Quests & Challenges

[center][size=5][color=green][b]Art Post #5[/b][/color][/size] [size=4][color=green][b]Fulfills task for: Day 55 (May 14, 2019)[/b][/color][/size] [color=green][b]Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [Item=Stone Knife][/center] For this art post, I drew [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=50945086]Baze[/url] hanging upside-down from a branch. This is an illustration of part of [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2651902/2#post_38614896]Scene 8.[/url] [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/2adb14cb7672c8a9fb38960800a854ff/tumblr_psb4hozrNV1sp47bko1_1280.jpg[/img] @ShadewingRising

[center][size=5][color=green][b]Coli Post #13[/b][/color][/size] [size=4][color=green][b]Fulfills task for: Day 56 (May 15, 2019)[/b][/color][/size] [color=green][b]Battles Completed: 31 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [Item=Umbral Sea Wight][/center] [b]Loot[/b] [item=hardy antler] x5 [item=micro deer] x4 [item=jagged beak] x3 [item=herbalist's satchel] x3 [item=display plumes] x3 [item=rosy similis] x3 [item=dark-tufted featherduster] x2 [item=pale pink rose] x2 [item=blue rose] x2 [item=dwarf fawn] x2 [item=fragile moth wings] x2 [item=silverfish] x2 [item=shell-dwelling cichlid] x2 [item=ire tweet] x1 [item=sparrow skull] x1 [item=emerald brooch] x1 [item=yellow-tinged featherduster] x1 [item=carpenter wax] x1 [item=satin violets] x1 [item=rotting leather] x1 [item=frosted violets] x1 [item=sweet songbird] x1 [item=silverfish spectre] x1 [item=hardy antler] x1 [item=bluelight chipskink tail] x1 [item=glowing pocket bauble] x1 [item=firestarter] x1 [item=blue spot pygmy wrasse] x1 [item=tiny feathers] x1 [item=serrated beak] x1 [item=triad moth] x1 [item=herdbeast hoof] x1 [item=mustache moth] x1 [item=florist's satchel] x1 [item=cheerful bird toy] x1 @ShadewingRising

Over the next few days, Clan Ferngrove's lair grew livelier than ever. Sakura and Meridian helped Kholyn gather tree sap and use it to build two new Fae roosts for the hatchlings to use when they were old enough. They were mounted on the interior wall on either side of Kholyn's own. This was routine lair-improvement work, but the three Nocturne hatchlings running around made it slower going than it normally would have been.

When the big day came, Clan Ferngrove once again gathered around the nest in the back of the lair to watch the new eggs hatch. Kholyn positively beamed with pride as the first of her two hatchlings broke free of its eggshell. It was a girl, a very striking little Fae with silver-grey skin, a black underbelly, and bright pink wings. She was named Makah. Her sister hatched out a few moments later, all dull gray and black - except that she, too, had those glowing green eyes surrounded by a tiny border of foliage.

"Cousin!" said little Arduinna upon first seeing the new Fae's Primal eyes. She tried to waddle into the nest to get closer to her.

"No!" her mother scolded, taking her forelimb gently in one claw and pulling her back. "You don't touch or get close to a new hatchling until their parents say it's okay."

Kholyn's crests rippled in joy and disbelief. "Another Primal," she breathed. "The Gladekeeper has blessed us greatly once again. We will live for you and make you proud of us, my lady."

Meridian nodded. "Let it be so."

Kholyn and Meridian set to work cleaning up the hatchlings and the nest, and Sakura brought a bowl of mashed nymphs to feed the new hatchlings. Afterward, the new parents sat down at the outer edge of the nest and let the Nocturne hatchlings come up to them and meet their newest clanmates. Arduinna gazed at the new Primal in fascination. "Can I hold her?" she asked.

"If you're very careful," Meridian said. "Here, turn around and let me help you."

Arduinna sat down with her back to Meridian, so that he could support her forelimbs with his own. Very carefully, Kholyn placed the gray hatchling in her outstretched limbs. She gasped in delight. "She's so smooth! What are you going to name her?"

Kholyn frowned for a moment, then her fins perked up. "Eostre," she said. "She'll be named after another figure from ancient legends, just like you."

