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TOPIC | A Reflection of the Soul [Lore/Story]
[center][size=6][font=Gabriola]005:
Forest Fun[/font][/size]
[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/07655acabf5f30100a4bbe954460a1eb/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo3_400.png[/img][/center]
[center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=46140756]
[img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/461408/46140756_350.png[/img]
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Tiercel approached Amity hesitantly, dread settling over him. Already, he could tell Amity wanted to tell him something important, and he was terrified she was about to announce that the two of them could no longer be friends. He desperately began mentally preparing a speech about why they should stay friends, but everything he tried to come up with simply fell flat.
“Hey,” Tiercel greeted hesitantly.
[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=46121571]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/461216/46121571_350.png[/img]
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“Hey,” Amity repeated, tilting her head slightly at him. Already she could tell something was... off. Tiercel seemed subdued and quiet, which was the opposite of how he usually acted. With a flash of guilt, Amity wondered if he was feeling depressed because she had been avoiding him. Mirrors were a social breed after all, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to become depressed if they were alone.
“Tiercel, I-”
“Wait,” Tiercel interrupted quickly, crest drooping slightly. “I’m really sorry, for everything,” he apologized, bowing his head.
“What?” Amity questioned, taken aback. “Why are you apologizing? I was just about to say sorry to [i]you[/i]!”
“You... were?” Tiercel asked in confusion, tilting his head at her. “Why?”
“For avoiding you! I just... I didn’t know what to do, so I ran off. I’m sorry,” Amity apologized, coiling her tail.
“So you’re... not here to tell me that we can’t be friends anymore?” Tiercel pressed hesitantly.
“[i]What?!?[/i]” Amity exclaimed in astonishment, her voice fairly quiet even when she was yelling. “Why would you think that?! Was I really avoiding you that much??”
Tiercel ducked his head guiltily, remembering how he had eavesdropped on part of Amity and Raza’s conversation the night before last. He had barely slept a wink last night thanks to worrying about Amity; she had stayed out much later than she ever had, and he had spent hours into the night just pacing the length of his room restlessly. Tiercel had been worried about Amity’s safety, of course, but he also couldn’t help but worry that they would no longer be friends.
“I...” Tiercel started, both not wanting to confess that he had listened in to a private conversation, but also not wanting to lie to Amity. “I kind of... accidentally overheard Raza talking to you the other night,” he admitted quietly, looking away.
“Tiercel,” Amity began softly, moving to wrap her wings around her friend. “There’s nothing that could ever break our friendship, okay? Raza was just... worried, is all. It’s fine now, I promise,” Amity assured Tiercel, who hugged her back.
As they both pulled away, Tiercel let out a relieved sigh. Already, his mood was skyrocketing, as evident by the way he was bouncing slightly. Tiercel was ready to go do something with his best friend, whatever that something might be.
“Now that that’s all cleared up,” he began happily, running in a quick circle around Amity as he spoke. “We should go-”
“Actually,” Amity interrupted, causing Tiercel to skid to a halt. His nervousness resurfaced ever so slightly, but he tilted his head questioningly. “There’s one more thing I’d like to tell you about,” she said hesitantly. “But you have to promise not to tell anyone.” With her voice barely above a whisper, and the way her eyes glanced around nervously, Tiercel could tell that whatever Amity wanted to talk about, it was important, and serious business.
“Of course,” Tiercel promised, his voice taking on a rare tone of seriousness. “What is it?” He asked curiously.
Instead of answering right away, Amity gestured for Tiercel to follow her, and began making her way back into the bamboo forest. Tiercel followed without a word, but allowed his mind to run freely; what could Amity want to tell him? Or perhaps it was something she wanted to show him, hence why they were walking? His mind went over dozens of possibilities, each more unlikely and elaborate than the last. It ranged from Amity having a secret twin, Amity secretly being royalty, to Amity being the secret ringleader of a traveling circus. Tiercel was at “Amity is secretly a part of a group of pirate ninjas, chosen because her quiet nature was perfect for infiltrating enemy pirate gangs,” when Amity’s voice broke his thoughts.
“There’s something that I’ve been keeping a secret from everyone,” she began slowly, nervously. “Until now, apparently,” she mused quietly. So far, Tiercel’s pirate ninja theory was still plausible. Amity had stopped walking, and turned to face him. “I have this...” she paused, as if searching for the right word.
“Group of pirate ninjas?” Tiercel supplied, causing Amity to blink in surprise before bursting out laughing. “No? Well, how about an enchanted object that grants wishes?” He guessed cheekily. “Did you wish for the Tidelord’s return?” Tiercel joked, and Amity’s laughter grew.
“Tiercel,” she complained between fits of laughter. “The Tidelord’s disappearance isn’t something to be joked about. And I was trying to be serious!”
“Serious? Never met her,” Tiercel said slyly. Amity shook her head at him, but her smile was still evidently plastered across her face. “But sorry, continue,” Tiercel added, sitting down and watching the Nocturne intently.
Amity took a deep breath, both to quell the rest of her laughter and to prepare herself for what she was about to say.
“I have this strange ability that allows me to link my mind with other creatures,” Amity said quickly, cutting to the chase. Tiercel stared at her for a moment, unsure if she was continuing to joke around, or if she was actually being serious.
“You can... what?” Tiercel asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Amity sat down across from Tiercel, and began explaining everything. From how she first discovered her ability and how it seemed to work, all the way up to just earlier, when Raza had found out about it. Tiercel, who was usually very talkative, was silent the entire time, listening to Amity attentively.
“So... yeah,” Amity concluded, shuffling her talons.
“That...” Tiercel began, pausing to take a deep breath. “Was way crazier than any of the possibilities I came up with,” he admitted with a laugh, leaping to his talons and proceeding to bound excitedly around Amity. “Not that I don’t believe you — of course I believe you — but can you show me?” He asked hopefully, extremely curious about the whole thing. “Does it work with any living thing? What about plants? Well, I guess they don’t have minds, so maybe not then... What about bugs? They’re animals, right? Or is it only bigger things?” Tiercel questioned, back to his usual energetic self.
“Woah, um, one thing at a time,” Amity said, a bit overwhelmed. Tiercel stopped running around and sat down, watching Amity expectantly with a grin. “I... don’t think I can do it with insects, no. They don’t really have much of a mental presence,” she mused, picking up a centipede off the forest floor and bringing it up to her snout, peering at the many-legged bug as it scuttled across her claws. She put the centipede back down, returning her attention to Tiercel.
“I can probably show you, as long as we can find a bigger creature. I find that small animals, especially prey animals, panic very easily, so it’s hard to establish and keep any links with them,” Amity explained as she began walking through the bamboo, head swiveling as she looked around for any signs of bigger fauna.
Tiercel trotted after her, also keeping an eye — or four — out for any animals. His smaller pair of heat-seeing eyes were excellent for hunting, but even with that, the two dragons wandered through the dense bamboo forest for about half an hour before they saw any signs of anything.
“Something’s coming towards us,” Tiercel whispered, automatically dropping into a crouch as his hunter instincts kicked in. Amity mimicked his posture, and a few moments later, the creature bounded into view.
[img]https://flightrising.com/images/cms/familiar/art/1034.png[/img]
Amity relaxed, and moved closer to greet her fluffy friend. The hainu was happy to see Amity again, but shot Tiercel a wary look, baring its teeth slightly with a low growl.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Amity soothed, stroking the canine. “That's just Tiercel.” The hainu stopped growling, but it continued to stare at Tiercel with distrust.
“A friend of yours?” Tiercel asked, watching the hainu with equal wariness. He knew not to underestimate the creature, and was ready to fight it off if there were any signs of it attacking Amity.
“Yeah, I’ve linked with this hainu quite a few times,” Amity said. “And it looks like I’m about to do it again,” she mused. Amity took a deep breath, then glanced over at Tiercel. “Um... when I’m linked with a creature, it’s kinda like our minds... meld I guess? So, I’ll probably be acting a little weird, and I can’t really talk, or at least, I’ve never really tried, because this whole thing is closer to dreaming than actually being in control or conscious or anything like that, so—”
“Don’t worry, I get it,” Tiercel interrupted, flashing her a reassuring smile. Amity nodded, then turned her attention back to the hainu.
Tiercel watched as both his friend and the hainu seemed to go into a daze or trance of sorts. After a moment or two, both of their demeanors changed completely; both Amity and the hainu were seemingly upbeat all of a sudden, both their tails wagging. Tiercel watched with a mixture of concern and amusement as the two of them acted identically, inspecting him and yipping playfully and prancing around.
