Creative Corner

Oh no! Your first death... That's so tragic...

@Petall

Yes ;-; she will be missed

hello quick update THE STORY IS STILL IN PROGRESS OKAY it's exam period and Tirtouga and I are cramming our work right now ;-;

this update is specially for you @Petall because you've been reading our chapters since day one :))

next update should be soon!! hopefully...

[center][font=Lora][size=6]Chapter Forty One[/size] [size=5]Silver[/size][/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/hzvonpzcngbad5x/shadowtop2.png[/center][/img] [font=lora][size=4]Days seemed to stretch from Bobba’s death, and eventually a week had so quickly passed. As the days passed, the whole thought that she had lost a clan mate to death dawned on her, making her feel like a horrible leader. She confided in Crystal, who she considered a very good friend, since they seemed to both arrive at similar conclusions. At least she wasn’t the only leader, because if she had been, Silver was unsure of what would have happened without Crystal’s support. [i]Bobba is gone.[/i] Every time she thought of her glass-shattering scream and her collapse from the Shade’s lethal grasp, it gave her shivers and caused tears to flood her eyes, but never spilling out. Silver never actually got to know her personally, and the absence of the clan mate left a void that no other dragon could fulfill for her. But the most impacted was the poor Candy, now alone on many nights and days without his mate to keep him company. She never really saw him leave his den, tucked away in the safety and comfort of his bedding. Silver and Corey brought food into his den for him, since he refused to set a paw out even after much persuasion from the clan. The only form of communication Silver managed to draw out of the mourning dragon were mere nods. Bobba meant a lot to Candy, so he took her death badly. Since Crystal’s dragons went to spar, Silver’s dragons were left to do their own things. Food had already been caught and stored, the lair had been cleaned, and they had already practiced together. What was left to do was mere lazing around, so Silver decided what to do was to arrange some clan bonding. She refused to make the same mistake that she had with Bobba, where she never got close to any of her clan mates. And so they gathered in their usual cave, sitting in a circle. “Let’s talk about the clan merger, shall we,” a sleepy Monarch yawned out, even though it was only afternoon. Her eyes narrowed to a full closure as she stretched and yawned, then sat up straight, shaking her head quickly as if shaking off grass. “That’s boring. Merger is old news. The Shade is more important,” Orca, Monarch’s best friend retorted, shooting a glance at the fiery orange Coatl and earned a smack of Monarch’s tail on Orca’s face. Silver giggled at the sight, glancing at Raven who was smiling slightly. “Bobba is important too,” a deep voice rumbled, coming from a grumbling Candy, who looked like he might burst into tears again. Misty, who was perched next to him, gave a little pat on his arm with her small paws, a little encouragement for the weeping dragon. “I miss her too. She didn’t deserve to die,” Silver muttered, memories of the Shade consuming Bobba echoing in her mind. “Of course she didn’t,” Candy snapped back, eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted to an ugly frown. He seemed to sit taller, as if challenging her. [i]I have to change the topic.[/i] “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about the clan’s deaths. It...doesn’t make some dragons here happy,” Raven suddenly said, eyeing Candy warily. He shared the same thoughts of not wanting a little verbal fight with Candy. “We all have a background we came from, right? Maybe we could get to know each other better like this,” Silver suggested, casting a sweeping gaze across their little circle. She saw her clanmates nod with approval, which was great. [i]I will not make the same mistake that I had with Bobba.[/i] “Orca should start,” Monarch joked, trying to poke fun at her, earning a nod from Starfire who seemed to share the same thoughts as the fiery Coatl. Orca had a look of panic in her eyes, then shrugged. Her lips twitched into a faint, shy smile. Silver knew that Orca was a shy dragon, but dangerous in battle. She could control metal on her wings. Orca’s wings were metal - Silver’s were ice. They were similar, but not the same. Aside from the dull colours they shared, the abilities were far apart. Silver tilted her head in interest, smiling at the embarrassed Coatl. “I was kicked out from my clan when I was little. I was helpless, unsure of how to survive in the wild. They tried to kill me...with their fire,” Orca started, glancing at Silver for support. She nodded, urging her to continue. The Coatl sharing her background looked at Monarch, whose face dimmed as if a fire was burnt out. “Monarch tried to kill me.” “What?” Misty burst out, shooting a look of disbelief at the orange Coatl, who seemed to shrink into her voluminous butterfly-like wings. “No, no, she was forced to. Her family was the leading family of the clan, so they had to chase me out by trying to-” Orca swallowed hard, before continuing, “To kill me.” [i]Just like me. They put me to sleep with berries.