Creative Corner

@Tirtouga678

I don't think I have tried writing in present tense before!

@Petall

You should try! It’s quite interesting.

[center][font=Lora][size=6]Chapter Seventeen[/size] [size=5]Silver[/size][/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/hzvonpzcngbad5x/shadowtop2.png[/center][/img] [font=lora][size=4]“Magnetron?” Silver stuttered. It was a foreign term to her, but it felt right on her tongue. It felt correct to say it. Orca nodded, placing her own platinum blades back onto her wings. “I can control metal like you.” Silver felt happiness bloom around her. [i]She’s like me. I’m like her. We’re the same![/i] Silver wrinkled her snout in concentration then tried reaching for Orca’s blades in her mind. To her dismay, they did not lift. [i]Lift.[/i]“You look very cute when you’re concentrated,” Raven suddenly said to her, who was sitting in the corner on a rotting log, observing the two Magnetrons. Silver felt her blood rush to her face, blushing. “I can’t lift them,” she said, sulking. Orca laughed at Silver’s frown, saying, “Practice, I guess,” “Oh.” Silver huffed. “Welcome to our clan, though,” Orca added, her own blades clinking as she shifted. “You fought with us, for us. You’re one of us now. And so is your Tundra friend,” Starfire agreed. The other six dragons nodded, making Silver feel warm and fuzzy with happiness. “And you defeated the Shade! You did the most damage,” “I did the most damage?” Silver asked, confused. [i]We fought [/i]together. [i]And I’m inexperienced. What?[/i] This time, it was Hephestia who answered her. The blue and gold Spiral nodded, then replied, “You are the strongest amongst all of us. It was your blades that could get rid of the Shade, and you fought twice the strength when you were injured, strangely. Your blades exploded around you and pinned the Shade down, allowing us to attack it and chase it away.” Silver nodded, barely comprehending the fact that she, an inexperienced and untrained dragon, defeated a powerful enemy. An orangey Coatl, Monarch, stepped forward. Silver sucked in a breath. As doubtful as she was of Monarch due to her orange hue, she remembered Orca. If Orca could live with them communally, Monarch would not mean harm. She locked eyes with Silver. Her eyes were fiery orange, like her pelt, but soft and kind. “We’re looking for a leader to lead us. And we’re thinking you could be our best choice,” she said in a smooth voice. Silver’s eyes almost exploded. “W-What? Me as your leader? No...no, no I can’t lead!” she exclaimed, shocked that someone even [i]suggested[/i] making her their leader. [i]Do they know how young I am? How inexperienced?[/i] She shifted awkwardly on her fours, looking around. Silver turned her eyes to the rubble around her. It wasn’t a pretty sight, the destroyed ruins. These dragons needed help. They were injured, needed refuge, and most importantly, a leader. And they wanted her to be that dragon, the leader. Silver wanted to find some sort of purpose in life, and now that answer of leading a new clan was literally dangling in front of her. She turned away from the rubble now, catching eyes with Raven. He gave a smile that reached his eyes, trying to be goofy. Then he let his mouth slack, retrieving the smile. “Follow your heart” was all he mouthed to her, his eyes gleaming as he nodded, before returning to playing with Misty and Corey. Silver watched the two animals play with Tundra’s fluffy mane and horn as he swatted them away. Their innocence brought her strength. But she was so inexperienced, so new, so - “Silver?” Orca called out to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Ah? Oh, right,” Silver muttered, now looking down at the ground. She was aware of the many eyes turned at her. [i]So many decisions to make.[/i] She pressed her paw into the ground, feeling the damp mud curl under her claws. [i]JUST SAY YES.[/i] Silver looked up from the ground, her eyes to the desperate dragons. She started to feel the tears that were begging to be free flooding her vision, heat radiating from her eyes and snout. Silver hardened her gaze at the dragons, standing up straighter. “I’ll be your leader.” [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ven9gmk4qi14dr5/shadowbottom2.png[/center][/img]

