Quests & Challenges

@jaspernoir @SpaceBean7117 @WOF2012 @MisterMylez Doing this backwards so I can give a warning of some violence ahead. Didn't make it super graphic and feel it should be fine for most readers, but wanted to put a warning just in case. We finally meet Arabella! Items used: [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/familiar/339.png[/img] ----- [center][u][b]Training[/b][/u] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/496214/49621398.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/505343/50534242.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/494530/49452910.png[/img][/center] The group traveled peacefully for several days until one morning they were camping on a large sandbar, eating their morning meal when Ishikk spoke up. “So, I need to learn how to fight in case of emergency. When can someone train me?” Heth smiled at his son fondly before looking to the rest of the group “I can take him out for some training today if no one minds staying an extra day?” “I have some sketching to catch up on. I don’t mind at all!” Basil offered. “And I have some notes on a few new herbs I’ve picked up that I’d like to get recorded.” Zyl added. “Then its settled! I will stay here and sunbathe, just make sure he doesn’t get hurt, okay?” Ravage fixed Heth with a stern look, which he shrugged off. “I know, dear. I hardly plan to maul him.” He chuckled. After they finished eating, the two Bogsneaks took off, heading out away from the sandbar where Ishikk could practice without distraction from the others. They spent the morning practicing basic attacks and dodging techniques, Heth trying to go easy on his son, but finding that Ishikk’s small wings made for poor maneuverability. Though his father said nothing about this, Ishikk was noticing the problem as well, and growing increasingly frustrated by it. He let out an angry hiss as Heth made yet another successful hit on him. “Lets go rest a bit.” Heth suggested “Things might go better after lunch.” “You can’t fix what was born defective.” A voice sniggered cruelly; their words accented oddly. The pair whipped around to find themselves confronted by a trio of Coatls. Their hides were mottled with scars and they were positioned aggressively, as if just about to attack. Ishikk hissed at them and Heth flared his frills as a warning. “We do not want any trouble.” He said flatly. The center Coatl, a large male with yellow scales, laughed. “Well you have it anyway. Give us whatever you have.” His voice identified him as the speaker of the nasty comment about Ishikk. “We didn’t bring anything with us. You will have to go elsewhere. Now leave us alone.” Heth replied tersely, positioning himself between the bandits and his son. The two remaining Coatls were both green, and began to cackle at his words, flexing their claws in anticipation of a fight. One hummed out a question, though Heth didn’t understand the native Coatl language. The yellow Coatl replied and all three darted forward to attack. The two greens worked seamlessly together to separate Heth from Ishikk, whom the yellow charged at. Ishikk scrambled backwards, trying desperately to escape the claws of the Coatl. The bandit’s larger wings gave him the advantage though, and the Bogsneak was quickly covered in scratches as the Coatl herded him farther and farther away from Heth. Once he was apparently a satisfactory distance away from the other fighters the bandit rushed forward. Ishikk couldn’t get out of the way in time and let out a scream as the Coatl opened a large gash the entire length of his torso on his right side. Ishikk faltered, wings flapping erratically as he tried to turn to face his attacker. Blood poured from the gash on his side at an alarming rate. His father was too far away to reach him, preoccupied with fighting off his own attackers. The bandit Coatl bared his fangs in a wicked smile, preparing for another charge. Ishikk snarled at him, frills flared up in challenge. A bolt of dark energy came out of nowhere, slamming into the bandit’s side and knocking him off balance. He was struggling to right himself when another slammed into him, followed by a third. This one striking him in the wing and producing a sickening crunching noise. The Coatl flailed his unbroken wing desperately as he plummeted towards the surface of the water, a high-pitched keening coming from his mouth. A blue streak followed him down. It was a Pearlcatcher, dressed in brass armor and decorated in pale blue gems which complimented the blue scales of her body. The Coatl hit the water hard and Ishikk flinched. Falling from such a height would nearly make the surface tension feel like solid ground on impact. The Pearlcatcher flared out her wings, slowing her descent as she approached the crash site. The yellow Coatl bobbed on the surface of the water, unnaturally still. The Ishikk’s rescuer dipped closer, inspecting the body to be sure he was dead before turning back and ascending towards Ishikk. Ishikk looked over to where his father had been fighting the other two bandits and was relieved to see there was only one bandit left, and Heth didn’t appear to be in bad shape. A soft purple glow enveloped the young Bogsneak and the pain in his side burned sharply as his flesh began mending back together. He let out a surprised hiss, turning to look at the wound. The Pearlcatcher was hovering next to him, purple eyes glowing with magic as her spell did its work. “Stay here.” She told him, her voice soft, yet leaving no room for argument. She flew towards where Heth and the last Coatl were fighting. The green Coatl had her back to the Pearlcatcher, which the warrior quickly took advantage of. Another bolt of Shadow magic hit the unsuspecting bandit dead center in the back of the head, stunning her. Heth lunged forward, getting his jaws around her neck and twisting savagely until he heard a snap and she went limp. He released his hold, letting his vanquished enemy’s body fall to join her companions in the water below. They would not be there for very long, as the scent of their deaths traveled on the currents, advertising food to the many fish and sharks inhabiting the sea. Heth stared at the Pearlcatcher, sizing her up as a potential threat. She stared back at him, dark eyes unblinking. “I believe the fight is over. Your companion lost a lot of blood and needs to be taken somewhere he can rest.” She told him calmly. Ishikk was flapping over to them, clearly exhausted. Heth nodded his agreement, deciding that the stranger had earned their trust for now. He flew over to his son, inspecting the damage that the yellow bandit had done. He gently prodded the healed laceration on Ishikk’s side and seemed content with how it had mended. “Your mother is going to skin me for this. Lets get you back to camp.” He sighed, worn out from the day’s events. “Would you like to join us?” Ishikk asked the Pearlcatcher eagerly. She glanced at Heth to be sure he did not disapprove, then nodded. “I would like that. Thank you.”

