Creative Corner

@Petall

They're not, actually... StarryLune was referring to Shadow-element dragons in general (probably, @StarryLune correct me if I'm wrong) while I was talking about the literal shadow that objects cast. Hehe

[center][font=Lora][size=6]Chapter Thirteen[/size] [size=5]Silver[/size][/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/hzvonpzcngbad5x/shadowtop2.png[/center][/img] [font=lora][size=4]Silver’s wings chimed with the oddly-soothing sound of metal hitting each other with every leap she took to chase after the two familiars. Raven, Corey and Misty trailed not far behind her, the same objective in mind - follow the Lynx and Zeeba. She and Raven used their magic to light up the path ahead of them; the soft glow from the mushrooms was insufficient as usual. [i]Dragons were injured. Thank goodness Raven can help.[/i] Silver was glad she could help, even though she wasn't exactly the one helping the hurt dragons the animals were leading them to. The six of them, familiars and dragons, leaped over roots and other debri on the decaying forest floor, never losing sight of the two panicking animals. Alas, the Lynx and Zeeba stopped running abruptly, almost causing them all to collide with each other. [center][font=lora]Starfire [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/44233332][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/442334/44233332_350.png[/img][/url] Crystalline [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61130730][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/611308/61130730_350.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=lora][size=4] The sight was rather pitiful, a Coatl and Imperial writhing in pain on the ground, looking injured. Although there were no visible injuries, Silver could tell they were in pain by the sight. Raven immediately rushed over, healing them with both of his paws. His paws began to glow white and bright as he worked his healing touch on them. Both dragons were pearl coloured, with a tint of pink. Silver stared at the pretty looking Coatl as Raven healed her. [i]Coatls like these...I bet she’ll hate me too.[/i]Once the Coatl felt better, she sat up, observing her surroundings. Silver avoided her gaze, keeping herself occupied by watching Raven heal the male Imperial. From the corner of her eye, she saw the Lynx pad softly toward the pearly Coatl, nuzzling her. “Thank you so much,” she called out in a hoarse voice to Raven, who nodded in return, still deep in focus on healing the Imperial. “Why don’t they have any visible injuries?” she whispered to Corey, who told her it was because the Shade only attacked for magical power, in hopes of stealing all of the dragon’s power. Once it fully devoured the dragon’s magic, it would slink away, looking for its next victim. Silver nodded, unnerved. Not long later, both previously injured dragons were healed thanks to Raven’s healing touch. The pair thanked him profusely, as did the two relieved familiars. “I don’t know how to repay you. Thank you so much. At least let us give you a home,” the male Imperial repeated to Raven. Silver stood at the side, still trying not to look at the pretty Coatl to avoid unwanted attention. But that was inevitable, because that Coatl was a literal social butterfly. “I’m sorry but we didn’t get your names! You saved our lives,” the Coatl suddenly said, flicking her tail as she began to stand up on her healed paws. Raven smiled widely, looking away from healing the Imperial, saying, “I’m Raven. That’s Silver, Misty and Corey,” he pointed at them while calling them out. Silver looked at the ground, feeling very vulnerable with her dull colours. A sense of deja vu washed over her. “Hello Silver! Nice to meet you!” she said, surprising Silver so much that she forgot to put on an unbothered-about-you front. Silver looked up from the grey leaves on the floor, unsure of what to say. She felt a sliver of hope, a sliver of kindness.