Creative Corner

[center][b][size=5]Characters[/size][/b][/center] [columns][color=transparent]_________________________[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37694245][img]https://i.imgur.com/vID67VY.png[/img][/url] [b]Alexander[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]_______[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37691541][img]https://i.imgur.com/Xx5Me8f.png[/img][/url] [b]Centurion (Redwing)[/b][/center][/columns] [center][img]https://orig04.deviantart.net/a908/f/2017/225/5/b/frarcane_sword_banner_by_littlefiredragon-dbjxypv.png[/img] [size=6][color=#ba46b4]Alexander[/color][/size][/center][columns][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37694245][img]https://i.imgur.com/QqwwKMQ.jpg[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]__[/color][nextcol][size=4]It was a matter of slipping through the cracks. The hunt was pulling back, ready to spread out again in a new pattern to search. Patrols were deliberately unpredictable, mostly around the upper lair, under orders to pick off any stragglers from Darvena's faction. His pink fur wouldn't do him any favours. He waded through the mud, holding his breath and shoving his face down into the murk, letting it set into his pelt. It was already itchy against his skin, dripping in clumps from his fur like a swamp monster. He spat out mud, resisting the urge to claw it from his mouth. He glanced back towards the lair, making out the distant silhouettes of the huts. "I'm sorry, guys. I'll be late to meet." He turned away, hopping up the roots and making his way into the forest. He knew where he had to go. The rush of the day before had kept him close to the territory, exiting from the limb he had run from before. He was heavy, weighed down by the mud, forced to climb across limbs rather than glide past them. Occasionally a patrol passed above or below him and he froze, terrified of being silhouetted against the sky, but they passed him by quickly and didn't stop to check. At the edge of the territory he broke into a run, snapping through the brittle foliage. He knew he was close, following his own panicked tracks from the day before. He sped up, leaves pushing past him, remembering the wisp shooting through the branches. [/size][/columns] Something slammed down on his tail, spinning him out of control. He grabbed desperately for the limb, skidding over the edge, his fur dragging him to the fall. The depths of the forest gaped below, his claws scrambling for a foothold. Something grabbed his scruff, yanking him into the air and throwing him down to the limb. "[i]So.[/i]" The world was spinning, the shock starting to set in. The bulk of an imperial leered above him, Centurion's eyes narrowed in triumphant malice. "Passing notes?" He backed away, something throbbing in his tail. He could hear the babble of other dragons, twigs snapping all around him. "I think this warrants a little trip back to the lair." [i]If you don't have them by sunrise...[/i] He didn't think before he started to run, pelting through the trees, blood pumping past his ears. He could hear shouts behind him, the sound of a pursuer hot on his heels and a breeze from huge wings above them, but he couldn't stop. The hideout was close, so [i]close[/i]- The pursuer caught him up, snatching him into the air by his scruff and dangling him above the forest chasm. Their harsh grip cut off his air, leaving him scrabbling helplessly at his windpipe. "Cent, I got him!" The shout was followed by a yelp of alarm and a lurch as the dragon let go, Alexander plummeting into the forest. Above him, his pursuer balked away from the claws of a white wisp. He tumbled through the trees, trying desperately to spread his wings, caked with dry mud and clumped fur. His back hit a branch, slamming the air out of his body and tossing him into a spinning fall. The world turned black as he plunged into the swamp, dragged down through the endless murk to unconsciousness.

