Creative Corner

[center][b]Chapter 11: Orphans: Part 2[/b][/center] [i]Now[/i] this [i]is the way to travel[/i]. Nyarlathotep thought as she ran full speed along the river, dodging trees and leaping over bushes and river plants. She relished the feeling of her claws brushing the ground with every stride she took, she relished the wind with every leap she took, Nyarlathotep loved running. Flying was terrifying and exhausting, used only when absolutely necessary. Besides, she was just as fast on the ground as through the air. She followed the destruction left over from the flood of a few years ago, even now she could still see the remains of torn up trees and the missing branches. What she didn't see was evidence of other dragon clans. No scent marks from wild clans like hers, no buildings from "civilized" clans, not even agricultural evidence. [i]Where is everyone?[/i] Nyarlathotep thought. [i]Near the river is prime territory.[/i] Her quest to learn more about Hypnos' origins was off to a poor start. [i]Forward is the only way to go.[/i] Nyarlathotep thought as she continued, troubled by the lack of dragons. The sky darkened and Nyarlathotep drew to a stop. She drank from the river, carefully tasting the water for any signs of runoff from messier dragon clans. The water tasted pure and clean. Unsettled, Nyarlathotep turned from the river and ventured into the forest. The deciduous trees were interspersed with various species of conifers. The ground was blanketed by pine needles, perfect for a temporary nest. She couldn't put her claw on it, but something was off about the entire area. But first, something to eat. The deer she had that morning felt like a long time ago. Nyarlathotep turned her attention to her smaller eyes and looked for the tell-tale warmth of living creatures. The uniform purples of the cold forest greeted her heat-sensitive eyes. Nyarlathotep suddenly realized what was wrong. In the forest downriver, things were always noisy from the various insects and birds that lived there. Here, it was silent, she had heard no birds calling for hours, and she couldn't hear the ever-present buzz of insects. [i]This is creepy.[/i] Nyarlathotep thought. Was there really [i]nothing[/i] alive here besides the plants? Nyarlathotep ranged further, looking for something she could eat. [i]What about the river? Surely there must be fish.[/i] Nyarlathotep thought, turning back towards the river. She peered into the dark waters, thrilled to see fish darting away from her shadows. They looked a little off, and Nyarlathotep hesitated at their lethargic movements and small size. [i]Maybe they're a different species than downriver,[/i] Nyarlathotep thought, hunger beginning to override her caution. "Don't eat the fish!" A dragon called out, slamming into Nyarlathotep and knocking her to the ground. "Get off me!" Nyarlathotep snarled as she shoved the dragon off of her, cursing herself for being so distracted she didn't notice him coming. She returned to her feet; wings flared as she stared down the dragon who attacked her. "You're welcome." He muttered. It was a brightly colored Wildclaw male, his head feathers raised in aggression. "Have you eaten anything here?" "No, just drank from the river. If this is your territory, you should mark it better." Nyarlathotep growled. The head feathers on the Wildclaw lowered. "Good." He said. "Then you're not infected." "What do you mean?" Nyarlathotep asked, still wary of this strange dragon in front of her. "Where have [i]you[/i] been?" He asked, incredulous. "Downriver." Nyarlathotep said, intentionally vague. "Must be at least a day's journey," he said. "A clan of Plague dragons have been here, testing their foul creations on us." "Plague dragons?" Nyarlathotep said, "Why would Plague dragons come this far into the Tangled Wood? We're nowhere near the Scarred Wasteland?" It made a lot of sense. The fish being sick would explain their lethargy. "How long have they been here?" "Close to ten years now." The Wildclaw said. "What!" Nyarlathotep said. "What has your clan been doing? Allowing such a hostile clan to run rampant here that long?" "All the clans in the area separated years ago, hatchlings and even eggs have been left to their own devices to keep everyone apart. We only come together when we're attacking the Plague dragons, and there are fewer of us every time. There aren't a lot of Plague dragons left either after all the fighting, so they should all be dead soon." Nyarlathotep had a thought, "So if a dragon hatchling was swept downriver in that enourmous storm a few years ago and no one came looking for them...?" "Yes, that hatchling was most likely alone." The Wildclaw said. "That storm did no favors for our numbers, and it was even worse on the population of younger dragons. Many were swept away, very few bodies were ever found." There was sadness in the Wildclaw's voice. "Go back