Creative Corner

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Prologue (Scene 5)[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 8 (April 11, 2017)*[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: May 6, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=skein of silky yarn] [/center] [i](*Note: I skipped to Day 8 for two reasons: 1) Coli battles were my task for Day 7, and for story purposes, they don't happen until after the journey has actually started. 2) Art was my task for Day 6, and I drew an illustration for this scene, so it's in the post below this one.)[/i] The morning of the big day finally arrived. Starbloom woke with a start when the egg she was sleeping on top of began to vibrate. She rolled away from it, giving it space and watching in awe as a small crack began to form on its surface. The crack became longer and deeper, and light spilled out of it along with albumen. After a long, tense moment, the shell split in half to reveal a bedraggled bundle of dull-brown fur. Its legs and mulberry-colored wings thrashed about, knocking the eggshell halves aside. Starbloom’s crest-fins quivered, and her whole body trembled. “Hello, little one,” she said. The Tundra hatchling looked at her with its big, pink eyes and cooed. She supposed that if she were a Tundra, she would be helping him lick his fur clean, but as she was, she was too small to make much of a difference. Then she got an idea. “Stasia?” she said. “Yes?” said Stasia, her Enchanting Goblin, who had been watching from further back in the cavern. “Would you please go and find Mother and ask her to come here? I need her help, and I want her to meet her grandchild.” “Yes, milady.” Stasia hurried out of the cavern. Lazuli came running in with Stasia on her shoulders a few minutes later. She exclaimed in delight over her grandchild, and was only too happy to help clean him off. After happily proclaiming that the hatchling was a boy, she hurried off to spread the news to the rest of the clan. Her own father, Magatama, and the clan leaders came to meet the new hatchling. He was the clan leaders’ great-great-grandson, and they were delighted to welcome him to the family. “Have you thought about what to name him?” Lazuli asked Starbloom. “I have,” said Starbloom. “My son will be named Kamien. It means ‘stone’ in a Harpy dialect, and he has fur the color of stone.” “That is very logical,” said Adeptica. “You wish him to be enrolled in the clan, do you not?” “Of course,” Starbloom said. “We will always have a home here if we so choose, correct?” “Indubitably.” The clan matriarch asked Moonshadow, the record-keeper, to add Kamien’s name to the scroll that listed all the members of Clan Adeptica. She did so with the same flourish and zeal for her duties as she always did. This little one would be leaving with his mother later that day, but he was a member of the family just the same.

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Art Post #1[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 6 (April 9, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: May 8, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=softly glowing pendant] [/center] For my first piece of art, I drew an illustration for [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2173091/2#post_26989813]Prologue Scene 5.[/url] I drew it by hand and colored it partially with colored pencil (so my grass would look like grass) and partially with GIMP. [IMG]http://68.media.tumblr.com/35fb1e52865af09ce4a066e59b8669a1/tumblr_otp7t7n2kS1sp47bko4_1280.jpg[/IMG]

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Prologue (Scene 6)[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 10 (April 13, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: May 8, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=redwood log] [/center] Clan Adeptica bade farewell to dragons on a fairly regular basis, but they were usually on their way to be exalted. There had been occasions before when members had moved away to join a new clan (not to mention the unfortunate incident with Felicity’s grandmother, Duskbright), but they’d never had five of their own depart all at once before. It was also the first time they’d ever had a group leave to start what was, in effect, a brand-new clan in its own right. Mikan, the clan’s official party planner, had been pondering all this ever since she had heard about Ember’s plan. There had never been an occasion quite like this in the clan before, so obviously, it called for a party like no other… but what kind of party? Was this a joyful occasion, or a sorrowful one? She stalked into the clan’s main gathering space and got to work. They were celebrating a new egg-hatching, that much she knew, so she had brought out the pastel-colored cloth streamers she always used for those occasions. She hung them in their usual places around the cavern, using her Ice magic to freeze them to the upper walls. When she was finished, she sat down in the center of the cavern and sighed. [I]What else does this party need?