Being a Nocturne, Amity mimicked the hainu’s sounds perfectly, but it could hardly be called mimicry— she wasn’t copying the sounds, but making them at the exact same time as the hainu. It was honestly very strange, seeing Amity act this way; Tiercel was so used to Amity’s quiet, reserved nature, and it was a little jarring to see her acting so... chaotic.
Tiercel got over his unease quickly though, and it wasn’t long before the three of them were running through the bamboo together, playing an odd version of tag that mostly revolved around Amity and the hainu trying to corner and catch Tiercel, to no avail. No words were spoken, but Tiercel’s laughter mixed with the sounds of happy barking. Even though the hainu had been clearly distrusting of Tiercel at first, as soon as Amity had linked up with it, it suddenly trusted him completely. Tiercel had to assume it was because Amity trusted him, and that thought made a warm feeling bloom in his chest.
As their game of tag came to an end, Amity severed the link between her mind and the hainu’s. She waved to the canine as it gave a cheerful yip of farewell before disappearing into the bamboo. Amity automatically took out her journal, opening up to the first blank page she could find, and beginning to write.
“What’s that?” Tiercel asked, moving to sit beside Amity with a grin. Though they had just been running around, he was anything but tired. Amity on the other talon seemed a bit winded.
“My memories of linked experiences are hazy at best, so I write down everything I can remember,” Amity explained. “It’s kinda like a dream journal. So far, I’ve slowly been able to remember more and more each time. Eventually, I hope to be fully aware of everything both during and after a linked experience,” she said as she finished writing, then closed the book and slipped it back into her bag.
“This is so cool,” Tiercel gushed, hopping back up to his talons as he bounced happily around Amity. “I mean, who would’ve guessed that you had such an amazing ability! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner — this is so cool!”
“Tiercel, I didn’t tell you because it could be dangerous if anyone finds out about this,” Amity said quietly, poking at the dirt with her claws. She looked a little downcast all of a sudden, and Tiercel took that as his cue to tackle her with a hug. Both dragons giggled as they fell to the ground.
“I’m not [i]upset[/i] that you didn’t tell me,” Tiercel began, rolling onto his back. Amity lay beside him, and they both stared up at the clouds slowly drifting across the sky high above the towering bamboo around them. “I just meant that this is awesome,” he said, smiling. And it was true — Tiercel was amazed that all this time, Amity had a secret ability. It wasn’t like any power Tiercel had ever heard of before, and he was both awestruck and incredibly curious. One question in particular had begun nagging at the back of his mind.
“Hey, I have a question,” Tiercel began, his smile becoming a thoughtful frown.
“Hm?” Amity hummed, glancing over at the Mirror lying beside her.
“Have you ever tried linking with another dragon?”
It was the same question Razatharia had asked Amity, and the Nocturne couldn’t help but bristle slightly. Yes, it was an honest question, and one that was bound to come up, but the thought of it sent shivers through her.
“No, I haven’t,” Amity answered, much more calmly than she felt.
“Well,” Tiercel said, getting to his talons and shaking off the dirt and grass clinging to his scales. His four eyes stared at Amity, his usual goofy grin replaced with a thoughtful one. And his words sent another chill down Amity’s spine.
“Would you like to?”
[img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/07655acabf5f30100a4bbe954460a1eb/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo3_400.png[/img]
*weak laughter*
It's been a while since I've worked on this, oops. But hey! It's here now! Hopefully I'll actually keep at it this time, because I really do love this story and I'm excited for what's to come.
But yeah, welcome back to a Reflection of the Soul!
EDIT: Oh yeah, I also made a new banner in celebration of picking this story back up!
[img]https://i.imgur.com/lLwUGBB.png[/img]
@Dragonfruiteen @AlpineFresh @Millapede85 @Watercolour @dancingcrane @TumbleweedArmy @DootTheBang @WeaverofLies
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005:
Forest Fun
Tiercel approached Amity hesitantly, dread settling over him. Already, he could tell Amity wanted to tell him something important, and he was terrified she was about to announce that the two of them could no longer be friends. He desperately began mentally preparing a speech about why they should stay friends, but everything he tried to come up with simply fell flat.
“Hey,” Tiercel greeted hesitantly.
“Hey,” Amity repeated, tilting her head slightly at him. Already she could tell something was... off. Tiercel seemed subdued and quiet, which was the opposite of how he usually acted. With a flash of guilt, Amity wondered if he was feeling depressed because she had been avoiding him. Mirrors were a social breed after all, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to become depressed if they were alone.
“Tiercel, I-”
“Wait,” Tiercel interrupted quickly, crest drooping slightly. “I’m really sorry, for everything,” he apologized, bowing his head.
“What?” Amity questioned, taken aback. “Why are you apologizing? I was just about to say sorry to you!”
“You... were?” Tiercel asked in confusion, tilting his head at her. “Why?”
“For avoiding you! I just... I didn’t know what to do, so I ran off. I’m sorry,” Amity apologized, coiling her tail.
“So you’re... not here to tell me that we can’t be friends anymore?” Tiercel pressed hesitantly.
“What?!?” Amity exclaimed in astonishment, her voice fairly quiet even when she was yelling. “Why would you think that?! Was I really avoiding you that much??”
Tiercel ducked his head guiltily, remembering how he had eavesdropped on part of Amity and Raza’s conversation the night before last. He had barely slept a wink last night thanks to worrying about Amity; she had stayed out much later than she ever had, and he had spent hours into the night just pacing the length of his room restlessly. Tiercel had been worried about Amity’s safety, of course, but he also couldn’t help but worry that they would no longer be friends.
“I...” Tiercel started, both not wanting to confess that he had listened in to a private conversation, but also not wanting to lie to Amity. “I kind of... accidentally overheard Raza talking to you the other night,” he admitted quietly, looking away.
“Tiercel,” Amity began softly, moving to wrap her wings around her friend. “There’s nothing that could ever break our friendship, okay? Raza was just... worried, is all. It’s fine now, I promise,” Amity assured Tiercel, who hugged her back.
As they both pulled away, Tiercel let out a relieved sigh. Already, his mood was skyrocketing, as evident by the way he was bouncing slightly. Tiercel was ready to go do something with his best friend, whatever that something might be.
“Now that that’s all cleared up,” he began happily, running in a quick circle around Amity as he spoke. “We should go-”
“Actually,” Amity interrupted, causing Tiercel to skid to a halt. His nervousness resurfaced ever so slightly, but he tilted his head questioningly. “There’s one more thing I’d like to tell you about,” she said hesitantly. “But you have to promise not to tell anyone.” With her voice barely above a whisper, and the way her eyes glanced around nervously, Tiercel could tell that whatever Amity wanted to talk about, it was important, and serious business.
“Of course,” Tiercel promised, his voice taking on a rare tone of seriousness. “What is it?” He asked curiously.
Instead of answering right away, Amity gestured for Tiercel to follow her, and began making her way back into the bamboo forest. Tiercel followed without a word, but allowed his mind to run freely; what could Amity want to tell him? Or perhaps it was something she wanted to show him, hence why they were walking? His mind went over dozens of possibilities, each more unlikely and elaborate than the last. It ranged from Amity having a secret twin, Amity secretly being royalty, to Amity being the secret ringleader of a traveling circus. Tiercel was at “Amity is secretly a part of a group of pirate ninjas, chosen because her quiet nature was perfect for infiltrating enemy pirate gangs,” when Amity’s voice broke his thoughts.
“There’s something that I’ve been keeping a secret from everyone,” she began slowly, nervously. “Until now, apparently,” she mused quietly. So far, Tiercel’s pirate ninja theory was still plausible. Amity had stopped walking, and turned to face him. “I have this...” she paused, as if searching for the right word.
“Group of pirate ninjas?” Tiercel supplied, causing Amity to blink in surprise before bursting out laughing. “No? Well, how about an enchanted object that grants wishes?” He guessed cheekily. “Did you wish for the Tidelord’s return?” Tiercel joked, and Amity’s laughter grew.
“Tiercel,” she complained between fits of laughter. “The Tidelord’s disappearance isn’t something to be joked about. And I was trying to be serious!”
“Serious? Never met her,” Tiercel said slyly. Amity shook her head at him, but her smile was still evidently plastered across her face. “But sorry, continue,” Tiercel added, sitting down and watching the Nocturne intently.
