Creative Corner

@Oncamimus

General pinglist me, mon capitan~

[right][b][size=6]Day 1[/size] [i]Let's Dance[/i][/b][/right] [center][item=sugary prickleaf] [size=1][b]Food: Plant[/b] [i]Battle 10-20 matches.[/i] [b]Result:[/b] [u]Fighters:[/u] Muthu Maari (Lvl 1), Dillon (Lvl 1), Padmasundari (Lvl 1) battled in the Training Fields. [u]Challenge:[/u] Attempt 20 matches, stop after 10+ if Flee is invoked. [u]Outcome:[/u] Finished 11 battles consecutively. Muthu Maari commanded a Flee at the 12th match. [u]Deathtoll:[/u] 3 Survived. 0 Deaths. [u]Leveled:[/u] Muthu Maari (Lvl 3), Dillon (Lvl 3), Padmasundari (Lvl 3).[/size][/center] [b]Player's Note:[/b] It FIGURES that after these days of waiting for them to grow and getting nothing but Writing and Art Prompts that today, on the day they are all set to start, that I get a battle instead. Oh well, you guys will just have to wait for story and arts later XD, unless I decide to do some anyway for set up purposes…the thread is still a bit bare, though I'm almost done with their bios! Also, as a side note, I often gain inspiration from songs I'm listening to while doing challenges like these, so points for those of you who can guess what song title/lyric I'm using for the days' titles! I tried to battle them the way I imagined they would react to the situation. I wanted to see if I could actually get them to battle 20 times instead of just 10. It utilized a great deal of potions, and I was surprised to see that Maari was actually the one dishing them out, though I imagine she was horrified and was probably doing it for self preservation purposes. I used so many...Padma and Dillon had it on lockdown, Padma in particular seemed intent on squishing all the icky annoying ankle bitting monstrosities, criting often. I imagine that if she makes it long she will likely be the demonlisher of the group. I got to the 12th battle before Maari was wounded pretty heavily. In my head she started freaking out…I could almost hear her scream "FLEE, FLEE, DAMN IT FLEE!!!" so despite my desire to continue I decided she would probably force the party to flee in this situation. Oh Maari…what will fate have in store for the decision you made! Now to figure out how I plan to stat them... [quote]Sorry for the double pings! It should only happen once. @Tar, @Istoki, @sykotikkytten @Oncamimus[/quote]

@Oncamimus

Ohhhhhhhh it begins. Interesting that you mention struggles worse than war in Maari's bio, I'm looking forward to that. Have fun statting them.

also you never mentioned whether u wanted to be on my pinglist or not ;-;

@Istoki Sure! I'd love to be pinged :3 I also just finished Padmasundari's bio…which…oops…ended up a bit long, if you'd like to take a look at that too XD.

Maari…should she survive long enough…will be a VERY interesting character. Well…they all have some serious potential. Only time will tell who makes it >.>;

[right][b][size=6]Day 2[/size] [i]Another One Bites The Dust[/i][/b][/right] [center][item=eel larvae] [size=1][b]Food: Seafood[/b] [i]Battle 30-40 matches.[/i] [b]Result:[/b] [u]Fighters:[/u] Muthu Maari (Lvl 3), Dillon (Lvl 3), Padmasundari (Lvl 3) battled in the Training Fields. [u]Challenge:[/u] Attempt 40 matches, stop after 30+ if Flee is invoked. [u]Outcome:[/u] Finished 40 battles consecutively. [u]Deathtoll:[/u] 3 Survived. 0 Deaths. [u]Leveled:[/u] Muthu Maari (Lvl 4), Dillon (Lvl 4), Padmasundari (Lvl 4).[/size][/center] [b]Player's Note:[/b] Sorry it's taken so long to upload any content guys. This was a nearly flawless string of matches, though I suppose I did everything I could to make it so…partially going more then easy on myself by battling them in the Training Fields…but it made sense in my head canon. After all…they would all essentially be rookies and Padma would most likely want them to practice more before they attempted to wander forward into the great Wastelands. I stated them decently…Maari has proven from the last battle that she very much keeps to a Pearlcatcher-Style of fighting…being more of a buffer/healer and using more ranged attacks…so I gave her Aid and I will probably give her more of what is known here as a "Mage Build". Dillon I decided, in keeping with his personality, would probably want to be more on the front lines, and probably a little less magically inclined, so I switched out his Meditate/Contuse for Scratch/Slash battlestones instead. I'm not sure if this is "kosher", so please let me know! I can easily re-stone him back, but I'll probably want a Tincture…unless that's also not ok. Padmasundari….I keep going back and forth on what I'd like to do for her build-wise. Right now she's going with a strength build…but she may end up a little weaker and have her points more spread out for the ability to use magics as well…so she may only be a heavy hitter for so long…though she continues to prove that she's very much the tank of the group. Padma and Dillion were really giving their foes what for, with the old one-two! Maari was…as I expected with her personality, pretty sloppy and hesitant at first. Around the 15th battle she panicked and wanted to bail…but Dillon sharply scolded her, and she did her best to steel herself. Her fear didn't last long…once she got the hang of aid…though I have a feeling someone else may need aid as well…since she seems more intent on healing herself then her comrades in arms. She used very few potions after the first couple fights…and almost exclusively used aid. She's getting a bit cocky… We will see where that leads us in the future... [quote] @Tar, @Istoki, @sykotikkytten, @GetBackToWork @Oncamimus[/quote]

@Oncamimus I like where this is going so far! May I be added to the pinglist?

@oncamimus could I be added to the ping list? Thanks?