[i]Say hi Silver, maybe she’s different. Maybe she’s not like the rest. Maybe-[/i] “Uh hi,” Silver muttered, shifting on her paws nervously. The Coatl seemed to notice her discomfort, so she added, “Not all Coatls hate grey Coatls. I’m personally fine with it,” earning a look of more surprise in Silver’s violet eyes. [i]How did she know?[/i] A smile creeped out of Silver, for the pearly pink Coatl. After a short conversation, Silver and Raven found out that the dragons were both out for a food hunt, when the Shade attacked them both. Their familiars ran off to seek help, thankfully finding the right dragon to help. Silver also learnt that the pretty Coatl was called Starfire, and the quiet Imperial, Crystalline. After much persuasion from their new friends, Raven, Silver and their familiar friends agreed to visit their clan. In the blue light of the glowing fungi, all of them made their way to Starfire and Crystalline’s clan. Not much longer and it would become nighttime. Starfire warned them that the Shade was the most notorious in the night due to the lack of light. The Shade shunned from the sun, avoiding light at all costs as it hated bright light. The group came into a clearing, with fewer overcast dead trees. The air here was fresher with lesser blockage from the unending web of dead branches above. But the sight in front of them wasn’t one that they were expecting. [center][font=lora]Bobba [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61711415][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/617115/61711415_350.png[/img][/url][/center][/font] [font=lora][size=4]Ahead of them was a massive wreckage. Bits of rubble and stone were strewn everywhere, the ground was cracked and parched, as well as several wisps of flame licking the nearby trees and already-dead forest floor, giving off a severe orange light in the semi-darkness. “What? Nononono…” Starfire burst out, bolting towards the wreckage that was once their clan. A colourful Tundra slowly emerged from the ruins, also scurrying towards her. “Bobba! What happened? Where’s everybody?” Silver heard Starfire shout, panic in her voice. Crystalline hastily followed Starfire, gesturing at Silver and Raven to follow with a flick of his claw. Bobba began to sob, saying, “Nightscream is gone.” earning gasps from Crystalline and Starfire. [center][font=lora]Hephestia [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61247067][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/612471/61247067_350.png[/img][/url] Candy [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/60696465][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/606965/60696465_350.png[/img][/url] Starlight [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/60982534][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/609826/60982534_350.png[/img][/url] Orca [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61250981][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/612510/61250981_350.png[/img][/url] Monarch [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61439346][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/614394/61439346_350.png[/img][/url][/font] [/center] [size=4][font=lora]Gradually, five more dragons came out from the rubble; a slow-moving blue and gold Spiral, another limping, pastel-coloured Spiral, a lavender Imperial glowing pink and two bleeding Coatls. The blue and gold Spiral took in the sight of Silver and Raven standing in front of her, surveying the Manticore Screamer and River Flight by their sides. She twisted her lips to form a wry, distorted smile, before mouthing a “Hello” to both of them. But before they could exchange back greetings or even mourn the loss of the dragon Nightscream, a streak of jet black whizzed under Silver’s paws, causing her to slip. Even her quick reflexes were not fast enough. A flash of pain seared through her paws as she struggled to catch her balance in vain. The last thing she heard before she fell was Corey screaming “The Shade is here! Everyone scatter!”[/font] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ven9gmk4qi14dr5/shadowbottom2.png[/center][/img]

