Creative Corner

[center]Day 20: Fall [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=40783624] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/407837/40783624_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] There was nothing quite like the scent of dead leaves. Fall would soon be here and with it, autumn's bounty. Rovigo walked through the forests, leaves a ripe orange to red. The wind blew the leaves in circles. It was the perfect time for hunting the elusive golden truffles. Rovigo was a chef and food enthusiast. He loved to create dishes with vegetables and herbs from his garden back on shore, as well as from what he's foraged in the great forests of Sorneith. He began his studies in culinary school when he was a hatchling, then trained to become a chef with the great masters of the craft in each biome. Part of his training included traveling around Sornieth to explore all aspects of cuisine. Rovigo currently is the go-to dragon for news in the food world as well as a gourmet meal. Although he favors forest tones, he is also accomplished at bold insect, smoked meat, and sashimi dishes. His two trusty kitchen assistants, Pumpkin and Paprika, often help him out. Today on his golden truffle hunting trip, he brought Pumpkin with him. Pumpkin enjoyed sniffing around with Rovigo for the rare fall delicacy. Rovigo used his wings to lightly disturb the settled leaves on the forest floor to get a whiff of the ground below. After walking a fair amount, he finally thought he caught the scent. Pumpkin and he started to dig and to their delight, buried maybe 10cm below the surface they saw the glint of the golden truffle. Tonight he would make his most beloved dish, Golden Truffle Soup. P.S. Just wondering do entries count for that day if they are posted before you post the next day's prompt? Thanks!

[center][img]https://orig00.deviantart.net/8a8e/f/2018/295/c/d/h1_by_cas_a_fras-dcq466z.png[/img] [b]December 21th: Winter[/b][/center] So sorry for the late prompt today everyone! I was out all morning and couldn't get to a laptop. Here it is now! Enjoy! Today's Prize: [quote=December 21 - winter][item=Snowfall Robe][item=Grey Wolf Cape][item=Congeal][item=Conjurer's Staff][item=Voltaic Halo][item=Grey Slime] x2[/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

@MarinaQuakenbush

I'm not entirely sure, I need to talk to CleverDual about that.

[center][b][size=5]Winter[/b][/center] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38670927] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/386710/38670927_350.png[/img] [/url]         Zima, despite what had happened, still loved winter. He always had, since he had been a hatchling who lived to play in the snow and catch snowflakes on his tongue. (He still did sometimes) Even if he could no longer fly up high and glide in the gray, snow-laden clouds or dive into the snowdrifts, he still loved winter. Even here in Paraxeniá, where the snow didn't always get through the brambles that formed a barrier and shield from the rest of the world. But there was a small clearing off to the side of the palace that not even Twilight knew about, with a pond that was always frozen over and covered with frost, and pine trees drooping with snow, at any time of year. Zima assumed it was some left-over magic or a spell or something, but nonetheless, he was grateful. Grateful to have his little hiding space away from society, his own winter wilderness. And it was all his. In fact, he was heading there now. He ducked under the low-hanging branches, before going to the third-to-the-left pine with the crooked trunk. He pressed on the knot in the wood with his tail, then breathed frost onto the weathered wood. It creaked before the bark seemed to pull back, leaving an opening, although he couldn't see anything. He plunged through emerging into his hiding place. His own little winter so far from home.

