Creative Corner

[s]im sorry i love sad girls [/s] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=43687511] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/436876/43687511_350.png[/img] [/url] “Mother! Mother!” Valour screeched as she tumbled down the hall. As if nothing had happened, she kept running for the beautiful crimson dragoness. Her mother stopped to peer over her shoulder. Asecela’s head poked out from between her forelegs. She padded over to greet her sister, despite the fact that Valour was bouncing too much to even touch her snout. Their mother twisted about after Ascela. She asked, “What has you so excited, Valour?” The imperial tilted her head as she examined her. “And why are your scales so dirty?” She waited for her mother to finish talking, before she blurted, “I flew, mother! Look!” Before she could protest, Valour sprung into the air. Being so small, she could easily spread her feathery wings to their full length in the hall. She teetered to the side, yet she managed to beat her wings fast enough to recover. The strain on her weak muscles was too much for her to keep up for more than 10 seconds. Valour fell back onto the stone, her wings splayed out even as she bounced onto her feet. She danced between them, staring up at her mother. Ascela purred, “I wish I could fly!” Their mother gave Valour a small smile. Her tail curled around hers. “That is impressive, Valour.” “Are you happy, mother?” Valour folded her wings at her sides, her eyes full of pride. She huffed, “I would be happier if you had not made such a mess of yourself, you goof.” Valour tilted her head. Her claws kneaded at the floor. Many of her downy feathers were sticking at odd angles. Her dark, fully-feathered hatchling wings were covered in pale dust. She looked over herself, and whined, “I’m not that dirty!” “I will send someone to bathe you. I need Ascela.” She extended her massive wing to scoop up her sister. Ascela sqeaked in protest as her mother brought her to her side. Valour stared after her, then up to their mother. Uncoling her tail from hers, she rumbled, “We have a dinner to attend to tonight, Valour.” As her mother turned to take her sister with her, Valour could only watch. Her wings slumped as they disappeared around the corner of the hall. With a deep emptiness, she turned and padded back, toward her chambers. [384 words]

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30661912] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/306620/30661912_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37951445] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/379515/37951445_350.png[/img] [/url] "So how come Mirrors can't fly like everyone else?" Galar asked. Flake rolled her eyes. "We are perfectly capable of flying, [i]Galar[/i]," she said. It was hard to tell between her blank expression and the constant deadpan in her voice, but Galar thought she was annoyed. "Most of us just choose not to." "Why?" "Because we are much more built for running. Simple as that. And even when we [i]do[/i] want to fly, we can't for very long. It just isn't how the Plaguebringer made us. [i]You[/i] of all Dragons should know that." Galar blinked. "...You're lucky that I'm not gonna take that as an insult, or fear would be both the first and last emotion you ever processed."

