Creative Corner

From the hand of a king's servant from times long past, written in scripts that may never see the light of day once they have left me. I wish only to recount the memories I had made once many centuries ago, with a friend that I still remember so fondly in my old age. His name is all but forgotten to the few people he had left behind; to the people he sacrificed himself to save.

His name was Komaran, of which he was given by his own parents- who were actually mere citizens to the very kingdom he came to rule. His mother, a seamstress to the old queen and king, skilled in her work, yet modest despite the fact. His father was one of many hunters in the kingdom, and though he was experienced in his work, it was Komaran's mother who earned for the family. Due to her close connections with the royal couple, they were treated almost like family; Komaran himself as something like a nephew to the old king and queen.

I remember quite clearly as a young hatchling that his family was often invited to their home as guests, and I happened to come along as well most times due to my close friendship with the family's son. I suppose he must have gotten familiar with this sort of lifestyle, as he eventually came to call the king himself uncle.

As you may have guessed, the king and queen had no child for their own, and no heir to their throne, for while those days were prosperous, the queen could bear no eggs. This fact in itself cast a sort of shadow across the kind rulers and left them in a somewhat somber light. It is my belief that this my have been part of the reason as to why the king and queen welcomed Komaran and his family into their home so warmly- a key to the path that he would soon find himself upon.

It was only a short while afterwards that this time of peace and prosperity came to a shuttering stop. For good days cannot last forever, and we had run out of time.

[center][font=mistral][size=7]Komaran[/font][/size] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37895355] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/378954/37895355_350.png[/img] [/url] Name: Komaran Species: Skydancer Age: ??? Gender: Male Current Status: Deceased Notes: Born to two peasants in the kingdom and brought up as nephew to the king and queen. Friends to the Writer since the day they hatched. ??? [font=mistral][size=7]- To be Continued -[/size][/font][/center]

[center][font=mistral][size=7]Writer[/font][/size] [url=https://imgbb.com/][img]https://image.ibb.co/grvxzG/Writer_1.png[/img][/url] Name: ??? Species: ??? Age: ??? Gender: Male Current Status: Alive Notes: Born on the same day as Komaran, with which they became good friends over the course of their lives. Servant to Komaran when he became king. ??? [font=mistral][size=7]- To be Continued -[/size][/font][/center]