Day 21: Winter Word Count: 645 [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=5389694] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/53897/5389694_350.png[/img] [/url] On Sornieth's southernmost continent, there were only two definite seasons: winter and deep winter. Year-round harsh icy winds pelted the land with snow and sleet. It was easily the coldest place in Sornieth, colder even than the bottom of the sea. Deep winter, when the sun rose for only a few hours a day, was even colder. So of course, on the coldest day of the year, when the sun didn't rise at all, was when Chai decided they should survey the Southern Icefield. The small group of dragons was huddled around a crackling fire, sipping hot coca and bundling up against the cold. The travelers had taken shelter underneath a large fir tree. The freezing gales had stopped, for the moment, and a crescent moon was visible in the sky. Right now it was Treat's turn to keep watch. Chai was looking at a map, occasionally marking the parchment with an x. Everyone else was trying their best to get some sleep. "I've never been this cold before in my [i]life[/i]" Treats whispered. It snowed in the Tangled Wood, occasionally, but that was nothing compared to the pristine whiteness that blanketed every surface within sight. "Where are we, anyway?" Chai crawled over and held up his map. "We're somewhere around here" he pointed to the cloudscape crags "near the base of Mount Grendel". According to a small description on the map, Mt Grendel was an inactive volcano. "The crater is shielded from the worst of the wind and ice, so I thought it would make for a nice future campsite". "Future campsite? You want to move here?" Treats herself was well aware of the wanderlust Wind dragons were possessed of. They couldn't stand to stay in one place for too long, and were constantly on the move. It was why their clan kept moving from place to place, and why their lair would never be a permanent fixture. But still, why would any sane dragon want to live [i]here[/i]? Chai removed his mask. "Perhaps. If we can find a nice campsite, and if everyone is okay with it, we might relocate to the Southern Icefield at some point in the future". Treats shuddered. "Why can't we move somewhere warmer? What's wrong with the Sunbeam Ruins?" "Haven't you heard the rumors about the emperor? And how welcoming do you think the Light flight would be to a clan from the Tangled Wood?" "...I forgot about that, to be honest. I haven't heard any new reports on the monster, so I assumed it was just a rumor". The two silently watched the fire crackle. Treats was about to go wake up her brother for his turn at guard duty when Chai gasped and said "The sky! Treats, look!" In the cloudless night sky, ribbons of night danced among the stars. Deep red, blue-green, a thin purple stream, as if a bundle of silks had been let loose into the night. "Is that an aurora?" Treats took off her glasses, rubbed them, and put them back on. "I've never seen one before". "Lovely sight, isn't it? Now look at the snowfield". The mottled wildclaw wished she had some way of recording the sight. The whiteness of the snow reflected the shimmering lights above. "You'd never see a sight like this in the north" Chai murmured. "This beauty only dances above the Southern Icefields". "It is pretty" Treats agreed. "I'm not sure it would be worth living here year-round though". Chai chuckled, and put his mask back on. "Perhaps not". Sometime later, more clouds came and covered the aurora from sight. Treats walked over to the bundle of blankets that was Tricks, and shook him awake. "Your turn to keep watch". Tricks grumbled, but did as he was told. Treats cocooned herself in the blankets, and fell asleep. That night, she dreamed of dancing lights and falling snow.

