Creative Corner

[center][font=book antiqua][size=5]Campaigning[/size] Amoral stood before the council. It was his first time going to the underground since the beginning of the empire, so he was a bit nervous about that. He was also nervous, however, about the events of the day. Reiyn had nominated Amoral to become the emperor. They council all agreed there should be an emperor, but it sounded as though they weren't all on board with Amoral filling the role. Reiyn had warned amoral beforehand that Adonis would be a hard sell. Amoral knew the only reason why Adonis didn't like him was because of his cult, but that was hardly a good reason. Amoral, knowing that Adonis was the only dragon who needed to be convinced, prepared for a presentation targeting the god. Amoral rolled his shoulders back to relax himself. He turned slightly, so he could stare Adonis down in the eyes. He donned his usual kind and warm smile. "Let's get right business, shall we? We all know the reason I'm here. No, I don't mean campaigning before you to be emperor, I mean convincing our resident god that I would make a good emperor. You all know that I'm not much of a brag, so I had to ask Soya and Xenon for help on how to 'humble brag.' "From what I gather, many citizens refer to me as 'Saint Amoral.' This is due to all the community service I do for the empire. Since the empire was formed, I have been working to fix all the more rundown areas, since I'm not allowed in the wealthy districts right now. Well, I'm allowed, but not without an escort. Nevertheless, I am, and will continue to, make the whole empire a place of prosperity and happiness. No one needs to be left behind. Dragons shouldn't be denied happiness, education, or love based on their financial status." Amoral took a deep breath. "Now to address the mammophant in the room. Everyone knows I'm nice and friendly, but I don't think everyone believes that it runs to my core. So, I'd like to educate you on the practices of the Children of the Night. We, at our core, believe in the pursuit of knowledge, by any means necessary. As dragon living under the watch of the Lightweaver, I would think that we would have this in common. The stigma that comes with the cult is the need for sacrifice. Allow me to clarify to those of you who aren't familiar with the cult practices. Sacrifices are only to be made from weak things. This is usually animals and beastclans. We do sacrifice the occasional dragon, but only those who have tasted of this fruit of knowledge and scorn it nonetheless. We have no desire to harm those who worship the eleven, the shade, or any other deity. We also do not deny the existence of the eleven. To do that would be foolish and ignorant, which goes against everything we believe. We simply believe that the eleven do not give us as much knowledge as the Nightstalker does. "I hope that clears things up. I have, in addition, some proposals to ease Adonis' mind. My sacrifices are to be made only when I seek knowledge, so they aren't very frequent. That being said, when I make sacrifices, I will go out of my way to find creatures who are already on death's door. I will make sure they don't suffer when I kill them." Amoral nodded slowly, making sure he had covered everything he needed to. "I suppose that's all. I don't need to take up anymore of your time. So, Reiyn, if you'd please let me know when the vote has been decided. Thank you all for your time." With that, Amoral left the council chambers and returned to his home, awaiting the results. The council took a while to come to their decision. In the end, they unanimously voted to instate Amoral as the emperor of the Rose Woods Empire. They all agreed, however, that Soya would not be the empress. Amoral would reign supreme with the council to help and guide him in all that he did. [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/30359218][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/303593/30359218.png[/img][/url][/columns]

[center][font=book antiqua][size=5]Prophecy Fulfilled[/size] Hyun and Bertholdt walked along the shore of the Sunbeam Ruins. They had happened to meet on a ship circumnavigating the continent and bonded over a shared love of dragonkind. They had talked about both being shade possessed, although both were anxious to reveal their past to the other. They were both satisfied to know that the other was kind, helpful, and not entirely obliterated by their shade possession. They had both run out of money and were kicked off of the ship. It wasn't too bad for the pair though, they had heard of an empire in the Sunbeam Ruins that would take in anyone. Apparently, the emperor was a cultist and the empire was full of constructs, evil dragons, and all sorts of oddities. It was the perfect place for the pair of shade dragons. Bertholdt dug his talons into the sand. It was warm and beautiful. The sun warmed his fur. He had to resist the urge to roll in the sand and let the warmth fill his body. Hyun stood a little ways back, watching the gaoler. Bertholdt had insisted on going to the beach before going to the empire. As much as Hyun didn't want to admit, it was great. The gaoler, though reserved and quiet, was intelligent and level-headed. He was the perfect contrast to Hyun, who was rather emotional and tended to become irrational when things got rough. Eventually, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, Bertholdt and Hyun headed west, to the empire. It was hard to miss. Massive towering trees, surrounded by the shimmering of a magical barrier were the trademark of the empire. Once they landed, they could see the dragons swarming around. It looked lively and exciting. Small holes in the barrier acted as checkpoints to allow visitors in. The pair had already decided that Hyun would be the one to talk for the pair of them. They needed nothing more than to get a house and settle peacefully. They wanted no trouble, but they worried that the nature of their possession would bring unwanted attention. A large pink imperial with thick goggles