The Starfall Isles
An elegant Coatl adjusts his goggles as Torch lands on the massive airship awaiting her at the border of Ice and Arcane.
"Welcome to Arcane!" he says as she lands on the ship's deck. "And welcome to Clan Andromeda! It's an honor to have you. We'll be landing in the Starwood Strand in just a few minutes. Would you like something to eat? Drink? Some java sparrows, perhaps? No no, I insist!"
And so a few minutes later, Torch--now with a satchel of java sparrows to snack on--merrily disembarks the airship and continues on her journey.
The Drifter
The Starwood Strand was just a trecherous to navigate as she'd been told, Torch wasn't sure she'd have been able to make it without her guides.
"How can you live here?" the fire dragon wrinkled her nose as they hopped and fluttered from small island to small island. They were crossing a great, swampy expanse of one of the wide rivers that wound through the forest, tangled dog rose trees creeping across the landscape.
Nikolix chuckled, "We don't mind getting our feet wet is how," as they reached the far side, "This is the border of our territory," she informed her guest, "the constructs won't patrol this far, so you can take off the clan garb if you wish."
"Thank goodness," Torch pulled off the skull helmet, it had been a little too small for her. She plucked the Loga that had taken up residence on her back as well, "You'd better take him too, I don't have time to look after him. Thank your mother and father and the rest of your clan mates for hosting me."
The mirror smiled and waved Torch off as she ran into the thicket, "I will. Good luck to you Torch! Arcanist and Flamecaller both guide your steps!"
The
Clan of the Falling Star was certainly not the smallest Torch had seen, but it was definitely a small one. The dragons had taken her in immediately - well, she had mostly invited herself, but they seemed happy.
"So you're journeying?" the clan leader, Caron asked her. She nodded enthusiastically and the Spiral chuckled. "I was journeying too... Then I got sick. I mean, I practically went looking for it, so I deserved every last bit of it. Plus I found the clan and-- eh, doesn't matter. Good luck in your journey. I hope it goes better than mine did."
"Caron, you're scaring her." a Mirror reprimanded. "Feel free to stay as long as you need."
Torch briefly wondered whether she had gotten clan leaders mixed up.
"Uhm, yes. Thank you for your hospitality, but I need to move on!" she said.
"Oh! Good luck in your journey! When you're done, maybe come back to tell us how it went?" the Spiral suggested.
"Hmm... Visit the Flameforgers and you shall know!"
While navigating through the Star Wood Strand, Torch took a break in the domain of the Fullbright Clan, where she enjoyed the attention and generosity of the clan. In particular, the hatchlings constantly asked questions about her journey thus far (much to Mikhail's chagrin), Carmine let her wear some of his spare clothes and Charcoal took a moment to give her some personal tips about navigating the Star Wood Strand as a Fire dragon.
Once she was refreshed and ready to move on, Torch continued on her journey. There was no time for staying in the Fullbright Clan; there was still much more to run through in the dominion of the Arcanist!
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A gentle smile graced the features of the skull adorned Priestess as
Celeste lay comfortably on the grass across from the Firey Coatl as two tiny hatchlings played with the Priestess' tail feathers. It really was a cute thing to watch as the tail was moved lazily back and forth; the youngsters scampering after it. The clan had been more then welcoming, making her feel right at home as she rested among them. The nesting mothers had even allowed the hatchlings to run about and get a good look at the traveller. Now that she had eaten her fill and relaxed among the
Masters of Bone, Torch rose to her feet, "Thank you for your hospitality; it has been great to be amongst your clan but I must be going." Torch dipped her head as she spoke, well aware of the authority the Skydancer held in these parts.
A curt, knowing nod was given in reply before Celeste rose to her feet, giving her wings a stretch as she did so. The two hatchlings squeaked in protest as their game was interrupted, but a quick wave of Celeste's tail quieted them and they moved to stand behind the gem-bound legs of their leader. With her full attention on their guest, she met Torch's eyes as she opened her mouth, "Of course; you're welcome to return anytime you find yourself among the strands." Her voice was friendly, but at the same time regal and airy. It was no wonder why the young female had become the clan leader. Torch nodded gratefully in response, but she was beginning to feel the itch to be moving through the land again. She had a goal she had to accomplish after all! Celeste seemed to sense that, as after a moment more, she nodded, "
Georgi will guide you through the territory to make sure you make good ground." As if on cue, the Wildclaw War Chief stalked over and stood in front of Torch with a huff. He was still as intimidating as when Torch had entered the territory.
"Just be careful," Celeste's voice floated over to the Coatl once more, gathering her attention to focus in on the Skydancer, "He tends to lead with his claws; so give him the signal if any approaching dragon is to be left alone or not." The warning was serious but another smile had found its way onto the female's face as she looked at her friend.
"I'm getting better." The gravelly reply came from the brown male as he put on a mock hurt expression.
A giggle escaped Torch before she realized what she was doing but it only turned smiles into grins. The two hatchlings- whom had remained quiet up until this point- began to laugh and raced up to Torch, "Pwomise you'll come pway wit us again?" One chirped as her front legs rested on the Coatl's own leg.
"Of course," Torch cooed, earning happy squeaks as the two hatchlings bounced about. She knew that chances were it had been a lie, but she couldn't tell those two no. They were just so cute! Rather then dwell on the idea, Torch turned her attention back to her guide and gave her wings a flap, "Keep up!" The teasing challenge laced her voice as she turned away and began to move.
