Dragon Share

[i][center]“As soon as we’re healed, we have to go,” Voidsong said. “If we don’t rescue Shadowsong before this long night ends, she’ll be Thana’s forever.”[/center][/i] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=3215583] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/32156/3215583_350.png[/img] [/url] "I understand," said Iolus, [b]the elder[/b], inclining his head compassionately towards the twins. "But...believe me, if there's a way to rescue her, we'll find it." He turned his head sharply to the other two - two? - dragons. "What news?" [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24299773] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/242998/24299773_350.png[/img] [/url] "Well, she'll be fine," said Victory, [b]the healer's apprentice[/b], launching herself into the air and away from Nightsong. Settling down next to Iolus, she started flipping through her spellbook. "I can...sort of feel where they went? I can't trace a path; that's Shadow magic. But...they leave faint traces in the earth where they rest. I don't know if it will be enough..." [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=49990223] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/499903/49990223_350.png[/img] [/url] "It won't be," announced Yaari, [b]the sorceress[/b]. "Nothing any of us can do is likely to be enough. But it doesn't need to be." She scraped lightly at the earth with her claws, as if trying to sense for herself where the mimics had gone, then addressed the Nocturne twins without turning to face them. "You two were fortunate," she intoned. "I don't know that ordinary dragons could do anything about Thana. But our clan includes more than ordinary dragons." [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=55524849] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/555249/55524849_350.png[/img] [/url] A light flared between the Ridgeback's wings, and there was Ieialel, [b]the ethereal[/b]. All that could accurately be said about her was that she had wings and glowing eyes and seemed approximately the size of a Fae if you could actually look straight at her for a second, which was no easy feat. Yaari watched the tiny celestial creature with mixed pride and awe as she turned her golden gaze on the Nocturnes. "We don't know what she is, how she got here, or what she's even doing on Sornieth," the sorceress said, "but if she can keep Legion contained...well, I'd hate to be Thana."

I fit in perfectly with these names XD All the things with “Song” at the end))

[url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=15855105] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/158552/15855105_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=56101319] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/561014/56101319_350.png[/img] [/url] [img]https://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/skin?did=51900827&itemid=19422&auth=bc02e66d75d5918c2513430e550a4d2c92f170a4&dummyext=prev.png[/img] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=15015174] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/150152/15015174_350.png[/img] [/url] “As soon as we’re healed, we have to go,” Voidsong said. “If we don’t rescue Shadowsong before this long night ends, she’ll be Thana’s forever!” [b]"You're looking for Shadowsong,correct?"[/b] A deep,baritone voice asks. A large Imperial decked head to tail in winter clothing lands (surprisingly) softly, followed by a demonic-looking Skydancer, an equally demonic Guardian, and an orange Nocturne. "Yes," Voidsong whispered. "Shadowsong was dragon-napped by Thana, a Mimic." [b]"Hrmmmmm..... Itachi, would you please give me some parchment and something to write with?[/b]" The grand Imperial rumbles. The Guardian, Itachi, pulls out a blank scroll and a stump of charcoal.

claim!

[center][b]Cast:[/b][/center] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&id=302801&tab=dragon&did=33978844][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/339789/33978844p.png[/img][/url] [b]Messy[/b]: an elder dragon (relatively), a scavenger, a thief [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&id=302801&tab=dragon&did=49014513][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/490146/49014513p.png[/img][/url] [b]Eyes[/b]: an apprentice, Messy's son [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&tab=dragon&id=302801&did=44017957][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/440180/44017957p.png[/img][/url] [b]Shadows[/b]: a... librarian? [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&id=302801&tab=dragon&did=54636329][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/546364/54636329p.png[/img][/url] [b]DRONE[/b]: a Nocturne-shaped thing, an abomination, a [i]trap[/i]. [b]NOTE: [/b]I am [b]not[/b] the originator of the [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/drs/2397522]Hivemind subspecies[/url]! <Click for more info! [center][i][color=red]“As soon as we’re healed, we have to go,” Voidsong said. “If we don’t rescue Shadowsong before this long night ends, she’ll be Thana’s forever.”[/color] [/i] [font=lucida console]* * * * * <MISSION REPORT: TARGETS SIGHTED> <QUERY: INSTRUCTION/?> <INSTRUCTION: RUN RISK.EXE> <RUNNING RISK.EXE <REPORT: RISK LEVEL: LOW> <INSTRUCTION RECEIVED: TERMINATE TARGETS> <INTRUDER DETECTED> <IDENTIFY?//HOSTILE> <ABORT> <ABORT> * * * * *[/font] [i] It was never supposed to be a rescue mission.[/i] Messy shook out her wings to get rid of the sensation of the Mimics' touch, and contemplated their situation. Eyes glowed softly as he worked the healer's magic, and Shadows coiled herself into strange patterns as she watched, all of her luminous yellow eyes wide open, looking for danger. The two young Nocturnes seemed to be under the impression that the plush, richly furnished cave system they had just escaped was Messy and her companions' lair. She set them straight... ish. “It's not our place. We saw it was abandoned, and we went to, um, investigate, to find out what had happened, but something else got there first.” It was even partially true, but it seemed the Nocturnes couldn't care less: they only had eyes for one another's healing wounds. “We better get out of here, before it gets back,” she added, more for her companions' benefit than for the strange dragons. The fourth dragon – or, more accurately, dragon-shaped [i]thing[/i] - to escape the lair had fled into the night. It was not the original owner of the lair either. Eyes looked up from his work, the magenta glow fading around him. “If there were more of them in there, wouldn't we have seen them by now?” His expression could be difficult to read, but his pupil-less, glittering eyes were very wide. Messy nodded, conceding the point. “It might just have been lurking there for some reason. You don't get them on their own very often.” “Their armies are indeed