YOUR ART IS SO AMAZING AAAA
Quests & Challenges
Quests, Challenges, and Festival games.
TOPIC | Just Go | COMPLETED Pinkerlocke
OOOOO I love the way you drew Ehsan, too!! She's gorgeous aaaaaa;;; Your style is very easy on the eyes.
[b][i]Day Sixty Five:[/i][/b]
Xihuitl bounced around the camp, helping to get packed up as quickly as he could. He was used to travelling and sitting around for the past couple of days had made him restless.
“We ready yet?” he asked Iuitl impatiently; to his credit, he had managed to contain his questioning up until then.
“Almost,” she answered, holding up a talon to tell him to calm down. “Go get Ehsan and see if Capricious needs any more help.”
“Alright,” he muttered, jogging off. Ehsan was getting little Vivace settled on Tigress’s back, keeping him entertained while the adults took down the camp.
“Go!” Vivace exclaimed, stretching his arms and wings into the air.
“Yeah, we go!” Ehsan echoed, also raising up her arms and making him giggle.
“Not yet we aren’t,” Xihuitl cut in, making her jump.
“Xihuitl! Don’t sneak up on me!” the metallic Mirror shrieked.
“Didn’t,” he mumbled. “Anyway, Iuitl wants us to help Capricious.”
“Oh, alright,” she sighed. “Amosis? Can you watch Vivace?”
The Pearlcatcher looked up to respond, but they were interrupted by a loud shriek from Crow. It was a warning cry, and he took off into the air in a flurry of feathers. The entire camp stopped dead, all of them listening and looking at the sky.
Then they heard more wingbeats and figures began to emerge from the low-hanging clouds.
“[i]Get away![/i]” Iuitl screeched, scaring Xihuitl with the fear in her voice.
“It’s them!” Zunmonah called out, lunging forward to meet the hostiles descending on them. She didn’t make it far, collapsing under her injuries with a snarl. Ehsan snatched up Vivace immediately, also reaching down to pull at Amosis as she scrambled toward the others. Tigress and Xihuitl both whipped around to face their foes.
It was a group of harpies, wearing blood red masks struck through with white talon marks. They carried spears and bolas, the latter of which they threw down at the surprised group. Xihuitl dodged the one aimed at him and Tigress tore off the one that landed on her, leaping with a roar at the harpies, daring them to come too close. Ehsan screamed behind him and Xihuitl whirled around. She had been caught by one of the bolas, having pushed the hatchlings away. The adults were rushing forward to help them, but the harpies were diving down to finish Ehsan off. Xihuitl roared and took to the air, intercepting them with claws outstretched. He collided with them, ripping the spears out of their talons and slicing at their wings. He snagged one of them and they shrieked, falling to the ground. Below, Baines had appeared to untangle Ehsan from the trap.
“No!” the older Mirror put a wing out to stop Blithe and Capricious from advancing. “Protect the hatchlings! Take them and run!”
“But we promised-“ Capricious began.
“[i]Get the hatchlings away from here![/i]” Baines roared. They didn’t argue further. Xihuitl couldn’t watch them leave, distracted by the harpies bearing down on him. He braced to fight them and was quickly joined by Baines and Ehsan.
Everything became a blur, a flurry of attacks and counter attacks, dodging and screams of pain when blades or claws made contact. Suddenly, two harpies attached themselves to the joints of his wings. A third slammed into his back and the combined weight drove him to the ground. The collision stunned him and he cried out as they pinned his wings down with their spears. He felt the one on his back rise. There was a flash of lightning from behind, casting a shadow of the harpy’s raised spear aimed right at his neck.
A familiar cry rang out and his would be killer was tackled off him in a flurry of blue feathers. Xihuitl tried to get up, but the spears held him firmly in place.
“Iuitl!” he called, craning his neck to see what was happening. He caught a glimpse of her battling the three harpies having wrestled the last spear from them. The harpies, however, were more versed in combat and one of them managed to get her from behind, pulling the spear back against her neck to immobilize her. Another produced a knife and before he could register what was happening, they stabbed it right in her chest.
“[i]No[/i]!” he screamed, tearing himself up from the ground. He pounced on the group as a whole, snarling like a creature of the Shade. He dug his hook claws in the first two harpies he impacted, ripping Iuitl from their talons. The third escaped into the air, just in time to evade Tigress’s claws. They were already bloodied from previous attacks and she hissed in frustration as another of her quarries flew out of reach.
“Xihuitl! We need to go!” Baines called and the Wildclaw looked to see him and Ehsan beating toward them. Three of the harpies had survived and were retreating. The one least injured turned and threw their spear at Baines in one last attack. Xihuitl called out a warning and the mint Mirror whirled to face it. Before the spear struck, it was intercepted by a dark blur. Baines caught Crow by instinct, obviously stunned. A rumble of thunder invaded the short silence.
“Come on!” Xihuitl urged them. “Iuitl’s hurt! We need to get back to the others!”
Their attention turned to the Aviar in his arms and Ehsan’s claws went to her mouth.
“Oh no,” she breathed, landing. Baines looked as if he might say something, but he thought against it, flying on ahead.
They caught up with the others quickly. The group had stopped and it looked like Blithe and Capricious were about to fly back. They stopped when they saw them approaching.
“Capricious! Hurry! Iuitl’s hurt!” Xihuitl called out, landing and gently laying the Aviar on the ground before her. The Fae reached out immediately, but stiffened. Her frills flattened straight to her neck and she recoiled.
“No…” she sobbed. Blithe joined her and also flinched back.
“Great Shadowmother…” he rasped, freezing.
“What?! Don’t just stand there, she needs help!” the Wildclaw snapped.
“Xihuitl,” Capricious said soothingly, though she choked. “Xihuitl, I’m sorry, I… I can’t. She’s-“
“Gone.” Baines’s deep voice sounded hollow. He was staring at Iuitl’s unmoving form while still holding Crow’s body in one claw. He had removed the spear during their flight, but the large eye stared back out at them unfocused and glassy.
“No,” Xihuitl bit back, looking down at Iuitl. He bent down and nudged at her shoulder gently with his nose. She was beginning to grow stiff, like the animals the adults brought in from their hunts. “No…”
“Xihuitl-“ Capricious murmured, but faltered when his head snapped up to face her.
“[i]NO![/i]” he roared with a ferocity that made them all flinch away. His broad wings spread wide in challenge and he tried to take off. His lack of practice and focus did not keep him airborne and he fell back some feet away. Angered, he let out another roar, making Bree whicker and paw the ground anxiously. He didn’t get up, merely turned from the others and hunkered there under his wings, shaking. They let him alone, though after a few moments he heard them move.
“The Aviar build cairns for their dead,” Zunmonah’s voice spoke softly in the distance. “And they release the dead’s feathers into the wind. I’ve seen them do it.”
“Amosis, Ehsan,” Capricious said next. “Could you please take Bree and find some stones for us to use?”
Xihuitl didn’t move for the longest time. Half of him hoped if he didn’t think about it, if he didn’t look, it wouldn’t be happening. He could hear the sound of rocks clacking together as they were stacked. After a time, a gentle claw rested on his shoulder.