[/i] she thought. A pale seafoam Skydancer fluttered into the room. “May I offer you my services, Miss Mikan?” he asked politely. “Sure,” Mikan said. “It’s this party. That conflict you sense is me trying to figure out whether it should be more happy, or more solemn. What do you think?” “Well, I think we should be happy for our friends,” Baystrider said. “I also think we have someone around here with experience in this matter. Would you like me to ask her for you?” “Lady Adeptica, you mean? Yes, please do.” Baystrider’s diplomatic background and natural empathetic sense made him one of those that Lady Adeptica and Lord Devon trusted very highly. He went and found them and told them of the problem Mikan was having. They decided they wanted to come and speak with her directly, rather than passing their message through Baystrider. “For Arcanist’s sake, Mikan, you’ve been settled for too long,” Devon said when he saw her. “Didn’t you yourself leave home as soon as you were old enough to? And wasn't it a happy day for you?” “It was,” the younger Guardian said, “but it was a sad one for my original clan.” “Sure, but that’s just a part of life. If you ask me, this party should be a little more happy than sad. We’re celebrating the future of the group that is leaving us.” “I agree,” Lady Adeptica said. “I was happy to set out on my own, as well. It was frightening sometimes, but it was a positive change for me. If we are to have a celebration, let us celebrate our hope for the futures of those who are departing.” Mikan nodded. “Yes, sir, ma’am. I understand, and that helps a lot. Thank you very much.” “You are welcome.” Mikan got back to work with renewed energy. She decorated with bold yellow, pink, and orange streamers, put up some more lights, and even found a Fire Flight banner to hang up above the entrance to the lair. She hoped Ember would appreciate that touch. On a blank banner below it, she wrote, [I]Best of luck and best wishes to our travelers! We love you![/I]

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Prologue (Scene 7)[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 17 (April 20, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: May 9, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=prehnite] [/center] By midday, the farewell party for Ember and her friends was in full swing. Almost every member of Clan Adeptica was in the main gathering chamber, which was easily big enough for all of them. They were all eating, drinking, talking, and enjoying each other’s company. There would be no speeches this time, as there usually were for exaltations, and instead of drawing their individual portraits as she always did for the exalted, [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=15969879]Peaseblossom[/url] was drawing a single group portrait of all four of the travelers. After all, the door was always open for them to come back home. “Mind if I interrupt for a minute?” [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=16521523]Flamestrike[/url] said to Peaseblossom. “I have something for Ember.” “Go ahead,” Peaseblossom said. “I am working on drawing Felicity at the moment.” “Thank you.” Flamestrike stepped closer to the group. “Ember, there’s something I want you to have. I know it’s a long way over to the mainland, and I wanted to make sure you were comfortable and had strength left when you got there. So here, these are for you.” She handed Ember a package wrapped in bronze fabric. Ember opened it. [item=bronze steampunk wings] [item=bronze steampunk goggles] “Wow!” Ember said. “Thanks, Mom! I love them!” “You do not want those to show in the portrait, correct?” Peaseblossom asked. “No, that’s okay,” said Ember. “I’m glad you got those, because I have something for you, too,” [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=18742261]Torger[/url] added. “Your own portable forge, so you can take your craft with you wherever you go. It’s a little heavy, so it’s waiting for you next to the cave mouth.” Ember’s eyes lit up. “Thank you so much!” "You're very welcome," said Torger. "We're going to miss our Fire rep around here, but I'm so proud of you. I hope you use it well, and earn your own fortune so that you can achieve your dreams." "I will." “I, too, would like to give you a gift on behalf of the clan,” said another monotone voice - Shadowspell’s. “Giclee, please come in.” Shadowspell’s Frozen Goblin came around the corner, carrying an iron treasure chest. He set it down before Ember, who opened it. [item=aviar cave painting] x4 [item=tallow candle] x1 [item=wiggly sight] x1 2859tr 2g “Oh, Marva,” said Felicity, shaking her head and chuckling. “Thank you, Shadowspell,” Ember said. “That’s enough treasure to get us started on this trip. We really do appreciate it.” “You are welcome,” said Shadowspell. “I have something for you, too!” piped a high, excitable voice. Starbloom’s loyal Enchanting Goblin, Stasia, tromped into sight, lugging a gilded treasure chest. When she set it down in front of Starbloom, it was obvious to everyone that she was positively aglow with enthusiasm. “Oh!” Starbloom