elsewhere,” the black Nocturne responded. Messy suspected that they were talking at cross-purposes, but she let him carry on. “We are grateful for your assistance, but we must rescue Shadowsong. Without her, we are all doomed. Besides, you must find your friend before the Mimic takes hold of them permanently.” “[i]That[/i],” Messy muttered, “was not our friend.” The blue Nocturne raised one eye-ridge, but before Messy could elaborate, Shadows unwound from her coil of anxiety and undulated closer to the Nocturnes. “You're Singers, aren't you? I've read about you. You have the power to stop the mimics. But you're only learning. We have Songs too, in our own way. Maybe... maybe we can help. Maybe we can get Shadowsong back if we work together!” The blue Nocturne lowered her head miserably. “Not unless you have an army. We must fly to Shadowsong and try to help as best we can. You would be in far too much danger from Thana and her Mimics. We could not ask you to risk yourselves like this.” Messy frowned slightly as the two Nocturnes spread their wings, preparing to take off. Just as they leapt into the air, her head jerked up and she shouted, “WAIT!” The Nocturnes hovered there for a moment. She said, “You wanted an army, right? An army that could take on Mimics? Well, you know that... erm... dragon... [i]thing[/i] that wasn't our friend...?” [font=lucida console]* * * * * <TARGETS LOCATED> <TARGETS ATTACKING?!?> <DRONE IMMOBILISED> <**ALERT**> <**ALERT**> <***ALL DRONES RESPOND***> * * * * *[/font] Messy soared along beneath the two Spirals, trying to work out what exactly the two Nocturnes were following. It was almost like they were singing. Messy heard music almost all the time, just like the rest of her clanmates, but this was different: this was almost like trying to remember something she'd heard in a dream. Above her, suspended in a net between the two Spirals, the thing that had fled the caves before them fought and bit and slashed and raged. It looked like a Nocturne, from a distance; it smelt a bit like a Nocturne, at first; it hissed and screeched like nothing on Sornieth. Messy tried to think about what she would actually [i]do[/i] if it slipped the net and landed on her back, and drew a blank. The two Nocturnes swooped simultaneously towards a patch of dense woodland. They were making for the trees. She coughed loudly. They glanced back, realised she could not fly between the trees, and aimed for the ground instead. “You're sure,” said the black one as they regrouped before the treeline, “that this is going to work?” Messy had been thinking the same thing. Would the drone's masters show enough concern to one individual to rescue it, or would it be left to its destruction? Would the Mimics be fooled by the drone's vaguely draconic shape and smell? But no-one got the chance to respond. A voice purred from the trees, straight into their heads. [i] Welcome, little ones! And you bring my pets a pretty gift. How charming.[/i] The shadows between the trees started to move and slide forwards. The faint light from the winter moon glinted strangely off shapes formed of dust and shade. Hypnotised, Messy watched the impression of tentacles, of claws, of mouths full of teeth, all writhing and changing before her eyes, and growing bigger. She came to her senses all of a sudden. “Let it GO!” she shouted. Shadows and Eyes yanked the net off the struggling Nocturne-shaped abomination as all five of them launched themselves into the air again. The Nocturne-thing rolled over, turned towards them, hissing, spread its wings... only to be overcome by delighted, shadowy, dusty half-forms. It almost vanished, visible only as a silhouette beneath the squirming, translucent shapes, and then... With a roaring, ripping sound, it shook itself free, the horrible shapes flying back, evaporating into dust. It turned to face the onslaught, spreading its shiny wings and emitting a terrible screech, like tearing metal. The voice, again. [i]What is this? What IS THIS?[/i] A recognisable shape emerged from the trees, accompanied by another. Two full-grown Nocturnes, one fiery, alert and outraged, the other limp and exhausted, hauled along by the first on the end of a thorn-bound chain. Thana roared without making a sound, telling all her creatures to stop, to focus on the Nocturnes in the air. But the screeching thing below tore into its newly-identified enemies with a horrific single-mindedness, their blows barely landing on its hard, gleaming carapace, and still it resembled a Nocturne just enough to draw the mimics' instinctive attention. And now, [i]now[/i] there were other dark silhouettes high above, flitting across the face of the moon... Thana rose up towards the intruders, hauling Shadowsong along with her, silently snarling her outrage, but as she took to the air the two little ones began to croon their strange, barely audible song. As they did so, Shadowsong seemed to draw strength. She started to sing. Her voice was no louder than the youngsters', but the three assembled dragons could feel the raw power behind it. The chain binding Shadowsong slowly crumbled and fell away, turning to dust like the shadowy creatures below. She dived away from Thana, and though the other dragon tried to give chase, blasts of dragon-breath from the Ridgeback and the two Spirals drove her back just enough for Shadowsong to rejoin the young Nocturnes, just as a metallic bellow from above signalled reinforcements for the raging creature below. Instinctively, the group split in two, Messy and the Spirals heading south, the Nocturnes disappearing into the north-western skyline. The three of them turned and hung in the air for a moment, watching the glinting shapes dive from the sky towards the rising, writhing shadow-things and, on the edge of hearing, still picking up Thana's roars of fury and defiance. Then common sense kicked in, and they fled as fast as their wings could carry them. They finally pitched down and landed many, many miles from the battlefield. Exhausted, the two Spirals flopped to the floor and immediately fell asleep. Messy rolled her eyes. “Guess I'm on watch, then.” She lay down like a cat on all fours and spread her aching wings across the ground, intending only to rest, but pretty soon her eyelids drooped shut of their own accord. When they opened again, she found the Spirals awake and drinking something hot and sweet over a small fire. Shadows smiled and pushed a mug towards her. “Do you think we'll ever see them again?” Eyes asked, gazing at Shadows. “I don't think so. The Singers are legends. Most dragons don't encounter them in a lifetime. We've been incredibly lucky, really.” Shadows' face was gazing right back at Eyes, although as usual the rest of her was looking everywhere else at once. Messy briefly wondered if she should go back to sleep, or make excuses to be somewhere else for a while. Instead, she stretched out, tested her wings (much better, thankyou very much) and said, “I wonder who won?” “I'd say we did,” Shadows replied after a moment's thought. “We helped save the Singer, and as far as we know they got away safely. As for the fight between the Hive and Thana's Mimics... I'm not sure I want to know.” “I guess we'll be OK as long as they don't decide to team up or something!” Eyes remarked cheerfully, as he reached to collect the mugs. Messy and Shadows went silent and stared at each other. Shadows blinked every pair of eyes on her body rapidly, in sequence. Messy shook her head, then said decisively: “Uh, let's forget the dishes and get out of here. Eyes?” “Yes?” "Never, ever, [i]ever[/i] say anything like that again!”[/center]