[/i] Silver thought. Raven told her that he’d heard of Coatl clans using different ways to banish their bad dragons, all to different extents of harm. Silver was lucky that her clan had the mercy to at least feed her a poisoned berry instead of suffering the similar experience as Monarch. But banishing a Coatl because they could bring bad luck into the clan was still cruel regardless of how it was done. “When Monarch’s father, the leader, died, the role was passed to Monarch, who refused to keep up the tradition of banishing dull Coatls, so Monarch ran away, leaving the clan leaderless.” “And I found you! Again, of course,” Monarch exclaimed, her eyes lit up with joy. The two contrasting Coatls had such a friendship Silver was almost envious of, because she never had a best friend. Or maybe she did, like Raven. But that was her mate. [i]Am I asking for too much?[/i] “Can I go next?” Raven chimed in, his tail suddenly wrapping around Silver’s. “Go for it,” she whispered. So Raven spoke, and the other dragons went on, and on, and Silver felt this blooming sensation of pride in her, that her clan was finally getting to know each other. But Silver never noticed the depressed Candy slip out of their gathering silently, out of their conversation, unnoticed by any of the happy dragons. [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ven9gmk4qi14dr5/shadowbottom2.png[/center][/img]

[center][font=garamond][b][size=6]Chapter Forty Two[/size][/b] [size=5]Crystal[/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/qnsvl4q1hbyggi5/arcanetop.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4]A small fire flickered in midair, courtesy of Blizzard. The flames cast a gentle blue glow on the den walls, and those gathered were slowly unwinding from the Shade attack. “Once upon a time, there was a small Fae…” Mirage lazily called out from where he was, voice not showing the slightest hint of tension. “She was the runt of the clutch, and her parents worked very hard to let her survive.” Scarlett chipped in. “And as she grew up, her mischievous streak started to become more and more apparent-” “-and she turned into a fly! The end!” They couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the absurd sentence. “Who- who even- why is this so funny?” Karina wheezed. “Okay, okay. Let’s start again.” The rest of the group turned their attentive gazes on her. “In a small stream deep in a mountain…” “A fish was dancing to Glitch Queen.” “[i]Fracture![/i]” The Wildclaw screeched in fury and pretended to claw his shoulder. The Imperial let out a great huff of laughter, swatting her back with his tail. Mirage sighed goodnaturedly at their antics. “Hey, hey! Let’s continue!” Galahad chirped from where he was coiled around a stalactite. “Uh, so, the fish was dancing, and then saw an idol tryout poster.” “And decided to take the competition by storm!” Bridget pitched in. From her spot, Crystal surveyed the little gathering. This was one of the most relaxing times of the day, when she was in the company of her closest friends and family. Her heart warmed as she basked in the calming atmosphere. “But it met a competitor. It was a shark, at least ten times the size of it! How was the shark supposed to dance, anyway?” West dramatically added. Helpfully, Mirage began doing a shadow projection of the story on one of the den walls. The overly-exaggerated scenes drew more laughter from the assembly. “And then through much hard work, the fish miraculously defeated the shark, and started its idol journey!” Cameron cheered. Sagar snorted. “Trust our resident cinnamon roll to come up with a happy ending,” he intoned, no bite to his words. Cameron grinned goodnaturedly. [i]Happy ending…[/i] Crystal thought to herself. [i]But is there really a happy ending for us?[/i] “I’m actually quite curious to know all your stories. How about we try and make a story based on our personal experiences? And, you know, we could throw in a couple instances of us beating the Shade. Good ol’ times.” “Well, I’ll start, I guess.” Rin smiled softly. “In a small clan near the edge of the Carrion Canyon, a young dragon was forced into exaltation.” That sentence struck everyone into silence. No one would have imagined that the soft, friendly Rin had gone through such a traumatic experience. Willingly exalting yourself was one thing, but being forced into it… it was a wonder the Tundra still retained her gentle nature. Galahad looped closer to his friend, frowning slightly, but wisely kept his mouth shut. Crystal felt Cameron shift beside her and quietly placed her tail on his. His tail twined around hers in a tight grip. “The dragon managed to escape during the journey to the Tempest Spire, trying their best to leave the region which had betrayed their trust. Unfortunately, along the way they were captured and hawked as a showpiece. It was a tough time, but they never forgot their family who tried to protect them from their fate.” When Cameron said his last word, his blue eyes were already sparkling with the beginnings of tears. Crystal shifted closer, wings brushing his reassuringly. “The dragon tried to join a clan, but it was the same coat that nearly got them sold that caused the clan to turn against them. The dragon fled into the forest,” Crystal sighed. Callan huffed angrily. “Then they met friends! For the first time the dragon felt like they could trust someone.” He nodded vehemently, then looked at Crystal for approval. She cracked a tired smile, fondness welling in her heart as she regarded her foster brother. It was true, after all - Blizzard, Cameron, Ingrid and the Mirror siblings had been the first that she truly trusted. “The band of friends journeyed together, and one of them was able to relieve their burden of prophecy.” Sagar blinked at his sibling, then shrugged, as if saying: [i]It couldn’t hurt to tell them more.