“Please, Xihuitl. You’ll want to say goodbye. Trust me,” Blithe’s voice told him quietly. Xihuitl ducked away from him at first and the presence of the claw disappeared. He was surprised to find that this disturbed him more than the touch and he uncoiled, looking up at the Spiral. He let the teal dragon lead him over to the unfinished cairn. They were beginning to add the top layer of rocks when Xihuitl suddenly jerked forward.
“Wait!” he croaked, and they all stopped and stepped back immediately. He came forward, looking at Iuitl’s still face. If he just looked there, he could imagine she was sleeping. He opened his mouth to say something, a hundred words floating through his mind, but nothing came out. He closed it again with his eyes, tears leaking down his face. He pulled himself together long enough to reach out and take her sash. He moved back to let the others finish, tying the sash around his own neck.
Once the work was done, the group gathered around the cairn. Zunmonah held out a collection of blue feathers to Xihuitl, who took them slowly.
“The rocks symbolize the weight of mortality,” she explained. The steady delivery of her voice was oddly soothing to him. “Releasing the feathers is a symbol of her spirit, now freed into the sky and beyond.”
He choked, clutching the feathers to himself a moment, then, with all the effort he could muster, he released them in the wind. Nearby, Baines released a handful of small blue-black feathers with them.
The group watched as the feathers disappeared off into the sky, illuminated every once in a while by the distant lightning, the rumble of thunder their only song.
-----
[item=cicada]
Rolled Ehsan, Baines, and Xihuitl.
I did ok until Xihuitl's outburst. Then I lost it. [i]Frick[/i], man. I'm... mad. I've apparently finally found the limits of my coli skills, and that it taking two under leveled dragons into the Savannah. But I did my 20 rounds. You hear that, Pink? [i]I did my rounds.[/i] Now I'm freaking [i]terrified[/i] to go into the coliseum with a similarly disparate team.
So, the actual rundown is: Ehsan fainted first at level two, Baines and Xihuitl successfully saved her. Xihuitl went down in battle 6, successfully saved by Iuitl with a roll of 6. Baines went down in battle 12, successfully saved by Crow, also with a roll of 6.
It was just supposed to be [i]training[/i].
Ehsan is level 6. (Lots of 6's... today...)
Xihuitl is level 12. (A multiple... of 6.)
-----
Inventory: Scatter Scroll x1, Breed Change x1
-----
@Weredogalism @Riff @Skulljester @AstralDragons @Petall @MisterMylez @BarbaraFett @PinkyDaPinkSlime @loser
Day Sixty Five:
Xihuitl bounced around the camp, helping to get packed up as quickly as he could. He was used to travelling and sitting around for the past couple of days had made him restless.
“We ready yet?” he asked Iuitl impatiently; to his credit, he had managed to contain his questioning up until then.
“Almost,” she answered, holding up a talon to tell him to calm down. “Go get Ehsan and see if Capricious needs any more help.”
“Alright,” he muttered, jogging off. Ehsan was getting little Vivace settled on Tigress’s back, keeping him entertained while the adults took down the camp.
“Go!” Vivace exclaimed, stretching his arms and wings into the air.
“Yeah, we go!” Ehsan echoed, also raising up her arms and making him giggle.
“Not yet we aren’t,” Xihuitl cut in, making her jump.
“Xihuitl! Don’t sneak up on me!” the metallic Mirror shrieked.
“Didn’t,” he mumbled. “Anyway, Iuitl wants us to help Capricious.”
“Oh, alright,” she sighed. “Amosis? Can you watch Vivace?”
The Pearlcatcher looked up to respond, but they were interrupted by a loud shriek from Crow. It was a warning cry, and he took off into the air in a flurry of feathers. The entire camp stopped dead, all of them listening and looking at the sky.
Then they heard more wingbeats and figures began to emerge from the low-hanging clouds.
“Get away!” Iuitl screeched, scaring Xihuitl with the fear in her voice.
“It’s them!” Zunmonah called out, lunging forward to meet the hostiles descending on them. She didn’t make it far, collapsing under her injuries with a snarl. Ehsan snatched up Vivace immediately, also reaching down to pull at Amosis as she scrambled toward the others. Tigress and Xihuitl both whipped around to face their foes.
It was a group of harpies, wearing blood red masks struck through with white talon marks. They carried spears and bolas, the latter of which they threw down at the surprised group. Xihuitl dodged the one aimed at him and Tigress tore off the one that landed on her, leaping with a roar at the harpies, daring them to come too close. Ehsan screamed behind him and Xihuitl whirled around. She had been caught by one of the bolas, having pushed the hatchlings away. The adults were rushing forward to help them, but the harpies were diving down to finish Ehsan off. Xihuitl roared and took to the air, intercepting them with claws outstretched. He collided with them, ripping the spears out of their talons and slicing at their wings. He snagged one of them and they shrieked, falling to the ground. Below, Baines had appeared to untangle Ehsan from the trap.
“No!” the older Mirror put a wing out to stop Blithe and Capricious from advancing. “Protect the hatchlings! Take them and run!”
“But we promised-“ Capricious began.
“Get the hatchlings away from here!” Baines roared. They didn’t argue further. Xihuitl couldn’t watch them leave, distracted by the harpies bearing down on him. He braced to fight them and was quickly joined by Baines and Ehsan.
Everything became a blur, a flurry of attacks and counter attacks, dodging and screams of pain when blades or claws made contact. Suddenly, two harpies attached themselves to the joints of his wings. A third slammed into his back and the combined weight drove him to the ground. The collision stunned him and he cried out as they pinned his wings down with their spears. He felt the one on his back rise. There was a flash of lightning from behind, casting a shadow of the harpy’s raised spear aimed right at his neck.
A familiar cry rang out and his would be killer was tackled off him in a flurry of blue feathers. Xihuitl tried to get up, but the spears held him firmly in place.
“Iuitl!” he called, craning his neck to see what was happening. He caught a glimpse of her battling the three harpies having wrestled the last spear from them. The harpies, however, were more versed in combat and one of them managed to get her from behind, pulling the spear back against her neck to immobilize her. Another produced a knife and before he could register what was happening, they stabbed it right in her chest.
“No!” he screamed, tearing himself up from the ground. He pounced on the group as a whole, snarling like a creature of the Shade. He dug his hook claws in the first two harpies he impacted, ripping Iuitl from their talons. The third escaped into the air, just in time to evade Tigress’s claws. They were already bloodied from previous attacks and she hissed in frustration as another of her quarries flew out of reach.
“Xihuitl! We need to go!” Baines called and the Wildclaw looked to see him and Ehsan beating toward them. Three of the harpies had survived and were retreating. The one least injured turned and threw their spear at Baines in one last attack. Xihuitl called out a warning and the mint Mirror whirled to face it. Before the spear struck, it was intercepted by a dark blur. Baines caught Crow by instinct, obviously stunned. A rumble of thunder invaded the short silence.
“Come on!” Xihuitl urged them. “Iuitl’s hurt! We need to get back to the others!”
Their attention turned to the Aviar in his arms and Ehsan’s claws went to her mouth.
“Oh no,” she breathed, landing. Baines looked as if he might say something, but he thought against it, flying on ahead.
They caught up with the others quickly. The group had stopped and it looked like Blithe and Capricious were about to fly back. They stopped when they saw them approaching.
“Capricious! Hurry! Iuitl’s hurt!” Xihuitl called out, landing and gently laying the Aviar on the ground before her. The Fae reached out immediately, but stiffened. Her frills flattened straight to her neck and she recoiled.
