Creative Corner

[center][img]https://orig00.deviantart.net/8a8e/f/2018/295/c/d/h1_by_cas_a_fras-dcq466z.png[/img] [b]December 17th: Ship[/b][/center] Woo! After a whirlwind of a (fun) weekend, I am looking forward to catching up on reading all the submissions I missed! Hopefully I'll get to doing some writing as well! In the meantime, here it today's prompt! Today's Prize: [quote=December 17 - ship][item=Undine's Flatfins][item=Rainbow Fins Chest][item=Water Tome][item=Drown][item=Tan Bandana][item=Blue Goo][item=Blue Sludge][/quote] @CleverDual @Petall @GreatLordHades @Cheryy @MysticalScribe @Rhosen @Pantali @St0rmy @Kitanya @remnio @TigerFestival @dillykai @lessthan3 @LadyFairchild @Harana @Nettletea @Knickknacks @MarinaQuakenbush @Rhosen @Braixen @Zafer @HauntedWhale @RidleeKi @Talismarr @FantasyMyth @humanityxpeople @Biuret @Blightwyrm @Alstroemeria @inn @Zuron @mukuroikusabas @Saraceaser

[center]Day 17: Ship[/center] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=47202864] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/472029/47202864_350.png[/img] [/url] A dark blue dragon with clear yellow wings sat at a table covered in tools and various mechanical parts. A pair of goggles were drawn down over her eyes, and an hourglass hung from around her neck. All in all she looked the part of a devoted engineer. In front of her lay a set of blueprints, on which was drawn a giant air vehicle of some sort. It was covered in propellers and gears, and had a small clock on it. Her special touch, included in everything she made. A model skeleton of the vehicle sat on the table beside the blueprint, and it was this with which the dragon was tinkering. Another dragon appeared in the doorway. This one was large and red, draped in golden silks and with a simple pair of copper bracelets that matched the ones around her own arms. The smaller dragon didn’t seem to hear to newcomer’s appearance, engrossed as she was in her project. The larger dragon stopped behind her. From within his throat emitted a deep, calming voice. “Clock.” Clock startled. She pushed the goggles up onto her forehead and finally looked up from her work. “Lore!” she exclaimed. “Don’t do that, you nearly made me drop this!” Lore chuckled. “I see you’re busy,” he teased good-naturedly, resting a wing tip on one of Clock’s shoulders in apology. “What are you working on?” Clock perked up, irritation forgotten in her excitement at the question. She moved a sheaf of paper with equations scribbled on it off of the blueprints and gestured proudly at her work. “It’s an air ship,” she explained. “Powered by magic, it will allow dragons to fly at greater speeds then they could on their own.” Lore tilted his head thoughtfully. “An air ship, huh?” he said. “It looks complicated.” He pointed at one of the propellers with a claw. “What do those do?” “They’re what keep the ship moving forward,” Clock explained. “They are powered by wind and arcane magic.” “I knew you should have been born an electric dragon,” Lore teased. Clock swatted at him with a wingtip. “Oh hush you,” she scolded. He chuckled good-naturedly. “Anyway, what did you want, oh mate-of-mine?” Lore’s eyes softened at his mate’s words. “Wächter says that there is another dragon in the area,” he said. “A female Wildclaw. Beowyr and Sylvara have gone to check it out; Wächter is staying behind to guard the hatchlings.” Clock frowned. “And are they worried?” Lore paused. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Wächter is, but then again he’s always worried.” He paused again, longer this time. Clock frowned. “What’s wrong?” she asked. Lore sighed. “Beo’s hopeful,” he said quietly. “He said he thinks this may be the one.” “The dragon he’s looking for?” “Yes.” “Well then what’s the problem?” “I’m afraid of the effect it’ll have on him if it isn’t. You’ve seen how morose he’s been getting lately; I don’t want to see him get even worse.” Clock got up from her workbench and draped a wing over her mate’s shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” she soothed. “He’s strong. Besides, whoever she is, he’ll find her soon.” Lore draped his wing over her own and turned his head to look out the door. “I hope so.” He was silent for a moment, and then shook his head as if to clear it. “Come, show me more of this air ship. You said it can go faster than any dragon?” With that, the two of them turned to the workbench, worries about the newcomer momentarily forgotten.