[/i] “Another friend was able to find some relief from his constant duty of protecting his prophecy-afflicted brother. They met the Shade for the first time, and with the help of some others who came to the rescue, emerged triumphant.” At this, Crystal couldn’t help the smile that forced itself onto her snout as she watched Mirage puff up in mock pride. “It was only a matter of time before they became fast friends. They experienced countless difficulties, went through endless joys and sorrows, meeting and merging with new friends, but ultimately they had to go up against the greatest foe of them all.” Mirage really had the gift for storytelling, for with each word he uttered, the shadows on the den walls flickered in response, sending them all into reminiscing and nostalgia for things long past. “Then two new friends came along,” West spoke up, sounding uncertain. Callan gave him a big smile, tail wagging from side to side. “And the group grew larger, stronger, and no matter how many times the Shade loomed, they never let their nemesis beat them down. They became wiser, and learnt to treasure those around them for no one was sure that they would ever meet another family like this one.” Crystal’s eyes flitted down to the ground. Without a doubt, she would never meet another family quite like the one that she had forged in bonds of blood and tears. “And eventually, for the last time, they came head to head with the final form of what had plagued them for so long, and - and-” “There was a great battle, a storm of magic and willpower and grit, and finally…” “With a final howl, the enemy burst into a million shreds of hungry smoke, and…” “They did it.” “They won.” “And from then on…” “They lived happily ever after,” someone sighed. Crystal could feel tears prickling somewhere where her eyes were. She let the final words slip from her, breathless, effortless, like a whisper of smoke rising from the ashes of their beaten-down selves, rising faster and faster, flying towards the sun, out of Sornieth’s orbit, out of the solar system, into the limitless universe beyond. [center][b][i][font=garamond][size=5]“The end.”[/i][/b][/center][/size] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/nm0z9g1pkrloiln/arcanebottom.png[/img] [size=2]@Petall[/center]

@Petall
we are back! posting a chapter now :)

[center][font=Lora][size=6]Chapter Forty Three[/size] [size=5]Silver[/size][/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/hzvonpzcngbad5x/shadowtop2.png[/center][/img] [font=lora][size=4]Silver woke up, opening her eyes through small cracks. But no matter how wide she opened her eyes, all she saw was a blurry grey. She brushed her eyes in a slight panic thinking she was in the Shade’s wrath, only to realise it was Raven’s tail on her face. “Your tail is too fluffy,” Silver mumbled, holding back a sneeze from Raven’s tail. The grey Tundra shifted lazily, a small grin playing on his mouth, his eyes still closed. “I know. It’s to annoy you,” he murmured, to her. Silver sighed, rolled her eyes and then stepped out of their den in a huff. She heard Raven chuckle with amusement as she left. Silver made her way down their hallway of dens through blurry eyelids. Just as she was falling into the rhythm of her footsteps, a booming, thunderous crash echoed outside of their cave lair. She froze, glancing around to see some of her clan mates wake up groggily, disturbed by the noise and staring at her. “It wasn’t me,” Silver muttered at an annoyed Hephestia, who poked her head out of her grassy den, aquamarine eyes squinted at the shaken leader. “SILVER!” Silver whipped her head around to the opening of their clan lair to see the silhouette of a Coatl, yelling her name once more but with more desperation and urgency. [i]What’s happening?[/i] She took off on her legs, dashing towards the entrance. As she got closer, she realised it was Crystal, her glimmering white scales reflecting the morning sunrise. But the shimmery sight was in stark contrast to what was behind her. [/size] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/62567325][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/625674/62567325_350.png[/img][/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61828184][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/618282/61828184_350.png[/img][/url] [font=lora][size=4]Two ragged dragons dashed into their camp, screaming. But it wasn’t a playful scream - it was a scream of agony. They were battling a familiar nemesis - yes you guessed it - the Shade. The Nocturne had a glare so fierce that it seemed to slice through the