[center][font=garamond][b][size=6]Chapter Fourteen[/size][/b] [size=5]Crystal[/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/qnsvl4q1hbyggi5/arcanetop.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4]For once, all was peaceful. Karina and Callan were mock sparring, the sharp crack of wingbeats and the clink of claw against claw quite audible, as the rest of the small group lounged about, enjoying their moments of respite after the whole storm of events that had swept them up recently. Blizzard and Ingrid were discussing something far away that Crystal couldn’t quite catch, but judging from the way Blizzard growled and Ingrid harrumphed, they weren’t agreeing much. Mirage and Sagar seemed caught up in mage activities, while Fracture rested not far off, hulking frame a welcome metaphorical pillar of protection. There was the soft crunch of grass stalks, and Cameron loped up to her, smiling amusedly at the two bickering familiars. “They… sure are getting along well,” he commented wryly, and Crystal snorted. Oh, the irony. The Skydancer settled himself next to her, both taking a breather before the next big event that would inevitably happen. “How… how have you been? You’re always taking care of us, but who’s taking care of you?” Quietly, she asked. Cameron was silent. “Please don’t wear yourself out.” “I’ll be fine.” He turned and gave her a small smile. “After all, all of you being alive and well is the greatest encouragement I could have.” Sighing, he looked up at the sky. “I never really had a real home, y’know? My parents gave me away for more necessities to feed the family. I don’t blame them, really, but sometimes I wish I knew what home was. What family was.” His voice started to waver a little, and he breathed in deeply. Crystal wished she could help him feel better, but she wasn’t much better off herself. All she could do was curl her tail around his gently, comforting the Skydancer as much as she could. “I-I…” Cameron choked. “I’m sorry I’m unloading all this on you. I mean, we just met, for Arcanist’s sake. But somehow I feel a connection with you. Like we’re kindred spirits. Y’know, the same colours and genes and all? With you, with all of these dragons here, I feel like I finally have family. So… I’d do everything I can to make sure all of you are safe.” His small speech warmed her heart. It was the first time anyone had ever considered her family. “We should create a clan,” she mused, a sudden thought blooming in her mind. Cameron looked at her in interest. “Sagar and Callan clearly won’t be going away any time soon, and Karina, Fracture and Mirage will probably be staying on too. That’s seven of us, and with Blizzard and Ingrid we’re nine.” Cameron’s blue eyes held a spark of excitement. “That sounds interesting. It would also be beneficial, since the Shade’s already attacked us once, and is bound to come back sooner or later.” He turned to her, grinning widely. “And you can be our leader.” A thunderclap seemed to have struck her. [i]Me? Leader?[/i] Evidently, Cameron had been loud enough to attract the attention of the other dragons, and they all looked at her expectantly. “You have got to be kidding me,” she sighed, shaking her head. “There’s no way. I was kicked out of my clan for my colours, brought the Shade upon the group, and goodness knows what other havoc I’d wreak upon you all. Karina would be a better option, I’ve seen how she commands in battle. She has more experience than me, I’ve hardly left the Starfall Isles.” It was as if Cameron could see the fear and doubt in her eyes, and something in his gaze became steely. “Crystal, you listen to me. Getting banished from your clan was [i]not your fault[/i]. Bringing the Shade upon us was [i]not your fault[/i]. [i]Nothing[/i] that we’ve ever been threatened with is your fault. You may not have left the Starfall Isles, but you bring us all together.” He saw her gaze flit off insecurely, and placed his claws on her shoulders. He seemed even more imposing now, wings and eyes glittering with determination. “Look at me, Crystal.” “[i]It’s not your fault.[/i]” With this, Crystal broke down. She buried her head in Cameron’s feathers and cried, and cried, and cried. All the brokenness that had piled over her heart like broken shards protecting an equally broken spirit clattered to the ground, and for the first time she felt exposed. Emotions were storming through her, a hurricane that left her bruised and exhausted. And when she could not cry any longer she remained huddled in his embrace, heart and mind empty, unable to react. Numbly, she felt more dragons approaching. But they seemed so, so far away, just a few variables in the fabric of the cosmos. A warm head nuzzled into her, and she felt the familiar flick of a tail. Ingrid whinnied gently from the side. Twin bowling balls crashed into her, Karina not far behind. Mirage emerged from the shadows, and although Fracture was too large to join the group embrace he curled around them all. The huddle warmed her heart, and she snuggled closer to all of them. “I… I…” she choked. The hug grew tighter. She made up her mind. “Alright. I’ll be your leader.”[/size] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/nm0z9g1pkrloiln/arcanebottom.png[/img] [size=2]@Petall[/center]