where you came from." The Wildclaw suddenly said, "There is nothing here for you, and this entire area will be burned soon. We've pooled together all the treasure we have and hired multiple clans of Fire dragons from the Ashfall Waste to destroy this entire area and the disease still in the plants." "No!" Nyarlathotep said. The Plague dragons' handiwork was only a [i]day's[/i] journey from her home and family. "I won't let those Plague dragons have their way. I'm helping." "Suit yourself." The Wildclaw said, spreading his wings and taking to the sky. "The Fire dragons will burn the area in two days, keep traveling upriver until you reach the abandoned town, it's far enough away from this place that the wildlife is safe to eat, even the fish. Stay away from other dragons, especially sick ones. There are other strains of sickness still there, and eat nothing that smells like rotting meat." "Thank you for the advice." Nyarlathotep said, abandoning her plan to rest in the area. She would keep going until reaching this abandoned town, then she would settle in to eat and rest. Then she would fight. [center][b]End of Chapter 11[/b][/center] Featured dragons: Nyarlathotep [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=33&bodygene=23&breed=3&element=7&eyetype=10&gender=1&tert=14&tertgene=0&winggene=23&wings=60&auth=85647bd2b682c021c66a6eae5eed350aa9bfd55c&dummyext=prev.png[/img] Unnamed Wildclaw [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=130&bodygene=58&breed=10&element=7&eyetype=10&gender=0&tert=33&tertgene=103&winggene=82&wings=28&auth=dc2a5cbff699b2aad8a9af55d0150d44339ca96e&dummyext=prev.png[/img]

[center][b]Chapter 12: Orphans: Part 3[/b][/center] Nyarlathotep spent the entire night traveling, and as the sun finally rose, exhaustion dragged at her feet. The forest around her had finally come alive. She had heard owls and bats around and the smaller, ever prevalent sounds of insects buzzed, yet she never stopped. A strange scent reached her nostrils, she raced around a corner in the river and saw through the trees the unnatural shapes of dragon-made buildings. Nyarlathotep aimed for the structures and raced straight past the outermost buildings into the town. It was quiet, plants crawled up the walls of buildings already starting to form holes in their walls. The sounds of birds waking up filled the air from their nests they had made in the empty structures. [i]How could anyone sleep in one of those.[/i] Nyarlathotep thought as she slowed her run to a simple walk. Her stomach growled as she imagined sinking her teeth in the birds, but she knew she had to be careful, the scent of rotten meat was all around her. She tasted the air, looking for where the awful smell was weakest. A small, unassuming building had the weakest scents. Nyarlathotep crept through the door, scoffing at the unnatural walls cut from once-living trees. Cobbling together a home from driftwood or stones or even digging out a cave was much better than the sharp angles of this building, it was just an eyesore all around. Nyarlathotep put aside her feelings on dragon-made structures, finding something to eat was a much better use of her time than critiquing the architectural choices of so-called "civilized" dragons. A bird flew by her, making its way toward a large hole where a window once was. Nyarlathotep swatted it to the ground, it was a pitifully small catch, but at least it was something to eat. The bird crawled weakly on the floor, Nyarlathotep leaned in close, ready to strike the killing blow when the stench of rotten meat slammed into her. She recoiled, she had assumed when the Wildclaw warned her about the smell of rotting meat, it was to warn her away from anything that had died due to the plague, she didn't realize that the sickness itself caused the stink. The bird wasn't safe to eat, likely nothing in the town was safe to eat, she'd have to venture further out for something to soothe her rumbling stomach. Nyarlathotep looked down at the bird, it would be cruel to allow the bird to die slowly broken on the ground, so she pulled a board from the wall and killed the bird with it so that she wouldn't sink her teeth or claws into the sick creature. She dropped the board and raced back to the river to wash her forepaws, as she washed, she saw a lizard sunning itself on a rock. The dimness of the sun in the Tangled Wood meant that it would take some time for it to warm up. Nyarlathotep took an experimental sniff and was pleased to note the lack of rotten meat smell. She excitedly dug her teeth into it, killing it with a twist of her head and consuming it in a single bite. It wasn't enough to line her stomach, but at least it was food, and she wasn't going to risk her life on the fish in the river when she couldn't smell them before she touched them. A rustle caught her attention. Nyarlathotep turned to see bushes shifting wildly, she