Behind her she heard the clicking of claws on the ground and the call from Celeste telling her, "May The Arcanist and Flamecaller bless your journey!"
And then they were gone and moving swiftly through the territory.
After flying for a long time, she found herself at the border of Star Wood Strand. She saw a small mulberry fae returning home. She flew up to him and greeted him. The fae greeted her back and asked her to follow him, so that she could replenish her health.
He introduced himself as Faerr and told her he delivers packages for the clan. He brought her to meet the clan, all of them welcoming her to the clan merrily. He took her to Arieny, the clan's chef and asked her to whip up one of her best seafood recipes for Torch.
Torch wasn't sure if she should eat the strange looking food, but Faerr assured her that she wouldn't regret it. She decided to try it anyway and despite the strange appearance it was delicious.
A dark skydancer flew by to meet Torch and told Faerr to go rest She introduced herself as Keelta and gave her a tour, after which she allowed her some space in the lair for her to rest. Unfortunately the hatchlings saw her and questioned her thoroughly about her journey. A hooded guardian came to take them away and let her rest.
When she was all rested up, she said her goodbyes to the clan, Arieny gave her some more weird food for the road and then she was off.
SHOUT OUT TO THE BEST CLAN STARSEEKER CLAN YEAH
Torch reached the top of Focal Point, stopping uncertainly outside of the Observatory. The ground shook for a moment beneath her, and she looked around in concern. Before she could head back down (because being at the top of a high pile of ground did
not sound like a good idea if there was an earthquake)
a Skydancer exited the Observatory, and, spotting Torch immediately, walked silently over to her. "Hello," she said. "Do you need something?"
"Just passing through and looking around a bit," Torch replied. "I'm visiting the clans of Sornieth this week."
"Quite a journey," the Skydancer said with a nod. "Would you like to see inside? Many clan lives and researches inside the Observatory, along with many others. I'm Lenore by the way, leader of
Enolden. I study astronomy alongside the Arcanist."
"Is it safe inside?" Torch questioned. "The ground shook just now..."
"Some members of my clan are doing experiments with combustible materials and solutions," Lenore explained. "I'll introduce you to them and they can speak a bit about it, if you're interested." At Torch's nod Lenore led the Coatl inside, giving her a tour of the many labs in which her clanmates were occupied with various research. Torch was treated to a deliberate explosion in
Grace and
Rose's lab before saying goodbye to Lenore and continuing her exploration.
Clan Ruach's territory was, as Torch quickly realised, deceptively small from the outside.
When she was greeted by the over-excited spiral pair in front of a tiny cave in the Focal Point of the Starfall Isles, she'd doubted that a clan could survive inside. (She'd had doubts she'd even fit through the narrow opening.) But once past the tight walls of the cave, Torch found herself in a massive crystal cavern full of dragons.
The clan's fae leader explained (through a translator) that unlike many clans of the Starfall Isles, Ruach simply expanded their territory each time they grew instead of relocating to a new and more suitable area, and the cleared space they were standing in was only a tiny fraction of the lair's rooms and tunnels that extended all the way back to the Crystalspine Reaches.
Torch was eager to explore some of the massive underground structure, and she spent several hours climbing in and out of the carved crystal tunnels with the help of her energetic spiral guides before setting off for more adventures and leaving her
new friends behind.
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Torch made a quick stop in
Aster Clan early this morning, and made acquaintance with a variety of dragons! After getting a nice coat of paint reminiscent of the Arcane flight - because she was enjoying her trip through the Starfall Isles so much - she departed to her next destination!
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During her travels she met with Gambit of Flight club, who attempted to show her his night club and to get her intoxicated before remembering her plans. He also took her to the portal just outside Starwood Strand and allowed her to obtain a new companion. (click the item at right to read the full encounter)
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Coming along the Starwood Strand, Torch heard a muffled explosion and shouts from a lair across the way. As she approached, a somewhat singed tundra waved at her, coughing slightly as he introduced himself as
Daruth, and invited her in.
Although wary of venturing into the lair, several other dragons came out to welcome her, offering several items of "safety equipment" to make her feel more relaxed. The goggles might do something, but the coat didn't seem like it would protect her very much, nor did the tail wrap seem to be very effectual. And as for the cap - it seemed like someone had pulled it out from some pile of junk.
Dressed up in this very makeshift getup, she politely consented to a brief tour of the lair, keeping her distance from anything pulsing particularly brightly or making suspicious noises, and then was once again on her way, gratefully leaving her questionable getup behind.
As Torch continued through the Starwood Strand, a glittering palace appeared out of the darkness of the trees. Towering and elegant, the tallest spires appeared to touch the stars themselves. A contingent of dragons exited, many arrayed in the apparel of the gods themselves, and greeted her with voices ranging from shrill to almost inaudibly deep. Before she knew what was happening, another Coatl came forward and draped her in the garb of the Arcanist. "Clan Inanitas wishes you good fortune to you on your journey," he hummed, straightening the magical scroll about her neck. A tiny sprite zipped around her head as she continued through the Strand,
singing a whimsical tune and generally keeping her company as the other dragons stayed behind. When she reached the limits of their territory, the sprite gathered up the apparel and zipped back toward the palace, still faintly visible through the trees. However, Torch still felt a lingering touch of magic...