“No…” she sobbed. Blithe joined her and also flinched back.
“Great Shadowmother…” he rasped, freezing.
“What?! Don’t just stand there, she needs help!” the Wildclaw snapped.
“Xihuitl,” Capricious said soothingly, though she choked. “Xihuitl, I’m sorry, I… I can’t. She’s-“
“Gone.” Baines’s deep voice sounded hollow. He was staring at Iuitl’s unmoving form while still holding Crow’s body in one claw. He had removed the spear during their flight, but the large eye stared back out at them unfocused and glassy.
“No,” Xihuitl bit back, looking down at Iuitl. He bent down and nudged at her shoulder gently with his nose. She was beginning to grow stiff, like the animals the adults brought in from their hunts. “No…”
“Xihuitl-“ Capricious murmured, but faltered when his head snapped up to face her.
“NO!” he roared with a ferocity that made them all flinch away. His broad wings spread wide in challenge and he tried to take off. His lack of practice and focus did not keep him airborne and he fell back some feet away. Angered, he let out another roar, making Bree whicker and paw the ground anxiously. He didn’t get up, merely turned from the others and hunkered there under his wings, shaking. They let him alone, though after a few moments he heard them move.
“The Aviar build cairns for their dead,” Zunmonah’s voice spoke softly in the distance. “And they release the dead’s feathers into the wind. I’ve seen them do it.”
“Amosis, Ehsan,” Capricious said next. “Could you please take Bree and find some stones for us to use?”
Xihuitl didn’t move for the longest time. Half of him hoped if he didn’t think about it, if he didn’t look, it wouldn’t be happening. He could hear the sound of rocks clacking together as they were stacked. After a time, a gentle claw rested on his shoulder.
“Please, Xihuitl. You’ll want to say goodbye. Trust me,” Blithe’s voice told him quietly. Xihuitl ducked away from him at first and the presence of the claw disappeared. He was surprised to find that this disturbed him more than the touch and he uncoiled, looking up at the Spiral. He let the teal dragon lead him over to the unfinished cairn. They were beginning to add the top layer of rocks when Xihuitl suddenly jerked forward.
“Wait!” he croaked, and they all stopped and stepped back immediately. He came forward, looking at Iuitl’s still face. If he just looked there, he could imagine she was sleeping. He opened his mouth to say something, a hundred words floating through his mind, but nothing came out. He closed it again with his eyes, tears leaking down his face. He pulled himself together long enough to reach out and take her sash. He moved back to let the others finish, tying the sash around his own neck.
Once the work was done, the group gathered around the cairn. Zunmonah held out a collection of blue feathers to Xihuitl, who took them slowly.
“The rocks symbolize the weight of mortality,” she explained. The steady delivery of her voice was oddly soothing to him. “Releasing the feathers is a symbol of her spirit, now freed into the sky and beyond.”
He choked, clutching the feathers to himself a moment, then, with all the effort he could muster, he released them in the wind. Nearby, Baines released a handful of small blue-black feathers with them.
The group watched as the feathers disappeared off into the sky, illuminated every once in a while by the distant lightning, the rumble of thunder their only song.
Rolled Ehsan, Baines, and Xihuitl.
I did ok until Xihuitl's outburst. Then I lost it. Frick, man. I'm... mad. I've apparently finally found the limits of my coli skills, and that it taking two under leveled dragons into the Savannah. But I did my 20 rounds. You hear that, Pink? I did my rounds. Now I'm freaking terrified to go into the coliseum with a similarly disparate team.
So, the actual rundown is: Ehsan fainted first at level two, Baines and Xihuitl successfully saved her. Xihuitl went down in battle 6, successfully saved by Iuitl with a roll of 6. Baines went down in battle 12, successfully saved by Crow, also with a roll of 6.
It was just supposed to be training.
Ehsan is level 6. (Lots of 6's... today...)
Xihuitl is level 12. (A multiple... of 6.)
Inventory: Scatter Scroll x1, Breed Change x1
@Weredogalism @Riff @Skulljester @AstralDragons @Petall @MisterMylez @BarbaraFett @PinkyDaPinkSlime @loser
Xihuitl bounced around the camp, helping to get packed up as quickly as he could. He was used to travelling and sitting around for the past couple of days had made him restless.
“We ready yet?” he asked Iuitl impatiently; to his credit, he had managed to contain his questioning up until then.
“Almost,” she answered, holding up a talon to tell him to calm down. “Go get Ehsan and see if Capricious needs any more help.”
“Alright,” he muttered, jogging off. Ehsan was getting little Vivace settled on Tigress’s back, keeping him entertained while the adults took down the camp.
“Go!” Vivace exclaimed, stretching his arms and wings into the air.
“Yeah, we go!” Ehsan echoed, also raising up her arms and making him giggle.
“Not yet we aren’t,” Xihuitl cut in, making her jump.
“Xihuitl! Don’t sneak up on me!” the metallic Mirror shrieked.
“Didn’t,” he mumbled. “Anyway, Iuitl wants us to help Capricious.”
“Oh, alright,” she sighed. “Amosis? Can you watch Vivace?”
The Pearlcatcher looked up to respond, but they were interrupted by a loud shriek from Crow. It was a warning cry, and he took off into the air in a flurry of feathers. The entire camp stopped dead, all of them listening and looking at the sky.
Then they heard more wingbeats and figures began to emerge from the low-hanging clouds.
“Get away!” Iuitl screeched, scaring Xihuitl with the fear in her voice.
“It’s them!” Zunmonah called out, lunging forward to meet the hostiles descending on them. She didn’t make it far, collapsing under her injuries with a snarl. Ehsan snatched up Vivace immediately, also reaching down to pull at Amosis as she scrambled toward the others. Tigress and Xihuitl both whipped around to face their foes.
It was a group of harpies, wearing blood red masks struck through with white talon marks. They carried spears and bolas, the latter of which they threw down at the surprised group. Xihuitl dodged the one aimed at him and Tigress tore off the one that landed on her, leaping with a roar at the harpies, daring them to come too close. Ehsan screamed behind him and Xihuitl whirled around. She had been caught by one of the bolas, having pushed the hatchlings away. The adults were rushing forward to help them, but the harpies were diving down to finish Ehsan off. Xihuitl roared and took to the air, intercepting them with claws outstretched. He collided with them, ripping the spears out of their talons and slicing at their wings. He snagged one of them and they shrieked, falling to the ground. Below, Baines had appeared to untangle Ehsan from the trap.
“No!” the older Mirror put a wing out to stop Blithe and Capricious from advancing. “Protect the hatchlings! Take them and run!”
“But we promised-“ Capricious began.
“Get the hatchlings away from here!” Baines roared. They didn’t argue further. Xihuitl couldn’t watch them leave, distracted by the harpies bearing down on him. He braced to fight them and was quickly joined by Baines and Ehsan.
Everything became a blur, a flurry of attacks and counter attacks, dodging and screams of pain when blades or claws made contact. Suddenly, two harpies attached themselves to the joints of his wings. A third slammed into his back and the combined weight drove him to the ground. The collision stunned him and he cried out as they pinned his wings down with their spears. He felt the one on his back rise. There was a flash of lightning from behind, casting a shadow of the harpy’s raised spear aimed right at his neck.
