Creative Corner

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 6[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 29 (May 2, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: May 22, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=hardy antler] [/center] [i](continued from the previous scene)[/i] Linnaeus showed the group of travelers the way to the lair that had belonged to the previous blacksmith. It was, indeed, rather small for all five of them. Kamien let his instincts take over and started digging into the back of it, creating a sort of pit (or maybe the beginning of a tunnel, he wasn’t sure yet) as his own personal place to sleep. He had never had a sleeping space of his own before. Nobody stopped him or objected to what he was doing; they were all busy setting down the various bags and packs they had been carrying, and making their own spaces to sleep in. While they were working, a Mirror dragon wearing a sash and a medallion with the Plague emblem on it came to the entrance of the lair. “If I may interrupt for a moment,” the other Mirror said. “My name is Gremio, and I am here from the Scarred Wasteland Census Bureau. It seems you are settling here. Who is in charge of this clan?” “I am,” Ember said, turning around. “Do you have a name for yourselves?” “Um...” Ember looked at Felicity, who looked at Starbloom and then back to Ember. “We really didn’t think of this in all that time we spent planning this trip?” Felicity said. “No, but we didn’t think we would stop anywhere along the way long enough to be asked this question,” said Ember. “But here we are. Anybody who has an idea for a name, throw it out there.” “Clan Ember would seem obvious,” said Starbloom. “I’m not [i]that[/i] egotistical,” said Ember. “Clan Ashfeather?” Kamien said. “Because you want to be a Coatl, and they have feathers.” “Everyone good with that?” Ember said. The others nodded and agreed. “Okay then. Clan Ashfeather it is.” Gremio wrote this information down on his scroll, then took down the names of everyone in the clan and the date. “You said you didn’t think you would stop anywhere for very long,” he said. “Were you traveling?” “We were,” Ember said. “We’re going to the Ashfall Waste eventually, but we've decided to stay here just for long enough to earn the money for a gene scroll, and build up some more funds and things to barter with.” “And how do you propose to do that?” “I’m the new market blacksmith.” “Oh, good. We could really use one. Welcome to the Scarred Wasteland Marketplace, Miss Ember. And in the name of the Plaguebringer, may Clan Ashfeather survive and thrive.” “Thank you.” Gremio departed, leaving the new clan to the task of preparing their lair. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* That evening, Felicity and Ember crept back to the marketplace under cover of darkness and got to work on the blacksmith’s stall. Felicity helped Ember lower the shelves and hooks on the walls so that they would be useful to her. The next morning, Ember began her career as a craftsdragon. She didn’t have much to work with at first; her predecessor had only left a few metal scraps behind at his stall and at his old lair. Her clanmates helped her by digging and scavenging for materials and broken pieces of old tools that she could reforge into new ones. When she wasn’t scavenging, Belladonna returned to the amateur alchemy she had been learning from her mothers. She made a few trades and sales with her reagents and the Soylents she was able to produce. Days turned into weeks, and both Belladonna and Ember grew more skillful at their respective crafts. Felicity avoided the marketplace as much as she could; instead, she spent much of her time at the coliseum, earning food for the clan that way. Between Belladonna's and Ember's efforts, the clan was earning enough money to buy all the food they needed in the marketplace, but it was a point of pride for Felicity to earn her own keep. Besides, the more she hunted, the more of the clan's earnings could be saved up toward their larger goals. Eventually, their hard work and dedication to saving what they earned paid off. The day came when Belladonna was able to carry her bags of gems to the scroll-seller she had seen in the marketplace that first day, and buy the scroll she had decided looked the best on her. She took it back to the lair so that her clanmates could watch as she invoked the scroll’s powers. Each word written on the scroll disappeared from its surface and transformed into a mote of white light as she read it, and each mote of light attached itself to her skin. When she read the last one, the motes brightened, then ran together and merged. When they faded, her skin bore the petal-like pattern that she had decided she preferred over the colorful liquid blotches that were known as the mark of the alchemist.