Continuing her way through the Arcanist's territory, Torch could see out in the distance an outcropping of pink crystals which were lined neatly in rows. As she came closer, several dragons emerged, and a Nocturne and Snapper were the first to greet her. The Snapper quickly placed a teardrop citrine pendant around Torch's neck as a gift presented by the
clan's blacksmith. The
Nocturne proceeded to wrap Torch in night silks, claiming it was a blessing from the Clan of the Dreaming Moon for a safe journey. The other dragons cheered Torch on as she sped by.
As she jogged along the sandy beach of the Star Wood Strand, Torch was startled to see a group of flying familiars carrying books and scrolls pass her by. Intrigued, she followed them until she came upon a lair visible from afar by its brightly lit interior. Familiars were coming and going, ferrying documents inside and leaving with pouches clinking with treasure. When she entered the lair, her jaw dropped. Books, books everywhere - towering shelves reaching to the ceiling cluttered the space, barely leaving enough room for the dragons scurrying between the shelf rows, sorting everything according some strange system designated by glowing runes on the sides of the shelves. A vicious looking Ridgeback female was sitting behind a counter, inspecting the offerings brought by the familiars and doling out payments. When she noticed Torch the Ridgeback gave a sharp-toothed grin.
"Welcome to the Bunker Library. I'm afraid we're not open for public viewing at this time" Seeing Torch's confused look the Ridgeback snorted "Looks like some magelet in training set the Observatory repository on fire one too many times, so the Arcanist ordered us to set up a secondary library here to keep backups of the amassed knowledge of dragonkind" Her eyes narrowed as she took a closer look at Torch "Say, you're looking a bit tired there. I just read about a spell that should help with that!" Before Torch could protest, the Ridgeback made a series of sharp gestures with her claws - a swarm of pink motes surrounded Torch and she instantly felt the soreness fading from her muscles and renewed vigor flood her! After thanking the librarian, Torch left the lair and continued along the beach - she still had a lot of ground to cover!
The orange coatl continued her flight through the Crystalspine Reaches, soaring past towering spires and floating rocks that stretched as far as the eye could see. Torch's eyes were drawn to one particularly massive spire, which appeared to have a bit of a landing area constructed on one side of it, high above the crashing waves below. Figuring this would be a relatively safe spot to catch her breath, the coatl came in for a landing, nearly sliding into the side of a napping
Tundra dragon.
The Tundra stirred. "Ah, hello there," Kelran said. "You look a little lost."
"I'm just taking a quick break," Torch replied. "I'm afraid I cannot stay for long. I'm on a journey. A very long journey."
"Well, either way," Kelran said. "welcome to Clan Twinstar. It doesn't matter how or why you came here. We're always happy to have visitors. Would you like to take a peek inside our lair while you're here?"
Torch followed Kelran inside the spire, into a vast network of caves stretching off in all directions, lit by torches and glowing shards of crystal.
"Feel free to look around," Kelran said. "There's lots to see. We've got
Cerulean's library up there,
Chime's workshop over that way, and I think
the Visionary might be willing to give you a prophecy, if she's up for it. Just... stay out of
Leon's room, perhaps? He doesn't appreciate visitors. And the stench coming out of there sometimes.... ugh! Aside from that, I'm sure the rest of the clan would be happy to meet you, if they're around."
Torch nodded and dashed off to spend an hour or so exploring Clan Twinstar's lair. She had an enjoyable afternoon, meeting with the various dragons who called this spire home. Cerulean showed off a few pieces of his collection of Arcane scrolls and books, Chime was eager to have the Coatl help her test out a new communications device she was working on, and even the Visionary briefly rose from her usual slumber to offer Torch a small prophecy of an exciting journey ahead of her. When it was all over, most of the clan came out to the landing pad to see Torch off. Before she left, Kelran handed Torch a small piece of crystal to remember Clan Twinstar by, should she ever decide to return. And with that, the Coatl launched herself into the skies and flew off in search of her next destination.
Somewhere within a secluded area in The Observatory, Torch meets Mezzanotte, the second-in-command of
Clan Mystikos. As they got to know one another and learned of Torch's traveling experiences so far, the illusionary Imperial offered to improve her abilities, so that Torch can be a passionate warrior, too. After being taken in under her wing for training, Mezza also invites the fiery Coatl to stargaze with her for about a few minutes or so. Looking through a telescope, Torch was filled with excitement and awe, seeing many constellations and planets she has never seen before. Satisfied with her stargazing experience, Torch hastily prepares to depart for her next destination within the Starfall Isles. But before the Coatl left, Mezza grants her an Ambush stone, with the hopes that Torch will continue to explore the unknown and find answers to many unsolved mysteries within the land of Sornieth.
Upon reaching her next destination, Torch found herself lost in the Starwood Strand. It was a strange place, one she was still unfamiliar with. However, it only took a few minutes of walking before a shadow cast overhead. A large, armor-clad and scarred blue and white guardian male landed before her, a small white-and-pink, goggled fae seated atop his head.
