Quests & Challenges

[img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/food/3550.png[/img] @fenshae and @TheAwesoMew He loves me, he loves me not . . . I guess he likes me a little more than at first? Who knows. Anywhoo, FIGHT!!! ----- Auria dozed, the warm sunlight lulling her towards sleep. It had been a while since she'd last been out of the cave. She'd been so worried about whether Adanarox's curse would carry to his children that she'd found herself unable to leave them alone. Only now had her fears begun to relax, and Mercuria'd been able to convince her to step outside the lair. She'd forgotten how nice it was to feel sunlight. A roar from the Imperial caused her to jolt awake. "Auria! Get inside!" Auria's head shot up. There, at the treeline – Serthis! Without a second thought, Auria bolted inside the cave, hoping that Mercuria could fight them off. Outside, Mercuria leaped down from her perch, landing hard on the ground. The Serthis warband immediately began to hurl spears, the rudimentary weapons easily deflected by the metal coating her body. She snatched the nearest one up in her jaws, shaking it before letting the body fly against a rock. A swipe from her claws finished off another who didn't get back in time. More Serthis began to appear from the woods, the glow of magic at their fingertips. Mercuria found plants entangling her legs, even as more members of the warband dove past her. "They're coming!" she called over her shoulder. A sudden, angry roar drowned out her words, and a shadow appeared over the casting Serthis. Adanarox crashed down onto the attackers from above, his massive wings enough to send a wind through the small space. The entangling vines snapped from Mercuria's legs as the tan Guardian lashed his tail, killing several Serthis at once. The dragon raised his head, spitting out vaguely snakelike remains. "Are you alright?" he inquired. "I am," she replied, then froze bolt-still. "Auria!" She ducked into the cave, praying the timid Pearlcatcher was safe. The remains of three mauled Serthis warriors lay strewn about the interior of the cave. In the middle of it all, Auria, panting slightly. Two spears stuck out of the small dragon's side. Adanarox's head appeared in the corner of Mercuria's vision. "Well done," he remarked, moving past her to press up against the Pearlcatcher. Auria leaned against him, clearly shaken. "They were after the eggs," the blue dragoness whispered. "You didn't have a choice," Mercuria soothed. "And judging from what I see, you were more than a match for them. Everything is alright." So why didn't she believe her own words?

[img]http://www1.flightrising.com/static/cms/trinket/6612.png[/img] @fenshae @TheAwesoMew He loves me!!! *happy smile* Ok, I've got a whole bunch of chests to open, so this is gonna be really fun. Let me check my hoard real quick . . . Geez, starting to wonder if these guys are hoarders. They've got enough white pawns to set up a whole chess board! [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/574.png[/img] (x3) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/575.png[/img] (x4) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/787.png[/img] (x2) All that equals . . . [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/243.png[/img] (x2) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/21403.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/4327.png[/img] (x4) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/3448.png[/img] (x3) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/16450.png[/img] (x6) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/17500.png[/img] (x6) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/6348.png[/img] (x4) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/24502.png[/img] (x2) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/20127.png[/img] (x2) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/24503.png[/img] (x5) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/equipment/25044.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/equipment/2971.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/equipment/283.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/15589.png[/img] (x2) [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/199.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/1164.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/familiar/13429.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/familiar/2258.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/equipment/17920.png[/img] Current Treasure: ------ When the Imperial siblings returned from town, the first thing Auria noticed was the amount of chests the dragons were hauling into the cavern. "What is all this?" she asked curiously. "Oh, just a reward for a job well done," Sakurako replied. "Perhaps not well done, but a job nonetheless," Mercuria objected as she placed two of the chests in front of her. "These are for you," she said, smiling. "But I didn't do anything to help you, I just stayed with the nest," Auria protested. "You've been through a lot, too," Adanarox pointed out. "We thought you deserved a little something, after yesterday's attack," Sakurako explained. "You fought off three Serthis by yourself! That's no mean feat." "If you say so . . ." she replied. Was it her imagination, or was the chest shaking slightly? She popped the latch, and a strange little golden insect popped out, wings humming. Auria laughed in surprise and delight as it circled around her head. She noticed Sakurako frantically attempting to corral something in the cave. Beneath the trinkets and gold, a gorgeous chestpiece of wood and feathers lay at the very bottom of the chest. Not quite her style – or her size, now that she thought about it. But she smiled anyway. "Thanks, all of you," she said. There was no doubt in her mind: she'd made the right choice to stay.