[center][b][size=5]Characters[/size][/b][/center] [columns][color=transparent]_[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38431052][img]https://i.imgur.com/NOr3NPJ.png[/img][/url] [b]Abriella[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=33590269][img]https://i.imgur.com/ylFJXcx.png[/img][/url] [b]Monster[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30628431][img]https://i.imgur.com/Tj6JA38.png[/img][/url] [b]Tessa[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=42489563][img]https://i.imgur.com/A7s9NWa.png[/img][/url] [b]Aspar[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37691542][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/376916/37691542p.png[/img][/url] [b]Jademask (Jasper)[/b][/center][/columns] [center][img]https://orig05.deviantart.net/49f7/f/2017/225/a/8/frlight_sword_banner_by_littlefiredragon-dbjxz63.png[/img] [size=6][color=#e0cb57]Abriella[/color][/size][/center][columns][size=4]"He's not coming." "You're not being patient!" "Abriella, [i]he's not coming[/i]. He wouldn't leave us hanging." "I'm afraid she's right, child." Monster had curled up neatly on top of a shelf, looking tiny against the imperial-sized storehouse. "We said we would search." "But we can't search!" The sounds of the hunting party racketed the lair outside, making Aspar flinch. "He wouldn't do anything stupid. He's coming, I know he is." "We'll be found here if we stay." Aspar hung on tightly to a shelf, every Imperial footstep outside a small earthquake to the faes. "We need to move." "The how would he find us? He'll get caught if he searches!" "He'll think we've gone to look for him. He's not stupid, Abriella. He'll go back to the upper lair." She glanced at the door reluctantly, listening to the shouts outside. "Fine." She tore her gaze away, looking back at the group. "Then what now?" "We need those dolls." "We can't go after them. One dragon can be missed, but five?" "We can't just wait around!" Tessa stopped her agitated pacing. "Deri will be on the block come morning."[/size][nextcol][color=transparent]__[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38431052][img]https://i.imgur.com/JEYPU9c.jpg[/img][/url][/columns] [size=3]"So will you, if you keep shouting about it." Tessa spun around to the intruder, Jademask pushing his head and shoulders through the door. "Will [i]one [/i]of you tell me what's going on?! Darvena's on the run, Deri's on death row, Cent just sent out a warrant for Alexander and now you're chasing dolls??" "Jasper!" Aspar shot through the air, slamming into him in greeting. "You've got to help us, your sister's on a crusade." "Someone's been using magic to kill clan dragons," Abriella turned around, relief flooding her at the appearance of the young imp. "Cent won't listen to us without the dolls. They framed Deri!" He shook his head. "Cent didn't frame Deri. We got a tip they were going to practice dangerous magic in the upper lair. We were just waiting to intervene, but we didn't get the chance..." "A tip? From who?" Tessa had narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Jademask. "Azuon came to us yesterday about it." "[i]Azuon[/i]?!" "No..." Abriella shook her head, willing him to deny it. "But Azuon was one of ours..." "I'm sorry." Jasper dipped his head quietly. "If you don't think it was Deri, I'll do what I can to help." Abriella stared at the shelves, running through the timeline in her mind. "Calypso died the same day Sunshine recovered... The siphon was used to cure Sunshine... and Shizuki died the day after..." "... Deri fought Centurion..." "... And broke his wing." She looked back to Aspar and Jademask. "Calypso and Shizuki... they were both Cent's dragons." "And Sunshine and Deri were our faction... Darvena's faction." "But what would they gain from framing Deri? Shizuki was a public death." "Unless it was an accident. Unless the killer hadn't anticipated you'd be waiting... hadn't thought we'd be betrayed." "They were... one of ours?" "Someone who'd rather kill a raider than let that hatchling die. Calypso was calculated, thought through... but Shizuki was done in anger. Someone who watched Centurion attack Deri that night.... who changed their volunteer to Shizuki[i] that morning[/i], and knew early enough to make a doll that matched." A cold stone dropped in her stomach. Tessa was no longer in the storehouse.