Amity took a deep breath, both to quell the rest of her laughter and to prepare herself for what she was about to say.
“I have this strange ability that allows me to link my mind with other creatures,” Amity said quickly, cutting to the chase. Tiercel stared at her for a moment, unsure if she was continuing to joke around, or if she was actually being serious.
“You can... what?” Tiercel asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Amity sat down across from Tiercel, and began explaining everything. From how she first discovered her ability and how it seemed to work, all the way up to just earlier, when Raza had found out about it. Tiercel, who was usually very talkative, was silent the entire time, listening to Amity attentively.
“So... yeah,” Amity concluded, shuffling her talons.
“That...” Tiercel began, pausing to take a deep breath. “Was way crazier than any of the possibilities I came up with,” he admitted with a laugh, leaping to his talons and proceeding to bound excitedly around Amity. “Not that I don’t believe you — of course I believe you — but can you show me?” He asked hopefully, extremely curious about the whole thing. “Does it work with any living thing? What about plants? Well, I guess they don’t have minds, so maybe not then... What about bugs? They’re animals, right? Or is it only bigger things?” Tiercel questioned, back to his usual energetic self.
“Woah, um, one thing at a time,” Amity said, a bit overwhelmed. Tiercel stopped running around and sat down, watching Amity expectantly with a grin. “I... don’t think I can do it with insects, no. They don’t really have much of a mental presence,” she mused, picking up a centipede off the forest floor and bringing it up to her snout, peering at the many-legged bug as it scuttled across her claws. She put the centipede back down, returning her attention to Tiercel.
“I can probably show you, as long as we can find a bigger creature. I find that small animals, especially prey animals, panic very easily, so it’s hard to establish and keep any links with them,” Amity explained as she began walking through the bamboo, head swiveling as she looked around for any signs of bigger fauna.
Tiercel trotted after her, also keeping an eye — or four — out for any animals. His smaller pair of heat-seeing eyes were excellent for hunting, but even with that, the two dragons wandered through the dense bamboo forest for about half an hour before they saw any signs of anything.
“Something’s coming towards us,” Tiercel whispered, automatically dropping into a crouch as his hunter instincts kicked in. Amity mimicked his posture, and a few moments later, the creature bounded into view.
Amity relaxed, and moved closer to greet her fluffy friend. The hainu was happy to see Amity again, but shot Tiercel a wary look, baring its teeth slightly with a low growl.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Amity soothed, stroking the canine. “That's just Tiercel.” The hainu stopped growling, but it continued to stare at Tiercel with distrust.
“A friend of yours?” Tiercel asked, watching the hainu with equal wariness. He knew not to underestimate the creature, and was ready to fight it off if there were any signs of it attacking Amity.
“Yeah, I’ve linked with this hainu quite a few times,” Amity said. “And it looks like I’m about to do it again,” she mused. Amity took a deep breath, then glanced over at Tiercel. “Um... when I’m linked with a creature, it’s kinda like our minds... meld I guess? So, I’ll probably be acting a little weird, and I can’t really talk, or at least, I’ve never really tried, because this whole thing is closer to dreaming than actually being in control or conscious or anything like that, so—”
“Don’t worry, I get it,” Tiercel interrupted, flashing her a reassuring smile. Amity nodded, then turned her attention back to the hainu.
Tiercel watched as both his friend and the hainu seemed to go into a daze or trance of sorts. After a moment or two, both of their demeanors changed completely; both Amity and the hainu were seemingly upbeat all of a sudden, both their tails wagging. Tiercel watched with a mixture of concern and amusement as the two of them acted identically, inspecting him and yipping playfully and prancing around.
Being a Nocturne, Amity mimicked the hainu’s sounds perfectly, but it could hardly be called mimicry— she wasn’t copying the sounds, but making them at the exact same time as the hainu. It was honestly very strange, seeing Amity act this way; Tiercel was so used to Amity’s quiet, reserved nature, and it was a little jarring to see her acting so... chaotic.
Tiercel got over his unease quickly though, and it wasn’t long before the three of them were running through the bamboo together, playing an odd version of tag that mostly revolved around Amity and the hainu trying to corner and catch Tiercel, to no avail. No words were spoken, but Tiercel’s laughter mixed with the sounds of happy barking. Even though the hainu had been clearly distrusting of Tiercel at first, as soon as Amity had linked up with it, it suddenly trusted him completely. Tiercel had to assume it was because Amity trusted him, and that thought made a warm feeling bloom in his chest.
As their game of tag came to an end, Amity severed the link between her mind and the hainu’s. She waved to the canine as it gave a cheerful yip of farewell before disappearing into the bamboo. Amity automatically took out her journal, opening up to the first blank page she could find, and beginning to write.
“What’s that?” Tiercel asked, moving to sit beside Amity with a grin. Though they had just been running around, he was anything but tired. Amity on the other talon seemed a bit winded.
“My memories of linked experiences are hazy at best, so I write down everything I can remember,” Amity explained. “It’s kinda like a dream journal. So far, I’ve slowly been able to remember more and more each time. Eventually, I hope to be fully aware of everything both during and after a linked experience,” she said as she finished writing, then closed the book and slipped it back into her bag.
“This is so cool,” Tiercel gushed, hopping back up to his talons as he bounced happily around Amity. “I mean, who would’ve guessed that you had such an amazing ability! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner — this is so cool!”
“Tiercel, I didn’t tell you because it could be dangerous if anyone finds out about this,” Amity said quietly, poking at the dirt with her claws. She looked a little downcast all of a sudden, and Tiercel took that as his cue to tackle her with a hug. Both dragons giggled as they fell to the ground.
“I’m not upset that you didn’t tell me,” Tiercel began, rolling onto his back. Amity lay beside him, and they both stared up at the clouds slowly drifting across the sky high above the towering bamboo around them. “I just meant that this is awesome,” he said, smiling. And it was true — Tiercel was amazed that all this time, Amity had a secret ability. It wasn’t like any power Tiercel had ever heard of before, and he was both awestruck and incredibly curious. One question in particular had begun nagging at the back of his mind.
“Hey, I have a question,” Tiercel began, his smile becoming a thoughtful frown.
“Hm?” Amity hummed, glancing over at the Mirror lying beside her.
“Have you ever tried linking with another dragon?”
It was the same question Razatharia had asked Amity, and the Nocturne couldn’t help but bristle slightly. Yes, it was an honest question, and one that was bound to come up, but the thought of it sent shivers through her.
“No, I haven’t,” Amity answered, much more calmly than she felt.
“Well,” Tiercel said, getting to his talons and shaking off the dirt and grass clinging to his scales. His four eyes stared at Amity, his usual goofy grin replaced with a thoughtful one. And his words sent another chill down Amity’s spine.
“Would you like to?”
*weak laughter*
It's been a while since I've worked on this, oops. But hey! It's here now! Hopefully I'll actually keep at it this time, because I really do love this story and I'm excited for what's to come.
But yeah, welcome back to a Reflection of the Soul!
EDIT: Oh yeah, I also made a new banner in celebration of picking this story back up!
@Dragonfruiteen @AlpineFresh @Millapede85 @Watercolour @dancingcrane @TumbleweedArmy @DootTheBang @WeaverofLies
Forest Fun
Tiercel approached Amity hesitantly, dread settling over him. Already, he could tell Amity wanted to tell him something important, and he was terrified she was about to announce that the two of them could no longer be friends. He desperately began mentally preparing a speech about why they should stay friends, but everything he tried to come up with simply fell flat.
“Hey,” Tiercel greeted hesitantly.
“Hey,” Amity repeated, tilting her head slightly at him. Already she could tell something was... off. Tiercel seemed subdued and quiet, which was the opposite of how he usually acted. With a flash of guilt, Amity wondered if he was feeling depressed because she had been avoiding him. Mirrors were a social breed after all, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to become depressed if they were alone.
“Tiercel, I-”
“Wait,” Tiercel interrupted quickly, crest drooping slightly. “I’m really sorry, for everything,” he apologized, bowing his head.
“What?” Amity questioned, taken aback. “Why are you apologizing? I was just about to say sorry to you!”
“You... were?” Tiercel asked in confusion, tilting his head at her. “Why?”
“For avoiding you! I just... I didn’t know what to do, so I ran off. I’m sorry,” Amity apologized, coiling her tail.
