Argon

Short Story: Invitation to the Pup Scouts

"Mom!" Argon called out. The young Ridgeback's voice echoed through the crystal caves. "Mom, I have great news!"

There were many moms in Clan Adeptica, but each one knew her own offspring's voices. Fluorine, a white-and-green Spiral, hovered up to her son's eye level to speak with him. "What is it?" she said.

"Look at this!" Argon was holding a flier printed on a sheet of parchment. It announced the creation of the Pup Scouts and invited all who were interested in joining to meet at a certain point in the Scarred Wasteland for the group's initial excursion. "I want to be a Pup Scout! Can I go on the trip, Mom? I want to go see the Scarred Wasteland again, now that I'm bigger."

Fluorine nodded, reading the flier. "That's a great idea," she said. "I'm so proud to hear you say that. I remember my visits there fondly. Just be sure you talk to Fever before you go."

"Did I hear someone say they wanted to go visit Plague Flight?" Fever said, bounding into the chamber from around a corner. He was the clan's official Plague representative.

"Yes, me!" Argon laid the flier down on the floor, so the Mirror could read it. "Someone there is starting a club called the Pup Scouts. I want to be in it!"

"You should be," Fever said. "You were always such an enthusiastic little Plagueling. If your mother agrees, then you should go."

"I do," said Fluorine, "but I thought it might be best if he talked to you first, brushed up on his survival skills and Plague etiquette, and got your blessing before he left."

"My pleasure," said Fever. "I'd be happy to do all that. Come with me and I'll tell you all the latest news from the Scarred Wasteland. If you're willing, we can even ask Sheena to teach you how to defend yourself out there."

"Sure, that would be great!" Argon followed Fever out to look for Sheena, the clan's strongest Plague-hatched fighter.

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

Sheena was only too happy to introduce Argon to the basics of self-defense, and of Plague's fighting style and special abilities. Argon picked all these things up easily.

When the appointed day for the Pup Scouts gathering came, Fever was there to see Argon off and give him a blessing. He also had two apparel items to present him with: his Skeletal Chimes and Scavenger's Tatters, which had been reworked to fit the much larger Ridgeback through crafting and magic.

"Here, I want you to have these for your trip," Fever said as he helped Argon put on the decorative apparel. "Last Riot of Rot, when I went on an adventure in the Scarred Wasteland, I wore these to show my devotion to the Plague ways. I want you to do the same, but I ask you to be careful with these. They're two and three festival cycles old, and they're the only ones I have. I'd like them back in one piece, if at all possible. If you can handle that, you will have proved that you're a true survivor."

"Thank you so much!" said Argon, admiring the chimes hanging from his wings. "I promise I'll bring them back in one piece."

"Good. Now, bend down here."

Argon crouched down and bent his long neck so that Fever could place his paw on his forehead. "Plaguebringer bless you and give you the strength, courage, and cunning to survive the coming adventure," Fever said solemnly. When he took his paw away, a glowing Plague sigil remained on Argon's forehead.

"Cool!" said Argon. "Thank you! I'll be back before you know it. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Argon," said Fever as Argon took flight from the mouth of the clan's cave. The Scarred Wasteland beckoned in the distance.

Pup Scout Badges

Week 1



Week 2 (entered raffle just before 5:00 FRT on Sun. 10/14, but it was before the post for Week 3 had gone up)

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OOC

"By the surly beard of Gladekeeper!"