[center][size=1][b][color=red][Warning][/color] The contents of this Nuzlocke post may be disturbing and offensive to viewers. Contents include scenes of Child Endangerment, Mild Sexual Innuendo, Violence, Gore, Death by Predation that are not suitable for some audiences. [i] Viewer Discretion is Advised[/i].[/b][/size][/center] [right][b][size=6]Day 3[/size] [i]The Horse With No Name[/i][/b][/right] [center][item=sparrow skull] [size=1][b]Materials[/b] [i]Creative Writing Prompt.[/i][/size][/center] [center][size=1]“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.” - Yann Martel, [i]Life of Pi[/i][/size][/center] It is the inescapable truth, that when a creature is forced into a circumstance where doing anything, anything at all, is almost entirely out of it's control, that the only thing left for one to do, is to allow one's mind to wander. [center][IMG]http://i57.tinypic.com/33wp63n.png[/IMG][/center] As the young Coatl inched along the vast ocean upon the drift ice that would surely be his final resting place, he became increasingly aware of this truth. For miles in all directions, He could see nothing but the navy expanse that made up the space between his birthplace, The Southern Icefield, and the mainland where the rest of Sornieth resided. He was entirely clueless as to exactly where he was located in this watery gap, but he did know a few things about his current situation: it was quiet, the slab of ice he floated on was far too thick to be anywhere near The Ashfall Waste (which only seemed to fill him with unexplainable pangs), and that (at some point) he may have to defend himself against his starving companion… [center][IMG]http://i57.tinypic.com/2eogylz.png[/IMG][/center] The Bluefin Charger lay on it's slowly receding belly with it's legs folded neatly beneath it, head craned over the ice's edge and ear fins perked. It was not currently paying much attention to him and the Coatl was grateful for this. The creature had been his only companion now for an immeasurable amount of time and appeared as though it was more inquisitive about him than anything else, but he knew this was not going to last forever. Not while hunger crept upon them…not after what happened… ------------------ In the beginning, there were three of them. The Coatl had been gifted with two sisters, and very little else. Upon hatching, the trio had found themselves completely abandoned. In fact, the nest itself looked as though it hadn't been visited in days. It was a small miracle, or perhaps curse, that no predators had found the nest at all, but it could have easily been due to the ghostly cloth that their eggshells seemed to have been swathed in. It was the only thing keeping them warm as the wind howled violently over the Snowsquall Tundra. They huddled together with the cloth tightly bundled around them. He was too young to know much of anything, or to ask any of the questions a dragon might ask in this predicament, so he simply took it as it came. The only worry that lay upon his mind, was that of his sisters, and without fully understanding why, hoped they would all open their haws again in the morning. It would be 2 days before hunger would turn into enough pain to force them reluctantly away from their nest. The only thing any of them had ever really known was each other and that nest, barely knowing how to even hum to one another, but the primal urge to survive was strong. They had quickly discovered that eating the lichen and twigs around them was a mistake, one of the sisters becoming ill and he himself finding the taste unbearable, so they had no other choice. He folded the large cloth and carried it pressed between his wings upon his back and they ventured forward, without so much as a look behind them. They would never visit that nest again. ~ Days passed and they continued to struggle in relative silence. They were a little larger then their newborn selves had been, but with about as much meat on their bones as they had started with. They tried to eat whatever they could reasonably catch or find, but nothing proved to be the sustenance they needed. The three of them had managed to find a stream large enough to home schools of fish, but it had taken them quite a while to figure out this was what they had been hungering for all along. The realization came when one of his sisters had witnessed a raccoon from a nearby tree waddle to the streams edge and snatch up it's unsuspecting prey. His obsidian sister was driven instantly by an unseen force, and using what little energy she had, charged at the creature. He yelled out in protest, after all the raccoon was larger then she was, but this did nothing but startle the animal, which quickly dropped it's prize and scurried away. Normally, the raccoon may very well have defended it's catch, but it was too used to the ferocity of dragons…and there were three of them, possibly more unseen. His sister had come back with the wiggling fish, puffing out her chest feathers triumphantly. She laid it down on the ground in front of them, and his berry-winged sister, the one who was weakest of all of them, wasted no time in lunging for it. Many things were learned in the following seconds. Obsidian Sister hissed threateningly, splaying out her neck feathers and promptly slammed down her claws on Berry-winged Sister's head, who made a small surprised hiss before being pinned to the ground, eyes wildly looking to him for help. Obsidian Sister snapped her head to him then and lowered her head, hissing at him, a long, and loud exhalation. They both learned then, that you had to fight for what little you could get, and that Obsidian Sister would sooner see them both bloodied before giving up her meal. Berry-winged Sister managed to wiggle away and quickly moved under a tree a couple feet from them. Obsidian Sister glared at him, and he stared back. It was an odd feeling, like his mind was cleft in two. He seemed to grasp that this was just the way things were, when you were as starving as they were…survival was all that really mattered, at the expense of all else. But there was a sense of dread within him as well, of a graver understanding. The expense here was family. Obsidian Sister, unsatisfied by her brother's assertive behavior, grabbed the fish in her mouth and moved away, keeping one eye on him at all times. He watched as she took her first bite. Her eyes seemed to light with an uncanny fire, her feathers bristling with excitement, and within seconds the fish was gone. She dove into the river, scaring most of the fish, in attempt to grab another. He looked to his Berry-winged Sister, who still seemed traumatized from the events of moments before. She didn't move a muscle, not even to look back at him. He grabbed the cloth from nearby, and walked over to her, placing it around her. She looked up at him, humming softly with concern and fear. He hummed