“So you’re... not here to tell me that we can’t be friends anymore?” Tiercel pressed hesitantly.
“What?!?” Amity exclaimed in astonishment, her voice fairly quiet even when she was yelling. “Why would you think that?! Was I really avoiding you that much??”
Tiercel ducked his head guiltily, remembering how he had eavesdropped on part of Amity and Raza’s conversation the night before last. He had barely slept a wink last night thanks to worrying about Amity; she had stayed out much later than she ever had, and he had spent hours into the night just pacing the length of his room restlessly. Tiercel had been worried about Amity’s safety, of course, but he also couldn’t help but worry that they would no longer be friends.
“I...” Tiercel started, both not wanting to confess that he had listened in to a private conversation, but also not wanting to lie to Amity. “I kind of... accidentally overheard Raza talking to you the other night,” he admitted quietly, looking away.
“Tiercel,” Amity began softly, moving to wrap her wings around her friend. “There’s nothing that could ever break our friendship, okay? Raza was just... worried, is all. It’s fine now, I promise,” Amity assured Tiercel, who hugged her back.
As they both pulled away, Tiercel let out a relieved sigh. Already, his mood was skyrocketing, as evident by the way he was bouncing slightly. Tiercel was ready to go do something with his best friend, whatever that something might be.
“Now that that’s all cleared up,” he began happily, running in a quick circle around Amity as he spoke. “We should go-”
“Actually,” Amity interrupted, causing Tiercel to skid to a halt. His nervousness resurfaced ever so slightly, but he tilted his head questioningly. “There’s one more thing I’d like to tell you about,” she said hesitantly. “But you have to promise not to tell anyone.” With her voice barely above a whisper, and the way her eyes glanced around nervously, Tiercel could tell that whatever Amity wanted to talk about, it was important, and serious business.
“Of course,” Tiercel promised, his voice taking on a rare tone of seriousness. “What is it?” He asked curiously.
Instead of answering right away, Amity gestured for Tiercel to follow her, and began making her way back into the bamboo forest. Tiercel followed without a word, but allowed his mind to run freely; what could Amity want to tell him? Or perhaps it was something she wanted to show him, hence why they were walking? His mind went over dozens of possibilities, each more unlikely and elaborate than the last. It ranged from Amity having a secret twin, Amity secretly being royalty, to Amity being the secret ringleader of a traveling circus. Tiercel was at “Amity is secretly a part of a group of pirate ninjas, chosen because her quiet nature was perfect for infiltrating enemy pirate gangs,” when Amity’s voice broke his thoughts.
“There’s something that I’ve been keeping a secret from everyone,” she began slowly, nervously. “Until now, apparently,” she mused quietly. So far, Tiercel’s pirate ninja theory was still plausible. Amity had stopped walking, and turned to face him. “I have this...” she paused, as if searching for the right word.
“Group of pirate ninjas?” Tiercel supplied, causing Amity to blink in surprise before bursting out laughing. “No? Well, how about an enchanted object that grants wishes?” He guessed cheekily. “Did you wish for the Tidelord’s return?” Tiercel joked, and Amity’s laughter grew.
“Tiercel,” she complained between fits of laughter. “The Tidelord’s disappearance isn’t something to be joked about. And I was trying to be serious!”
“Serious? Never met her,” Tiercel said slyly. Amity shook her head at him, but her smile was still evidently plastered across her face. “But sorry, continue,” Tiercel added, sitting down and watching the Nocturne intently.
Amity took a deep breath, both to quell the rest of her laughter and to prepare herself for what she was about to say.
“I have this strange ability that allows me to link my mind with other creatures,” Amity said quickly, cutting to the chase. Tiercel stared at her for a moment, unsure if she was continuing to joke around, or if she was actually being serious.
“You can... what?” Tiercel asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Amity sat down across from Tiercel, and began explaining everything. From how she first discovered her ability and how it seemed to work, all the way up to just earlier, when Raza had found out about it. Tiercel, who was usually very talkative, was silent the entire time, listening to Amity attentively.
“So... yeah,” Amity concluded, shuffling her talons.
“That...” Tiercel began, pausing to take a deep breath. “Was way crazier than any of the possibilities I came up with,” he admitted with a laugh, leaping to his talons and proceeding to bound excitedly around Amity. “Not that I don’t believe you — of course I believe you — but can you show me?” He asked hopefully, extremely curious about the whole thing. “Does it work with any living thing? What about plants? Well, I guess they don’t have minds, so maybe not then... What about bugs? They’re animals, right? Or is it only bigger things?” Tiercel questioned, back to his usual energetic self.
“Woah, um, one thing at a time,” Amity said, a bit overwhelmed. Tiercel stopped running around and sat down, watching Amity expectantly with a grin. “I... don’t think I can do it with insects, no. They don’t really have much of a mental presence,” she mused, picking up a centipede off the forest floor and bringing it up to her snout, peering at the many-legged bug as it scuttled across her claws. She put the centipede back down, returning her attention to Tiercel.
“I can probably show you, as long as we can find a bigger creature. I find that small animals, especially prey animals, panic very easily, so it’s hard to establish and keep any links with them,” Amity explained as she began walking through the bamboo, head swiveling as she looked around for any signs of bigger fauna.
Tiercel trotted after her, also keeping an eye — or four — out for any animals. His smaller pair of heat-seeing eyes were excellent for hunting, but even with that, the two dragons wandered through the dense bamboo forest for about half an hour before they saw any signs of anything.
“Something’s coming towards us,” Tiercel whispered, automatically dropping into a crouch as his hunter instincts kicked in. Amity mimicked his posture, and a few moments later, the creature bounded into view.
Amity relaxed, and moved closer to greet her fluffy friend. The hainu was happy to see Amity again, but shot Tiercel a wary look, baring its teeth slightly with a low growl.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Amity soothed, stroking the canine. “That's just Tiercel.” The hainu stopped growling, but it continued to stare at Tiercel with distrust.
“A friend of yours?” Tiercel asked, watching the hainu with equal wariness. He knew not to underestimate the creature, and was ready to fight it off if there were any signs of it attacking Amity.
“Yeah, I’ve linked with this hainu quite a few times,” Amity said. “And it looks like I’m about to do it again,” she mused. Amity took a deep breath, then glanced over at Tiercel. “Um... when I’m linked with a creature, it’s kinda like our minds... meld I guess? So, I’ll probably be acting a little weird, and I can’t really talk, or at least, I’ve never really tried, because this whole thing is closer to dreaming than actually being in control or conscious or anything like that, so—”
“Don’t worry, I get it,” Tiercel interrupted, flashing her a reassuring smile. Amity nodded, then turned her attention back to the hainu.
Tiercel watched as both his friend and the hainu seemed to go into a daze or trance of sorts. After a moment or two, both of their demeanors changed completely; both Amity and the hainu were seemingly upbeat all of a sudden, both their tails wagging. Tiercel watched with a mixture of concern and amusement as the two of them acted identically, inspecting him and yipping playfully and prancing around.
Being a Nocturne, Amity mimicked the hainu’s sounds perfectly, but it could hardly be called mimicry— she wasn’t copying the sounds, but making them at the exact same time as the hainu. It was honestly very strange, seeing Amity act this way; Tiercel was so used to Amity’s quiet, reserved nature, and it was a little jarring to see her acting so... chaotic.
Tiercel got over his unease quickly though, and it wasn’t long before the three of them were running through the bamboo together, playing an odd version of tag that mostly revolved around Amity and the hainu trying to corner and catch Tiercel, to no avail. No words were spoken, but Tiercel’s laughter mixed with the sounds of happy barking. Even though the hainu had been clearly distrusting of Tiercel at first, as soon as Amity had linked up with it, it suddenly trusted him completely. Tiercel had to assume it was because Amity trusted him, and that thought made a warm feeling bloom in his chest.
As their game of tag came to an end, Amity severed the link between her mind and the hainu’s. She waved to the canine as it gave a cheerful yip of farewell before disappearing into the bamboo. Amity automatically took out her journal, opening up to the first blank page she could find, and beginning to write.
“What’s that?” Tiercel asked, moving to sit beside Amity with a grin. Though they had just been running around, he was anything but tired. Amity on the other talon seemed a bit winded.
“My memories of linked experiences are hazy at best, so I write down everything I can remember,” Amity explained. “It’s kinda like a dream journal. So far, I’ve slowly been able to remember more and more each time. Eventually, I hope to be fully aware of everything both during and after a linked experience,” she said as she finished writing, then closed the book and slipped it back into her bag.