stood at the checkpoint. She carefully interrogated each dragon who came by. Hyun swallowed back fear. Was she trying to keep shade dragons out? It seemed like she was letting everyone in, but he didn't know who they were. When Hyun and Bertholdt got to the front of the queue, the imperial stared at the pair. She laid down and rested her chin on her paws so she could more closely inspect the newcomers. She smiled kindly, hoping to ease their nervous minds. "Good evening! My name is Kisai! Might I inquire what you seek to do within the empire?" Hyun rapped his talons on the ground. "My friend and I," he gestured back to Bertholdt, "we want to settle here. We're just hoping to get a place to live and have some peace." Kisai nodded. "That is a reasonable goal. Do you or your companion happen to be possessed by the shade?" Bertholdt tensed up immediately. He looked down at the ground. This was exactly what the pair was hoping wouldn't happen. Kisai tilted her head slightly, watching their reactions. "Don't worry, young ones. You'll be safe here, I just need to know." The pair remained nervous. Lying was easy, she could be lying. They could lie as well. It wouldn't be too hard. Kisai sighed. She lifted her white goggles to reveal milky eyes. She fixated her eyes on them and stared. After a moment of uncomfortable staring from the imperial, she put her goggles back down and rose to her full height. She raised her talon and a large, colorful bird landed. She whispered something to it before it flew away. She smiled once more. "Head on in. Please make your way to the palace. Don't try to run; you will be found." Hyun nodded quickly and pulled Bertholdt along with him into the empire. The air inside the woods was substantially colder than the outside. Although full of lively dragons, it was dense and cold and a bit intimidating. Hyun and Bertholdt made their way to the palace. On the way there, they passed some very strange dragons. They saw an imperial who had replaced the top half of her head with a metal mask as well as an imperial the size of a pearlcatcher. There were so many odd characters in the empire. They pushed open the palace doors and waited awkwardly. A large green imperial dressed in fine golden jewelry accompanied by a red imperial with lightning arcing all over her scales greeted them. He looked down at the pair with a bit of trepidation. "Hello. I am Adonis. You must be the shade dragons Kisai warned me about. This is my bodyguard, Andromeda. If you take a step out of line, she will kill you." Andromeda smiled and gave the pair a thumbs up at Adonis' words. "Follow me," he said. Adonis guided the pair up some stairs and into a conference room. Already in the room was a black and blue imperial, a red and black guardian, and a black and green pearlcatcher. Adonis' bodyguard took her post in a corner while Adonis took a seat at the table. He gestured for Hyun and Bertholdt to take a seat. They did, a bit nervously. They were seated on either side of the pearlcatcher. Without warning, the pearlcatcher grabbed their talons. Her heterochromatic eyes glowed for a moment before she pulled away. She smiled and nodded towards the black imperial. She got up from the table and left. A large smile cracked the black and blue imperial's face. He truly looked deeply pleased. "Hello! It's so good to meet you two! My name is Amoral. I'm the emperor of the Rose Woods Empire. I'm sure you'd love to know why we took a particular interest in you." He tapped his talon on the table, thinking. "I don't think I'll tell you! Let me just tell you this, if you need anything, you may come here and talk to a council member or find me at my home. Oh, and we know you're shade possessed, but don't worry! My wife is shade possessed as well. Although, I'm sure you're much less violent and destructive!" He laughed, someone finding humor in his strange wife. "Anyways, you will be put on our watchlist, because you're shade possessed, but we still love you and want the best for you!" Hyun and Bertholdt were a bit taken aback by all that was happening. They were being told to get whatever they wanted from the leaders of the empire, but they were also on the watchlist. They wondered if all citizens had been extended the same curtesy. They also had no clue why the pearlcatcher was there or what she had done to them. It was all a bit concerning, but there really weren't many other places that would willingly take in shade dragons. They left the palace feeling a bit overwhelmed, but still welcome. The pair ended up building a house in the trees, deep within the woods. Very few dragons knew where they lived, which made them feel safe. Despite the other shade dragons living in peace, the pair felt anxious. Bertholdt especially worried that someone would try to strike him down for his past crimes. They did all they could to help others and were constantly surrounded by important dragons. It was as though they were worried the shade dragons might snap and hurt someone. It was worrisome at first, but the pair eventually learned to ignore it and began their wonderful life in the empire. [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/66643229][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/666433/66643229.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/66663391][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/666634/66663391.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/35332761][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/353328/35332761.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/62640011][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/626401/62640011.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/63207230][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/632073/63207230.png[/img][/url][/columns] [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/30359218][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/303593/30359218.png[/img][/url][/columns]

I'll keep reading through this soon but it's really good so far!