[center][font=garamond][b][size=6]Chapter Eighteen[/size][/b] [size=5]Crystal[/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/qnsvl4q1hbyggi5/arcanetop.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4][b][i]The pack roams the forest. There is no need for words, every small gesture and flicker in magic enough to tell one another exactly what they are thinking. She surveys her clan, a ragtag group, and feels pride swell in her chest. She inclines her head, and they stare back at her, hungry. They plunge into another strange world, convoluted magics chanting and thrumming all around like a spider web tangled in their wings, their scales, reverberating around the enchanted forest. A mist seems to wreath every object, every speck of air. She looks around at the dragons who fan around her, names and feelings and memories leaping to mind. The Spiral loops ahead, long sinuous body curling and twisting around the strange energies in the air that throb and pulse like her heartbeat, strong and beating and [/i]alive[i]. She knows his name. [/i]Galahad[i]. And somehow she knows that there was a misunderstanding between the Banescale - [/i]Bridget[i] - and the Spiral, somehow she knows that the Tundra’s name is Rin, somehow she knows that she would give up her life for any of them. But now is not the time to dwell on that. She tears her gaze away and bounds ahead, following the trail of silver that glimmers invitingly, the gleam coating her feathers and giving her clan an ethereal glow. Time passes in a blur, as they bound down the twisting paths of Starwood Strand, never once leaving the trail of moondust. Everything seems to be in a standstill yet moving at the same time. Cameron joins her in the front, strides in sync with hers as they lead the pack on and on, chasing fluid time and lucid dreams. The experience is indescribable, wingtips brushing wingtips and the constant thrum of wingbeats in the air thick with magic and song. The world is tinted by a breathless silver haze, the magics of all her clanmates mingling and soaring and she feels like she’s in a boundless universe, galaxies wrapping around her like fae wings as something she never knew she had stirs deep within her. The silver light glows brighter. None of them know what they are chasing but they let themselves be swept along by the constant tides, the inviting glitter of the trail casting soft white highlights on their scales, wings, claws, endless cosmos imprinted with stars that shimmer and shine like a million dreams that will never be enough. Sagar joins her, wise eyes gleaming with the light that formerly tormented him. But now he seems at ease, taking long, loping strides as they hunt and chase. She feels the comforting warmth of her clan’s magic all around her, and looks to the endless stream of silver moonlight. They run on.[/i][/b][/size] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/nm0z9g1pkrloiln/arcanebottom.png[/img] [size=2]@Petall[/center]

This is just getting more and more interesting! GAH! I love it so much!!!

@Petall

I'm glad you like this story :DDDDD

(almost pinged myself by accident it's 1.30am in the morning I should sleep,,)