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Event Post #1[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 9 (April 12, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Option Chosen: +1 Gene Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=Red Birdskull Legband] [/center] Belladonna now has Petals! [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=27214166] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/272142/27214166_350.png[/img] [/url]

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Coliseum Battle Post #2[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 11 (April 14, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Battles Completed: 40 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=silver-laced rooster] [/center] Random.org chose Belladonna, Ember, and Kamien for Round 2. Since all but Ember were now Level 4, that meant we had to fight this round in the Woodland Path. Ember leveled up to Level 2 during the round, and Belladonna and Kamien both leveled up to Level 5. [b]Loot[/b] [item=strangler seeds] x5 [item=maple leaf] x4 [item=grouse] x4 [item=sakura moss] x4 [item=vampire eel] x3 [item=flycatcher] x3 [item=venus flytrap] x3 [item=wildwood moss] x3 [item=sakura owlet] x3 [item=strangling vine] x3 [item=wildwood owlet] x3 [item=bluefin charger fin] x2 [item=strangling root] x2 [item=red maple leaf] x2 [item=leafy pack] x2 [item=daddy longlegs] x2 [item=herdbeast hoof] x2 [item=coral grouse] x2 [item=coral basilisk field notes] x2 [item=river wiggler] x2 [item=wildwood moss] x1 [item=giant sand dollar] x1 [item=dwarf fawn] x1 [item=basilisk feather fan] x1 [item=bamboo leaves] x1 [item=harvestman] x1 [item=clown charger fin] x1 [item=micro deer] x1 [item=blooming vine] x1 [item=blooming pods] x1 [item=grouse basilisk field notes] x1 [item=bamboo phytocat] x1 [item=janustrap root] x1 [item=phytocat toy] x1 [item=strangler] x1

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Coliseum Battle Post #3[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 13 (April 16, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Battles Completed: 20 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=brown river recluse] [/center] Starbloom leveled up to Level 5 during this round, and Belladonna leveled up to Level 6. [b]Loot[/b] [item=grouse] x3 [item=bamboo leaves] x2 [item=coral grouse] x2 [item=janustrap root] x2 [item=flycatcher] x2 [item=river wiggler] x2 [item=wildwood owlet] x1 [item=strangling root] x1 [item=rotting leather] x1 [item=venus flytrap] x1 [item=sakura moss] x1 [item=coral basilisk field notes] x1 [item=wildwood owl] x1 [item=decorative feather fan] x1 [item=dust slither] x1 [item=blooming vine] x1 [item=blooming pods] x1 [item=phytocat toy] x1 [item=false leaf] x1 [item=sticky pollen] x1 [item=micro deer] x1

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Art Post #2[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 33 (May 6, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: June 14, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=scary storybook] [/center] For my second art piece, I drew [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=27214120]Starbloom[/url] firing off a Contuse attack. ([s]Yes, I should probably have given her a longer neck, but whatever[/s] :D ) [IMG]http://68.media.tumblr.com/b606257140cc4ec46027a2e18513f734/tumblr_otp7t7n2kS1sp47bko5_1280.jpg[/IMG]