[center][font=book antiqua][size=5]The Nest of Thieves[/size] Victoria stared at Fret's sleeping form. As much as she hated to admit it, she was growing rather fond of him. He flirted with her a lot, but he wasn't a jerk about it. He was always respectful to her and never crossed the boundaries she set. He was also a surprisingly good thief. Despite being put of the watchlist, he still managed to help Victoria steal a lot of treasure from the richer dragons in the empire. He could be a bit dense at times, but she could always tell that he cared deeply for her. Victoria stood up from the sleeping mat and crossed the room of their small home. They had been living together for a while, but it had always been strictly platonic, despite what the pair felt for each other. No. Victoria stopped halfway to Fret's mat. She didn't feel something for him. She was being ridiculous. She just liked him because he was a better musician than her. She looked up to him. That had to be it. But it wasn't. Victoria knew it wasn't. As she looked at Fret, curled around his pearl, his body lightly rising and falling from his breath, she couldn't deny it. Without the guise of his silks and fine jewelry, he was just a sweet, respectful, kind dragon. One who she loved very much. Fret rolled in his sleep, accidentally kicking his pearl away and looking very much like a cat. Victoria quietly picked his pearl back up and tucked it against his side. The light jostle caused the golden male to wake up. He blinked groggily at Victoria, trying to force his eyes to adjust. He smiled and laughed, not his usual flirty laugh, but a genuine, just-woke-up, voice. It was high pitched and childlike and it made Victoria's heart clench. "Hey, don't try to steal my pearl, Vic. That's mine." He speech was a bit slurred by sleepiness. Victoria sighed, finally giving into her emotions. She placed her own pearl next to Fret as well and settled in next to him, keeping both pearls safe. Fret blinked a few times and stared in disbelief at Victoria. She spoke before he could say anything. "Shut up. Don't make this weird, okay? We're still partners in crime, but maybe we could also be partners in... in a relationship? Or something? Don't make a big deal about it. We already live together so it's just the next logical step in our relationship." A lazy smile slid onto Fret's face. Without saying a word, he pulled Victoria as close as he could and draped a wing over her. He fell asleep quickly and Victoria, despite her claim that it was just logical, couldn't help but enjoy the warmth of the dragon next to her. She nuzzled her snout into his neck and breathed in his earthen and honey smell. She could live in that smell. She drifted off to sleep shortly after Fret. A few days later, Victoria began to show the signs of preparing to lay eggs. The pair had to take a break from thieving so Victoria could rest and relax. Finally, she laid three beautifully bright light eggs. It was the beginning of their family. Fret was ecstatic to be a father and Victoria was happy to finally have a mate she loved. [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/45283729][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/452838/45283729.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/45319755][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/453198/45319755.png[/img][/url][/columns]

[center][font=book antiqua][size=5]Deals[/size] A light knock sounded from the door of Adonis' office. He was busy looking over the watchlist for the empire. Adonis didn't seem to notice the knock at the door, so Andromeda opened it. A large ridgeback covered from head to toe in plants and flowers stood before Andromeda. Adonis lifted his head to see the ridgeback. "Andromeda, if you'd please wait outside. I have private business with Molliscopiosa." Andromeda nodded and left to stand outside the office door. Molliscopiosa closed the door behind her and took a seat across from Adonis at the desk. Adonis slid the watchlist across the desk to her. "This is what I've called you here for Molliscopiosa." "Please, call me Molli." "Very well, Molli." Adonis jabbed a talon at the list. "These are the watchlist dragons. As a fellow child of the gods, I'm sure this is upsetting to you. These dragons have committed crimes and continue to do so. As per the request of Amoral, we are to take in any dragon, no matter their past, and I agree with that, but these dragons are criminals. A bad past is not something to be cast out for, but a bad present is. For this reason, I believe that we, as gods, should attempt to remove dragons from this list." Molli quirked her brow at the proposition. "Surely you don't mean killing them, so what do you suggest?" "Deals. Most of these dragons are tormented by their past or even by gods, so I believe if we offer protection in return for discontinuation of their crimes, we will be able to get most, if not all, of these dragons off of the watchlist." "That sounds like a wonderful plan. I suppose we'll have to visit them each individually then?" Adonis nodded. "Exactly. We will be leaving the shade dragons for last as well as Hypnotized and Finedel. The last two spend most of their time holed up in their homes, so we can find them at night. The others, I believe daylight will be best for finding them." The first dragons the pair of gods went after was Lobelia and Snake. Molli and Adonis agreed that assassins were useful to have within the empire, but them killing citizens of the empire was not ideal. The mini god and demi god were able to find the dragons in their home. It was the spiral who opened the door, Lobelia. She seemed surprised but let the large dragons into her home nevertheless. Snake sat at the table, eating her breakfast. Her mask sat on the table, allowing the angry scars on her face to be seen. She looked at the pair and glared before quickly pulling her mask onto her face. "Why are there strangers in my home, Lo?" The spiral looked shocked. "These are gods! Come on, Snake, be nice." Lobelia pouted. Snake sighed. "Fine. What do you want?" Molli smiled. "We're here to offer you a deal. You are on the watchlist and I can't imagine that's very fun. Especially given your line of work. We've noticed, however, that you have continued to kill citizens of the empire. As protectors of life, this is very upsetting to us." "Get on with it. What's the deal?" Snake snapped. Molli shuffled awkwardly, she didn't expect to feel so intimidated by a tundra. "Right. We can get you off the watchlist and you don't even have to stop working as assassins. We will hire you as assassins of the empire. Due to the nature of our empire, we have enemies who seek to destroy us. You can kill them as brutally as you'd like and you'll get off the watchlist. All you have to do is stop killing dragons in the empire. What do you say?" "I think it sounds great!" Lobelia said almost immediately, with no thought to it. Snake seemed a little