[img]http://www1.flightrising.com/static/cms/trinket/13409.png[/img] Ok, guess Pinkerton really likes me now. I'm just glad I have some actual chests to open today! I got a few trinkets and materials and some gold, but I won't bore you with the details, @fenshae and @TheAwesoMew, because today is The Big Day. It's hatchling time! ------ As the eggs began to shake inside the nest, the four dragons gathered around to watch. Auria dug her claws in and out of the stone, unable to keep still with excitement. Which one would come out first? Would they be male, female? Would they look more like her, or more like Adanarox? Pearlcatcher or Guardian? Striped with brilliant blue, or plain sandy scales? Her mind spiraled and zigzagged from speculation to speculation, unable to settle on a single subject. Finally, a little orange head burst out of an egg. For a second or two, the hatchling glanced around with wide green eyes – then let out a squeak as its next movement promptly tipped the egg over. Luckily, it didn’t seem too shaken, and quickly found its feet. She hauled her form over the edge of the nest, taking a proud step towards an edge she couldn’t see. Adanarox caught the brilliant orange hatchling in one massive mitt, placing the little hatchling on the ground. “This one will be trouble,” he said, some amusement in his deep growl. [img]https://i.imgur.com/NdLAIfx.png[/img] “What’s her name?” Mercuria asked. “Oh, look!” her brother gasped. “The next one! It’s cracking!” The Imperial ducked his long neck in close, only to pull it back as the first hatchling pounced on his face. “Well, you’re a scamp, aren’t you?” “Shush!” Auria burst out, eyes fixed on the cracks forming across said egg’s surface. Just as it seemed the egg was more faceted than truly round, it split apart like an overripe fruit, releasing the hatchling within. A Pearlcatcher, like her mother. Auria felt some pride in the fact that at least one of her hatchlings looked like her. The new hatchling sat on her rump for a moment, blinking small green eyes at the faces staring back. [img]https://i.imgur.com/4ddv0CC.png[/img] Auria pulled the Pearlcatcher out of the nest so the poor thing wouldn’t be knocked around by her last sibling, and returned to her watching. The top of the egg flipped open like a chest, breaking open to reveal the final new member of the clan. Almost immediately, it scurried to Auria, hiding between her legs. [img]https://i.imgur.com/dstc3TS.png[/img] "Welcome to the world, Timid One," Auria chuckled, nuzzling it. Glancing up at Adanarox, she said, "I think they're all female. What should we name them?" Adanarox looked over at the green and red hatchling. "My mother had similar colors. Her name was Arvyne." Auria liked the idea more than she thought she would. "I like that. Arvyne it is, then." She started as something pounced down on her tail. Arvyne's orange sister had the end of her tail clamped down in her jaws. Auria scooped up the hatchling and place her with the rest of her siblings. "I suppose you want to be named Scamp, do you?" The other dragons laughed at her outburst. "I recall an old name for an orange blossom, [i]alani[/i]," Sakurako suggested. "Alani . . ." Auria considered the name. It was certainly pretty, and an apt descriptor of the feisty dragonet's colors. "I like it," Adanarox said by way of assent. Alani didn't answer, proceeding to tackle her bright blue sister. "And Sapphira, for your color," Auria pronounced as the two hatchlings wrestled on the ground. Any worries she'd had fled her mind entirely as she watched her children – [i]her[/i] children – play.

@fenshae @TheAwesoMew [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/4362.png[/img] Had to do some writing, so I wrote a bio. Everybody, say hi to Fang! [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=43948976] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/439490/43948976_350.png[/img] [/url] I'll figure out a way to formally introduce her later, since I didn't get on this place until late. She and a certain pink-winged Imperial are going to be spending a lot of time together eventually . . . It's a very good thing his father won't be there to see it, at least for now.

