Creative Corner

[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/DyLfjpqh/Wing-L.png[/img][img]https://i.postimg.cc/0jLgdvtS/Chain-82.png[/img][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/495445134033551377/539215325275619348/27044823_Wing-L.png[/img][/center] [font=Bahnschrift Light Condensed][size=3]The next day, Tea gathered the group together, rousing most of them from sleep. Sebastian yawned as he looked around; he seemed to be the central focus point. "It's time for you to meet everyone," the Nocturne murmured to him. "We would've done it yesterday, but... they were still pretty shaken up after that Fae's visit." "Alright," the Imperial said in reply, tucking his wings in close and lowering his head to the ground. "I know you, of course, and Clove and Ramedar--but tell me, what's your name?" he asked suddenly, swivelling to look at a young Tundra, the only one of his breed among them. He shuffled his paws, craning his neck to nibble at a patch of his mane. "I, uh, don't have one yet, sir. The band's tradition is to not name the orphans they rescue until they are given a permanent home, whether that be with the band or in some other clan." Two others--both Nocturnes--moved up close, pressing their bodies against his own. "I see." Sebastian nodded, glancing at the two other younglings. "And you? Are you both rescued orphans as well?" They nodded, more certain than the Tundra. "Tell me: what am I to call you, then, if I need to get your attention?" "'Orphans' is perfectly fine, sir," one said, with the bright wings. "That is who we are, after all." Sebastian nodded again. He saw no particular problem with this; it was the band's tradition after all, and Tea had enough common sense to know to change something if it wasn't working. He'd just have to make his intentions clear if he wanted to speak with a particular orphan. A third Nocturne flew over, coming to land smoothly in front of Sebastian's paws, stretched out in front of him. "I am called Plautis," he said, rasping out the words. "I do not belong with the band, but for now I live with them. It is as good a home as any." Tea smiled at him, waving him away as a pair approached, bickering over who would introduce themselves first. The older Nocturne's smile faded away. "Caliginous. Aubade. [i]Please[/i] settle down, you're not making a good first impression." They scowled but separated from each other, although the darker one--Caliginous--kept shooting glares in Aubade's direction. "Good. Aubade, you first." "I'm Aubade!" she chattered happily, wiggling in place. "I help Tea have enough sunlight for his plants, and I sing to the dawn every day to make sure it comes!" Sebastian couldn't help but grin at the excited youngling. "[i]And[/i] I make sure Callie's fog doesn't gloom up the whole area!" "I don't 'gloom up' anything," they scoffed, glaring at her once more. "[i]I[/i] have perfect control over my mists, thank you very much." A curl of fog spread out over their shoulder and wing, eventually making its way over to perch on Sebastian's nose. "See?" Aubade glowered, lightly smacking them--which they ignored, sniffing and turning away. "I'm Caliginous, or as some certain annoying people call me, Callie. I suppose with you I'd be okay with that, though." Sebastian exhaled softly, sending the puff of fog drifting into the air. "Is that everyone, then?" he asked Tea. "No... just a second," he responded, darting into the tent that served as sleeping quarters. It took a few moments, and a lot of muffled speaking, but soon enough he emerged again, practically dragging someone along with him. "Ah, come on, I was in the middle of a project!" this someone complained. "You're [i]always[/i] in the middle of a project, Faraday," Caliginous pointed out. The Nocturne halted in his tracks, staring openmouthed up at Sebastian. He spoke under his breath, turning slowly to take in the entire Imperial. "That's... that's a Imperial!" he stammered, barely able to get the words out. "Why is there a Imperial here!?" Tea clapped a paw onto his shoulder. "You sort of met him yesterday, remember?" "Yesterday..." he murmured. "With the shaking trees? Oh, yes, that was quite cool." He blinked back up at Sebastian. "That was you?" The Imperial huffed, amused. "How many Imperial-sized valravns do you see around here?" "Valravn," Faraday mused. "I've never heard that term." "Eh, it's not much important," Sebastian replied. "I was once a raven, and magic turned me into a dragonlike being, and then during the eclipse I somehow became an Imperial." He winced. "Magic, huh?" Faraday asked, his voice drifting away. "How odd. I prefer science myself." He glanced at Tea, but he was caught up in an argument between Caliginous and Aubade. The Nocturne lingered for a few more minutes in the silence, then slowly began edging away back to the tent. Back to whatever project he was working on, Sebastian supposed. He huffed, resting his chin on his paws. There weren't all that many dragons in the group, but he found himself to be... not on edge, exactly, but definitely tense. He was a loner, had been ever since he'd become a