Quests & Challenges

[b][i]Day Nine[/i][/b] [i](for real this time)[/i] Blithe and Capricious were reviewing their list of preparations when they were interrupted by another dragon coming to sit down at their table. [center][img]http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=152&bodygene=0&breed=3&element=8&eyetype=0&gender=0&tert=137&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=55&auth=a5d433ea8af201268477dcdb8d0298c9f5500683&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/center] “I want in,” the Mirror said without preamble. Blithe and Capricious blinked at him and exchanged a glance with each other. “In on [i]what[/i], precisely?” Blithe replied, getting a mischievous glint in his eye. The mint Mirror frowned at him. “You know [i]what[/i],” he groused. “… Oh! He wants to come with us!” Capricious exclaimed, her fins perking up excitedly. Blithe sighed but didn’t otherwise comment on how his fun had been ruined. “Of course you can come- well, if that’s alright with you?” She had turned back Blithe, who said, “Sure, I don’t mind travelling with any dragon, so long as I at least know their name.” “Baines,” their new companion answered promptly. Blithe raised his eyebrow, a gesture Baines didn’t miss and made him scowl. “Something funny?” “Oh no,” Blithe shrugged, waving the idea away with a claw. “So why do you want to come with us?” “Too restless for this place,” Baines shrugged. “Too much metal. Not enough room to stretch. Besides, Light territory is on the way to the Wood. Been wanting to head that way and figured if we’re going the same direction, might as well travel as a pack.” “Fair enough,” the Spiral mused. Boy, did this dragon really take himself seriously. Such a stark contrast to his coloring. “I’m glad you decided to come with us!” Capricious piped up. “It’ll be a lot safer the more of us there are, right?” “Strength in numbers,” Baines agreed. “I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Blithe drawled. Pushing one of the lists over to Baines, he continued, “Since you’ll be joining us, we could use some help gathering supplies and such. And we’ll need more than we originally planned for.” Baines took the list in his claw and read through it, frowning thoughtfully. “You don’t have knives on this list.” “What do we need knives for? We’re dragons, we have teeth and claws.” “Do you [i]really[/i] want to be chipping away at wood for kindling with your bare claws?” “What do we need kindling for?” “For [i]fire?[/i]” “We’re taking fire starters, we don’t need kindling-“ “Just putting a fire starter to a log doesn’t mean it’ll catch,” Baines huffed. “Fire starters are too unpredictable and may not give off heat long enough to actually start a flame.” “Really?” Capricious asked, her fins waving in her surprise. “I didn’t know that…” “You light the kindling first to produce a small ember that you can fan into a flame to spread to the logs,” Baines finished. Letting out a scoff, he added, “Now I [i]know[/i] you need me.” Blithe scowled at him. He didn’t much care for the Mirror’s attitude, but he seemed to already have a sense of knowledge about survival that apparently Blithe and Capricious lacked. If the Spiral knew anything, it’s that there was a time to be sassy and a time to swallow your pride. Considering what was potentially on the line, this was a time for the latter. “… Alright, fine,” Blithe eventually sighed. “Any more suggestions?” Oh, there were many, many more tips that Baines had to offer them. They were there at that table well into the night composing a completely new list of materials to gather for their journey over the next few days. By the time Blithe was able to return to his den he only had the energy to collapse in his bunk from exhaustion. It was starting to sink in just what he and his two companions were getting themselves into. ----- [item=cloudgazer's arctic coat] Changed my rules to the ability to buy two g1s a month, so we have a new character! He was originally a Tundra, but I already had an idea of what sort of role I wanted him to play and a soft Tundra boy was not going to work. So I burned that breed change I had backlogged to make him a Mirror instead. Also his colors are... oh lord. On the bright side, I have someone to scatter when I get to that point. Anyway, thanks for your feedback! I had never tested these rules before and this is my first 'Locke, so I figured I'd have to do some adjustments, but I just needed that second opinion. @Weredogalism (Also I feel like I ping you a lot, so if you would like less pings, feel free to tell me =w=;;;).