[quote=AUTHOR'S NOTES] [size=3]Pavo is a gijinka clan and most of it's members gained the ability to shape-shift after using an ancient machine that the clan was built around. Just wanted to let y'all know in case anything I reference in my stories seem confusing! This one's long and little morose, hopefully the next story I write will be a more upbeat. Probably just as long though. Conciseness? I don't know her.[/size][/quote] [center] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=20493155] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/204932/20493155_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=20751777] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/207518/20751777_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=5]TWELFTH EPOCH, FIRST DAY [b]FLIGHT[/size][/center] [color=transparent]??[/color]As the first true, bitter winds of winter began to blow over the long barren hops field, Adder pushed herself upright and started towards the valley. She had been lent against an arbour pole, staring down at the town below her, watching light erupt from cottage windows as darkness descended on Pavo. It was a good view, one she'd been enjoying every evening since the harvest ended in the summer when she came up here to think. [color=transparent]??[/color]This was the only place she had enough room to think for herself. Pavo was a crowded place, some halfwit was always charging around the town square asking if anybody had a vial to spare or else boasting about their latest breakthrough in Oliver's tavern as if the whole clan was dying to hear it. But this field was her own, in bloom or as soil, and the whole clan knew it. Every idiot scientist in Oliver's drinking tankards of beer were enjoying the product of her labour, perhaps even interrupting their relentless tirade of biological babble to pay her a compliment or two. The though, though she tried to resist, made her lips quirk. [color=transparent]??[/color]She focused her gaze back on the town. If she continued at the speed she was going she'd likely reach it within the hour but the cold was closing in quickly and her thin cape wouldn't be enough to keep her warm on the journey back. Pausing just as the path began to wind downhill, she breathed deeply, cracking her shoulders before taking a step, a hop, a leap into the air in her true form. The wind howled through her mane as she beat her wings once, twice, propelling her up into the air. She beat her wings again, beginning to glide aimlessly towards Pavo's perimeter. [color=transparent]??[/color]The clumsiness of her wings never failed to irritate her; just another reminder that she was fundamentally different from everyone sitting inside below. Every dragon in Pavo that could wield magic had given up on flapping their wings to fly and now could activate a flight charm as easily as they could breathe. But Adder, poor pathetic Adder couldn't so much as summon a firefly's glow of light, let alone pull her scrawny body off the ground. Really it was a miracle she could even take a second form. Apparently, the Lightweaver was just benevolent enough to save her the trouble of trying to hold a conversation with a Nocturne as a 22 foot high Imperial. [color=transparent]??[/color]Nocturne. They were the reason she had come to the fields in the first place. Now that winter had arrived the Nights of the Nocturne would soon be upon them and Pavo was vibrating with anticipation. It had caught the clan of guard every year previous—half of them were far too wrapped up in their own personal projects to even realise what time of the year it was—and Nikolos and Simona were determined not to spend the penultimate weeks of the year scrambling around trying to find beds for passer-through Nocturne for the eleventh Weaver forsaken epoch in a row. They'd promised her she wouldn't have to give up half of her cottage to a flock of shrieking wryms this year and she supposed she should be grateful for that. But the thought of another screaming cluster of strangers crashing through town made her want to take a season-long trip to the ends of the Southern Icefield. Something about travellers filling the town, being surrounded by dragons she didn't know, made her feel uneasy. More alone than usual, somehow. [color=transparent]??[/color]She was jerked out of her thoughts when she looked down and realised she was right above Pavo. Fool, if she kept getting lost in her thoughts whilst flying then one of these days she'll soar right over The Sunbeam Ruins and into the Labyrinth. Wings tilted, she made a dive for the ground, landing crouched in her second form. She brushed off her skirt and she stood upright, pushing her red hair out of her eyes and startling when it revealed a familiar figure standing before her. [color=transparent]??[/color]"Eleven's sake, you nearly gave me a heart attack, Simona," Adder grumbled. Simona shook her head slightly, smiling. At least, her eyes did. Mona's smiles rarely reached her lips but the incredible fondness in her eyes gave away her true feelings. [color=transparent]??[/color]"Good. Seems I haven't lost my touch then," she replied. She started walking eastward again, continuing her evening patrol. Adder took at few hurried strides to catch up to her. "Though I'll admit I'd rather be scaring the life out of thieves and criminals than young dams who, for some unknown reason, think it's wise to be slinking around the edges of town in the dark." [color=transparent]??[/color]"Slinking? Who said I was slinking?" Adder replied, aiming for jeering but ending up sounding indignant instead. "I was just flying home. Been up in my field again." [color=transparent]??[/color]Simona glanced at her. "Something the matter?" She asked, casually, as easily as if she was asking for the time. Simona always knew how to make it easier for her. [color=transparent]??[/color]"Yes. No." Adder snorted impatiently, raking a hand through her short hair. "Just the. I'm not looking forward to The Nights. I don't like how frantic you all get. It's." [color=transparent]??[/color]"Overwhelming?" [color=transparent]??[/color]"Yeah." [color=transparent]??[/color]Simona nodded slightly. "It can be rather draining. I'll admit I'm already finding it rather exhausting myself and we've only just started preparing for it. And I'm sure things will only become more taxing when the flocks do descend upon us. But we must be kind to our fellow dragons. We will be the first experience that many of those Nocturne have with the outside world and it's our responsibility to make sure it's a good one. You know that, don't you Adder?" [color=transparent]??[/color]She chuffed, brushed her hair back once again. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm not saying I'm not going to try to be a good host, Simona, I just. You know I'm not very good at it." [color=transparent]??[/color]"I'm not asking you to be one, Adder," Simona replied, tenderness in her voice. "Just be yourself. I'm sure there's plenty of like minded Nocturne who hate all the fuss and the generalised hospitality and they'd do well to meet an honest, straightforward dragon like you." [color=transparent]??[/color]Adder's heart leapt at the suggestion. "You think so?" Try as she might, she couldn't help a hint of anxious hopefulness bleed into her voice. [color=transparent]??[/color]"Of course I do," Simona replied, looking back at her with those fond eyes. "You know Adder, you very rarely frustrate me but I find your refusal to appreciate your many good qualities extremely irritating. You must stop it at once, your leader commands you so." [color=transparent]??[/color]Adder snorted, shoving Simona with her shoulder. "Since when have I listened to a single thing either of [i]'my leaders[/i]' said?" [color=transparent]??[/color]"Well you can start now," Simona replied with a chuckle, "and come help your leader finish her evening patrol." [color=transparent]??[/color]Adder turned to look her in the eyes, smiling. "Yeah, alright. Someone's got to make sure you don't let any more slinking young dams cross the boarder." Simona replied by bumping her with her hip. Adder just laughed again. [color=transparent]??[/color]Their figures grew smaller and smaller as they moved eastward, their chatter fading as they slowly walked back into town.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