[center][font=mistral][size=7]Journal Entree #1[/size][/font][/center] [font=garamond][size=5]I recall a time long ago in our youths, where we would entertain ourselves along the streets of the kingdom. In those days, the city streets were lined with many carts and small mobile shops run by the citizens of their respective homes. Along with these vendors, there were children of all ages running about, helping their parents and chasing chickens and goats around the dusty streets. Komaran and I were among them, and we often got ourselves into a spot of trouble with our antics, but there were a few exceptions. As it turns out, there were a few times when our games lead us to secrets and dangers that we as children most likely should not have discovered, as some of them were far more harmful than we knew. To be honest, I'm surprised we survived our early years; for while we were protected by the royal couple in part to our closeness with them, there are some things they could not keep from us. Let me see if I can recall one of these times...[/size][/font] [center][font=mistral][size=7]The Nochnyr[/size][/font][/center] [font=garamond][size=5]" Come on!" Komaran called out after me, " We haven't ever been there before- it's probably huge on the inside!" He exclaimed excitedly. I didn't turn from where I sat, my back turned to my friend stubbornly, " That doesn't mean we should just explore it! They told us it's off-limits, and I'm not gonna disobey my parents [i]or[/i] the king." We were, of course, referring to an abandoned structure located just outside of the city; it was falling apart both from the inside and the outside, giving it an eerie look- not to mention the rumors surrounding its history. Those who knew anything about the building claim that it is inhabited by an ancient spirit, so ancient in fact that they may have originated from a circle of guardians that used to protect the land hundreds of years prior. This meant that the being itself was of a kinder intent, but that didn't stop the children of the kingdom from morphing the story into one of a dark spirit bent on devouring the souls of all who enter the crumbling building; and as expected, we believed it as well.[font=garamond][size=5] [center][img]https://preview.ibb.co/cqSuSy/Silhouette.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=5]The young skydancer scoffed at my reasoning, " Do you really believe there's a ghost in there?" he sat down and flicked his tail, obviously somewhat amused with my discomfort, " Nobody's ever actually seen anything happen in there, and everybody else is too afraid to actually go in there." He shuffles up next to me, " What if we explored it, and we come back out, everybody finds out that they were afraid of nothing all this time? Wouldn't that be funny?" I sat for just a moment longer, silently contemplating his words. Sighing, I finally cave into his efforts and stand up, " Alright, alright! Fine, I'll do it. But if anything happens, you owe me big time." I said begrudgingly, " You'd better hope nothing happens, because if my parents find out about this, I just know I'm gonna be in big trouble." Komaran laughed and stands up as well, " Don't worry so much about it, I'll just tell them it was my idea. And besides, " He turned to look in the general direction of the house in the distance, " If it really [i]is[/i] haunted, we won't be staying for very long." With that, we began our short walk to the outskirts of the city, still unsure of what we would find within the crumbling walls. Though he boasted a confident face, I still doubt whether my friend truly believed in his own words, because in some light I think we both knew we would find something inside that building; something that influenced our lives for many, many years to come. If it weren't obvious enough, this was only the start of one of our infamous escapades against the will of our parents and the word of the king. Luckily, they were kind enough to spare us the punishments we likely should have received, though sometimes I imagine it may have been better if they had, for it surely would have saved us a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, the sun has begun to wane, and the cold is beginning to set in my old bones for the evening. I will have to continue the rest of this story on another day, but until then, to you reader, I bid you farewell.[font=garamond][size=5] [center][font=mistral][size=7]- To be Continued -[/size][/font][/center]

Luckily, I have found my journal in an old desk I had moved into the ground storage room. My mind seems to be going much faster than I had estimated, it has been nearly 7 months since my last entree... What a silly old fool I must look right now! Oh well, the journal is here now, so I shall write until the pages are full, or until I can write no longer.



We stood silently at the boarded entrance to the ancient building, an eerie presence spilling from its cracks and enveloping the landing we stood upon. I felt a strange tingling sensation fill my body, and I shuffled my feet anxiously. Of course, Komaran didn't seem to be too affected by this, looking only slightly ruffled in the face of this sinister residence.

" Alright, we're here. Now can we go?" I requested, my voice a bit more taut then usual. This place gave me the creeps. Instinctively, I stepped closer to my companion, the fur along my spine standing straight in the tense air.

" What? But we only just got here! We have to see what's inside." He playfully nudged my shoulder and nodded towards one of the windows that wasn't completely boarded up, " Let's try getting in through there. Give me a lift?"

Giving in to his prompting, and fully well knowing I couldn't just leave him here, I walked under the window and prepared to lift him up onto the sill. It still surprises me to this day how skydancers are so light-weighted, due to their hollow bones. In any case, after standing on my shoulders, he pulled himself onto the window ledge and tore away at the loose board that sealed it.

After a short struggle, the fragile wood crumbles away, and the little Skydancer scoots inside. I stood awkwardly as I waited for him to find a way to unlock the large, decorated doors.

Just then, as the dust settled back down, a burning sensation spread across my body. I felt as if I was being watched. Without moving my head, I scanned the darkness around me, my heart racing, feeling the blood pound through my ears. Rarely have I felt the fear I knew in that moment, such paralyzing terror, and I could find no voice to call for Komaran's aid, so I could only wait for him to return.

It felt as if the moment lasted hours, the feeling of being watched growing further and further within me, until I finally heard the recognizable click of the rusty lock, and the huge doors swung open. Immediately, I rushed to Komaran's side, unable to speak still, and I could only shake my head in response to his questioning look.

Now just inside the doors, I could see just how decrepit the building truly was. Dusty cobwebs the size of dogs hung loosely from strands of time-worn silk, and a layer of dust covered all surfaces. The mere movement of the doors swinging open wafted so much dust outside that we both sneezed - which then caused more dust to float into the air.