back, reassuringly before turning back to see his Obsidian Sister flopped on the bank, looking like a drowned rat, shivering and huffing plumes of vapor, but with at least two fish in her mouth. She got up and waddled over to her feeding area, shaking as much of the water off, before shakily beginning her meal. She would eat at least 5 more fish, before succumbing to a food coma, passing out promptly on the remnants of her meals. He wandered over and picked up the scraps. With the first taste of fish, he suddenly understood his sister's ravenous gluttony. It was delicious. He was soon overcome by the same urge to eat as much as he could stuff into his body, so much so, that he barely registered that Berry-winged Sister had crept up, bowing her head in submission as she hungrily stared at a half eaten fish. Before he could stop himself, he hissed at her and swatted with his claws, which met nothing but air. Berry-winged Sister had learned from the first time, and quickly backed away before she could be slashed at again. He felt a pang that quickly dissipated as he stuffed the next bit of fish in his mouth. This was the order of things now. They were together, but never again in the same way as they came into this world. They had to survive, and there was no room for past sentiments at this table, at least in this moment. As the night encroached, he urged Berry-winged Sister to join himself and Obsidian Sister for sleeping, and they huddled close under the cloth. ~ It would be unwise to make the assumption that the trio didn't care about one another, or rather, that their feral lifestyle had left them completely devoid of any feelings for one another other than fear, resentment, and malice. They would never truly loose that connection to one another, being social animals themselves, and more often then not they did show concern for one another. Occationally even Obsidian Sister would fish for Berry-winged Sister, if she had the energy to do so. It doesn't profit any social animal to allow another of the pack to die when there is safety in numbers. There is also another aspect of self-preservation that is ingrained deep within animals' subconscious. That desire to see the whole of the species succeed, and in times of hardship, animals will often help one another regardless of familial relation so long as they are kin. It is dependent more upon circumstances of the environment and perhaps the personality of the animal in question as to what an interaction between two of the same species will yield. A few weeks had passed since the first fishing incident, when it became clear that the supply of fish in the stream they had begun to claim as their own, was running on empty. That, or at the very least, the fish had gotten smarter and were now more capable of hiding. Obsidian Sister, without so much as a hum, simply looked at her siblings before walking downstream. He waited only a moment or two for his fumbling Berry-winged Sister to gather the cloth and carry it on her back before following suit. Berry-winged sister brought up the rear, taking a small moment to look at the place that had been their home. She had never really gone feral the way her brother and sister had… The three nomads walked along the bank of the stream, until they reached a sizable pond surrounded by lichen covered boulders and a few sparse coniferous trees. Obsidian Sister's feathers bristled with delight and she immediately ran to the water's edge checking for fish. The pond was positively teaming with life. She hummed sharp notes excitedly as she wandered around the perimeter of the water, bobbing her head up and down. She had a rather large appetite for a creature whose life was mostly spent starving, but even so…the life that dwelled within these waters would be enough to support the three of them for months, if not longer. It was too good to be true. The Coatl scented the air, being the cautious and alert one of the group had proved valuable to them, and it once again fell upon him to make sure there wasn't a much larger animal around that could snap them up, or decide they were a threat. At least, as much as three hatchlings could be a threat. His tongue flicked, and his eyes went wide for a moment. There were creatures who lived here to be sure, large ones. Berry-winged Sister began to stare at him while he flicked his tongue out a couple more times, moving his head to catch different directions. The scent signature was strange…it smelled like them…he thought, but not them. They were bigger, perhaps 3 or 4, and they had been here for a long time, he was rather surprised in that moment that no one had picked up the scent save him. He looked around, making small noises that hushed Obsidian Sister, who in that moment joined his side as he wandered around the pond scenting. Berry-winged Sister seemed to petrified to move. At that moment a large white male Coatl made himself known, clambering from behind one of the boulders to stare at them at it's peak. His body was still, and the young Coatl found himself similarly unable to move as Berry-winged Sister. Obsidian Sister, brash as she was, flared her feathers defiantly and hissed as she moved forward slowly, displaying all the behaviors of a creature claiming it's territory. The Male Coatl simply stared for a moment before cocking his head slightly. He erupted in a noise the three of them had never heard before, all of them tensing and laying low to the ground, except for Berry-winged Sister, who instinctively jumped and lay perfectly still with her legs and tail tucked in and her belly nice and visible. She may have even soiled herself. The larger male's haws had closed tightly over his eyes, and while the noise thundered out of his maw his shoulders shook violently. It was a horrifying spectacle, one that only seemed to call the others to him, and soon the four of them were joined by 3 large females, all of them brightly colored with fabulous plumes. They seemed concerned for a moment, until they spotted the source of their master's call, three young Coatl hatchlings, one of them in particular seemed to wearily be challenging the male. They all began mimicking the behaviors of the male, haws closed, shoulders shaking and that terrifying noise. Obsidian Sister, still low to the ground, hissed again, flaring her feathers as she never had before. This sent them into another roar. The young Coatl was sure that this was the end…their first encounter with their own kind…with dragons…and this would be the end. He remembered thinking only a week ago, if they would ever meet others like themselves…if maybe then…they could form a pack and be safe. Softly, behind him he could hear Berry-winged Sister begin to make another noise that he was unfamiliar with…it sounded like a pained hiss, but was more then just an exhalation of air…it sounded deeper and as though it was catching