more skeptical. "This sounds too good to be true. Why would you hire us? Why do you care?" Adonis had to keep himself from snapping at the tundra. "We are gods of this land and we want the best for our dragons. Do you accept the deal or not?" Tense silence fell over the group. Lobelia bounced, waiting for her wife to accept the deal. Finally, Snake sighed. She nodded. "Very well. We'll fill out whatever paperwork is needed. I guess it'll be good to get out of these woods every once in a while." Molli clapped her hands together. "Wonderful! Enjoy the rest of your day!" She herded Adonis out and back into the street. Onwards to the next target. Arachnid was the next on their list. She was still living in the old gang headquarters. She had a violent temper and wasn't afraid to punish dragons who angered her or got in her way. The gods landed in the main room. Arachnid was practicing her magic against straw dummies lined up on the wall. Arachnid barely looked up as the pair landed. "Tell me what you want," she demanded. "Ah, Arachnid," Molli replied jovially. "Don't treat me like you're my friend. Tell me what you want." Now angered, the pearlcatcher turned around to stare down the gods, as though they were any normal street thug. The pair had expected nothing less of the mage. This was better for Adonis to handle. His calm and cold nature would be a good match for Arachnid. "You're not a particularly talented mage, are you?" Arachnid snarled, her eyes going wide. "I'm excellent! What are you trying to get at?" Adonis waved away her anger. "I have ties to some excellent dragons who could train you to be even better. You could be the strongest mage around. All you have to do is stop using your magic on citizens of the empire. Is that reasonable to you?" Arachnid frowned. "Who am I supposed to practice on then?" Adonis shrugged. "You could always go with Reiyn and Jinju to train in the mire or even Mei and Ekane, their personalities are probably more to your liking." Arachnid contemplated it for a moment. "That is reasonable. I suppose. I accept your offer. Have the trainer here today and I'll try to control me temper. Goodbye." She turned back to her training dummies. The gods found Dove and Mei together. Mei was teaching the skydancer how to fight better. Dove was on the list for her violence against other skydancers. She was known for lashing out against other skydancers brutally and viciously. Mei was on the list for suspicious activity. The books she ordered were on odd topics. Research like that, while not forbidden, was not safe either. Given Mei's background of aggression and violence, the council could not ignore it. Dove frowned at the sight of the gods. Mei looked uncomfortable as well. Neither dragon was particularly fond of social interactions. Molli smiled warmly at the pair. "Hello. Would you two like to be off the watchlist?" Dove scoffed. "Obviously." "Great! All you have to do, Dove, is stop attacking skydancers and all you have to do, Mei, is tell us why you keep ordering such strange books for the library. You can do that, right?" Mei nodded easily. "I only order books by request. Most of the requests come from Hypno. She has an insatiable desire for knowledge on all subjects. I also get requests from Amoral. There are also the odd requests from other citizens." Mei furrowed her brow. "You're telling me that I wouldn't be on the watchlist if you would've asked me about the orders?" Adonis looked away awkwardly. "Yes. We're very sorry about that. Please, forgive us." "It's of little matter. The issue is resolved." Mei prodded Dove. "Now, stop being so prejudiced." Dove frowned. "I can't change how my mind works. They all remind me of my horrible family who abandoned me. It's not my fault." "Dove, those skydancers were never your family. Your family is Perceval and Reiyn. Not the ones who abandoned you." "I know that!" Dove yelled. "I just can't help how I feel." Adonis thought for a moment. "Perhaps we could get you in to see Sekhmet. I'm sure she would be able to help you through all this. If not to stop hating other skydancers, but to stop lashing out. We only wish the best for you." Dove sighed and nodded. "That's reasonable. I will start having therapy sessions with Sekhmet if you take me off the list." Molli nodded. "Of course. That's wonderful. We will get you two off the list right away." Achilles was a bit trickier. She was punished for her crimes by the Icewarden. Her scales were cold and she was slowly turning to ice. She was a criminal in all aspects of the word. She stole and killed and everything else. Icewarden only cursed her because he knew she wouldn't stop. After some investigating, Adonis had learned that the curse would stop if Achilles vowed and followed through with being morally clean and good. Of course, if the pair told her that, it wouldn't be good, because she wouldn't have done it of her own accord. Achilles was at her home. Strangely enough, her wife was gone. The alien was supposedly off looking at new plants. Achilles was bundled up in furs and thick hides. She looked like she was about to climb mountains. She opened the door before rushing back to her bed and pulling herself under a pile of blankets. She shivered still. "Are you alright?" Molli inquired. "Is your curse getting worse?" Achilles nodded. "I can't keep warm and without warmth, I'll be consumed by this curse." Molli pulled up a chair next to the bed. "Can I ask about your curse?" Achilles nodded. "Why were you cursed?" "It was because of my crimes. Thieving and murdering caused me to be like this." "And yet, you continue to do these things?" Achilles shrugged. "I'm cursed anyways. I might as well do it." Molli tapped her large talons on the ground loudly. "I suppose. Well if that's all. Goodbye." Adonis was about to protest when Achilles shot out from under the blankets. "Hey wait!" She shivered violently. "What do you know? Do you know something about my curse?" Molli shrugged. "You were cursed for committing crimes and you keep doing it. I'm not one of the eleven, but even I know that's foolish." "Hey! I'm not stupid!" Molli shrugged once more, offering no more words. "I'm not stupid! But..." She thought for a second. "Maybe if I try to be a better dragon then my curse won't be so bad? Yeah. That sounds good. Pommie is always bothering me about being better and starting a garden with her. Maybe I'll do that." Achilles continued rambling to herself. Talking about training to be a warrior and gardening with her wife. Adonis and Molli left, assured that the ridgeback would be better. Victoria and Fret were found at the nesting grounds. They were quietly playing music for their unhatched children. The three eggs were luminous and beautiful. Faint shapes of dragons could be seen moving within. They would probably hatch within the week. Both gods could feel the love and life from radiating from the eggs and the parents. Adonis carefully approached the