Creative Corner

[center][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/412100/41209921p.png[/img] [img] http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/415335/41533488p.png[/img] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/286247/28624671p.png[/img] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/406341/40634046p.png[/img][/center] [center][size=5][b]The Egg-Hunters' Tales[/b][/size][/center] [center][b]Treasure[/b][/center] They'd found the egg half-buried in the Grove, pilcos swarming over it and huddled to its warmth. There was no mistaking what it was - "A Fire egg," confirmed Bean, happily holding it up for all to see. One tiny pilco dangled from the bottom, determined not to let it go. "I got this!" The nest she built was unlike most the clan had seen before, though Nebula found it familiar enough to be comforting. After a few days of watching, the Guardian took it in her turn to help tend the egg, rotating it carefully in the bubbling goo. "It's still warm," she explained to Sunray after the first week had passed with nary a crack. "That means it's still good. Just might need some more time. There's no knowing how long it was sitting there before we found it - sometimes they'll go to sleep for a while, see?" She wasn't sure how she knew, but she was sure she did. Weeks turned into months, and the Fire-eyed pair kept up their careful watch. Nightraider slept under his mate's wing, and grumbled. "We'll be leaving for Winterhold in a few weeks," Sunray reminded them. The small mirror had stopped by, eyeing the heated nest warily. "If it's not hatched by then..." "I'll carry it myself." Nebula snapped at the packleader, and even Bean's hackles had raised. But as luck would have it, they didn't have to wait much longer. Perhaps it was the Flamecaller's rising influence, as the months turned from summer to fall. Or maybe the egg had waited long enough. As the sun peeked over the mountain the next morning, the egg split open with a sharp crack loud enough to wake the dragons dozing nearby and a small hatchling scrambled from the nest, pausing to shake the fluid from itself before spreading its wings. Rosy pink and pale blue, a perfect match for the warming sky above. It tilted its head to one side, blinking furiously to clear its eyes as it peered at the gathered adults. "...ssss?"

[center][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/407612/40761133p.png[/img] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/405585/40558458p.png[/img] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/447302/44730144p.png[/img] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/406341/40634046p.png[/img][/center] [center][size=5][b]Forged Below[/b][/size][/center] [center][b]Part I[/b][/center] There was a popping sound from the swamp, as if a very large twig had just snapped in two. Nobody paid it much mind - least of all Rustle, who was busily engaged in detangling her wing covers from the branches of a sticky pine. The nearsighed Nocturne normally navigated by scent, a trick she'd picked up from her Tundra friends, but today something was off. There was smoke in the air, and she couldn't quite pinpoint the source. It had been enough to make her land, though. She'd always been more stealthy on the forest floor. There was another sharp crack, and she turned her head to hiss in its general direction. There was no one there. After a while she shrugged, folding her wings, and slunk off toward where she thought she remembered the nearest path was. If she'd looked - and if her eyes were a little keener - she'd have seen a small dark shape trailing along behind her, eyes glowing a dim orange in the shadow of the trees. * * * * * It sounded, Rue thought, as if someone were trying to start a fire. A clicking, crackling sound, followed by a [i]whoooosh[/i]. Perhaps it was one of the Longnecks' hatchlings getting into trouble, though then there would have been the taste of singed fur in the air. With a sigh, she set down her tools and went to investigate. There was a faint hint of smoke, winding through the village center, but not enough to be seen. The Coatl paused, closing her eyes, and flicked her tongue again. Oh.[i] There. [/i] The hatchling - dragon, not Longneck - was a sorry sight, a scrawny shape with scales dull from soot. It scrambled back as she approached, cinders swirling around its wings as it grew agitated. Rue noted with interest that despite the young dragon's condition, it didn't appear to have been burned in the slightest. She held a clawed hand out, beckoning, and warbled a greeting in her own language. The hatchling's eyes glowed... * * * * * It was a week later, and the hatchling was curled up in his usual spot next to the forge. He'd been growing quickly, though he was still smaller than Rue, and feathers were beginning to emerge on his bare wings. A spark from the fire caught his eye, and he bolted upright to chase it around the room, expertly diving out of Rue's way as she moved another piece from the anvil to the cooling trough. Prey extinguished, he wandered over to where the adult Coatl was working, standing on his hind legs for a moment to watch. He still hadn't spoken, and she wasn't entirely sure where he'd come from (though the singed messages Rustle had brought back from the Tangled Wood were certainly a clue), but at least he seemed happier now. Rue patted his head and returned to work, beaming inwardly. * * * * * It was an odd thing to see a Mirror hatchling trailing around after a Coatl, speaking in the same sibiliant hisses and ear-shattering shrieks. At least, they [i]thought[/i] he was a Mirror. Sunray wasn't convinced. For one thing, single pair of eyes aside, there was the matter of the crest. Certainly, some hatchlings started out floppy and then grew into theirs, but that was a different matter altogether from lacking it entirely. All Salamander had to show was a handful of layered, scaly plates along his head and neck. And they weren't Coatl feathers either, even odd ones. The feathers Rue had spotted growing in had turned out to be yet more scales, and his wings themselves hadn't grown at all. Perhaps, the packleader considered, he might be a very odd sort of Snapper. One aligned with - he ducked as a ball of fire sizzled past - elemental fire. Or a Bogsneak of some sort? That seemed likely. He had the thick, smooth tail, and long low body. But still, no crest or horns... There was something almost familiar about that combination of features, but the Mirror could not for the life of him recall where he'd seen it before.