[img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/food/2414.png[/img] @fenshae @TheAwesoMew @Farsidejr Seriously Pinkerton? I thought we were friends! :( Ah well. FIGHT!!! ------- It was Sakurako's turn for guard duty today. It wasn't even noon yet, and already he was having trouble fathoming how Mercuria handled the long hours doing nothing. Instinct told him it would be a Very Bad Thing to stay put instead of poking his head through the shrubbery at the edge of the lair, but if he did then he'd have two angry dragonesses on his claws, and that was Even Worse. Still . . . if they didn't know, then what was the harm? He uncoiled his black scales and lofted over to the edge of the clearing. Was it just him, or did he hear the sounds of an angry dragon in the distance? "What is it?" Of course he'd been naive to think they wouldn't notice his change of position. He glanced over his shoulder – Auria, chasing Alani again. "I think I hear someone," he called back. Mercuria stuck her head into the sunlight, sending shards of sharp light stabbing into his eyes for a moment. "I'll look," she said, leaping into the air. Sakurako returned to his post, the instinct gone. He idly wondered what the universe was about to bring this time. After a few minutes, a flurry of gray scales erupted from over the treeline. Mercuria, returning with another Imperial. And she was beautiful! Gray markings covered her body, marred by red blood. A clear pouch ran the length of her underbelly. Massive black wings added to her shadow, even darker markings visible. For a moment, Sakurako froze, completely spellbound by the vision of draconic perfection in front of him. Then he heard the shrill, high-pitched cries. Mercuria placed a small hatchling on the ground, the source of the cries. Auria surfaced, probably drawn by the screams. Immediately, the Pearlcatcher scooped up the hatchling, crooning a soothing song. She glanced up at the gathered dragons. "What's going on?" "Get her and the hatchling inside!" Mercuria snapped urgently. "And yours, too. The Serthis are attacking again!" Sakurako immediately jumped down from his perch, supporting the grayscaled dragoness as she limped to the safety of the cave. "Thank you," the stranger managed, giving him a grateful glance. It warmed Sakurako far more than it should have. "O-of course," he stammered. For a moment, green eyes met strange red ones. Mercuria's shout shattered the stillness. "Brother! Get out here!" "Coming!" he called. Sharing one last look with the dragoness, he scurried out to his sister. She stood proud in the clearing, scanning the periphery of the clearing intently. "Any moment now . . ." Mercuria muttered. Sakurako found himself digging his claws into the dirt with fearful anticipation. As the first Serthis appeared in the trees, both he and his sister went on the attack. The first attackers died instantly, mauled by claws or trapped in snapping jaws. Sakurako was no warrior – that was part of the reason he and Mercuria had left the clan to begin with. But the thought of that beautiful Imperial bleeding in the den was enough to galvanize him. He wanted the Serthis to pay, and if that meant killing then so be it. A bolt of magic sizzled over his shoulder, from behind of all places. He spun around, his tail catching another Serthis square in the stomach. Auria stood at the mouth of the cave, flinging bursts of magic at the attacking snakepeople. He had to admit, he hadn't thought she'd try to help. To his side, Mercuria was struggling under the weight of her attackers. Sakurako charged forwards, barely noticing the flesh beneath his claws as he crossed the distance. His head snapped forwards like a viper catching it's prey, lifting a Serthis off Mercuria's back. As soon as they'd attacked, the Serthis were gone, retreating into the woods. Sakurako was more than a little sickened at the blood and dust coating his claws. Guilt crashed down on him like a falling tree. "Are you alright?" Mercuria was looking at him, concern in her eyes. "I-I n-need to get out of here." Sakurako launched himself into the air before his legs shook too much to support him. He returned hours later, scales washed clean of all the filth gathered during battle. The injured Imperial was resting inside the cave. "Adanarox cleaned her up," Auria had explained upon his return. "I'm not entirely sure why he had to use the entire bolt of cloth, though." Inside the cave, Auria was watching the hatchlings play with a weather eye. Now, he got a better look at the one the stranger had been guarding. [img]https://i.imgur.com/afBBmyC.png[/img] Although Alani seemed to be giving him a run of it, the dappled black hatchling gave as good as he got from the rambunctious orange girl. The Imperial was watching as well, with slightly more concern. "Does she always fight like that?" she asked as he approached. "Usually," Sakurako replied. "She's a scamp, that one. Make no mistake." He glanced sidelong at her. "What's your name? And his, for that matter." He smelled an odd perfume about the dragoness. [i]I'll have to ask about that later.[/i] "Fang," the Imperial replied. "And that's Theran. I can't decide who found whom." "Well," Sakurako remarked, "I've found that sometimes, the universe itself guides the right people together. You didn't find him, and he didn't find you. You were simply guided together –" "- By the hand of Fate!" Fang finished. For a moment, the two dragons looked at each other with surprise. "I think I'm going to like you, Fang," Sakurako said simply.

Just saying, your Sakurako could be my Valentino's brother! [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=16039236] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/160393/16039236.png[/img] [/url] He was my first dragon for the Legacy of Nobility Challenge. C: I would love to make a little lore-spin off between the two you're up for it! He was the previous king in my challenge, so I'm not sure if they could be illegitimate brothers or cousins of some sort (IDK) Just thought I would offer!

@Farsidejr thanks! I'm actually majoring in Creative Writing, so I figured this would be a good way to get into some good writing habits.

@SymphonyOfIce Just for fun I compared Valentino and Mercuria in the Scrying Workshop. They aren't related within 5 generations, but who says we can't make something up? I think a little spin-off could be fun, feel free to shoot me a message and we can hash this out! Their (Sakurako and Mercuria's) father was a bit of a wanderer before settling down with Aquaria's clan, who knows where he might have been?

Edit: I am going to post something soon, just need to get ready for school first.