She's here at last! I was wondering what Arabella would be like.

[center][u][b]Battle Update[/b][/u][/center] Won't ping people for Battle updates I think, because if anyone actually dies in them that will get a lore post instead of just a little note like this. But I got a [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/battle_items/676.png[/img] from Pink today. Coin flip said I had to do the Death Streak. RNG chose Heth, Basil, and Ishikk. Everyone made it through just fine. They seem to be doing really well in these lower venues. We will see how that changes once we start getting higher up and eventually reach venues with Bosses. Thats still a ways off though (especially with how few food items Pink gives me most of the time)

@MisterMylez

Yes! I have only had her in my lair waiting since the Mistral Jamboree X,D So much was going on with the festival and first hatching that I did not want to just shove her in on top of everything else.

[center][u][b]Arabella[/b][/u] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/491422/49142126.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/497049/49704814.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/492575/49257482.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/496214/49621398.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/505343/50534242.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/494530/49452910.png[/img] [/center] Basil had finished updating his maps of the areas the group had traversed. True, the dragons of the Wind Territory loved mapmaking, and he had been offered many nice maps from the dragons that they had met there, but he had refused all but the most rudimentary. He wanted a basic idea of what to expect so he could keep the group out of danger, but it was so much fun to fill in all the details of what they saw on his own maps. The Spiral yawned, stretching out his entire length and his wings, stiff from being in one position for so long while sketching. He put away his supplies into his satchel, looking around to check on what his companions were up to. Zyl was still deeply concentrating upon their own work, nibling on a strange looking herb whist writing notes in one of their heavy, leather bound books. Ravage was splayed out in the sun, the bags that Heth had left behind at her side within easy reach. Basil fluttered over to her. “Want to play tag? Or go hunting?” he suggested, nudging her in the side with his snout. Ravage shook her head, surprising Basil; normally she was quick to jump at an activity. “Not right now. Maybe in a bit.” She replied, tail curling loosely around the bags beside her. Basil had noticed that both Heth and Ravage seemed unusually preoccupied with those bags, but he wasn’t sure of how to bring it up. He didn’t have a bad feeling about the bags, and no one had come chasing after them, so it probably wasn’t stolen goods, but he could not think of what would make the two so nervous that they wouldn’t share with Zyl and himself. He would have to ask Zyl what they thought they should do to bring it up. “Alright. Let me know if you change your mind.” He said, turning towards the sea. He busied himself splashing around in the shallows around the sandbar, twisting in elaborate shapes underwater and breaking the surface in short little bursts like he had seen porpoises doing before. Several sets of wingbeats in the distance announced the return of Heth and Ishikk. Basil paused in his play to look out and make sure it really was them approaching and not someone else. He was surprised to see a third dragon with the pair, though they were still a ways out and it was difficult to see the new dragon very clearly. “Looks