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 7[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 30 (May 3, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: June 18, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=cumulus mane] [/center] “Auntie Ember!” Kamien cried when Ember came home from the marketplace the next day. “Yes, Kamien?” Ember said, while setting down her things. “Mom and Belladonna took me into the Woodland Path for the first time today!” “Oh, really? Well, you came back, so you must have done pretty well there.” “We did [i]awesome![/i] Do you want to come see what I can do now?” “Um… sure. Do you… want anyone else to come with us?” “Mom said she was too tired to go back today. We could ask Belladonna, though.” “Well, why don’t we have dinner first? We can ask her at dinner. Okay?” “Okay.” Ember was tired from her own workday, and was amazed at how much energy and enthusiasm Kamien still had after coming back from the Coliseum and before having dinner. She wasn’t going anywhere without eating. Especially not the Coliseum. “Ember?” Felicity said, poking her head around the corner from the kitchen. “Is that you? I got dinner started.” “Oh, thank you,” Ember said. For an entomo-herbivore, Felicity was pretty good at making fried squirrel. She had also made bonebark-mold soup for herself, Kamien, and Belladonna, and nymph stir-fry for Starbloom. Over dinner, Kamien chattered excitedly about all the wood nymphs he had Contused into the forest floor that day. He asked Belladonna if she would come back to the Coliseum with him after they ate, so that he could show Ember what he could do. She said yes, she would be happy to come with them. “Can I have a piece of your squirrel?” Belladonna asked Ember. “Sure,” said Ember, handing her a thigh. “We’re both going to need all the energy we can get.” “That’s for sure.” *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Belladonna, Ember, and Kamien made the short walk back to the Coliseum together. Ember took a deep breath, then followed the others through the entryway. She shook her head and snarled, baring her teeth. She was a [i]Mirror,[/i] for Plaguemom’s sake, and anyway, everyone had a first time in the Coliseum [i]sometime.[/i] All she had to do was follow her friends’ lead, listen to what they said, and trust her own hunting instincts. That was it. Kamien ran off down the path, as eager as a hainu puppy, sniffing the air for enemies. He stopped abruptly, unfolded his wings, and fired off a ball of magical energy into a bush - from the inner surfaces of his wings, the same way as his mother did it. Belladonna was right behind him, coming in with her claws whirling to shred whatever Kamien had found. It turned out to be a torn, mangled Blooming Strangler. “Did you [i]see[/i] that, Auntie Ember?!” Kamien squealed. “Yes, I did!” Ember said. “That was great!” “Hold my seed pods and watch this!” Kamien scampered off, following the scent of the next opponent, his aunties staying close behind him. “Kamien!” Belladonna called out. “Don’t forget, you have to meditate!” “Oh, right.” Kamien stopped for a moment and focused, giving his aunties a chance to catch up. He continued leading the party down the path, and fired off another attack at the first Dryad he came across. “Wanna help out, Auntie Ember?” he said. “Sure,” said Ember. She moved in closer and tried to imitate the broad, sweeping, forceful scratches she saw Belladonna performing. She felt her paw connect - the blood she felt was more sticky and sap-like than she was used to, but it was still blood. Her confidence surged, and she dug in with her teeth as well as her claws. There really wasn’t anything quite like a good hunt - nothing else made her feel more alive. Ember claimed a green leaf from the defeated dryad and tucked it under her wing, with the seed pods from their last battle. “Well done,” Belladonna said. “Thanks,” Ember answered. “Let’s keep going.” “Yes, let’s!” Kamien agreed. A minute later, the three of them were working together to take down a Bamboo Phytocat. They seemed to be making progress - and then a bolt of leaves, vines, flowers, and the pure, living energy of nature came flying out of nowhere and hit Ember fully in the chest. The force of the impact knocked her onto her back, suddenly and forcefully enough to fracture wing bones. What the party had momentarily forgotten was that where there was a Bamboo Phytocats, there was usually a Greenroot Janustrap not far behind. [i]“EMBER!”[/i] Belladonna screamed. Slashing the throat of the unfortunate Phytocat, she turned in the direction the leaf bolt had come from and ran at it, shouting a nonsensical battle-cry. Kamien stayed with her, and the two of them unleashed all their fury and rage on the Janustrap. When they had torn it segment from segment, they ran to Ember’s side. “Auntie Ember…” Kamien said. “We’ll get you out of here…” “I think it’s too late for that,” Belladonna said. “It is,” said Ember. “Go on without me.” “No!” Kamien said. “I won’t leave you.” He was starting to cry now. “You were very brave…” Ember said weakly. “I’m very proud of you, Kamien. I love you.” The orange glow in her eyes dimmed and went out. ... [b][color=orange]In Memoriam[/color][/b] [columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/243680/24367959.png[/img] [nextcol] [b][color=orange]Ember[/color][/b] Hatched: June 8, 2016 Exalted: April 24, 2017 Means of Death: In honorable combat with a Greenroot Janustrap Ember was a true daughter of the Flamecaller, and her love of the ways of Fire and her desire to become a Coatl were the original inspiration behind the epic journey to the Ashfall Waste. She was passionate about everything she did and was brave to the very end, fighting like a Mirror. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24316563]Caspian[/url], who was hatched on the same day as she was, is the holder of her bio code. [/columns]