I like the new guy! Very grounded, I bet he'll be a great asset to the team!

Nah you totally don't ping me too much, I wanna be pinged! :)
Plus I ping you tons in my thread it's only fair! ;)

[b][i]Day Ten:[/i][/b] Capricious was exhausted. Truly exhausted in the way that every single muscle and bone in her body ached down to her very core. Baines had asked that they train that day, and Blithe and Capricious had agreed. It was a good idea to see how well they worked as a team when conflicts arose. They began by spending a little time in the training fields showing what they knew already. Baines only watched at first, quietly analyzing her and Blithe’s techniques. Once he declared himself satisfied with their demonstration, he went straight to Shadewalker to ask if there was anything more difficult for all three of them to train against. This had made Capricious nervous, and even Blithe seemed a bit discomfited when the battle-worn Spiral led them to the Woodland Grotto. The Grotto, as Capricious was told, is a special place grown underground by Duskhollow’s botanists to emulate the Woodland Path of the Viridian Labyrinth both for studying and training. They hadn’t just grown the plants either; they had allowed a small ecosystem to take hold, so the fauna that they encountered were practically wild. Not deadly, perhaps, but definitely dangerous. The blooming stranglers were the worst. When they had first entered the Grotto, the Fae had been fascinated with its beauty; there was so much wonderful plant life! After the third allegedly harmless vine turned out to be a vicious, serpentine strangler, however, it quickly lost its charm. The blooming stranglers, as mentioned before, were particularly aggressive, being so close to seed and territorial of their chosen land and potential mates. They had to stop several times to treat the nasty bites they’d inflicted (one of Baines’s took forever to stop bleeding). The serpents had taken particular offense to Capricious, for whatever reason, and tended to lash out at her the most. The boys spent most of their time protecting her, which was sweet, but it also bothered her. She wanted to be able to fend for herself instead of constantly relying on them. She also wanted them to be able to rely on her. She shuddered at the idea that they might see her as a burden. Despite her tiredness, she picked up a book from the library on the way back to her quarters that evening; [i][u]The Power of Healing: A Basic Guide to Magical Aid[/u][/i]. She was a mage, and being an Arcane dragon, she knew there was untapped magical potential within her. She just had to draw it out. She practiced long into the night on her own minor injuries acquired throughout the day. She awoke the next morning laying on top of the book and sheepishly smoothed back out one of the pages that had been somewhat crumpled. She inspected herself for the bites she had received the previous day and was surprised to find they were already almost gone. Her fins lifted with her spirits and she bookmarked her place and zipped about getting ready. She was making progress, one step at a time. ----- [item=banded rattlesnake] [i]Oh my lord, stop targeting my tiny child.[/i] Not only did those stupid snakes keep ganging up on Capricious, but they kept getting crits too D:<. She got really low in one of the rounds and I about flipped out. Ironically, the boys followed up with a bunch of crits of their own (bless them), but yeesh. I actually have no idea how many rounds I did today because I was some 10 battles in when I realized I wasn't counting them. But all three of them have reached level 6! Another note is that I got two familiar drops, but instead of just slapping them on, I rolled a 4-sided die to determine whether they would keep them. The answer was no, which makes the writer inside me quite happy (one of the drops was a Janustrap and I had no idea how I would justify sending a stationary plant with them). ----- @Weredogalism

They're entering the big leagues now! Now that things are getting kinda risky my heart is in danger! A waddling potted plant Janus trap pet would be so cute tho...[emoji=fae sad]