like they met someone out there.” He called out to Zyl and Ravage, who immediately lifted their heads to get a look. Ravage hissed softly, getting to her feet in a flash. Zyl quickly put their things away into their bag and hurried over to join Basil at the edge of the water. “They are flying slow. Tired maybe?” Zyl noted, red eyes scanning the incoming forms carefully. Within a minute the three were landing, Ishikk rather heavily. He nearly lost his balance but managed to keep on his feet. “WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE ELEVEN HAPPENED TO YOU?” Ravage shrieked, darting over to her son. Ishikk looked down at himself, realizing too late that he probably should have stopped to wash the blood off of himself before returning. His frills folded down a bit sheepishly. “Ah. Well, it looks a lot worse than it is. Dad and I got ambushed, and I got a liiiiiitle bit roughed up, but then this dragoness stepped in and helped us and healed me.” He explained in a rush. “GET INTO THE WATER AND LET ME SEE!” the nocturne ordered, shoving her larger son towards the sea as if he were still an errant hatchling. “AND YOU TOO HETH! DON’T YOU THINK I DON’T SEE YOU WERE INJURED TOO!” she snarled over her shoulder, the absolute picture of protective fury. Heth followed them into the water, washing himself whist his mate fussed over their son. Zyl joined in the inspection, asking several questions about the state that the gash had been in prior to healing, and the amount of blood Ishikk had lost. “You are going to need a lot of fluids and iron rich foods for a day or so to replenish what you lost. We can stay here for a few days until you are rested enough.” They informed the young bogsneak. Heth had faired much better in his fight, so he faired much better in his inspection from his worried mate and clanmate. His wounds were all shallow, and the Pearlcatcher had healed them on the way back, so he was spared most of their fussing. After everyone was back on dry land the clan’s attention turned to the newcomer. The Pearlcather gazed back at them calmly, bowing her head once in a polite greeting. She had white antlers, and unusual trait in a Pearlcatcher. Basil wondered if they were fake or one of the strange natural occurrences that sometimes happened due to the fluctuating magic around Sornieth. Her scales were a very bright blue and semi transparent, catching the light like thousands of tiny crystals. “My name is Arabella. I am a traveling warrior.” She told them. “I saw three well know bandits attacking your friends and intervened. I was grateful for the opportunity to be rid of them, the islands around here will be safer now.” “Was there a bounty on them?” Ravage asked, tearing her envious stare away from Arabella’s scales to look at her face. The Pearlcatcher shrugged “Yes, but I do not care for the task of severing their heads and carrying them around as proof of death until I get to an island that will pay me the bounty. It is a rather distasteful endeavor.” Ravage crinkled her snout in disgust. “That sounds gross. Fine then. No bounty.” “Would you like to join us for food? You could spend the night if you need.” Ishikk offered, his casual tone betrayed by the nervous folding and unfolding of his head crests. Arabella looked at the others for confirmation of the invitation and nodded. “I would appreciate that. I have used up quite a lot of my magic stores today, and could use the rest.” ----- @jaspernoir @SpaceBean7117 @WOF2012 @MisterMylez Been busy working on an adopt base for bogsneaks so I can show what sort of head crests Heth and Ishikk have. So those will be posted in the next few days to help me catch up on art posts ^^