ground, similar to her hind claws that gleamed with malice, sharp. Black clouds swirled around her like a veil, and there was a lot of snarling involved. The other dragon, a Spiral, had the same facial expression on his snout, a scowl. He darted about, purple magic sparking at his claw tips. For some reason, the Spiral moved as if he could see the future; he seemed to know where the Shade would strike. Paired with his quick movements and magic, he seemed almost unbeatable. Silver was under the impression that they were so unbeatable that Crystal had to nudge her to make her go and help them. “They’re in danger, you fungus! Go help!” Crystal snapped, adopting a strange tone that seemed to more befit Hephestia instead. The white Coatl rushed ahead, pinkish-white magic joining forces with the dark clouds of Shadow magic of the two dangerous dragons. Silver turned behind to see her clan mates staring at her, as if waiting for her cue to go and fight. [i]Of course, I’m their leader.[/i] She took flight, soaring toward the battle field. The sound of wings flapping and ruffling of bedding was enough for her to know that they were behind her, yet again out for another taste of battle. [i]Why does the Shade have to attack when I just woke up?[/i] Summoning a bolt of lightning, Silver eyed a streak of the Shade, then unleashed it at the swirling streaks of darkness. Her shot flew straight ahead, crashing into the earth where the strain was. Bits of soil exploded as her magic hit the ground, and the Shade tendril evaporated, fading to nothing. It had been a while since Silver fought with the Shade, and hitting it felt [i]very[/i] satisfying. Looking ahead, Silver saw pale clouds surrounding a Shade tendril, and within seconds Raven was by her side. “Who are they?” he said, as he flew above her to shoot another bolt of Shadow magic at their target. Silver shook her head, unsure. “They just crashed into camp shouting and-” A lone streak was about to envelope her, and lucky enough she saw it. Growling, she speared her blades at full force toward the clouds, laughing at Raven who looked at her disapprovingly. Just as she thought that the tendril was about gone, Silver turned back to Raven to finish her sentence. But she was wrong. Pain jolted through Silver as she plummeted to the ground, screaming. “Raven!” she cried, falling fast. All she saw was a blur of black, which was ironically not an unusual sight. She had been almost consumed by the Shade many times, but that day’s encounter seemed more horrible than the last. It felt like she was on fire, like she was drained out, flattened and stretched. Silver could barely move a muscle, only dart her eyes about in panic. Then strong claws yanked her out of the hazy agony. Her vision shifted from piercing black to the light blue sky, much to Silver’s relief and surprise. [i]Am I dead?[/i] She gulped down air, feeling as if she had been drowning just seconds earlier. The ringing in her ears had also stopped. “Than-” Silver was about to express the enormous amount of gratitude she had to the wonderful dragon who had just saved her life when out of nowhere, a bright coloured dragon rushed to her. Silver turned around sluggishly due to fatigue, but only to scream in horror. [i]Candy.[/i] Silver had never seen such anger in the rainbowy Spiral, who was now wheeling toward her, flapping his wings with such force that she felt the wind created from where she was. Candy glared at Silver, making her cower in fear. But he wasn’t angry at Silver. He wasn’t angry at the Shade, either. He was angry at himself for not being able to protect Bobba. Before Silver or any of her clan mates could move, Candy hurled his whole being into the cloud of Shade that had almost killed Silver. The dragon’s rainbowy colours became duller, fading by the seconds that seemed to stretch into minutes. The billowy clouds swarmed around him, consuming his being. Then he collapsed to the ground, all colour drained from him, his body grey and lifeless. His howls echoed around after he fell to the ground, a mocking reminder that he was dead. Then the Shade vanished, satisfied that it had claimed a life. [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ven9gmk4qi14dr5/shadowbottom2.png[/center][/img]

[center][font=garamond][b][size=6]Chapter Forty Four[/size][/b] [size=5]Crystal[/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/qnsvl4q1hbyggi5/arcanetop.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4]The final, painful howl that Candy released as he perished in the Shade’s grasp was something Crystal silently added to her list of traumatising events. Two of their clanmates were now dead. Gone. Reduced to nothing but magicless husks of their former selves, eyes devoid of life and colour, blankly staring into the void that they had fallen into. She felt her legs threaten to give way, and she nearly stumbled over herself, breathing growing heavier. Candy’s body lay there, just there, mocking her, as if any second the Spiral’s eyes would flood with the sickly white of Shade-touched dragons and… and… She couldn’t continue the train of thought any longer. The terrifying picture faded into a pair of menacing white eyes that seemed to linger in the corner of her