exclaimed. “I did not realize it was that day today! Thank you!” “You are most welcome,” said Stasia. “Go ahead, open it up!” Starbloom did so. [item=enchanted candle] x4 [item=murkbottom gull] x1 [item=ragged skirmisher scrap] x2 9168tr 17g The gull flew straight over to Kamien and landed by his side. It squawked at the hatchling, who chirped back. “It appears that is that, then,” Starbloom said. “We have a new companion for our journey.” “I’m coming with you too, aren’t I?” Stasia asked her. “Of course you are. I consider you a true and valued friend.” Stasia beamed even brighter, if that was possible. “Thank you, Starbloom. That’s the nicest thing you could have said to me.” When the portrait was finished and the travelers had had enough to eat, they began saying their goodbyes and making their way to the entrance to Clan Adeptica’s lair. Ember put on her portable forge and artificial wing augments, and Felicity and Starbloom packed their treasure and other new items into bags. Finally, they bundled Kamien into his sling and placed it across Felicity’s shoulders, since she was the largest of the group. After many embraces and farewells, the three dragons leaped from the mouth of the cave and took flight, against a hazy yellow late-afternoon sky. Like every other occasion when Clan Adeptica had ever said goodbye to any of their own, all the remaining members stood and watched their departing friends until they disappeared into the distance. However, this time, instead of heading upward, toward the Observatory at the top of the mountain, the travelers were flying toward the mainland on the horizon. When they landed there, their adventure would truly begin.

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 1[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 18 (April 21, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: May 13, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=spellbound glove] [/center] The travelers made landfall on the shore of the eastern edge of Arcane’s territory, near the border with the Scarred Wasteland. Ember paused for a moment to turn off her mechanical wing augments, and she and Felicity both adjusted their various packs and bags to more comfortable positions before they began their long walk inland. Kamien was still safely in Felicity's canvas sling, while Starbloom was perched on Ember’s portable forge. They had landed near the seacliffs, where the ground was covered with crystalline sand and pebbles that gradually became more and more covered by green grass as they walked inland. After a few miles, they came to a thin band of scrubby, twisted forest. They would have to pass through it to get into Plague territory. “I’ll take point,” Ember said. She led the way into the forest, keeping her nose close to the ground. Felicity followed her, imitating her pose, but looking up every few moments. She had the sharper distance vision, while Ember had the stronger sense of smell. A few minutes after they had entered the forest, Felicity flicked her ears at a faint sound she had heard. “Halt,” she said in a low but commanding tone. Ember did. “What is it?” Ember said. “There’s something alive around here,” Felicity said. “I just heard something moving.” Suddenly, the faint rustling sound Felicity had heard became loud enough for everyone to hear. A dark shape moved low to the ground. “[i]Belladonna?![/i]” exclaimed Felicity. The black-and-cream Bogsneak emerged from the underbrush. “Okay, you caught me,” she said. “How did you get here?” the Pearlcatcher demanded. “Did you actually follow us all this way?” “I did,” said Belladonna. “With a little help from a scrying charm.” “Do your mommies know where you are?” Starbloom asked. “We’re the [i]same[/i] age!” Belladonna exclaimed in frustration. “I can make my own life decisions, too. I've decided that I want to go on an adventure with you. And yes, as a matter of fact, I did say goodbye to them before I left. They gave me their blessing and some food.” She showed Starbloom the bag she was carrying. “Very good,” said Starbloom. “What do you need that for?” Ember said. “You’re an herbivore, anyway.” “Not [i]exclusively[/i],” Belladonna retorted, showing Ember her sharp claws. “May I come with you, please? I can take care of myself. You believe me, don’t you?” Ember looked into Belladonna's eyes with all four of her own for a long moment. “Yes, I believe you,” she said. “You can come.” “Oh, thank you! I'll be a good pack hunter, I promise.” “I think you'll work out just fine,” Felicity said. “I really have to hand it to you for being so good at hiding and sneaking around. I've always been the clan scout, and now I'm the party scout, and I didn’t notice you were following us until you made a sound just a few minutes ago.” “Thank you,” Belladonna said. “They say us Bogsneaks are supposed to be really good at that, but I’d never really had a chance to try it out until now.” “You did well,” Ember said. “Welcome to the group. I'm glad to have another hunter here. Especially one who can hide better than I can.”

