GladeQueen

Leather Centaur Quiver Trinkets Centaur archers are trained from a young age. Many learn to fire a bow before they learn to read. 22

Glade Queen The Hard Hitter

Dried Jerky Meat This bag of jerky is weeks old, but still keeps a great taste and texture. 20 2

Dark-Tufted Sparrowmouse Familiar A terror to any dragon who gardens. 1500

Dark-eyed Luna watched what was expected of her brother and sister. She knew her role was to become the next ancient breed discovered, but the more hse lenared aobut this fate, the more she dreaded it. It wasn;t the idea of chaing her body that disturde Luna, it was the loss of the ablity to wear clothing, and the duty to provide offspring.

the thought of laying eggs sickend Luna. She would much rather remain a verginal attendat to the ambasadorila hallf or the rest of her days. She knew her fellow atendat Fireflower resented these resticrtictions, but she took great comfort in them.

Luna knew that she had time before the next discovery would be mane, time to plan a way to escape the fate her mother had chosen for her. When he mother had a nest of hatchlings, two brightly colored girls, Luna put her plan in motion.

"It seems unfair that the two representaitves of Nature must share my services, whcile your other ambasadors have attendatns to themsleves." Luna told her mother, "I think one of these girls shoudl join me in the service."

"And become an ancient breed in your place?" Arkar said.

Luna paused a moment, suprised thather mothe rhad guessed her plan. "they do both have fine colors. Vert and Spinel are both green, it wodul be good to have some variety."

"True, they are both fine looking young guardians, which one shoudl it be?" Arkar asked.

Luna had not been expecting to make this descision. "I, I don't know." she stammered.

Arkar chucked at ther daughters disconfort. She knew the young dragon had been trying to mainipulate her, but she mind the result. She needed a nature attendatn, and an ancient offspring, if Luna had a strong preferance, the youngster could be the one transformed whenthe time came. Hopefuly she woudl be more enthusicastc aobut it than her older sister was.

"the other ancient breeds have all been warriors, i expect the next ones will as well. Let them fight for it. I have a one egg nest now, when that one hatches and comes of age, the three can go and battle. whichever guril goes the longest without fainting will be cosen, the toehrs shall go to the gladekeeper."

The one egg nest hatched in due time to a light green male. He had no shot at the prize, but he coudl fill out the number, and give his sisters a fithing chance. Arkar led her three children to the training feilds, and gave them their instructinos.

"This shouldn;t take long." she said to Luna, who had come to watch. CuttingStone was there also, to give the young dragons adivce. Arkar expected a trainned warrior out of whoever survived this.

They cautiously aproached a Mith Bruisnr that was fluttiering by itself. It swiftly scratched BrightSclae who had nosed into the lead. she withdrew qucikly, and let her siblings scratch at it first. The mith struck at WinterLeaf, the boy next. He winced as it made bloody furrows in his muscular sholder. then he struck back, and GladeQueen darted in to finish it off.

thier next target was a Ragepuff, who struck winterleaf firmlay to start things off. the young draggon, irritated and now bvleding from two places, struck back imiediatly, shreding the creatures wing, and leaving it bleeding. the bird focused it's fury onthe male guardain, even after his sisters darted in to scratch it. Wintygerleaf took the blows and gave them back with interest, the ragepuff fell beneath his claws.

The trio had stopped to camp when a pair of webwings attacked, straiking each of the girls. CuttingStone advised them to take on the alpha one, as it wodul do more damage. the young dragons focused their attackes ontha tone untillthy brought it down. the birs were fast, but uncordinated, and spread their attacks out rather than felling oen dragon. After this battle the young dragosn retreated temporiarily to treat their wounds, before resuming their hunt.

Thier first prey was a Ruby Webwing. again it attacked Winterleaf firswt, again GladeQueen escaped without injury. This was more due to luck than skill however.