[center][i][u][b][size=7]Ship[/size][/b][/u][/i][/center] [quote name="Author's Notes"]17th day! Hope everyone got their beavers and their seafood! Today’s prompt is going to be a bit contrary to the normal! If you can catch the double meaning in this prompt, I applaud you! XD As such, prompts this week will be shorter than usual! You can read [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2566260/6#post_36563583]the first Author's Notes[/url] for some background on how my clan works! Onto today's story![/quote] [i]"Well, I guess I will be going down with this ship."[/i] Taiga facepalmed, sighing as Daryn watched Harana and Urie, the new dragon, messing around with a few of the new hatchlings. "Daryn, please. You said that Lindo and Harana made a good couple yesterday and now you want to change your mind?" "I can't decide! She looks good with pretty much anyone!" "...Since when did you become the clan's love doctor?" "I am [i]not[/i] the clan's love doctor, I'm just...invested in other's love lives, is all!" "A bit [i]too[/i] invested, if you ask me." Daryn rolled his eyes. [rule] "Alright, Pastel! Here, buddy!" Harana laughs, passing the ball to Pastel. He flies up, catching the ball in his little claws. "I caught it!" He grins, holding up the ball triumphantly. He then passed the ball to one of the other hatchlings. "He's adorable." Urie chuckled. "Isn't he? Quite a pro at catch, too. And charming, for a kid." "You mean like me?" The Pearlcatcher winks at her, the corner of his lips curling into a seductive smirk. Harana playfully punched his arm. "Of course [i]not[/i], you stupid, handsome devil, you. I meant that in Pastel's own cute way." "You called me 'handsome'." "But [i]aren't[/i] you handsome? You are, after all, the great Urie Sogami, to whom I owe my deepest debts." The Nocturne replied sarcastically. The Pearlcatcher laughed, a spark of mischief in his golden eyes. "You flatter me, my love." One of the hatchlings threw the ball to her. "Mmmhmmm. Oh, Moselle! Quick! Catch this!" She threw the ball to the young Mirror underhanded, and she jumped up and caught it in her mouth. "Awesome job, Moselle! Keep your guard up while passing the ball!" Urie scooted closer to her. "Tell me, Harana. Why so hesitant to run to me, darling? You know I adore you." The Nocturne's eyes softened as she glanced at him. "Perhaps it's because I'm always so busy with things, and I don't understand what you or any of the others see in me." "[i]Perhaps[/i] I could visit you in my dreams tonight and we can talk that over." Harana cracked a smile, scoffing. "In your [i]own[/i] dreams, you sly dream devil." "So that's a yes?" "Well, it definitely wasn't a no." "...I'll create the best world for the both of us to enjoy. Just wait and see." [rule] "Choosing one is just too difficult." "Or maybe she could date all of them at once." Daryn thought about it for a minute. "...That doesn't sound too bad - " "I was being [i]sarcastic[/i], Daryn." Taiga sighs. "Anyways, after Harana is finished playing with the hatchlings near the deck of the air ship, I'll need Feyre to come along and help with the gusts. I want to ensure that it is safe and sound before we use it." Daryn glanced at the two dragons, who were onboard and playfully messing around with the hatchlings. They seemed to be close, and the glances that the Pearlcatcher gave to her caught his attention. [i]"Hmmm...another ship has sailed. Interesting..."[/i] Music Inspo: None today! Got very busy so had to write this on a short note. Featured Dragons: [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=45458339] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/454584/45458339_350.png[/img] [/url] Taiga, a fodder save from when I just started on the site a while back! Still working on his lore but he is definitely going to be a cyborg! [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=45032584] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/450326/45032584_350.png[/img] [/url] Adaryn, Elio's boyfriend (from the second or third prompt)! He's of the Firebird subspecies, and I am still working on his lore! You already know Harana by now, since she's been mentioned in a few of the prompts! Urie Sogami and Lindo are actually anime fandragons! Not sure if anyone here remembers "Dance with Devils", but that's where they're from! I'm basically shipping them with my OC, because why not?