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 2[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 20 (April 23, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: April 7, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=etched tusk] [/center] The sun was slowly sinking into the distance beyond the Wyrmwound. The clouds of noxious fumes that constantly rose from the bubbling pit stained the sky in red and orange hues. The sunset was the only thing in sight that could be called beautiful. The five travelers kept moving toward it, one slow step after another. Ember and Felicity had been taking turns carrying little Kamien on their backs the whole day. It was Ember’s turn now, and while he was doing an excellent job of holding onto her shoulders, he was beginning to weigh on her almost as much as the heat did. Hours of travel and no hint of shelter in sight. The fatigue numbed her mind, but she had no choice but to continue. One paw in front of the other. She looked up from the ground and spied a dim shape in the middle distance. Were those bushes? She kept moving toward it. Yes – a stand of scrubby bushes had overtaken a pile of fallen boulders. The bushes had some kind of seed pods or fruit hanging from them, and where there was plantlife, there was always at least some water. “Look, Kamien,” she said, pointing to where she was going. “Dinner.” “Dinner?” echoed the little Tundra. “Yes,” Felicity said. “That’s right. Dinner.” She didn’t sound particularly excited about the prospect, though. When the five travelers arrived at the foot of the boulders, Ember let Kamien down from her back, and he set about gathering some of the seed pods for dinner. He took one bite of one of them and let out a shriek that sent Starbloom and Felicity hurrying to calm him down and find out what was wrong. “Oh,” said Starbloom, taking a closer look at one of the black objects her son had gathered. “These are not ordinary seed pods, Kamien. These are Blacktongue Peppers.” “They taste like burning!” Kamien sobbed. “You will be all right,” Starbloom said. “Have some water.” Felicity gave him one of the waterskins they had brought from home, and he drank from it quickly. “I love these things,” Felicity said, munching on a pepper. “Me, too,” said Belladonna, “but that was a really awful way to be introduced to them. Sorry, kid. Here, have a nice Sugarmelon.” She produced it from one of her bags and gave it to Kamien, who accepted it gratefully and started eating. The pack (they were a pack, now, to Ember’s way of thinking) settled down for the night in the crevasses between the three large boulders that, one could imagine, had been cast here during one of the great battles between the Plaguebringer and Gladekeeper. They were sheltered from the wind, and the stand of bushes at the pinnacle of the pile of boulders gave Ember, Belladonna, and Felicity an excellent vantage point from which to keep their successive watches. The night passed quietly, without incident or attack.