mind. Wherever she looked, she only saw countless images of the dead pair staring her down, some reproachful, some angry, some derisive. “This can’t continue,” she hoarsely whispered to whoever was beside her. A wing landed gently on her, and she whipped around to stare at her mate. “This has to stop, Cameron,” she cried, voice growing in volume, trembling the more her mind lingered on the deaths. “Of course. Of course it has to stop, Crystal.” Cameron’s voice was numb, far away. “We need to get you fixed up first. Your mind feels like it’s about to tear itself apart.” “Cameron,” she started, very softly. “If- if I broke myself apart to release all my magic, would it stop the Shade once and for all?” She instantly regretted saying that. All at once, she felt Cameron’s magic flare, then forcefully suppress itself, then wrap around her in a calming, awakening mist. “Crystal. Please. You’re not helping yourself. You’re not helping us either. Just… just try to relax. I know it’s hard, I know you’re scared and tired and high strung, but please.” Crystal drew in a large, shuddering breath, letting her tears dissipate behind closed eyelids, and calmed herself. After her outburst she felt so empty. Like something had been drawn out of her. She was sick and tired of feeling so helpless, so… [i]weak[/i]. When she opened her eyes, the fuchsia depths were filled with a new kind of steel. She got back to her feet and walked towards the newcomers, dipping her head slightly in lieu of verbal greeting. The Nocturne stared distrustfully at her, dark purple gaze piercing in its judgment, while the Spiral merely bobbed his head, eyes closed. Crystal wasn’t sure what to do next. Then suddenly she heard a voice in her head. [i]“Are you their leader?”[/i] She had to control herself to suppress the jolt of shock that rocked through her. She stayed silent, trying to formulate a response. [i]“... yes. One of them.”[/i] The Spiral gave no indication that he had heard what she said, apart from uncoiling slowly and opening his eyes. Unlike his companion’s gaze, his eyes showed a kind of empty wisdom, like a burden of knowledge. Sagar would get along well with him. The rest of the clan had started to gather, shaking off the last of their injuries sustained from the brief, yet destructive fight. Silver cocked her head at the two, icicles jangling as she folded her wings in. “Hi.” Crystal started. A hint of a smile flickered at the Spiral’s jaws. “Hello yourself.” Then there was awkward silence. “Well. Uh. Right, I’m Crystal, this is Silver,” her co-leader fluttered her crests in greeting, unable to muster words from her battered form, “and we’re the leaders of this clan. Um. How should we address you?” The Nocturne raked her gaze over their strange clan, before huffing. “I’m Selune. This is Starfall. Thank you for that extra help.” Then at Starfall’s raised eyebrow, she rolled her eyes and continued, “We’re sorry for your loss.” Starfall’s faint smile widened a little. He didn’t say anything else, merely nodding at those he made eye contact with. [i]Well. What a strange pair. They seemed to be holding their own against the Shade even before we stepped in, though. That’s a testament to their strength. Perhaps we could convince them to stay on? Goodness knows we need more firepower against the Shade.[/i] [i]“If you were looking for more clan members, Selune and I would be amenable to staying on.”[/i] He gave her a curt nod, not waiting for her reply, and muttered something to the Nocturne beside him. “Well. I guess we have two new members of the team…?” “Sure! I mean, I was thinking that we could...” Silver trailed off after seeing Starfall’s probing glance. Crystal nodded in encouragement, urging her to go on. “We [i]should[/i] hunt the Shade down. To put an end to-” she flicked her tail toward the lifeless figure on the ground, respectfully covered by a blanket of green that Galahad had conjured. “-this.” Silver sighed, eyes shifting away from their former clanmate. Crystal gave a thoughtful hum. “All Shade hunters have to start somewhere, I guess. Where should we begin?” She looked around at the clan. Hephestia stared back at her blankly, as if saying, [i]Why would I know?[/i] When she made eye contact with Fracture, he gave a noncommittal shrug. Then Crystalline came up. “Didn’t you mention a busted trip to the Observatory a while back? We should probably visit again. Even if we’re not allowed to peruse the archives, we’ll at least be able to gather some eyewitness accounts and determine our next course of action from there.” Starfire’s jaw dropped. “You’ve never said so many words before,” she muttered in half shock, half denial. Crystal couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. Even though hunting the Shade down would be hard, at least she had a team with her. Surely nothing could go too wrong before they reached the Observatory.[/size] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/nm0z9g1pkrloiln/arcanebottom.png[/img] [size=2]@Petall[/center]