[center][i][u][b][size=7]Winter[/size][/b][/u][/i][/center] [quote name="Author's Notes"]Day 21! Four more days! Gotta finalize my Secret Santa gifts, so this one will be short! 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! Let's go![/quote] [i]"Winter has come at last, my friends!"[/i] Polaris' booming voice could be heard from below the clan's observatory. Rishan gazed at the sky in awe as the night began to creep in on them. "The winter solstice has arrived, Glynn! Hopefully, we will be able to read the stars tonight!" "Local forecasts say that it won't be cloudy tonight, so hopefully we'll be able to write some things down! I'm very excited! I can't wait to see what the stars will tell me tonight!" Glynn grinned as she handed the telescope case to Rishan. "...Hopefully that [i]forecast[/i] is accurate this time." Glynn chuckled. "We were both pretty angry that it was cloudy that night. They'll get it right this time, I'm sure." Rishan sighed as he opened the case and placed parts of the telescope stand on the wooden floor. "You know what? Polaris was right. I think our clan [i]does[/i] need a weather forecaster. Would make things much easier, not just for us, but for the others. I'm sure that Cernunnos would appreciate knowing that the weather is right for him to help water the garden." "And Cherry wouldn't want to send Rose out to get fruits when there is a chance of a thunderstorm outside... hmmm, that does sound like a good idea." Rishan finally finished putting together the last piece of the telescope and placed it on the stand carefully. "Your fireflies seem to be buzzing about! They look excited!" The purple Fae chuckled. "They sure are! Even in spite of following the movements of the stars, they are still sentient beings!" He opened his journal and readied his pen. "Now... let's see what the stars have in store for us tonight, shall we? Some of the musicians will be playing lovely carol music for us, so it should be spectacular!" Glynn nodded, grounding herself for a moment and shut her eyes, concentrating as hard as she could on her magic. What prophecies would await her tonight? "Oh, Glynn, this looks wonderful! Some stars are glowing a bit brighter than usual! Betelgeuse and Sirius look lovely tonight! Hmmm... they seem to be glowing a bit strangely, however... what are they telling you, Glynn?" A few minutes passed as Rishan took notes of the stars' locations, but Glynn, strangely, said nothing. "Glynn?" He asked again, without looking up from his journal. Rishan found it strange. So rarely did she not speak when writing down her prophecies. "Glynn!" He turned to her and froze. She was staring at the stars with wide, frightened eyes, and she seemed to be trembling. "...Glynn? Glynn, are you alright?" [i]"...Prepare your swords, Prepare your magic, For death comes in hordes, And the end will be tragic..."[/i] She murmured, her voice cracking softly. Rishan stared at her in horror. Immediately, he grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her a little. "Glynn?! Glynn, wake up, can you hear me?" Immediately, Glynn's eyes stopped glowing, and she fell to the floor, her breath shallow. Rishan flew to her side and gently helped her up. "Glynn! By the Arcanist, are you alright?!" The Coatl sat up, and she took a few deep breaths before finally speaking. "R-Rishan... oh, gods, it was so horrifying. The stars told me that we would have a lovely winter, but that we should enjoy it...while it lasted...because when the second month of the new year befalls us, the darkness will begin...." "Just as Anghel predicted... we must tell Polaris and Sura immediately. Come quickly, the stars can wait."Rishan tugged on Glynn's arm and spread his wings. Out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw something move in the bushes nearby. He shook his head, assuming it to be one of the other dragons, before taking flight with Glynn and heading to the leader's home. Music Inspo: [url=https://youtu.be/sCabI3MdV9g]Carol of the Bells - Trans Siberia Orchestra[/url] (for the beginning part), [url=https://youtu.be/URugFjhXHrs]Carol of the Bells - Lucas King[/url] (for the cliffhanger ;D) Featured Dragons: [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=46799038] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/467991/46799038_350.png[/img] [/url] Rishan (may change name), my clan's astronomer! He's a registered Astromancer, and I eventually plan to expand on his lore! He studies the movements of the stars via his fireflies, who are connected to them. He enjoys being in a clan full of aliens and is always willing to learn more about them and the way they looked at the stars. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=46944607] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/469447/46944607_350.png[/img] [/url] Glynn (may change name) is my clan's astrologer! She's also a good friend of Rishan's, since unlike most scientists, he doesn't deny the power of the stars when it comes to horoscopes. Her predictions when it comes to reading the stars on the night one was born are frighteningly accurate. When she reads one's star charts, she can easily figure a lot of things about them, such as their personality, their beliefs, etc. Rishan, Polaris, and Cynosura believe that she is well-connected with the universe, and as such, the stars tell her more things than that of a normal astrologer. Rishan is currently researching the cause of her powers.

A calm day it is. The sky is alive with puffy, white clouds that look vaguely like animals, the trees are slowly yellowing in the early autumn chill, and a cool breeze blows through the grasses and through the Quarry. The weather is calm, almost serene in fact. There are many that will look upon this day with fondness, but one soul sees it as an ending and beginning to two parallels, two sides to a soul and all it has felt and known.

Arnskar watches the sky flow by as the usually dense Pearlcatcher remains static among the scarcely packed trees. Mostly clean, but obviously still sooty, Arnskar sits and thinks as he waits. There have been many cycles of this world, and Arnskar finds it strangely fascinating to watch it happen year after year. Perhaps it stems from everything he has learned, and everything everyone who is within his head had learned long ago. It is a brave new world every year.

Arnskar turns slowly at the sound of approaching footfalls and the brushing of a robe against the grass. Arnskar sees to his side another dragon, a coatl with a complexion of frosty shimmers with various hues of blues and whites constituting their feathers and frippery. “Hello, Shirayuki.” Arnskar greets dully. It is a tone borne of many memories and emotions, all canceling each other out to make a colourless voice. There is affection, but it is hidden.

Shirayuki stops beside Arnskar smoothly, the damp grasses becoming rigid at the coatl’s passing. “You can call me Shira, father,” Shirayuki offered to Arnskar. Though not of blood relation, Shira having no blood in truth, they are as family as one may be.

Arnskar grunted in response. Shirayuki had picked their own name, but now they choose to be referred to as something alternative. Arnskar does not quite understand fully, but there is acceptance. “The years go on, Shirayuki,” Arnskar speaks coolly, “and what comes soon must be considered,” Arnskar often speaks in such somber means, Shira recalls. Knowing so much past must make the future hard to wait for.

