*WIP* Updating!
“It’s just like I’ve always told you, Urri. We’re going to create something amazing.”
They were young once, barely more than adolescents when they found each other in the Everbloom Gardens. Urri was surrounded by birds of all colors, spreading birdseed and cooing over their bright feathers. Carrot was struck dumb, not by the vibrance of the birds, but by the beauty of the Fae feeding them. Her green scales shone, and the sunlight gilded her in gold. Carrot didn’t realize he was approaching until the birds fluttered a few yards away, and Urri turned to look at him.
“Birdseed?” She offered, crests tilting invitingly as she held out a handful. Carrot took some of the birdseed from her, tail curling when they touched.
“You’re beautiful,” Carrot said in lieu of a reply, blunt yet earnest. Urri’s crests flickered with surprise, but then spread into the equivalent of a smile.
“Speak for yourself.”
He laughed, and she joined in. Neither of them ever stood a chance.
The clan, the sharpened talons, the tears, the victories— all of that would come later. Their first months together were just sunshine and puppy love as they struck up a friendship, bonding over birdseed and Carrot’s endearingly lame jokes. Even then they fit perfectly together. Urri was certain she could spend all night talking to him if she was able, and he always paid attention to her no matter how much she gushed about birds, her favorite tea, or her dreams of the future. She saw herself among the branches of the Behemoth, someday, leader of a strong yet just clan that proudly served the Gladekeeper.
“Let’s do it.”
“What?” Urri asked, looking up from where she was harvesting some herbs. Carrot fluttered his wings.
“Let’s found a clan. We could do it, together.”
Urri passed the leaves she had gathered to him. Carrot affectionately brushed her flank with his tail.
“Really?”
“You always talk of venturing deeper into the Labyrinth and starting something new there. It doesn’t have to just be a daydream.”
“I suppose,” Urri replied, eyes starting to sparkle. Carrot smiled.
It was later that same season that Urri lost her grandmother. She felt adrift without her love and guidance. It was like a piece of her heart was missing.
Carrot found her crumpled in a heap at their meeting place, weeping. Her delicate frame shook with sobs. He didn’t even stop to ask what happened— he just curled around her, laying a wing over her and pressing close. At his touch, Urri leaned into him and cried. Every sniffle felt like a stab to Carrot’s heart.
Urri eventually told him what had happened. Neither of them were sure how long after that they stayed there, finding solace in each other’s embrace until sleep eventually claimed them.
“Let’s do it.” Urri was prodding him awake with her talons.
“What?” Carrot croaked, opening his eyes. They were still there in the glade that served as their meeting place. It was morning, and Urri was hovering over him, shaking him.
“Let’s found a clan. Let’s go.”
“Now?” Carrot pulled himself to his feet. Urri was crying again, but she hadn’t seemed to notice.
“You said we could do it. That it doesn’t have to be just a daydream. Right?”
Carrot took a long moment to look her over. A sob burst out of her chest. She was trembling, looking like she was about to burst. Carrot’s heart ached.
“I promise,” he told her, crossing the distance between them to nuzzle her cheek. “Let’s go.”
Urri led them deeper into the Viridian Labyrinth with a fervent desperation, almost like she was trying to flee from the grief. Carrot knew better, but gave his all to support her as they travelled. As the land became less hospitable and more hostile, it seemed to take her mind off of things. Two Faes could make easy prey for the jungle’s larger predators, but with their agility and Nature magic they outwitted and outmaneuvered each opponent they encountered.
By the time they reached the base of the Behemoth, they both had new scars and new tricks up their sleeves. Urri still cried in his wings some nights, but she seemed to be coping.
“It’s bigger than I expected,” Carrot remarked as they perched on a root that was easily the size of what were considered “large” trees back in the Everbloom Gardens. He and Urri had their long necks craned back, staring up at the massive boughs and wondering where to start. The Behemoth was so tall and leafy that they couldn’t see anywhere remotely near the top. Urri figured it reached taller than most clouds.
“Everyone says that.” It wasn’t Urri’s voice. She and Carrot whipped around with a start, suddenly noticing a pale Wildclaw who hadn’t been there a moment before. His purple eyes indicated he was an Shadow dragon— someone even farther than home from them.
“Potion?” The Wildclaw suddenly offered, plucking a bottle of orange liquid off of his belt and showing it to them. It seemed to be fizzing.