[center][font=Lora][size=6]Chapter Forty Five[/size] [size=5]Silver[/size][/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/hzvonpzcngbad5x/shadowtop2.png[/center][/img] [font=lora][size=4] The group trudged southward, toward the Observatory, their clawsteps crushing grass and leaves as they moved. They had set off early, when the sky was still blooming into its full glory of bursting pink, red and orange. Silver always found the sunrise beautiful; it gave her a sense of relief, that a new day was beginning. The sunrise restarted all yesterdays. It erased the thoughts of her two lost clanmates, two that she had never really managed to talk to. [i]I will not make the same mistake again. I must protect them.[/i] As usual, Corey was crunching loudly on a freshly-killed beetle, while Silver trotted a few paces ahead, shamelessly aware that her mouth reeked of clams. She has devoured a few earlier, along with a poor codfish that she had shared with Crystal. As the smell dissipated slowly, Silver sank deeper into her thoughts as they walked ahead toward the building standing atop the cliffs, the Observatory. She vowed that she would find the Shade and stop it. She was sure she wasn’t the only one who felt that they were ignorant and unprepared about what they would face, despite having battled with the hazy streaks that killed her friends countless times. Her instincts told her that what they knew about the Shade were only the tip of the iceberg, but her want to get revenge and rage seemed to overbear that thought. [i]I can’t afford to make any rash decisions that would put my clan in danger. I need to stay calm and-[/i] “Hey isn’t that a temple?” A voice pierced through Silver’s train of thought, pulling her back into the present. Misty stared up at her, her emerald eyes shining with interest. Silver glanced up at the shadowy building, which stood in their way of continuing. The temple was a mass of grey bricks, with vines that mottled the surface of the blocks. It was crumbling so much that Silver wondered how the architecture still seemed intact. “Ooo, the ones with lots of treasure in them?” The voice belonged to Galahad, who was nosing his way through their little stationary pack, trying to get a closer view of the run-down, dilapidated building. Walking through it seemed like the only option, since the massive temple was sprawled before them, the ends of it unseen. If they had wanted to get to the Observatory, they would first have to move through this run-down architecture. “We’ll need to check out the perimeters of it first before entering. It may not be safe,” Crystalline, their walking source of wisdom warned. From experience, Silver knew he was usually right. He rarely spoke, but whatever he said always seemed carefully crafted, creating meaningful advice. It seemed like the rest of their clan shared the same sentiments as her - they would have to first cross this. “I agree. I’ll go in and take a little look,” Silver found herself speaking, her will to protect her clan overriding her. Crystal stepped up too, prying herself from a whimpering Blizzard. “I’ll go too, as a leader,” Silver nodded quickly at Raven, reassuring him that they would return, and as a silent plea to tell him to keep them safe. Then she and Crystal bounded off into the shadowy depths of the temple, activating her Shadow magic to push away the darkness. Her clanmate did the same, erasing the darkness with her Light magic. The moment they entered the eerie building, Silver swore she felt the atmosphere shift. The air was denser inside, harder to breathe in, which reminded her of her time in the Tangled Wood. The floor felt surprisingly soft, and when she moved her magic to the ground, she realised it was moss. The temple had been here for goodness-knows-how-long, collecting moss. Through their combined dim light, Silver made out a dome-shaped center and ceiling, and a series of stairways that seemed to stretch to nowhere. There were paths surrounding the interior that also seemed to stretch to nowhere, as Silver was unable to see where it led. A ticking sound seemed to come from the center of the temple, and the more they walked, the faster it got. [i]This place is scary.[/i] “I think-” Silver paused, startled by how fast the sound travelled, making her voice so loud. At a softer volume close to a whisper, she continued. “I think we’ve seen enough. We should go back,” She eyed her friend’s light, which suddenly seemed to falter. Silver subconsciously tried to account for the dimming light by forcing more of her magic into the atmosphere, making it brighter. But then Crystal’s light entirely vanished. Panicking, Silver cried out, “Crystal?” but got no reply. [i]This is bad. This is bad. This is bad.[/i] She still felt her friend’s presence, sensing the magic that was emanating off her, but it felt like it was diminishing. Crystal was more suited to produce light in a dark place, given that she could use Light magic. So Silver struggled to produce sufficient light for herself, with her own Shadow magic. The ticking sound got even faster now, stressing her out further. [i]Keep calm. I just need to find Crystal and get out of here-[/i] Then the ticking sound stopped. Silver suddenly felt light-headed, and unable to move. She felt her senses fade away, and her source of light vanish, along with her ability to use magic. [i]What- why can’t I-[/i] She was dizzy, barely able to move, barely able to feel her paws, barely able to even [i]think[/i]. All she could see were bright purple runes, the strange lettering circling her as she spiralled down into confusion. The next thing she knew, she was suffocating. They had both fallen into the temple’s traps. [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ven9gmk4qi14dr5/shadowbottom2.png[/center][/img] @Petall