on something on the way out…not unlike the noises the others were making, but pained. Water began to erupt from her eyes. This was when slowly, one by one, the larger Coatls quieted and stared at Berry-winged Sister. Her noise became louder, her haws closed tightly to attempt to keep the water from escaping her eyes, but to no avail. There was something about that sound that gripped at his insides and tore at them, and he could see Obsidian Sister was having a similar reaction. She stood up suddenly and hissed yet again at the four larger Coatls, this time coming at them with a defensive stance. Two of the females backed up, one with magenta eyes stared at the white male, her feathers fluffing up slightly. She began humming back and forth with him, her eyes meeting the hatchlings from time to time and humming to them as well. It was strange humming….not quite the way they used humming with themselves, and all three of the other larger Coatls seemed to be humming in response to her. The Magenta-eyed Female moved forward slowly, and calmly hummed to each of them. Berry-winged Sister was still making that noise and probably couldn't hear the female. Obsidian Sister merely hissed back, to which the female jerked her head back and finally headed towards him. She hummed…but he couldn't understand. He tried to hum back, a little bit of fear slipping out with the noise, making it waver slightly. The female looked back at the others before looking back to him, and bobbing her head up and down rhythmically. She closed her haws and her eyes glowed beneath the translucent skin. He heard his sister stop making the noise, but he could barely see. It was as though light was shining within his eyes, blinding him. His mouth, throat, and ear discs felt hot, like after laying out on a hot day. He nearly choked at the feeling, not painful…but unexpected and unpleasant. Then, he had the sensation of something in his head, perhaps a claw or two, sifting through his thoughts and mind with ease. He wanted to kick out at it, but it simply waved the thought away and continued it's course. This would be how he died, he thought, she would crush his mind. Death was coming. [color=magenta][i]Not today.[/i][/color] echoed the sound of what could only be the Magenta-eyed Female's voice within his mind. Then, he understood. ~ Once again, it was time to move. The pond that had once promised a home for the young Coatl and his sisters for countless months had become nearly barren with the presence of seven Coatls, four being large adults. It hadn't taken them long to decimate the population of various aquatic life living there. More then that, he was left with an urge to move, in part because the Male Coatl made him insanely uncomfortable, and for other reasons that he could only attribute to some sort of primal drive to move toward an unknown destination. The day they had first met the four adults had been a strange one to say the least, going from being an almost completely feral creature to a dragon that could speak and understand the native language of Coatls and comprehend things that only imprinting on other Coatls and dragons growing up could allow was disorienting. It had taken at least a week to get a handle on it, and in the end…he still preferred his earlier life in many ways, though there was no way to go back now. Berry-winged Sister, whom the group had named Dox, had done well with the change and seemed to really come into her own under the tutelage of the Arcane Female. Obsidian Sister, whom the group had named Serenia, had continued to show an alpha mentality, something the Male Coatl seemed to admire…much to the young Coatl's unexplainable displeasure. They had named him Dillon. He never liked it. However, that was the least of his worries today, as the group of adult gathered and hummed in discussion. They had been taking care of the trio for the past month, but now with the necessity to move to a new and more plentiful territory, the question became if they were to follow along. The Arcane female, named Mout, was in favor of the three of them joining the group, as it was in her opinion that they would not survive out in world without more interaction with their own kind, and without the protection of adults. The other two females, a Lightning female of golden and nearly neon green feathers named Catty and an ivory and sky colored female named Giddy, didn't seem overly keen on the idea. Giddy seemed a vapid shell of a dragon, and she often agreed with Catty on everything, chuckling as she did so. Dillon had discovered that the horrific display upon their first meeting had been laughter after the comprehension spell Mout had cast, and embarrassment had made him mildly petty. He hated when Giddy chuckled, a constant reminder of his ignorance and the shame that came along with it…though he rationally knew none of that made very much sense. Catty, was very much as her name implied, and for whatever reason seemed to hold a certain sway on the male Coatl, that Dillon just couldn't understand. The way he saw it…he just seemed to like her more. She was very pretty…but her disposition with his sisters and himself had been awful. Had he not seen it? Had he not seen that Mout was clearly the one with superior intellect and reason? He could tell that Mout knew this…and probably asked herself the same thing often, though she was humble, something that Dillon admired about her. [color=cyan][i]"If we have them follow us around all the time…we'll have to move more and more. What a hassle!"[/i][/color] she hummed with a snort and a roll of her eyes, looking over to the White Male, Jean, before slithering her way over to him haws half lidded and smiling in a way that Dillon couldn't understand. He was watching the conversation behind a boulder, his sisters were still asleep in the early hours of this morning. [color=cyan][i]"Besides…if we're taking care of these whelps…when will we have time to make our own family."[/i][/color] She slipped her tail under his chin and rubbed alongside him as she passed, chuckling strangely. Jean's feathers bristled excitedly, and it made Dillon feel uncomfortable. He didn't particularly like the way Jean acted around the females. It reminded him of how Serenia acted the first time she bit into fish flesh, ravenous and predatory. [color=magenta][i]"That's absurd reasoning."[/i][/color] Mout hummed sharply, earning her a glare from Catty, but Dillon noted that Jean had not turned to face her, still seemingly transfixed, [color=magenta][i]"Do you honestly think having your own family is going to have any different outcome than that?"[/i][/color] [color=cyan][i]"I beg your pardon, but at least they'd be ours. Don't you remember how long it took for us to even find this dump...?"