A familiar cry rang out and his would be killer was tackled off him in a flurry of blue feathers. Xihuitl tried to get up, but the spears held him firmly in place.
“Iuitl!” he called, craning his neck to see what was happening. He caught a glimpse of her battling the three harpies having wrestled the last spear from them. The harpies, however, were more versed in combat and one of them managed to get her from behind, pulling the spear back against her neck to immobilize her. Another produced a knife and before he could register what was happening, they stabbed it right in her chest.
“No!” he screamed, tearing himself up from the ground. He pounced on the group as a whole, snarling like a creature of the Shade. He dug his hook claws in the first two harpies he impacted, ripping Iuitl from their talons. The third escaped into the air, just in time to evade Tigress’s claws. They were already bloodied from previous attacks and she hissed in frustration as another of her quarries flew out of reach.
“Xihuitl! We need to go!” Baines called and the Wildclaw looked to see him and Ehsan beating toward them. Three of the harpies had survived and were retreating. The one least injured turned and threw their spear at Baines in one last attack. Xihuitl called out a warning and the mint Mirror whirled to face it. Before the spear struck, it was intercepted by a dark blur. Baines caught Crow by instinct, obviously stunned. A rumble of thunder invaded the short silence.
“Come on!” Xihuitl urged them. “Iuitl’s hurt! We need to get back to the others!”
Their attention turned to the Aviar in his arms and Ehsan’s claws went to her mouth.
“Oh no,” she breathed, landing. Baines looked as if he might say something, but he thought against it, flying on ahead.
They caught up with the others quickly. The group had stopped and it looked like Blithe and Capricious were about to fly back. They stopped when they saw them approaching.
“Capricious! Hurry! Iuitl’s hurt!” Xihuitl called out, landing and gently laying the Aviar on the ground before her. The Fae reached out immediately, but stiffened. Her frills flattened straight to her neck and she recoiled.
“No…” she sobbed. Blithe joined her and also flinched back.
“Great Shadowmother…” he rasped, freezing.
“What?! Don’t just stand there, she needs help!” the Wildclaw snapped.
“Xihuitl,” Capricious said soothingly, though she choked. “Xihuitl, I’m sorry, I… I can’t. She’s-“
“Gone.” Baines’s deep voice sounded hollow. He was staring at Iuitl’s unmoving form while still holding Crow’s body in one claw. He had removed the spear during their flight, but the large eye stared back out at them unfocused and glassy.
“No,” Xihuitl bit back, looking down at Iuitl. He bent down and nudged at her shoulder gently with his nose. She was beginning to grow stiff, like the animals the adults brought in from their hunts. “No…”
“Xihuitl-“ Capricious murmured, but faltered when his head snapped up to face her.
“NO!” he roared with a ferocity that made them all flinch away. His broad wings spread wide in challenge and he tried to take off. His lack of practice and focus did not keep him airborne and he fell back some feet away. Angered, he let out another roar, making Bree whicker and paw the ground anxiously. He didn’t get up, merely turned from the others and hunkered there under his wings, shaking. They let him alone, though after a few moments he heard them move.
“The Aviar build cairns for their dead,” Zunmonah’s voice spoke softly in the distance. “And they release the dead’s feathers into the wind. I’ve seen them do it.”
“Amosis, Ehsan,” Capricious said next. “Could you please take Bree and find some stones for us to use?”
Xihuitl didn’t move for the longest time. Half of him hoped if he didn’t think about it, if he didn’t look, it wouldn’t be happening. He could hear the sound of rocks clacking together as they were stacked. After a time, a gentle claw rested on his shoulder.
“Please, Xihuitl. You’ll want to say goodbye. Trust me,” Blithe’s voice told him quietly. Xihuitl ducked away from him at first and the presence of the claw disappeared. He was surprised to find that this disturbed him more than the touch and he uncoiled, looking up at the Spiral. He let the teal dragon lead him over to the unfinished cairn. They were beginning to add the top layer of rocks when Xihuitl suddenly jerked forward.
“Wait!” he croaked, and they all stopped and stepped back immediately. He came forward, looking at Iuitl’s still face. If he just looked there, he could imagine she was sleeping. He opened his mouth to say something, a hundred words floating through his mind, but nothing came out. He closed it again with his eyes, tears leaking down his face. He pulled himself together long enough to reach out and take her sash. He moved back to let the others finish, tying the sash around his own neck.
Once the work was done, the group gathered around the cairn. Zunmonah held out a collection of blue feathers to Xihuitl, who took them slowly.
“The rocks symbolize the weight of mortality,” she explained. The steady delivery of her voice was oddly soothing to him. “Releasing the feathers is a symbol of her spirit, now freed into the sky and beyond.”
He choked, clutching the feathers to himself a moment, then, with all the effort he could muster, he released them in the wind. Nearby, Baines released a handful of small blue-black feathers with them.
The group watched as the feathers disappeared off into the sky, illuminated every once in a while by the distant lightning, the rumble of thunder their only song.
Rolled Ehsan, Baines, and Xihuitl.
I did ok until Xihuitl's outburst. Then I lost it. Frick, man. I'm... mad. I've apparently finally found the limits of my coli skills, and that it taking two under leveled dragons into the Savannah. But I did my 20 rounds. You hear that, Pink? I did my rounds. Now I'm freaking terrified to go into the coliseum with a similarly disparate team.
So, the actual rundown is: Ehsan fainted first at level two, Baines and Xihuitl successfully saved her. Xihuitl went down in battle 6, successfully saved by Iuitl with a roll of 6. Baines went down in battle 12, successfully saved by Crow, also with a roll of 6.
It was just supposed to be training.
Ehsan is level 6. (Lots of 6's... today...)
Xihuitl is level 12. (A multiple... of 6.)
Inventory: Scatter Scroll x1, Breed Change x1
@Weredogalism @Riff @Skulljester @AstralDragons @Petall @MisterMylez @BarbaraFett @PinkyDaPinkSlime @loser
Actually, the Legacy of War will take too long. I'm ditching that and doing a @Sabariel Pinkerlocke now!
Edit: I started! It's called 'Wake Up'!
Edit: I started! It's called 'Wake Up'!
Actually, the Legacy of War will take too long. I'm ditching that and doing a @Sabariel Pinkerlocke now!
Edit: I started! It's called 'Wake Up'!
Edit: I started! It's called 'Wake Up'!
[emoji=coatl sad size=2] My.... heart....
Ituli was such a good character... I have a soft spot for motherly characters, particularly if the child they are mothering is not their own. I must admit, I'm really going to miss her. I always forget the familiars are at risk in your pinkerlocke.
My.... heart....Ituli was such a good character... I have a soft spot for motherly characters, particularly if the child they are mothering is not their own. I must admit, I'm really going to miss her. I always forget the familiars are at risk in your pinkerlocke.
[b][i]Day Sixty Six:[/i][/b]
[center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=3130414]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/battlesprites/31305/3130414.png[/img][/url][/center]
Asnofre waited until the wingbeats receded into the distance, leaving her with the gentle rolls of thunder. Finally, she emerged from her camouflage, shrugging off the cloak infused with magics that made it blend in perfectly with the area around it. She examined the sky as she folded the cloth and put it away. There sure seemed to be a lot of harpy activity in this area.