GONNA BRB JUST GOTTA GET MY STUFF TOGETHER

[center][b]The Elder[/b] [i]Absinthe[/i] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/481546/48154570_350.png[/img] [b]The Guardian [/b] [i]Arwen[/i] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/499210/49920964_350.png[/img] [b]The Healer[/b] [i]Ellerina[/i] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/547387/54738689_350.png[/img] [b]The Fighter[/b] [i]Anorak[/i] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/473557/47355642_350.png[/img] “As soon as we’re healed, we have to go,” Voidsong said. “If we don’t rescue Shadowsong before this long night ends, she’ll be Thana’s forever.” ~~~~~ The elder's head jerked up,"Wait…" she remarked to the two nocturnes."Could you repeat that name?" she asked her hands shakily going to the book around her waist."Thana," Voidsong repeated slowly.As she said the name green mist slowly came from Absinthe's claws and a wind turned the pages on it own stopping on a page where a crimson red nocturn was painted.Candles flew around her and she was dressed in dark cyan."Is this her?" Absnithe asked turning the book to face Voidsong.She nodded in response."Then she must be trouble" Absnithe muttered under her breath as she skimmed the very brief imformation on this dragon.Their wasn't much,and it wasn't too helpful."So this is her fault?All of the mimic problems?" Anorak remarked from the side,he sounded mad which didn't happen too often.Him shouting caused Arwen to peer out from where he was helping the injured dragons,Ellerina was still running around,her candles glowing brightly showing how worried she was.Arwen began to make his way over still glancing at Ellerina as she ran around.Voidsong didn't answer,but it was clear that this Thana had some part in the whole mimic problem."I have to go get Shadowsong back" she remarked preparing to take off,dusting stardust down.Arwen shivered,he didn't like the dragons who were adorned with stars,it made him feel like he was in the wrong place."I'm coming with you then" Anorak replied glancing at Arwen who nodded knowingly.Voidsong didn't argue,she just nodded and he followed her as she flew off.Ellerina noticed this and tried to fly off after them only to be stopped by Absinthe.Her candles flared brightly as she tried to struggle out of her grip."I'm not a hatchling anymore I can help" she whined as Absinthe turned her around to go back to helping the others.Arwen walked up next to her and put a feathered wing around her,"he'll be fine,besides you'r healing skills are needed here as parel is injured herself and the other two healers have their hands full" he reassured her."Fine" she sighed as he helped her get back to work ~~~ Days passed and Ellerina began to get worried.She'd sit on her ledge,Arwen close behind her obscured from the sight of the stars.Who wouldn't show themselves."I need to know!" she shouted at the sky."Why aren't you letting me know?!" she asked glancing up at the clouded sky.One Star shone thru, dimly and ominous.She ran to Arwen."Something's wrong!" she remarked relaying what she'd seen to him."It's fine it's probably no-" he was interrupted by a rumble and a flash of green light.He jerked up,a terrified look in his eyes."Absnithe" they said in unision as they flew off in the direction of it. Absnithe had shot of the light as a signal,and as a distraction for the mimics around her.Some had joined up,forming what looked like a Emperor.A abomination without it's magic,just it's size.As they fought pale green wisps of mist tangled themselves around it's legs.And it wasn't until it was too late that they noticed.They let out a shriek as Arwen and Ellerina joined in the fray.Ellerina brandishing a very sharp,and hot candlestick.They made quick work of the Mimics as they split the emperor illusion and tried to run.After Arwen and Ellerina tended to the wounds of Absnithe.[i]Is this what it feels like after every battle?[/i]Ellerina asked herself feeling awesome.Her mind quickly wandered and she soon forgot about her worry for her brother,and the single pale red star that still hung in the sky ~~~~ [/center]

[columns][url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ak8P-Mc_IzFfRnhy_KEznyH7q3PsgAxSGboV78kGKBg/edit?usp=sharing][img]https://i.imgur.com/vGkvIyG.png[/img][/url] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/7g81ucxbureqyrs/windvs1.png[/img][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/7g81ucxbureqyrs/windvs1.png[/img][/center] [nextcol] [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/k1b4ynhewlhqjdz/windmidsmall.png[/img] [b]Location:[/b] Clan of the Twisting Lights (Main Territory) Twisting Lights is on the very southern edge of the Windswept Plateau on the Ashfall Waste-facing side of the Twisting Crescendo. The great tornado can be seen in all its glory in every area of the clan in the sky above. The bioluminescent bamboo forest (named the forest of Twisting lights after which the clan also adopted as its name) faces the sea towards the Southern Icefields and the sheer cliff at the edge of the Plateau drops many miles before hitting a thin stretch of sandy beach that my clan controls only a mere portion of. The Fen Ruins, as they are called, are situated in front of the forest and rest upon many grassy hillsides. They are best described as large black stones jutting from the earth across the sloping fields. They are reminiscent of those from Stonehenge but are much larger and more natural looking with rounded tops. There are two hidden entrances to what is called by the clan "The Undergrounds" in the Fen Ruins; one is near the curve of the Ardwin River that flows through much of the clan's land and the other is near the entrance of the forest. The Undergrounds is a large maze of tunnels and chambers and is home to many dragons in the clan who prefer the darkness of caves rather than the wooded area of the forest, or the fields, or the seaside huts. It's also where several of the larger and darker areas of the clan are built; including the mechanical workshop and the dungeons. ([b]For the map of the clan click the rune to the left[/b].) [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/k1b4ynhewlhqjdz/windmidsmall.png[/img] [/columns] [center][size=7][b] Meet the Cast[/b] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&tab=dragon&id=30450&did=41532333][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/kk5kaag52acu28a/windtop.