“No, thank you,” Carrot said. This wasn’t the first time they had encountered a strange dragon, and oftentimes they did more harm than good. Urri edged closer to Carrot so that if they needed to fight they couldn’t be separated.
But the Wildclaw just laughed. “Spoilsports! These are my best adventuring brews.” He put the potion back on his belt, looking down to regard the pair of Faes. “You headed up?”
Urri nodded, figuring that was obvious enough.
“So am I!” The Wildclaw chirped. “My name’s Shaya. Does your clan live up in the branches?”
“We’re starting our own,” Urri declared, crests spreading with a happy sort of pride. Carrot smiled to himself.
“I bet you don’t have an potion master, then,” Shaya observed with a glint in his eye.
“No...” Carrot said, voice trailing. Shaya grinned.
“Then consider yourselves in luck! Now you do!”
Urri blinked. Carrot gave her a helpless glance and shrugged. Shaya popped a blue potion off of his belt and downed it in one go.
“How about that branch up there? Looks uninhabited. Or maybe we should go higher?” He dug his claws into the bark of the Behemoth and started to climb. Urri and Carrot shared another look, debating, before Urri giggled and started to climb after the Wildclaw. Carrot snorted. Hopefully they wouldn’t regret this.
Though strange and occasionally causing explosions while he brewed potions, Shaya proved to be a worthy ally. When Carrot and Urri’s branch on the Behemoth finally became the clan of Alfirin rather than just a campsite, he was their first member and, of course, their resident alchemist.
Dragons trickled in slowly, oftentimes wounded or starving and desperate for shelter and kindness. Having been in that position more than once during their travels, Urri and Carrot were more than happy to help them out. Shaya’s brewed tonics proved to be good for healing, though sometimes they made them belch fireworks. (Snowstorm insisted it was part of the fun.)
However, with growing numbers came attention from unsavory characters. Thieves started to swipe supplies from Alfirin’s stores. One night, a pair of dragons were caught in the act but attacked rather than fleeing. It was a jarring wake up call to Urri and Carrot when one of their own sustained severe injuries. They were responsible for more lives than just their own, now, and they needed to step up to the occasion.
Guards were posted, drills were scheduled so everyone could learn how to defend themselves. Carrot swore that they would be prepared for the next threat, ready to strike and neutralize it before anyone could get hurt. While Carrot trained their clanmates, Urri combined her Nature magic with her love of gardening, growing thorn bushes to serve as defensive fortifications. The Behemoth was a harsh, unforgiving environment, even though everything took place on a vertical plane rather than a horizontal.
The next crisis that struck was a flock of fierce, flying predators that swarmed the lower boughs of the Behemoth. Even with their preparations it was a terrible battle, with casualties that hit hard. By the time the predators were driven back, everyone was beaten and bloody, and some were broken beyond repair. Urri got a familiar, haunted look in her eye when she learned of the losses.
Carrot, like he had so long ago, pressed close. They breathed in time with each other, and every beat of his heart was a silent promise to her.
I know. I understand. I’m here. I love you. I love you. I love you.
Alfirin rebuilt, better, stronger, and kinder than before. Urri left gardens of blossoms everywhere, sowing beauty and love in defiance of the cruelty of the world. Carrot held her when they mourned, and in turn inspired optimism and light in the hearts of their clanmates. They weren’t young anymore, but they had learned and become honorable, merciful leaders. Enemies were always given the opportunity to surrender and be spared, but struck down if they continued to lay a claw on any of Alfirin’s members. Darker characters learned to fear them, while those who were kind held them in the highest esteem.
Alfirin remains a bastion of hope and acceptance today, and its tight knit community flourishes through cooperation and friendship. Outsiders are treated generously, invited to stay but sent off with a full belly and well wishes if they choose to continue on. Anyone lost, hurt, or sick in Alfirin’s section of the Behemoth knows they can come for aid, and Urri and Carrot wouldn’t have it any other way.
In the tearoom adjacent to Urri and Carrot’s den, a parchment bearing the words of Urri’s grandmother hangs on the wall.
And the next day, the sun shall arise again and breathe life into a new morning.
In the mornings when Urri brews tea and tosses birdseed to the gathered flock that always turns up, she will read those words and think fondly of her grandmother. Carrot usually comes in then, and they share tea and listen to the birds sing.
Sometimes, when Carrot looks to her and smiles, Urri remembers his promise and smiles back, because they did it.
“It’s just like I’ve always told you, Urri. We’re going to create something amazing.”