"Come along, then!" The fae's monotone called out to the young spitfire. She climbed atop the large guardian's back and was taken away to a clan hidden deep within the trees. Once they landed she jumped from his back, only to be face-to-face with a slightly larger coatl female clad in a cloak of every color one could think of, maybe even more. The pink-winged coatl woman tilted her hidden head. Beside her was a towering, brown and hooded imperial. He tossed his head lowering his hood, and smiled down at her. "Welcome, child," the coatl hissed softly. The imp let out a soft chuckle. The two moved aside, and several more dragons came forth. A pair of pink skydancers began almsot at once dressing her in as many outfits as they could find, trying to see what fit best.
It was getting about the time to leave when the two skydancers had run off to find something ot another, leaving Torch in an outfir of purple feathers and fur. She sat alone, ruffled, and that pair of cloaked dragons landed gracefully before her. The coatl smiled from under her cloak and raised up. She lifted the cloak from her person, showing a face marked with silvering scars where the fur on her head was not growing. She was silent as she did this, transfering the cloak to Torch and covering her feather-clad body in it.
"You are special, child," the old coatl sighed. She had a mother's expression across her lips. "You will see sights that most of us will never see. I pray to the Stars that you are well protected and guided on your journey. I hope that you bring enemies closer, and I know you are doing something great."
When the twin skydancers returned, Celestial had already returned her cloak to herself. The two coatls nodded to eachother. Torch turned to all the new friends she had made and bowed, saying her goodbyes and leaving with a sack full of food and a small bag of protective stones to guide her on her way.
As soon as Torch set foot in the lair, a frantic fae fluttered up to her, crests waving hectically and hands wringing her bracelets.
"hello to you, torch. we've been waiting to meet you. im
skye, and this is
aaron. we're honored to have you."
Aaron nodded in agreement, and quietly waved forward an imp girl named Tani, who quickly handed Torch a small bag of Crowntail Surglings and an odd ring that was really two rings, set into each other so the one on the top could spin freely, but never come loose. The imp fidgeted with one such ring as she chattered at the coatl.
"So many dragons want to meet you, Torch!! We know you can't stay long, but here, take this snack and this, ah, ring we've developed-if you get anxious, try spinning it! It's very calming."
And after a short rest at this eclectic lair, Torch continued on her way, with the curious ring perfectly fitted on her finger and a full belly.
Torch did not expect the welcome she got at the Clan of the Lunar Veil.
“Thank Arcanist, someone to help us!”
A dark Tundra in an equally-dark cape ran up to her, panting and obviously distressed. Her companion comet bounced up and down while the glow of her bright pink eyes and the runes on her spellscroll flickered with spikes of Arcane energy. “No time to explain! Take these!” The Tundra stuffed a lab coat, gloves, and goggles into Torch’s arms, then flew into an open Observatory window.
Torch put on the protective gear and followed her, but was somewhat disconcerted by the pink smoke coming out from the room…
Later…
“Thank you so much!” The Tundra (Lobella, as Torch found out during the “experiment”) took one of Torch’s paws in her own. “I can’t thank you enough for your help. That magi-flame could have burned half of the clan’s library! Come, come, let’s get that soot off of your face…”
As Torch steps onto a curious floating patch of land, one of many within the Focal Point, she feels something trigger and pauses, uncertain of the greeting she would receive if the clan was truly so intent in its defence.
A soggy tundra appeared in front of her and she tensed, only to be greeted with a big grin.
“Just passing through, are you?” he asked. “Come on in, take a break. The Starfall Isles are pretty tiring if you’re not a native!” Somewhat overwhelmed by the unexpectedly open welcome after the defence system, Torch followed him into a large grassy area, a giant cave cut into a nearby chunk of rock, easily large enough to house several imperials. The clan needs the space, though, she realises as the number of huge dragons within it catches her out.
An imperial was playing with some of the slightly smaller dragons, and the air he gave off was that of a leader, so she was surprised when her guide - he had introduced himself as Kanshi - steered her in a different direction, towards
a tiny fae, who quickly alighted on his shoulder when she noticed them.
Torch could not quite decipher the flicking of head fins as the dark red dragon chattered in a monotone, but that proved to be a non-issue as Kanshi translated.
“Welcome to
Fukutsu no Seishin,” he beamed. “This is our leader, KetsuekiRyuu-” He was interrupted by more chatter but just shook his head and ignored her. “Let’s show you around. Unless you’d rather sleep? We’ve got some comfy lair space over there if you’d rather?”
Torch was far too fascinated by this mishmash of dragon breeds that made up the clan to want to rest, so she gladly followed the two dragons around, surprised how at home some of the breeds were in such an Arcane area. The magic was strong, and she had quickly realised that the barriers she had passed through were the sole work of the clan leader herself, although the other two Arcane fae, who seemed slightly distant although their lack of a mutual ability to communicate did not help, were clearly working on… something. She decided not to ask as she saw an insect disappear, only to reappear a millisecond later in a very slightly different place. Arcane magic was strange and somewhat disturbing at times, although the practitioners seemed friendly enough.
The Imperial she had seen earlier was the one to offer her some seafood, which she gladly ate before surrendering to the offers of rest. She could not stay for long, but it was nice to take the weight off of her feet for a short while, nonetheless.
It was only a short while later that she felt the need to take her leave, however, bidding farewell to the friendly and welcoming clan before finding her way off of the floating patch of land with the help of Kanshi and onto her next stop, wherever that might have been, followed by calls of “visit again sometime!”
