago... [s]lowkey enjoying not having an audience because there's no pressure hehe[/s][/color] ----- [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32331988]< prev chapter[/url] [color=#414e33]|o|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32668719]next chapter >[/url] ----- [img]https://imgur.com/VyWeIOk.png[/img][/center]

@Digimon11

Sure! Thank you!! :D

[columns][color=transparent].......................................[/color][nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/if0JBo8.png[/img][nextcol][color=transparent]..[nextcol][center][font=sylfaen][size=6][color=#97af8b]chapter four[/color][/size] [size=7][size=4][color=#697f67]s e e d[/color][/size][/size][/font][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]..[nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/xm1sIQ8.png[/img][nextcol][color=transparent].......................................[/color][/columns][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/knAKSRM.png[/img] ----- [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32638391]< prev chapter[/url] [color=#414e33]|o|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982/2#post_32709861]next chapter >[/url] ----- [color=#97af8b][b]Turn:[/b] 1[/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#697f67][font=sylfaen][size=4]“Hey Firefly-- Firefly, please wake up… Hey, psst. Wake up!” Something nudged at her shoulder a little. She groaned, mumbling something incomprehensible. “Gods, Firefly, wake up! Your egg is-- it’s hatching!” Groggily she opened an eye a crack. “I don’t have a…” Realisation hit her. Her eyes shot open and she lunged to get out of bed, remembering a second too late that she was sleeping in a hammock. She landed face-first on the floor, her tail tangled in the fabric swinging above her. “The egg!” she yelped as she lay in a heap, looking up at Arafius. “I didn’t know what to do! I’m sorry! I’m kind of panicking right now, please tell me you know how to deal with this because I really don’t and--” “Please stop talking!” Firefly interrupted. “And panicking! It’s fine. I mean, I’ve never dealt with this before, but-- but it’ll be fine, we’ll figure it out.” The tundra was wide-eyed and dishevelled, his one good wing flared out in agitation and his tail sweeping the floor behind him. He still looked on the verge of a mental breakdown, but seemed a bit relieved when she took the lead. Firefly stood up and hopped over to where the egg still lay in its makeshift nest of blankets. It wasn’t moving that much, but there was a persistent tapping coming from it and it occasionally bobbed to the side as something small squirmed around inside. The leaves on top of the earthen shell appeared to be almost glowing. Oh, yes-- no doubt about it. This kid was ready to hatch. She scooped the fragile egg up gently and carried it towards the door. Arafius watched from a distance; he must’ve managed to calm himself down a bit, because his fur was no longer stood on end, and his tail had ceased making a mess of the floor rugs. He tilted his head quizzically. “Where are you going?” “It’s a Nature egg, rock-brain. They’re like-- like seeds. Can’t hatch ‘em indoors. They need dirt.” The Earth dragon looked perplexed, but nodded. “Also, correction: the... poor thing isn’t mine. It’s… an orphan, I guess. I don’t know where its parents are. I-- I don’t even know [i]who[/i] they are.” “Oh… sorry.” Outside, the sky was clear and bright. Rays on sunshine cast dappled light on the forest floor, as a myriad of insects flitted around between ever-blooming flowers and birds sung from perches in the canopy above. In the wake of that fearsome rainstorm the jungle sprung to life, savouring the bright skies while they lasted. Firefly chose a spot at random, clearing it of leaves. “Usually there’s a whole ceremony and the shaman says a prayer to the Gladekeeper, does blessings and stuff. I don’t know how to do any of that… I’m just a guard. So-- so this will have to do. Sorry for the crappy welcoming party, little guy.” Arafius watched with intense curiosity, but from a respectful distance. As the wildclaw gently set the egg down, it quickly sprouted anchoring roots that secured it to the ground. After a moment, the brown shell began to split apart, and the leaves at the top gradually fanned out and expanded like a flower in bloom. Cradled within was the hatchling, their head tucked deep beneath their wing and their tail wrapped tightly around them. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=40861912][img]https://imgur.com/uVV4TdG.png[/img][/url] Firefly’s thoughts turned somber as she looked down at the fragile little hatchling. “This is it,” she found herself saying, softly. “Far as I know, we’re all that’s left of our once-mighty clan. Centuries of history… of war, of peace, of happiness and blight… and all that remains of it-- is us.” The newborn tundra dragon stirred, then hesitantly peeked out from beneath her vibrant wing. [i]She’s not so unlike the fire, is she? Fur like the forest, but wings of flame.