[center][item=Spotted Faun][item=Grove Piper][/center] [center][size=5][b]Residents of the Grove[/b][/size][/center] [center][b]The Fauntourage[/b][/center] Eos the Spotted is one of the leaders of Veloden's entourage of fauns (his fauntourage, if you will), and also one of the fauns tasked with keeping an eye on Clan Menhir. To fulfill his duties, he's been given the ability to change his appearance to that of a small Tundra dragon - but if you look closely, you can still see his hooves. He visits the clan's summer grounds every few weeks with his flock of goats, to trade and barter and listen in on the latest gossip. He doesn't know why Veloden is so interested in the clan - perhaps it's simply the unity of its Longneck and dragon members - but it's not his job to question orders, just to listen and report back. Hesperus the Piper is another of Veloden's entourage, and more secretive than Eos. His disguise is similarly imperfect, but as he visits the clan's winter home, he's better able to hide it with carefully chosen apparel. A large black goat accompanies him in his travels, carrying the goods he brings to gift and trade. He may only visit once or twice a year, but is beloved by the clan for the songs he plays and stories he tells - and it seems he has a new one every time he visits.

[center][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/405585/40558458p.png[/img][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/406120/40611911p.png[/img][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/406301/40630043p.png[/img][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/407117/40711681p.png[/img][/center] [center][size=5][b]Tales of the Clan[/b][/size][/center] [center][b]Rue's Story[/b][/center] Unlucky enough to hatch with grey feathers, Rue was left to fend for herself almost from the start. Her life was a lonely one, but she was clever and stubborn and survived on plants and insects until she became adept at catching fish. She encountered Labradorite by chance and the two hatchlings hit it off immediately, though communication was difficult at first. They cobbled together a collection of gestures and expressions to use in place of spoken words, and when Adori announced her intention to leave for the mainland, Rue begged to come with her. The journey was more challenging than either anticipated, but when Rue's wings faltered, Adori simply set her friend upon her back and continued on. They made landfall in the Crystalspine Reaches, but pressed on despite all advice, determined to make the most of their adventure. At the edge of the Wandering Contagion, they encountered an even stranger pair than themselves: a young Guardian carrying a tiny Spiral hatchling. After hearing her new acquaintances' sad tale, Rue was adamant that she and Adori [i]had[/i] to help return the spiral to her home - somewhere in the distant Viridian Labyrinth. Their progress was slow; fresh water was hard to find, and dangerous creatures were a constant threat. Rue put her scavenging skills and stealthy nature to good use in providing for the group, while Adori scouted ahead and Nexus anxiously kept watch over his tiny charge. Tempers were short and bellies growling by the time they reached Dragonhome and stumbled toward a promising cave entrance. The cave was already occupied, but the small clan seemed harmless enough, and while the young adventurers only planned to stay long enough to regain their strength, days stretched slowly into weeks and then months... and when Clan Menhir departed for their summer home, Rue and her friends went with them.

[center][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/473572/47357197p.png[/img][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/406097/40609658p.png[/img][/center] [center][size=5][b]Song[/b][/size][/center] [center][b]I[/b][/center] He sings to the stars, wandering between tumbled spires of stone, and sometimes he imagines they sing back. When he looks long enough, they have colors of their own: red and blue and green, gold and pink, white that might be purple. He sings of what he sees and what he knows and what he hopes. It is a long time before he notices the stars among his own clan - were they always there, and he simply did not see? Or has the soft, quiet death-priest's coat taken on a new luster? He decides that he would like to know this dragon better. The tombs are dark, and there are many spirits to put to rest. He creeps carefully along behind, watching for danger from behind. Weeks pass, with scarcely a word between them, but Song is stubborn and determined to learn what has drawn him to this old stranger. It takes longer still, but at last he sees. The colors he finds in the stars are the same fires that burn in each restless spirit, and though he cannot see them here, Tanzanite can. Each is called as surely as the other. He thinks:[i] I will write a new song.[/i] There are no words, but he sings in the twilight as they make camp, and thinks he sees a smile. Tonight he will show the Imperial his stars, and tomorrow they will go down into the earth again. He wishes it could last forever.