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 3[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 21 (April 24, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: April 10, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=runed tuft of fur] [/center] “Auntie Ember?” Kamien said one day, while the group was traveling. “Yes, little one?” the Mirror answered. “Can we talk about something?” Ember nodded. “What is it?” “Well, I’m not so little anymore,” the young Tundra said. This was true; he was walking alongside Ember and Felicity now. “Aren’t we going to see the Scarred Wasteland’s Coliseum pretty soon?” “Yes, we are. You want to go in?” “I do.” “I will only allow you to enter the Coliseum if I go with you,” Starbloom said. “All right, Mom,” said Kamien. “If you two are going, I’m going, too,” Belladonna piped up. “I can protect both of you.” “I appreciate your support,” said Starbloom. “I would be happy to have your company.” “So I can go, right?” Kamien said to Ember. “If your mother says it’s okay, it’s okay,” answered Ember. “You didn’t sound very sure of yourself when you said you wanted to go in, though.” “I’m not. I mean, I’m sure I want to go in, but… I don’t have claws like yours.” “Neither do I, but that’s never stopped me,” Felicity interjected. “All of us except for Ember are natural mages. We can channel the magic around us to deal just as much damage as she can with her claws or her fangs. I know how, because I’ve done it before. Would you like me to show you?” “Yes, please!” said Kamien. “I think we would all be wise to listen to you,” Starbloom said. “You are, after all, the only one with any previous experience in battle.” Felicity explained how mages could sense the magic in the world around them, breathe it in, merge it with their own inner magic, and then transform it into a projectile sphere of kinetic energy that scratched and hurt whatever was in its path. She showed them, and they tried to copy her. Their attempts were more like clouds of mist at first, but by the time they got to the entrance to Plague’s Coliseum, they were firing off respectable magical attacks. Kamien’s was a breath weapon, like Felicity’s, but Starbloom’s manifested as a haze of energy around her wings, which fired itself off as a sphere when she flapped her wings forward. “Do you still want to do this?” Starbloom asked Kamien as they stood before the entrance. “Absolutely,” said Kamien. He, Starbloom, and Belladonna entered the training area of the coliseum together.

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Coliseum Battle Post #1[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 7 (April 10, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Battles Completed: 20 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=winged barb] [/center] For my first coli round, Random.org chose Belladonna, Kamien, and Starbloom, all of whom were Level 1 when I started. This round brought them all up to Level 4. [b]Loot[/b] [item=hardy antler] x7 [item=micro deer] x6 [item=blue honeycomb] x5 [item=carpenter wax] x5 [item=jagged beak] x2 [item=emerald brooch] x2 [item=pygmy wrasse] x2 [item=false leaf] x2 [item=glowing pocket bauble] x2 [item=tiny feathers] x1 [item=dwarf fawn] x1 [item=honeycomb fragment] x1 [item=beeswax] x1 [item=fragile moth wings] x1 [item=sparrow skull] x1 [item=white-eared hummingbird] x1 [item=sun flecked fieldmouse] x1 [item=leafy pack] x1 [item=reverse silkworm moth] x1 [item=pollen] x1 [item=giant sand dollar] x1 [item=sticky pollen] x1 [item=serrated beak] x1

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 4[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 23 (April 26, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: April 12, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=sanded ash plank] [/center] The three first-time fighters emerged from the Coliseum slightly the worse for wear, but with a small collection of prizes in tow. Upon seeing them, Ember set upon the small deer and fawns eagerly; she hadn’t had the chance to eat quite this well since they had left their home. The others turned away politely and munched on the few honeycomb fragments they had between them. Kamien licked at his wounds after he had partaken. “Kamien, we are not beasts,” Starbloom said to him. “There should be a marketplace nearby where one can find bandages and healing potions. Can you walk?” “Yes, Mom, I can,” Kamien said. “Ember, shall we go and find the marketplace when you’re finished?” Starbloom asked. Ember looked up. “Yes, let’s.” When she had finished eating and was putting on her portable forge again, she said to Kamien, “I’d offer you some, but…” “Thanks for thinking of me, anyway,” Kamien said. It was