"It's perfect," said Arduinna.

The Nocturne hatchlings loved playing with their new Fae clanmates, even though they had to be carefully supervised so that they didn't accidentally injure the much smaller Fae. As carefully as the clan watched over and cared for the new hatchlings, little Makah exhibited the same listlessness as Alicia had before her. Losing her hurt even worse than losing Alicia had, because this time, the older members of the clan had to explain to their living hatchlings what death was.

"She's safe at home with the Gladekeeper now," Kholyn said to the hatchlings. "She isn't afraid or in pain, and she is loved and protected." As she spoke, it occurred to Kholyn that she really didn't know where all this conviction was coming from, but somehow, she was as certain of the truth of her words as she was of the ground under her feet.

Clan Ferngrove buried Makah next to Alicia, with another carved tree stump as a marker. Kholyn and Meridian knew they could have more hatchlings in the future, but right now, that wasn't particularly comforting. They did, however, resolve to love the one they had left with all their might.

@ShadewingRising

[center][size=5][color=green][b]Event Post #13[/b][/color][/size] [size=4][color=green][b]Fulfills task for: Day 28 (April 17, 2019)[/b][/color][/size] [color=green][b]Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [Item=Nomad's Sandwastes Sash][/center] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=42842061]Kholyn[/url] did finally get that gene I mentioned in the story! :) (Posting a scry so you can see the new primary gene under the apparel I picked out for her. Click the link to see her in all her dressed-up glory.) [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=87&bodygene=18&breed=1&element=10&eyetype=0&gender=1&tert=78&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=7&auth=5da074d40980aec8fe80ab814d82e60b3fcdae2b&dummyext=prev.png[/img] @ShadewingRising

[center][size=5][color=green][b]Art Post #6[/b][/color][/size] [size=4][color=green][b]Fulfills task for: Day 61 (May 20, 2019)[/b][/color][/size] [color=green][b]Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [Item=Demise of the Big Game Hunter][/center] I've had a new dragon pending introduction into the story for some time now, but I decided to draw this introduction instead of writing about it. (At the time I made that decision, I had several backlogged trinkets, but had actually caught up on my materials.) [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/dff50ef3dcb948dbee25c2788cf8df59/tumblr_psepyckPOC1sp47bko1_1280.jpg[/img] @ShadewingRising

[center][size=5][color=green][b]Event Post #14[/b][/color][/size] [size=4][color=green][b]Fulfills task for: Day 60 (May 19, 2019)[/b][/color][/size] [color=green][b]Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [Item=Stormclaw Showman][/center] Random.org gave me #1 on May 19, so I got another Fae. Once again, I was in need of more boys, so I picked the cheapest boy on the AH at the time. I'm excited to welcome Daelin to the clan! [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51924957] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/519250/51924957_350.png[/img] [/url] @ShadewingRising

[center][size=5][color=green][b]Coli Post #14[/b][/color][/size] [size=4][color=green][b]Fulfills task for: Day 62 (May 21, 2019)[/b][/color][/size] [color=green][b]Battles Completed: 11 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [Item=Ancient Mushroom][/center] [b]Loot[/b] [item=firestarter] x3 [item=blue spot pygmy wrasse] x3 [item=shell-dwelling cichlid] x2 [item=fragile moth wings] x1 [item=sweet songbird] x1 [item=jagged beak] x1 [item=satin violets] x1 [item=glowing pocket bauble] x1 [item=pygmy wrasse] x1 [item=sticky pollen] x1 [item=triad moth] x1 [item=honeycomb fragment] x1 [item=beeswax] x1 [item=blue honeycomb] x1 [item=micro deer] x1 [item=hardy antler] x1 [item=dark-tufted featherduster] x1 [item=brightly painted bird toy] x1 @ShadewingRising

Life went on in Clan Ferngrove. Baze continued his crafting, the others continued their gathering and cultivating, and they all played a part in caring for and teaching the hatchlings. Little Eostre grew as close to Arduinna as if they had been nestmates. The older Primal loved to watch over the little Fae in the hours around sunset and sunrise. Arduinna was playful and adventurous, and Eostre began to take after her. The Nocturne proved to have a natural affinity for encouraging and improving the health of plants, picking up by instinct the skills that Kholyn had had to work to learn when she was younger. As she discovered her abilities, she showed them to Eostre, who picked them up just as easily.