“This is so cool,” Tiercel gushed, hopping back up to his talons as he bounced happily around Amity. “I mean, who would’ve guessed that you had such an amazing ability! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner — this is so cool!”
“Tiercel, I didn’t tell you because it could be dangerous if anyone finds out about this,” Amity said quietly, poking at the dirt with her claws. She looked a little downcast all of a sudden, and Tiercel took that as his cue to tackle her with a hug. Both dragons giggled as they fell to the ground.
“I’m not upset that you didn’t tell me,” Tiercel began, rolling onto his back. Amity lay beside him, and they both stared up at the clouds slowly drifting across the sky high above the towering bamboo around them. “I just meant that this is awesome,” he said, smiling. And it was true — Tiercel was amazed that all this time, Amity had a secret ability. It wasn’t like any power Tiercel had ever heard of before, and he was both awestruck and incredibly curious. One question in particular had begun nagging at the back of his mind.
“Hey, I have a question,” Tiercel began, his smile becoming a thoughtful frown.
“Hm?” Amity hummed, glancing over at the Mirror lying beside her.
“Have you ever tried linking with another dragon?”
It was the same question Razatharia had asked Amity, and the Nocturne couldn’t help but bristle slightly. Yes, it was an honest question, and one that was bound to come up, but the thought of it sent shivers through her.
“No, I haven’t,” Amity answered, much more calmly than she felt.
“Well,” Tiercel said, getting to his talons and shaking off the dirt and grass clinging to his scales. His four eyes stared at Amity, his usual goofy grin replaced with a thoughtful one. And his words sent another chill down Amity’s spine.
“Would you like to?”
*weak laughter*
It's been a while since I've worked on this, oops. But hey! It's here now! Hopefully I'll actually keep at it this time, because I really do love this story and I'm excited for what's to come.
But yeah, welcome back to a Reflection of the Soul!
EDIT: Oh yeah, I also made a new banner in celebration of picking this story back up!
@Dragonfruiteen @AlpineFresh @Millapede85 @Watercolour @dancingcrane @TumbleweedArmy @DootTheBang @WeaverofLies
@Razatharia, I’m so glad you picked this story back up! I’m very fond of Amity and Tiercel.
@Razatharia, I’m so glad you picked this story back up! I’m very fond of Amity and Tiercel.
All Nest Rentals - 5g/5kt and 40 food pls
@dancingcrane aaaa thank you <3
I love them too, and I'm really excited for the update I'm writing right now, because it introduces our 3rd main character... Hopefully I'll finish it soon so I can post it :D
I love them too, and I'm really excited for the update I'm writing right now, because it introduces our 3rd main character... Hopefully I'll finish it soon so I can post it :D
@dancingcrane aaaa thank you <3
I love them too, and I'm really excited for the update I'm writing right now, because it introduces our 3rd main character... Hopefully I'll finish it soon so I can post it :D
I love them too, and I'm really excited for the update I'm writing right now, because it introduces our 3rd main character... Hopefully I'll finish it soon so I can post it :D
[center][size=6][font=Gabriola]006:
First Signs of Fire[/font][/size]
[img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/07655acabf5f30100a4bbe954460a1eb/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo3_400.png[/img]
Amity stared at Tiercel in shock.
“Are you implying...?” Amity mumbled, too taken aback to finish her question.
“You don’t have to,” Tiercel said quickly. “And I’m not even saying that you should. Just that if you [i]did[/i] want to, I’m up for it. But you totally don’t have to! I understand, and I respect your decisions,” he assured, hoping Amity would calm down. She seemed quite frightened by the idea, and Tiercel didn’t like seeing her upset in any way, shape or form.
Amity thought it over carefully, staring at her talons. The idea of trying to link with another dragon quite honestly terrified her, but... if she was going to try it with any dragon, Tiercel would definitely be her first pick. He was one of the only dragons she actually felt safe around. Plus, it [i]would[/i] be pretty cool to see what heat vision was like...
Amity shook her head. “I don’t think I’m ready for that,” she decided, looking up to meet Tiercel’s eyes. “Yet,” she added. “Maybe one day, but right now...”
“Yeah, no worries,” Tiercel chirped, moving to wrap a wing around her. “I’m just happy you trust me with your secret, and I’m here to support you in whatever you choose to do,” he said, nuzzling her playfully. Amity giggled, gently butting her head against Tiercel’s.
“Yeah, well, thanks for being a trustworthy friend I can share my secret with,” she said, smiling softly. “Let’s head back home, shall we? I’m sure there’s a lot you want to show me, since I’ve been pretty much gone for the past couple of days,” Amity mused.
“Oh yeah,” Tiercel agreed, nodding his head as they began walking side by side through the bamboo. “[i]Tons[/i] of stuff happened while you were gone. The clan was attacked by the Shade, Comet accidentally gave himself a second head using science, and Raza fell into one of Enzoa’s prank traps,” he listed, nodding earnestly as Amity laughed.
“You’re funny,” Amity said as she rolled her eyes playfully.
“...Okay but that last one actually did happen,” Tiercel added quickly. “And I may or may not have been a part of it, but luckily Raza didn’t seem to mind that much. It was still scary though,” he mused with a chuckle.
Amity shook her head in amusement, leaning against Tiercel as they walked. She felt so relieved that she no longer had to hide her ability from Tiercel, or Raza, for that matter.
“Hey,” Tiercel began softly. “Thanks.”
“For what?” Amity asked, looking up at him.
“For trusting me.”
[img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/07655acabf5f30100a4bbe954460a1eb/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo3_400.png[/img]
[url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=48817492]
[img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/488175/48817492_350.png[/img]
[/url]
It was his first real mission.
Wildcard crept silently alongside his mother, Krimzyn, one of the highest ranking Wildclaws in their clan, and definitely the most esteemed and well-known assassin and spy within it. To her, this was just another day of work, but to Wildcard, it was a chance to prove his worth. Being the son of two of the highest ranking dragons in the Edict of Obsidian, Wildcard had a lot to live up to, and no matter how hard he tried, he was never good enough.
But all that would change today. This was it, Wildcard could feel it within the burning fires inside his chest that [i]today was the day[/i] he would finally prove himself.
[img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/scry?sdid=287989&skin=0&apparel=290,292,294,13824,293,13848,13808,13792,13856,13840,13832,13776&xt=dressing.png[/img]
“Stay low,” his mother commanded in a whisper. “This is a stealth mission to collect information on the enemy; we don’t want to be seen.” Of course, Wildclaw already knew that, but he knew better than to point that out, and instead nodded in confirmation. Soon, there would be no more words exchanged between them, as they were nearing enemy territory.
The Glass Talon Enclave. A fragile name for such a fragile clan... Unfortunately, glass could also be rather sharp; there was a reason this was a stealth mission and not a full on attack. While the Edict would surely easily overpower the Enclave in a face off, the Edict liked to fight dirty, so it was only logical that they gathered intel before striking.
Wildcard followed Krimzyn into the ashen forest of leafless trees that bordered the Edict and the Enclave’s territories. There weren't many forests in the Ashfall Waste, at least, not that Wilcard had seen, but this one was fairly large, covering quite the stretch of land. Both Wildclaws moved silently between the charred wood and hardy shrubs; all the plant life here appeared to be burnt and dead, but in reality it was simply that time of the year where the trees lost their leaves, and instead of littering the ground, they burned to ash. That meant there wasn’t as much cover to hide in, which was why Wildcard was chosen to accompany Krimzyn in the first place; his brown and fiery colours blended in perfectly with the scorched landscape around them, as did Krimzyn’s dark red and coal hide.
Through the mess of leafless trees, the enemy clan came into view. Wildclaws milled about, hauling greystone bricks and stacking them in place with mortar. It would seem they had begun building up walls in defense.
Wildcard snarled slightly as he watched one of the Wildclaws wave their talon and cause bricks to begin floating into place, guided by magic. Wildclaws who used magic simply weren’t Wildclaws. Magic was just what weak dragons used to make up for their lack of strength, and Wildclaws were all about being strong. These dragons — this [i]clan[/i] — made Wildcard furious. A [i]true[/i] Wildclaw clan outlawed magic. [i]This[/i] sorry excuse for a clan didn’t just allow magic, but [i]encouraged[/i] it.