[i][b]Day Eleven:[/b][/i] [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=2971054] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/battlesprites/29711/2971054.png[/img][/url][/center] Roksana watched the three young dragons from across the court. The Mirror was currently talking animatedly to his companions, the Fae of which seemed to be more enthused than the Spiral, though both were listening intently. They had an arrangement of things around them which was predominately made up of camping and traveling supplies. Occasionally, one of these objects would be pointed out or picked up before the three of them consulted the list before them. “Still sad to see them go?” Icnoyotl’s voice interrupted the Guardian’s thoughts. She looked down at her friend who smiled wanly back at her. “I know it’s still difficult for you.” Indeed, having an entire clan as her Charge made watching any of its members depart sting. Exaltees didn’t bother her so much, as they never have plans on staying long. These three, though, were quite endearing to her. So young and hopeful, she wanted to see what they would become, what they would accomplish. “Perhaps, but if I were to keep them here, it could prevent them from reaching their true potential,” she murmured, as much in response to the Coatl’s question as to herself. “You could always ask Asnofre or Kaldi and Sunneva to keep an eye on them while their scavenging or exploring,” Icnoyotl offered. Roksana nodded thoughtfully. “True. I might ask Asnofre later; she’s more likely to be discreet.” Icnoyotl gave an agreeable hum. “I’m sure they will be alright.” “I wish my daughter were here to make me as confident as you,” Roksana murmured as she looked back at the trio. As it was, Flow was currently on a diplomatic mission on the border of the Shifting Expanse and the Sea of a Thousand Currents. Icnoyotl let out a soothing rumble that he typically used with distressed patients, and Roksana took a calming breath. “The road is dangerous,” the Coatl conceded. “But they are young and strong. I have met them, and they have the will to persevere. And most importantly, they are not alone.” The Guardian smiled, letting herself relax. “You are right,” she said quietly. “They’ll be alright. I may not be able to speak for the Stormcatcher, but I know Shadowbinder will protect them once they reach the Tangled Wood.” There was a moment of silence before Icnoyotl softly asked, “You still miss it don’t you?” She turned her attention back to the Coatl, a mix of emotions crossing her features. If she were to be honest, the old matriarch did miss the lands of the Shadowbinder. The cover of trees, the wind through their branches, the smell of the damp soil, the soft glow of bioluminescent plant life. The old hallowed log that had served as her den. It was where it had all begun; where she had found Yaotl and nursed him back to health, where she had found the very Coatl sitting next to her lost among the trees. Where she had found a young Asnofre, who now had grown grandchildren in the clan; Neitou, who was Duskhollow’s eldest Archivist. The list went on and on, a list that spelled out why she had come so far away from the Tangled Wood in the first place. She could not be separated from all the names and faces that she’s come to cherish, even though she’s long since stepped down as their leader. “I do,” she murmured. “And I pray that they may find the same joy that I knew. But I cannot go with them, as you know.” Icnoyotl nodded sagely and murmured a simple reply; “I know.” ----- [item=sickle claws] Apparently Pinkerton doesn't like me fighting stuff. [s]I'll friggin' fight you Pink, give me more food drops.[/s] Anyway. I did plan on writing an entry like this, so I could at least change it up from flipping between the perspectives of the Pinkerlocke dragons. But really, I should be saving my writing for actual writing days... I just feel like it's necessary right now to establish characters. Nothing much else to say about this except oh look, it's my custom progen. Cameo! ----- @Weredogalism Forgot the pinglist (shame on me).