valravn. It was hard to know how and where you fit in when you weren't exactly one thing nor the other, but a mix of both. Sure, he attended festivals and parties--anything with large crowds--but then it was a different sort of being alone. But he thought he liked it here, so far. Not the physical place--no, he was always aware of the massacre of bodies that'd been scattered around him, and the few survivors that were still sleeping, safely in the tent. Tea was of a good sort, and Ramedar and Clove... well, they were both hard to like, hard to understand, but Sebastian respected them both. If he left, he'd miss them, the ones who'd helped sort out his confusion after the eclipse. Tea watched the pair go, Caliginous into the dark shade of the trees, Aubade to a sunny spot in the middle of the clearing, and sighed. "I wonder about those two sometimes," he said softly, hopping up onto Sebastian's shoulder. "I don't like their fighting all the time... it might pull the group apart, and that... no, none of us wants that." The Nocturne draped himself over Sebastian's neck, curling up in his mane. "We should talk, though," he continued. "I'd like to discuss a thing or two with you--in private would be better, I think. Your arrival disrupted the group, but I think it could be a good thing." "Okay," the Imperial said, wondering what exactly he was getting at. Was Tea going to ask him to leave? But, no, it didn't sound like that at all. He spread his wings, giving Tea time to settle in and get a good hold, then beat them hard in order to take off. The sky was as good a place as any to discuss whatever his friend wanted to talk about. [center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/t70fn5Tt/fancy-divider-260.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/DyLfjpqh/Wing-L.png[/img][img]https://i.postimg.cc/0jLgdvtS/Chain-82.png[/img][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/495445134033551377/539215325275619348/27044823_Wing-L.png[/img][/center] [font=Bahnschrift Light Condensed][size=3]Sebastian pumped his wings hard, angling to the side to catch a warm updraft. Even in this unfamiliar form, flying was simple, natural. Eventually his wing-muscles would tire out, he knew, but until then... he could be happy up here, flying on and on with no destination in mind. It was only when Tea tugged on a lock of his mane that he remembered why he'd come up here. He slowed to almost a hover, craning his head around to see the small Nocturne perched on his back. "So, what do you have to say?" Tea drummed a paw on Sebastian's back thoughtfully, the motion making him shiver. "Like I said, you--the massacre--disrupted us. The group has always been a minor player, has always done little to affect... well, anything. Sure, they rescue abandoned hatchlings, but in the grander picture--that changes little. "But the massacre the night of the eclipse changed all that, I think. Ramedar says it disturbed the underlying magic in this area, and even now it's still... off. Perhaps it'll only return to its former state once the sleepers wake, once you figure out what happened to turn you into an Imperial." Tea paused. Sebastian glanced away from him to check his flight path, sensing he had more to say. All this wasn't anything new, really, and none of it required a private meeting like this. "And?" he prompted. "I'm saying that the night of the eclipse, the group may have suddenly become a much bigger player in the scheme of things. A magical disturbance will likely have gotten the attention of the Shadowbinder--these are her Woods after all. She may not have paid much attention to the band before, but now we're in the midst of this. I don't know what the implications of it all are, but... we ought to prepare. We ought to have an official leader." Sebastian tensed, stalling his flight long enough to drop several feet. He cursed, flaring his wings out wide to stop his descent. "Sorry. But... do you honestly mean [i]me[/i] to be leader? I know nothing about it! I'm not even a proper dragon!" "You dealt with that Fae quite well," his friend pointed out. "Everyone else didn't know what to do, but you just... went in and handled it." Sebastian snorted. "I can still take care of most leader-y things, of course. It's just... I think there may be trouble coming, and you seem well-equipped to deal with trouble." He sighed, swooping lower. "And how would the others feel about this?" Tea shrugged. "They trust me, for all that I'm Plague and only recently joined them myself. If I say you'd be good as our official leader, they'll agree." "Yes, but--do they trust [i]me?