Krimzyn froze suddenly, and flicked her tail at Wildcard, signaling him to get down. He obeyed without hesitation, dropping down to press his stomach against the ground, crest flat and wings folded tightly. For a few moments, nothing moved. It was likely Krimzyn was just testing Wildcard, trying to see how well he remembered signals and followed commands.
[i]Test me all you want,[/i] Wildcard challenged silently. [i]I’ll prove to you and father just how ready I am.[/i] This may have been Wildcard’s first real mission, but he was certain it wouldn’t be his last.
The seconds dragged by, until finally Krimzyn signaled for them to keep moving. They got as close as they dared, keeping to the little cover there was as they eyed the working Wildclaws. Wildcard quickly began taking in as many details as he could, trying to find anything that might be of use.
The walls were very clearly a new project, with no parts of the wall high enough to keep much of anything out. Though they couldn’t see all around the enemy clan, it sure looked like they planned on fortifying the entire perimeter. Various Wildclaws were hauling carts of greystone bricks in, and just as many were dragging empty carts out.
If the Edict of Obsidian wanted to launch an attack against the Glass Talon Enclave, then it was probably a good idea to do it quickly, before the wall was finished. Not that a wall would be able to keep the Edict out, of course, but it would be annoying, definitely.
Wildcard’s attention was stolen by the sound of voices getting closer. Two Wildclaws, heading in their direction. [i]Most likely a couple going out hunting,[/i] deduced Wildcard as he glanced at Krimzyn for orders. But his mother had moved a bit farther off, her attention on the Enclave, and didn’t seem to notice the approaching enemies.
Wildcard bared his teeth in frustration. He couldn’t get closer to her without the other Wildclaws spotting him, and they were close enough now that if he were to try to get her attention with a sound, they would definitely hear. He could see only two options here; either hide and hope Krimzyn noticed the approaching dragons, or ambush the Wildclaws before they could ambush his mother.
Acting on impulse, Wildcard chose the latter, determined to prove himself and ensure Krimzyn wasn’t caught off guard. He crouched low, keeping a close eye on the approaching Wildclaws. He snuck closer, tail tip flicking in anticipation. As soon as they were close enough, Wildcard pounced, attacking the closest Wildclaw with talons and teeth alike. His opponent was fairly bigger than he was, since Wildcard was still technically a dragonet, but that didn’t deter him.
The Wildclaw he had attacked screeched, head snaking towards him with an open maw. Wildcard quickly dodged out of the way of the snapping maw, and just as swiftly delivered another slash to his opponent. The other Wildclaw had backed away, and started to shout towards the Enclave. Before she could call for help, Krimzyn dropped seemingly out of nowhere, slamming the Wildclaw to the ground and silencing her.
“By the Flamecaller,” she hissed angrily as she tackled the Wildclaw Wildcard had been fighting, swiftly dealing with him as well. “What part of [i]stealth mission[/i] don’t you understand?” Krimzyn demanded sibilantly, keeping her voice low.
“They were a threat! I was simply neutralizing them,” Wildcard defended, baring his teeth slightly.
“They were [i]going[/i] to walk right by us, had you used common sense and hidden, instead of —” she was cut off by a challenging roar. Krimzyn whipped around to face the new threat, snarling. Wildcard quickly got ready to fight again as he moved to stand beside his mother. He was ready to take on anyone and anything, desperate to prove that he wasn’t a child anymore, that he could handle this.
“We can take ‘em,” Wildcard said quietly, sizing up the opposing Wildclaw. But there wasn’t just one anymore; two more had caught up, then quickly joined by another. Soon, there was a whole pack of them fanning out to surround Wildcard and Krimzyn.
Krimzyn didn’t wait for them to get into formation, and launched herself at the nearest opponent. Wildcard did the same, lashing out and going toe to toe with one of the Wildclaws. But he quickly wasn’t just fighting one, but three, and most of his time was spent dodging attacks rather than retaliating. He spared a glance at his mother, and felt a flash of fear as he saw she was close to being overwhelmed as well. Wildcard quickly replaced his fear with determination and redoubled his efforts.
Something slammed into Wildcard suddenly, hard enough to knock him out of the ring of Wildclaws. He was quick to get back on his talons, ready to jump back into the fray, only to find it had been Krimzyn who had pushed him.
“Go!” she yelled at him, then signaled to him with a swift wave of her talon before returning her full focus on the attacking Wildclaws. [i]Retreat and regroup[/i] she had signed, and though Wildclaw itched to jump back in, he would never disobey a direct order from his mother.
Before the other Wildclaws could advance on him, Wildcard turned and fled, racing through the scorched forest as roaring rang out behind him. He glanced back, only to see Krimzyn get hit with a blast of magic, knocking her off her talons.
It took all of Wildcard’s willpower not to turn around...
Oh, how he wished he had.
[img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/07655acabf5f30100a4bbe954460a1eb/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo3_400.png[/img]
[s]Don't mind that in-game Wildcard's mother is actually a Coatl, all that matters is the lore.[/s]
It takes me forever to write anything, apparently, but hey! Here's an update!
Amity and Tiercel are best buds forever, and we've had our first look at our third main character, Wildcard! Hope you guys enjoyed this update, and have a wonderful day :)
@Dragonfruiteen @AlpineFresh @Millapede85 @Watercolour @dancingcrane @TumbleweedArmy @DootTheBang @WeaverofLies @Dawntalon427[/center]
006:
First Signs of Fire
Amity stared at Tiercel in shock.
“Are you implying...?” Amity mumbled, too taken aback to finish her question.
“You don’t have to,” Tiercel said quickly. “And I’m not even saying that you should. Just that if you did want to, I’m up for it. But you totally don’t have to! I understand, and I respect your decisions,” he assured, hoping Amity would calm down. She seemed quite frightened by the idea, and Tiercel didn’t like seeing her upset in any way, shape or form.
Amity thought it over carefully, staring at her talons. The idea of trying to link with another dragon quite honestly terrified her, but... if she was going to try it with any dragon, Tiercel would definitely be her first pick. He was one of the only dragons she actually felt safe around. Plus, it would be pretty cool to see what heat vision was like...
Amity shook her head. “I don’t think I’m ready for that,” she decided, looking up to meet Tiercel’s eyes. “Yet,” she added. “Maybe one day, but right now...”
“Yeah, no worries,” Tiercel chirped, moving to wrap a wing around her. “I’m just happy you trust me with your secret, and I’m here to support you in whatever you choose to do,” he said, nuzzling her playfully. Amity giggled, gently butting her head against Tiercel’s.
“Yeah, well, thanks for being a trustworthy friend I can share my secret with,” she said, smiling softly. “Let’s head back home, shall we? I’m sure there’s a lot you want to show me, since I’ve been pretty much gone for the past couple of days,” Amity mused.
“Oh yeah,” Tiercel agreed, nodding his head as they began walking side by side through the bamboo. “Tons of stuff happened while you were gone. The clan was attacked by the Shade, Comet accidentally gave himself a second head using science, and Raza fell into one of Enzoa’s prank traps,” he listed, nodding earnestly as Amity laughed.
“You’re funny,” Amity said as she rolled her eyes playfully.
“...Okay but that last one actually did happen,” Tiercel added quickly. “And I may or may not have been a part of it, but luckily Raza didn’t seem to mind that much. It was still scary though,” he mused with a chuckle.
Amity shook her head in amusement, leaning against Tiercel as they walked. She felt so relieved that she no longer had to hide her ability from Tiercel, or Raza, for that matter.
“Hey,” Tiercel began softly. “Thanks.”
“For what?” Amity asked, looking up at him.
“For trusting me.”
It was his first real mission.
Wildcard crept silently alongside his mother, Krimzyn, one of the highest ranking Wildclaws in their clan, and definitely the most esteemed and well-known assassin and spy within it. To her, this was just another day of work, but to Wildcard, it was a chance to prove his worth. Being the son of two of the highest ranking dragons in the Edict of Obsidian, Wildcard had a lot to live up to, and no matter how hard he tried, he was never good enough.
But all that would change today. This was it, Wildcard could feel it within the burning fires inside his chest that today was the day he would finally prove himself.
“Stay low,” his mother commanded in a whisper. “This is a stealth mission to collect information on the enemy; we don’t want to be seen.” Of course, Wildclaw already knew that, but he knew better than to point that out, and instead nodded in confirmation. Soon, there would be no more words exchanged between them, as they were nearing enemy territory.