Aw, everythings really coming together, isn't it? Great chapters, as always.

@Petall

Thank you! Everything will be coming together even more in the next few chapters >:)))

[center][font=Lora][size=6]Chapter Fifteen[/size] [size=5]Silver[/size][/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/hzvonpzcngbad5x/shadowtop2.png[/center][/img] [font=lora][size=4]When Silver regained her consciousness a few minutes later, she was on the ground, and streaks of black were zooming and zipping all over the rocky grounds in front of her. It seemed to be following her dragon friends, causing them to scream in pain and attack back with their various powers. Flashes of lightning seemed to erupt in a corner, while a big glob of colourful mess wracked havoc wherever it went. Silver saw her friends pounce everywhere in different directions, jumping on the increasingly big streaks of black spreading on the ground. Some were in the air, magic exploding from their claws. Nine dragons against the all-powerful Shade. Even though the Shade was very outnumbered, it didn’t appear to be like it. Her dragon friends were losing, evident by them slowing their paces bit by bit. They had already been hurt before, and now their injuries were worsening. [i]I have to help![/i]Ignoring the searing ache in her weakened legs, Silver heaved herself up on her wobbly paws, joining them to make that number ten-to-one. Despite her muscles screaming in protest, she tried to shut it out. But how could she help? Silver didn’t even know how to fight. [i]You have to try.[/i]With a growl, she willed her blades to fall off, before catching them in her mind with her ability before they hit the ground. She surveyed the chaos in front of her. The streaks of black did not seem to notice her as she made her way to the front, her blades a floating trail of potential destruction behind her. Silver focussed her attention on a particular smear of the Shade that was attacking Raven, who was pounding the forest floor with his super-strength. Each time his claws hit the ground, the trail of black appeared to fade, but never disappear. “Raven!” Silver called out to him, causing him to turn around in shock and unknowingly clear the path for her, just as she had wanted. Charging forward, she unleashed her silvery death on the unsuspecting Shade. Her blades pierced the spot where the streak of Shade was, making it falter and disappear, unable to withstand the force of her metal. [i]Yes![/i] Even though it looked like her blades had just flown through the air and harmlessly struck the ground, she knew she had managed to hurt the Shade. However, what Silver didn’t know was that these streaks were connected. Once one streak of Shade perished, the whole entity would know. “Silver, watch out!” Raven's voice cried out, even before she could celebrate her victory of eliminating a part of the Shade. Darkness seemed to envelope her vision, but she managed to squirm away, escaping from its grasp. Shuddering, Silver leapt to the side, her blades trailing closely behind her. “Silver!” she heard Corey’s voice ring out as she swiftly dodged another tendril of the Shade. “Some help please?” she replied, mindful of her footing as she began to form a whirlwind with her blades. Then she unleashed them on the Shade. The metallic feathers hit the group with a satisfying clang. The dark streaks began to fade slowly, but then the wisps started to rise in the air, no longer creeping on the floor. The snaking tendrils began to match her whirlwind of blades, and the streaks started to contort into some odd figure, looming above the group of them. Then a blinding, lone bolt of golden lightning struck the terrifying form of the Shade, making it falter and collapse slightly. Silver turned around quickly to see Hephestia smirking behind, her golden bolts fizzing beneath her claws. She smiled back, grateful, before turning back to unleash her own form of hell with her gleaming blades begging to cut. Her bladed feathers whizzed forward, piercing through the black haze, causing it to further droop down. Raven was stomping around, punching the air, even though the Shade was too fast. Starlight, the white and purple Imperial, was releasing so many of her glowing pink orbs in all directions that it was almost impossible for the Shade to dodge. But the Shade, even after colliding into these orbs, never once faltered. The streaks of black, now whizzing on the forest floor again, zipped around, trying to avoid the fiery Coatl, Monarch and her flames. Then there was Starfire unleashing her vines, using them as whips. She flew around, slicing the ground that had been corrupted by the Shade’s trail of black. Silver’s blades, combined with the other dragons' attacks, seemed to be just enough to push the Shade back to its coming place. From the corner of her eye, Silver saw another streak of black come for her from the right. Roaring, she yanked her blades from the side that was initially attacking another streak and flung them at that incoming streak. It began to slink away, but Silver refused to let go. She chased it, her paws scrambling through the leaves and fallen logs, scattering dead leaves in her wake. Then all of a sudden she felt herself tip, as if something was dragging her backwards. The streak she was attacking previously had come for her too - from the back. Silver fell to the ground, clouds of black blurring out her vision, and she felt herself getting weaker, unable to run away from the blooming clouds of the Shade. “Help!” Silver choked out, trying with all her might to retrieve her blades. But that ability felt so far away, so, so far away, like her friends. [i]Help![/i] The Shade was going to kill her. A flash of metal whizzed by her failing vision, and the next thing she knew was the blades slamming into the Shade, even though she didn’t control them. She couldn’t even reach for her power. [i]What is happening to me?[/i]Then a crack of thunder resounded around her, along with flames and bouncing pink orbs. Gradually, she felt all the weight of the Shade lift off her chest, and she gulped down air, despite still struggling to move. The clouds of black began to ebb away from her vision, and she saw the Shade drain into the ground slowly, gone. Silver inhaled hard once again, filling her lungs with the much-needed air. She felt her power restore itself, the web of metal reachable in her mind again. “Silver!” she heard Raven’s voice bellow, accompanied by the thumping of paw steps, which she was very sure were Raven’s heavy paws. Silver blinked hard as she began to sit up, but was nudged down gently by Raven’s furry paws. “Easy there, you’re hurt,” he murmured, working his healing powers on her. Within minutes, she was restored back to health, the remnants of the Shade erased from her body, allowing her to retrieve her blades back from wherever they were. They slid back into place on her wings, the cooling touch a reminder that she was safe now. “Silver! Silver!” A wobbly River Flight exclaimed, her emerald green eyes full of joy. Behind Misty was Corey, smiling with relief. Misty made her way to Silver, hugging her tightly as Silver tried to stand up. “Hello Misty,” she laughed, gently patting her head. Silver saw Starfire and the rest of her broken clan walk to her, before another Coatl walked to the front of their group, overtaking them. The Coatl was grey. She was dull coloured. [i]She’s like me.[/i]But the best part was, the Coatl had sharp and shiny feathers too. And these feathers were floating behind her, showing that she had the same ability as Silver. “Hi, I’m Orca. I’m a Magnetron like you.” [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ven9gmk4qi14dr5/shadowbottom2.png[/center][/img]