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 8[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 31 (May 4, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: June 19, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=titanium wrench] [/center] [i](continued from the previous scene)[/i] Kamien barely remembered the journey home that evening. He was dimly aware of a strange Guardian coming to their aid, carrying Ember’s body out of the Coliseum on his back. He wondered how the stranger could be helping them, but then remembered that he and Belladonna were working toward a common goal, and a maximum of three dragons could work toward the same goal within the Coliseum. Apparently, when the goal was to get a fallen comrade out of the battle zone, that comrade no longer counted as one of the three. Belladonna, Kamien, and the Guardian walked all the way back to Clan Ashfeather’s lair, reaching it at twilight. The Guardian deposited the body outside the entrance to their cave, then flew away without another word. Felicity came outside to meet them; she took one look at the scene and ran to embrace Belladonna, sobbing. Starbloom fluttered out to see what was happening, then landed on Felicity’s shoulder, wrapping her wings comfortingly around the Pearlcatcher’s and Bogsneak’s heads. After a moment, she flew over to Kamien and did the same to him, perching on the back of his neck. Beckoned over to the group by Felicity, Kamien drew closer to her, and all four of them joined in a group hug. The older dragons exchanged a few soft words, and the group hug split up. The two largest dragons started half-dragging, half-carrying Ember’s body out into the open, dusty Plagueland desert beyond their lair. “Come on, Kamien,” Starbloom said to her son. “Help me carry some logs.” In Clan Adeptica, Starbloom had learned the Arcane spell that granted the caster telekinesis, and she had taught it to her son as well. However, its power was proportionate to the caster’s magic reserves, which were proportionate to his or her physical size, so the two of them could still only lift the relatively small logs. They made a good start, though. Once Felicity and Belladonna had chosen a flat, clear spot and left Ember there, they started bringing larger logs from the clan woodpile to the place they had chosen. The four of them worked together to build a strong, stable pile out of the logs, and when they were finished, the two larger dragons carefully and respectfully laid Ember’s body on top of it. “Anyone have a Firestarter?” Felicity said. “I’ll go and get one,” Kamien said. He went back to their lair, retrieved the smoldering bauble, and brought it back to where the rest of his clan was gathered. “Ember was a true daughter of the Flamecaller,” Felicity said, “and as such, I know she would have wanted us to do this for her. May the Flamecaller and Plaguebringer look kindly upon what we are about to do here. We do this to honor our friend’s memory, and to honor the will and traditions of the deities.” “Ember was passionate about everything she did and was brave to the very end,” Belladonna added. “I believe she deserved to be a Coatl already. Flamecaller, please receive the spirit of your servant. And if you choose to grant her a new life, please let her be reborn as a Coatl.” “You speak the truth, Belladonna,” Kamien said solemnly. “I will miss you, Auntie Ember, and I’ll never forget you.” “None of us will,” said Starbloom. “Rest well, my friend. Your family will always honor your memory. Go ahead, Kamien.” Kamien touched the bulbs of the Firestarter to the bits of bark and dried maple leaves they had inserted between the logs. He held them there until the kindling caught, then stepped back and watched the flames grow. He and his family stood and watched the flames for a long time, Felicity curling up to add a new layer to her pearl. When she was finished and all their eyes had begun to grow heavy, they silently, sadly slipped into their lair to go to sleep.

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Art Post #3[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 36 (May 9, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: June 20, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=sharpened scythe] [/center] For my third art piece, I drew the funeral pyre I described in the story post above this post (before it was lit). [img]http://68.media.tumblr.com/30eb52cc5df50f1b9b694301daf7b1b6/tumblr_otp7t7n2kS1sp47bko3_1280.jpg[/img] Drawing has never been my strong suit, so I appreciate the way the Pinkerlocke rules challenge me to stretch myself and develop a new skill. This afternoon (6/19), I was surprised to discover that having this drawing completed, scanned, and ready to color gave me the same sense of contentment and satisfaction that I usually get after I've completed a piece of writing. I never knew I could enjoy drawing as much as I do writing. :)

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 9[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 35 (May 8, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: May 10, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=volt wiring] [/center] [i](Meanwhile, back at Clan Adeptica’s lair...)[/i] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=19969326]Luke[/url] sensed a disturbance in the Force. A familiar presence had unleashed a firestorm of anger into the already-scorched forest in the Arcane region’s coliseum. Making sure he had his sword with him, Luke flew off. He used the clan’s portal network as a shortcut to get to the mainland, then made the short flight from their old lair in the Starwood Strand to the coliseum. Sure enough, there was his clanmate, [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=26791449]Vader[/url], with whom he shared a mutual respect despite their opposing views on how best to use their shared gifts. The crystalline Imperial was tearing through jackalopes and steam gyres with his ornate, crimson-bejeweled sword at a truly terrifying pace, and his anger was even stronger and more palpable in the Force from close by. Luke waited until Vader had finished off his current wave of opponents before calling out to him. Vader turned, lowered his sword, and retreated beyond the edge of the battlegrounds so that they could talk. “Luke,” the Imperial acknowledged with a nod. “Have you come here to join me in training?” “Not today,” said the Wildclaw. “I came because I sensed your anger and pain. Is there anything I can do to help?” “Spoken like a true Jedi. No, there is not.” “What is it, though? What’s wrong?” “Ember has fallen.” Without hesitation, Luke stretched out with his own feelings to confirm that this was true. He hadn't been very close to the younger Mirror, but he had always admired her sense of adventure, and she had been part of the clan he stood guard over, after all. He looked back up at Vader. “I have to admit, I’m surprised it affected you this much.” “I had a premonition about her,” Vader explained. “I told her about it before she left. I do not understand why it did not come true. She died, but not by fire - not even by the claws of any of that beasts that live in the Volcanic Vents.” “The future is always in motion,” Luke said reassuringly. “Our powers do not promise us precise knowledge, only insight into where our choices may lead us.” Vader visibly relaxed, just slightly. “Indeed, that is true.” There was a contemplative silence. “We should tell the rest of the clan,” Luke said. “You do that,” answered Vader. “They won’t listen to me.” He sighed. “You have helped me feel more at peace with all this. Sometimes, I envy you Jedi that ability.” Vader began cleaning off his sword with a bronze cloth. Luke smiled. “Comes with the territory. Anytime.” He waited while Vader finished putting his sword away, so that they could return home together. When they arrived, Luke delivered the bad news to the rest of the clan. He and his fellow Jedi, along with Baystrider, Snowblossom, and all the clan’s other Skydancers, did their best to console and soothe the grief of those who needed consoling, especially Thundercloud and Flamestrike, who had raised Ember from an egg. Losing a child was one of the hardest trials for any dragon to endure, but at least they had many clanmates who could help them get through it.