[/i]" "They will, in time. I know it's asking a lot, but... will you do it, then?" "Give me time to think about it." Sebastian turned back towards the direction of camp, then suddenly craned his head forward. "Is that Aubade?" Tea shifted position, clambering up his neck for a better view. "She looks scared," the Nocturne commented, clenching his paws around Sebastian's mane. The Imperial sped up without a word, meeting Aubade in just a few heartbeats. "What's happened?" Tea asked her, worried. She gulped, landing on Sebastian, wrapping herself up in his mane. "Clove sent me to find you--there's an odd building--just appeared out of nowhere." She spoke in a hurried rush, fast enough that he needed time to sort through her words. "Shhh," Sebastian said gently, keeping up his pace. "It'll be alright. It's not that Fae, is it?" But already he figured it wasn't. The Fae's powers seemed to affect things already in the world, not create something new out of nowhere. He flew on as Tea attempted to calm her down, arriving at the clearing in another few minutes. The building was off in the distance, just off a slim, winding path that Tea had said went nowhere. It was built wholly out of bamboo stalks at first glance, but as Sebastian neared it, he realized the bamboo was actually intricately carved from some gem. Jade, perhaps? He lowered his head, allowing Tea and Aubade to get off, then glanced up at the sky. Night wasn't far off, and while he wanted to investigate, the building seemed harmless enough that leaving it alone surely wouldn't hurt. It was just a [i]building[/i], after all. "Get some rest," he said. "It's harmless, it'll be fine until tomorrow. We can go inside and take a look around then, alright? Figure out why it's here." Tea nodded, coaxing Aubade to stumble after him, but Sebastian remained for several more moments. While he didn't think it could do anything, buildings didn't just appear out of nowhere, and after Tea's talk of the group gathering more attention.... But no. It was fine. He turned away, heading to the other side of the clearing. Tomorrow they'd figure out why it was here; there was no need to worry until then. [center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/t70fn5Tt/fancy-divider-260.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/DyLfjpqh/Wing-L.png[/img][img]https://i.postimg.cc/0jLgdvtS/Chain-82.png[/img][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/495445134033551377/539215325275619348/27044823_Wing-L.png[/img][/center] [font=Bahnschrift Light Condensed][size=3]As it turned out, there was no need to go investigate the odd building--its appearance was explained by a scroll that had been dropped off by a messenger bird. [quote=Horizon's Landing] Clan Analemma seeks 36 astrals that have escaped their ward. Some may look like dragons, and some may not, but their forms are merely the first of the lies they will tell you and the tricks they will play. They are beings of our world, like spirits, but until now they have lived an outskirter life on neighboring planes. While I cannot guess what form they will take, I can provide their names and natures. With time, I may even be able to divine their locations. If you would be free of them, bring them to Horizon’s Landing in the west, or to Aphaster City in the east. You will be rewarded. Bring them alive. Destroying their body will only set them free to play their tricks elsewhere. --Imperator Invigilavi of Horizon's Landing[/quote] [font=Bahnschrift Light Condensed][size=3]Evidently the jade building housed one of these... astrals, but this knowledge only raised more questions. Were these astrals actually dangerous? Was handing one of them over to Invigilavi the best thing to do? Sebastian had no idea--he had not yet accepted the position of leader, but when the scroll had been discovered and read, all eyes had turned to him. The decision was his responsibility, that much was clear. He stabbed at the paper with one claw, underscoring the latter half. "'If you would be free of them....' This Invigilavi speaks as though it is some great danger to have the astral in our midst. As if we should be [i]glad[/i] to give it up." His hastily appointed "council"--Tea, Clove, and Ramedar--murmured their agreements. The four were gathered together in the clearing, Sebastian's Imperial bulk wrapped around them to prevent any eavesdroppers. "Who is he to order us around so?" Clove added with a sniff, lifting her head. "Horizon's Landing may be influential in their lands, but not here. Not in the Tangled Wood where tricksters live who answer to no one but those of their choosing. And we have [i]not[/i] chosen to listen to Invigilavi." "I have not gotten particularly close to the Jade Bamboo--"as they had taken to calling it, for lack of a better name--"but I have not sensed any dangerous magic from it." Ramedar hesitated, frowning slightly. "Unusual magic, yes, and it is hard to discover the astral's true intentions or even emotions. Perhaps the jade blocks my empathetic abilities somehow. But... no, from what I can tell, it is not going to cause us any direct harm." "That is good," Sebastian rumbled, low in his throat. He was uneasy with all of this--dealing with the astral alone, that he figured was something he could do. But politics? Walking a fine edge like this? He was lost utterly, and even Tea could do little to help. "I do not wish to provoke either the astral or Invigilavi. One, if it is truly what the letter says, could likely cause us damage we do not want. The other likely leads a force far greater than our little group here, and he is also unpredictable--if we anger