[center][font=garamond][b][size=6]Chapter Sixteen[/size][/b] [size=5]Crystal[/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/qnsvl4q1hbyggi5/arcanetop.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4]Crystal had her work cut out for her. Cameron’s camp was clearly not big enough to fit all seven dragons and two familiars comfortably, especially not with Fracture’s immense bulk. None of them wanted to fell any of the magnificent Starwood trees, though, so they were currently thinking of other ways. “How about we-” Callan ventured, before getting startled by a head that had poked out of the ground right in front of him. Large Nature eyes blinked back at him, before a long, ropey body snaked out of the hole. A Tundra followed, shaking the soil off her fur. [center][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=2&bodygene=42&breed=6&element=5&eyetype=2&gender=1&tert=116&tertgene=14&winggene=42&wings=85&auth=0e9f0460a9fc02b2569ec60477e0986f9f998c5e&dummyext=prev.png[/img] [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=155&bodygene=23&breed=7&element=10&eyetype=1&gender=0&tert=115&tertgene=10&winggene=20&wings=110&auth=d9255ec9d9e7b738ef8153ac1aaefe207937fd36&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4]“Please tell me no one’s here, oh wait, there are dragons here, please don’t kill us, we’re just passing by, you saw nothing,” the Spiral chattered nervously, body twisting and turning and looping so fast that Crystal was starting to get a headache. The Tundra was silent, but cast constant glances around her shoulder. [i]What… what is going on?[/i] The frazzled Coatl started to hum, in an effort to calm herself down. Then destruction descended from the sky - literally. There was a loud, echoing cry, and a Banescale crashed down onto the Spiral with a furious roar. [i]WHAT THE-[/i] [center][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=120&bodygene=56&breed=18&element=2&eyetype=2&gender=1&tert=115&tertgene=0&winggene=56&wings=63&auth=b40e07038e19c64a43da91d9ae0e46eb01eecfc4&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4]The camp erupted into chaos. Callan immediately shoved his brother out of the aggressive Banescale’s line of fire, Fracture towering over her threateningly. The Banescale, however, paid no heed to even the hulking Imperial, menacing eyes fixated on the Spiral, by now already half-dead from the fright. The thin dragon wriggled and squirmed under the pink dragon’s grip, and the Tundra tried very, very hard to slip unnoticed into the distance. “Who dares shelter this criminal?” Her voice was sonorous, an enraged lioness pinning down her ill-fated prey. The Spiral was looking at her with abject terror. The Banescale swept her gaze across the defensive dragons, and it fell on Cameron. Her pupils slitted. Instinctively, Crystal threw herself in front of Cameron and let out a piercing trill. The wyvern growled back at her. Letting go of the Spiral who frantically scrambled to hide behind the Tundra, the Banescale came at her. Crystal met her full force, grappling in the air and on the ground, trying to gain an advantage. It was slightly ironic that it was a Banescale and Coatl that were fighting, two dragons descended from Flamecaller’s creations, but to the newly appointed clan leader, nothing was too high a cost for the safety of her clan members. Especially for Cameron. The Banescale snapped at her wings, fangs glistening with plague venom, and Crystal twisted out of the way just in time, snarling back at her assailant. Runes burning with the intensity of her emotions, time and space seemed to distort and rip around the enraged Coatl, pink bolts of magic streaking for the wyvern. The Arcane energy seared into the Banescale’s hide, fuchsia scorch marks still sizzling and sparking with magic. Roaring, the Banescale leapt up into the air, huge powerful wings beating loudly. Crystal felt as if she was hearing her heartbeat echo in her ears, the rhythmic, fast flapping of the Banescale messing up her train of thought. Getting into a defensive posture, Crystal shrieked her