Pressing a button near her shoulder, her coppercoil creeper disengaged from its housing on her back and hopped to the ground, skittering off. She sent the drone attuned with her gauntlet after it; creepers had built-in tethers to their systems that was useful to keep track of them in workshops, but she had found she could increase the tether distance with a signal from her golem gauntlet. This made the mechanical spider viable to use as a scout, which was invaluable when wandering the Expanse.
Typically, she would be looking for scrap and abandoned lairs to scavenge, but the past few weeks, she had been looking for something else.
She had meandered the same direction she had sent her coppercoil in and it eventually returned. She called the golem back and bent down to allow the creeper to climb up her wing back to its resting place to charge again. Pulling out a tablet, she extracted the data it had gathered and sorted through it. She froze after a few moments, scrolling back up through the code. COREbot had found something.
She quickened her pace, using her long Wildclaw legs to her advantage to traverse the ground quickly. She arrived at her destination in a matter of minutes and she skidded to a halt. She had reached a rather prominent rock formation protruding from the earth, next to which was a circle of rocks. Sand had piled up against it and inside the fire pit, indicated that it had not been used recently. She continued to study the area, finding places where shelters had been constructed, depressions where someone might have lay. There was a space, though, that gave her pause. She knelt by the darker stains in the earth, picking up the sand and holding it up to be analyzed by her golem. Blood, it confirmed.
Further inspection revealed the splitters of broken spears and torn ropes partially buried in the gravel. There were no bodies, she noted, despite the alarming number of dark patches upon the soil. There were feathers, however, from harpies. Perhaps the ones she had spotted earlier had come to collect their fallen. They were not her concern, though.
She spotted tracks a short distance away that looked like heavy paw prints from some large feline or something similar. They were wide spread, as if the creature had been running and she followed them. She recognized these prints from other camps she had found; she was starting to suspect they were made by a Foo.
She followed the trail until they slowed to a stop. Looking up, her heart leapt in her chest. In front of her stood a cairn. She approached it slowly, laying a claw on the surface of one of the stones that made up its structure. This was the third grave she had found.
Hissing through her teeth, she pulled off one of her packs and extracted a small, beetle-like robot. She quickly tapped out a message on her tablet and loaded it into the bot. Flicking it on, she set it to hone in to Duskhollow’s signature and held it up into the air. It whirred into motion, taking off and whizzing away. As she watched it fade into the distance, she fought with herself about what her next action should be.
She had promised Roksana that she would not interfere with their journey, but was it right to continue letting them be in constant danger? There was something else happening in the Shifting Expanse, and so far, it had taken three of their company. Perhaps it wasn’t uncommon for small roving clans to lose members, but there was something else she had found that still left her uneasy. She had discovered the decaying bodies of a Pearlcatcher and a Tundra some time ago near a newer trading route, their poorly defended camp utterly destroyed by some unknown swarm. She had laid them to rest as best she could, but an empty hatchling bunk lingered in her mind. She hadn’t found a body of a hatchling, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t met the same fate as their parents.
She shook the image out of her head. She couldn’t think about that right now. She still had a job to to.
Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the trail. Beyond the cairn, the tracks were greatly muddled and difficult to follow. After a while, they stopped entirely. The whole group must have taken flight. They must be wary of pursuers, in light of what happened. That was alright, she told herself.
She knew where they were going.
-----
[item=rusted iron belt buckle]
More writing, but decided to do some from Asnofre's perspective. You all thought I forgot about her, didn't you? [emoji=ridgeback tongue size=1]
-----
Inventory: Scatter Scroll x1, Breed Change x1
-----
@Weredogalism @Riff @Skulljester @AstralDragons @Petall @MisterMylez @BarbaraFett @PinkyDaPinkSlime @loser
Day Sixty Six:
Asnofre waited until the wingbeats receded into the distance, leaving her with the gentle rolls of thunder. Finally, she emerged from her camouflage, shrugging off the cloak infused with magics that made it blend in perfectly with the area around it. She examined the sky as she folded the cloth and put it away. There sure seemed to be a lot of harpy activity in this area.
Pressing a button near her shoulder, her coppercoil creeper disengaged from its housing on her back and hopped to the ground, skittering off. She sent the drone attuned with her gauntlet after it; creepers had built-in tethers to their systems that was useful to keep track of them in workshops, but she had found she could increase the tether distance with a signal from her golem gauntlet. This made the mechanical spider viable to use as a scout, which was invaluable when wandering the Expanse.
Typically, she would be looking for scrap and abandoned lairs to scavenge, but the past few weeks, she had been looking for something else.
She had meandered the same direction she had sent her coppercoil in and it eventually returned. She called the golem back and bent down to allow the creeper to climb up her wing back to its resting place to charge again. Pulling out a tablet, she extracted the data it had gathered and sorted through it. She froze after a few moments, scrolling back up through the code. COREbot had found something.
She quickened her pace, using her long Wildclaw legs to her advantage to traverse the ground quickly. She arrived at her destination in a matter of minutes and she skidded to a halt. She had reached a rather prominent rock formation protruding from the earth, next to which was a circle of rocks. Sand had piled up against it and inside the fire pit, indicated that it had not been used recently. She continued to study the area, finding places where shelters had been constructed, depressions where someone might have lay. There was a space, though, that gave her pause. She knelt by the darker stains in the earth, picking up the sand and holding it up to be analyzed by her golem. Blood, it confirmed.
Further inspection revealed the splitters of broken spears and torn ropes partially buried in the gravel. There were no bodies, she noted, despite the alarming number of dark patches upon the soil. There were feathers, however, from harpies. Perhaps the ones she had spotted earlier had come to collect their fallen. They were not her concern, though.
She spotted tracks a short distance away that looked like heavy paw prints from some large feline or something similar. They were wide spread, as if the creature had been running and she followed them. She recognized these prints from other camps she had found; she was starting to suspect they were made by a Foo.
She followed the trail until they slowed to a stop. Looking up, her heart leapt in her chest. In front of her stood a cairn. She approached it slowly, laying a claw on the surface of one of the stones that made up its structure. This was the third grave she had found.
Hissing through her teeth, she pulled off one of her packs and extracted a small, beetle-like robot. She quickly tapped out a message on her tablet and loaded it into the bot. Flicking it on, she set it to hone in to Duskhollow’s signature and held it up into the air. It whirred into motion, taking off and whizzing away. As she watched it fade into the distance, she fought with herself about what her next action should be.
She had promised Roksana that she would not interfere with their journey, but was it right to continue letting them be in constant danger? There was something else happening in the Shifting Expanse, and so far, it had taken three of their company. Perhaps it wasn’t uncommon for small roving clans to lose members, but there was something else she had found that still left her uneasy. She had discovered the decaying bodies of a Pearlcatcher and a Tundra some time ago near a newer trading route, their poorly defended camp utterly destroyed by some unknown swarm. She had laid them to rest as best she could, but an empty hatchling bunk lingered in her mind. She hadn’t found a body of a hatchling, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t met the same fate as their parents.
She shook the image out of her head. She couldn’t think about that right now. She still had a job to to.
Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the trail. Beyond the cairn, the tracks were greatly muddled and difficult to follow. After a while, they stopped entirely. The whole group must have taken flight. They must be wary of pursuers, in light of what happened. That was alright, she told herself.
She knew where they were going.
More writing, but decided to do some from Asnofre's perspective. You all thought I forgot about her, didn't you?