The sun tipped to the west, yet the pastel pinks and oranges that signified the end of a day had yet to paint the sky. Holes easily mistaken as the shadows of dragons littered the side of the cliff. Where they had come from was a question that remained unanswered. As the fiery Coatl landed, she was greeted by two sets of eyes set into a stern face.
A salmon tongue slipped past white-capped maw. "Welcome," the woman greeted with a hiss, claws clicking on the pink rocks. Crystals glimmered around her, littering the ground, yanked from their place in caves and caverns and deposited within her reach.
The traveler looked to the rocks and Fayalite let a grin slip across her face. Friendly, despite appearances. "You may have one if you want. A token," the serpent-like dragon spoke, turning to her piles of precious minerals.
From one she pulled a pink-hued rock. Claws wrapped around it and she turned to Torch, offering it to her. Torch took the gem and tipped her head in a nod, finally breaking her silence. "Thank you."
Other dragons came fourth to greet her, each named for one of the minerals that the leader had been hoarding. After much laughter, jokes, and smiles, she finally continued on her way. For she still had many miles to travel, and she had been delayed before and could not allow such to happen once again. She spread her wings and slipped from the cliff, delving deeper into the territory of the Arcanist.
As she approached the Focal Point, Torch noticed a fairly large clan known as Spectrae, but the thing that caught her attention was the massive bonfire in the center and the
Tundra watching over it, surrounded by dragons large and small alike. He noticed her flying above, smiled, and beckoned her down to the fire circle.
"You're Torch, right? Mind sharing some stories with us?"
A few hours later, when the bonfire's massive flames could barely lick the frills of a standing Fae, she left, the words of Tundra's stories echoing in her head.
After visiting many clans, Torch arrived at the
Starstorm Clan, home to a motley crew of friendly dragons led by the clan leaders, Artemis and Impulse, who welcomed her arrival with open arms. There was no time to waste with many formalities, however, so without further ado Torch was offered a brief bite to eat and sent to pose for her portrait. The whole clan cheered and threw flowers everywhere in farewell as she departed, on her way to the next clan of the Starfall Isles.
Torch was greeted with a flurry of pink glitter and warm welcomes from Clan Asterope. All of the clan members were eager to greet her and ensure her trip to the Starfall Isles was fun, rewarding and enjoyable
As clan leader
Circei approached, the friendly companion comet she clasped in her claw detached itself and floated benevolently around Torch, making her giggle with joy.
Rosalind gifted Torch with a handmade vial of liquid luck, a potion she had recently crafted successfully, while
Carinae imparted some mysterious celestial knowledge by whispering secretively.
As it turned out, most members of the clan had been awaiting her arrival, preparing various gifts and trinkets for her to take and share with the rest of her Fire flight members. Overwhelmed with kindness, Torch beamed happily and ruffled her feathery wings in appreciation.
Circei's final gift however, was that of pure Arcane magic. She arranged herself rather theatrically in front of Torch, holding her front claws together in intense concentration. Between them, a small ball of dark pink glowing energy revolved rapidly, throwing off sparks and smoke. It shone brighter and brighter until Torch shut her eyes briefly, and felt an odd sensation as the magic was gifted to her.
"Let that magic strengthen you, educate you and protect you in times of need," Circei rumbled, her voice low and powerful. Torch nodded gratefully, and the floating comet returned to its owner.
After the gift-giving and discussions of life in various flights drew to a close, Torch bid everyone in the clan farewell, thanking them for their generosity and kindheartedness. She set off for another clan within the Isles, feeling stronger, enthused, and charged with Arcane magic.
Torch finds herself greeted by a Guardian who looks as though she’s been performing some crazy electrical experiments. Guiding her to the lair, she is well met by the other dragons present. The range of color among each is apparent. The fae known as Maitagarri lets Torch try on the crown he adorns himself with, which leads several of the others to also let Torch do some dress up in their apparel. After a good chat and fun dress up moments, Torch returns the apparel and waves a claw, continuing upon her journey through the Starfall Isles.
Somehow Torch found Clan Delos. No one knows how, though. But she did. The fire flight members of the clan talked about their homeland, Kasai going on and on and on about how much they miss the forge (despite never wanting to leave Clan Delos) and Akaru saying how they have always wanted to go to the forge. After tuning them out, Torch tried approaching Vela. Five minutes of talking later, she realized Vela wasn't even paying attention to her, and might not have even realized someone was trying to talk to her.
Torch was about to leave when she heard a "Wait!" from behind her, and turned around to see Ianna. Because Ianna had never been to the Ashfall Waste, she was practically bouncing with excitement to be able to find out what it's like there.
Ianna and Torch talked on and on about various things, such as some of the clans she has visited and the things she had seen. A good five hours and maps shared, Torch was on her way.
On and on Torch chugged, through acres of dense pink woodland and flittering colonies of Fae that made the air shimmer with the beats of a thousand wings in the sunset. The air felt hot. Late summer always pressed, but today it seemed worse, the magic in the air mixing with the heat until Torch's vision shimmered and her paws began to shake. After every turn, the Starwood Strand looked the same. She knew of half-hushed rumors that this wood was alive, that it lured in travelers at night just to eat them up during the day, but until now those were only nighttime stories hummed in a thick, safe coatl that didn't touch her warm nest at home. Now, it was nearly nighttime here, and the stories were beginning to seem more true than they had ever been.