[center]December 17th: [i]Ship[/i] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=22657707] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/226578/22657707_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] The River Aur ran thick through the Kingdom of Ouroboros. Boats and ships flowed through with the current. Watching from up high, Raziel could not help but wish some of them would just keep going till the hit the falls and fell crashing onto the Tsunami Flats of the Thousand Sea Currents. He looked away from the waters. It would be no good for trade if these boats went missing. No good for his livelihood at all. All a Merchant has is on those boats at times. None the less some boats would bring in new people who didn't understand the customs of the land, people who disrespected the Queen and disrespected the Kingdoms Deity. Not to say those people ever stayed long, but the principle of the matter still stands. Those people where better off staying away. This place was dangerous after all. At times Raziel wasn't even sure where he stood. When Lytta came into power he was relieved the use to magic was allowed but things keep getting more and more extreme. He resorted to helping the rebellion for awhile, but, the rebellion is full of nothing more than angry people who hate magic more than they hate the Queen herself. Plus, getting a boat up-stream to get them the goods was a hassle. He stared at the river for a bit long, watching a boat come to dock. A figure of a person far below sent out a bird with a message. It was a messenger pigeon, which only was clear once the bird came straight for him, a small letter strung around it's leg. It was time to go back to work.

[center][b]Friend[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=42037470] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/420375/42037470_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=22152397] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/221524/22152397_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] "The chocolate truffles will be ready in just a moment." Fortescue said, not looking up from the dish he was making. He was experimenting with some new techniques for his Night of the Nocturne menu, and it needed to be perfect. "I'm not looking for the truffles." Meringue said with a laugh. "Though if you want some advice-" "Meringue!" Fortescue exclaimed and raced towards his friend. "I would love some help, I can't seem to figure this out!" "What secret ingredient have you been trying out this time?" Meringue asked. Fortescue was very ambitious when it came to trying new recipes, which did not mix well with his perfectionist tendencies. "Molasses. I thought it would best resemble the Shadowbinder's goop." Fortescue admitted. "Please don't tell me you're trying to put molasses on everything." Meringue rolled her eyes. "Of course not! But I do have a great idea for potatoes and molasses." Fortescue's eyes were alight with excitement. "You're crazy you know that?" Meringue laughed. "But I'm excited to see how this goes. Somehow your crazy little schemes always seem to pay off." "I couldn't do it without your help." Fortescue grinned. "Now, I need to get back on this. There is a couple waiting on their truffles and I am not one to disappoint!" [center][b]Hidden[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=41895746] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/418958/41895746_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37997969] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/379980/37997969_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] As Kyra put on the mask she felt herself transform, her body shrinking and lengthening until she became a large snake. Now she could stay out of sight. she knew Kaladin was planning something, and she wanted to get information. She needed to know that she and Kulshan were safe. Her precious Kulshan, always unaware of anything sinister that might be happening. He was always willing to see the best in everything. Kyra loved that about him, and that's why she had to do this. She had to make sure he was safe, that he wasn't investing himself in a business that was going to turn out corrupt and whatnot. She was just about near Kaladin's tent when she saw the pearlcatcher leave. She followed him, keeping herself out of sight until he reached a stone with strange runes etched into it. Kaladin looked behind him, and didn't see her approaching, He whispered something and the runes began to glow red. A passageway opened up in the ground, delving deeper and deeper and deeper. Kyra followed as silently as she could. Regardless of whether or not he was up to something, she could tell he had secrets, and she needed to be sure the secrets wouldn't hurt anyone. [center]Delight [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38414705] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/384148/38414705_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] It was a beautiful day. Merry had not seen a moment like this. The wind was blowing, but not to harshly, it caressed more than it blew. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and here he was, sitting on a stone and plucking a tune on his harp. As he began to sing a ballad, his voice lifted into the air, carrying with it a sense of pure joy. "Merry! What have you done to the Spillwinter Chronicle Scrolls!" Secredscream's voice called angrily from the library at the top of Windkeep Tower. Merry didn't even bother looking up, he just started whistling along to his harp. "You can't keep adding facts like that!" Sacredscream insisted. "This is the history of an ancient and valued clan!" Merry grinned. The historicals had been boring and dry anyways, he had simply livened it up. What did it matter that he added a few maren wars or dangers rising from the Leviathan Trench? Adding such excitement would ensure the clan lived on in the memories of dragons far more than some dry and dusty volume only boring historians would care to remember. "You'll thank me later." Merry hummed to himself, not loud enough for his mentor to hear. He eventually heard the library window close and he let his song fill the air once more. Nothing was going to spoil his perfect day. [center][b]Ship[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38553575] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/385536/38553575_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=27871527] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/278716/27871527_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Colm looked at his bedraggled ship. Though he had tried to maintain it to perfection, after its many voyages on the Sea of a Thousand Currents it was wearing a bit thin. "Perhaps its time to get a new ship." His wife, Nymph suggested. Colm shook his head. "The Pearl and I have been through so much, I don't think I could let her go." Colm said wistfully. "Though I don't know how many more voyages she'll survive." "You could get an airship, like mine." Nymph pushed. "Then you could go anywhere on Sornieth, not just in the water." Colm once more shook his head. "If I want to travel anywhere else on Sornieth my connections will give me passage. No, for my own ship I need to be able to smell the sea air, and feel the spray of waves upon my scales." "I never pegged you to be such a romantic!" Nymph teased, poking fun at his poetic words. "You know full well how much of a romantic I am." Colm shot back with a grin. With that, he leaned in and kissed his wife on the cheek. "Oh stop it! You are too much! Kissing? Whatever will you do next?" Nymph laughed, pushing him away playfully. "Oh enough, you." Colm said, getting to his feet again, though there was a spark of humor in his eyes. "Don't worry, we'll find you the perfect ship. And we'll make sure The Pearl goes to good use. Aren't you getting a little tired of that hut of ours? We could use some more space." Nymph suggested. Colm cracked a small, rare grin. "You're right, as always. The Pearl would make a good place to raise our hatchlings." "Who said anything about hatchlings?" Nymph asked, slightly taken aback. "You have, emphatically, for the past several years we've been married." Colm pointed out. "Every single time we have a nest, it's always the same. 'Oh Colm, I don't know if there's enough space for these little ones? They need to run and play and break all our belongings.' As if they can't just go outside and bring havoc wherever they go out there." "But when it rains-" "You know, for such a big strong warrior, you have such a soft spot for hatchlings." Colm pointed out. "A little rain won't kill them. In fact, every hatchling we've had so far has had a great time traipsing through puddles and tracking mud all though the house. You love challenging our kids to take on whatever awaits them in the great big world." "Though the hut." Nymph reminded him. "You know, they wouldn't break so much stuff if they had more space to play." "Maybe you're right." Colm agreed. "So, new ship?" Colm sighed. "Yes, I'll start looking for a new ship. And The Pearl can house the things I love most in this world." "Wait- In [i]this[/i] world? Is there something I don't know about?" "Oh, you're impossible!" Colm rolled his eyes. "What do I have to do to make you happy?" "Nothing. You already do." Nymph grinned, planting a kiss on her husband's lips.

Word count: 254

Lore for three triplets I recently gifted my friend!

        Quinn liked to think she loved their ship the most. Of course, Finn and liked to argue, but in the end, they had to know it was her. She was captain after all. She even had the hat! Although Finn seemed to think he was sometimes. Hmph. Asif the first mate could be captain. It was laughable really. In fact, that is just what she would do! She would go right up to Finn with his big mouth and laugh in his face. Hah hah hah! She was captain, and it was her ship! At least Linn agreed with her.