[center][font=garamond][b][size=6]Chapter Forty Six[/size][/b] [size=5]Crystal[/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/qnsvl4q1hbyggi5/arcanetop.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4]Crystal felt like she would hurl. There was nothing registering in her senses except the free-fall feeling writhing in her stomach as she plummeted downwards. Everything was dark around her, except for pink runes that burned themselves into the inky blackness and seared their likenesses into her vision. What had happened? Was the temple… [i]testing[/i] them? Whatever the case was, Crystal wanted none of it. She had gotten separated from Silver, and however loath she was to admit it, there was safety in numbers. She didn’t know where she was, or where Silver was, and what was with the darkness? She couldn’t use her magic either, it was as if there was something blocking the outlet to her power. With neither her magic nor her friend, Crystal was scared. A sudden jarring impact knocked the breath right out of her. Finally. Solid ground under her feet, Crystal scrambled to her paws, squinting in the darkness for any sign of movement. Her powers weren’t up to their normal standards, but the faint glow afforded her enough light to start moving around. There was something about the darkness that made her reluctant to make a sound. Almost as if the slightest noise would spell doom for the both of them. “Silver?” she called hesitantly. [i]We’re already trapped. There’s nothing worse that could happen, surely…[/i] “Silver?” There was no response. Crystal wandered in the dark, aimlessly looking around. As far as she could see, there was only blackness. The darkness seemed to be pressing in on her, gradually draining her will to fight. If this was the temple’s idea of a test, she really wanted to know what treasure would warrant such a hard trial. Just then, a spark of light caught her eye. [i]Silver?[/i] She heard the jangling of icicles, and her heart soared. “Silver!” she cried, racing over. She was no longer alone. The shimmery Coatl seemed dazed, and turned to Crystal sluggishly. [i]Did we go through the same thing?[/i] “Crystal?” A familiar voice called out. Whirling around, she tried to find the source of the voice. [i]Raven? Is Cameron here as well?[/i] Why couldn’t she see anything? There were no extra dragons making their way towards her, but all of a sudden she felt the familiar brush of wingtips against her feathers and knew that Cameron was beside her. But why did she not see them? “I… I can’t see you…” her voice trailed off in realisation. [i]Oh.[/i] “This must be the temple’s trial.” When she received no response, an incredulous grimace stretched its way over her snout. [i]No way. This is actually happening?[/i] She reached downwards, scratching words onto the floor. [u]We can’t see you, and you can’t hear us.[/u] There was uncomfortable silence, but the way Cameron’s feathers ruffled in alarm was enough to tell her that her plan was working. [i]I can’t see you. But I can hear you. The two of you can see us, but can’t hear us… this… this… the temple is playing us! This is just a game to it - the reason Silver and I were left in the darkness for so long is because the temple was waiting for two other players![/i] Frantically, she etched her thoughts down onto the ground. After a long time, the two seeing dragons hummed in deep thought. [u]If you get me, can you say something?[/u] “We can see the both of you. What do you want us to do now?” Raven’s voice echoed in the dark space, and a thrill of excitement ran through Crystal. [u]Raven is already healing Silver. Cameron, can you lead the way? I’m not sure where we are now, but I trust you to find a way out of here.[/u] With a rustling of feathers, Cameron had turned away, tail flicking against her neck. “Don’t lose me,” he whispered. “Raven will bring up the rear.” Crystal nodded slowly. “If you want to say something, try to signal to us. Ready?” She hesitated, before scratching one question on the ground. [u]Where are we now?[/u] Cameron’s response was quick. “We came through a series of chambers. I think we’re in the middle of a maze. I’m not sure if we can find our way back but we’ll try.” Crystal faltered, suddenly unwilling to participate in the game. She couldn’t see. Without her sight, she felt vulnerable, exposed, and in the midst of the whole Shade fiasco, it scared her to be so helpless. She refused to budge. “Let me be your eyes this time. Trust me, Crystal.” Cameron pressed against her comfortingly. They stayed there for a while, before she groaned and acquiesced. With a last soothing stroke, Cameron turned away, and Crystal stumbled blindly after his footsteps, heart pounding as she tried to place her trust entirely in her mate. Suddenly, they stopped. “...” Cameron was silent. Crystal felt a distinct unease permeate their small group. [u]What’s wrong?