[b][i]Day Twelve:[/i][/b] This was it. This was the day. Blithe took one more look down his list, pointing the things out in his pack and muttering to himself. Everything [i]had [/i]to be there. Satisfied he hadn’t missed anything, he slung the bags over his shoulder and secured them in place. As he flew to the door, he took one last look around his den room. He may have been there just over a month, but it had been his even for just that moment. And now he was leaving. Taking a breath, he swung open his door and flew out into the hall. He would be meeting the others in the food court near the small traffic entrance. As he flew, it almost felt odd to him. It was very early in the morning, so dragons were either asleep, getting ready for work, or already at work across the canyon. There wasn’t even anyone working at the vender stations when he went to pick up his breakfast. Instead, he pulled a quick meal out of a self-serve to go stand, leaving a tip in the jar on the counter before he left. Capricious and Baines were sitting at a table near the door on the main floor. Their own meals were either already gone or mostly finished. Baines looked pointedly out the windows at the sunlight just cresting the top of the cliffs, his tail twitching impatiently as Blithe settled to eat. “There’s no rush, you know,” the Spiral said in the silence before his first bite. Baines scowled at him, but Capricious interrupted before he could say anything. “I know! But I’m just so excited!” she said through a mouthful of insects, already prepared to shove in another clawful. Indeed, her fins were splayed and quivering in anticipation. “I told you to slow down and not choke yourself,” Baines quipped, looking at the small Fae with his brows creased in concern. She almost did when she tried to reply, instead pausing with a claw over her mouth as she swallowed before answering. “I know, I’m sorry,” she said with a bob of her head, this time being more methodical in her next bite. Blithe chuckled quietly to himself at the sight, then said, “It is exciting though, right? It’s time- we’re finally going.” “Sure, but let’s not lose our heads,” Baines said warningly. “We have a long road ahead of us. It’ll be best to travel while it’s light out-“ “Why?” Blithe interrupted, scoffing a bit. “We’ll make more progress if we push on after dark. No dragon goes to sleep right when the sun sets. And if you’re worried about being able to see in the dark, did you forget I’m a [i]Shadow dragon[/i]? I could lead the way.” “No, I did [i]not [/i]forget,” Baines groused. “But we don’t want to push on until we’re too tired to make camp. We’ll be exhausted as it is; when was the last time you travelled for ten hours in one day? Twelve?” Blithe frowned. He had travelled across the Sea of a Thousand Currents to reach the Shifting Expanse from the Scarred Wasteland not two months ago. Then again, he had caught a ride with a troupe of travelling auctioneers who owned their own boat and crew and carried passengers to wherever they were going for a little side money. It would be a little different with just the three of them versus his lounging back in the guest’s quarters of a ship of sailors who mostly wanted him out of the way. “Alright, fine,” Blithe shrugged. “We’ll make camp at night.” Baines nodded, apparently appeased. The Mirror had them go over their packs yet again, going down his own list to make sure they had the essentials. Other dragons began trickling into the food court for their breakfast before work, many of them too rushed or too groggy to pay them much heed. Blithe finished his meal just as the vendors were opening their stalls, and the three picked up their packs and headed for the exit. Outside they broke away from the main crowd crossing the bridge and instead turned to the walkway leading up to the top of the cliffs. It would be from above Duskhollow that they truly began their journey. As they reached the top, however, a large figure shifted away from the wall, coming into the light shafts that the sun cast down the canyon. “Didn’t think you were going to leave without saying goodbye, did you?” Rabble chastised them with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Oh!” Capricious squeaked, her fins flattening. “We’re- I’m sorry- we didn’t expect-“ “And who are you?” Baines interjected, his crests flaring slighting in the face of the larger dragon. The Ridgeback chuckled and held up a pacifying claw. “Easy there, I’m not gonna hurt you or your friends here. Name’s Rabble; I’m just here to give you something to remember us by.” Reaching into the satchel on his belt, he pulled out two scarves, handing the red one to Blithe and the white and gold one to Capricious. “Sunneva wanted you to have these; something about ‘every adventurer needs a good scarf’ or something like that.” Blithe was touched and he draped his scarf around his neck. Capricious did the same, somehow managing to do so around her wildly flapping fins. “T-thank you!” she said which Blithe was quick to repeat. “But… why doesn’t Baines get one?” “I don’t need one,” he muttered, though he still looked put out despite his words. “We thought he’d like these more,” Rabble shrugged, handing the Mirror a set of tassets. Baines was obviously surprised, though he only muttered a humbled ‘thanks’ as he took the armor and put it on. The Ridgeback wasn’t done, it seemed. Reaching back into his pack he pulled out a round object, holding it out to Blithe. “My good friend Nimbus just finished putting this together last night. Had you given him more time, he would have had one for each of you.” The Spiral took the item and looked it over with a curious expression. The top of it was deeply embossed with the Duskhollow Haven’s emblem, the gear obviously inspiring the rounded shape of the base. In the center of the gear was the large gable the sat over the main gate, but instead of capping said gate, Blithe only just realized what the half-circle beneath it was. It was half of the symbol for Shadow. “… Thanks,” he said. There was more too it though, as it had been soldered closed along the seams and the center of the logo looked like it could be compressed. “… What is it?” “As I understand it, it’s some sort of transmitter,” Rabble said. “If you ever find yourselves in trouble that you can’t get out of, press the center and it’ll tell us where you are.” “Really?” “That hardly seems necessary.” “Here, maybe not, but out there, you might change your mind,” Rabble chuckled lightly. “Now. I’ve held you up long enough.” With a wink, he finished with, “Goodbye, hatchies. Take care of each other!” “Thank you! Goodbye!” Capricious called after him as he leapt off, spreading his wings to glide back down to the bridge below. “Bye,” Blithe said belatedly. He hesitated there a moment, the transmitter in his hand with Duskhollow’s emblem staring back at him. “Oi, Blithe,” Baines’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Come on, we gotta move. We’re wasting daylight.” “Right,” the Spiral answered, giving himself a shake and rejoining the two ahead of him. “Let’s go.” They came up into the full heat of the sun as they reached the cliff tops. It was odd to Blithe, thinking of all the activity he knew was happening under the rock beneath them. The trio continued on in silence for a while, and Capricious was the first one to break it. “We should take one last look.” They stopped, the boys both looking at the Fae who winced slightly under their gaze. “Just- I think I’ll miss them. Even if we weren’t there long.” “Fair enough,” Baines said, surprising Blithe who was sure that he would protest. “One last look.” They went right up to the edge of the canyon and looked back. One could just make out the Haven set into the cliffs, the light glinting off the main gate and the bridge. It was a good thing Capricious had spoken then because another few feet and it would be gone around the curve. After a few seconds, Baines let out a grunt. “Alright. Come on,” he rumbled, turning and walking away. Blithe and Capricious both followed without a word. There was no more looking back. Now, it was just them and the large broken plain of the Expanse. ----- [item=possibly clay] Oof. I almost didn't get this done today. Haven't been feeling that great and there seemed to be just one thing after another. I was getting worried I wouldn't have time to write this, and when I did, my hands kept typing and typing and typing- I'm going to have to go through this later and edit it, I just know it. I feel like I kinda of just... rambled on. But hey. We've made it outside and past the exposition! Finally. ----- @Weredogalism