[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 10[/b][/size] [size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 41 (May 14, 2017)[/b][/color][/size] [color=orange][b]Task completed on: June 20, 2017 Item of the Day:[/b][/color] [item=smoky quartz] [/center] Kamien opened his eyes the next morning and didn't want to get up. Ember's absence weighed down on him, making it hard to find the energy to move. Dimly, through the dark clouds filling his mind, he wondered if there was any point in leaving his burrow that day. He had no desire to go back to the coliseum anytime soon; anyway, there was no need to, since they had enough food in the lair from what they had earned at the marketplace. The marketplace... Fear lurched into Kamien's heart. What would the clan do without Ember to run the blacksmith's stall? They could always go back to gathering and hunting down enough food to feed themselves, like they had while they were on the road coming here. However, this was a populated area, so in order to do that, they would have to leave this place and go back on the road again sooner or later. And if they did, where would they go? They had all agreed to go with Ember to the Ashfall Waste. Was that still the plan? Kamien realized that that was a reason to get up - he didn't know. He would have to ask the others. Slowly, he forced himself to draw his paws in under him and stand up. He wondered if the others were feeling as lethargic as he was. He walked to each of their dens in turn, putting his eye up to the entrance to Starbloom's roost - she was still sound asleep, so he decided not to bother her - and then going to check on Belladonna and Felicity. The Pearlcatcher was already in the lair's small kitchen, halfheartedly rummaging through baskets and pots for plants. "Oh, good morning, Kamien," she said. "Are you here to help?" "Yeah, I guess." Kamien picked out some of the brightly-colored ladybugs that he knew were Starbloom's favorites, and arranged them in a circle on an iron platter. When the two were finished and their companions had not appeared, they decided to bring their creations to them. "Good morning, Belladonna," Felicity said to her. "I brought you some dried jerky." "Oh... thanks." Belladonna raised her head and gratefully accepted it. Kamien went back over to the tree-sap roost on the wall. "Mom? I brought you breakfast." "Hmm?" Starbloom stuck her head out. "Thank you, son." She emerged, stretching her wings slowly like a butterfly just emerging from a chrysalis, and flew down, landing on the edge of the dish. The four of them ate in silence for a few minutes, until Kamien voiced the question that was hanging over everyone's heads. "So what do we do now?" "About what?" Starbloom asked. "You know. The smithy... the journey. Everything." "The smithy was abandoned when we found it," said Starbloom. "It will have to wait for someone to come along and take up that occupation again." "We should at least go back and grab anything we want to keep with us when we go," said Felicity. "...We are going, right?" "I was wondering about that," said Kamien. "We got all... officially registered and everything. Will Plaguebringer be mad at us if we leave?" "Probably not," said Belladonna. "Dragons move from one realm to another all the time. Anyway, it'll take us a while before we get to any of Plague's borders, so we'll have plenty of time to sort it out. Assuming we are stil going, I mean." "I have heard no objection," Starbloom said. "Felicity and I were with Ember the whole time she was planning this journey. We still have the map we all made together. I believe we should continue. It would honor Ember's memory to do so, and I am in favor of the idea of seeing more of the world." "I agree," said Felicity. "We are going to see this journey through." "I hoped you would say that," said Belladonna. "Do we have to leave right away?" Kamien said. "I want to say goodbye to Linnaeus and thank him for what he did for us when we first got here." "Me, too," Belladonna agreed, "and I also want to thank the scroll-seller one last time. Why don't you come with me to the marketplace today? We can visit Linnaeus and the scroll-seller, and I can sneak some of those tools and ores out of the smithy." "Okay, I'll come with you." "I'll stay here and clean up the lair," Felicity said. "I want to leave it nicer than we found it. We'll leave whenever everyone agrees we're ready." "Thank you, Felicity," said Starbloom. "I will remain here as well." The small family finished their breakfast and headed off to face the day's tasks.