The young dragons had leanred form their previous enocounters,a nd managed to suprise and kill a Chipskink without it harming them. A Luna Mith, Leafy Moth, Coral Carpenterand Webwing alpha soon met the smae fate. GladeQueen in particular was skileld at dealing large amounts of damage. Another chipskink managed to scratch them by attackign while they were tangling witthe alpha, but the blows were less alrlaming now that the young Guardains had some experience.

The trio picked their cautious way though the trainning feilds. They ambushed wherever possible, focused their blows, and rested often. They all wnated to survive to win, so none o f them took heroic risks, or atempted to backstab their teammates. They understood tha this sort of behaviour would risk retaliation later, something none of them wanted.

"This is taking longer than i thought." Arkar mused.

"You coudl always call it off, have both of them be ancinets." Cuttign Stone poitned out.

Arkar shook her anltered head, "No, genetic diverstiy is improtant. i only need one. this will continue untill we have a winner. they both impress me, I'll behappy with eiter."

The young dragons cpatured a dark tufted sparrowmouse. Cuttingstone took custody of it, telling them that whoever won woudl get it as a familar.

"I hope it's me." GladeQueen sid, "It's look lively with my scales."

"You don;t even know if you'll still have scale safter you change." WinterLeaf pointed out.

"I'll still be purple, that's all ic are about."

After watching them take down a flock of webwings without taking a scratch, CuttingStone aproached the young dragons. "Tghis place has nothing left to teach you, follow me." he said, leading them tinothe wodland path."

Thier first prey was a wildwood owl, who managed to scratch Brightscale before they brought it down. The Autumn dryad they foudn next gave them less trouble. They got their first real fight from a pair of Phytocats, but againthey prevailed.

They moved cautiously though the forest. They manageded to sdispach a lone charger without inury, and dealt with stranglers, who gave them a bit more trouble. they rested often, knowing the life they saved by being prepared may well be their own.

In this way they traversed the woodland path quickly, and soon came to the eldge fo the scorteched forest. Thier first encounter was with a flock of Owlcats, who proved toughert an expected,a nd did a fiar beit fo damage. the trio stopped to rest, and tend their wounds.

Rentering the woods they entered a Wintermane ambush. The ice imbued arrows were particularly effective agianst nature born dragons. and all three foudn their mark in Brightscale. She was dead before she knew what had hit her.

Winterleaf and Gladequeen realized that thsi was their final batle ,adn dove at the cnetars, claws bared. Both took arrows, though neither fell otneh tifrst shot as their sister had. Gladequeen was quite amazed to find herlsef standing,a dn ducked behind a tree to drink the health potionthat he had snuck out of CutingStones bag seariler. Winter leaf noticed what she was doing, and gave a roar as he attacked, drawwign attention to himslef. He also drew a pair of arrows to his trhoat fromt he two survivng centaurs. He colaped, but managed to dragon oe of the archers down with him.

This left Gladequeen and the final centar. The centaur took two breaths to relode, and that was the itme the guardainneeded to close the distance and end her life.

The purple guardain stood panting bqwtweenthe bodies of her siblings. She glanced up at ther watching mother, and older sister. she didn't meet CuttingSotne's eyes, he must have known where the potion had come from.

"Well done my daguther." Arkar said, "That was very resourceful. You hit hard and plan ahead, good qualites in a warrior, or a queen."

"Thank you." Gladequeen said, still usure how she felt aobut the whole thing.

"Come, let us exault theese two, and then I belive you have earned some battle stones. You willb e a fitting queen of whatever breed it is you are turned into." Arkar said, "It'd better not be a water one this time, Brightscales colors woudl have been better for that. Perhaps it will be something nice from Shadow Flight." The clan leader mused as she slung Winterleaf's body over her shodlers.

CuttingStone picked up Brightscale. "Shame your sister coudln;t hold her arows." He said, "Still, her loss is your gain. Don;t worry about the potion by he way, i have plenty, and you didn;t take one of the expensive ones."

Gladequeen just nodded. wot tired and overwhelmed to find words.





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