instinctively raced after whatever moved the plants, maybe it was something she could eat. As she chased it, she realized that it was a dragon hatchling. [i]Just like Leenah[/i], Nyarlathotep thought, worried. Unlike Leenah, however, the hatchling turned and lashed out at Nyarlathotep when it realized that it was being followed. It was a female Banescale hatchling. "Calm down." Nyarlathotep said. "Are you okay?" The Banescale looked surprised, "I'm fine, I guess. Surviving." "That's good." Nyarlathotep said. "What's your name." "Don't have one." She said, defiance in her eyes. "It never came up before my Clan died." "I'm sorry." Nyarlathotep said, "Do you have any place safe to stay?" She was worried about this hatchling; no hatchling should be alone. "Safe-ish." She said. "Come on, I'll show you." "Quick to trust, aren't you." Nyarlathotep said. Nyarlathotep had no fear of infection, the hatchling held no scent of sickness. "You don't stink, so you're not sick, so it's safe to be around you. No one else wants to be around each other these days." Nyarlathotep followed the Banescale hatchling back to a tangle of thorny bushes. She was too large to follow the hatchling through the tangle, so she waited just outside of the thorns. "I'm home!" The hatchling called out. "You brought someone with you?!" A young male voice called. "Are you crazy?" "She's fine." The female hatchling said, annoyed. "You're paranoid, and we need help. She's an adult, she can help us." "What if she's sick?" "She's not. Come out and meet her." Both hatchlings squeezed out. The other hatchling was also a Banescale, he was wary and glared at Nyarlathotep. "Is he your brother?" Nyarlathotep asked. "No just a friend. He doesn't have a name either." "That's sad." Nyarlathotep said. "Has anyone even tried to look after you two?" "No." The male Banescale said. "Every time either one of us approach anyone they chase us away." "Everyone is so focused on staying apart that they won't help anyone in need." The female Banescale said. "We've had to look after ourselves." Nyarlathotep was furious, the adults should be looking after the hatchlings, and they just abandoned them to the wilds when they had no conceivable way of looking after themselves. Leenah, Rositsa, Hypnos, and Coatlicue were all half-starved when they joined her Clan. They were hatchlings and should never have been alone, victims of capricious fate and horrifying circumstances, Nyarlathotep couldn't help but think of them when she looked at these two. "Join my Clan." Nyarlathotep said. "What?" They both said in sync. "Join my Clan. You should have someone looking after you. Everyone here has failed you." "We can look after ourselves. We don't need your help." The male hatchling said. "Yes we do!" The female hatchling said. "Stop being stubborn. Your pride is not worth dying for." The male hatchling grumbled before nodding. "We'll join." He said. "You two need names." Nyarlathotep said, she gestured to the male hatchling. "How about Gurathnaka for you?" "It's fine." Gurathnaka said. "What about me?" Nyarlathotep smiled. "You can be Istasha." "Istasha. I like it." She said. "We can't leave yet, though. I'm joining the others to kill the Plague dragons. But first, I'm going to find as many orphans as I can. No one should be left alone in this sick land." Nyarlathotep said. "Do you want to come with me now or do you want to wait here for me." "I'm coming with you." Istasha said. "I don't want to be alone." Gurathnaka said softly, "I'm coming too." Nyarlathotep was filled with warmth. Adopting more hatchlings would be a strain on her Clan, but saving their lives would be worth it. [center][b]End of Chapter 12[/b][/center] Featured dragons: Nyarlathotep [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=33&bodygene=23&breed=3&element=7&eyetype=10&gender=1&tert=14&tertgene=0&winggene=23&wings=60&auth=85647bd2b682c021c66a6eae5eed350aa9bfd55c&dummyext=prev.png[/img] Istasha [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=105&bodygene=46&breed=18&element=7&eyetype=2&gender=1&tert=87&tertgene=49&winggene=50&wings=148&auth=24f040ea017602f3f05975e9838568642e434815&dummyext=prev.png[/img] Gurathnaka [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=107&bodygene=54&breed=18&element=7&eyetype=1&gender=0&tert=63&tertgene=45&winggene=55&wings=9&auth=2377f966aec466c9fe490115b0cd4ebc96792617&dummyext=prev.png[/img]