Suppressing a cough, I peered through the darkness inside the enclosed space, the little light streaming in through the boarded up windows made it appear as if it was snowing. " I didn't really think about how dusty it would be in here... "

" Yeah me neither, but I guess a hundred years will do that to an old house." He paused to speak as the dust induced yet another sneeze, " Let's look around?" And without waiting for an answer, he proceeded to walk down a hallway that went to the left, leading into further darkness.

Having no choice but to follow, I go to catch up to him, leaving a cloud of dust and cobwebs in my wake.

Unbeknownst to us, a pair of glowing eyes were watching us leave the room, and the sound of skittering feet moves down the hall.

[center][font=mistral][size=7]Journal Entree #3[/size][/font][/center] [font=garamond][size=5]The rain was ceaseless this morning, a large gray smudge across the sky tells me that the downpour will last at least another day. These creaky joints aren't taking well to the moisture in the air, though the warmth from the fire has proved invaluable. I wonder where my familiar has gone to..? I would think she takes to this weather like koi to calm waters. Perhaps she's found her way outside again? No matter; I will continue to recount my earliest memories from my time spent with the late king, though I do hope writing helps to coax her out of hiding, she normally cannot resist the temptation to rest upon my shoulder, reading as I go. Such a curious little thing she is.[/size][/font] [center][font=mistral][size=7]The Nochnyr continued...[/size][/font][/center] [font=garamond][size=5]The faint light that came from the little illumination magic I knew was all we had, and the murky darkness of the hall was just a bit more tolerable, casting shadows across the walls as we went. The whole experience was, needless to say... eerie. There were frames to hold large photos hung all over the walls, beautifully decorated and cast in precious metals. However, the pictures themselves were completely blank. Looking closely, I could see the faint outlines of what looked to be dragons all throughout the photos, but they were so faded that it was nearly impossible to notice. It was strange- not just because there were still traces of the lives these dragons had left in the paper, but because the paper was in such good condition. It was pure white, not a touch of age or water damage could be seen within the frames or the glass containing the photo. Interesting, but not frightening, surely? In any case, there was doorway off to the left, and what looked like another larger room further up ahead. " I'm going to assume you don't want to split up right?" I could tell he didn't want to seem rude, but I did feel a bit annoyed at the time. I was no coward by any means, but all of the dragons in the kingdom feared this place, for which I assumed there was good reason. I tried to compose myself, trying not to reveal his unintentional poke had gotten to me, " If we really want to explore this place, I think it might be best if we did." I noticed the initial skepticism on his face, " I mean, that's what you wanted, right?" That must have gotten to him, because his feathers stand up a little straighter and he looked ever so slightly offended, " Well sure, I just didn't want you to get scared again like you did outside. But if that's what you want, we can split up I guess." He looked towards the room further down the hall and started towards it, " I'll take this room, you check out the room there. If you need help, just shout and I'll come running, okay?" I nod. We then go our separate ways, and I'm left standing in front of a door. The wooden door is a generic-looking one, painted white with a small gold-plated decorative piece near the top. The entire thing was covered in thick layer of grime and dust, along with years of pain wear, so it definitely didn't look out of place here. One thing I noticed in particular, though, were the abundant scratch marks covering the bottom of the door. Curious as it was, I thought nothing of it. As I reached out to grab the door knob, I felt the tension in the air suddenly become electric- the fur along my spine once again stood on end, and my claws trembled slightly as I continued to turn the knob. I hesitated for just a moment, considering that something deadly could be on the other side, but when I peered down the hallway to see Komaran's faint light moving about the room. No, I trusted his word. Should I meet anything violent within the room, he would return in an instant. The door clicks open, and turns with a loud, groaning creak, and I was met with a cold wave of stagnant air; it was as if the house itself let out a breath it had been holding for countless years. Immediately, I became aware of the complete state of disarray the room was in, boxes of ancient clothing and belongings stacked on top of each