Smoke spiraled high into the air, clouding the once clear night. Flames jumped ten, twenty feet in the air, lapping at the remains of the village that had once stood there. It was surprising how fast a town surrounded by miles of water was burned down to rubble.

Typhoon coughed. He flapped his wings, one twice, and launched himself over a wall of fire. A group of dragons ran from one of the few huts still standing, hacking mercilessly. Typhoon watched as the house imploded, sending up a waft of ash. The dragons heaved themselves into the air, and soared into the darkness.

“Typhoon!”

Typhoon whirled around to see a Mirror running towards him. She dashed up to him, and threw her wings around his neck. He enfolded her in his wings, and they stood there, for a moment.

“Thank the Tidelord you’re alright, Chamois,” Typhoon huffed, relived. Chamois extracted herself from his embrace and looked at him fearfully.

“I did a circuit of the village,” she said. “Everyone is accounted for. They’re waiting for us at the reef. Oh Typhoon.” She paused, looking around. “How did this happen?”

“Maren,” Typhoon spat. “Those scum won’t ever let us have out peace. How they managed to do this before suffocating is beyond me.”

A flaming piece of rubble hit the ground, feet from Typhoon’s tail.

“We have to go!” shouted Typhoon. He spread his wings and soared upward, Chamois at his tail. He hovered for a moment, surveying the scene. The culprits were nowhere to be found. Typhoon glowered at the scene. His home, the place he had built, was gone.

“Come on Typhoon!” shouted Chamois. Typhoon tore his head from the wreckage, and saw he waiting for him. He reluctantly soared over to her.

Together, they disappeared into the night.


Typhoon landed heavily among his clan. He looked around. Although everyone was accounted for, he had never seen the clan in worse shape.

There were no fires. Dragons huddled for warmth instead, smeared with soot and ash. At the far end of the camp, he could see Alouarn, the Healer, bent over Athos, who was covered in bright red burns. Typhoon winced, unable to imagine how much pain he was in.

Heads turned. A few happy gasps echoed over the silence, as dragons laid eyes on their leader, safe and sound. A few rushed over, those who weren’t as badly burned. Seaglass, a bluish green wildclaw, was the first to reach Typhoon, her eyes full of worry.

“How’s Athos?” asked Typhoon immediately. “In fact, how’s everyone?”

“After a Maren attack, and having their homes burned,” said the Wildclaw, looking around. “We’re doing considerably well. Alouarn is doing the best he can to fix Athos.” She sighed. “But everyone’s scared. What are we going to do?”

Typhoon couldn’t answer. He was confused and terrified, tired from the long flight. He looked around at the frightened dragons.

“Now isn’t the time to worry about that,” said Typhoon. “Right now, we need to recover from the attack and get some sleep.