The Glass Talon Enclave. A fragile name for such a fragile clan... Unfortunately, glass could also be rather sharp; there was a reason this was a stealth mission and not a full on attack. While the Edict would surely easily overpower the Enclave in a face off, the Edict liked to fight dirty, so it was only logical that they gathered intel before striking.
Wildcard followed Krimzyn into the ashen forest of leafless trees that bordered the Edict and the Enclave’s territories. There weren't many forests in the Ashfall Waste, at least, not that Wilcard had seen, but this one was fairly large, covering quite the stretch of land. Both Wildclaws moved silently between the charred wood and hardy shrubs; all the plant life here appeared to be burnt and dead, but in reality it was simply that time of the year where the trees lost their leaves, and instead of littering the ground, they burned to ash. That meant there wasn’t as much cover to hide in, which was why Wildcard was chosen to accompany Krimzyn in the first place; his brown and fiery colours blended in perfectly with the scorched landscape around them, as did Krimzyn’s dark red and coal hide.
Through the mess of leafless trees, the enemy clan came into view. Wildclaws milled about, hauling greystone bricks and stacking them in place with mortar. It would seem they had begun building up walls in defense.
Wildcard snarled slightly as he watched one of the Wildclaws wave their talon and cause bricks to begin floating into place, guided by magic. Wildclaws who used magic simply weren’t Wildclaws. Magic was just what weak dragons used to make up for their lack of strength, and Wildclaws were all about being strong. These dragons — this clan — made Wildcard furious. A true Wildclaw clan outlawed magic. This sorry excuse for a clan didn’t just allow magic, but encouraged it.
Krimzyn froze suddenly, and flicked her tail at Wildcard, signaling him to get down. He obeyed without hesitation, dropping down to press his stomach against the ground, crest flat and wings folded tightly. For a few moments, nothing moved. It was likely Krimzyn was just testing Wildcard, trying to see how well he remembered signals and followed commands.
Test me all you want, Wildcard challenged silently. I’ll prove to you and father just how ready I am. This may have been Wildcard’s first real mission, but he was certain it wouldn’t be his last.
The seconds dragged by, until finally Krimzyn signaled for them to keep moving. They got as close as they dared, keeping to the little cover there was as they eyed the working Wildclaws. Wildcard quickly began taking in as many details as he could, trying to find anything that might be of use.
The walls were very clearly a new project, with no parts of the wall high enough to keep much of anything out. Though they couldn’t see all around the enemy clan, it sure looked like they planned on fortifying the entire perimeter. Various Wildclaws were hauling carts of greystone bricks in, and just as many were dragging empty carts out.
If the Edict of Obsidian wanted to launch an attack against the Glass Talon Enclave, then it was probably a good idea to do it quickly, before the wall was finished. Not that a wall would be able to keep the Edict out, of course, but it would be annoying, definitely.
Wildcard’s attention was stolen by the sound of voices getting closer. Two Wildclaws, heading in their direction. Most likely a couple going out hunting, deduced Wildcard as he glanced at Krimzyn for orders. But his mother had moved a bit farther off, her attention on the Enclave, and didn’t seem to notice the approaching enemies.
Wildcard bared his teeth in frustration. He couldn’t get closer to her without the other Wildclaws spotting him, and they were close enough now that if he were to try to get her attention with a sound, they would definitely hear. He could see only two options here; either hide and hope Krimzyn noticed the approaching dragons, or ambush the Wildclaws before they could ambush his mother.
Acting on impulse, Wildcard chose the latter, determined to prove himself and ensure Krimzyn wasn’t caught off guard. He crouched low, keeping a close eye on the approaching Wildclaws. He snuck closer, tail tip flicking in anticipation. As soon as they were close enough, Wildcard pounced, attacking the closest Wildclaw with talons and teeth alike. His opponent was fairly bigger than he was, since Wildcard was still technically a dragonet, but that didn’t deter him.
The Wildclaw he had attacked screeched, head snaking towards him with an open maw. Wildcard quickly dodged out of the way of the snapping maw, and just as swiftly delivered another slash to his opponent. The other Wildclaw had backed away, and started to shout towards the Enclave. Before she could call for help, Krimzyn dropped seemingly out of nowhere, slamming the Wildclaw to the ground and silencing her.
“By the Flamecaller,” she hissed angrily as she tackled the Wildclaw Wildcard had been fighting, swiftly dealing with him as well. “What part of stealth mission don’t you understand?” Krimzyn demanded sibilantly, keeping her voice low.
“They were a threat! I was simply neutralizing them,” Wildcard defended, baring his teeth slightly.
“They were going to walk right by us, had you used common sense and hidden, instead of —” she was cut off by a challenging roar. Krimzyn whipped around to face the new threat, snarling. Wildcard quickly got ready to fight again as he moved to stand beside his mother. He was ready to take on anyone and anything, desperate to prove that he wasn’t a child anymore, that he could handle this.
“We can take ‘em,” Wildcard said quietly, sizing up the opposing Wildclaw. But there wasn’t just one anymore; two more had caught up, then quickly joined by another. Soon, there was a whole pack of them fanning out to surround Wildcard and Krimzyn.
Krimzyn didn’t wait for them to get into formation, and launched herself at the nearest opponent. Wildcard did the same, lashing out and going toe to toe with one of the Wildclaws. But he quickly wasn’t just fighting one, but three, and most of his time was spent dodging attacks rather than retaliating. He spared a glance at his mother, and felt a flash of fear as he saw she was close to being overwhelmed as well. Wildcard quickly replaced his fear with determination and redoubled his efforts.
Something slammed into Wildcard suddenly, hard enough to knock him out of the ring of Wildclaws. He was quick to get back on his talons, ready to jump back into the fray, only to find it had been Krimzyn who had pushed him.
“Go!” she yelled at him, then signaled to him with a swift wave of her talon before returning her full focus on the attacking Wildclaws. Retreat and regroup she had signed, and though Wildclaw itched to jump back in, he would never disobey a direct order from his mother.
Before the other Wildclaws could advance on him, Wildcard turned and fled, racing through the scorched forest as roaring rang out behind him. He glanced back, only to see Krimzyn get hit with a blast of magic, knocking her off her talons.
It took all of Wildcard’s willpower not to turn around...
Oh, how he wished he had.
Don't mind that in-game Wildcard's mother is actually a Coatl, all that matters is the lore.
It takes me forever to write anything, apparently, but hey! Here's an update!
Amity and Tiercel are best buds forever, and we've had our first look at our third main character, Wildcard! Hope you guys enjoyed this update, and have a wonderful day :)
@Dragonfruiteen @AlpineFresh @Millapede85 @Watercolour @dancingcrane @TumbleweedArmy @DootTheBang @WeaverofLies @Dawntalon427
First Signs of Fire
Amity stared at Tiercel in shock.
“Are you implying...?” Amity mumbled, too taken aback to finish her question.
“You don’t have to,” Tiercel said quickly. “And I’m not even saying that you should. Just that if you did want to, I’m up for it. But you totally don’t have to! I understand, and I respect your decisions,” he assured, hoping Amity would calm down. She seemed quite frightened by the idea, and Tiercel didn’t like seeing her upset in any way, shape or form.
Amity thought it over carefully, staring at her talons. The idea of trying to link with another dragon quite honestly terrified her, but... if she was going to try it with any dragon, Tiercel would definitely be her first pick. He was one of the only dragons she actually felt safe around. Plus, it would be pretty cool to see what heat vision was like...
Amity shook her head. “I don’t think I’m ready for that,” she decided, looking up to meet Tiercel’s eyes. “Yet,” she added. “Maybe one day, but right now...”
“Yeah, no worries,” Tiercel chirped, moving to wrap a wing around her. “I’m just happy you trust me with your secret, and I’m here to support you in whatever you choose to do,” he said, nuzzling her playfully. Amity giggled, gently butting her head against Tiercel’s.
“Yeah, well, thanks for being a trustworthy friend I can share my secret with,” she said, smiling softly. “Let’s head back home, shall we? I’m sure there’s a lot you want to show me, since I’ve been pretty much gone for the past couple of days,” Amity mused.
“Oh yeah,” Tiercel agreed, nodding his head as they began walking side by side through the bamboo. “Tons of stuff happened while you were gone. The clan was attacked by the Shade, Comet accidentally gave himself a second head using science, and Raza fell into one of Enzoa’s prank traps,” he listed, nodding earnestly as Amity laughed.