        Finn knew Quinn thought she was the captain. A ridiculous idea, really. How could the first mate be captain? Besides, he had the captain's quarters, the logbook, etc. And she thought shewas captain?! Like he had said, absolutely ridiculous. At least Linn was agreeable. A wonderful sister really, unlike someone else he knew. Hmph.

        Linn knew by this point her siblings were idiots. Lovable idiots, but still idiots. It was sofunny watching them bicker and squabble over who was captain and who was first mate. Finn bragging about his captain's quarters and logbook, Quinn about her fancy hat. And who did they think was keeping the ship afloat, even? Exactly. Idiots. Oh well. It really was convenient that they don't ask questions. She would hate to get them involved. She was the oldest after all. So it was her job to protect them, and provide for anything they could ever want.

Day 17: Ship Word Count: 752 [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=4924466] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/49245/4924466_350.png[/img] [/url] "Hey, Irisol, where do you think this stone came from?" The imperial looked up from the stone. "It fell from the sky, didn't it?" "Yes" Corvus said, "but it's not a meteorite. You said so yourself". He turned back to the stone. "Hmm...I think it's a large hunk of kunzite, but I'm no geologist". "Kunzite...that's the stone that glows when exposed to magic, right?" "Mmm". Corvus cocked his head. "How did a kunzite stone fall from the sky?" "I have no idea..." -A few weeks earlier- "Status report! Is everyone okay?" The captain of the crashed airship looked around. They had landed (for an [i]extremely[/i] generous definition of "landed") somewhere in the Sunbeam Ruins. "Here ma'am!" Her first mate poked his head out from behind the deflated sail. "I'm okay Captain Ira!" The navigator waved from near the broken wheel. "Still alive!" "Sounding off!" "Miss me?" Ira smiled in spite of herself as the remaining members sounded off. "Good, everyone's here". The striped nocturne turned her attention to the airship. The hull integrity was completely compromised, but they could still salvage most of the wood. They could cut the sail up and use that to make balloons or something; it was made from sturdy canvas. Everything else was could be sold to a forgesmith and melted down into ingots. It wouldn't be enough to buy a new ship, but the money would go a long way towards compensating for the- "The cargo!" she yelped. "What happened to our cargo?" The crew searched the still-smoking wreckage. "I don't see any of it, Captain" her first mate said. "Must've fallen overboard". The navigator, a young skydancer, looked at a compass. "It must've fallen while we were over the Tangled Wood". A burly snapper shook his head. "Then that's the last we'll see o' [i]that[/i]" he said. "There's no way we'd ever track it down, an' any shadowlings what found it'd say 'finders keepers!' ". That was unfortunate, so say the least. They'd been transporting a cache of gemstones from the Starfall Isles for a coalition of merchants based out of the Ashfall Waste, but mid-journey their engine had suddenly failed. "Captain?" one of her underlines asked her. "What should we do?" "As Spinach said, we're never seein' those gems again" Ira stated. "There's nothin' else we can do. We'll apologize to our clients an' tell 'em what happened. We'll scrap the ship, an' let 'em have the profits". Much to her amazement, their clients didn't seem very upset or even surprised at her news. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say they [i]planned[/i] this" she growled. Her first mate nodded. "I checked our invoices and papers. Those gems were insured for [i]quite[/i] the sum". "How much?" He whispered in her ear. "[i]That[/i] much? By the Flamecaller's forge tools, those stones weren't worth [i]half[/i] that much!" "I agree. It seems awfully suspicious, does it not?" Ira thought for a minute. "That don't prove anythin'. If we had proof that they sabotaged our engines, or hired mercenaries, maybe we'd have a case". She watch comprehension dawn across the first mate's face. "It was awfully nice of them to not press charges for losing their gems" he stated. "If we started spreading uncouth rumors of insurance fraud, they might stop being nice". "An' if they stops bein' nice o' their own accord" Ira was smirking now, "then we'd have somethin' nice to say about [i]them[/i]". The two old friends walked back to their inn. "But I do wonder what happened to our cargo" the first mate said. "Sittin' in a shadow dragon's hoard, I'll wager". -Now- "You mean [i]more[/i] strange stones have fallen from the sky?" Irisol asked. Corvus nodded. "That's what I've heard. Gemstones, mostly, and they all fell on the same night ours did". "Interesting. It must be a localized meteor shower-" The black dragon held up a claw to interrupt him. "The truth's a bit more mundane than that. An airship was passing overhead, and lost some of its cargo". "Oh". The imperial gazed at the lump of kunzite. "That's boring". "Should we try to return the stone?" Mizu asked. "Hmm..." Corvus shook his head. "Kunzite' not very valuable, even a lump this big". "But-" "Do you want to take this stone all the way to the Ashfall Waste?" "...no". Incidentally, the merchants discovered that their insurance policy did not cover the gemstones being lost in the Tangled Wood, and went bankrupt. The moral of the story: winners don't commit insurance fraud.