[center][b]Chapter 13: Orphans: Part 4[/b][/center] [center][i]Warning: Animal Death, Violence, Strangulation, Death[/i][/center] Nyarlathotep ran after the rabbit as fast as she possibly could. She had already had to pass up 3 crows and another rabbit because they stank of the illness, this rabbit was the first thing she had seen that was safe to eat after hours of searching, Nyarlathotep couldn't afford to let it get away. The rabbit raced into a thorny bush, barely escaping Nyarlathotep's claws. "No!" Nyarlathotep screeched as she plunged her forelimbs after it desperately, her claws snagged at its leg and she dragged it out as the thorns tore at her, tearing into her despite her protective scales. The rabbit squealed in terror as it was pulled from its shelter and Nyarlathotep quickly sank her teeth into it before its death-cry could alert any other dragons. The rabbit was small, it had very little meat on its bones. Nyarlathotep looked around, using all of her eyes to see if there was anything else around that they could eat. The illness had killed so much prey, and what was left was either already sick, or barely fit to eat. She had already spent so much time and energy getting this scrawny rabbit, she couldn't afford to keep looking. They would have to make do with what she had. Frustrated, she picked up the rabbit and made her way back to the two Banescale hatchlings waiting for her. [i]I hope they stayed put,[/i] Nyarlathotep thought, she had been away for much longer than she expected tracking down something to eat, they may have left looking for her. As she trekked back, she kept her eyes and ears tuned into the world around her, both for anything else she could eat and any sign of other young dragons who needed help. Nyarlathotep's stomach growled, and she had to fight not to devour the rabbit, she hunted it for Gurathnaka and Istasha, not for herself. Nevertheless, she picked up the pace. If she was hungry, then those two would [i]certainly[/i] be hungrier. As she approached the tree that she left them at she could hear their voices and an unfamiliar third voice. Nyarlathotep's heart leaped into her throat, and she ran over, skidding to a halt in front of the tangle of roots where the hatchlings were hidden. "Come on out," Nyarlathotep challenged. "Don't you [i]dare[/i] hurt them!" "Nyarlathotep, it's okay!" Istasha called. "He's friendly." Nyarlathotep's relief nearly took her off her talons as three hatchlings emerged from the roots. The third voice had belonged to a very young male Nocturne, his eyes glittered with excitement as he looked at Nyarlathotep. "Hello there." He said. "Hello," Nyarlathotep said, trading her hostility for hospitality. The little Nocturne looked just as hungry as the other two, and Nyarlathotep [i]did[/i] have a rabbit. "I got this for Gurathnaka and Istasha, but you can share too. Sorry it's so small." "Small?" Gurathnaka said, wonder in his voice as he stared at the rabbit. "It's perfect!" Nyarlathotep couldn't ignore the hunger in their eyes, and she presented the rabbit to them. The three of them tore into it ravenously, Nyarlathotep felt her heart breaking at their desperation. "Aren't you going to have some?" The Nocturne asked between bites. "I'm not hungry." Nyarlathotep said, her stomach insistently growling. "Besides, you three need it far more than me." "But-" "If you won't take it, I will." A voice snarled. Nyarlathotep whirled around to see a female Guardian aggressively eyeing the rabbit that the hatchlings were eating. "Don't you even [i]think[/i] about it." Nyarlathotep hissed, planting herself between the aggressor and the hatchlings. "Give me the rabbit and I won't have to hurt you or them." The Guardian threatened. "Never!" Nyarlathotep said. "They need it. Go find your own." "If they can't survive without your [i]charity[/i], then they should die." The Guardian's voice dripped with disgust on the word "charity". Nyarlathotep noticed for the first time that the Guardian had red eyes. "You're a Plague dragon! It's your fault this is happening!" Nyarlathotep launched herself at the Guardian, clawing at her detestable red eyes. "You and your Clan came here and did this? Why?!" "Quarantine Zones can only teach us so much, only a field test can get us the results we need, despite what the other Clans say." The Guardian said, smugly. [i]At least this isn't a full invasion,[/i] Nyarlathotep thought, [i]just a Clan that went rogue.[/i] "Sorry to disappoint, but Shadow dragons don't lay down and die that easy." The Guardian grinned. "No, you don't. You are all very good at surviving. But all that means is working out the kinks in the strains is much more fun." The Guardian turned her attention to the hatchlings squeezing themselves into the roots. "I wonder how much we could learn about the progression of the strains with live subjects?" Nyarlathotep saw red, "[i]You will not touch them![/i]" She snarled, turning her attention from the Guardian's eyes to her neck, slashing at it with every ounce of rage and protectiveness she had. "You will die before I let you hurt them!" The Guardian's scales were very thick, and Nyarlathotep couldn't get her claws through to the Guardian's neck. The Guardian pulled Nyarlathotep off of her and slammed her into the ground. "Little dragon, you won't 'let me'? You are just a Shadow dragon, I am a Plague dragon, not