[center][b][size=5]Characters[/size][/b][/center] [columns][color=transparent]_________________________[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37694245][img]https://i.imgur.com/vID67VY.png[/img][/url] [b]Alexander[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]_______[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34376497][img]https://i.imgur.com/5TCUgU2.png[/img][/url] [b]Darvena[/b][/center][/columns] [center][img]https://orig04.deviantart.net/a908/f/2017/225/5/b/frarcane_sword_banner_by_littlefiredragon-dbjxypv.png[/img] [size=6][color=#ba46b4]Alexander[/color][/size][/center][columns][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37694245][img]https://i.imgur.com/QqwwKMQ.jpg[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]__[/color][nextcol][size=4]The world faded in with a breeze, cold against his heavy fur. There was movement around him, but the sounds of the forest seemed distant in his mind, detached from him. He could feel the unbalanced lightness of flight, like drifting in a dream. It took a while for his senses to filter back in, the weight of clumped, matted fur and dry mud against his skin, blocking his nose and sealing his eyes shut. He snorted, reaching up to claw it away from his face, feeling flakes of dirt rub off and rain down on whatever was below him. Gravity tipped a little, claws digging into his sides. "Don't move too much." The tone was vaguely recognisable, wandering around in the back of his mind. He unstuck his eyes, forcing them open and spluttering as the dirt fell in, blinking rapidly. The shape of a coatl floated above him, the stars silhouetting her wings. If he was ascending, there wouldn't be this much mud. "Hello...?" "You took a nasty hit on the way down. Don't try to move." His back twinged as though in response, sending shots of pain down his spine. He winced, dropping his legs. "Dolls..." "It's okay. They didn't catch our trail." "No, the dolls..." His voice was croaky, sore in his throat. "What dolls?"[/size][/columns] His head was spinning, her voice and the forest still distant around him. The stars watched him balefully, a treacherous hint of blue starting to swirl around them. [i]If you don't have them by sunrise[/i]... "Turn back... we have to turn back..." "Once this has all cooled off." She reassured him, a touch of red visible on her feathers in the musty predawn light. "No... [i]no[/i]..." "Calm down. You'll make it worse." His heart was thumping, panic taking over. Dawn was on its way, and the dolls were even further than they'd been before. The coatl tanked, dropping back into the canopy. "What is it?" He was struggling for the words, his voice raw and painful, his lungs still struggling for air. He couldn't move, his back stabbing with pain and unresponsive. "I need the dolls... I- was searching..." "You want me to go back there? The territory is swarming with hunters!" "Please!" She growled in frustration, dipping a little lower. "If this bites me in the back..." He felt gravity shift again as she swerved, turning a neat circle among the trees. They passed by in a haze of unreality, the blue tinge of predawn getting lighter as it slid across the horizon. He wanted to scream at her to go faster, but his lungs wouldn't work. The wisp floated through his mind, carrying the threat of sunrise. "Alright, show me where to go."

A short update this time around --- [center][b][size=5]Characters[/size][/b][/center] [columns][color=transparent]_________________________[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30628431][img]https://i.imgur.com/Tj6JA38.png[/img][/url] [b]Tessa[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]_______[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=27337847][img]https://i.imgur.com/Q9PeAj9.png[/img][/url] [b]Azuon[/b][/center][/columns] [center][img]https://orig01.deviantart.net/d2f7/f/2017/225/7/2/frlightning_sword_banner_by_littlefiredragon-dbjxz9x.png[/img] [size=6][color=#39a2a8]Azuon[/color][/size][/center][columns][size=4]Every sound was a threat in the depths of the forest, mitigated only by the shouts of her fellows hunting above. Azuon had suggested they split to try and follow Darvena's magical signature, confused by a hundred searchers around her. She had picked it up soon afterwards, heading down into the swamp. She eyed the murk unhappily, balancing on a root, her pink silks begging her not to follow it further. "Need any help?" She whirled around, hopping precariously to stay on her root. Tessa emerged from the closest mangrove tangle, her tam a little skewed above her eyes. Azuon sagged in relief. "I thought you were staying in the lair?" "It's too tense. I thought I might as well help out. Why are you down here alone?" "The hunters were messing up the trail. I'm trying to follow her signature, but she went into the swamp." "Don't wanna get your feet wet?" "Hardly. I was trying to find a way around." She climbed back to a more stable ledge, shaking out her mane. "I was getting worried. Coming with?" "Right behind you." [/size][nextcol][color=transparent]__[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=27337847][img]https://i.imgur.com/FQhl7Ap.jpg[/img][/url][/columns]