“You’re funny,” Amity said as she rolled her eyes playfully.
“...Okay but that last one actually did happen,” Tiercel added quickly. “And I may or may not have been a part of it, but luckily Raza didn’t seem to mind that much. It was still scary though,” he mused with a chuckle.
Amity shook her head in amusement, leaning against Tiercel as they walked. She felt so relieved that she no longer had to hide her ability from Tiercel, or Raza, for that matter.
“Hey,” Tiercel began softly. “Thanks.”
“For what?” Amity asked, looking up at him.
“For trusting me.”
It was his first real mission.
Wildcard crept silently alongside his mother, Krimzyn, one of the highest ranking Wildclaws in their clan, and definitely the most esteemed and well-known assassin and spy within it. To her, this was just another day of work, but to Wildcard, it was a chance to prove his worth. Being the son of two of the highest ranking dragons in the Edict of Obsidian, Wildcard had a lot to live up to, and no matter how hard he tried, he was never good enough.
But all that would change today. This was it, Wildcard could feel it within the burning fires inside his chest that today was the day he would finally prove himself.
“Stay low,” his mother commanded in a whisper. “This is a stealth mission to collect information on the enemy; we don’t want to be seen.” Of course, Wildclaw already knew that, but he knew better than to point that out, and instead nodded in confirmation. Soon, there would be no more words exchanged between them, as they were nearing enemy territory.
The Glass Talon Enclave. A fragile name for such a fragile clan... Unfortunately, glass could also be rather sharp; there was a reason this was a stealth mission and not a full on attack. While the Edict would surely easily overpower the Enclave in a face off, the Edict liked to fight dirty, so it was only logical that they gathered intel before striking.
Wildcard followed Krimzyn into the ashen forest of leafless trees that bordered the Edict and the Enclave’s territories. There weren't many forests in the Ashfall Waste, at least, not that Wilcard had seen, but this one was fairly large, covering quite the stretch of land. Both Wildclaws moved silently between the charred wood and hardy shrubs; all the plant life here appeared to be burnt and dead, but in reality it was simply that time of the year where the trees lost their leaves, and instead of littering the ground, they burned to ash. That meant there wasn’t as much cover to hide in, which was why Wildcard was chosen to accompany Krimzyn in the first place; his brown and fiery colours blended in perfectly with the scorched landscape around them, as did Krimzyn’s dark red and coal hide.
Through the mess of leafless trees, the enemy clan came into view. Wildclaws milled about, hauling greystone bricks and stacking them in place with mortar. It would seem they had begun building up walls in defense.
Wildcard snarled slightly as he watched one of the Wildclaws wave their talon and cause bricks to begin floating into place, guided by magic. Wildclaws who used magic simply weren’t Wildclaws. Magic was just what weak dragons used to make up for their lack of strength, and Wildclaws were all about being strong. These dragons — this clan — made Wildcard furious. A true Wildclaw clan outlawed magic. This sorry excuse for a clan didn’t just allow magic, but encouraged it.
Krimzyn froze suddenly, and flicked her tail at Wildcard, signaling him to get down. He obeyed without hesitation, dropping down to press his stomach against the ground, crest flat and wings folded tightly. For a few moments, nothing moved. It was likely Krimzyn was just testing Wildcard, trying to see how well he remembered signals and followed commands.
Test me all you want, Wildcard challenged silently. I’ll prove to you and father just how ready I am. This may have been Wildcard’s first real mission, but he was certain it wouldn’t be his last.
The seconds dragged by, until finally Krimzyn signaled for them to keep moving. They got as close as they dared, keeping to the little cover there was as they eyed the working Wildclaws. Wildcard quickly began taking in as many details as he could, trying to find anything that might be of use.
The walls were very clearly a new project, with no parts of the wall high enough to keep much of anything out. Though they couldn’t see all around the enemy clan, it sure looked like they planned on fortifying the entire perimeter. Various Wildclaws were hauling carts of greystone bricks in, and just as many were dragging empty carts out.
If the Edict of Obsidian wanted to launch an attack against the Glass Talon Enclave, then it was probably a good idea to do it quickly, before the wall was finished. Not that a wall would be able to keep the Edict out, of course, but it would be annoying, definitely.
Wildcard’s attention was stolen by the sound of voices getting closer. Two Wildclaws, heading in their direction. Most likely a couple going out hunting, deduced Wildcard as he glanced at Krimzyn for orders. But his mother had moved a bit farther off, her attention on the Enclave, and didn’t seem to notice the approaching enemies.
Wildcard bared his teeth in frustration. He couldn’t get closer to her without the other Wildclaws spotting him, and they were close enough now that if he were to try to get her attention with a sound, they would definitely hear. He could see only two options here; either hide and hope Krimzyn noticed the approaching dragons, or ambush the Wildclaws before they could ambush his mother.
Acting on impulse, Wildcard chose the latter, determined to prove himself and ensure Krimzyn wasn’t caught off guard. He crouched low, keeping a close eye on the approaching Wildclaws. He snuck closer, tail tip flicking in anticipation. As soon as they were close enough, Wildcard pounced, attacking the closest Wildclaw with talons and teeth alike. His opponent was fairly bigger than he was, since Wildcard was still technically a dragonet, but that didn’t deter him.
The Wildclaw he had attacked screeched, head snaking towards him with an open maw. Wildcard quickly dodged out of the way of the snapping maw, and just as swiftly delivered another slash to his opponent. The other Wildclaw had backed away, and started to shout towards the Enclave. Before she could call for help, Krimzyn dropped seemingly out of nowhere, slamming the Wildclaw to the ground and silencing her.
“By the Flamecaller,” she hissed angrily as she tackled the Wildclaw Wildcard had been fighting, swiftly dealing with him as well. “What part of stealth mission don’t you understand?” Krimzyn demanded sibilantly, keeping her voice low.
“They were a threat! I was simply neutralizing them,” Wildcard defended, baring his teeth slightly.
“They were going to walk right by us, had you used common sense and hidden, instead of —” she was cut off by a challenging roar. Krimzyn whipped around to face the new threat, snarling. Wildcard quickly got ready to fight again as he moved to stand beside his mother. He was ready to take on anyone and anything, desperate to prove that he wasn’t a child anymore, that he could handle this.
“We can take ‘em,” Wildcard said quietly, sizing up the opposing Wildclaw. But there wasn’t just one anymore; two more had caught up, then quickly joined by another. Soon, there was a whole pack of them fanning out to surround Wildcard and Krimzyn.
Krimzyn didn’t wait for them to get into formation, and launched herself at the nearest opponent. Wildcard did the same, lashing out and going toe to toe with one of the Wildclaws. But he quickly wasn’t just fighting one, but three, and most of his time was spent dodging attacks rather than retaliating. He spared a glance at his mother, and felt a flash of fear as he saw she was close to being overwhelmed as well. Wildcard quickly replaced his fear with determination and redoubled his efforts.
Something slammed into Wildcard suddenly, hard enough to knock him out of the ring of Wildclaws. He was quick to get back on his talons, ready to jump back into the fray, only to find it had been Krimzyn who had pushed him.
“Go!” she yelled at him, then signaled to him with a swift wave of her talon before returning her full focus on the attacking Wildclaws. Retreat and regroup she had signed, and though Wildclaw itched to jump back in, he would never disobey a direct order from his mother.
Before the other Wildclaws could advance on him, Wildcard turned and fled, racing through the scorched forest as roaring rang out behind him. He glanced back, only to see Krimzyn get hit with a blast of magic, knocking her off her talons.
It took all of Wildcard’s willpower not to turn around...
Oh, how he wished he had.
It takes me forever to write anything, apparently, but hey! Here's an update!
Amity and Tiercel are best buds forever, and we've had our first look at our third main character, Wildcard! Hope you guys enjoyed this update, and have a wonderful day :)
@Dragonfruiteen @AlpineFresh @Millapede85 @Watercolour @dancingcrane @TumbleweedArmy @DootTheBang @WeaverofLies @Dawntalon427
@Razatharia, Very exciting and enjoyable! Please continue.
@Razatharia, Very exciting and enjoyable! Please continue.
All Nest Rentals - 5g/5kt and 40 food pls
@dancingcrane <3 Thank you for the kind words! I definitely plan on working on this as much as I can :D
@dancingcrane <3 Thank you for the kind words! I definitely plan on working on this as much as I can :D