[center][img]https://orig00.deviantart.net/8a8e/f/2018/295/c/d/h1_by_cas_a_fras-dcq466z.png[/img] [b]December 18th: Relax[/b][/center] I'm all caught up again! Your writing is all great as always! Here's today's prompt! Today's Prize: [quote=December 18 - relax][item=Grove Piper][skin=23598][item=Sweetheart Swan][item=Tincture of Dissolution] 20kt[/quote] @CleverDual @Petall @GreatLordHades @Cheryy @MysticalScribe @Rhosen @Pantali @St0rmy @Kitanya @remnio @TigerFestival @dillykai @lessthan3 @LadyFairchild @Harana @Nettletea @Knickknacks @MarinaQuakenbush @Rhosen @Braixen @Zafer @HauntedWhale @RidleeKi @Talismarr @FantasyMyth @humanityxpeople @Biuret @Blightwyrm @Alstroemeria @inn @Zuron @mukuroikusabas @Saraceaser @Ipepi @myriadofstars

"This is it." Zena stepped towards the sword, her wings starting to glow a bright blue. "We're never going to see this universe again, Gordon. Are you ready?"
The purple jester stood at Zena's side, holding her hand. "Ready as I'll ever be."
"Zena, wait!" Retep cried, attempting to escape his crystalline restraints. "Please don't do this... Please stay!"
"Don't try to stop me," Zena replied as she turned around. One could see tears falling from her eyes and freezing up into crystal spikes on her cheeks. "I know what I'm doing. If you feel you must follow me to witness the birth of your new universe, then I won't stop you."
The shackles around Retep's wrist fell apart, and Retep and Reed could only watch as Zena reached out and touched the sword.
In an instant, both she and Gordon were gone.
Retep began to run forward, but was stopped by a tiny voice squeaking from behind him.
"You're not... You're not gonna leave me, are you?" Reed whimpered. "I don't wanna be alone..."
Retep paused, before trying to free Reed. One saw blade later, the two were about to take the sword. But as Retep reached out, he froze, pulling his hand back and stepping away.
"I can't take this." He shook his head and looked to Reed, who started to panic.
"I have to go in there alone?" She looked around wildly, her eyes growing wide with fear.
"You don't have to." Retep walked away wearily, dropping his weapon and sitting at the steps. "It's your choice whether or not to follow them inside. I can't make that choice anymore. I can't face her like I did three years ago."
Reed was terrified. She'd never gone anywhere without her fellow Nightingales to back her up. She'd never really been that good at anything, and now the fate of the universe rested on her shoulders. Tears began to form in her eyes. Knees weak, Reed stood up, reached out, and grabbed the sword by its hilt.
i dunno where i was going with this, but I enjoyed writing this![/i]