challenge. Her opponent folded her wings, and dived. At that moment, their eyes locked, and Crystal felt pure, unadulterated fear. Her limbs froze in the face of the Banescale screaming toward her, and her mind went blank. “-ystal! Crystal! RUN!” A voice jolted her back into the real world, and she rolled out of the way just in time. A tremor ripped through the ground as the Banescale slammed down. Without missing a beat, the wyvern spat a glob of sizzling poison at her, virulent liquid bubbling with malice. Crystal tried to dodge, but she wasn’t quick enough. A few singed feathers floated to the ground, crystalline coating eroded. Hissing in pain, she was about to strike back when something reared up behind the Banescale. She didn’t think at all. She tackled her opponent out of the path of the Shade. The Shade gurgled in anger, rippling menacingly as it spread, towering over even Fracture. Crystal looked at the Banescale still beneath her claws, and saw reflected in the crimson eyes the same horror that she felt. At that moment, personal enmities were forgotten. The Coatl gave her predecessor a long, hard look, and the hostility in the Banescale’s eyes shifted into acceptance. Whirling around, Crystal let out a resounding cry. As one, the clan leaped into battle, giving their all against the returning enemy. [b][i]She commands and they strike out, pink and blue and green and brown and red and purple all fusing together into a strange synergy that crackles between each and every one of them. Crystal bares her fangs and the Spiral summons twisting, tearing vines, Fracture bellowing and ripping the space around the Shade apart. She races for the Shade, song tearing from deep within her like a battle cry, and she cries out and they [/i]attack[i], all fierce and predatory and they [/i]see[i] like nothing other. It is like the whole world in their minds, but not. She calls out and she feels a strange, ancient language rising on her tongue, spilling out from her mouth, and they [/i]respond[i]. Suddenly she sees in violent bursts of colour. Cameron is a cool, muted blue, Sagar blindingly magenta, and the Tundra crackles with the cyan of a thousand lightning bolts. The Shade… the Shade is deep, sickening, void black. Karina trails golden and dark blue behind her as she attacks in a flurry of sharp claws and hard wings, tail lashing from side to side as Mirage assails the Shade with phantoms that creep up from the ground. Crystal leaps forward. She slashes and feels eleven other hearts beating in unison with hers, an ebb and flow of tides that washes over her and gives her boundless strength. Everything passes in a blur, energy aurae glittering around each clan member, as they move in fluid tandem, hearts and wills and actions aligned. All at once she feels simultaneously too big and small for the endless universe of the Starwood Strand, and the stars beat and pulse and shudder and sing in her heart until she feels she is becoming one of them, all the glory and might of a supernova flashing before her eyes. Her eyes meet Sagar’s, haunted gaze upon haunted gaze, and she suddenly sees a new kind of hunger in the predator’s eyes. They turn together, bloodlust in their eyes, and part of the Shade explodes into tatters. The Banescale takes this as a cue to begin bombarding the Shade with virulent bolts of pestilence. The Shade rears up, stunned by the damage it has taken, and Crystal feels a new imperative forming in her mind. [/i]Destroy.[i] Lunging at the Shade, they tear at it with savagery they never knew they had, driven by anger and fear and something else that stirs in their hearts and minds, a primal desire to take and take and- The black shadows fade away. The magic does not.[/i][/b][/size] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/nm0z9g1pkrloiln/arcanebottom.png[/img] [size=2]@Petall[/center]

woooooooooo

Oooooooo another exciting pair of chapters!!!

@Petall

As always, glad you enjoyed reading! Personally, I’m particularly proud of chapter 16. And present tense YAY!!

Writer’s question: have you tried writing in present tense?