[/u] “...” Worriedly, she waited for a response. “... I think we’re lost.” [i]Ah. Tragic.[/i] [u]So… what’s the plan now?[/u] “There’s only one path now, unless we go back the way we-” His words were drowned out by a loud grinding sound. Even without being a Skydancer, she could feel the spike of nervousness in the atmosphere. [u]We’re trapped.[/u] It wasn’t a question, more of a flat statement. There was no doubt about it, the way the ley lines suddenly clogged up, becoming convoluted and cloudy. She hissed in alarm and tasted her own fear. [u]The game is changing. Watch your backs. We might get attacked at any time.[/u] There was a weak noise from Cameron, as the group of four inched their way slowly towards the only way forward. “There’s… a strange plate in front. No, scratch that - there are four raised tiles. Some help, please?” Crystal shrugged. [u]Can’t help you if I can’t see them.[/u] The Skydancer groaned. “Right. Raven?” There was no response. Silver seemed to be getting better, though, and Crystal brightened. [i]Well, that’s one good thing.[/i] “Silver?” she experimentally called out, and the grey Coatl trained her eyes on her, giving a weak smile. [i]Great! She’s alright.[/i] “I’m going to press all four at the same time,” Cameron muttered next to her. “Seems like the most obvious solution right now.” Crystal nudged him encouragingly, pushing down her own fears. [u]Yeah, go ahead. Worst thing that happens is Silver and I have to fight blind, right?[/u] He huffed out a nervous breath, guiding Crystal to her left. “When I shout, slam down right in front of you.” She nodded, and readied herself. “Go!” she heard Cameron yell, and her paw went down, impacting the carved stone. There was a low rumble, and she felt bits of stone bounce off her hide. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see amidst the dust - wait. Dust? She turned her head to see three very familiar dragons. [i]Great, I think we passed the test.[/i] Silver jerked out of Raven’s hold, which drew the instant attention of the other two dragons. Shooting a shaky smile at Cameron, the relieved Crystal turned to observing her surroundings. Tall stone columns towered over them, surface holding millennia of dust and knowledge, and further up was a stone gate still shedding dust and powdered rock. That was probably what the tiles unlocked. Then she looked closer, and saw a sight that she could describe by heart. [i]Ugh, here we go again…[/i] Glancing at her three companions, Crystal shared a nod with them and they rushed the Shade. Apparently even a superbeing like it had its unattentive moments, as it shrieked in surprise and narrowly escaped their grasp, condensing into a cloud near the top of the room. Wary of using her wings in the small space, Crystal clambered up a pillar to face her enemy on equal footing. Before she could do anything, however, the Shade cackled in laughter, wispy tendrils twitching in almost-childish delight. It took all she had to not let go of the pedestal in fright when the air was ripped open and strange eldritch creatures hauled themselves out of the rip in space. [i]For Arcanist’s sake, please let this not be happening right now…[/i] She was [i]scared[/i]. And the fear in her only increased as the creatures advanced on her, teeth bared and dripping with fluid that could either be saliva or poison. Either way, Crystal was not ready to die. Her claws slipped, and she crashed down onto the floor, scrambling towards her friends. [i]Please, I’m too young to die…[/i] In her haze of terror, she barely remembered to shoot bolts of magic at the creatures, trying her best to force them back towards the rip where they came from. [i]Please, please, please, let this work![/i] With all her might, she sent a blast of energy toward their aggressors, claws digging into the ground for leverage. But where the first wave fell, the second wave rose - another wave of creatures was already creeping toward the four dragons. [i]Good heavens. SEND HELP, SOMEONE -[/i] She was caught unaware, and there was a hiss of pain behind her. Her panic flared as she saw Cameron stagger, fall and then rise again. There was a blank gaze in his blue eyes, and he stopped resisting the creature that had draped a tentacle around him. Feathers standing at razor-sharp attention, she stared into his eyes. And the abyss stared back. With every second she continued to stare, her breathing grew more and more erratic. Then his eyes flickered blinding white for a second, and every fibre in her screamed in horror. [i]No, no, no…[/i] She backed away, forgetting to breathe properly as she kept her eyes nailed on the white Skydancer. From the corner of her eye, she saw Raven moving to shield Silver. The two of them would be okay. They had each other. They were going to be- Cameron let out a strange sound in between a howl and a scream, and with a jerk he was on Raven, and as the two of them grappled for dominance Crystal dragged Silver away. Fearful pink eyes met purple eyes, and as Raven heaved himself to his feet, limbs moving unnaturally, there was only one thing left to do. “RUN!”[/size] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/nm0z9g1pkrloiln/arcanebottom.png[/img] [size=2]@Petall[/center]