Like her parents and sister, Arduinna did most of that work and her other chores by night. The clan was now made up of five nocturnal dragons (four Nocturnes and a Spiral) and three diurnal ones (two Fae and a Wildclaw), so it sometimes seemed that most of the exciting action took place at night. However, the days were growing longer and warmer, and it wouldn't be long until Greenskeeper Gathering started. The whole clan was looking forward to it.

One day, Flora returned to Clan Ferngrove's lair to extend the clan an official invitation to the Flight's festival gathering, which Gladekeeper was hosting in the dedicated festival grounds a short distance from the Behemoth. There was to be feasting, games, dancing, and, of course, festival gifts for all. The whole clan accepted; Meridian and Baze were especially excited to see the spectacle. Flora also took note of the fact that the clan had grown by four hatchlings since she had been there to register them, and that two of those four had hatched with Primal eyes.

"Be sure to come by the festival honorees' tent when you get to the festival grounds," Flora told Arduinna and Eostre. "We have flower crowns to give out to all Primals."

"Oh, thank you," said Arduinna. "We'll be there."

Flora left the clan with a map showing exactly how to get to the festival grounds, then went on her way to spread the word to more clans. The hatchlings immediately started assembling leafy packs with food, toys, and even what coins their parents could spare so that they could buy food and trinkets at the festival. This was going to be the best month ever!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the days before Greenskeeper Gathering officially started, though, the hatchlings grew bigger and bigger. One evening, Baze took Zircon aside to speak with him.

"Zircon," Baze said solemnly, "you're almost of age now, and in my original clan in the Ashfall Waste, all the fathers sent their sons out to start training as warriors as soon as they came of age. The tradition goes back many generations, and I hope for it to continue in my new clan. Will you go with Kholyn and Meridian to the Training Fields the day you come of age?"

"Have you asked them about this?"

"I have. They've agreed to take you tomorrow. You'll have to get up a few hours before sunset. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Father, I can. I will go with them tomorrow."

On May 23, I flipped a real quarter and got a Tails again. Once again, all my dragons are safe... for now.

@ShadewingRising (By the way, if you would like only one ping when I post a whole series of catch-up posts like this, please tell me)

[center][size=5][color=green][b]Coli Post #15[/b][/color][/size] [size=4][color=green][b]Fulfills task for: Day 65 (May 24, 2019)[/b][/color][/size] [color=green][b]Battles Completed: 31 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [Item=Sunset Sea Dragon][/center] [b]Loot[/b] [item=serrated beak] x4 [item=rosy similis] x4 [item=bladed flatleaf] x4 [item=blue spot Pygmy Wrasse] x4 [item=Shell-Dwelling Cichlid] x3 [item=mustache moth] x3 [item=blue honeycomb] x3 [item=firestarter] x3 [item=false leaf] x3 [item=blue rose] x3 [item=ruby brooch] x2 [item=broken flower pot] x2 [item=fine filament] x2 [item=glowing pocket bauble] x2 [item=pygmy wrasse] x2 [item=yellow-tinged featherduster] x2 [item=ire tweet] x2 [item=fragile moth wings] x2 [item=crunchy moth legs] x2 [item=jagged beak] x2 [item=herbalist's satchel] x2 [item=carpenter wax] x2 [item=silk spool] x1 [item=triad moth] x1 [item=display plumes] x1 [item=fragile antler] x1 [item=dwarf fawn] x1 [item=micro deer] x1 [item=hardy antler] x1 [item=cheerful bird toy] x1 [item=ragepuff down] x1 [item=sweet songbird] x1 [item=chipskink tail] x1 [item=silverfish] x1 [item=pollen] x1 [item=florist's satchel] x1 [item=pale pink rose] x1 [item=worn Pincushion] x1 [item=frosted violets] x1 [item=tiny feathers] x1 [item=emerald brooch] x1 [item=silken feathers] x1 [item=stuffed Pincushion] x1 @ShadewingRising