Quests & Challenges

That was intentional, hence the bold lettering.

@Petall Ooh, excellent! I like it when chapters pile on plenty of mystery (and I couldn't help lol'ing at Heaven, because gosh, I've felt that way when wrestling with the flu before -- "Just leave me alone; I'm so sick I could transcend reality"). Really liked the snapshots of all the main characters and how they were affected by the location shift. It's a nice way to check attendance and remind the readers of who's still around. Congratulations on the egg! Always exciting to see what pops out. Fingers crossed it's a pretty one -- though tbh I'm sure an ugly baby would still be loved, because that last scene of everyone rallying together to care for the egg is amazing. [emoji=heart size=1]

@MisterMylez I was inspired... [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/ad8b0e4f21dd0b013bfb5e55904da7af/tumblr_pxwq5p3CTg1vcowwco1_540.png[/img][/center]

@Disillusionist

Yeah, I figured it was time for a check-in!

I figured I should stop giving all the orphaned children to the royal family, before they just become The Amberlyn Family 2.0 (I mean, they are the Amberlyn Family 2.0, but I do want to try to keep the crown in the biological lineage as much as possible.) And I'm sure ugly or not, it will be welcomed and I will grow to love it just as I have grown to appreciate piebald and paint!

*W H E E Z E*

*Takes a look at Ulf's page*
...Well, I don't know if you did it on purpose, Petall...
Good news is, Streak suits Ulf very-very well.
Bad news is, you deviated from your own gene plan for him.
Better news is, Streak looks better on his gene plan then Spirit (in my opinion) and speaking as the owner of a project Gaoler whom I love very much but was an investment, Streak was definitely cheaper in time/money.

@AlchemyFox

Yeah, I got tired of waiting for the Coli genes to drop and decided to change his gene plan up. I haven't changed his bio yet to reflect that. (But phantom and spirit are such cool genes... I really hope that I can get a gaoler with them sooner or later!)