[center][b]Relax[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=40726683] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/407267/40726683_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35290001] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/352901/35290001_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] The moon rose high above Windkeep Tower. The chatter and hubbub of the clan was quieting as dragons settled down for the night. Only a faint lilting song could be heard from Redrick and Maye's suite. The piano and singing combined beautifully, a lullaby to lull the dragons of Windkeep Tower to sleep. There was one dragon who was not yet asleep, however. In the tavern, India was doing the last of the cleaning. The last of the customers had gone to bed, and India had told her niece to go to bed and leave the closing to her. Just as she was wiping down the last glass, there was the sound of a bell, and Lin came in the door. A faint smile stretched across India's face as she saw her boyfriend enter. She filled a kettle with hot water, he clearly needed tea. His wings hung at his side, almost dragging on the ground, and he looked exhausted. "Did you find her?" India asked as he took his seat on the other side of the counter. "Nope. I think she's gone." Lin sighed. "All that training, for nothing." "Don't beat yourself up over it." India soothed, leaning on the counter across from the skydancer. "You know full well we can't choose the paths others take, we can only guide them. It is their choice whether or not they wish to follow." "She was doing so well." Lin sighed. "She was making so much progress in her training, and now she wants to throw that all away to be someone's sidekick again?" "You gave her your wisdom. That little seed is embedded in her head. Regardless of whether or not she listened, you made an impact." India told him. "That mark will not easily wash away, after all your years of training." "You're right. It's just hard to let go." Lin sighed. "I've never had an apprentice before." "It's always hard to let go." India told him. "I suppose you know a thing or two about that." Lin said with a smile. "Oh yes. I still don't think Juliette is making the right choice with Thorburn-" "I wasn't talking about Thorburn." Lin said, looking deep into India's eyes. India looked away. To her surprise, tears were forming in her eyes. "I feel like I should have done more for Runeclaw." India admitted. "I was so caught up with everything, I just left him to do his thing. And now he's gone-" "I know." Lin spoke softly. "You did everything you could. He was a wild one, he was always going to make his own choices." "I just wish I had more time with him." India sniffed. "That's always the way with death." Lin smiled sadly. "There are always regrets, always more should-haves." "The tea is ready." India suddenly remembered, and went to go pour a couple of mugs of chai tea. "Hey, get out from behind that counter." Lin ordered softly. "You need something special tonight. Can we get those teas to go?" India nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. She poured the tea into a couple of thermoses and stepped out of The Copper Lotus, taking care to lock the door. Lin took to the skies, India following close behind. The stars shone down from the heavens, a little more sparse than usual. "Where are we going?" India asked breathlessly. They were flying away from Windkeep Tower. "You'll see." Lin said. "We're almost there." They flew for a few minutes more before Lin began to descend. He landed on the edge of one of the Zephyr Steppes, looking out over the Sea of a Thousand Currents. The water was more still than usual, and the moon and stars were reflected upon its surface. "This is beautiful!" India breathed. "It's one of my favourite places. I feel as though I can see the whole world from here. It reassures me that Sornieth is safe, and reminds me of what's important." Lin said. "Life and death, it's all a balance, just like everything is. Right now, Runeclaw's spirit is out there, serving the Windsinger, keeping everything in balance. He's probably under the same stars we are, looking at the same sky." "Magiere too." India said, reminding Lin of his wayward apprentice. "She's under these stars somewhere, under the watch of the deities. She's the arcanist's child through and through." "She'll be okay." Lin nodded. "Maybe she isn't right now, but she's determined. She'll find what she's looking for someday. She'll find her balance." India smiled. "Thank you for this." "You work so hard, looking out for everyone who passes under your roof, I figured it's time you got a moment to yourself." Lin pointed out. "Thank you." India leaned her head on Lin's shoulder, staring out over the ocean, admiring the stars reflected on its surface and looking out at the lights of distant water clans. She wondered what was going on, what dragons were awake, moving and living and going about their lives. What dragons were still awake, for duty or for personal reasons. She didn't have to think about that. For once, she could let go and just be, just for a night. She handed a thermos of tea to Lin and the two sat in silence, enjoying the view until the sun came up and India has to once again return to her duties at the Copper Lotus. She loved her work, and she would never let it go, but that night with Lin was something she would treasure forever.