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=3884281] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/38843/3884281_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Marrok [/b] [/center] Co-founder and elder of the clan of the Twisting Lights, Marrok is a gentle soul who uses music to spin wondrous stories of ancient days and glorious adventures. Haunted by years of long suffering in is youth, Marrok is sometimes tormented by visions of things no one else can see. [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/24py702d17y97rm/windmid.png[/img] [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=4571855] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/45719/4571855_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] [center][size=4][b]Kokoro [/b][/center] [center][i][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFqesVTz-YA]"The spirit of unending hope and child-like wonder lives inside that cheerful dragon. Or so the stories say, anyway."[/url][/i] [/center] [right]—Survivor of the Battle of the Darkness[/right] Kokoro is a young imperial with a troubled past littered with fierce adversary, heartbreak and death. Yet never has she surrendered her optimism, boundless courage, or the love she holds for Sornieth and its people. [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/24py702d17y97rm/windmid.png[/img] [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=20417972] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/204180/20417972_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Aviva[/b][/center] A rare elf-dragon from a distant land, Aviva is one of the four Keepers of the Tree of Archives that resides in the main territory of the clan inside the forest of Twisting Lights. She is knowledgeable in herbal medicine and healing but her skills are mainly directed towards the Great Tree and the forest surrounding it. [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/x70o1tgtwji443a/windbottom.png[/img] [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/hp56gdizp19uqry/plaguetop.png[/img] [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37737085] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/377371/37737085_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Fayde[/b][/center] One half of a whole oracle when paired with her twin half-brother Fiyre, Fayde is a perpetual hatching with an irritating personality and a tendency towards wickedly dark behavior. [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/pcdper929atye3v/plaguebottom.png[/img] [center][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/1bc2oq2d0ad15a8/shadowmidsmall.png[/img][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ohuopl6m6idq40o/shadowfull.png[/img] [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/1bc2oq2d0ad15a8/shadowmidsmall.png[/img][/center] Marrok nodded, his expression somber. “We’re on our own.” “As soon as we’re healed, we have to go,” Voidsong said. “If we don’t rescue Shadowsong before this long night ends, she’ll be Thana’s forever.” Marrok nodded and tilted his head towards the small skydancer, "Keeper Aviva, I know your skills are more geared towards plant care but is there anything you can do for these siblings?" Aviva righted her eye piece and then tugged on the rim of her hat as if considering something. Then she took her staff and hobbled over to the female nocturne who had crashed. She studied Nightsong's wounds and then glanced back at Voidsong and took a glowing vial from her alchemy bag. Popping the cork of the mysterious potion, the skydancer locked eyes with the old founder and sighed, "I'm a bit rusty with the healing of dragon hurts but I should be able to get these two flying again soon." The grave old tundra then looked towards the only other members of his clan who had escaped the Undergrounds before Shadowsong was taken. The young imperial Kokoro was gazing intently towards the shadowed entrance to the Undergrounds. The trickling of water could be heard in the distance from the Ardwen River to the north of where the small group of dragons now huddled together. The young imperial closed her eyes and focused on the soothing sounds while trying to contain the memory of her brother's last words. [i]'Go Koko! Get out while you can, I'll hold them off!'[/i] Cedro's deep voice echoed in her mind. Even now, she could feel the memory of his burning scales and the fire of his breath as he turned from her and spread his golden wings toward the mimic enemies that had overrun the Undergrounds. The fourth and final dragon who had escaped with the group was a small pearlcatcher hatchling with glowing red eyes and darkened bronze scales. A menacing snarl darkened her strange face. A low hiss escaped her beak as she turned to the Singer siblings, "You two...." The baleful gleam in her eyes smoldered with a hate that could be felt like a burning poker. Even though Fayde appeared small and young compared to the adults, a subconscious shadow of fear fell over the two nocturnes. Voidsong, who could still walk, took a step back from the pearlcatcher but placed a paw on the shoulder of his sister, who lay weakly on the ground being tended to by Aviva. "Why does this keep happening?" Fayde growled as she tapped her claws against her luminous blue pearl. "[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/drs/2595047/10#post_36937379]Last year we were attacked in a similar manner and it was my brother who was forced to Foresee alone in order to restore our clan's dominion[/url]. Now it is [i]I[/i] who has escaped these devilish mimic beasts while my brother lies consumed by their filthy magic." Fayde's eyelids lowered, deepening her scowl, and she crept closer to the two siblings while picking up her pearl with her long tail and holding it high above her head. Voidsong felt a dark aura surrounding this hatchling that crackled with unseen menace. "You [i]Singers[/i]," And Fayde spoke the title with contempt, "Don't seem worth much. What has Shadowsong truly done to protect the clan's of Sornieth from these mimics who haunt us every year around this time? She offers small protection but leaves most to fend against the mimics alone until the mimic is then discovered. Only then does she come in and destroy them." Voidsong swallowed and shuddered before steeling his gaze upon the strange hatchling, "We Singers are only a part of one clan and, though we are powerful, we are not one of the Eleven. Shadowsong goes and helps whoever she can during this season but even she has her