And still, she pressed on. Somewhere there was an end in sight: there had to be, for dragons before her had made it through the Starwood Strand alive, tired and sometimes pink and buzzing or glowing, but very much safe and alive and healthy, ground pounding with footsteps that remained constant.
After she'd passed the same tree for what must have been the fourth or fifth time, she nearly tripped over the
snapper.
She was short, shorter than normal, and her back was decorated with a pile of early autumnal leaves that blended in with the undergrowth and foliage. Coatl and snapper pummeled into each other, head-first, and like a living tumbleweed, rolled down the path until an imposing mulberry tree stopped them short, with minimal bruising (largely on the part of the snapper, who didn't mind so much).
"Are you real?" Were, regrettably, the first words out of Torch's mouth. Of course this dragon was real, she certainly felt real enough, and as Torch stood up and brushed the excess leaves out of her feathers, the snapper looked at her with large white eyes and said, "Well, I think I'm real. So that's probably enough, right?"
Torch mumbled. The snapper shook her head and continued.
"Anywho, I'm Whippersnapper, and I live in the Brilliant Sky Clan, and I'm a mapmaker! So, I go out and wander around the Starfall Isles and just kinda draw what I see so that other dragons don't have to get lost."
"Oh, then do you have a map I could use to help me? I'm running a marathon throughout all of Sornieth, and I think I'm a little behind schedule! I don't want to be late."
Whippersnapper smiled, shaking a leaf free from her horns and giggled. "Follow me."
So, Whippersnapper lead Torch through a dense copse of trees, and down a trodden path until they reached a rocky outcropping with a crack in between two massive hunks of pink crystal. "We're here!" chirruped Whippersnapper.
Where? To torch, this place wasn't much different from the one she had just passed, but it was marked with an orange flag, so it must be on her route, right? She followed Whippersnapper through a crack in the rock face, down a small tunnel, and out into a cavern with an expansive, vaulted ceiling that was carved from crystal so thin, it was translucent. The thousand colors of dusk shattered across the floor and in all its glory, Torch nearly forgot for a moment that she arrived here to receive a map.
Before Torch had time to marvel at the ceiling, Whippersnapper was plodding off down a rock-hewn hallway, and Torch had to sprint for a moment to follow her. Deep through tunnel passages the snapper traveled until they stopped in front of a bare stretch of wall that was demarcated only by a torch that glowed the same eerie shade of pink as everything else here.
Whippersnapper disappeared through the wall with not even a flash of smoke. A moment passed. The torches flickered magenta in their brackets.
Just as Torch began to panic, Whippersnapper reappeared through the wall, which for all Torch knew might not even be a wall at all, but just a door that looked like a wall. She was carrying a large scroll case, containing only one large map, rolled up very tightly to fit inside the small container.
"Follow the bright orange line on that map and you should make it through the Starfall isles very quickly! It doesn't look like a straight path through, but it's actually the shortest route once you account for the spatial distortions and the fact that every other Saturday, there are two isles that like to switch places...
Anywho, if you're looking for a shortcut, follow this tunnel through to the end and hang a left. You'll exit further along your route, kind of up here by that really weird upside down tree, and then you'll be able to head to this clan over here next! They've got some nice fish prepared for you, I think you'll get a nice warm welcome there. (Get it? Warm? Since you're a fire dragon, and your name is Torch, and... no? I'm not funny? Anywho...)
If you want some water or some snacks, we have tons for you to stop and eat, but if you're OK, then the Brilliant Sky clan wishes you the best of luck on your travels!
And so, with a full sack of rations, Torch set off again through the tunnel and out into the fading pink daylight.
Unbeknownst to her, the clan had cast a spell on her as she passed through its tunnels, emblazoning her with her own name, so that everywhere she went, all would know exactly who she was and where she was going. The sign hung above her like the fiery torches that bear her name, glowing in the sky above with a name and a faintly glowing Fire rune. It looks a little something like this:
NOTE: IF anyone can resize this image using BBCode, PLEASE do so. You do not need to ask for my permission to edit that particular part of the code. Please. Make it smaller. I cannot for the life of me figure out how.
--
With Mother Superior’s vision able to give them ample warning, almost the entirety of Renegade Clan turned out to greet Torch on her arrival in their territory at sundown. Most limited their interaction to a simple hello to maximize her resting time, and left the talking to the two resident Coatls,
Grey and the eternally youthful
Theta. The only Fire-born Renegade, Gelfline, had set a large bonfire in the main clearing for Torch to relax by before she had left to go hunting.
Relieved to use true Coatl speech once more, Grey excitedly chatted and played dress up with the young marathoner, while tiny Theta ran up and down the patch of grass between them and the fire.
“How long will this journey take you?” Grey asked. Torch thought for a moment, her whirlwind of clan visits stretching her long days into many more, and she had to concentrate to remember what day it really was.
“I’ll return home by the start of Flameforger’s – that was the goal,” she said, stretching her tired legs in the warm grass.
“Then maybe I’ll see you at the Emberglow Hearth,” Grey mused. “I was thinking of taking Theta for a short journey there – I didn’t return for any of my nests, and he was hatched in the Isles.”