They're finally outside yay! Can't wait to see how it goes for them!
That was so sweet of them to make them going away gifts.
I don't think it read as particularly rambley.
Capricious is so good I love her.

[b][i]Day Thirteen:[/i][/b] [item=marigold] No writing today; I'll probably slow down on that now that everything's set. Also nothing particularly noteworthy happened. The trio completely smashed the Woodland Path. Blithe and Capricious reached level 7. This means I'll probably try to the Scorched Forest next (though I'm a little nervous; I've heard it's a dragon killer). But no risk no reward, right?... [size=2]Right?[/size] ----- @Weredogalism I already have outfits planned for two of them (still working on Baines's), and thought it be fun to include at least part of that in the story since I'm not doing anything else writing-wise with apparel drops. Also I had a good chuckle when I gave Blithe that red scarf. I mean, every good protagonist needs a red scarf, right? Like Callum from Dragon Prince, the kid from Rime, the Traveler from Journey, Hester Shaw from Mortal Engines... [size=2]and many, many more I can't think of off the top of my head.[/size]

[b][i]Day Fourteen[/i][/b] [item=cattail] More food, more fight time! I was a coward and mostly stayed in the Woodland Path. Tried one battle in the Scorched Forest and Baines almost died (frick), so I went back to the Path so he could reach level 7 before I try that again.

Every good hero needs a trademark clothing item!
Never noticed the red scarf trend and now that you've mentioned that many examples I'm kind of shocked I didn't!

I'm glad they're all alive so far, even if it isn't terribly eventful!