[img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/b5b7702f197ab6ec1649079193d8b6cb/tumblr_prryhaKtUI1y859bpo1_540.png[/img] Heth Adopt by me [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/87f433b12a1287ca8bcc7c0ee1f86c07/tumblr_prryhaKtUI1y859bpo2_540.png[/img] Ishikk Adopt by me ----- @jaspernoir @SpaceBean7117 @WOF2012 @MisterMylez Items used: [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/23829.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/24502.png[/img] Got finished with my Bogsneak adopt base, so I can show what kind of head crests I imagine Heth and Ishikk to have. Ishikk's wings are not to scale because it would be WAY too much work to do the same genes on different sizes of wings, it is already a lot to have genes on 3 different types of crests. (Unfortunately Photoshop keeps being a grade A jerk and throwing random pixels onto my stuff when I save it, as you can see on Ishikk's tongue area, so I wont be putting these adopts up for sale and will just use them as ways to show my own Bogs)

[center][u][b]Surprise[/b][/u] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/497049/49704814.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/491422/49142126.png[/img][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/492575/49257482.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/496214/49621398.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/505343/50534242.png[/img] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/coliseum/portraits/494530/49452910.png[/img] [/center] Zyl worked briskly to get a midday meal prepared for the group, with Basil hopping around to help them. Luckily they had been starting to vary everyone’s diet a little to ensure they were all getting proper nutrition, so they had enough vegetation on hand to include Arabella. She and the two Bogsneaks got a fruit salad, while Ravage and Basil got bowls of mixed insects, and Zyl enjoyed some raw oysters. The group soon settled down together to eat. Ishikk and Heth digging into their food voraciously. Zyl watched them for a moment, eyeing Ishikk carefully. “Do not think I have forgotten you need special food to replenish your blood.” They informed the younger dragon. “I will be making a large batch of soup this afternoon.” Ishikk grinned at them, mouth stained by the berries he was eating. “I would appreciate it. Thanks.” A sudden muffled cheeping interrupted further conversation, everyone going quiet to listen to it. It almost sounded like- “THEY’RE HATCHING!” Ravage yelped, scrambling up and rushing over to where she had left Heth’s bags, Heth hot on her heels. Zyl and Basil stared at one another in bewilderment and Ishikk let out a huff of laughter. “Guess we should have seen that one coming.” he chuckled, heaving himself up and heading towards his parents. The others following. The parents had gently emptied the bags out onto the warm sand. Three eggs and a tiny Bogsneak hatchling sat before them. The little dragonet was a deep purple, with paler wings and a deep blue belly. He cheeped at the adults hungrily, trying to stand on his wobbly little legs. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51933319] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/519334/51933319_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] “Eggs? Really? You couldn’t have warned us? I could have prepared things for them.” Zyl chided, keeping their voice calm so as not to upset the hatchling, but their tail lashing behind them clearly showing their agitation. They did not mind that there would be more individuals in their group, but it stung to see that their friends had not felt the need to inform everyone of something so important. “We… Wanted to see how they hatched first.” Heth explained softly, touching the tip of his snout gently to each of the remaining eggs while Ravage fussed over the baby who had already hatched. Zyl’s anger subsided, remembering how devastated the pair had been to lose one of their first clutch. They nodded, still not liking what the pair had done, but understanding a little bit as to why. Arabella went back to where the group had been eating and gathered the fruit salads. She brought them back over and set them next to the parents. Ravage hissed softly at her, wrapping herself around her new child protectively. The Pearlcatcher seemed unbothered by this, and simply left the bowl next to Ravage and stepped back to where the other onlookers were gathered. “I’m sorry,” Basil apologized. “She can get a little broody about hatchlings.” Arabella nodded “It is a natural reaction among many dragons. She does not know me well enough yet, I am not offended.” Before long another hatchling pulled himself from his eggshell. This one was a deep blue, with a vibrant blue belly, and bright purple wings. He stumbled over to the bowl of fruit his brother was eating from, crying piteously. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51933320] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/519334/51933320_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Then came the third. A little female with a pale blue body and deep purple wings. She was a bit smaller than her two brothers, and had to be fed from one of the other bowls when the two kept pushing her out of the way in their jostling for food. All three hatchlings had their mother’s splotchy patterning. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51933321] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/519334/51933321_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] The final egg didn’t seem to be hatching. It was not rocking like the others had, and no noise could be heard from within. Ravage avoided looking at it, staring down at her three new children. Heth sighed and picked it up, carrying it to the edge of the sandbar before setting it down gently and carefully opening it, blocking everyone’s view with his body. The hatchling inside was another male, as small as his sister, and Heth was struck at the resemblance to their first stillborn child, Ateia. This little one also had a pale blue body and a bright green belly. His wings were a different color, but Heth still felt a sad sense of de ja vu as he inspected their second stillborn. [center] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51933322] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/519334/51933322_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] “Zyl. Arabella. Will you double check nothing can be done?” he asked quietly. The two hurried over to inspect the child, but it was clear that the little one was beyond anyone’s ability to heal. He was already gone. “Ravage, would you like to come return him to the sea?” Heth asked his mate. The nocturne shook her head fericly, turning her back to him and wrapping herself around their three remaining hatchlings. Heth carefully lifted the stillborn and took off, with Zyl beside him, flying out to open water to perform the funeral rites. When they returned the hatchlings were all sleeping, curled up to Ravage’s body for warmth and comfort, with her wing acting as a cave to block the breeze. Heth nuzzled his mate as he settled down in front of her where he could see under her wing. “So. What are their names?” he asked. “Siel, Savir, and Rue.” she replied, laying her head down across his forelegs. Heth nuzzled her again. “I named the fallen one Sylvor.” he told informed her softly. She merely nodded. Zyl gestured for the others to give the parents some space for a bit and the four of them returned to where they had been eating. “I am going to get started finding ingredients for tht soup, it looks like we are going to be needing plenty of it with three new mouths to feed.” Zyl announced. Basil curled around their neck like a scarf. “I will come along to help get things, it will make the hunting faster.” Ishikk flopped down onto the sand, thouroughly exhausted after the events of the day. “I am going to take a nap. Wake me for food or emergency.” Arabella settled herself down a short distance away, resting but still clearly alert. “I will keep watch until you return. Good hunting.” Zyl took flight, off to hunt. ----- @jaspernoir @SpaceBean7117 @WOF2012 @MisterMylez Babies! I was surprised at having so many this time around. Was also really surprised at my second dead baby being a bright belly like the first. Strange. So Pink really friggin likes babies because I already have 3 apparel items in my item pool and he gave me another one yesterday morning. Going to just post that one here instead of messing with adding it to the pool and removing one already there. Items Used: [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/equipment/20600.png[/img]

woahbabies. There was a hatchling in the other pinkerlocke I read named rue, but he was a dead hatchling.

@MisterMylez
Thats a funny coincidence ^^ I name based on the random name generator here on fr. I scroll through it til I find something that isnt silly (ponycruncher, tailwrecker, random human names like Fred lmao)

Since this clutch had so many survivors I am thinking of waiting to use my other apparel items for a bit until I get more babies in X'D

[img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/77317ae069a9912c002cf83fff993e9f/tumblr_prvadu29xz1y859bpo2_540.png[/img] [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/1eae993f129c9fa38936ac481c8145bb/tumblr_prvadu29xz1y859bpo3_540.png[/img] [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/4b33ca14d26dac1d7b221172e6f2dcfd/tumblr_prvadu29xz1y859bpo1_540.png[/img] ----- @jaspernoir @SpaceBean7117 @WOF2012 @MisterMylez Got too excited to decide on head crests for the new kids, so here they all are even though I only have 1 trinket XD Items used: [item=desert diadem]