[/i] Her eyes were wide and innocent, the same shade of verdant green as Firefly’s own. For a while the young dragon just gazed around, taking in the world around her with a look of wonder on her face. Then her tail uncurled and she tried to stand, only to plomp back down in a pile of fluff. Arafius had approached a bit closer now, looking like any anxiety he had felt was long gone. He had a wide grin on his face that he’d originally been trying to hide. He bent down to greet the hatchling, and she squeaked at him enthusiastically. “So, what’re you going to name her?” “Oh... well, in my clan hatchling’s don’t get true names-- those are bestowed by the shaman once a dragon comes of age. But… until then, we can call her…” Something in the bushes caught her attention; a familiar flicker of soft green wings on an erratic but graceful journey between the trees. “...Luna. We will call her Luna.” Arafius leaned closer to the hatchling conspiratorially. “What’dya think of that, you little nugget? You want to be Luna? Because I was thinking… maybe… you could be Fuzzybutt instead!” He made a ridiculous goofy expression as he said it, and little Luna burst out laughing before tripping over her shell. Firefly shook her head, but she was smiling. “What’s the deal with you anyway, Fluffy? One minute you’re all fancy words, the next you’re doing-- [i]this[/i].” “Ah well, my parents taught me to be formal with strangers, but it’s a bit hard to keep that up when you stumble into someone’s house half-dead and covered in mud, steal one of their beds for the night and wake up just in time to watch a [i]child being born.[/i]” “So… you’re not like that all the time, I take it?” “Pfft, no.” “Well, thank the Gods for that. I dunno if I could deal with fancy talk all the time. Besides, ‘round here we don’t do much of that… I mean, you go further east and you get to the Wilds, where you’re more likely to be greeted with fangs and your own head on a dinnerplate!” “Remind me to never go there, ever. I barely survived the forest on its own.” Firefly scooped up Luna as she made another (more successful) attempt at walking. Specifically walking [i]away[/i], towards some deep underbrush. The tundra made an indignant cry as she was hoisted into the air. Firefly carried her back towards the undertree outpost, looking over at Arafius as she walked. “So how’d you find your way here, anyway? Nobody else for miles around.” “Ah, well… I crash landed in some trees, as you probably guessed. Wandered around aimlessly for what felt like ages. With the rain pouring down and the forest almost black, there was no way I’d be able to find my way even if there’d been a lair ten feet in front of my face. Not to mention the water weighing me down and my feet getting stuck in the damned mud every step, and my wing being all messed up and painful. So… I mean, I was just going to lie down and wait til the storm passed, see if I could make my way once I had some light. But then…” “Then what?” “You’re gonna think I’m crazy or a liar if I tell you.” “I won’t, I swear.” Arafius narrowed his eyes in suspicion, then continued. “Well, there was-- there was this little moth, right where I was going to lie down. Little green thing. And I looked at it for a minute, wondering if the little guy was okay out in the rain. But somehow it just took off, even though it was pouring it down. And I didn’t really have much else to do, so I followed it. Probably a stupid thing to do, but it’s not like I had a wealth of options, y’know? And I ended up here. Knocked on the door because I was way too tired and hurt to care anymore if this was some cannibal’s hut or something. And, well, you know the rest.” [i]A moth? Again? Could it be the same one?[/i] She didn’t have a clue what it could possibly mean, and didn’t even know where to begin with figuring it out. She’d never had any magical talent or anything like that; this was way beyond her. She didn’t even know how to feel about it. Was it an omen? A spell? Or just an odd, but fortuitous, coincidence? Firefly placed Luna in her nest, where the hatchling promptly curled up into a ball and fell asleep; then she started making some breakfast for her and Arafius. Life would be hard with a hatchling to care for. She didn’t know how long Arafius was planning to stick around, and she knew, despite everything, that she shouldn’t completely trust him-- she’d only known him a few days. There would be no hunting for a while, not until Luna was old enough to be safe alone or to come along as well. The stockpile of rations was decent, but still… Firefly prepared herself for hungry times ahead. Things were going to be harder from here on out. She only hoped she was strong enough to get herself and Luna through whatever life would throw at them.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#414e33][font=sylfaen][size=5]Pinkerton Item[/size][/font][/color] [item=round pebbles] [color=#97af8b][font=sylfaen][size=4](No effect)[/size][/font][/color] [color=#414e33][font=sylfaen][size=5]Inventory[/size][/font][/color] [color=#97af8b][font=sylfaen][size=4]40 x [img]http://flightrising.com/images/layout/icon_insect.png[/img][color=transparent]...[/color]20 x [img]http://flightrising.com/images/layout/icon_meat.png[/img][color=transparent]...[/color]40 x [img]http://flightrising.com/images/layout/icon_seafood.png[/img][color=transparent]...[/color]20 x [img]http://flightrising.com/images/layout/icon_plant.png[/img] [item=health potion] x 10[/size][/font][/color] [color=#414e33]~o~[/color] [color=#97af8b]@Digimon11 Plot twist: Arafius is a big dork, but he has fancy words sometimes. Eyy look, I did an update and it didn't take me a month!! Now I'm onto the actual turns I hope I can stick with it more. [s]Slightly scared someone's gonna starve though[/s]. Edit: also cAN I SAY HOW PERFECT LUNA IS?!?! My ridiculous hatch luck strikes again! Woot![/color] ----- [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982#post_32638391]< prev chapter[/url] [color=#414e33]|o|[/color] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2386982/2#post_32709861]next chapter >[/url] ----- [img]https://imgur.com/VyWeIOk.png[/img][/center]