[center][b][size=5]Characters[/size][/b][/center] [columns][color=transparent]_[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37694245][img]https://i.imgur.com/vID67VY.png[/img][/url] [b]Alexander[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38431052][img]https://i.imgur.com/NOr3NPJ.png[/img][/url] [b]Abriella[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34376497][img]https://i.imgur.com/5TCUgU2.png[/img][/url] [b]Darvena[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=33590269][img]https://i.imgur.com/ylFJXcx.png[/img][/url] [b]Monster[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=42489563][img]https://i.imgur.com/A7s9NWa.png[/img][/url] [b]Aspar[/b][/center][/columns] [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37691541][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/376916/37691541p.png[/img][/url] [size=2][b]Centurion[/b][/size][/center] [center][img]https://orig05.deviantart.net/49f7/f/2017/225/a/8/frlight_sword_banner_by_littlefiredragon-dbjxz63.png[/img] [size=6][color=#e0cb57]Abriella[/color][/size][/center][columns][size=4][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38431052][img]https://i.imgur.com/IQQ8GPS.jpg[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]__[/color][nextcol][size=4]The lair was packed, buzzing with returning hunters and leaving raiders, blocking almost every path. It was dangerous for the Faes, darting between the legs of larger dragons, every wing and tail enough to knock them out of the air. Aspar stayed close to Abriella, clinging to her fur as they wove through the crowd. Azuon was long out of the lair, off with the hunters only the gods knew where. Abriella remembered Calypso's body, found days after the scarf in the swamp. "It's no use! We'll never get to the forest edge." Jasper shoved through the raiders behind them, sending several smaller dragons tumbling. "I'll have to ask which party she left with. Try not to look out of place." "Can you clear them out?! We're losing time!" "It'd draw too much attention! I have to speak to Centurion first." "She's not even in the lair!" "Get out into the forest, I'll catch up with you when I've found out more. Just search, try and find a trail, anything. She can't have left more than ten minutes ago." "We'll start out south."[/size][/columns]"I hear you." They split off from the Imperial, struggling through the crowd. Every minute could bring the shout of alert as their beds were found empty. They wouldn't have the time to run."Try a side route! I know where we can slip through the huts. Follow me!" Aspar swerved past a tail, disappearing behind a pile of damp crates. Abriella struggled to follow her, squeezing into the gap and tumbling out on the other side. They were pressed between two of the store huts, an alley just large enough to fit her with both shoulders pressed against the sides. Monster stopped in the gap behind her. "I can't go any further. I'm going to join Jademask." Abriella looked back, frowning in worry. The old fae was panting, doubled over from her landing. "Are you okay?" "I'll be fine. Go! You don't have time to lose." She nodded, turning back and squeezing through after Aspar, pushing out of the alley gap. They were at the side of the lower lair, the forest dropping straight down to the swamp below. She stepped onto the branches in relief, testing her weight. "We're not going to find her unless we ask. The forest is too big, there are too many trails." "If we ask, we'll be caught." "Is that better than letting Tessa find her first?" "If we're caught we can't help Azuon anyway! Come on, this way, she'll have to have left from the closest side." "How would [i]she[/i] have known where she is?" "Would you want to take that risk? If we find her first, all the better!" The forest stretched on below them, treacherously deserted. They swerved to avoid the sounds of hunting parties, weaving down towards the swamp, trying to find fur or snapped foliage that would guide them in the right direction. It was impossible to follow a Nature dragon by scent in the forest. To any other Flight dragon, they had none. --- "This is a very low root, Tess." "It's just a little further to the other side." --- "Oh, that is [i]it[/i]!" The roar of an Imperial sent Aspar hurtling behind the tundra, hiding in her fur. Cent's eyes were wild with exasperation, her metal claws sinking deep into the limb. "I know what this is! She wants to overthrow me, and you're sneaking out to join her. Soldiers!" Abriella backed away, laying her ears flat back. "Please, just listen-" "[i]Enough[/i]." The musky light of dawn silhouetted Cent against the sky, a brilliant blue through the canopy. The shadows of hunters surrounded them, landing lightly on the branches to close them in. "You're coming back to the lair." "Wait! Azuon's in danger, you [i]have[/i] to help us-" "Azuon is with our raiders. We know where she is." "I'm telling the truth!" "Take them back to the lair." "[i]No[/i]! [i]Listen to me[/i]!" "Centurion!" The dragons twisted, searching for the shout. Darvena glided shakily down from the canopy, weighed down by a lump of mud that stirred in her claws. She let it down, landing heavily in front of Centurion. "[i]You[/i]! Get her, before she runs!" Darvena spread her wings to draw their attention, the hunters moving in. "I'm giving myself in. Just hear us out." The soldiers paused, waiting for the next word. Centurion was stuck between them, torn. "Deri and I never intended to kill Shizuki. I made sure the magic was only energy, impotent even to a Light dragon." "Your words mean nothing alone." Centurion snarled, leaning down to meet her gaze. "These dolls will. Test them for magic, and you'll find your dragon. 'Xander?" The lump of mud lurched forward, holding out his claws. Between them lay the dolls of Calypso and Shizuki, bound in their deaths, and the woven scraps of a third, unmade doll. The forest tensed, hushed and urgent whispers passing between the watchers. Centurion took it in, listening to the mood of her soldiers. "Then we'll test them." "No!" Abriella pushed past Darvena. "Azuon's in trouble, we [i]can't[/i] go back." The trees seemed to hold their breath as Cent waited, paused between the challenging glare of Abriella and the solemn form of the coatl. "I..." she looked back at her soldiers, waiting and whispering on the branches, and Jasper, landing nervously on a limb. In the second of silence, someone screamed.