quite clear where the local marketplace was; there was a well-worn path leading between it and the entrance to the Coliseum, and they passed several other fighters going the opposite direction before they arrived. The Scarred Wasteland’s marketplace was built largely out of animal hides and the bones of some sort of large beasts. Kamien shuddered to think that some of them had almost certainly belonged to Guardians or Imperials who had made enemies of the local merchants. He tried to look as if he belonged there as his group searched for the healing stall. They finally found it tucked away in a remote corner, completely empty except for the Skydancer merchant; clearly, healing wasn't a service that was in very high demand here in Plague. The Skydancer was only too happy to have customers, and handed the glass vials of bright-red potion to Kamien and his battle-mates with great enthusiasm. Kamien drank it and immediately felt much better. “Going right back out there, or did you plan to stay and enjoy the marketplace for a bit?” The Skydancer asked. “Mom, can we stay and look around?” Kamien asked. “Yes, we can,” Starbloom said. “I have had enough of fighting for one day.” “And we already passed by a scroll-seller with a magic mirror,” Belladonna said. “I’d like to get myself one of those scrolls.” “How?” said Ember. “We didn't bring that kind of money with us, and no offense, but at the rate you were going, it’d take forever to earn enough from Coli loot to buy a gene scroll.” “Are you travelers?” the Skydancer asked. “Yes, we are,” said Ember. “We came from the Starfall Isles, and we’re on our way to the Ashfall Waste. Eventually.” “Perhaps there is another way you could earn yourselves that gene scroll. I see you are a blacksmith, are you not?” “I am.” “Well, the Plague marketplace lacks such a craftsdragon at the moment. Our last one was a Pearlcatcher who angered the wrong Imperial and got his stall boycotted, so that he had to move back home to Sunbeam. You're one of ours, though, so you wouldn't have that problem.” [i](continued in the next scene)[/i]

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 5[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 24 (April 27, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: May 20, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=windstroked silk whitetail] [/center] [i](continued from the previous scene)[/i] Ember was puzzled for a moment - after all, her orange eyes were plain for the world to see - but then she realized that the Skydancer had to be referring to her breed. “Oh, right,” she said. “So I could just… set up shop here and start working?” “You could,” said the Skydancer. “I can show you where the old smith’s stall was, if you like.” “Sure,” said Ember. “I guess this means we’re going to be neighbors, for a while. My name is Ember, what's your name?” “Linnaeus,” said the Skydancer. “Welcome to the Scarred Wasteland.” Linnaeus led the party to a stall halfway down the row and around the corner. It seemed to be somewhat airier than most of the other stalls, but had clearly been abandoned for some time. There were metal filings and molten slag everywhere, making it easy to see which spots the previous tenant had used to do his work, and how he had moved from one task to another. Of course, the previous tenant had also been a bit larger than Ember. “It’s all yours, if you're willing to work,” Linnaeus said. “I’m a survivor,” said Ember. “I can do this. Thank you for bringing us here, Linnaeus.” “You’re very welcome.” “By the way,” Starbloom asked, “did the previous blacksmith happen to leave a lair behind when he departed?” “He did. It's up on that rise over there. I’m afraid he was a bit of a snob - no offense, ma’am -” this was an aside to Felicity - “so it's only designed for one dragon, but as long as no one else has claimed it, you can have it.” “We will make do,” said Starbloom. “As long as Kamien has a safe place to stay, I will be satisfied.” “And none taken,” added Felicity. “We’re from a pretty egalitarian clan, plus I'm a forbidden child. My mother was an Imperial, so I’m not proud.” Linnaeus’ antennae rose briefly. “You might not want to let that get around. If Old Wispwhiskers gets wind of it, you're next on his list of enemies. He was the one who ran the old blacksmith out of town.” “I’ll be sure to make myself scarce around here, then,” said Felicity. “But I need your help to remodel this place,” said Ember. “I can't reach these shelves.” “You’ll have to remodel after dark, so no one will see you doing it,” Linnaeus advised. “Sounds like a plan,” Felicity said. “Wanna go see the new lair? It’ll be nice to be able to put all this stuff down.” “Agreed,” Ember said. “Let's go.”