[/i][/color] Interrupting herself, her expression changed to a smile as she looked back at Jean, flicking her tongue over his nose, an odd practice in Dillon's eyes. [color=cyan][i]"Sugar, why did we move over here? What's a girl gotta do to retire to someplace nice like the Everbloom Gardens?"[/i][/color] [color=magenta][i]"You know why."[/i][/color] Mout hummed icily, [color=magenta][i]"How long it took us to find this place is exactly the reason we should be taking them with us."[/i][/color] She approached Jean, forcing him to look at her, [color=magenta][i]"If we leave them, we sentence them to death. Can you live with that? I mean…Gods Jean…They don't even know how to fly yet…"[/i][/color] [color=black][i]"Don't we get a say?"[/i][/color] Serenia and Dox had awoken, Dillon hadn't even noticed they had joined him behind the boulder, so engaged with the conversation. Serenia had moved from behind the boulder into view and now they were all looking at them. Dillon sighed and moved out from behind his hiding spot as well, Dox following behind sheepishly. Mout looked at the three of them, it seemed as though the color had drained slightly from her face, though her expressions read as nothing but blank. Jean slowly smiled at Serenia, barely paying attention to Dox or himself. Giddy looked to Catty who lifted her nose up and walked away from Jean a bit, sitting a few feet away from him. [color=silver][i]"You shouldn't be eaves dropping…"[/i][/color] [color=black][i]"You shouldn't be deciding our fate without us."[/i][/color] Serenia and Jean stared at each other, it was like the first time they met, challenging each other with their gaze. All were silent as the exchange was watched with uncertainty. Neither seemed willing to become submissive to the other, and had the circumstances been different it may have even been amusing, what with a small hatchling staring with such flame at a grown adult male dragon. More then ever Dillon wished for the old ways. They had been so much simpler than situations like this. The feral life, while hard, didn't feel so hidden as this. You did what you needed to survive, there weren't any arguments that lasted longer then a couple minutes at most and usually had a clear path to an outcome, and everyone thought so much more rationally…if it could be called that. This seemed riddled with various agendas, hidden under words and expressions that never matched, and his sister was right…How could they be deciding the fate of a life when the life wasn't there to defend itself? No…he would make it easy for them. [color=3a2e44][i]"I won't follow you."[/i][/color] he hummed, and now they all stared at him. He looked to Mout, who sunk slowly. [color=black][i]"I'm not leaving them."[/i][/color] hummed Serenia defiantly, but whose expression changed to shock when Dillon shook his head. Dillon broke his gaze from her, this was the first time he hadn't followed her lead. It felt strange, like something had untied a knot that held them together. He was suddenly aware of how alone that felt, and he clung tightly to the remaining thread between himself and Dox. [color=3a2e44][i]"I would urge you to stay with me…but I'd understand if you go with them. If they talk like this about us…I rather not be a part of it…no matter what the wilderness has in store for me."[/i][/color] Another silent stretch. Jean was now smiling at Dillon, but he had no real idea why. Dox had said nothing, but after a couple moments, the entire group turned to look at her, which made her shift on her feet slightly. Of all the dragons in this group…Dillon felt most poor for her, as she had the hardest choice to make…and one that would change the outcome of her life forever. Would she choose Safety or Loyalty? As the long seconds passed, Dillon hoped she would make the right choice. He wished he could reach into her mind as Mout had…and make her say what he hoped she would say, for her own good. [color=7D1B7E][i]"I'll go with Dillon…He'll be alone."[/i][/color] she hummed barely above a whisper. [color=7D1B7E][i]"Safety in numbers."[/i][/color] she recited clearly and with certainty. Dillon closed his haws. She had made the wrong choice. ~ There was a part of him, that wished he had said more. Serenia had left with the group, and Dox and himself were wandering toward the Frigid Floes on the horizon, carrying the now shrinking cloth and various bag belts that had been Mout's parting gifts to him, one of the bags filled with small trinkets of metal and other items in hopes that they could barter their way out of trouble. They hadn't said much since leaving the group behind and Dillon wasn't sure if he preferred it or hated it. So much said that wasn't… [i]Thank you.[/i] He should have said…[i]Thank you for taking us in, when we were so desperately in need of help. Thank you for teaching us what you could, Mout. Thank you for being on our side, when no one else was. Take care of my sister. I don't like the way Jean looks at her, but you seem to know him well. Teach her what she needs to know so that in the future she will have an entire lair to lead. You know she'll make an amazing alpha one day. Gift her with your wisdom so she will be noble like you…and Serenia, don't bullrush into things. I know you are eager to prove your worth, but you are precious. Always keep that fire, but learn to use it when the time is right. You are destined for great things. My sister, if we never meet again, I will miss you every second. Thank you for keeping us all alive for as long as you did. You mean the world to me…The sun and the moon and the stars shall never shine so bright again. But let's not talk like that…I'll see you again. Perhaps we will cross ways someplace far from here. We will barely recognize each other but then it will hit us…and oh…we'll laugh and embrace and tell each other of the adventures we have been on. You will introduce me to your mate and your dozens of hatchlings, and we'll all live together. But for now we will part ways. Just for now. Goodbye Serenia. I'll miss you. I love you.[/i] But he hadn't said any of it, and the regret was unbearable. [color=7D1B7E][i]"Where are we going?"[/i][/color] Dox hummed, sounding like she was afraid she was interrupting something. Dillon realized that a tear had run down his cheek, and wiped it away quickly, acting as though he was wiping sleep from his eye to mask it. There was no reason to worry Dox. [color=3a2e44][i]"I don't know…but this may be our only path to the mainland."[/i][/color] [color=7D1B7E][i]"Can't we stay here?"[/i][/color] [color=3a2e44][i]"I suppose…but I don't think there is anything for us here."[/i][/color] [color=7D1B7E][i]"Yeah…I miss Serenia."[/i][/color] [color=3a2e44][i]"I do too."