nest. He gently picked up the pearlcatcher sized egg and held it to his chest. The unhatched child reacted to the presence of a god. It moved to press itself against Adonis', trying furiously to feel the light through the eggshell. He continued to hold the egg, enjoying the feeling of it. "Your eggs are very healthy. I suspect you will have three beautiful children. What do you plan to do with them?" Fret smiled lovingly at the eggs. "We raise them and teach them the best we can before they go off on their own. We hope one of more will stay with us, but we'd just be happy to know that they're doing what they love, even if that is fighting for dominance." "You're going to be great parents. I think I can help you to be better though. I'd like to offer both of you positions in the emperor's court. We are currently working towards getting more allies which means plenty of banquets. If you two would be the court musicians, we would pay you handsomely. You would have to stop stealing though." Victoria agreed easily. "I want the best for our children. That sounds like a good deal. We will no longer steal from citizens of the empire." A small smile quirked Molli's lips. "Very well, enjoy stealing from other clans, just never our allies, okay?" The pair nodded. "Well, let's be off. Come on, Adonis." Adonis stared down at the egg. It was so warm and beautiful. Tears pricked the god's eyes. He set the egg back in the nest and turned around swiftly, not allowed anyone to see his emotion. Kismet was on the list for her use of telepathy against other dragons. Using it with permission was one thing, but Kismet didn't like talking to other dragons. She reasoned if she could read minds, she had no reason to actually speak to them. She also was known to change memories of dragons who angered her. What Kismet needed was tough love. Adonis pushed open the door to Kismet's home. "Stay out of my mind, telepath." Kismet frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you want?" "Are you not a follower of the Lightweaver? You even cover those red eyes of yours. What are you ashamed of?" Kismet untied her covering to show her brilliantly red eyes. "The Plaguebringer is worthless. She brought nothing but ruin to us. These eyes are not something to be proud of." Adonis nodded. "Anyways, Lightweaver believes in truth and goodness. Can you really emulate her desire if you so ruthlessly tear apart other dragons? Would she be proud of you? I could ask her actually. We could really get an answer then. What do you think she would say?" Kismet looked towards the ground. She kept her moth shut. She fastened the cover back over her eyes, obscuring her red eyes. "She wouldn't be happy. I just want to make her happy if only to spite Plaguebringer. I will do better. My talents will only be put to use against enemies of the empire." Kismet bowed low before the god. "I apologize for my foolishness." "All is well. Enjoy your day, Kismet." Tulips was the last on the list before the five they had reserved for last. She was found in the tavern, enjoying a drink. She was on the list for so, so, so much. She constantly tried to bring undead creatures through the empire, she tried to kill everyone once, reports said she was trying to turn the palace into a bomb, she tried to sneak into the caves to wake the emperor. She loved chaos and did all she could to let it run rampant through the empire. She greeted the gods before they could greet her. "Good morrow dearest gods. Although, you are not gods. What are gods but regular dragons who have become untouchable? I could be a god. Ah what a notion that is." "Tulips. Good to see you. I'll get down to it. You need to stop trying to destroy the empire." Adonis sat down across the table from her as he spoke. "Destruction is inevitable. One day, we will all die. All our tiny little lives with fade away from existence. We will be just as forgotten as a candle blown out in the wind." "That's not the point. We are talking about the future." "Isn't it all relative though? There are infinite paths the future can take. Wouldn't it be so interesting to find the different paths that we may take? Life is but a series of paths and decisions. To prevent me from following my path may very well damn your own." Adonis' head was spinning with Tulips' words. She never said anything straight. It was hard to keep up with her, even as such a brilliant scholar. "Are you saying that you're actually doing everything to keep us safe?" "Safety is a fickle thing, yes? I feel safe amongst criminals and undead, but you feel safe amongst books. You cannot expect to make everyone feel safe. However, if you truly care for the citizens of the empire, it would be prudent for you to remove me from that list of yours." "That sounds like a threat, Tulips." "You never know what a path holds until you walk it." The imperials stared at each other, locked in their war of words. Adonis tried to make heads or tails of Tulips' words. She was so enigmatic. He sighed. "Very well. You are free. Don't cause any trouble." The pair next visited the shade dragons. It was rather unproductive. Soya turned them away at the door and when they attempted to talk to her, she threatened to kill them. Not wanting to mess with her, they left. Both Hyun and Bertholdt refused to give up their power as well. They argued that their abilities made them better suited to help others and protect others. Given Fate's prophecy about them, the gods didn't want to mess with them lest they cause the ruin of the empire. Hypnotized voluntarily went under house arrest. She said so long as she could have her test subjects brought to her home, it wouldn't matter. She was never going to stop being a necromancer and they shouldn't bother her about it anymore. Finedel was the last dragon on the list. No one was really sure what was up with him, but he was so adamant that he was a bad dragon that everyone else believed it as well. He spent all of his time holed up in the library. Adonis decided he would bless the poor dragon using his grandmother's power. If he were blessed, he would be happier. Adonis saw Finedel without Molli. It was something he had to do alone. Finedel shied away from Adonis. The pearlcatcher pulled his dark clothing around himself tighter. "Stay away from me. I don't want you to get hurt." "There's no evidence that you're cursed and I'll prove it to you." Adonis strode across the library to Fin. "No. Anything you do will backfire. I'm hated by the gods. I'm an abomination. Please, just leave me be or throw me in jail. I don't belong with these good dragons. Please." Adonis shook his head. He concentrated and his eyes began to glow. He prepared to bestow his blessing upon the young dragon. As Adonis' magic talon touched Fin's forward, the pearlcatcher lurched forward and let out a scream. Clear as day, Adonis heard the voice of the Lightweaver in his mind. [i]Do not bless this accursed dragon. He is the way he is for a reason. If given a blessing he will cause trouble. Nothing you do for him will be worth it.