[img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/food/2949.png[/img] @fenshae @TheAwesoMew @Farsidejr It's official, he hates my guts. *[i]sigh[/i]* FIGHT!! (Later) I'm doing this right, right? You send the dragons into the arena that's the same as the lowest level in the party, right? I could swear somewhere it said one level lower than the lowest level dragon, but I can't find that in my notes. God I hated writing this. -------- While Adanarox would normally be searching for work, today he'd hung back at the lair. They hadn't been the only ones to be attacked by Serthis. Word was an entire family of Fae had been massacred by the marauding snakemen just days ago. While their lair was quite defensible deeper in the cave, there was nothing barring the Beastclans from the clearing. [i]RrrrmmmmCRASHHH![/i] With a ponderous groan, the tree fell over, unable to defend against Adanarox's massive claws and weight. Easily breaking the branches, he proceeded to roll the log to the camp, forming the third branch of an arc in front of the cave. Behind him, the Imperial siblings brought in the branches. Good branches would be turned into stakes, and stabbed into the logs. One of the logs already had a row installed, a testament to how long they'd worked. Auria had turned it into a bit of a game for the hatchlings – all the leaves stripped off would be piled into a massive pile, and whoever found the most good branches would be the first to jump in. Even Fang was pitching in, though she carved the stakes slightly slower thanks to her still-healing injuries. As Adanarox rolled the last log into place, he caught a glimpse of a too-familiar face. "Serthis!" he roared, charging the scout. His bite neatly halved the creature at the waist. To his left, Auria and Fang were herding the hatchlings into the cave, while Mercuria and Sakurako took up positions by the entrance. He quickly leaped over the log barrier, completing the miniature formation. "Why does this always happen to me?" he heard Sakurako mutter, almost out of hearing. "Not the best time to complain, brother," Mercuria responded, more electricity than usual crackling out from her skin. Then the attack began. Spears and bolts of magic whizzed through the air. They stung where they hit their mark. Despite the onslaught, the three dragons held their places. In the shadows of the cave, the screams of dying Serthis echoed against the rock, as well as the snarls and roars of the defending dragons. Then, they suddenly stopped. After a few seconds of silence, Auria raised her voice. "What's happening?" "I think they're retreating!" Sakurako called back. Some light spilled into the cavern as Adanarox left his place. "Wait here," Auria told the others, and climbed to the front of the cave, poking her head into the sunlight. Adanarox stood at the edge of the clearing, staring into the foliage. "Are they gone?" Mercuria called. "I don't think . . . Get back!" For a moment, Auria didn't obey, her mind stuck on the timbre in Adanarox's voice. In all their time together, this was the first time she'd heard fear. Mercuria shoved her back inside the cave as Adanarox spun around, barreling back into his own place at the entrance. Cold laughter chased Auria back into the cave. Laughter she remembered from a night not too long ago in the Shifting Expanse. Outside, the very same mage stood, a black-scaled ridgeback with white markings like cracked glass covering his body. Adanarox felt a surge of anger rise in his chest. "You're behind the Serthis attacks?" he snarled. "Perhaps," the mage responded, the voice oddly high-pitched. "It's quite easy to manipulate the lesser creatures of this land into doing whatever you want them." He walked into the clearing, adopting a look of stricken innocence. "Why the fierce look? I only stopped by to see how you were doing." Bright blue eyes scanned the two Imperials. "I never said you could find people to help you," the mage remarked. "You don't control us," Adanarox growled. "Oh? That scar on your leg says otherwise. I am Articore, Darkmage, and as long as you bear that scar you are bound to me! And [i]I [/i]say that as you and your seamstress toy began alone, alone you shall stay!" The mage sat back on his hind legs, his voice taking on a peculiar quality as an orb of magic began to form in the dragon's claws. Without thinking, Adanarox charged forwards, even as Mercuria and Sakurako flinched back. A bright light dazzled the eyes of the two Imperials, and a horrific scream grated in their ears. When Mercuria could see clearly again, the ridgeback Articore lay on the ground, more blood soaking into the dirt beneath. A strange smoke seeped out from the black dragon's body, curling into the air. Adanarox sprawled just in front of the ridgeback, equally still. Tentatively, Sakurako and Mercuria advanced. While Sakurako checked the mage, Mercuria looked at Adanarox. Arcane burns covered his body, the smell burning her nose in turn. Even his eyes were burnt out. Smoke curled through gaps in his teeth. "Adanarox!" Auria was at the Guardian's side, eyes wide. "Nononononooo . . ." Behind her, Mercuria met Fang's horrified red eyes. Immediately, the dragoness blocked the entrance with her body, herding the hatchlings back inside before they could see anything. Sakurako moved next to her, placing a feather from Adanarox's woodguard over what remained of his eyes. "Thank you very much, friend. In the end, the mage lost. You didn't die alone. "And if I have my way with it, you won't be forgotten for a long time coming."

You're having a rough go of it lately! I know the feeling. But such great writing! Very emotional <3

I think I ended up settling on one level/area lower than my lowest-leveled dragon because the same level was too difficult.