[/i][/color] And the silence resumed. They were at the edge of the Floes. Cracks in the ice gave hints of what the floating chunks of ice would look like as they started to spread away from the mainland of The Southern Icefield. The journey was relatively easy at first, as the ice floes were more densely packed, but as they began to be farther and farther away, jumping was the only way to get across to the next patch of drift ice. Dillon would stop to make sure Dox cleared the jump before leading them to the next one. This went on for a couple of hours until they reached one particular chunk. Somehow it was so much colder here than anywhere else they had travelled thus far. The water was frigid and the frozen winds carried by even colder breezes as it brushed against the ocean. Their claws and feet prickled as they began to stick slightly to the ice. The world was a strange hue as dusk settled upon the floes. Dillon looked back after clearing a large gap, seeing in the distance a faint line that was The Southern Icefield behind them, they had covered a large distance…and perhaps it was time to take a rest. A couple more days and they should make it to the mainland…Icewarden willing. A splash broke the quiet. Dox had missed the jump. Bubbles formed furiously at the top of the water, and for a moment Dillon felt as though he had jumped into the icy waters, gripped by panic. [color=3a2e44][i]"DOX!"[/i][/color] he shrieked, pacing back and forth at the edge of the ice, steeling himself to jump in after her. Her form became visible at the top of the water, breaking the surface with a wide eyed and mouthed gasp, as she frantically paddled over to the ice. She sunk her claws in but couldn't quite get a hold enough to pull herself up in her frenzy. Dillon quickly wrapped his prehensile tail around her midsection and pulled, wincing as claws jammed into his backside. She was waterlogged, and felt nearly 3 times as heavy as normal. In a couple of seconds her viciously shuddering and panting body was pulled onto the ice, her feathers completely rendered useless from the dampness that was quickly crystalizing in the cold. Dillon quickly unrolled the cloth and wrapped her in it, holding her tightly as she shook in his grasp. [color=3a2e44][i]"Are you alright?!"[/i][/color] he hummed futilely. With night encroaching, this was the worst thing that could have happened. [color=7D1B7E][i]"C-c-cold-d."[/i][/color] [color=3a2e44][i]"I know…I'm sorry Dox…I'm doing my best. I should have been watching you. I'm not cut out for this leadership thing…I wish Serenia were here."[/i][/color] [color=7D1B7E][i]"D-d-doing…ff-ff-ffin-n-ne. S-ss-s-ss-ssstu-p-p-pid."[/i][/color] [color=3a2e44][i]"You're not stupid…you just couldn't make the jump…We should have stopped…"[/i][/color] [color=7D1B7E][i]"N-no. Y-y-y-you-u s-ss-ss-ss-sst-t-t-sst…heh-ha-heh."[/i][/color] [color=3a2e44][i]"Shut up…"[/i][/color] he laughed, rubbing the quickly dampening cloth up and down the length of her body to attempt to warm her as best he could. [color=3a2e44][i]"I'm sorry…this is going to be rough…but don't worry…We'll figure something ou…"[/i][/color] The both of them were nearly knocked off the top of the ice and back into the water, saved only by Dillon's lightning reflexes, as the piece of drift ice bumped up sharply. Alarmed, Dillon pulled them further into the center and looked around. The distance between the ice floes was considerable, and there wasn't one nearby enough to have collided with the one they were currently on. Dillon didn't even have the chance to dread anything before the next violent bump. This time he saw a fin, white and sky blue. Dox squealed anxiously. [color=3a2e44][i]"It's fine…everything is going to be fine."[/i][/color] Dillon hummed, attempting to calm his sister, he couldn't think when she made such noises. Another bump, this time they slid a little towards the other end. Dillon pushed them back to the center, and Dox nearly started shrieking. He realized what the creature was doing. It was moving them away from the other ice floes. It was trying to cut off their escape route…isolating them. Dillon began to panic. He could probably jump to the other drift ice next to them…but Dox was wet, weighed down by soaked feathers, tired, and frantic. Dillon bobbed his head nervously. What were they going to do? [color=3a2e44][i]"We need to jump!"[/i][/color] [color=7D1B7E][i]"C-c-can-NNNN'T-tT."[/i][/color] Another bump. [color=3a2e44][i]"We have no choice!"[/i][/color] [color=7D1B7E][i]"Nn-not…Not-t-t St-sst--sttron-ngng-ng…"[/i][/color] [color=3a2e44][i]"Don't do this. Not now…"[/i][/color] Dillon openly wept. [color=3a2e44][i]"We're survivors…we can do this…we can…I know we can."[/i][/color] Dox became silent, even when the next bump came. Dillon knew what was happening before it even occurred. Dox looked at him straight in the eye. It was the longest 3 seconds in his entire life. It felt akin to years. While dread slowly crept upon him, he didn't care, he wanted this moment to continue, regardless of how terrible they felt. He could think of something else. He just needed more time. He could save them both. They could both make it. He just needed more time. [color=7D1B7E][i]"You can do this."[/i][/color] He didn't even feel her slip out of the cloth. As he inhaled to shout, it felt as though time suddenly was rushing back to it's normal speed. She hovered in the air for a few moments, her body quickly gaining speed in decent. The splash wasn't hers, as he finally saw emerging out of the water head first, their aggressor. White rubbery skinned face marred by black, muscles taught, multiple ears flat against a thick dark blue and white neck, it's back gleaming as the water rushed down and off of it's body as it breached. It's jaws opened and milliseconds later came crashing down with practiced ease, clamping down on his sister's frame which cracked sickeningly, before closing it's yellowed eyes and diving back into the water. The wake of the splash pushed him farther out, and he had to brace himself to keep from falling into the water. The cloth fell limply below him. His eyes were wide and he couldn't breathe. This hadn't just happened. The water lapped up against the side of the ice noisily, strangely calming, like little chiming bells. But this couldn't have just happened. Any minute now, she'd resurface. It would turn out it was all in his head. She had just missed another jump. There was no creature. It was just his worried and tired mind playing tricks on him. Finally, the lapping settled, and the world was silent again. He slowly drifted farther and farther away from the other pieces of drift ice. [color=3a2e44][i]"DOX!!!"