Shirayuki lowered their head and responded, their voice eloquent despite them appearing like a coatl, “What is this about?” Arnskar is usually direct, terribly vague, and strong willed. He will not typically go to this kind of length just to chat. Shira turned up to the sky. The icy coatl glitters like freshly fallen snow and emit a similar coolness wherever they go.

Arnskar clears his throat and replies without changing inflection, though their goggled eyes shift slightly upwards from the ground. “The seasons change,” Arnskar begins, “I have seen peaceful spring, brutal summer, and now I see a dimming autumn,” Arnskar pauses for a few moments before continuing, “And you are a graceful winter.” Where Arnskar meant to carry his thoughts, Shira is not quite following.

Shira sits and listens for a time, but Arnskar’s riddles do not typically make much sense. They come from a different part of the mind maybe. Arnskar, seeing this, reiterated quickly, “Would you like to smith, as I do?” Arnskar sometimes forgets that his thoughts do not translate well to words all the time.

“No, not really,” Shira responds quickly enough. Arnskar has never asked, but Shira has never really wanted to follow his art anyway. “Would you like to learn to dance,” Shirayuki asked jokingly.

Arnskar turned his head to Shira and replied calmly, “Yes,” and he was not lying. Though he knew how, being able to do it again would be different on four legs instead of two.

Shira chuckled warmly as they added, “Never mind,”

((Winter is coming…))

---

[center][b]Fall[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=46260519] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/462606/46260519_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] She was an acrobat, and she was never to fall. That was her job. Twist, turn, spin, fly, dazzle, amaze. Falling was not and never could be part of the program, that much was clear. The image of perfection was what the audience needed to see, there could be no seams in the fantasy she whisked them away on night after night. That would detract from the magic of the circus. Life, however, is not like a dream and one day her foot slipped. Her wings did not unfurl in time, and Fiona found herself plummeting, the illusion shattered, the dream having become a nightmare. All she could hear was the music going silent, the gasps of the crowd, and air rushing through her ears. She crashed to the ground in a sickening thud. Silence followed. No one seemed to know what to say. Fiona blinked open her eyes and found herself staring up at the peak of the red and gold tent. Her vision danced as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart pounded in her chest. Was everything okay? Had she broken anything? She rolled over and got her her feet. Her body ached, but she was not hindered. She took to the skies once more, determined to finish the act and make up for the break in her performance. It was as if nothing had happened, she performed as if her body felt nothing. Because the Ringmaster, Kaladin, made one thing clear: no matter what, the show must go on. [center][b]Winter[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=41173788] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/411738/41173788_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Rhowen shivered, though not from the cold. He stared at his trembling hands, trying to keep them still. [i]No! No! No! Not again![/i] His breath caught in his chest as he saw the frost begin to form on his fingertips, spreading down his body and seeping across the floor. [i]I'm better than this! I can't let this happen again! Not here! Not now![/i] He was glad he had been able to get away from Ruby in time. If his wife knew how he was struggling to keep his powers under control, that he was at risk of freezing the entire clan solid, she would have to throw him out for the safety of the clan. There was no other way. How could he be a protector of the clan if he himself was inadvertently a threat to it. [i]Breathe Rhowen.[/i] He told himself, closing his eyes to focus. [i]You've got this.[/i] With tremendous effort, Rhowen concentrated on holding his powers in. It burned like frostbite, he could feel the cold pressing against him, trying to get out, to spread, to destroy, but he had it under control. He could live with this pain. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Not right now! I'm busy!" Rhowen shouted through gritted teeth. The loss in concentration had lost him his control, and he struggled to rein it back in. "Rhowen, is everything okay?" Ruby's voice sounded on the other side of the door. "Everything. Is. Fine." Rhowen groaned, feeling more and more of his control slip away. This was it. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=42353367] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/423534/42353367_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Ruby opened to door just as the frost spread across the entirety of the floor. Icicles began to form on the ceiling as Rhowen curled in on himself, trying to hold it all in. Ruby rushed to his side. "Talk to me, what's going on?" Ruby asked, concern flashing in her eyes. "I can't do it. There is too much inside of me." Rhowen gasped. "I've got you. It's okay, I've got you." Ruby hummed, holding him close. "No... I'll freeze you..." Rhowen warned. He was supposed to protect her, that had always been his job. "You're not my guard anymore." Ruby reminded him. "You're my husband and I am not letting you go through this alone." All Rhowen could do was nod. Panic coursed through him as he saw the frost beginning to form on his feathers. "How long have you been holding this in?" Ruby asked. "Years. I thought if I just didn't use my powers-" Rhowen stopped, he couldn't talk and concentrate at the same time. "It's okay." Ruby soothed. "Okay, now would you be able to let it out a bit at a time? Maybe you could give Windkeep Tower a snow day." "I'm scared." Rhowen admitted, the images of the three clans he had frozen etched in his mind. Three clans that would not live and thrive again, doomed to an eternity of standing in the cold. He could not let that happen again. "Try it, because you obviously have too much energy inside of you." Ruby reminded him. "I'm right here by your side. Just let out a little bit. With a deep breath, Rhowen released a small amount of the intense power building up inside of him. A blizzard began, that he was sure stretched outside of the rooms of the embassy. He could feel a breeze pushing the flurries outward and he was sure Ruby was helping disperse his powers. Soon the whole clan would be covered by snow clouds. Ruby stayed with him all night, unbothered by the flurries of snow buffeting her, leaving a buildup of white on her feathers. By sunrise, the flurries stopped. Rhowen had emptied himself of his powers. Ruby pulled Rhowen to his feet. The pair were exhausted after such a long and draining night, but what they saw brought smiles to their faces. Around Windkeep Tower, dragons were waking up to snow. Hatchlings squealed with delight and begged their parents to let them go out and play. Some dragons were beginning snowball fights, or building snowmen. All around, a warm sense of joy was spreading. "Promise me you'll never let it get to that point again." Ruby said, turning to Rhowen. Her green eyes stared into his intensely. "I know you've had bad experiences, but your powers aren't inherently dangerous. You don't have to be afraid of them. Look at how much joy you've brought to this clan, good things can come of magic like yours." Rhowen nodded, feeling a renewed energy within him. He wasn't the monster he had once been. After all he had been through, he finally felt a sense of peace wash over him like the fresh blanket of snow on the ground. All was right with the world, if only just for the day.