to mention how much larger I am than you. What can you [i]possibly[/i] do to stop me?" She said as she clawed at Nyarlathotep's stomach. White hot agony shot through Nyarlathotep as the Guardian claws spilled her blood, "This!" She said, fighting to keep the pain from entering her voice as she expended every scrap of magic she had to merge with the Guardian's shadow. Exhausted from the energy expenditure, she knew she wouldn't stay merged long, so she acted fast. She darted around the Guardian and released her claw from the shadow and slashed at the back of the Guardian's hind legs, bringing her to the ground with a snarl. Nyarlathotep emerged from the shadow and leaped onto the Guardian and rapidly made her way the Guardian's head and wrapped her fangs around her windpipe and hung on tight. She would bring down this Guardian like she was prey. The Guardian let out a strangled noise and took to the sky, spinning as she tried to shake Nyarlathotep off. Nyarlathotep clung on with everything she had, if she did not, the Guardian would kill her. Worse, the Guardian would kill the hatchlings. Nyarlathotep sank her teeth even deeper, one way or another, this Guardian would die. The Guardian's wild spiral slowed, and her wingbeats became strained. The two dragons slowly dropped lower and lower to the ground until they crashed hard into the dirt. Nyarlathotep's vision whitened as her injuries screamed their objections, yet she did not let go, she could never let go. The Guardian's struggles grew weaker and weaker until they finally stopped, yet she did not let go. "Nyarlathotep! Nyarlathotep! Are you okay?" Gurathnaka's voice called. Nyarlathotep opened her eyes. [i]When did they close[/i]? She unlatched her jaws. "I'll be fine." She pressed her forelimbs to her stomach, trying to staunch the bleeding. "I just need leaves or something, I don't have bandages." "I'll get them for you." Gurathnaka promised, flying up into the trees. "You saved us..." The Nocturne hatchling said, "You barely know us, but you risked your life, and you saved us. No one does that." "[i]I[/i] do that. You three needed me to." To Nyarlathotep's delight, the bleeding was slowing. "What's your name?" She asked as Gurathnaka returned with the leaves, giving them to her with wonder in his eyes. "I don't know. If my parents gave me one, I don't remember it." The Nocturne said. [i]Another nameless child[/i], Nyarlathotep thought sadly as she pressed the leaves into her stomach. "Nyarlathotep is good at names, you should let her name you." Gurathnaka said. "You warmed up to her fast. What happened to all that suspicion you had?" Istasha asked. "That was before she fed us and saved us. Speaking of, there's still rabbit left, we should eat it before anyone else comes looking for it." "Yes, eat. You three need it." Nyarlathotep said. "So, little Nocturne, [i]do[/i] you want me to name you?" "Yes, please." He said, digging back into the rabbit. "How does Nctolhu sound to you?" She asked. The Nocturne swallowed the bite of rabbit. "I like it. Thank you very much." "Then Nctolhu it is." Nyarlathotep said. She pulled aside the leaves and grinned at the sight of her wounds no longer bleeding. She got to her feet and grabbed the corpse of the Guardian, dragging it away from the hatchlings. "Let me get rid of this for you and get cleaned up, that way nothing else will find us. I will stay in earshot. Call for me if you need me." Nyarlathotep paused, released the Guardian, and looked at Nctolhu. "Oh, and Nctolhu?" "Yes?" "Do you want to come back to my Clan with us?" Nctolhu's eyes lit up. "Yes, please. Thank you." Nyarlathotep smiled and returned to disposing of the Guardian's body. [center][b]End of Chapter 13[/b][/center] Featured dragons: Nyarlathotep [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=33&bodygene=23&breed=3&element=7&eyetype=10&gender=1&tert=14&tertgene=0&winggene=23&wings=60&auth=85647bd2b682c021c66a6eae5eed350aa9bfd55c&dummyext=prev.png[/img] Istasha [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=105&bodygene=46&breed=18&element=7&eyetype=2&gender=1&tert=87&tertgene=49&winggene=50&wings=148&auth=24f040ea017602f3f05975e9838568642e434815&dummyext=prev.png[/img] Gurathnaka [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=107&bodygene=54&breed=18&element=7&eyetype=1&gender=0&tert=63&tertgene=45&winggene=55&wings=9&auth=2377f966aec466c9fe490115b0cd4ebc96792617&dummyext=prev.png[/img] Nctolhu [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=167&bodygene=5&breed=11&element=7&eyetype=0&gender=0&tert=71&tertgene=4&winggene=21&wings=123&auth=6d081805f594ced529c20f1e8b182f19b81e4489&dummyext=prev.png[/img] Plague Guardian [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=137&bodygene=88&breed=2&element=2&eyetype=0&gender=1&tert=78&tertgene=21&winggene=7&wings=30&auth=34004253cdb78dc99c3303aa84504ce07fc40adc&dummyext=prev.png[/img]