other all over the room, tattered blankets, various ripped pieces of clothing, mattress stuffing, and pillows covered the dusty floor. What could have happened in this room? Walking into the room, a sickly sweet smell found its way into my senses, and I couldn't help but gag in response. I tried to breathe through my mouth as I continued to look about the room, slowly growing accustomed to the smell of rot. Looking through a pretty antique bedside table, I opened a drawer to find a small photo frame, with a picture of a happy-looking family inside. The modest frame compliments the simple attire of the five in the photo, earnest smiles on all of their faces. Just then, as I moved to return the picture to its place within the drawer, something explodes from a pile of blankets and dusty clothing. A Flurry of red fur and snow white bone flies into my side, knocking me into a stack of boxes, but not before it snatched the photo from my hands and sped into the far corner of the room, its teeth chattering menacingly. I'm left in a daze, my heart beating fiercely as adrenaline flowed through my body. I saw stars for a few moments more before I shook my head and found my voice once more, " Komaran! Komaran there's something in here!" I screeched, my voice breaking. Just moments later, the young skydancer tumbles into the room, not knowing what he would find when he entered the room. " What is it? Are you okay?" He asked, visibly concerned after rushing towards me. " I.. I'm fine. There's something in this room, and it's alive.." I say quietly, trying to calm my breathing, " It's over there.." I point a shaking claw towards the opposite corner of the room. Komaran begins to approach first, with myself following closely behind. Whatever this creature was, it seemed.. hungry? Whatever it was, it was now chirping contentedly from its place beneath the clothing, its teeth still chattering. Both of us just as confused as the other, we decided to pull back a box that obscured whatever creature this was, and as it comes away, we both gasp. It was a grotesque creature of bone, flesh, and crimson fur. The stench of rotting meat is now immeasurable, and we both resist the urge to retch. Now in the open, and in view of us, the creature appears to shrink back, its large blue, luminous eyes looking up to us in the same fear in our own eyes. Trapped in the corner, with no place to go, it began to emit a high pitch whine, still chattering its teeth.[font=garamond][size=5] [center][img]https://preview.ibb.co/fPHajd/Nochnyr_encounter.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=5]" It's... a nochnyr?" I ask, genuinely taken aback. I had been studying magics in my lessons since the day I could write, and learning about magical creatures involves almost any familiar there is. While the identity of the creature itself was boggling, it made incredible sense. Nochnyrs are to some, a disgusting mass of mismatched flesh and bone, bound together only by a will to live, and by the magic of the one who raised it. Apperantly, this one had somehow become separated from its owner, and now called the abandoned building its home. As they are undead, magical creatures, nochnyr sustain themselves from smaller animals, rarely plants, and commonly a food of their own choosing. This one in particular seems to have chosen photos, specifically, the literal subjects in the photos. This would explain why all of the photo frames within the house contain photos with no actual pictures. It was admittedly a strange thing for the familiar to choose as its food source, but there have been stranger things they have chosen. Komaran stands silent for a second, smiles, and then begins to quietly laugh. I send him a confused look, and he continues to chuckle for a moment before explaining, " This is the famous poltergeist! The one who would devour the soul of any dragon that enters the building!" He had to pause to laugh again, " I can't believe the entire city has been terrified of this place for so long- and for no reason!" To be honest, the whole situation did seem incredibly silly now that we knew who the culprit of the "haunting" was, and I couldn't help but laugh at the situation. The nochnyr, who was still watching us anxiously, seemed to sense that we had no intentions to harm it and appeared to calm down, its eyes no longer darting back and forth to try and find a potential escape route. The nochnyr's fur slowly began to flatten on its neck once more, and it perks up quite noticeably. Just as the room began to quiet down, we heard yet another movement within the house, just upstairs. It sounded like heavy footsteps. Immediately, all three of us go silent, and the density of the air once again becomes immense. [i]We had extra company, and none of us knew who- or what to expect.[/i] [font=garamond][size=5] [center][font=mistral][size=7]- To be Continued -[/size][/font][/center] [size=2]@TruthandLies