[center][b][size=5]Characters[/size][/b][/center] [columns][color=transparent]_[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38431052][img]https://i.imgur.com/NOr3NPJ.png[/img][/url] [b]Abriella[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=42489563][img]https://i.imgur.com/A7s9NWa.png[/img][/url] [b]Aspar[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30628431][img]https://i.imgur.com/Tj6JA38.png[/img][/url] [b]Tessa[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37694245][img]https://i.imgur.com/vID67VY.png[/img][/url] [b]Alexander[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]____[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37691541][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/376916/37691541p.png[/img][/url] [b]Centurion[/b][/center][/columns] [center][img]https://orig05.deviantart.net/49f7/f/2017/225/a/8/frlight_sword_banner_by_littlefiredragon-dbjxz63.png[/img] [size=6][color=#e0cb57]Abriella[/color][/size][/center][columns][size=4]The forest flew past, slashed through by imperial wings. Abriella tore through the foliage beneath them, flinging herself across limbs and down the cascade of leaves ripped off by the dragons above her. It was a race to the ground, the swamp hundreds of metres through the tangle below. Ironwing dived first, folding his wings and plunging through the trees, tearing a path for the hunters. Abriella skidded down the slope, clawing to stay upright, leaping across the gap and sprinting down the broken limbs. Aspar clung to her fur, twisting her claws in and pressing close, in danger of being blown away by the wind. She shouted over the noise, folding her ears back to hear her. "Where did it come from?!" "Straight down!" The swamp was rising up to meet them, trapped in a cage of roots. She saw the tam first, skewed and wild over Tessa's pink fur, her face twisted in a snarl, her claws pinning something beneath the mud. She plunged into her without thinking, slamming her into a root tangle. Tessa screamed, spinning to meet her. The hunters were descending, plunging into the swamp in pursuit of her quarry. She lunged, canines sinking into Abriella's leg, throwing her back towards the swamp. She felt the water slam into her back, Tessa's claws shoving her down, the shouts of the raiders sliced off as the mud hit her ears. She clawed at Tessa's leg, fighting to lift her head above the surface. Pressure pushed down on her lungs, time starting to slow.[/size][nextcol][color=transparent]__[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38431052][img]https://i.imgur.com/JEYPU9c.jpg[/img][/url][/columns] [size=3]The pressure was released, sound flooding back as she burst through the surface, gasping for air. Tessa screamed and struggled, pinned by the claws of an imperial. "TRAITOR! She's dead! She's dead! You'll never get her!" "Tessa... oh gods, Tessa... why?" Alexander pushed through the crowd, his tail sore and swollen. Tessa looked at him and started to sob. "For Cernnunos... only for Cernnunos..." "Cernnunos is dead. He's [i]gone[/i], Tessa." "I took it back... I took it back!" She snarled, fury taking over from her sobs. "I took back every life she lost us! [i]She's[/i] your murderer!" Centurion landed softly on the roots, the limp form of Azuon curled up in her claws. She watched the sobbing tundra, her gaze distant and cold. "Deri and Darvena are acquitted of the murders for which they were charged. I sentence you, Tessa, to death."