[/i] Adonis growled. [i]No. All dragons deserve some goodness and peace. I will not let this dragon be abandoned. Even if the eleven have abandoned him, I will not.[/i] [i]Adonis! Stop it! This dragon is not worth your time. Leave him be and he will die a sad and alone little dragon. If you bless him, it will only get worse.[/i] Adonis shrugged off his grandmother's warnings and pressed the blessing into his scales. Fin screamed louder and eventually slumped onto the ground, heaving his breaths. He removed his bone mask and stared up at Adonis. "What have you done to me?" [i]You fool![/i] Lightweaver raged. Before Adonis' eyes, Finedel's eyes turned pitch black. He writhed on the ground before falling unconscious. Adonis ran out of the library in search of anyone who could help. Maybe Hypnotized in her odd ways would know? Or perhaps the alchemist Amoral? He needed help. He messed up and he needed help. [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/62640011][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/626401/62640011.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/63207230][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/632073/63207230.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/44394377][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/443944/44394377.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/41797287][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/417973/41797287.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/42090856][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/420909/42090856.png[/img][/url][/columns] [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/46090898][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/460909/46090898.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/30567572][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/305676/30567572.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/31453616][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/314537/31453616.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/38671380][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/386714/38671380.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/45283729][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/452838/45283729.png[/img][/url][/columns] [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/45319755][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/453198/45319755.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/34383216][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/343833/34383216.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/31036455][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/310365/31036455.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/30529793][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/305298/30529793.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/66643229][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/666433/66643229.png[/img][/url][/columns] [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/66663391][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/666634/66663391.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/39231188][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/392312/39231188.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61782653][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/617827/61782653.png[/img][/url][/columns]

[center][font=book antiqua][size=5]True Nature[/size] Fin's eyes snapped open. How long had he been unconscious? So many thoughts were swirling in his mind. His cheek was glued to the cold tile floor of the library. Adonis had been there. That god had done it. He knew it. He told everyone he was cursed and they didn't believe him. Of course they didn't. They never trusted him. They never loved him. They didn't care. Why would they? He was the disgraced child of a noble family. Fin rolled onto his stomach and pressed his snout against the floor. The cool tiles helped to soothe his frantic mind. What was happening to him? It felt like something was trying to burst out of his chest. What was this pain? Where was it coming from? What was happening? What was happening? Fin dug his talons into his head. Blood dripped down his talons. The pain. It helped. It gave him something to focus on. It was easier to focus on the pain than everything happening in his mind. Something pounded on the inside of his chest. There was something that wanted to get free. He had to help it. He had to help it. Fin pushed up from the tile. He threw off his mantle and tore open his shirt. It was pulsating and moving. What was that? What did Adonis do? Fin pulled off his glove. The glove that covered his only real limb. Curse Sangue, that horrible imperial. He pressed a talon against his sternum. He hesitated. Maybe it was all in his head, but when was it ever in his head? He told them he was cursed and he was right. He was right. He was right. He was always right. It was their fault that he was so miserable. No. It was his own fault. He deserved it. He deserved to be cursed. It was no one's fault but his own. Everyone was so good and he was a monster. Fin took a deep breath. He pressed his talon into his skin. Oh gods. Oh gods. His blood was black. That wasn't right. There was nothing right about this. This was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Wait. No. No. No, no, no. This wasn't blood. He could feel it moving underneath his skin. It slid out from his wound and wrapped itself around Fin's arm. Blood now flowed out of the wound on his chest. What was it? Was it the curse? It leapt off of Fin's arm and wrapped around his neck. It slithered around until it was at his head. Fin was frozen in fear. It wrapped around his snout. Slowly, it filled his nose and mouth. Without thinking, he tried to grab at it and pull it off. It was suffocating him. It was killing him. This was wrong. What was it doing to him? Fin didn't want to die. He couldn't. He furiously pulled at it. The moment his talons sunk into it, black liquid wrapped around his hands and spread down his arms. Fin fell over onto his side, choking on the curse. It invaded his body. He felt it covering him from the inside out. Then, it went still. Fin's vision began to blur just as he heard the doors to the library open. They had come to help him, but it was much too late. Fin had changed. Quae's med hut was comfortable. Fin awoke laying on a large cot. Concerned dragons stood over him. Why were they so concerned? Fin felt better than ever. He felt free and open. He felt like he could have anything he wanted. Nothing could stop him. He looked down at his wound. An angry black scar covered his chest. he pushed off of the bed and shoved past the dragons around him. Fin felt like he never had before. He was confident, suave, and excited. It was his life, he could do anything he wanted. He could do anything, get any woman he wanted, kill anyone he wanted. Everyone was at his mercy. They were utterly powerless against him. They were nothing. Fin strode through the streets with his newfound confidence. Dragons shied away from him, but that didn't matter. The weak were right to fear the strong. He could crush them if he wanted. A terrible laughter rose up from his throat. Fin was a new dragon. It was time to take this strength for a ride. [i]You're welcome.[/i] [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61782653][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/617827/61782653.png[/img][/url][/columns]