[center][font=Lora][size=6]Chapter Nineteen[/size] [size=5]Silver[/size][/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/hzvonpzcngbad5x/shadowtop2.png[/center][/img] [font=lora][size=4]Silver’s tears had stopped long ago. A while before, she had become their leader. She had a mighty responsibility. The healers of their new clan; Raven, Monarch and Hephestia managed to bring all the injured dragons back to the pink of their healths, so no one was really in pain or limping. Silver’s clan had these dragons: Raven, Starfire, Crystalline, Orca, Bobba, Monarch, Starlight, Hephestia and Candy. And of course, their familiars, including Corey and Misty. The ten of them had decided to move locations, as staying put and trying to carve a home in the battered ruins would be a bad idea. The Shade knew they were there and would definitely return for a second chance of consuming power. Third time actually, as it had attacked once before Silver and Raven arrived there, giving them all the more reason to move homes. They would start out afresh, moving away from the Tangled Wood. Silver felt a wave of sadness wash over her - she was leaving the place she was born in, made friends in, [i]lived[/i] in. No more musty fog and scent of rot, no more sleeping in the pale blue light of the glowing mushrooms, no more dead leaves to crunch on, no more [i]clams[/i]. Silver wondered if there would be clams in their new home. Starfire muttered something called the Starfall Miles, or something like that. [i]Starfall Miles? Isles? Piles?[/i] Silver really didn’t know. Starfire had said that was where Starlight had come from because she was an Arcane dragon. Silver didn’t understand much about what her new friend had said, but she knew all this movement was for their safety. Silver had sent the rest to pack whatever they’d wanted to pack, since she wasn’t too sure what the habits of the clan actually were - but what was there to pack? It also wasn’t even a new day yet - it had only been a few hours from the Shade’s attacks - and it could return soon. But they would leave for Starfall… Starfall Piles at the crack of dawn. With a huff, Silver padded out of the ruins that was once a clan and sat down on the leafy floor. [i]This is the last time I’ll be seeing these leaves.[/i] She inhaled the frowsty scent of petrichor, drawing aimless circles in the dead leaves with her paws. The leaves crunched under her touch, falling into smaller flakes adding to the carpet of leaf litter. Silver crushed the leaves with more force as she sat on the forest floor, sighing. Then the sound of fluttering leaves came from behind her. Raven stirred up the leaves as he walked to her, his lips curled into hints of a smile. “I’m glad you chose to be their leader,” he said, planting himself next to her on the leafy carpet. Silver just shrugged, looking at him with sad eyes. Sighing, she replied, “Yeah, I guess. But… I don’t really know how to lead,” Raven’s smile grew wider, before he began explaining that leading a clan wasn’t that difficult - just ensure everyone’s safety and health. Silver agreed, but something still bothered her. [i]Sure, but there’s got to be more than just that.[/i] Perhaps it was the fact that she would be leaving the place she grew up in, or maybe because she would be missing her clams. “I just...I want clams.” Silver said, huffing again. Her statement earned a hearty chuckle from Raven, who curled his fluffy tail around hers, trying to comfort her. It did bring her comfort. [i]Someone cares.[/i] “Shall we go fishing then?” he suggested, hating to see her sad. After all, it was her who gave her refuge when he needed it. She had cheered him up once, and so he felt that he had to return the favour. Silver’s eyes lit up, and she immediately agreed. [i]This is the last time I’ll be eating clams from here.[/i] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/zm9cim6xw0oxgcb/shadowmidsmall2.png[/img][/center] [font=lora][size=4]The blue glow of the bioluminescent fungi bathed the pair of greyish dragons as they returned, one of them visibly contented with his moss, the other overjoyed with her catch of clams. “Thank you for accompanying me,” said Silver while chewing her last bites of a juicy clam, not caring about manners. Raven just smiled, happy that she was happy. They returned to their rubble of an abandoned clan, trotting through the dense air. When Silver accepted to be their leader, it was Orca who filled in the loopholes of confusion for her. Nightscream, their previous leader, was taken by the Shade. That was why when Silver and Raven had entered their camp, it was in ruins from the dragon’s attacks against the sickening Shade. “Nightscream was so powerful; he could defeat enemies with his collection of bladed scales, all while being invisible. He could control metal like you,” she remembered Orca sighing. Now Silver was the new Nightscream, and she had lots of expectations to live up to. [i]Did I make the wrong choice?[/i] Since Silver and Raven did not really have anything to bring along, they were pretty much prepared to go. Her clan padded out to the opening, grim looks painted on their faces, matching Silver’s. Corey rushed toward her, mimicking the faces of the others. Everybody was reluctant to leave, but for their safety, they had to. The air around the camp was the usual: dense and stifling. For some reason even the air was making Silver emotional. [i]This is the last time I’ll be breathing the air here and - stop it, Silver.[/i] Heaving a sigh, she asked her approaching dragons, “Are we ready?” Then she turned on her heels once she’d got their approval, her clan right behind her tail. [i]Goodbye, Tangled Wood.[/i] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ven9gmk4qi14dr5/shadowbottom2.png[/img]