[center][b][size=5]Characters[/size][/b][/center] [columns][color=transparent]_____________[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37694245][img]https://i.imgur.com/vID67VY.png[/img][/url] [b]Alexander[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]________[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38431052][img]https://i.imgur.com/NOr3NPJ.png[/img][/url] [b]Abriella[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]________[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=39102539][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/391026/39102539p.png[/img][/url] [b]N/A[/b][color=transparent]__[/color][/center][/columns] [center][img]https://orig04.deviantart.net/a908/f/2017/225/5/b/frarcane_sword_banner_by_littlefiredragon-dbjxypv.png[/img] [size=6][color=#ba46b4]Alexander[/color][/size][/center][columns][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37694245][img]https://i.imgur.com/QqwwKMQ.jpg[/img][/url][nextcol][color=transparent]__[/color][nextcol][size=4]"I brought you some tea." Alexander looked up dully, curled up in the crook of his alchemy shelves. Abriella pushed through the door, her tail wrapped around the mug. "You should get up sometime, come outside." She laid it gently on the surface next to him, sitting down. "Everyone misses you." He looked away from her. Outside the window, snow had started to fall. "Azuon is recovering. They say she'll be alright." "Mm." "They still haven't managed to scrub the mark off Deri's foot. It's like a mud brand," she stood up, picking up some of the books on the floor and sliding them onto their shelves. Alexander watched her before turning back to the steaming mug. "Come on. It's not so bad. They hoped you'd come to the funeral." "She's still getting one?" "Deri fought for it. She'll be honoured like any clan dragon." He closed his eyes quietly. "Alexander...?"[/size][/columns] "I'll come, okay?" He snapped, digging back into his nook. "I'm sorry." "Mm." "You can't isolate forever." He ignored her, hearing the door click shut as she left. He pushed his nose under his tail, resting his back against the warm tea. Outside, the snow started to pile against the window. "She's right." He looked up at the familiar voice, the wispy shape of a fae perched on a bookshelf. It lay its frills back sadly, watching him with red eyes. "[i]You[/i]!" He snarled, jumping to his feet and whirling towards it, knocking the tea over with his tail. "Why didn't you take me to it sooner?! I would have found her, would have [i]talked [/i]to her-" The wisp watched him sadly, its frills laid flat. "I tried." He sagged, slumping back. "If I'd listened... if I hadn't run..." "You saved Azuon's life." "And the others? Tessa?" He stepped away from the tea puddle, retreating further into the shelves, forcing himself to speak again. "Why did you help me? Who are you?" [i]Alice[/i]. "My name is Alice." "Were you a clan dragon, too...?" He stopped to look at her, her wings spread lightly, phasing through a book on the shelf. "No." "Why were you with me?" [i]I keep the story[/i]. "I write the story." He paused. "Do you know how it ends...?" "With another one. Always." Beside the desk, the mug dripped the last of the tea onto the floor.

[center][b][size=5]Characters[/size][/b][/center] [columns][color=transparent]_____________[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34376497][img]https://i.imgur.com/5TCUgU2.png[/img][/url] [b]Darvena[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]________[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35358670][img]https://i.imgur.com/yA1jvHV.png[/img][/url] [b]Deri[/b][/center][nextcol][color=transparent]________[/color][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38669734][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/386698/38669734p.png[/img][/url] [b]Cave[/b][/center][/columns] [center][img]https://orig06.deviantart.net/1104/f/2017/225/a/6/frshadow_sword_banner_by_littlefiredragon-dbjxzhh.png[/img] [size=6][color=#591eb2]Darvena[/color][/size][/center][columns][size=4]Darvena stretched her wings, curled up in the dip of the central platform. Around her, new and old dragons bustled around their huts, leaving to hunt or returning to sleep, clearing old nests and claiming space for their hoards. Deri squeezed himself out of the Elder's hut, hopping down onto the damp walkway and weaving his way towards her. She stood up, pressing her head against his neck affectionately. "Done sleeping?" She asked gently, sitting back down and curling her tail around her claws. "I wasn't sleeping today. I had an idea..." She let his voice wash over her, the lair moving on around them. A new day, a new scheme. Above their heads, her mith hovered contentedly. "The Faes are back! They're out south!" A young spiral landed on the platform excitedly. She looked back at Deri, "that'll be my apprentice." "Meet me in the hut?" "Of course." She pressed against his neck again, turning and padding across to the landing walkway. Behind her, Deri returned to the huts. "Cave! Neon! How did you get back?" Cave glided neatly down to the branches, landing proudly. "We caught a lift most of the way." "How were the Icefields? How did it go?"[/size][nextcol][color=transparent]__[/color][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34376497][img]https://i.imgur.com/CaDyUdv.jpg[/img][/url][/columns] [size=3]"Let's just say it was stressful." Darvena met his gaze and he broke off from the welcoming group, hopping down to the platform to greet her. "So, how did you manage?" "Oh, we did alright." He ducked his head. "No-one was killed. How about you? Has anything happened while I was away?" She took in the welcomers and the bustling lair, the familiars clamouring to greet their bonds. Around them the forest stretched up towards the sky, cradling the lair in the afternoon sun. "Oh, nothing much. Nothing much at all." ------ [center][size=6]End[/size][/center] -----