[center][font=book antiqua][size=5]Lightweaver's University[/size] Plato sat at the conference table, idly flipping through some papers. Only a few minutes until the staff meeting. Things were going surprisingly well. Their odd and open scheduling for classes made things very easy and convenient for students. The university was a year round school. Students could apply for any class, any semester. There was no minimum credit requirement and they tried to keep tuition low. Plato checked the clock again. It really wasn't good etiquette to show up late to the only required staff meeting. It wasn't that big of a deal and Plato knew for a fact there were no classes running. Plato sighed and stood up from the table. What could be so important that not a single of the others had bothered to show up? He flew down the stairwell and pushed open the front doors. The woods were certainly very close to the university now. They had an odd air to them as well. It was as though the denizens of the woods were concentrated evil. Not evil, rather chaos. Not that he didn't also live in the woods, but he certainly wasn't as beastly as some of the other citizens. Distantly, farther north, Plato could hear some yelling. The university resided on the eastern side of the woods, closer to Luminax. They were parading around, seeming to have a good time. That wasn't the problem though. Plato flew closer to the yelling and found his teachers, having some sort of argument with a dragon he didn't recognize. Carnage was really the only one yelling. She really was like an animal. Wait a moment. Plato did recognize that strange dragon. It was Fin, the son of the ambassadors, but his eyes were black. There was something else too. His scale had tipped. He was now entirely on the selfish side of the scale. How odd. Plato was curious to learn more. As he landed, he could hear Carnage more clearly. "If you flirt with me one more time, I'm going to tear off all of your scales and-" Carnage's yelling was cut off by Siantha. "Now now, Carnage. You don't have to be so rude." "He deserves it! This little punk storms onto our campus, destroys some buildings and then has the gall to flirt with me? I am a blessed child of the Plaguebringer! I'm not some toy for a kid." Carnage bared her fangs, her many, pulsating eyes glimmering in the light. Plato looked around for the supposed damage, but found none. He supposed Aliko had skillfully taken care of it already. She really was incredible. Everyone seemed to be ruffled by the strange newcomer. Even the sweet and kind Natalem was on edge. Siantha, despite her kind words, was also notably uneasy. Plato knew the overseer definitely had an issue with Fin's change. Plato tactfully stood between Fin and his staff. "Fin, why don't you come to my office and we can fix this, yes?" Fin nodded and followed Plato to his office. Plato could hear his staff grumbling as he flew away. They landed on the balcony of his office. Plato unlocked the door and allowed Fin to enter first. He really wasn't sure what he was to do with the kid. He just knew he had to keep Carnage from literally tearing him limb from limb. "Fin, right?" Plato began as he sat in his plush desk chair. Fin nodded, surveying the room. "Why would you damage my campus and insult my teachers?" Fin shrugged. "I wanted to. Why shouldn't I do things I want to?" He sauntered over to Plato's desk and smiled charmingly. "I can think of a few other things I want to do." Plato stared at Fin over the top of his glasses. "What would your parents think?" Fin rolled his eyes. "Who cares? They're the ones who sent me away and got me cursed. I lost three of my limbs because of them." "That was Sangue." "Still, it's their fault. Plus, I'm an adult and more powerful than everyone. I can do as I please. I could use my power on you to get rid of all your agency. I could make you my puppet." "Then why don't you?" Plato raised his eyebrow as Fin's scale tipped slightly more to the selfless side. Fin stumbled over his words a bit. "Because I'm not a jerk. I would never make someone do something they don't want to. Well, I mean..." Fin shook his head and glared at Plato. "Stop that. I'll do what I want, I don't need to justify myself to you." "Quite the attitude change. From flirting with me to glaring at me. Do you really know what you want, Fin?" Fin's mouth twitched, showing off his fangs. He took a deep breath and stared down Plato. "I know exactly what I want. I think you want it too. Am I correct?" What a strange dragon. Plato couldn't really make heads or tails of Fin anymore. His mood changed on a dime, but at least he still had a goal. Plato wondered if he could somehow harness all that power for good. Maybe if he made Fin think things were his own ideas, he would happily do whatever Plato wanted. Plato took off his glasses and set them on his desk. "Well, I do believe that no dragon is too far gone to be loved. So, if you allow me to, I will do my best to show you the love you deserve." Fin's mouth fell open. "What?" "Is something confusing?" "The love I deserve?" "Yes. The love you deserve. Come, let me show you." Plato ran his talons through Fin's mane. The younger dragon was sleeping. His fake limbs were laying on the floor, next to the bed. He really did look so sad in his sleep. Plato felt a little bad, but he needed to play the puppetmaster. Hopefully, he would also be able to teach Fin selflessness, love, and compassion. Power did not mean he could walk all over everyone. [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/51779578][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/517796/51779578.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/62147371][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/621474/62147371.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/64446582][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/644466/64446582.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61782653][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/617827/61782653.png[/img][/url][/columns]