[/i][/color] ~ In less then a day, Dillon had seemingly lost everything. He had never had parents, not that he knew with any sort of closeness anyway, so that was of no real importance to him, but he had lost the closest things to parents he had ever known…Mout most of all. He had lost both of his siblings, one on the road to a new life of promise and the other to predation. He wished he could have had the time to grieve properly, but to allow himself the luxury was to loose the only thing he did have left, his own life. Being unable to establish the new state of his life in his mind, he had called out Dox's name for about two or three hours before he seemed to grasp that she really wasn't coming back. He wanted to nurse the wound, lick it clean, bandage it up, baby it for a while, but with the realization that Dox was really gone, came the knowledge of the gravity of his current situation. He was adrift, with nothing visible save the ocean for miles. If he was to survive, he needed to start now. No more regretting or laments for those who were elsewhere. He tightened the bag belts around his body, physically symbolizing to himself that it was time to move on. His expression steeled, and he moved forward. Dillon started by walking the perimeter of the drift ice, squinting once and a while to see if he could see anything in the distance. Nothing. He looked in the sky in all directions, and found it devoid of anything. No birds, not even a cloud, and certainly no dragons, but he figured if anyone flew above him…they might see an out of place chunk of ice…maybe. He looked in the contents of the bags. Perhaps there was something he could use, and laid them out before himself. 3 Spools of White Bandaging Material 2 Simple Copper Bracelets 3 Simple Iron Bracelets 3 Teardrop Earrings of Various Gem Types 1 Pair of Damaged Gold Glasses 1 Ruby Ring Nothing in his mind that could help him in the moment. He put everything back in the bags. He had to figure out how he was going to get food. Dillon wondered how often fish would come to the surface of the water. He could potentially grab fish that came too close. He had just finished putting the last things in his bags, when he noted a small tap. [color=3a2e44][i]"No…"[/i][/color] He looked over the edge of the ice, just in time to see the familiar face of the Charger gliding by like a seal. Their eyes met for a split second before Dillon flung himself into the middle of the ice floe, snatching up the cloth still a bit damp from previously, and quickly twirling it until it was a long cloth whip. He felt the first hard bump and braced himself, before taking a second to grab the first metal piece his claws could find. He pulled out an Iron Bracelet and tied it to the end of the whip. Again he felt another large nudge as the Charger breached underneath the slab of ice, tilting it to the point where Dillon almost fell off. His claws sunk into the ice, screeching him to a halt by the edge of the ice. He turned around, looking into the water. From the depths he could see the yellow eyes and white muzzle, swimming upward with immense speed. He backed up just in time to see the creature breach half it's body out of the water, and with a horrific wail it smashed it's body down on the ice, sliding him forward towards it's gapping maw. His eyes wide and heart pounding, he made the first swing of his improvised weapon and landed it. Another wail, and a small shower of red, it retreated into the water. He had hit it in the face, but he didn't have the satisfaction of seeing exactly where it hit. A few anxious moments passed before a second attack, but this one was strange. It's breath seemed labored, eyes wild and it's hooves clopping along the edge frantically, the noises coming from it's maw were odd too…but Dillon didn't give it much thought. He struck out again with his weapon, the now dented bracelet slicing open a gash on the creature's closest leg. It let out a pained wail. Dillon twirled the cloth again and went in for a third attack, but this time the creature caught the cloth in it's mouth and began pulling Dillon closer. He grasped the opposite edge of the ice with his prehensile tail and pulled back… [color=3a2e44][i]"No…No…No…No…No…NO…"[/i][/color] The creature was pulling itself up and onto the ice. It's hooves made enough purchase to pull itself up fully, violently shifting the ice floe back and forth as it plopped itself down and huddled it's legs close to it's body. It snarled and shrieked at him, snapping once or twice but defensively, and in the mild break from chaos, Dillon finally saw the damage he had done. It's left eye dangled uselessly out of it's socket, and the bones that normally held the eye in on it's skull seemed smashed. The leg he had sliced open bled profusely, covering the ice in a thin lair of red. Dillon felt ill. His first attack had done enough damage…way more then he thought. The creature heaved breaths that made his whole body seem to shake. His fins lowering and opening up repeatedly. The remaining yellow eye burned with a fire he knew all to well. It stayed his hand. [color=3a2e44][i]"Not today…not by me."[/i][/color] Dillon hummed calmly. He knew his sounds meant nothing to the creature, as it continued to display all the defensive behaviors it could. As the hours passed, the creature seemed to calm, though any attempt to move from Dillon was met with a resurgence of defensive displays. He felt indescribable. He was and wasn't…many things, all at once, in a way that no language could possibly give justice to in the act of explaining. He was exhausted, but couldn't sleep. The ice floe smelled of fish and blood, but more then that, he wasn't sure if sleeping with the creature that had proven to be capable of eating him on board, was such a good idea. Then again…it had been severely wounded, and he wondered in that moment, if it was possible for the Bluefin Charger to last the night. Silence stretched for what felt like ages as the night descended on them. The creature had broken his singular eye contact to watch the sunset. He began to silhouette and behind him, the colors glowed brightly. If it's presence didn't mean constant danger, Dillon might have called the moment majestic. [color=3a2e44][i]"You killed my sister, you know."[/i][/color] he hummed calmly, not entirely sure what had possessed him to talk to the Charger again, and especially why he had broken the peace of the moment. The Charger simply turned to face him again, his eye swung hitting his lips once or twice before rolling back and forth along it's edge, causing the creature to snarl nauseated. Dillon hated looking at it. The creature may have ate his sister, but at least it looked to have been a quick death. This was torture…he was sure. He wouldn't have to look at it for long. As if accepting the fate of it's eye, the Charger huffed out a long rumbling sigh, before quickly flicking his head upward. The eye swung up then downward into it's waiting jaws, followed by a gruesome squelch as it slammed them shut. ------------------ In the end, Dillon couldn't hate the creature. He couldn't even fault it. Not even for what would inevitably happen, should the creature not return to the water to hunt. Dillon had to keep the creature's skin from cracking under the sun by splashing water on him now and