Few dragons looked as if they believed him. Whispers were exchanged among the dragons as they settled down on the hard ground. Seaglass placed a claw gently on Typhoon’s shoulder, before walking over to Alouarn.

Chamois crept up to Typhoon.

“What are we going to do?” she asked quietly, grasping his claws tightly in her own. Typhoon squeezed it gently.

“I don’t know,” he said sadly. “I just don’t know.”

I'm not very good at writing dialogue, so this might come off as a little clunky. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=5318556] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/53186/5318556_350.png[/img] [/url] Ever since her clan had inexplicably packed up and moved from the whispwillow grove to the foxfire brambles, Seraphina had been miserable. She didn't care that their new lair was more defensible than the last one, that the mighty thorns would protect them from any future beastclans attacks. She hated their new lair, because it was always pitch black. If it weren't for the multitude of lanterns her clanmates had set up around their tents and burrows, she wouldn't have been able to see her claws in front of her face. Seraphina should have been thanking her lucky stars that the clan was only nominally in the Shadow Flight, or they probably wouldn't have bothered with the lanterns. Living in the Tangled Woods would have been bad enough for your average Light dragon (the two Flights hadn't erupted into open warfare, but they didn't get along very well, and a dragon living in their sister Flight was met with constant suspicion) but it was even worse for Seraphina because of her nyctophobia. She was afraid of the dark. "Is something the matter Sera?" her clanmate Aya asked. "Don't worry about me" Seraphina waved the skydancer off. "Just a little tired, that's all. Stupid darkness throws off my sleep schedule. I can't tell if it's day or night anymore". Aya watched the coatl crawl back to her tent, with a thoughtful look on her face. The next night, Aya practically dragged her out of bed. "What in the name of the Flamecaller are you doing, you crazy bird?!" Seraphina hissed. "I want to show you something". Aya was holding a jar filled with bioluminescent mushrooms, which gave off a soft blue light. Grumbling, the blue coatl followed. After worming their way through the twisting thorns, Seraphina found herself in a clearing. The full moon shone through the ever-preset fog of the Tangled Woods. "Follow me". Aya spread her wings, and took off. Not wanting to be left alone in the now dark clearing, Seraphina followed suit. Once she was airborne and above the stifling fog, Seraphina felt herself relaxing. It was much brighter up here. The two she-dragons flew towards the Sea of a Thousand Currents, passing over the moon's buttery reflection in the water. "Feeling better now Sera?" Aya asked. "Much better. Thank you Aya". The pair flew on in silence.