Torch opened her mouth wide in a grin at the thought of seeing at least one of her new friends again. “I would like that.”
By
ghostmorning
It had been an eventful two days, but Torch’s travels were not over yet. Her path through the lands of Wind, Ice, and what she’s seen so far of Arcane had taught her much. But at this point, she wondered if it was worth it. Already, her memories of her home and family in Ashfall Wastes seem faded. Would she even be able to feel at home when she returns?
Lost in her musings, she nearly ran into a
Skydancer while rounding a corner on the road.
“Ah, my apologies!” Torch exclaimed, reeling back quickly to avoid a collision.
A glance showed that the Skydancer was unruffled. Torch tried not to stare at the fluttering pixies or the comet the Skydancer was holding. An awkward silence fell.
“Well, I’ll just be on my way then! If you’ll excuse me—” said Torch. But the other cut in front of her.
“Come and have a seat,” the Skydancer said, gesturing to a shaded group of rocks by the road. “Rest your weary feet.”
“Oh, thank you for the offer, but I’ve got a long way to travel today!” Torch said, dodging pass the other dragon.
Better hurry along before an incident happened, she thought.
“Your days will be filled with joy and laughter, but your nights will be restless ever after,” the Skydancer called out.
Torch stopped cold.
“This is only the onset of your course. What will happen when you return to the source?”
Wasn’t she just wondering the same thing? Torch was rooted in her spot.
“Love comes not once, not twice. Learning to love again would suffice.”
When Torch whirled around, the other dragon was gone. Baffled, she could only turn in a confused circle in her search before giving a shrug. Whatever happens and whoever she meets, there was only one thing she could do.
Torch continued forward.
Torch: I got to visit a unique clan in Arcane, the
Heraldic Mage Clan showed me what they can do and the two Fire dragons there were very kind. Dune who claims to have come from a desert and Lavan who said he lived near a volcano. The Clan Mother Heartsblood was very kind, she accepted me and offered to share clan food. A generous lady to be sure, the dragons in this clan were friendly. A few shy ones didn’t approach at first, but they got used to me and we all became friends for the short time I visited.
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Torch finds herself absently wandering the Crystalspine Reaches again, making her way towards where she’s sure the Scarred Wastelands should be… Probably. Maybe. At least, she thinks so.
Torch sighs, shakes her head and looks upwards, towards the brilliant, meteor-streaked sky. She still has plenty of hours left in the day, and if there’s one thing she’s sure of, she’ll be able to complete her journey and return home, safe and sound.
‘
Getting lost every once and a while is just a part of the fun, right?’ she thinks, setting her sights of a winding path up one of the crystalline mountains. She’d head that way, and then-
BAM-
Now, Torch had grown used to a few explosions here and there as she travelled through the Starfall Isles (perhaps worryingly so), and had even participated in an experiment or two during her time sightseeing, but never before had an explosion been accompanied by a smell quite that delicious before.
Torch stops to think for a moment- that sound hadn’t come from her intended direction of travel, but… She takes a deep breath, and that amazing, savory scent hits her nose again.
‘That settles it. I have to know.’
She stumbles upon the lair in no time, largely due to the fact that, well, there’s smoke billowing from the cave entrance and a few disgruntled dragons lingering around outside.
“Pitaya,” a purple Imperial scolds, “How many times have we told you not to mess with Vincent’s experiments?”
The brightly colored spiral- Pitaya, Torch assumes, shows no sign of remorse, and Torch figures now’s as good a time as any to step in.
“Um… Hello?”
A Fae with a scarf around her neck and a flower on her wrist flutters up to Torch. “Hello. Apologies for the mess. Can we help you?”
Torch shakes her head slightly. “I was going to ask you that, actually.”
“No, we would never make a passerby work. Though, it is getting late, and I think this mess made something edible. Would you like to join us for the night?”
It’s tempting, mainly because that savory smell is even stronger up close, but Torch still has places to go, Clans to visit, and much more of Sorneith to see.
“Sorry, but I’ll have to get going soon.” She pauses. “Though… Would it be okay if I take a little bit of whatever that smell is?”
“It would be our pleasure,” the Fae replies, ushering her in as the smoke clears.
Torch leaves the lair a while later with a refilled satchel full of… something to snack on and a fond invitation to return from the
Clan of Starbound Satellites should she decide to travel in this part of Sornieth again.
......................
As she was wandering around the region, she finds herself at the Crystalspine Reaches. Again. "How many times must I end up here before I leave", she mutters. After wandering around for a bit, she notices it getting dark-too dark for traveling. Torch decides to rest near the bottom of one of the spines, but just as she had decided this, a mighty imperial lands next to her.
"Hello there! Would you be Torch? We have all been looking forward to meeting you so much!" After noticing the wary look she was being given, the dragon adds in, "Oh! I'm Flavia, by the way, I'll be showing you around. We like to call ourselves the Clan of Myriad Waves." As Torch was ushered into the clans territory, she was greeted by a Coatl with much of the same coloring as herself, by the name of Sunblais. "Hi ther, torch! We have a space all set up for you, and here's an outfit for while you stay here!" After talking with him for a bit, she discovered that even though he looked like a fire dragon, he was actually originally from the water flight. The deeper she was led into the lair, the more she understood the name. There were dragons of all different appearance, from all different flights. After having been introduced to the entire clan, she found a pair of twins who were from the fire flight, just like her. They feasted togetherm (she was surprisingly hungry after her journey, even though she still had some of that...stuff...left in her satchel) and chatted about what it had been like for them back home. After a time, she noticed the other dragons turning in, and thought she might do the same. Next morning, she was off- with a full belly, some potential new friends, and an invitation to come back anytime she wished.