[center][font=garamond][b][size=6]Chapter Twenty[/size][/b] [size=5]Crystal[/center] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/qnsvl4q1hbyggi5/arcanetop.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4][b][i]Streaks of light spin by as they bound on, unhindered by the passage of time. The Starwood Strand seems even more mystical by night, all the lavender and cerise tones glittering and glowing like a reminder of the stars that twinkle above, that resonate with their raging magic. She lets her magic run free, wild, roving the forest, seeking, searching, uncaged. The silver trail is getting brighter by the minute, now a brilliant platinum that beckons and calls to them to continue the chase. She’s steadily forgetting how she used to feel when she was [/i]normal[i], when she wasn’t consumed by this hungry force that compels her to [/i]chase, hunt, pursue[i]. But she is all too content to lose herself in this haze of memories and uncertain futures, running alongside those she considers family. In here she feels safe, unjudged, like nothing can ever touch her. Worries are a thing of the past now, with every trouble she once had having been absorbed and utterly crushed by the protective streams of magic that weave around her, playful and comforting. There is a sense of great expectation building up in her now, as they cross the sky and cover the earth, gigantic spirits that chase and flit and twirl amidst the warping energies of this strange realm. Ground blurs before her feet and with a sudden leap she is flying, climbing the ladder of silver light, higher, higher, wind skirling through her feathers, the breeze singing beside her ears. Blizzard bounds along beside her, letting out a long, loud howl that seems to pierce right through her, a cry that galvanises her on and on. Fracture surges forward, eyes dark and glittering, great leather wings eclipsing the rest of them, as they chase the light that has guided them through the aurorae that painted the sky. The light glows ever brighter, as they soar amongst the constellations and map the stars with their flight. Silently, they look at one another, magic and warmth and friendship all written within their eyes. The silver stream dances along the sky, and they ascend higher, higher, higher, never once pausing to look down to the ground, so far away now that they have been embraced by the infinite universe. They follow the light, spinning past trees and mountains and seas and finally they find themselves at a large tree. Its branches reach to the sky, casting shades of lilac and soft summer blue on the forest around it. The light twines around the trunk, frosty swirls like the ice of the Southern Icefield, delicate and beautiful. Slowly, they descend, enraptured by the beauty of the tree. She feels her magic tug at her paws and wings, sing in her blood, desperate to escape and join the cloud of energy that coruscates above. The light seems to coalesce around a singular form, all silvery and grey with flashes of dark, roiling purple, and she reaches out to touch the glistening figure. The Coatl jerks away. The illusion shatters. The hunt is over.[/i][/b] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/6kg6r3b1h333p6k/arcanemidsmall.png[/img][/center] [font=garamond][size=4]The air felt dry in her throat as Crystal blinked in confusion. [i]What… what happened?[/i] The other members of her clan seemed just like her, awakening from a long fever dream. The magic that hummed at the tips of her claws was gone. She suddenly felt too big for her body, like the four limbs and two wings were too awkward to carry her properly. When she looked back she couldn’t remember much. But she was haunted by a vague haze of silver, feeling the magic of her clanmates thrum alongside hers, steady and powerful, and the darkness of the night sky, so far away yet always there in her mind. She opened her mouth to speak, but found that no words came out. The group in front of her looked distrustingly at her, the metallic feathers of what seemed to be their leader clinking warningly. When she finally forced herself to talk, she found that the sounds felt rough and clunky, an alien language with syllables harsh on her tongue. “My name is Crystal,” she rasped softly. Her voice was hoarse with disuse, and the feel of solid ground against her claws felt so foreign. “Who might you be?”[/size] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/nm0z9g1pkrloiln/arcanebottom.png[/img] [size=2]@Petall[/center]

Another couple great chapters! Keep up the great work!

@Petall

:D