[center]Day 21: Winter [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34873278] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/348733/34873278_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Ahh, winter. Iorek felt the chill and took comfort in it. Finally the time had come. Although it was icy all year around on the Southern Icefield, winter was a special time. He sometimes missed being up there on the ice, but it was cold down in the depths as well and he had the chance to visit whenever he wanted. Iorek grew up on the vast iceberg. He spent much of his hatchling days playing inside the crystal caves. With the other hatchlings they would play hide and seek, sardines, and pretend they were the first explorers of certain caves. He could stare at the crystals for hours, the way when the sun hit, they bent and refracted light making rainbows. Since it was the winter solstice, Iorek and Donia gathered all the hatchlings and took them on a field trip to the Southern Icefield. It was a tradition they decided to keep each year after the success of last year. As night began to fall, with it being the shortest day of the year it didn't take long, the excited little ones followed Iorek and Donia out into the open sea and towards the floes. Even those who weren't of Water descent were good swimmers having grown up in the depths of the sea, and so it was easy for them to make the journey. Donia stayed with those who didn't want to brave the harsh winds and permanent cold of hiking the craigs, which were most of the youngest ones and Iorek took the brave ones with him. Slowly, they made their way up the craigs and when they got to the top, Iorek had brought some food for roasting that they could enjoy while they waited for the event that brought them all there. Suddenly, the dark skies lit up with shifting colors, the aurora borealis at last had arrived! The hatchlings watched with wonder and Iorek felt satisfied. The lights were brightest during the solstice and so he enjoyed taking them up like he used to do as a hatchling. On top of the craigs, they felt so close you could almost reach out and touch the colors. Back on the floes, they were clear as well, and the colors danced in the water as well as the sky. Iorek smiled contentedly at the beautiful start to the winter.

[center][img]https://orig00.deviantart.net/8a8e/f/2018/295/c/d/h1_by_cas_a_fras-dcq466z.png[/img] [b]December 22nd: United[/b][/center] We are so close to the end! It's wild how fast December goes by! Hope you all are enjoying the start of your holidays! Today's Prize: [quote=December 22 - united][item=Bubble Brook Gecko][item=Cosmo Gecko][item=Welder's Mask][item=Conflagrant Kilt][item=Phoenix][/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