----- [center][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2698754/54#post_40631871]Previous[/url][/center] ----- [center][b][u]Day 62: The Hard Truth[/u][/b] [item=hematite][item=fresh trunk] Sentence: Writing, 40-50 Coli Battles[/center] ----- [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=54489021][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=54489021&skin=0&apparel=278,24714&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=55301275][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=131&bodygene=1&breed=7&element=7&eyetype=2&gender=1&tert=71&tertgene=20&winggene=13&wings=97&auth=5fe7ce061c273ca625c0c0a0a46e8825d96d6484&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=55301300][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=125&bodygene=0&breed=1&element=8&eyetype=1&gender=0&tert=101&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=23&auth=a17ce532b298a7a520ffa9edba8977579ba37a63&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/url][/center] "Karma! Play hide and seek with us again!" Cecily exclaimed, fluttering full-tilt at her older sister and wrapping herself around her tail. She was followed by Lucian, their adopted brother, who found his place on Karma's head, wrapping his tail around her left horn for support and sliding down in front of her eyes. "Woah, slow down! I've already played five games of hide and seek with you both!" Karma explained, trying to be patient. "Why don't you ask Bohrium when he gets here?" "But we're bored!" Cecily whined. "Yeah, and we want to play with you!" Lucian exclaimed. "You're fun to play with!" "Yeah! You get really scary when you hunt us down!" Cecily agreed. "Bohrium doesn't get scary with us!" Karma sighed. She had to admit, her siblings had grown on her. She had found herself babysitting more and more when her mother had too much on her plate to care for the hatchlings, but sometimes they could be a bit much. Especially when they teamed up on her like this. Hatchlings weren't really her thing. She was glad she wasn't ever planning on having any of her own. Thankfully, she was saved from having to let her siblings down by the opening of the door. Bonegnasher wandered in, a huge grin pasted on his face at the sight of Karma. On his shoulder was Bohrium. Upon seeing the fae, Cecily and Lucian unwrapped themselves from Karma and raced over to meet him. Bohrium grinned and fluttered down to give them both big hugs. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=53798929][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=53798929&skin=0&apparel=5685,1253,5691,5686,5675,2973&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=54539237][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=54539237&skin=0&apparel=21843,21845&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url][/center] "How are my two favourite kiddos?" Bohrium asked, frills displaying his joy. The two hatchlings seemed to have forgotten their boredom and complaints as they began jumping up and down and telling him about their day. Karma smiled at her siblings briefly, then turned back to Bone. "Thank you," She sighed. "No problem. I know how much of a handful hatchlings can be, and I only had one!" Bone exclaimed. "Hey, you had it pretty easy with Coldstorm," Karma pointed out as the pair left the hatchlings and Bohrium to their playtime. "Yeah, he was a good kid," Bone agreed wistfully. "How is he doing, by the way?" Karma asked. "Since when were you so worried about Coldstorm?" Bone asked, somewhat defensively. Karma raised her eyebrows. "Do I really need to remind you what it was like growing up without a father?" She warned. "Besides, seeing those two and knowing the confusion they are going to grow up with about Zeal, it kind of makes you want to protect them from as much pain as you can." "Hey, you do have a heart!" Bone teased good-naturedly. "Yeah, yeah, what else is new?" Karma rolled her eyes. "You didn't answer my question though." "Coldstorm's fine," Bone shrugged. "He's off doing his own thing, he doesn't need me." "How's he doing with Bailaduel?" Karma asked. She saw the tundra wince at the mention of the wildclaw's name, but Karma didn't care. "You don't know, do you?" "I-" Bone started, looking embarrassed. "Bone, he's your [i]son[/i], you have to be better than this!" Karma exclaimed. "He may be fully grown, but he still needs you! You don't know what its like to grow up in a broken family, not knowing where you came from and if your parents even wanted you! I know you have your own issues, but look at your family! You have parents who love you and support you and want the best for you, you have a clutchmate who has your back no matter what, and two wonderful younger brothers. I know Bailaduel's abandonment hurts, but gosh, you have to remember you weren't the only one hurt by it! How do you think Coldstorm feels? Or my mother? Bailaduel's my [i]grandmother[/i]! You aren't the only one she left behind!" "I just... I'm not cut out to be a dad! At least not alone! He has his uncles, and his grandparents! He doesn't need me!" Bone said defensively. He was growing flustered. "Coldstorm doesn't care about any of that, he needs his [i]dad[/i]!" Karma bit back. "Do you think I like spending hours playing with hatchlings? No! I'm not good with small children, or most people come to think of it. But I also know what it's like growing up wondering who you are and where you came from, so if you think I'm not going to give everything I can to make sure those kids know they have a family to look out for them when the challenges of life come their way and they get knocked down and can't get up, then you don't know me at all!" Bone looked upset, but he didn't argue. "You don't have to be the world's best dad, just talk to him. Let him know you're still here," Karma sighed. "I'll bet Bailaduel was hardly welcoming in their little reunion. Let him know that he matters to you." "I- I don't know," Bone stammered. "You know, for someone who is always trying to act all brave and heroic, you're surprisingly cowardly about some things. It's time to man up!" Karma spat. The tundra didn't say anything. He just turned and walked out, leaving the spiral alone in the tavern. Karma fumed silently as he went. A part of her felt bad for being so harsh, but she wasn't about to let her best friend become another Jett or Zeal when his son already had one of those. Karma just hoped it hadn't cost her his friendship. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/38b30b419b80446dfb5163715d894882/tumblr_pr6wevGMDK1ugssd3o3_500.png[/img][/center] [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=54433580][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=54433580&skin=0&apparel=750,1753,21243,21292,21300,25797,25793&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url][/center] Violet missed The Siren's Call, but the tavern just reminded her of Zeal, and despite her budding relationship with Jett, it still hurt to dwell on the skydancer. She had heard he had disappeared from the clan a month ago, but she also knew going to the tavern would mean running into his daughter, and she didn't know if she could handle that. So, she did the cowardly thing and stayed away. Jett wouldn't be scared to go back. But then again, Jett didn't let anything get to him. That's why she liked being around him. She felt safe, like he had a plan. His confidence was infectious, he made her believe that anything was possible. At least, when he was by her side. When she was alone, she felt like nothing more than a husk of something pretending to be a dragon. She tried not to think about it too much. But that was why she was wandering the empty streets of the city instead of enjoying a warm cup of tea in her favourite chair by the fireside. She shivered as the cold seeped into her scales. It was so dark and dreary. She wished Jett were here, but the wildclaw was in an important meeting with Thorburn. A part of her was disappointed she hadn't been invited, but she couldn't help but be relieved on some level. The less she knew, the less guilty she felt about what they were doing. Violet was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the approach of the wildclaw until she had almost bumped into her. Her gem guardian buzzed excitedly, dashing around the spiral until she found herself getting dizzy. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=40857691][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/408577/40857691_350.png[/img][/url] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/familiar/art/31009.png[/img][/center] "I'm sorry!" Violet squeaked, feeling mortified at almost having run into such a majestic dragon. There was something about the way she held herself, the confidence in her stance, that made her shrivel up inside. "You're Violet, right? I've been wanting to talk to you for some time now," The wildclaw said, regarding the spiral in a way that made her feel very self-conscious. "Who are you?" Violet asked quietly. "My name's Juliette. I'm a... friend... of Thorburn's," The wildclaw smiled, showing her teeth. "Oh," Violet deflated. "Am I in trouble?" "No, nothing like that! Why? Do you think you're doing something wrong?" Concern flashed in Juliette's eyes. She continued without giving Violet a chance to respond. "Look, I just wanted to check in with you. I'm not here to hurt you. It just... surprised me that you fell in with Thorburn. You don't really seem the type for Black Market work." Violet tried not to wince at the mention of a black market. "I'm helping Jett," she explained weakly. "Right," Juliette said. "Look, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. Wait, he's not hurting you or anything, is he? He's not forcing you into this?" "I want to do this!" Violet retorted, wishing she believed herself. "But do you really?" Juliette asked, raising an eyebrow. "Look, I love a good con as much as anyone, don't get me wrong, but its a nasty business if you get in the wrong side of things. When I was younger, I fell into a bit of a relationship with Thorburn that was unhealthy. I was compromising myself for the sake of his work, and it wasn't really any good at all. Eventually, we worked things out, and we've been married for about a year now, but that's because I only work with him if its on my terms, not his. If you are all in, then go all in, but if you're only doing this to get Jett's attention, it's not worth it. Black market dragons are only concerned about themselves, and they won't hesitate to trample any dragon that they need to in order to reach their goal. Don't let yourself become one of those dragons." "Why are you telling me all this?" Violet asked. Her head was spinning, and the circular flight of the gem guardian wasn't helping either. "Because I don't want to see you make my same mistakes," Juliette shrugged. "True friends look out for each other, and I don't trust the friends you've got. Oh, I don't doubt Jett looks out for you," the wildclaw added as she saw the spiral open her mouth to argue. "I'm just saying I don't think he's doing it for you." Violet stared at the wildclaw, not sure what to say. "What do you want? Like [i]really[/i] want? Who do you want to be?" Juliette asked. "Just think about it. If you need me, I have my own little base in the black market sector." The wildclaw winked. "Just don't tell Thorburn. He doesn't know I've found out about this base of operations yet, and I'm waiting for the right chance to spring it one him." "I won't tell," Violet promised. "I like you, Violet. I think you've got a lot of potential. You've just got to direct it in a way that gives [i]you[/i] strength," Juliette grinned. Her comment had the spiral feel something she hadn't felt since leaving her parents. Violet watched as the wildclaw disappeared into the fog, leaving her alone in the cold street. Yet she felt lighter, like pieces were falling together. What [i]did[/i] she want? Was true love really worth all this? Would she be brave enough to stand up to Jett if this wasn't what she was meant to do? She didn't know the answers yet, but she couldn't wait to find out. ----- [center][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2698754/56#post_40672285]Next[/url][/center] ----- [center]@CleverDual @HauntedWhale @Disillusionist @AlchemyFox @Tirtouga678 @catmeow1 @Leopardmask @Midwinter @chantric @Dynami @ShinyDecidueye @tigressRising @FallenEclipse @Stitched @Willnotgogently @Sabariel @MisterMylez @Skystrider @Starongie @icetail0912 @myriadofstars @Aetherstorm @Weredogalism @Nargeorgicorn @WeaverofLies @herobrinna @secretlylying @Azurepocalypse @GoldictheHedgefx @CobaltMoon[/center] ----- I had more I was going to get into, but I think I'll save that for next time. These two scenes got a little longer than I was expecting. But, we got to meet the other NPC I was planning to bring in alongside Thorburn! And Juliette is more connected to things than she realizes... ([spoiler]look at her parents[/spoiler]) Today I took Coldstorm, Virtue and Bonegnasher into the Coli. Coldstorm and Virtue are now level 3, and Bonegnasher is level 6!

Both a pro and con of this locke being connected with alphabet legacy challenges: When a new dragon arrives, sometimes their name alone gives me a pretty good idea of where they might fit into the story... and since Jett's had a nest before, I figured Juliette wasn't destined to be his mate, which left... the other option ;)

Also WOW Cecily's Ghost. What a striking dragon!

@Petall [emoji=guardian star size=1] Oh my goodness, the kids are so pretty! They've got spectacular colors. Have you got any gene plans for Lucian? He seems like he'd be pretty fun to make over! And wow, this update got intense pretty fast. I think Karma did a very good job, though. I can tell from Bone's reactions that he already [i]knows[/i] everything she's throwing at him. He just needs to "man up", as she said, and act on them. I'm also glad Violet ran into Juliette -- I was beginning to wonder how she was doing. Also really like the pep talk Violet receives here. Juliette's certainly qualified to be giving that advice. It's also pretty amusing that Thorburn doesn't know she's here yet, and I am hotly anticipating what might happen if Jett finds out. xDD