Lore by Skifter
“It’s just like I’ve always told you, Urri. We’re going to create something amazing.”
They were young once, barely more than adolescents when they found each other in the Everbloom Gardens. Urri was surrounded by birds of all colors, spreading birdseed and cooing over their bright feathers. Carrot was struck dumb, not by the vibrance of the birds, but by the beauty of the Fae feeding them. Her green scales shone, and the sunlight gilded her in gold. Carrot didn’t realize he was approaching until the birds fluttered a few yards away, and Urri turned to look at him.
“Birdseed?” She offered, crests tilting invitingly as she held out a handful. Carrot took some of the birdseed from her, tail curling when they touched.
“You’re beautiful,” Carrot said in lieu of a reply, blunt yet earnest. Urri’s crests flickered with surprise, but then spread into the equivalent of a smile.
“Speak for yourself.”
He laughed, and she joined in. Neither of them ever stood a chance.
The clan, the sharpened talons, the tears, the victories— all of that would come later. Their first months together were just sunshine and puppy love as they struck up a friendship, bonding over birdseed and Carrot’s endearingly lame jokes. Even then they fit perfectly together. Urri was certain she could spend all night talking to him if she was able, and he always paid attention to her no matter how much she gushed about birds, her favorite tea, or her dreams of the future. She saw herself among the branches of the Behemoth, someday, leader of a strong yet just clan that proudly served the Gladekeeper.
“Let’s do it.”
“What?” Urri asked, looking up from where she was harvesting some herbs. Carrot fluttered his wings.
“Let’s found a clan. We could do it, together.”
Urri passed the leaves she had gathered to him. Carrot affectionately brushed her flank with his tail.
“Really?”
“You always talk of venturing deeper into the Labyrinth and starting something new there. It doesn’t have to just be a daydream.”
“I suppose,” Urri replied, eyes starting to sparkle. Carrot smiled.
It was later that same season that Urri lost her grandmother. She felt adrift without her love and guidance. It was like a piece of her heart was missing.
Carrot found her crumpled in a heap at their meeting place, weeping. Her delicate frame shook with sobs. He didn’t even stop to ask what happened— he just curled around her, laying a wing over her and pressing close. At his touch, Urri leaned into him and cried. Every sniffle felt like a stab to Carrot’s heart.
Urri eventually told him what had happened. Neither of them were sure how long after that they stayed there, finding solace in each other’s embrace until sleep eventually claimed them.
“Let’s do it.” Urri was prodding him awake with her talons.
“What?” Carrot croaked, opening his eyes. They were still there in the glade that served as their meeting place. It was morning, and Urri was hovering over him, shaking him.
“Let’s found a clan. Let’s go.”
“Now?” Carrot pulled himself to his feet. Urri was crying again, but she hadn’t seemed to notice.
“You said we could do it. That it doesn’t have to be just a daydream. Right?”
Carrot took a long moment to look her over. A sob burst out of her chest. She was trembling, looking like she was about to burst. Carrot’s heart ached.
“I promise,” he told her, crossing the distance between them to nuzzle her cheek. “Let’s go.”
Urri led them deeper into the Viridian Labyrinth with a fervent desperation, almost like she was trying to flee from the grief. Carrot knew better, but gave his all to support her as they travelled. As the land became less hospitable and more hostile, it seemed to take her mind off of things. Two Faes could make easy prey for the jungle’s larger predators, but with their agility and Nature magic they outwitted and outmaneuvered each opponent they encountered.
By the time they reached the base of the Behemoth, they both had new scars and new tricks up their sleeves. Urri still cried in his wings some nights, but she seemed to be coping.
“It’s bigger than I expected,” Carrot remarked as they perched on a root that was easily the size of what were considered “large” trees back in the Everbloom Gardens. He and Urri had their long necks craned back, staring up at the massive boughs and wondering where to start. The Behemoth was so tall and leafy that they couldn’t see anywhere remotely near the top. Urri figured it reached taller than most clouds.
“Everyone says that.” It wasn’t Urri’s voice. She and Carrot whipped around with a start, suddenly noticing a pale Wildclaw who hadn’t been there a moment before. His purple eyes indicated he was an Shadow dragon— someone even farther than home from them.
“Potion?” The Wildclaw suddenly offered, plucking a bottle of orange liquid off of his belt and showing it to them. It seemed to be fizzing.