(Sorry, I sucks at writing)
Though for but a moment, the Coatl known as Torch stopped before the Gardens of Gehenna, a secluded and dangerous clan of the Starwood Strand. While normally wary and on edge about anyone knew approaching this clan's territory, the Fae patriarch of the clan was waiting just at the clan's outer limits. "I heard you were coming," he said flatly, his head-fins barely moving.
"That I am. This journey through the Arcane lands has been amazing thus far, and I thank you for allowing me to stay here for but a moment."
"For the Flamecaller, at this time of year, of course we would." His emotions, though unseen due to his breed and an ancient injury, seemed about as upbeat as they ever did. Other dragons peeked their heads out from behind him in the glowing woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of Torch as she made her rounds. "Our regards to the Flamecaller!" one called out, and "send word to my homelands that I am well!" could be heard from another.
Torch appeared to smile, dipping her head and nodding to the dragons. "That I will, friends of the Fire Flight. I must be off now, it was a pleasure to meet the dragons of the Dark Gardens."
- - -
As Torch’s busy day of dashing through the Starfall Reaches began to draw to a close, she came to rest for a moment in a small cave near the edge. Around her, dragons of all types and colors greeted her and told her how honored they were to have her as their guest. She was just about to set out to the next cave when one more dragon decided to make her presence known.
“Welcome to the circus, Flames,” a female Skydancer laughed, coming to sit by the coatl.
“Too bad you can’t stay. I’d imagine you’d be a nice addition to our dysfunctional family. Not that I’d imagine you’d wanna stay if you could.” She gave Torch an amused look.
“My name’s Torch, not Flames. And…what do you mean circus?” Torch was tired. She was looking forward to the opportunity to sleep for a bit before the next leg of her journey. It took all her energy to keep her eyes open for these last few stops, much less decode this strange female’s strange comments.
“Oh, I know. But I thought you could use a nickname.” She lay down, as if she could care less about this visitor. “And when I say circus, I mean circus. Well, circus in training, at least. We may not look like much yet, but our clans leaders got big dreams of traveling around and performing for dragons far and wide someday. We have clowns, acrobats, a fortune teller, even a carnie. All we’re missing in the talent. Well, and a name, I guess.” She laughed and nudged Torch. “Lucky you for finding your niche in this world. You’re luckier than a lot of us. Keep up the good work.”
“Um…than you…” Torch said, still not sure exactly how to react to her. “But…I should be going now. I have a lot of ground to cover still before I’m done.”
“Good luck.” The skydancer said, sounding sincere for the first time since sauntering over.
“It must be nice to have so many people adoring you.” She set her head on the coatl’s shoulder in an attempt at hugging. “Don’t be a stranger, okay? If I ever see you at the entrance to our tent, I’ll make sure you get a free ticket, just for old time’s sake.”
“Thank you.” Flame stammered, stepping back. “I’ll see you around, I suppose.”
“See ya.”
As Torch sprinted off to her next destination, she smiled. Even if it was a bit strange, her conversation in that unnamed circus wound be memorable, at the very least.
It was late at night by the time Torch stopped for another rest, deep within a verdant forest. Moonlight filtered down in scattered patches amidst the undergrowth, casting some meagre form of light.
Her weariness had grown hard to ignore, and she seemed to have lost her way through the trees.
But just as she began to worry, the dim light from a hanging lantern caught her attention.
"Hello, there, traveler."
The coatl jumped in spite of herself, shaking her head to quell her nerves before replying with a nervous, "Hello."
"Don't worry, now!" the unseen dragon assured. "I didn't mean to alarm you, it's just many dragons lose their way out here. Follow the lights, and you'll find your way out soon enough."
"Uh, alright," the coatl replied doubtfully. "I'll be sure to. Thank you..."
But with no other option, she followed the dim torches out of the forest.
Shrouded in shadow, the guardian she'd spoken to let out a sigh of relief to see her leaving safely.
As Torch was escorted back through the Starwood Strand, winding her way out of the Starfall Isles, a Pearlcatcher, her scales the reflection of the sun setting over sea and plains, met her and her current guide. The sunset-scaled one smiled, the bone antlers over her head gleaming in the night sky, and she gestured forwards. “Walk with me a ways, Torch.”
“…But haven’t we been walking together for hours already?” Torch wondered, aloud.
The twilight-dragon grinned, toothily, slyly. “We have… And we haven’t. In dreams time passes so slowly, when you’ve only just blinked. There is no dragon who does not dream, and it is in our dreams where we are the best of ourselves.”
Dragonfire's pearl gleamed brightly, and she pointed the path to the isle’s edge. “We wish you the best of journeys forward; health and good wishes through the Plague-lands; never let your fires extinguish."
Torch takes a seat on a rotting log by the campfire, side-eyeing the weenie on a stick being offered to her by a fierce looking 