limits." This answer did not seem to satisfy the dark pearlcatcher and a growl built in her chest before Marrok held out his lute in front of the hatchling. His voice was soft and grave but stern, "We have all lost someone dear to us tonight, Fayde." Fayde glared at the clan's co-founder for what seemed an eternity before hissing wretchedly and marching off into the night's gloom alone. Aviva the healer watched the creature go with an unreadable expression. She had never liked the two oracle's; Fayde and Fiyre, and spoke against them entering into the clan's employ years ago. Even back then they were a strange pair and the Tree whispered dark things to her about them. Kokoro turned back towards the group after Fayde had disappeared. Her dark wings seemed to melt into the night while her light-colored body glowed softly under the moonlight. Nightsong, glancing up at the larger dragon, wondered if the rainbow shimmer on the white tiger stripped scales was a trick of the night or her weary mind. Voidsong looked up at this young imperial and noticed how the aura of this dragon was utterly opposite to the pearlchatcher's. It was warm, light, and exuded a sense of freedom that warmed the nocturne to his bones. However, the grim expression on Kokoro's face seemed at odds with his spiritual senses. "My brother stayed behind in the tunnels so we could escape," Kokoro said softly and looked down at Voidsong. He sensed the imperial's grief and worry in that once glance. "You said you knew how to find Shadowsong, right? Do you have any skill in portal magic?" Kokoro asked. Voidsong exchanged a glance with Nightsong, who was now sitting up beside her brother, "Yes we could summon a portal to Thana's hideout but like my sister said before. We're only apprentices and we don't know the spells yet to protect you from Thana's magic or the magic of her mimics. If you just barge in..." Kokoro's eyes seemed faraway until she heard the Singer's concerns and finally she smiled at them kindly, "Don't worry about me. I'll rescue your mentor." Despite noticing the two sheaths concealing twin swords on Kokoro's back, Nightsong frowned worriedly, "Thana knows a lot of dark magic and her mimics are fierce fighters. Don't take this the wrong way but you don't really look like a warrior." The imperial's smile turned a little sad at this but she shook her head, "I'll be okay, trust me." Nightsong glanced at Voidsong who looked doubtful but shrugged, "What else can we do? If we don't find Shadowsong tonight then..." His voice trailed off as he tried not to imagine what Thana's plans for his mentor were. "Let Kokoro help you. She," Marrok glanced at the imperial with an unreadable expression, "She's not what she seems." Nightsong nodded slowly, "Alright." Voidsong glanced at his sister and added, "Let's get started." [center]* * *[/center] The portal swirled with bright purple shadow magic. It lit the surrounding area and revealed several of the moss covered monoliths nearby. Nightsong backed up from the swirling magic and said, "This should bring you straight to Thana's lair." Voidsong's worried expression deepened as he watched the young imperial's face harden. She stepped up to the portal and then winked at the singers, "I'll be right back." "She's an odd one..." Nightsong muttered and Voidsong nodded. [center]* * *[/center] After Kokoro entered the portal she was swept across the land to a shadowed mountain hidden deep within a tall dark wood. Peering around, Kokoro wondered if she was now somewhere inside the Tangled Wood. In all her travels with her brother, she never remembered there being a mountain as tall as this one in the Shadowbinder's realm. The portal had deposited her halfway up the mountainside. The nightsky was overcast with thick black clouds so that no starlight breeched the barrier. The dark pines surrounding her grew far above her head but she could still see an orange glow, not unlike that of fire light, leaking out of a cave high above her near the precipice. Kokoro's vivid light-green eyes narrowed and she reached behind her with both hands to unsheath two curved scimitars. Both blades seemingly glimmered softly with their own light. One being wrought of silver that shined iridescently and, if one peered into the mirror of the blade, showed visions of happier days. The other glowed with the warmth only gold could give off. The sight of this sword could bring light and hope to the hopeless and seemed to ward off the lingering gloom that tried to invade the young imperial's heart. It would be clear to anyone who witnessed these unsheathings that both blades had a history and story of their own but that is another tale. Kokoro righted her pink daisy cap and whispered to the pixies fluttering near her horns to take cover. The tiny creatures landed and held fast onto the branches of her antlers; refusing to abandon this dragon before the hour of battle. Opening her wings, Kokoro pushed off the ground and flew towards the cave entrance. Laughing, jeering, and raucous music echoed from within. From the angle where she was hovering in the cool night air Kokoro could make out several things at once. This was indeed Thana's hideout. She knew this because she spotted a magically bound and gagged Shadowsong trussed up on an alter that looked like it had been used for many foul rituals. She also saw a horde of dancing objects with glittering teeth and unholy eyes. They had to be Thana's mimic monsters. Thana herself was gleefully chanting around a bonfire while every once in awhile tossing in some substance that made the flames suddenly whoosh high above her head. Kokoro growled. So this was the sorceress who had been the cause of so much grief and heartache. Griping her swords tightly, she dived for the cave entrance and slashed out with her silver sword, Worldsurfer, and cut down a mimic chest. The party erupted into chaos and the mimic familiars screeched as one of their own died quickly. Kokoro took the moment to lock eyes with sorceress and growled, "It was a mistake to attack [i]my[/i] clan." Thana's eyes bulged and then shrieked with laughter, "You don't think I was prepared for this? I've been waiting for someone to come after my sister for nearly an hour! I am surprised those two incompetent twins aren't with you though, whoever you are." Kokoro lifted her chin with pride but kept her swords held out in front of her, "My name is Kokoro of the Clan of the Twisting Lights and I did not allow anyone else to come with me. I am not a afraid of you." Shadowsong, still bound with magic on top of the alter, watched the sudden confrontation with dawning horror. She squirmed and tried to warn the young imperial but all that could be heard were stifled muffles. Thana grinned slowly and there was a wicked gleam in her eye, "Really?" The word was drawn out. Then she whispered in a guttural voice, "You [i]should[/i] be." Then, with the speed of a lightning bolt, the sorceress shot an orb of dark energy towards her. However, Kokoro was ready for it and just as quickly she slashed out with her golden scimitar, Daybreak, and cut the spell in midair. No ordinary sword had the power to slice into a magic spell the way her's did. She caught the astonishment across Shadowsong's and Thana's face. Thana's astonishment melted into fury and she hissed to her mimic beasts, "Get her!" The horde of beasts came flying, tooth, nail, and claw right in her path and Kokoro shifted her stance to meet them. In a fury of limbs, glinting sliver and gold, and growls she smote every single beast to dust until at last they were only three living beings inside the cave. "B-but BUT HOW?!" Thana shrieked in anger, "There's no protection spells on you, I can smell it! How could ALL of them fail to possess you?" Without waiting for an answer, the crimson nocturne summoned a silver staff from the shadows and smashed the base of it to the floor casting a strengthening spell on her own body. "Never mind, I'll do it myself," The sorceress snarled and leaped at the imperial with blinding speed. Kokoro barely had time to block as she was taken aback by the nocturne's sudden speed. As the silver staff smashed against her two blades, Kokoro felt herself being flung backwards by the force of the blow. She tumbled out of the cave and spread her wings to avoid crashing down the mountainside. Luckily she caught a sudden updraft and twisted in midair to right herself but Thana was right behind her. The staff came down towards her head this time but Kokoro successfully parried the strike using Worldsurfer. The sound of the two magical weapons sliding off each other made a surprisingly melodic [i]shnnnnnn[/i]. Two more blinding strikes towards Kokoro's neck and wings had her on the defensive as a powerful aura pulsed around Thana. Under the light of Worldsurfer and Daybreak, the sorceress's expression looked mad in the darkness. "TELL ME WHO YOU REALLY ARE!" Thana shouted suddenly, mid-strike. Kokoro bared her fangs in response and shoved the staff away by crossing her scimitars in an X formation and thrusting down. The nocturne was thrown off balance by this but dived away from Kokoro's next two attacks. Whatever spell Thana had cast on herself had made her incredibly fast and strong. It was getting annoying. Suddenly, Kokoro froze mid-flight as she was struck from behind by some powerful spell. Black tendrils invaded her vision and the lights of Worldsurfer and Daybreak seemed to dim until her mind went dark. Thana panted heavily as she held out the silver staff towards the imperial. A great obsidian gem pulsed with magic at its tip. The magic flowed from the staff to Kokoro, encompassing her in a great dark aura that suspended her motionless in the air. The nocturne's labored pants slowly morphed into chuckling laughter. "I never did get an answer," Thana chuckled tiredly. She flew around the giant form of the imperial so she could peer into the dragon's face. The sorceress smiled grimly, "I have no idea how you resisted the mimic beasts' magic but I guess you were no match for a spell cast from a Dark Singer." [center]* * *[/center] "Oh no!" Nightsong squeaked in fright as she gazed into the large cyan pearl. The oracle Fayde, with eyes closed, was meditating by balancing with one foot on top of her pearl. In doing this she funneled hazy visions of the future inside her pearl for others to see. Voidsong's face paled at the sight of Kokoro helplessly ensnared by Thana's spell. The valiant imperial was completely immobilized. Marrok frowned, "You must remember that this is only a future that [i]might[/i] be. Fayde isn't showing us the present." "But what if this [i]is[/i] what's going to happen?!" Nightsong worried, "She needs help!" "There's nothing you can do," Aviva said bluntly, "You two spent your last bit of strength summoning that portal. You won't be able to perform something like that again until you are fully recovered." Voidsong gritted his teeth, "Did we do the wrong thing? Should we have gone with her?" "We would have been no match for Thana..." Nightsong said glumly, "You saw those spells. Those were way beyond us." "And she was doing so well. Did you see how unaffected she was by the mimic magic? I've never seen anything like that before," Voidsong added and his expression grew bemused. "Yeah...." Nightsong answered thoughtfully and she turned to the old tundra, "Just who really is that imperial?" Marrok watched the two siblings before sighing and glanced off towards the forest, "That's... a long story." [center]* * *[/center] Darkness. Everywhere. A slimy, oozing darkness that saturated every part of Kokoro's mind and held her prisoner. This was all she was aware of for awhile as she was slowly consumed by Thana's magic. This greedy blackness, seeking to overpower and dominate, woke memories inside her. It reminded her of another darkness. A darkness she had fought years before on the summit of a bursting volcano. She saw flashes of that battle. [i]The Endarkened slaves surrounded them and the heat was nearly unbearable. Her brother Cedro was beside her and as he roared his rusty scales burned golden-hot. Lava spewed out of vents nearby but a fissure behind the two siblings revealed a deep bubbling cauldron and any who fell into its depths would be lost to the mountain's heart. A formless creature made of shadow and dust arose above the band of Endarkened. Its voice whispered in their minds, "You cannot defeat the coming darkness. Your gods have forsaken you." Kokoro's eyes flew wildly around, searching for anything they could use, until finally she looked into the face of the guardian beside her. Cedro wouldn't let this being invade Sornieth. He had the power to banish it. Suddenly from the corner of her eye she saw an Endarkened dragon rush towards Cedro but he had his eyes on the formless beast. She did the only thing she could do. Shoving Cedro aside, Kokoro eyes widened as the Endarkened slammed into her instead. She felt herself falling backwards. She felt the heat rising around her as she fell down into the cauldron. She tried to move her wings but the gap was too narrow and they caught on the molten sides of the shaft. She watched them burn to cinders with a horror unlike anything she had ever felt before. The last thing she heard was the anguished cry of Cedro calling from far away. [/i] Kokoro's mind shied away from the last part of that memory. The pain had been unimaginable. Luckily her death had been swift. It was what happened after she died that she now remembered. Their voices, she remembered, had been soft as they spoke to her in a timeless place. One male and the other female. In His voice contained all the winds of the world and the spirit of adventure. Her voice was warm and held a