him, who's to say he won't start a fight?" Tea fluttered over to stand on the scroll, pacing as he reread the words. "The astral is said to be a liar and a trickster. What else is a true Shadowling? We're all liars and tricksters--some more than others, true, but it's in all our natures. This astral is one of us. I say we go to the astral, find out more beyond just what this letter says. Afterwards a reply can be sent depending on what we find, but I don't like having to give up one of our own to someone else." They decided that, yes, more firsthand information was needed, and so Sebastian, Tea, and Ramedar headed out to the Jade Bamboo. Clove was irritable about being left behind, complaining that she was the only one who knew how to take notes properly, but Sebastian felt better leaving her in charge of the others. Tea and Ramedar entered with no problem, but as Sebastian approached he realized he had no way of getting in. The entrance wasn't sized for Imperials, and he had no way of shapeshifting back into a raven. He settled on poking his head in--seeing what was going on was better than nothing--but drew back quickly when the walls glimmered and morphed before him. The entrance was not suited for a creature his size, but... the inside certainly appeared to be. There was no way it actually could, and yet.... He stuck his head in again, cautiously walking forward to join Ramedar and Tea. A tingle of electricity, or magic, shivered through him as he passed the threshold, but that was all. "How... odd," he murmured, turning to look back outside. It seemed no different. "Come on," Tea said, flying the short distance up to his perch on Sebastian's head. Ramedar walked alongside, her eyes half-closed, the gem on her forehead softly glowing. Sebastian was disappointed by how normal the shop appeared to be. Rows and rows of shelves stretching on and on and on to their left and right and straight ahead--Sebastian glanced back often at the doorway, reassuring himself that it was right behind him. Just like the last time he'd checked, and the time before that. The shelves were filled with a wide assortment of objects, none seeming to follow any sort of organization. Jars of ink, bundles of feathers, metalwork, clay sculptures... there was no rhyme or reason to any of the items. They'd all been tossed haphazardly onto the shelves. He slowed to inspect a large birdskull, bleached white, then looked down the shelf--and stopped. Whatever had been there before--vials, jewelry, stacks of paper--had all been replaced with scattered bones. Mostly skulls, although he spotted a few intact skeletons and other, random bones. "See something you like?" a voice called out, like the wind rushing through leaves. In fact Sebastian [i]had[/i] thought it only some strange wind at first, until the sound resolved into words that he could understand. "Bones are quite cheap--they're [i]so[/i] easy to get. Harder to maintain properly, though, isn't it?" A Spiral flew over, twisting and looping among the shelves. She seemed dragonlike enough, although the runes pulsated in various shades of green and something strange glittered in her eyes. Still. Hardly anything to fear. "Are you the astral?" Tea asked, shifting his body to follow her erratic movements. "The being mentioned by Imperator Invigilavi?" She froze, nearly crashing to the floor before her wings resumed their languid flapping. "I know not of what you speak," she hissed. Her voice wasn't a breeze in leaves this time, but fiercer, sharper--the wind before a coming storm. "Invigilavi is a name that means nothing to me." But she beat her wings harder, rising above the shelves, glancing back in the direction they'd come. A gust kicked up, rattling the bones on their shelf, collecting small objects in a mini cyclone. "You are an astral, however?" Tea pressed, spreading his wings to join her, face-to-face. "If you don't recognize his name, I will tell you: Invigilavi sent us a letter warning us of you. He says we should turn you in. I don't agree that you are dangerous like he claims. We came here to talk to you." Ramedar nodded, moving in front of Sebastian. "From what I can tell, you do not appear to be dangerous. We would not give you up to Invigilavi, but we must know more first. We--" Ramedar faltered as the cyclone blew past, shredding the bones into fragments. "You are not welcome here," the Spiral said. "You have not come to purchase my wares. You talk of imprisoning me once again, of someone who thinks I [i]should[/i] be." She snapped her teeth, and from somewhere, a thunderclap boomed. Tea snarled, spreading his wings wide. Sebastian glanced up at him, shocked. "We mean you no harm, astral. We only wish to know the truth." "And then what?" she scoffed. "You will turn me in to Invigilavi anyways. I am just a shopkeeper, a wandering merchant. Invigilavi has nothing to fear from me." Sebastian waited for Tea to respond somehow, to offer soothing words and maybe even produce a cup of tea out of nowhere. But no such words came: he hovered there, angry and intimidating. "We are only trying to [i]help[/i]," he said, but in a tone