[center][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/482862/48286164p.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/303156/30315507p.png[/img][/center] [center][size=5][b]Snow-Blind[/b][/size][/center] Arianwen couldn't see anything. She could [i]feel[/i] the Longneck mage's life draining away beneath her talons, but the creature's final spell had struck her full in the face, freezing the Skydancer's eyes and gem under a thick layer of ice. She tried not to scratch at it. The magic would fade on its own soon enough, she was sure of it. Night came. The drop in temperature told her she needed to find shelter, but everything was still dark. She stumbled through the ice-crusted snow, feeling her way through the trees. There wasn't enough life here to feel her way with anything but her claws and snout. The side of a large tree seemed protected enough from the wind, and she collapsed against it, too weary to climb and too uncertain to fly up to a safer perch. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was: [i]I wish I were home.[/i] She woke to warmth. For an instant, she thought it was the sun, shining down on her face. Then she caught a whiff of old meat, and felt the presence looming before her. A dragon? There was something entirely unfamiliar about it. There was another gust of hot breath, and the sound of something very large sitting down in the snow. Branches snapped and creaked beneath the stranger's bulk, and heavy wings rustled. "Hold still." The voice was low and gravelly, like a jar of pebbles being tumbled. "I am unfamiliar with your kind." Aria tried not to flinch, but did anyway as a massive paw covered her face. How large was this dragon? Bigger than her, at any rate. Some kind of Imperial? She could feel fur between the toes- Then it was done, and she hissed as light burst in, searing rays that felt as if they were bouncing around in her skull. The stranger let out a heavy sigh and placed their paw on her head again, this time to hold her still as they wrapped a bandage over her eyes. "You may improve with time, if you do not strain yourself." There was a pause - they were thinking. "You cannot travel alone." "If you could, possibly, just start me in the right direction-?" She knew it was a bad idea as soon as she spoke, and she wasn't entirely sure whether the stranger's rumble was amusement or disapproval. Possibly both. Her senses felt scrambled. "I will carry you. Come." That felt like a command. "Your trail will not be hard to follow back. I am curious to see where you have come from." Aria hesitated. They didn't seem to mean any harm - but could she trust her senses any more than she could trust her eyes right now? Well, it wasn't as if a better option was going to present itself. Reluctantly she climbed to her feet and felt her way forward - hit a solid wall of fur - and started climbing. "Hold on tight. I would not want to step on you if you fall." They did not fly as she'd expected. Instead, her rescuer seemed intent on retracing her steps, pausing here and there to snuffle at the ground. Aria could feel their wings shifting to either side of her, but when she asked if it might not be quicker to follow her path from the sky, the stranger simply rumbled again. She thought it best not to ask again. Progress was painfully slow, but at least her new companion was warm - Aria barely noticed that night had fallen again, burrowed deep in the stranger's long coat. They paused briefly to share a ration of nuts and dried meat (Aria wrinkled her nose but ate anyway) and continued on. Eventually, she fell asleep, hoping that she'd be home soon. It took nearly a week. Ruruvan - she'd learned his name on the third day - did not fly. None of his kind did, apparently, though she hadn't really understood why until the fifth day, when her eyes could stand the light long enough to squint up at him. How sad, to be shackled to the ground! But he didn't seem to mind. He was curious, he said, about what she was doing so far out on the ice. When she told him she'd been hunting - only half a lie - he nodded and said he'd been doing the same. Her satchel of supplies was long gone, but the huge pack he carried held more than enough food for both of them - and her armor, which she gladly exchanged for a pelt blanket. Someone else could handle the fighting. She need to rest. She needed to make it home. On the last day, she pointed out the inlet leading to her clan's winter home, and then fell asleep, lulled by the rocking motion of Ruruvan's stride. When she woke it was in her own lair, with Heartwhisper fussing over her and the hatchlings staring wide-eyed in fright and wonderment. It felt almost like the past week had all been long and very strange dream, until she looked up to find Ruruvan watching. "I will observe," was all he said. Then he was gone, lumbering back outside to speak with - Aria squinted - Nexus, Heartwhisper's friend. The two were nearly of a size, now that they were standing next to each other. She spared only a moment's thought for her new acquaintance, before turning back to her family. Heartwhisper was still worrying and the hatchlings were clamoring to hear what had happened on her journey. "Well," she began. "It happened when I stumbled across a centaur...."