Inventory: Scatter Scroll x1, Breed Change x1
@Weredogalism @Riff @Skulljester @AstralDragons @Petall @MisterMylez @BarbaraFett @PinkyDaPinkSlime @loser
Pressing a button near her shoulder, her coppercoil creeper disengaged from its housing on her back and hopped to the ground, skittering off. She sent the drone attuned with her gauntlet after it; creepers had built-in tethers to their systems that was useful to keep track of them in workshops, but she had found she could increase the tether distance with a signal from her golem gauntlet. This made the mechanical spider viable to use as a scout, which was invaluable when wandering the Expanse.
Typically, she would be looking for scrap and abandoned lairs to scavenge, but the past few weeks, she had been looking for something else.
She had meandered the same direction she had sent her coppercoil in and it eventually returned. She called the golem back and bent down to allow the creeper to climb up her wing back to its resting place to charge again. Pulling out a tablet, she extracted the data it had gathered and sorted through it. She froze after a few moments, scrolling back up through the code. COREbot had found something.
She quickened her pace, using her long Wildclaw legs to her advantage to traverse the ground quickly. She arrived at her destination in a matter of minutes and she skidded to a halt. She had reached a rather prominent rock formation protruding from the earth, next to which was a circle of rocks. Sand had piled up against it and inside the fire pit, indicated that it had not been used recently. She continued to study the area, finding places where shelters had been constructed, depressions where someone might have lay. There was a space, though, that gave her pause. She knelt by the darker stains in the earth, picking up the sand and holding it up to be analyzed by her golem. Blood, it confirmed.
Further inspection revealed the splitters of broken spears and torn ropes partially buried in the gravel. There were no bodies, she noted, despite the alarming number of dark patches upon the soil. There were feathers, however, from harpies. Perhaps the ones she had spotted earlier had come to collect their fallen. They were not her concern, though.
She spotted tracks a short distance away that looked like heavy paw prints from some large feline or something similar. They were wide spread, as if the creature had been running and she followed them. She recognized these prints from other camps she had found; she was starting to suspect they were made by a Foo.
She followed the trail until they slowed to a stop. Looking up, her heart leapt in her chest. In front of her stood a cairn. She approached it slowly, laying a claw on the surface of one of the stones that made up its structure. This was the third grave she had found.
Hissing through her teeth, she pulled off one of her packs and extracted a small, beetle-like robot. She quickly tapped out a message on her tablet and loaded it into the bot. Flicking it on, she set it to hone in to Duskhollow’s signature and held it up into the air. It whirred into motion, taking off and whizzing away. As she watched it fade into the distance, she fought with herself about what her next action should be.
She had promised Roksana that she would not interfere with their journey, but was it right to continue letting them be in constant danger? There was something else happening in the Shifting Expanse, and so far, it had taken three of their company. Perhaps it wasn’t uncommon for small roving clans to lose members, but there was something else she had found that still left her uneasy. She had discovered the decaying bodies of a Pearlcatcher and a Tundra some time ago near a newer trading route, their poorly defended camp utterly destroyed by some unknown swarm. She had laid them to rest as best she could, but an empty hatchling bunk lingered in her mind. She hadn’t found a body of a hatchling, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t met the same fate as their parents.
She shook the image out of her head. She couldn’t think about that right now. She still had a job to to.
Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the trail. Beyond the cairn, the tracks were greatly muddled and difficult to follow. After a while, they stopped entirely. The whole group must have taken flight. They must be wary of pursuers, in light of what happened. That was alright, she told herself.
She knew where they were going.
More writing, but decided to do some from Asnofre's perspective. You all thought I forgot about her, didn't you?
Inventory: Scatter Scroll x1, Breed Change x1
@Weredogalism @Riff @Skulljester @AstralDragons @Petall @MisterMylez @BarbaraFett @PinkyDaPinkSlime @loser
:O Was that a mention of Amosis's parents I spy there?
It was great to see Asnofre again!
It was great to see Asnofre again!
:O Was that a mention of Amosis's parents I spy there?
It was great to see Asnofre again!
It was great to see Asnofre again!
[b][i]Day Sixty Seven:[/i][/b]
Capricious watched Baines and Zunmonah as they glided to the ground to land, setting down Lolli first who they had carried with Amosis over the last few miles. Xihuitl followed behind them carrying Bree, who he had to quickly let go of as she was struggling to get back on the ground. They had been doing this leapfrog method of travel for the past few days; walk four hours, fly a half hour. Of course, not all of them could fly, so they had puzzled out a system to get the ones who couldn’t into the air. Tigress was the most difficult to carry, so she was moved first with the combined effort of Baines, Zunmonah, and Xihuitl by use of her harness. Blithe and Vivace went with them since the Foo refused to be too far away from the Spiral. Capricious stayed back with Ehsan, Amosis, Lolli, and Bree to wait for the others to double back and retrieve them. Baines and Zunmonah would then carry Lolli while one of the younger dragons carried the smaller Bree. Capricious herself felt quite useless, as she had no ability to carry anyone at all. Even her son was fast outgrowing her, and besides, he was already beginning to fly. Something typical of a Spiral, Ehsan had told her. Amosis was also quietly learning to fly, though he couldn’t stay airborne for long.
All of this was just in hopes to make it that much harder for Talona’s Vengeance to follow them.
Zunmonah had shown them the deep red and bone white mask the first night after they had gotten away. The color reminded Capricious of a feather securing a note from what felt like an age long past. She shuddered. Previously, the band of harpies had been a distant threat. She had sympathized with all the beings she had met that had dealt with them first hand, but now that she had come face to face with them herself…
“Everything alright?” She was startled out of her thoughts by Blithe’s quiet voice and she looked up into his large, purple eyes, all full of worry. She attempted a Fae smile, but she knew how well he could read her. True enough, he saw something in the movement of her frills and his eyes softened and he leaned forward to gently nuzzle her forehead. “Come on,” he murmured. “Ehsan’s taken over cooking and says she’s fixing us something special.”
“Sounds wonderful,” she answered softly. She let him lead her back to the others where they shared their quiet meal. Since the attack, none of them had felt very talkative. Too many of them were still jumping at shadows, or listening closely for the sound of wings overhead. She knew that Baines often glanced up at the sky, though his placid expression would briefly mar with disappointment. She knew why; the quiet seemed that much more obvious with the absence of Crow’s cawing.
After dinner, they set up the shelters for the night. Zunmonah insisted on putting up her own, but Capricious was concerned for her; she was pushing herself too hard for the injuries she still sustained, she felt. Even now the mulberry Mirror hissed in pain as she stretched out just a little too far to construct her tent, dropping the post and cloth with a clatter.
“I’m fine,” she said instinctively as the Fae approached.
“You should rest,” Capricious insisted. “I can call Ehsan or someone to come put up your tent for you, you don’t have to-“
“Yes, I do have to,” Zunmonah snapped. She let out an exasperated breath and added in a much gentler tone, “I have to pull my own weight. It’s only fair.”
“You’ve been doing so much to help us already,” Capricious countered. “You’re allowed help too, you know.”
“No.” The Mirror sighed, turning away to pull at the cloth a moment. She stopped, resolving herself to turn back to the Fae. “It was my fault. I have to make up for it.”
“What was?” the Fae asked, her fins displaying her confusion.