wisdom more profound then any sage she had ever known. They spoke quickly but one thing they made clear. That she, Kokoro, was loved and was still needed in Sornieth. [i]'Remember who you are,'[/i] A voice whispered inside Kokoro's presently ensnared mind. Thana was still peering into Kokoro's face when the imperial's eyes suddenly opened. That alone sent a wave of shock through the sorceress but what made the blood drain from her face were the color of the imperial's eyes. One was as green as any wind dragon's but the other was now a bright golden yellow. From that yellow eye a light grew underneath Thana's spell brighter and brighter. "That's impossible..." Thana whispered and there was terror on her face now. Beneath the aura of the dark spell, the light grew stronger and stronger until it burst, slowly at first, outwards and freed Kokoro. She shook the remnants of the spell from her body and pounded her wings hard to keep airborne. When Thana beheld the imperial again her two swords were gleaming; one with the power of Wind and the other Light. She whispered again but her voice sounded small, "What [i]are[/i] you?" Kokoro gazed at her with her duel-element eyes and answered, "A defender of the Wind and the Light. A guardian sent back by the gods to protect Sornieth." Thana trembled under the gaze and suddenly shrieked away into the night. Kokoro did not pursue her. Instead she flew down and landed inside the cave. As she did, her golden eye faded quickly back to light-green. As her Light eye faded her swords dimmed and she sheathed Worldsurfer. Using the power of Daybreak she broke Shadowsong's magical bonds and lifted her from the alter. The black nocturne was silent at first before she said finally in a hoarse voice, "Thank you Kokoro." Kokoro wasn't sure if Shadowsong had witnessed the battle outside the cave and her unreadable expression gave no clues. Finally the young imperial grinned happily, "It wasn't a problem. Let's get you home." [center]* * *[/center] Shadowsong banished the rest of the mimics from the Clan of the Twisting Lights once they returned. Nightsong and Voidsong were ecstatic to have their mentor back and the four clanmates were relieved to find no one in the Undergrounds had been seriously harmed. "But what about Thana?" Nightsong asked curiously. "Oh she's still out there I suppose," Shadowsong looked out towards the horizon. The Twisting Crescendo seemed to dance and sway in the light of the breaking dawn. "We'll just have to be extra careful next year," Voidsong grumbled. Shadowsong chuckled and patted the young nocturne's head, "Yes but do you know what? The Singers aren't the only guardians of Sornieth." Her eyes fell on the young imperial standing on a hill in the distance. In the light, Kokoro's scales shimmered rainbow. Her head shifted and she spotted the three nocturnes watching her. Kokoro laughed cheerfully and waved goodbye to them. [b]And so ends the tale of Stolen Shadows as told by the Clan of the Twisting Lights. [/b] [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/yglin87tc1e2r26/shadowbottom.png[/img] Whew that took forever! Thank you to all who stuck by it and read until the end. Comments and critiques are always welcome~!

Guess I'll put the post here anyway, just need to work on the story ----- [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=55757751] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/557578/55757751_350.png[/img] [/url] - A talented hero / amalgamate [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=46701566] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/467016/46701566_350.png[/img] [/url] - Uhm, I guess professional con guy? [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=55435929] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/554360/55435929_350.png[/img] [/url] - Healer, seeker, mage [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=5829401] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/58295/5829401_350.png[/img] [/url] - The elder, one of the four (technically 5) co-leaders ----- [b]“As soon as we’re healed, we have to go,” Voidsong said. “If we don’t rescue Shadowsong before this long night ends, she’ll be Thana’s forever.”[/b] The nocturne tried to stumble out of the elderly mirror's claws, despite her poor condition she was ever more eager to get healed and set off with her twin to retrieve Shadowsong. The mirror let her set off, as she wasn't collapsing anymore there was nothing much to do until the healer did their work. One who Voidsong assumed to be the healer of the trio turned, eyes wide. It was a gaoler with messy, unkept fur and plants softly flowing from her eyes. Her voice was more like her fur than her eyes. "You will CEASE movement of LIMBS if thou wish to CONTINUE EXISTANCE. I have healed the GREATLY ANNOYING fellow sparkly nooc-turn-ee and will do the same to you UNLESS you break your BONES before I, Abelia-the-primal-of-the-" "Right." Voidsong paused, half-collapsing half-settling down on the grass, before turning her head to the more elderly dragon who seemed more approachable. "Can you tell your healer to have a bit more respect? I need to speak to my twin regardless of my condition," She tried the classic approach of taking dominance of the situation, until she was to leave and rescue Shadowsong - hopefully soon - she knew these dragons would be scared, anxious and needing command from a strong near-singer like herself. "Uhm, well, they're- they're not in our clan." The elderly mirror gave a hostile glare to the trio, "I say they're stowaways but I suppose they've turned out somewhat helpful. Yet we now have a surprising lack of gems in the vault-" "Look, can I have an explanation here? Do those nocturnes have rabies or something? What happened to that dark nocturne you and your blue counter-part were after? What are you? I can't sense magic on you-- but it feels like something is there... Like a void of power..." A skydancer came forth. Her eyes too were primal, this time snowflakes sparkled down into the air around her. Even so the suspicion and challenge in her glare stood strong. Voidsong turned, unsure on reply. Singers were supposed to be unknown, everyone in Sorneith had forgotten them. So, who was this? Who was able to sense a void of power? Nightsong too was baffled. The skydancer herself looked strange. Not quite solid. She was solid, she had apparel on and was walking yet there was something odd about her. Suspicions raised, Nightsong shakingly took a step forth, she was still weak but the healing was slowly regening her to full strength. "You're- you're an imposter!" She leapt to attack. The skydancer let out a snarl but instead of reacting like a mimic, imposter or something of the sorts; she changed form. Mouths and eyes formed all over her and her form flowed as a fluid, easily morphing to dodge her attack. To make