that didn't suit him at all. "If you don't appreciate it, maybe we should just give you up." "His emotions... they're not pure," Ramedar whispered. "Something's affecting his mind." The Nocturne looked down at them, his expression unreadable. The cyclone circled around again, gathering speed and force. It blew past, practically knocking Tea out of the air and shaking Ramedar. "You are not welcome," the wind howled, and echoes of "not welcome... not welcome..." bounced off the walls. The astral was nowhere to be seen. More gusts of wind assaulted them, so strong that even Sebastian was pushed back. He leaped forward, sheltering his clanmates with his body. "We have to get out of here!" He scooped them both up, depositing them on his back, then tucked his wings tightly around them. If the astral had enough power to send a wind to affect an Imperial, he didn't want to see what it'd do to the much smaller dragons. Sebastian turned, running back the way he'd come--but it must not have been. The shelves were rearranged differently, and the clear path down which they'd entered had vanished. He fought against the wind, craning his head above the shelves, hoping to catch a glimpse of the doorway. There was nothing, though, just shelves stretching on into the distance. Even the jade-carved walls could barely be seen. He narrowed his eyes, risking it to spread his wings and take flight--clumsy, with the shelves in the way and the lack of a running start--but he was airborne. It looked the same from up here, but now he had more space to avoid the bursts of wind that came his way. "We'll leave you be!" he called out, wincing at how desperate he sounded. "Just let us go!" Another gust answered him; this one buffeted him from all sides, ripping at his feathers. He dropped to the ground, closing his wings around Tea and Ramedar as the wind attacked. "So go," the astral hissed in his ear. All at once the shelves pulled away, creating a straight pathway--Sebastian didn't even look to see if the doorway was there; he staggered to his feet and began running. Ahead, now, he could see the familiar trees and surroundings of the clearing; he barely hesitated as he approached the threshold. Slowing down might mean he--and his companions--would be stuck, trapped in a place with a hostile astral. The shiver he'd felt upon entering was different now, as if some force had spat him out. He stumbled out onto the dusty trail, breathing hard, allowing Ramedar and Tea to climb down from his back. "I want Ramedar, with Clove's help, to write a letter to Invigilavi," he said, once he'd gotten his breath back. "Explain the situation, say our first meeting did... not go so well. Do not say we've made a decision on what to do--just ask for more information." Tea frowned, stroking his gentle hands along Sebastian's battered wings and sides. He was careful to avoid the worst of the areas, where feathers and scales had been ripped out. "I... don't know what happened in there," he said. "Trust me, I had no intention of speaking so poorly, but... it was as if my judgment and better thinking had been cast away." "Make sure you mention that in your letter," Sebastian answered, flicking his gaze towards the Skydancer. "I still do not believe the astral is ill-intentioned. We caught her off-guard... we should have gained her trust first before speaking of Invigilavi." He moaned a little, pulling himself upright and staggering towards the camp. Tea cast an anxious look at Ramedar before taking off to fly ahead, going to prepare his supplies before Sebastian got there. [quote] [font=Bahnschrift Light Condensed][size=3] To Imperator Invigilavi, in the care of Horizon's Landing: We have received your letter, and went ahead to attempt to make contact with this astral. It... did not go well, I am sorry to say, but we do not believe she is as dangerous as you claim. We will not be handing her over, not unless we acquire further proof of her dangerousness. However, we would like more information on these astrals, and this one in particular. Her abilities are of Wind, and she has taken the form of a Spiral, acting as a merchant--I do not know, though, if this is enough to identify her from amongst the others. If it is, please pass on anything useful you know of her. One of our members had had his emotions tampered with in the encounter, as if she had stripped away his clear mind and sound judgement--tossed it to the wind, I suppose one could say. Extra information about this particular ability would be most helpful, as well as any methods of how to prevent it from occurring again. Should we be able to meet with the astral a second time, this knowledge would help greatly. [right][font=Bahnschrift Light Condensed][size=3]---Ramedar, Head Magician[/right][/size][/font][/quote] [center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/t70fn5Tt/fancy-divider-260.png[/img][/center] [center][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/491429/49142846_350.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2573843/1][color=#83cc55]First Astral of the Aer Phantom Sornieth Zodiac Event[/color][/url][/center]