[center][font=book antiqua][size=5]The Three Musketeers[/size] Ezra's heart hurt. The pain in his chest couldn't be healed. It hurt. Everything hurt. His mentor, his father, and his best friend was dead and there was nothing he could do about. He was a coward. He was a coward who ran from the problem. He ran from the town that loved him and the dragons who adored him. He was a coward, but at least he had a purpose. The woods had such a strange concentration of magic. Surely, Ezra would find some dragons to begin to heal with. Even if he was never the same, he wanted to feel better. Ezra figured the tavern might be a good place to find magical dragons. Tower jingled as she flew over the woods. Her many jewels and gems glittered in the beautiful light of the Sunbeam Ruins. This place looked so fun to her. There were so many interesting dragons. Some of them seemed just as chaotic as her. From what she had heard in passing about the woods, things were constantly changing and evolving. Dragons were always leaving and arriving. The empire was plenty big enough for there to be dragons for her to play with and mess with. Oh, the empire would be so fun and exciting. Tower knew she would be staying for a while. In fact, she would be starting with the most fun place, the tavern. Fin woke up to the familiar smell of pine trees and spices. He was at Plato's home, in the skydancer's bed, but he was alone. It seemed as though the professor had already left for work. Fin rolled over onto his stomach and took a deep breath. The bed smelled so much like his lover. It was wonderful. He really needed to start his day though. It was already midday. With a flick of his wrist, Fin lifted his prosthetic limbs and strapped them onto his stumps. He pulled on his clothes and headed to his usual midday hangout, the tavern. The tavern was rowdier than usual when Fin arrived. He wasn't sure why until he saw a strangely small spiral looping through the air. She was laughing like a maniac and using her magic to do all sorts of strange things. She had opened multiple tiny portals and she was flying through them, giving the effect that her body was cut into tiny pieces. Staring at the spiral like she was a god was an orange pearlcatcher that smelled strongly of dirt and dust. They were such interesting characters. Fin sat down at a table and instructed a barmaid to tell the spiral and pearlcatcher to join him. The tavern quieted down the moment the spiral received the message. She quickly sped to the table, followed closely behind by the pearlcatcher. The spiral looked like a child still; she definitely wasn't full grown yet. She curled her tail around her body and stared up at the two men. "It is your absolute pleasure to meet me! My name is Tower. You may know me as Grand Mage Tower, Queen Tower, Omen Tower, or Agent of Chaos Tower. I have many titles you see." Tower smiled cheekily. Fin tilted his head at Tower. How could such a young dragon hold so many titles? "I'm Fin. I'm the most notorious criminal in the empire. I also hold a modicum of power over the university nearby. I am also a very powerful mage. I suppose we have that in common." "Oooh! How do you have power over the university? Do you have a hostage? Did you kill someone? Oh! Oh! Wait, I've got it! You are the headmaster, secretly." Tower was bouncing with energy. "Uh. No. The headmaster is my lover. He's very loyal and I think he would do anything for me." Fin flushed a bit, thinking about the time he spent with the starry skydancer. He cleared his throat and looked at the orange pearlcatcher. "Anyways, who are you?" "Ezra." The dragon replied flatly. Fin blinked a few times. "Anything else?" Ezra shook his head. "Right." Fin stared for a moment before addressing both of the dragons before him. "I think we could make a great team. You, Tower, are almost as powerful as I. I think we would make a great couple, platonically of course. And you, Ezra, are obviously so incredibly amazed by magic. You would make great moral support for us." Ezra crinkled his nose. He unbuckled his sword from his side and slammed it onto the table. He shoved it towards Fin. "Oh! Does pretty, pretty Ezra know how to use swords? You can be like our paladin or something! I like having friends! You guys don't seem boring or stagnant. I think you could definitely help me cause some chaos and bring about change!" Tower wrapped her tiny talons around the hilt of Ezra's sword and tried to lift it, to no avail. "I could also use some friends who are big dragons. I am, rather small, as you can tell." Fin clapped his talons together. "Perfect! Then we can be a team! This empire needs to learn that those big dragons on the council can't call all the shots! They need to see that the younger generation of dragons has power too!" "Yay! Power!" Tower pushed off the table and flew in figure eights in the air. Ezra looked on, bemused. They would be a great team! Probably. [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/65089263][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/650893/65089263.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/68824269][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/688243/68824269.png[/img][/url][nextcol][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61782653][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/617827/61782653.png[/img][/url][/columns]

[center][font=book antiqua][size=5]Darker Times[/size] Kismet hefted her bag over her shoulder and looked back at the empire. It had been her home for years. She had tormented Reiyn for years, but it was enough. She couldn't quite stay to serve the empire either. There was too much bad blood, there was too much hatred. Kismet needed a fresh start. She desperately needed to be happy and she would never achieve that with the ghost of her past haunting her. Of course, Kismet would miss her little skirmishes with Fate and Hypno. They had become almost friends, but she needed new ones. Kismet wasn't sure where she would go, but it needed to be different. There was another problem. Kismet wasn't sure exactly what it was, but something was wrong. The clan had shifted slightly. Not physically, of course, but the whole aura was wrong. Children in the clan began to hatch with deep purple shadow eyes instead of the usual golden light eyes. The shade was a regular point of conversation and it wasn't taboo anymore. Curses were a normal Thursday. It was concerning. Kismet didn't believe anything horrible would happen to the empire, but it was definitely heading for darker times. It seemed as though the empire was heading back to the original roots; The Rose Woods Empire was once again becoming a home for the fallen. Monsters, monstrosities, murderers, criminal, shade dragons, and cursed. All were welcome and they were driving out the pure. Only the most stubborn stayed. It wasn't something Kismet wanted to stick around for, so she left. She had no friends or family anyway. Maybe she would find someone who she could love in her new home. [columns][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/34383216][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/343833/34383216.png[/img][/url][/columns]