[center]Day 1: Flight [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=42674633] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/426747/42674633_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] For as long as he could remember, Cosmo had always longed to go to the stars. To fly high above in the ether and boundaries of Sornieth, but alas, he was born a Snapper. His small, vestigial wings were merely decoration, non-functional. As hard as he tried, he could not lift himself above 2 feet off the ground and as he grew up, not even an inch. When he was a hatchling, he asked the other Snappers he lived with, why can I not fly? And they would always answer that he was a Snapper, and Snappers just don't fly. They told him to let it go, but he was born with this fever dream, and he wouldn't be dissuaded. In the meantime to figuring out how to fly, Cosmo started doing the next best thing to flight, swimming. He struggled at first, as there was no one to teach him how to swim, but swam every day and over a year became somewhat proficient. One day, when he swam far out into the middle of the Sea of a Thousand Currents. It was quite dangerous for there was no land in sight, but he wanted to prove to himself that he could make it to the far shore. If he could swim across the sea, surely he could do anything. The day started out fair, but began to darken and a horrible gale picked up and made each stroke double the effort. His limbs started to tire, and he began to panic as the choppy waves closed in around him. Cosmo lost consciousness and started to sink down into the murky depths. When Cosmo awoke inside an underwater cave, he saw a strange deep sea dragon staring at him. She was covered in kelp and sea shells. The sea witch, a mysterious dragon named Uma, asked him how he came to be in the predicament he was in. Cosmo told her about his dreams of flying to the stars even as a hatchling, how swimming made him feel like he was flying, and how he longed for the power of flight more than anything. Uma was surprised by Cosmo's vision, and gently told him that Snappers don't fly, can't fly, but he told her that he would be the exception. She was amazed how he was so determined in the face of everyone else who told him that he was crazy for wanting to try and for not giving up on his dream. Uma rarely granted wishes anymore, but this she felt was an exceptional case. Cosmo watched the sea witch stare at him, as if to his soul, and wondered what she was thinking. She finally broke the silence by asking him if he would do anything to be able to fly, even if that meant transforming his very being. He told her he would do anything to be able to fly to the stars, and she spoke what sounded like a bunch of bubbles to Cosmo, and then kissed him lightly on his snout. He felt his body start to tingle and in mere seconds his shape started to morph. He must have blacked out during the process because when he woke up, he felt changed, lighter. He looked down at himself and saw lithe limbs, a smaller, more streamlined body, and a strange weight on his back. Cosmo unfurled his wings and to his delight, they were huge! When he tried to peer around at them, he could see they were about as large as his whole body. Closing his eyes, Cosmo attempted his first flap and his new wings lifted him off the cave floor as if he were a leaf. Cosmo began to cry with joy and the sea witch watched with satisfaction at her meddling. She told him she'd turned him into a Nocturne, since unfortunately Snappers weren't built for flying, and that with practice, he could finally reach the stars. Cosmo thanked her profusely then when he felt comfortable enough in his transfigured body, he left the cave and shot up towards the surface. Like lightning, he burst through the waves, and kept flying straight up into the sky, his dreams finally within his grasp. [center][img]http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=174&bodygene=7&breed=11&element=4&eyetype=2&gender=0&tert=174&tertgene=17&winggene=8&wings=19&auth=4585830bab6a90c9f1f365a2d466874795ef0b1a&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/center] P.S. I'm still working with Cosmo to make him into a noc and get opal, but this is what he'll look like when I'm done! I had this idea when I got him since I found it sad that in the official FR lore, Snappers can't fly and so I wanted to play with that idea.