“The attack,” Zunmonah answered. “They must have followed me. I was only worried at the time about covering distance, not covering my tracks. If I had been more diligent, then maybe-“ She stopped, closing her eyes. Then she looked back up at Capricious to say, “I may not have known that Aviar, but she obviously meant a lot to all of you. Particularly that Wildclaw. Believe me when I say I know what it’s like to-“ She stopped, her eyes growing distant. She shook her head and finished with, “-to lose those close to you.”
“Is that what happened to you?” Capricious asked, and Zunmonah stiffened visibly. “Did they?...”
“… They took my clan from me, yes,” Zunmonah answered quietly.
“I’m so sorry-“ Capricious stopped as the Mirror held up a claw to silence her.
“No offense, but I’ve heard that enough time already,” she grumbled. “I’ve been following this group since its inception in the Ashfall Waste. I thought I would stop them, avenge my clan, but-“ She scoffed and turned back to the collapsed shelter. “… Sorry doesn’t get you very far, and anger, I’m realizing, doesn’t seem to get you much farther. So, I thought, perhaps I need to try a… different approach.”
“… Well. Either way, we’re still here for you,” Capricious murmured. Zunmonah looked at her over her shoulder, nodding diffidently before she returned to her work.
Capricious left her, going in search of her mate. She found him quickly; or rather he found her. He seemed excited about something and he snatched her close once he reached her.
“Look!” he said, opening his palm to her. In it he held a maple leaf, still mostly green.
“A leaf?” she asked. “Wait… there aren’t any maples nearby, are there?”
“No- but that’s not the point,” he waved the idea away. “This is a maple leaf; I’ve heard that among the Shadow Flight, if you whisper a secret into a leaf and release it at night, you’ll be blessed by the Shadowbinder.”
“Really?” Capricious asked. “But, where did it come from?”
“Not sure,” he answered, examining the leaf. “But, maybe it’s a sign. A good sign, I mean.”
She smiled at his enthusiasm. “Well… shall we?”
He grinned broadly, and bent down to murmur something into the leaf. He then handed it to Capricious so she could do the same before he took it up and held it into the air. A gust of wind took it from his claws and they watched it disappear quickly beyond the firelight.
She wondered if the Shadowbinder accepted wishes as well, and hoped the deity would accept hers as her secret.
-----
[item=maple leaf]
I actually used to collect Maple Leaves because of their item description (I started out in Shadow Flight and I thought it was a cool lore detail I wanted to remember). I don't anymore, but I still remembered that tooltip and so was pleasantly surprised to get a leaf as a drop for today.
Are you perhaps showing remorse, Pinkerton? Or just playing with my emotions as usual?
-----
Inventory: Scatter Scroll x1, Breed Change x1
-----
@Weredogalism @Riff @Skulljester @AstralDragons @Petall @MisterMylez @BarbaraFett @PinkyDaPinkSlime @loser
Day Sixty Seven:
Capricious watched Baines and Zunmonah as they glided to the ground to land, setting down Lolli first who they had carried with Amosis over the last few miles. Xihuitl followed behind them carrying Bree, who he had to quickly let go of as she was struggling to get back on the ground. They had been doing this leapfrog method of travel for the past few days; walk four hours, fly a half hour. Of course, not all of them could fly, so they had puzzled out a system to get the ones who couldn’t into the air. Tigress was the most difficult to carry, so she was moved first with the combined effort of Baines, Zunmonah, and Xihuitl by use of her harness. Blithe and Vivace went with them since the Foo refused to be too far away from the Spiral. Capricious stayed back with Ehsan, Amosis, Lolli, and Bree to wait for the others to double back and retrieve them. Baines and Zunmonah would then carry Lolli while one of the younger dragons carried the smaller Bree. Capricious herself felt quite useless, as she had no ability to carry anyone at all. Even her son was fast outgrowing her, and besides, he was already beginning to fly. Something typical of a Spiral, Ehsan had told her. Amosis was also quietly learning to fly, though he couldn’t stay airborne for long.
All of this was just in hopes to make it that much harder for Talona’s Vengeance to follow them.
Zunmonah had shown them the deep red and bone white mask the first night after they had gotten away. The color reminded Capricious of a feather securing a note from what felt like an age long past. She shuddered. Previously, the band of harpies had been a distant threat. She had sympathized with all the beings she had met that had dealt with them first hand, but now that she had come face to face with them herself…
“Everything alright?” She was startled out of her thoughts by Blithe’s quiet voice and she looked up into his large, purple eyes, all full of worry. She attempted a Fae smile, but she knew how well he could read her. True enough, he saw something in the movement of her frills and his eyes softened and he leaned forward to gently nuzzle her forehead. “Come on,” he murmured. “Ehsan’s taken over cooking and says she’s fixing us something special.”
“Sounds wonderful,” she answered softly. She let him lead her back to the others where they shared their quiet meal. Since the attack, none of them had felt very talkative. Too many of them were still jumping at shadows, or listening closely for the sound of wings overhead. She knew that Baines often glanced up at the sky, though his placid expression would briefly mar with disappointment. She knew why; the quiet seemed that much more obvious with the absence of Crow’s cawing.
After dinner, they set up the shelters for the night. Zunmonah insisted on putting up her own, but Capricious was concerned for her; she was pushing herself too hard for the injuries she still sustained, she felt. Even now the mulberry Mirror hissed in pain as she stretched out just a little too far to construct her tent, dropping the post and cloth with a clatter.
“I’m fine,” she said instinctively as the Fae approached.
“You should rest,” Capricious insisted. “I can call Ehsan or someone to come put up your tent for you, you don’t have to-“
“Yes, I do have to,” Zunmonah snapped. She let out an exasperated breath and added in a much gentler tone, “I have to pull my own weight. It’s only fair.”
“You’ve been doing so much to help us already,” Capricious countered. “You’re allowed help too, you know.”
“No.” The Mirror sighed, turning away to pull at the cloth a moment. She stopped, resolving herself to turn back to the Fae. “It was my fault. I have to make up for it.”
“What was?” the Fae asked, her fins displaying her confusion.
“The attack,” Zunmonah answered. “They must have followed me. I was only worried at the time about covering distance, not covering my tracks. If I had been more diligent, then maybe-“ She stopped, closing her eyes. Then she looked back up at Capricious to say, “I may not have known that Aviar, but she obviously meant a lot to all of you. Particularly that Wildclaw. Believe me when I say I know what it’s like to-“ She stopped, her eyes growing distant. She shook her head and finished with, “-to lose those close to you.”
“Is that what happened to you?” Capricious asked, and Zunmonah stiffened visibly. “Did they?...”
“… They took my clan from me, yes,” Zunmonah answered quietly.
“I’m so sorry-“ Capricious stopped as the Mirror held up a claw to silence her.
“No offense, but I’ve heard that enough time already,” she grumbled. “I’ve been following this group since its inception in the Ashfall Waste. I thought I would stop them, avenge my clan, but-“ She scoffed and turned back to the collapsed shelter. “… Sorry doesn’t get you very far, and anger, I’m realizing, doesn’t seem to get you much farther. So, I thought, perhaps I need to try a… different approach.”
“… Well. Either way, we’re still here for you,” Capricious murmured. Zunmonah looked at her over her shoulder, nodding diffidently before she returned to her work.
Capricious left her, going in search of her mate. She found him quickly; or rather he found her. He seemed excited about something and he snatched her close once he reached her.