“No, thank you,” Carrot said. This wasn’t the first time they had encountered a strange dragon, and oftentimes they did more harm than good. Urri edged closer to Carrot so that if they needed to fight they couldn’t be separated.
But the Wildclaw just laughed. “Spoilsports! These are my best adventuring brews.” He put the potion back on his belt, looking down to regard the pair of Faes. “You headed up?”
Urri nodded, figuring that was obvious enough.
“So am I!” The Wildclaw chirped. “My name’s Shaya. Does your clan live up in the branches?”
“We’re starting our own,” Urri declared, crests spreading with a happy sort of pride. Carrot smiled to himself.
“I bet you don’t have an potion master, then,” Shaya observed with a glint in his eye.
“No...” Carrot said, voice trailing. Shaya grinned.
“Then consider yourselves in luck! Now you do!”
Urri blinked. Carrot gave her a helpless glance and shrugged. Shaya popped a blue potion off of his belt and downed it in one go.
“How about that branch up there? Looks uninhabited. Or maybe we should go higher?” He dug his claws into the bark of the Behemoth and started to climb. Urri and Carrot shared another look, debating, before Urri giggled and started to climb after the Wildclaw. Carrot snorted. Hopefully they wouldn’t regret this.
Though strange and occasionally causing explosions while he brewed potions, Shaya proved to be a worthy ally. When Carrot and Urri’s branch on the Behemoth finally became the clan of Alfirin rather than just a campsite, he was their first member and, of course, their resident alchemist.
Dragons trickled in slowly, oftentimes wounded or starving and desperate for shelter and kindness. Having been in that position more than once during their travels, Urri and Carrot were more than happy to help them out. Shaya’s brewed tonics proved to be good for healing, though sometimes they made them belch fireworks. (Snowstorm insisted it was part of the fun.)
However, with growing numbers came attention from unsavory characters. Thieves started to swipe supplies from Alfirin’s stores. One night, a pair of dragons were caught in the act but attacked rather than fleeing. It was a jarring wake up call to Urri and Carrot when one of their own sustained severe injuries. They were responsible for more lives than just their own, now, and they needed to step up to the occasion.
Guards were posted, drills were scheduled so everyone could learn how to defend themselves. Carrot swore that they would be prepared for the next threat, ready to strike and neutralize it before anyone could get hurt. While Carrot trained their clanmates, Urri combined her Nature magic with her love of gardening, growing thorn bushes to serve as defensive fortifications. The Behemoth was a harsh, unforgiving environment, even though everything took place on a vertical plane rather than a horizontal.
The next crisis that struck was a flock of fierce, flying predators that swarmed the lower boughs of the Behemoth. Even with their preparations it was a terrible battle, with casualties that hit hard. By the time the predators were driven back, everyone was beaten and bloody, and some were broken beyond repair. Urri got a familiar, haunted look in her eye when she learned of the losses.
Carrot, like he had so long ago, pressed close. They breathed in time with each other, and every beat of his heart was a silent promise to her.
I know. I understand. I’m here. I love you. I love you. I love you.
Alfirin rebuilt, better, stronger, and kinder than before. Urri left gardens of blossoms everywhere, sowing beauty and love in defiance of the cruelty of the world. Carrot held her when they mourned, and in turn inspired optimism and light in the hearts of their clanmates. They weren’t young anymore, but they had learned and become honorable, merciful leaders. Enemies were always given the opportunity to surrender and be spared, but struck down if they continued to lay a claw on any of Alfirin’s members. Darker characters learned to fear them, while those who were kind held them in the highest esteem.
Alfirin remains a bastion of hope and acceptance today, and its tight knit community flourishes through cooperation and friendship. Outsiders are treated generously, invited to stay but sent off with a full belly and well wishes if they choose to continue on. Anyone lost, hurt, or sick in Alfirin’s section of the Behemoth knows they can come for aid, and Urri and Carrot wouldn’t have it any other way.
In the tearoom adjacent to Urri and Carrot’s den, a parchment bearing the words of Urri’s grandmother hangs on the wall.
And the next day, the sun shall arise again and breathe life into a new morning.
In the mornings when Urri brews tea and tosses birdseed to the gathered flock that always turns up, she will read those words and think fondly of her grandmother. Carrot usually comes in then, and they share tea and listen to the birds sing.
Sometimes, when Carrot looks to her and smiles, Urri remembers his promise and smiles back, because they did it.
“It’s just like I’ve always told you, Urri. We’re going to create something amazing.”
Lore by Skifter