[center][i][u][b][size=7]Flight[/size][/b][/u][/i][/center] [quote name="Author's Note"]Yesss! This is finally starting, I'm so excited! Everyone's stories are so good! While I don't have clan lore fully written down or branched out as of yet, these prompts will eventually be used to expand my lore! I will also put this on a separate thread for my safekeeping in the future! Okay, so, for context in this story, my main clan is a tri-flight clan - Shadow, Water, and Arcane! They're aliens who fought against the Shade centuries ago on their own homeworld. They've recovered since then, but after hearing that the Shade has desires on preying on another poor planet, they came to assist! They're often talked about only in legends, especially in the Arcane Flight. My clan leaders happen to be members of this hidden alien species and have decided to start a new clan in the Water Flight! And because they're aliens, they can be pretty odd, though they are usually very good at blending in with other dragons lol... so now that the rambling is over, here we go![/quote] "Ah...another hour before the night ends and the last month of the year arrives..." Polaris murmured to himself as he gazed out into the sky from the clan's Observatory. The months passed by quickly on this planet. It still took some getting used to, but he still enjoyed being here nevertheless. The planet natives were kind and open, and some of them still seemed to remember the olden days when their species assisted the early dragons in fighting off the Shade. He chuckled to himself upon hearing those stories from the clan's couriers, who sometimes drop messages for other clan leaders while storytellers were telling hatchlings legends of old, of alien warriors who fought the Shade off using otherworldly magic that even the Arcanist could not copy. The Guardian looked up at the stars, twinkling above. He wondered if his children were gazing up at the same sky, wherever they were. He hoped that they would send him word of the Tidelord soon. Many of their fellow clan leaders showed concern about their god at the last gathering. He saw the look in their eyes, how deeply troubled they were. The Tidelord's prophecies were greatly needed, not just for the flight itself, but for assisting other flights as well. And if he wasn't around... What could be done? How could he assist these people now that their god, the one who was supposed to be their guide, their beacon of hope, was gone? He was still new to this world, and he could only assist others just a little bit. His own clan still needed help. They needed dragons to fill in more roles, needed more money for growth and for debts, and for clothing the other dragons... He felt overwhelmed. He still had no idea why he was sent here. The elders didn't tell anyone [i]why[/i] they chose to send them to their missions. Polaris shut his eyes and took a deep breath. They needed time to solve this. All of this. Coming up here, watching the night sky calmed him. It reminded him of his family, of his father and his lectures of the night sky, of supernovas, of the beauty of chaos, of the talk his father gave him the night before he passed. [i]“You see, my child, when stars die, they still give off light to the rest of the universe due to how long it takes the light to reach us. They are clearly dead, however, they still want to live on. That’s what makes them beautiful. Even when they burn out, even when they implode, they choose to make their mark in the sky. You can be amongst them, son, if you try. If you wish to be a warrior, go ahead. I will not stop you. I want you to be like those stars, to make your mark in the world, and if it is to protect other worlds, so be it. There are worlds, so many different worlds to explore, more skies to watch, more people to protect. You are aware of the Goldilocks zone, yes? I’m sure you are. Now listen, the truth is, while there are many kinds of alien species out there, life is much more rare than many believe it is. There are many planets and worlds with life, but there are much more, a centillion more, that do not have life, because those planets are not in that zone. Our planet is in a sweet spot - not too toxic, but close enough to the Sun for us to have life. Those lives are precious, son, every life is, because life is simply rare in the universe, what with how chaotic it is and how it constantly seeks to expand. So go. Go ahead. Protect them. Do what you can, for their lives, and I watch you as they bestow honor upon you, from the sky. I named you after the guiding star for a reason, after all. Promise me that you will do all you can.”[/i] “I promise, Father.” He whispered, gazing silently at the stars. He felt strength swelling within him once more, and he felt the sudden urge to spread his wings. So he did. He ran up the stairs to the highest point in the Observatory, spread his wings, and took flight. The wind was light enough to help him glide. He looked below. Some of his clan mates saw him and waved, and he smiled back at them. He flew past the clan square, the forests, the ocean, all the way to the clan’s outskirts near the Tangled Wood. He landed in front of the Wood’s entrance to take in the air, and turned to face the water from whence he came. He could see the sun rising, reds, oranges, and yellows coloring the horizon. He smiled. Hope and joy resonated from within him. Things will get better, he said to himself. “December first. A new month, a new day… and soon, a new year. What a time to be alive.” Featured Dragon(s): [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=44649844] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/446499/44649844_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Polaris, my clan's leader and progen! I plan to give him StarCon and Firefly and change him to a Fae! His wife, Cynosura, will be scattered a few times before I gene her up fully! I hope to finish them soon so that I can write their bios! Musical Inspo for today's prompt: [url=https://youtu.be/dzNvk80XY9s]"Saturn" by Sleeping at Last[/url]

Howdy y'all! I wanted to stay up late tonight so I could read all of the Dec 1st entries but I've gotta head to bed soon, so. I just wanted to quickly give kudos to some of the pieces I've read so far!

@Nettletea
I really, really like the first section of your entry where we get to hear Seraphina's thoughts. You can hear her voice in that passage which is something I think can be hard to achieve sometimes. I felt pretty sad for her, adjusting to her new environment is clearly hard for her but it was sweet to see Aya take her flying at the end!

@MarinaQuakenbush
Cosmo is my new son, okay. He is the purest bean and I'm so glad he finally got his chance to fly like he wanted! This was a real uplifting read and it made me smile!

@MysticalScribe
That was intense and definitely left me wanting to know more about the tribe. Like, what caused the Maren to attack them in the first place? Can't wait to see what else you come up with for this event!

@Harana
Ahhhhhhh!?! Your lore?!? Is so cool?? I really love the idea of an alien clan and I can't wait to read more about them! Polaris seems like a really wonderful dragon and the image of him jumping off the observatory and flying over his clan was absolutely joyous. Loved it!

@Pantali lakjflaskdjf thank you so much! There's a lot more coming soon, don't worry! :D

Polaris is a good derg!

@Pantali awww thank you!! I have planned to continue using the prompts to write a series. All the future prompts will be continuations of this story! I can't wait to get writing :)