“Look!” he said, opening his palm to her. In it he held a maple leaf, still mostly green.
“A leaf?” she asked. “Wait… there aren’t any maples nearby, are there?”
“No- but that’s not the point,” he waved the idea away. “This is a maple leaf; I’ve heard that among the Shadow Flight, if you whisper a secret into a leaf and release it at night, you’ll be blessed by the Shadowbinder.”
“Really?” Capricious asked. “But, where did it come from?”
“Not sure,” he answered, examining the leaf. “But, maybe it’s a sign. A good sign, I mean.”
She smiled at his enthusiasm. “Well… shall we?”
He grinned broadly, and bent down to murmur something into the leaf. He then handed it to Capricious so she could do the same before he took it up and held it into the air. A gust of wind took it from his claws and they watched it disappear quickly beyond the firelight.
She wondered if the Shadowbinder accepted wishes as well, and hoped the deity would accept hers as her secret.
I actually used to collect Maple Leaves because of their item description (I started out in Shadow Flight and I thought it was a cool lore detail I wanted to remember). I don't anymore, but I still remembered that tooltip and so was pleasantly surprised to get a leaf as a drop for today.
Are you perhaps showing remorse, Pinkerton? Or just playing with my emotions as usual?
Inventory: Scatter Scroll x1, Breed Change x1
@Weredogalism @Riff @Skulljester @AstralDragons @Petall @MisterMylez @BarbaraFett @PinkyDaPinkSlime @loser
Capricious watched Baines and Zunmonah as they glided to the ground to land, setting down Lolli first who they had carried with Amosis over the last few miles. Xihuitl followed behind them carrying Bree, who he had to quickly let go of as she was struggling to get back on the ground. They had been doing this leapfrog method of travel for the past few days; walk four hours, fly a half hour. Of course, not all of them could fly, so they had puzzled out a system to get the ones who couldn’t into the air. Tigress was the most difficult to carry, so she was moved first with the combined effort of Baines, Zunmonah, and Xihuitl by use of her harness. Blithe and Vivace went with them since the Foo refused to be too far away from the Spiral. Capricious stayed back with Ehsan, Amosis, Lolli, and Bree to wait for the others to double back and retrieve them. Baines and Zunmonah would then carry Lolli while one of the younger dragons carried the smaller Bree. Capricious herself felt quite useless, as she had no ability to carry anyone at all. Even her son was fast outgrowing her, and besides, he was already beginning to fly. Something typical of a Spiral, Ehsan had told her. Amosis was also quietly learning to fly, though he couldn’t stay airborne for long.
All of this was just in hopes to make it that much harder for Talona’s Vengeance to follow them.
Zunmonah had shown them the deep red and bone white mask the first night after they had gotten away. The color reminded Capricious of a feather securing a note from what felt like an age long past. She shuddered. Previously, the band of harpies had been a distant threat. She had sympathized with all the beings she had met that had dealt with them first hand, but now that she had come face to face with them herself…
“Everything alright?” She was startled out of her thoughts by Blithe’s quiet voice and she looked up into his large, purple eyes, all full of worry. She attempted a Fae smile, but she knew how well he could read her. True enough, he saw something in the movement of her frills and his eyes softened and he leaned forward to gently nuzzle her forehead. “Come on,” he murmured. “Ehsan’s taken over cooking and says she’s fixing us something special.”
“Sounds wonderful,” she answered softly. She let him lead her back to the others where they shared their quiet meal. Since the attack, none of them had felt very talkative. Too many of them were still jumping at shadows, or listening closely for the sound of wings overhead. She knew that Baines often glanced up at the sky, though his placid expression would briefly mar with disappointment. She knew why; the quiet seemed that much more obvious with the absence of Crow’s cawing.
After dinner, they set up the shelters for the night. Zunmonah insisted on putting up her own, but Capricious was concerned for her; she was pushing herself too hard for the injuries she still sustained, she felt. Even now the mulberry Mirror hissed in pain as she stretched out just a little too far to construct her tent, dropping the post and cloth with a clatter.
“I’m fine,” she said instinctively as the Fae approached.
“You should rest,” Capricious insisted. “I can call Ehsan or someone to come put up your tent for you, you don’t have to-“
“Yes, I do have to,” Zunmonah snapped. She let out an exasperated breath and added in a much gentler tone, “I have to pull my own weight. It’s only fair.”
“You’ve been doing so much to help us already,” Capricious countered. “You’re allowed help too, you know.”
“No.” The Mirror sighed, turning away to pull at the cloth a moment. She stopped, resolving herself to turn back to the Fae. “It was my fault. I have to make up for it.”
“What was?” the Fae asked, her fins displaying her confusion.
“The attack,” Zunmonah answered. “They must have followed me. I was only worried at the time about covering distance, not covering my tracks. If I had been more diligent, then maybe-“ She stopped, closing her eyes. Then she looked back up at Capricious to say, “I may not have known that Aviar, but she obviously meant a lot to all of you. Particularly that Wildclaw. Believe me when I say I know what it’s like to-“ She stopped, her eyes growing distant. She shook her head and finished with, “-to lose those close to you.”
“Is that what happened to you?” Capricious asked, and Zunmonah stiffened visibly. “Did they?...”
“… They took my clan from me, yes,” Zunmonah answered quietly.
“I’m so sorry-“ Capricious stopped as the Mirror held up a claw to silence her.
“No offense, but I’ve heard that enough time already,” she grumbled. “I’ve been following this group since its inception in the Ashfall Waste. I thought I would stop them, avenge my clan, but-“ She scoffed and turned back to the collapsed shelter. “… Sorry doesn’t get you very far, and anger, I’m realizing, doesn’t seem to get you much farther. So, I thought, perhaps I need to try a… different approach.”
“… Well. Either way, we’re still here for you,” Capricious murmured. Zunmonah looked at her over her shoulder, nodding diffidently before she returned to her work.
Capricious left her, going in search of her mate. She found him quickly; or rather he found her. He seemed excited about something and he snatched her close once he reached her.
“Look!” he said, opening his palm to her. In it he held a maple leaf, still mostly green.
“A leaf?” she asked. “Wait… there aren’t any maples nearby, are there?”
“No- but that’s not the point,” he waved the idea away. “This is a maple leaf; I’ve heard that among the Shadow Flight, if you whisper a secret into a leaf and release it at night, you’ll be blessed by the Shadowbinder.”
“Really?” Capricious asked. “But, where did it come from?”
“Not sure,” he answered, examining the leaf. “But, maybe it’s a sign. A good sign, I mean.”
She smiled at his enthusiasm. “Well… shall we?”
He grinned broadly, and bent down to murmur something into the leaf. He then handed it to Capricious so she could do the same before he took it up and held it into the air. A gust of wind took it from his claws and they watched it disappear quickly beyond the firelight.
She wondered if the Shadowbinder accepted wishes as well, and hoped the deity would accept hers as her secret.
I actually used to collect Maple Leaves because of their item description (I started out in Shadow Flight and I thought it was a cool lore detail I wanted to remember). I don't anymore, but I still remembered that tooltip and so was pleasantly surprised to get a leaf as a drop for today.
Are you perhaps showing remorse, Pinkerton? Or just playing with my emotions as usual?
Inventory: Scatter Scroll x1, Breed Change x1
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