matters worse, the gaoler charged at Voidsong; it involved no ice magic but just the brute force of her horns smashing against the side of the already injured nocturne. To Void’s surprise it didn’t hurt as much as she anticipated it to do – which was due to the fact she was placed square in the middle of her antlers with her wings pinned by the tips of the horns. The bogsneak – the remaining member of the trio – circled both scenes, his goopy eyes examining and his mouth releasing a sharp hiss. The mirror stood back, her frail wings tucked in and inspecting the occurrence. It certainly was not what she expected to occur and her claws were slid out. “Listen Nooc-turn-ee, I have your near identical clone and I will ATTACK and DESTROY them in the name of the Seeker order unless you DO WHATEVER MY FRIEND SAYS,” The gaoler barked. Nightsong stumbled back, still glaring at the strange skydancer. “You have questions, I have mine. Answer for an answer.” She offered to the gloopy creature ahead of her. “You have a deal.” She reformed, her eyes and mouths slipping into herself and her form restored to the normal – resembling the hero she had been formed from. “What are you? You don’t seem to have mimic magic of any sort…” Night’s words trailed off, her eyes secretly stalking over the gaoler – Abelia – and her weaknesses. She wasn’t a properly trained gaoler, that was for sure, and she probably only had basic fighting magic. Hopefully. “So, the whole world doesn’t revolve around you and your mimics. I’m an amalgamate. In fact, I’m not even a real dragon in the first place, if you like, I was formed from spores touching some story book on a hero. I have a thousand minds hissing along in my head and if you want-” She paused. [i]I can speak inside your head.[/i] Her voice was clearer like this, less rough and somehow that constant hiss lingering in the background of her speech was gone. Night didn’t even realise it was there until her telepathic speech. She stumbled back, her mind did so too; not accounting for this. “Don’t worry, as much as I’d love to read minds,,, I cannot,” The amalgamate added, the bogsneak coming up next to her – or it rather. “Well then, you ‘eard her! Return the question – who and what are you, kid?” The bogsneak gave a huff, his tail lashing across the grass. Night stiffened, she turned and Void and her twin nodded. Her dark eyes picked up on how she was in a position that she could attack the gaoler if necessary. She was okay. "Well then, I'm a Singer." She began, calling to her memory to recite roughly what her clan oath was, "[i]Our clan exists for the purpose of guarding Sornieth from the mimics and imposters, but we are still nocturnes. We could still lose ourselves to dragons around us or worse - the very creatures who would destroy this world. Singers are nocturnes who are able maintain our independence, ourselves, and thus our clan.[/i]" "So, you are normal nocturnes running about being Ghostbusters with your magic to save the world from possessed treasure chests?" The bogsneak blinked, slightly unimpressed by the speech. The amalgamate gave a snort of amusement at her companion's words. "We are not of such a low ord-" Void attempted to yell from her possition. "Stop! Y'all bickering like little hatchlings over a good chunk of meat and concentrate. You two nocturnes [i]need[/i] to save Shadowsong this night and there are dragons in the lair being enslaved and killed! Are you going to do something or what?" "Why should I care? It's not my lair! Not my problem! If your clan was-" The shadow-eyed primal retaliated. "Wait, you said possessed treasure chests, how did you know about [i]that[/i]?" Night paused. "Well, I saw this weird chest thing and I said to Legendary, '[i]Is there a hatchling in there?[/i]' and she told me I'd eaten too many-" He began the story. "[i]Where did you find it?[/i]" She asked another question. "In the treasury." The Void took over from here, calling to the mirror, "Does anyone in particular guard that area? Went to there that night?" "This little sneaky creature admits to being in the treasury and- Well, Crescent was heading over there to get her crystal armour I suppose-" The elderly dragon blinked. "Well, you know who to find now." Void gave a smile as she said it, turning to her twin. Abelia released her, feeling the tension fizz away. Both nocturnes stumbled to each other - still weak. "I will heal SLIGHTLY LESS ANNOYING THAN I THOUGHT nooc-turn-ees and HELP because ABELIA-THE-PRIMAL-OF-THE-" "Abelia, no need to talk. Heal." The skydancer swept her tail and nodded at her rather odd companion. ----- Dayna stared at the specks of nocturnes in the darkening sky, gliding into the night's gloom. She let out a long sigh. Guilt was still seeping into her veins, like a blood-based parasite; gnawing its way to her heart. She turned her blood red eyes to the spire of crystal. Her frail body had been through much, her claws has ripped through many and her eyes had seen all. But this memory was shaking her to the bone. If she had paid more attention and seen the two hatchlings she was saving were mimics, she could have saved more dragons. Saved Shadowsong. Yet, she had work to do. It was impossible to trust the three dragons she'd been left with. They were clearly sketchy, the bogsneak had even admitted to sneaking into the treasury! And now the two nocturnes she had hope in ran off to find who took Shadowsong. Of course, she had total faith in them but she did not with the dragons she now had to work with. "Well, what's the plan?" The question made Dayna jump. The skydancer gave her an unreadable look. "I thought you three were planning on leaving?" "Well, Abelia thinks it is in her basic code to defend civilians from 'the shade' and I managed to convince Oilslick it was good to do and we can take a few trinkets whilst I? Well, I was born off a hero's tale. May as well be one." The mirror considered this. Still, she didn't completely trust them but they agreed to help. "We sneak into the treasury, of course. We probably need a distraction, your bogsneak friend can do that. I am small and lithe, regardless of my age, I will find what has happened to my clan and then I will rush to help either of you, just, eh... scream. You and the gaoler can hunt down Crescent and the mimic; you'll know Crescent when you see her if you haven't yet. We meet up at the entrance." "Sounds okay enough. I assume we kill the mimic and, well, what about Crescent?" "I don't know." "How helpful." ----- [i]"AHHAhsdhyanhayudhnfbhyrdejsansbgdh"[/i] The strange noise echoed around the tunnels, everything from mimics to dragons was confused. It was quite annoying and loud, so after a few more rounds of the yelling; a few mimics went to investigate. Currently, the attack had been going to plan. All the nocturnes including the battle commander had been taken over. Perfect.