again, which in the beginning had been a terrifying experience as the creature flailed, but now had seemed to come to an understanding that it was somehow beneficial to allow the small dragon to do so. He certainly wouldn't have done this if he had felt any animosity for the Charger. In fact, Dillon thought, he may actually love and admire the creature. They were not so different. Two breathing entities forced to push themselves past limits previously thought impossible by a shared drive: Survival. If anything…the Charger was almost a better living thing. It was pure, not in the way one would imagine a kindhearted virgin maiden, but in a natural way. It didn't kill his sister. It ate her. How long had it waited for a meal previously? How was it any different from when he was starving? It wasn't done out of malice, but necessity, completely unencumbered by morality. How many fish brothers and sisters had he 'killed' doing the same? Perhaps he was mad. Sun stroked, starving, thirsty, and mad…but, he supposed, he was at a level of acceptance that gave him peace. Maybe even contentment. Dillon lay his head down on the ice, haws closing softly, drifting with the tide into the embrace of sleep, when he noticed the Charger was no longer staring at the ocean. With a groan he lifted his head to see what the creature was viewing. In the distance, he could see a gnarled spire of the purest magenta, it's edges glinting in the sun… Ahead was the Crystalspine Reaches. ---------------------------------------------------- [b]Player's Note:[/b] I'm finally finished with this monster. I know it's long…and probably not very good…writing isn't always my medium…but I had fun writing it! The moment I pulled a Sparrow Skull, I knew the writing prompt had to be about Dillon. I wanted to start him on his journey and I wanted to him to have enough time to reflect on everything leading up to the moment of the story. When I first bought him, he was in the AH with his sister, Dox…who I had thought about purchasing as well, but decided in the end that I better save my treasure. I couldn't help but watch to see where she would end up, as their sister Serenia had already been snatched up and looked as though she might be in a forever home, but Dox wasn't out of the woods. She stayed unbought for a while, until one day I went to check on her and she had been bought and promptly exalted. At the time, I was still developing Dillon, and his muse urged me to somehow write it into the story. I figured out a way…you could say. When crafting Dillon as a character, I was afraid of accidentally exalting him, so I decided I would give him a familiar that was an "Ice Familiar". I figured on his way to The Scarred Wasteland he would probably have to go up through the Fridgid Floes from his birthplace (the owner I bought him from's lair was located in the Tundra…so I figured that was his birthplace), through Arcane Flight Territory (helpful in getting him to meet Padma), to then get there. Looking at Bluefin Chargers' info bubble…I figured that their most likely hunting grounds would be the floes. I wasn't sold necessarily on the idea, I figured I would change it down the line or something, but for now…sure…throw the Bluefin Charger on there. That's fine. A couple hours later, I was somewhere shopping…I can't remember for what…but "A Horse With No Name" by America came on. I had forgotten how much I loved that song…and as I listened to it, I slowly realized how serendipitous it was that I gave Dillon the Charger. Dillon is a character that travels from all the various deserts the world has to offer environmental wise. Think about it…the Tundra? Largely considered a Desert. The Ocean? As the song says: [i]The ocean is a desert with it's life underground And a perfect disguise above[/i] Even his final destination would prove to be a desert. I just love that song. I thought about the possibility of making Dillon not originally have a name until someone gave it to him or he gave it to himself…or just generally going with a slight theme of nameless identities overall. I eventually worked that into the story in a different way then what I had thought of originally…which was that Dillon had been at sea for so long battling against the madness of being shipwrecked along with a predatory horse that he had forgotten his name…and that maybe when he reached land…Padma or someone would give him the name Dillon. Of course as I was writing this…I realize…oh crap….this…is pretty much Life of Pi….but with less religion…and more Darwinian Survival of the Fittest. This is why I used a quote from Life of Pi…I do…actually love that book to bits and pieces….and it was really not my intention to write this as Life of Pi….though in the end it couldn't help being an inspiration…and I'm sure it will smack a bit of that. Anyway…I hope you liked it... I've spent the past weekend in the Mojave at Wasteland weekend…I've been horribly excited to write this since then. I really can't wait to get more out…luckily the next day I have to do is another writing prompt. Hopefully it won't take me so long….but it's going to be Maari…so…we will see. [i]You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name It felt good to be out of the rain In the desert you can remember your name 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain[/i] [quote]Sorry for the double pings! It should only happen once. @Tar, @Istoki, @sykotikkytten, @GetBackToWork, @tigressRising, @Cadomarie @Artorias @Oncamimus [/quote]

@Oncamimus

Wow! That was an awesome formal beginning to the story. I love the way you handle world-building. The bits about coatl culture and that charger were really well done. :O

Also interesting was the inclusion of the siblings... I've looked into the parents and siblings of my nuzlocke dragons as well but never thought to include them in the story. Neat idea!

I hope you don't get too burnt out after that post. It really was a monster of a story entry.

@Tar Thanks! I'm really trying to work in a lot of the established lore in the encyclopedia and such…I'm not entirely sure how magic works lore wise here…so I've taken some liberties where appropriate…but problem solving with the info already given has been fun :3 We shall see how crazy detailed I end up with some of the other characters.

I really want to play with some of the "Familiar" creatures that they share the world with…I think it could be really fun…I really imagined Bluefin Chargers as basically horse Orcas now XD; which…kinda is making me love them…where previously I hated them because they always fainted my dragons in the coli.

Not burnt out at all actually! I'll likely start Maari's story tomorrow…and I'm hoping to get it done tomorrow as well…The only thing I'm worried about is changing tonal gears…since Maari's story is dramatically….different tempo/emotion wise…at least in the beginning XD;